30 Then "'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"'
31 For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
In our verses for today Jesus warns us that there will come a time when the unrepentant will plead for cover even to the point of begging the mountains and hills to fall upon them as a protective shield from the splendor of the Almighty’s majesty. Here Jesus refers to the prophecies stated in Isaiah, Hosea and Revelation:
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, 18 and the idols will totally disappear. 19 Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. Isaiah 2:17-19 (NIV)
8 The high places of wickedness will be destroyed-- it is the sin of Israel. Thorns and thistles will grow up and cover their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!" Hosea 10:8 (NIV)
15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" Rev 6:15-17 (NIV)
“Only those who have availed themselves of the grace of God before the time of judgment will be able to stand when God deals with the earth in this final period of great distress.” Bible Knowledge Commentary
"To the one who fears God, there is no reason to fear anything or anyone else." Beth Moore
“As men have their day of opportunity, and their times of grace, so God has his day of righteous wrath.” Matthew Henry
“There is a living God...He means what He says and will do all He has promised.” Hudson Taylor
Jesus presents the Daughters of Jerusalem with a pertinent question – if this is how men treat the Savior when He was actually walking among them – when, so to speak, “the tree is green” – what indeed will happen when He is no longer physically here?
“And are there scoffers, who madly walk after their own lusts, and question the coming of the Lord? The hour hastens, when infidelity shall doubt no more: ‘The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.’ How will sinners fade away, and be afraid in their close places, when, visible to all, the Judge shall appear on his great white throne, and from his face the earth and heavens flee away! Before him shall stand the whole race of men, small and great; and by the testimony of God and their own consciences it shall be fully proved, and openly declared, what they have been, and what they have done. Then sentence, most righteous, irrevocable, and big with eternity, shall be pronounced. On the wicked, everlasting punishment; on the righteous, life eternal. Think, oh think, what destruction is hanging over your heads, ye obstinate transgressors; for ‘behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him; they also which pierced him, and all the wicked kindreds of the earth, shall wail because of him.’ Now, ‘now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation;’ now embrace him as your offered, your all sufficient Savior; so shall you be for ever delivered from him as your angry Judge. If this you neglect, how shall you abide the day of his coming in flaming fire, to take vengeance on all them that know not God, and obey not the gospel? Lift up thy head; my soul, none else is Judge but Christ. Will he who bore my sins, plead against me in judgment? No; but he will put strength in me. I know in whom I have believed; and that he is able to keep that good thing, my souls, which I have committed to him against that day.” K. H. Von Bogatzky
“We sleep in peace in the arms of God, when we yield ourselves up to His providence.” Unknown
25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27 (NIV)