For, "All flesh is like grass, And all of man's glory like the flower in the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls;

 (i) The first is the stage of hope and desire, the stage of those who throughout the ages dreamed of the coming of the King. As Jesus himself said to his disciples, "Many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it" ( Luke 10:23-24). There were the days of longings and expectations which were never fully realized. 