In Matthew 23, Jesus condemns the religious leaders of the time, the Scribes and Pharisees for putting their traditions and rituals before obedience to the Word of God. He ends by saying good-bye to Jerusalem and telling Israel that their Temple is now empty and that they would not see Him again until they acknowledge Him as the Messiah. In Matthew 24, He gives a timeline for when he will return which is in four phases: Beginning of Birth Pangs; Tribulation, the ‘abomination of desolation’ and the ‘Great Tribulation’. The experience of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace symbolizes what we as Christians will experience until Jesus comes again!