Direct fulfillment of Jesus’ words came less than 30 years later, but like many prophecies, His words find secondary fulfillment: many women no longer feel that children are a blessing but a nuisance and drain on their quality of life.

“Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ And to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ If men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” vss 30, 31

Jesus was quoting an old proverb whose underlying idea is that if people foolishly try to start a fire with a green tree that won’t ignite, what trouble will they kindle with a dry tree that will burn? The world was about to find out.

In less than a generation, Jerusalem was deforested and set to the torch, the temple buildings leveled so “not one stone is left standing upon another,” and the populace enslaved or slaughtered. The siege of Jerusalem and the aftermath was a terrible time for mothers and their babies. Women with no dead child to mourn were indeed blest, just as Jesus said.

On the day when Jesus spoke to the daughters of Jerusalem, they took the green tree and nailed the Savior of the world to it. The women wept because they thought Jesus had no one to carry on His name and His line would perish.

But don’t cry for Him: For better or worse, we are His progeny.

In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus… an inheritance that can never perish… kept in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1: 3, 4

© Rebekah Montgomery 2008
For reprint requests, contact Rebekah at her website, www.Rebekah Montgomery.com

Rebekah Montgomery, author/speaker/teacher, is a gifted, dynamic communicator. She is the author of more than five books and has penned 1,100 articles. She shares tough real-life topics and biblical application in a simple easy to grasp manner. To book Rebekah for your next event visit www.rebekahmontgomery.com . Rebekah is also the editor of Right to the Heart of Women and a publisher at Jubilant Press.