Matthew 24:30

Matthew 24:30. The sign of the Son of Man in heaven. This points to some unmistakable appearance preceding the personal manifestation of Christ. Something like the Star of the wise men, some suppose ; the Fathers thought, a sign of the cross in the heavens; a luminous appearance visible to all, itself a glory like the Shekinah of old, is the view of many. The important matter is to recognize it when it comes, not to know in advance what it will be.

All the tribes of the earth mourn. All races and peoples shall join in one chorus, first of great and solemn lamentation ; not necessarily of real penitence, though that is not excluded, but rather of terror, occasioned by the events which have occurred and the foreboding of what is to follow. Comp. Revelation 1:7; also Zechariah 12:10-14, where the families of Israel are represented as mourning.

And they shall see the Son of man coming. This coming is evidently that referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, at the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5-6) ; a comparison with Revelation 19:11 ff. suggests that this Advent precedes the millennium, but upon that point there has been much dispute. Certainly nothing is said here of the general judgment, but only of the gathering of Christ's people (Matthew 24:31). On the clouds of heaven. ‘In like manner' as He ascended (Acts 1:9; Acts 1:11).

With power and great glory, manifested in the establishment of His kingdom on the earth. Some prefer to regard this coming as the beginning of a series of judgments afterwards set forth in Matthew 24:45-51; chap., covering the period symbolically set forth in the term ‘thousand years' in Revelation 20:5-6; but with the exception of the final judgment, all these are represented as occurring before this coming of the Lord. The safest opinion is, that a Personal coming of Christ is here meant, to take place after the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24), and to be preceded by great catastrophes.