“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.” Matt. 24:29
In the Ancient Near East, the use of sun, moon, and stars in prophetic passages refer not to the celestial bodies themselves, but were symbolic of ruling authorities, nations, or cities. To the 1st century listeners, the use of various signs in the heavens were familiar figures of speech from the OT apocalyptic language referring to the destruction of a nation or city.
Jesus is quoting here from several Old Testament prophecies. One is Isaiah 13:10 which is a prophecy of the judgment of Babylon. “For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light.”Isaiah is prophesying the end of the rulers of Babylon using the symbolism of the sun, moon, and stars. In the same way, Jesus is using prophetic imagery to say their rulers…the religious leaders…would fall from power. Their religious leaders will no longer be their guide, light, or authority.
The author of Hebrews also speaks of the heavens shaking...
“‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ This phrase, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of things that are shaken–that is, things that have been made–in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken…” Hebrews 12:26-27, ESV
The book of Hebrews is all about the covenant transition. It speaks of Old Covenant types that foreshadowed the New Covenant realities. In this context, the heavens shaking referred to the Temple system being shaken until the only thing that was left was the unshakeable Kingdom. Jesus is saying the same thing when He says the “powers of heaven will be shaken.” After their time of persecution and great tribulation…after the armies destroy Jerusalem…no longer will their religious leaders or the Temple system exist. The entire thing will be destroyed….the house of Jerusalem will be left desolate…and the Old Covenant will have vanished away.
“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of earth will mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matt. 24:30
With our modern lens, we picture this as Jesus descending on clouds. But cloud imagery is similar to the imagery of celestial bodies and is often connected with God. Throughout the Old Testament, God’s physical presence is manifested by a cloud.
“And in the morning watch, the Lord in the pillar of fare and cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic…” Ex. 14:24
“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” Ex. 19:9 Three days later, a thick cloud was over Mt. Sinai, as well as thunder and lightning.
“Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mt Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day, he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.” Ex. 24:15-16 Later in Exodus, we read of when Moses went into the tent of meeting, a cloud descended upon it and Moses talked with God as a man talks to a friend.
Clouds are described as surrounding God: “Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him..”(Ps. 97:2) His mode of transportation is said to be a chariot of clouds…”He makes the clouds His chariot; He rides on the wings of the wind...”(Ps. 104:3) When He speaks, it is said to be clouds rising(Jer. 10:13, 51:16) Ezekiel tells us that the day of the Lord will be a day of clouds(30:3) His judgment is often described as an upheaval of the created order: “His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers..the mountains quake before Him; the hills melt…the earth heaves…“(Nah. 1:3-5)
When we read of God making the clouds His chariot, we don’t depict Him physically appear on the clouds, riding through the skies…nor do we envision Him riding on the wind. “Coming on clouds” is a metaphor…a prophetic imagery of God…either in judgment or power, in particular, royal power. When Jesus says they would see the Son of Man coming on clouds, He was quoting from Daniel 7:13….
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14
In this prophecy that Jesus quotes, the son of man is not coming down from heaven but is coming to the Ancient of Days…he was being presented before God, and was being given a kingdom. This is depicting the triumph of the Son of Man as He is coming into the presence of God “with the clouds of heaven,” a phrase that Jesus quotes here in Matthew 24 as well as Mark 14 in answer to Caiaphas. “And Jesus answered, ‘I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”(Mk. 14:62) Was Caiphas going to see Jesus physically flying around on the clouds, or descending from heaven on clouds?
We tend to think the entire world will see this but that’s not what the Bible says..”all the tribes of earth shall mourn...” The Greek word used here is “ge” which means a localized area, a region, country, or land. It is not the word “kosmos” which would mean the entire planet. Jesus is saying that the local region of Judea would see this event.
“The generation that Jesus said would not pass away until all these things came to pass finally came to understand the implications of their rebellion: Jesus is the one who was given ‘dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him.'”(1)And they crucified Him. Jesus’ time reference is revealing…Israel will mourn when they see the Son of Man in heaven. Those who assassinated the Son of God will live to see the day when He would be gloriously vindicated and the wickedness of their crime against Him exposed and punished.
“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.” Matt. 24:31
The Greek word for angels is the common word used for messengers.(Matt. 11:10, Luke 7:24) Jesus sent messengers(angelos) ahead of him to Samaria(Luke 9:52). James says the spies sent into Jericho were messengers(angelos)(James 2:25)
These messengers(angels) would go out at His command(trumpet call) and gather God’s people(the elect) from the four winds(four corners of the earth). This gathering is an invitation to the kingdom to people everywhere, from every tribe, tongue and nation. This could only happen after the destruction of the temple. Now, separate from the law….separate from the Temple…separate from Judaism…the entire world can enter into the kingdom and become part of His royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession.
Endnotes:
1. Gary DeMar. (1999). Last Days Madness. Powder Springs, CO: American Vision, p. 164.