Are Matthew 21:9 and Matthew 23:39 out of order?

Question

The background verse here is this:

[Psa 118:26 NKJV] (26) Blessed [is] he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.

The fulfillment appears here:

[Mat 21:1-11 NKJV] (1) Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, (2) saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose [them] and bring [them] to Me. (3) "And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." (4) All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: (5) "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.' " (6) So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. (7) They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set [Him] on them. (8) And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread [them] on the road. (9) Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed [is] He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!" (10) And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" (11) So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

But after this Jesus complains that they have not fulfilled it and it is still future. Why the complaint after the appropriate response?:

[Mat 23:37-39 NKJV] (37) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under [her] wings, but you were not willing! (38) "See! Your house is left to you desolate; (39) "for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed [is] He who comes in the name of the LORD!' "

Answer 1

Are Matthew 21:9 and Matthew 23:39 out of order?

When reading the four Gospels, we must take into consideration the fact that they were not all written in chronological order. There are Gospel Harmonies, tables of the Gospels arranged into a semblance of time order, that can help us to understand when events in Jesus life occurred.

As to the two accounts in Matthew's Gospel, the events take place about two days apart. The events of chapter 21 are Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem which is associated with Palm Sunday. Chapter 23 occurs, according to The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Harmony of the Gospels for Students of the Life of Crist, by Archibald Thomas Robertson, on Tuesday. Another distinction is the blessing that occurs and when. Chapter 21 has the common people of Jerusalem offering a blessing to Jesus at that particular time, while in chapter 23 Jesus is speaking about the blessing he receives when he is enthroned as a heavenly king.

Yes, the fulfillment of Ps. 118:26 takes place in Matthew chapter 21. Keep in mind that a number of biblical prophecies will have more than one fulfillment. In Matthew chapter 23, Jesus has just announced a condemnation on Jerusalem as a whole, because not everyone accepted him as the Messiah as attested by those in attendance in chapter 21. But Jesus also mentions that in a future date Ps. 118 will yet again be fulfilled. (see Ellicott's Commentary for Matthew 23)