29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:29–31 (ESV)
There has been much discussion and speculation regarding the specific context and meaning of today’s text. The passage naturally points to the second coming of Jesus Christ in power, might and glory. The descriptions of what occurs at His return are all connected to Old Testament prophecies concerning events following the abomination of desolation (Matt. 24:15-28). Note the following biblical texts
- The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light (Isa. 13:10; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:10b; 2:31; Rev. 6:12).
- And the stars shall fall from the sky (Isa. 34:4b; Rev. 6:13).
- And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Isa. 34:4b; Joel 2:10a; Hag. 2:6, 21; Luke 21:25, 26; Rev. 6:13).
- And then the sign of the Son of man shall appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn (Zech. 12:10, 12; Rev. 1:7).
- And they shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory (Dan. 7:13, 14; Matt. 16:27; 26:64).
- And he shall send forth his angels with a loud trumpet blast (Isa. 27:13; Matt. 13:41; 16:27; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16; 2 Thess. 1:7).
- And they shall gather his elect from the four winds, from the one end of heaven to the other (Deut. 30:4; Zech. 2:6).
“Such phenomena are a common feature of day of the Lord prophecy (see Isa. 13:9–10; Ezek. 32:7–8; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Amos 8:9). The ultimate fulfillment of these prophecies takes place during the time of the beast’s reign (Rev. 6:12–13; 8:12),” states Dr. John MacArthur.
“The events described here precisely parallel the description in Dan. 7:13 and Rev. 19:11–21. All the tribes of the earth will mourn. I.e., over their own rebellion. Israel in particular will mourn over their rejection of the Messiah (cf. Zech. 12:10–12).”
“The picture is very vivid. While the earth is drenched with the blood of the saints in the most terrible tribulation of all time, all at once the sun becomes darkened. Naturally the moon now also ceases to give her light. The stars deviate from their orbits and race to their doom; they “fall from heaven.” The powers of the heaven are shaken. Terrifying sounds are heard. There is “the roaring of the sea and the billows,” causing perplexity among men. People faint with fear and with foreboding of what is beginning to happen to the world (Luke 21:25, 26),” explains Dr. William Hendricksen.
The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. was terrible. The times immediately prior to the return of Jesus Christ will be even more devastating. However, there is hope in the midst of this universal hopelessness. Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, will gather His people from all over the world.
“All the “elect” from heaven and earth are gathered and assembled before Christ. This is the culmination of world history, ushering in the millennial reign of Christ (cf. Rev. 20:4),” states Dr. MacArthur.
“If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!” (1 Corinthians 16:22 ESV)
Soli deo Gloria!
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