“The Jews Shall Be Scattered Among All Nations”
By the time of the first century most Jews were looking simply for political deliverance at the hands of a conquering hero, a Davidic king who would smash the Roman images and break the yoke of cruel overlords. False Messiahs had arisen (see Acts 5:36-37), Zealots, nationalistic Jews, seeking to accomplish the works of the long-awaited Messiah, had been killed and imprisoned.
Thus those who were “looking beyond the mark”—the scribal society and its followers (Jacob 4:14)—those who had confused tokens with covenants and ritual with religion, failed to recognize their Messiah. They were able to read weather patterns but unable to read the signs of the times (Matthew 16:3).