Matthew 24:30 KJV And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

The disciples originally asked about the SIGN OF THY COMING. Now we read about THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN IN HEAVEN, and SEEING THE SON OF MAN COMING IN THE CLOUDS.

Since I think I adequately proved the coming of Jesus is not the yet future coming for the church because nothing before Matt 24 mentioned a "coming" that would be associated with the resurrection for the church, I maintain this reference back to verse 3 is also speaking of something other than the yet future coming.

Let us continue to examine this fairly and hermeneutically.

Face-value reading often is the manner in which the average Christian reads these passages. But sometimes face-value reading neglects the use of metaphors the writer intended us to know when reading his writings. If a metaphor was used in a culture 2,000 years ago and half-way around the world, a face-value reader would likely miss it when reading a writing from that setting.  Let us reference other prophecies, first, to determine what the coming of the Lord in clouds might mean.

Daniel 7:13 KJV I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

In Daniel 7, we read of four beasts. After the fourth came to power, the beast's dominion was taken away. In the process of the taking of his dominion, the Son of man came to the Ancient of days, in much the same fashion we read of the Lamb coming to the One on the Throne in Revelation 5. When the Son came to the Ancient of Days, He came in clouds. So her ewe have a distinct coming of the Lord in clouds in a prophecy of Daniel. Daniel is well known to coincide with the New testament prophecies of the coming of Christ by all. But the Son of man is not coming to earth in clouds, but to the Ancient of Days. And seeing Jesus said there would be a sign of "the Son of man in heaven", might the Son being IN HEAVEN and coming in clouds to the throne have a sign that we can determine if He was at the throne in Heaven? The grammar does not restrict us from saying there is a sign that tells us the Son of man is in Heaven. He is in heaven on the throne and ruling. Daniel refers to no other coming of the son in clouds than what we read in Daniel 7. Could not this be the coinciding reference to Matthew 24:30?

We already discussed Caiaphas' encounter with Jesus where the Lord told him that he would personally see the Son of man coming in clouds. Did Caiaphas literally see this? Or did he see the sign?

Compare the account of Matthew 24:3 where the disciples asked Jesus about the SIGN OF THY COMING with Mark's and Luke's versions of the same question. Mark and Luke said "THE SIGN WHEN THESE THINGS COME TO PASS," instead of "SIGN OF THY COMING". We know they spoke of the same sign, only using different terminology due to their memories of the conversation and inspiration of the Spirit as they wrote. So, the SIGN of His coming is already associated with the temple destruction, and it seems the SIGN of the Son of man in Heaven is, therefore, the destruction of the temple! In other words, when they would see the temple destruction, the fact that Jesus was correct and really was Lord of lords and sitting on heaven's throne would be signified.

Would this not indicated this cannot be a first century coming, since all the tribes of the earth did not mourn in AD70 when Jerusalem was destroyed?

"Earth" is translated from the Greek word "gē".

G1093
γῆ
gē
Thayer Definition:
1) arable land
2) the ground, the earth as a standing place
3) the main land as opposed to the sea or water
4) the earth as a whole
4a) the earth as opposed to the heavens
4b) the inhabited earth, the abode of men and animals
5) a country, land enclosed within fixed boundaries, a tract of land, territory, region
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: contracted from a root word
Citing in TDNT: 1:677, 116

It can refer to the earth as a whole, but also only to a country with fixed borders. Since the context distinctly says those in Judaea must flee, and not everyone across the world, then we should recognize that a country with fixed borders is the proper definition of "gē". Context determines which term to use. So far, everything said in Matthew 24 fits the first century scenario, and a moder-day picture simply is lacking support.

The same situation is found in Rev 1:7.

Revelation 1:7 KJV Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

KINDREDS OF THE EARTH can be translated faithfully as "tribes of the land". KINDREDS is translated from the same word "phulē" as TRIBES is translated from in Matt 24:30. EARTH is also translated in Rev 1:7 from the same word "gē" as it is translated from in Matt 24:30.

So, the same words are found in Rev 1:7 and Matt 24:30. But Rev 1:7 adds an all-important point. "They also which pierced him". This means the people alive in the day of Christ who actually were responsible for crucifying Jesus would see the Lord's coming. That means it has to be in their lifetimes.

Some claim this is speaking about the JEWISH RACE, and not just the actual Jews who crucified Jesus. but that view makes a lie out of the scripture in Ezekiel 18 that says God will not judge a person's descendants for the sin that person commits. By calling the descendants "those who pierced him", God has to break his word and initially judge them as people who committed that sin, when they never did.

Ezekiel 18:1-4 KJV The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying, (2) What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? (3) As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. (4) Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

So, if Rev 1:7 cannot apply to Jews of today who see the Lord's coming due to Ezekiel 18, and Rev 1:7 has the same words as Matt 24:30, then Matt 24:30 cannot apply to the future coming of Jesus!


Also, the word "SEE" in Rev 1:7 where we read every eye shall SEE him, has the same meaning of UNDERSTANDING or comprehending. And Paul already called our understanding by the term "EYES" in Eph 1:18. All WOULD UNDERSTAND the Lord came in judgment!

Coming in clouds also is used throughout the Old Testament. In fact, actually seeing God coming in clouds was distinctly mentioned in 2 Samuel 22, and yet we all know no man has seen God at any time (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12).

2 Samuel 22:11-12 KJV And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind. (12) And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

So, speaking of actually seeing God come in clouds is not the manner in which to interpret 2 Samuel 22:11.

Psalms 104:3 KJV Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

Jeremiah 4:13 KJV Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

Joel 2:2 KJV A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

Nahum 1:2-8 KJV God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. (3) The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. (4) He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. (5) The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. (6) Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. (7) The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. (8) But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.

Zephaniah 1:14-17 KJV The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. (15) That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, (16) A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. (17) And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

Again, nobody ever literally saw God. And yet this language is sued in speaking of God coming in clouds in judgment, making it impossible for anybody to have actually seen Him come in clouds. Therefore, we can see a hermeneutic involved. Coming in clouds is proved to not refer to a physical and visible sighting in many cases. And since it is always associated with judgment, we see that it s a biblical expression of prophetic poetry regarding judgment. Why could this not be the same case for Christ's coming in judgment? Since the hearers of Christ's words were very familiar with these Old Testament prophecies, and knew they were not taken literally, but depicted God's anger and judgment come upon a people, would not Jesus speak similar words in foretelling judgment against Jerusalem?


Some might claim Jesus literally left the earth in Acts 1 where actual clouds received Him from their sight, and an angel told the bystanders that He would return in precisely the same manner.

Acts 1:9-11 KJV And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (10) And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; (11) Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

We believe there is a literal and visible return of Jesus Christ that is yet to come, according to 1 Thess 4:15-17, where clouds are mentioned. It is definitely correct to say that Christ shall be visibly seen with actual clouds when He returns for the church in the resurrection. But that is not a coming of judgment. 1 Cor 15 and 1 Thess 4 mention the return of Jesus when a resurrection occurs and our bodies are actually changed and caught up to meet the Lord. But there is no judgment mentioned in direct association with these references to His coming. We should, therefore, conclude that a coming in judgment renders the coming clouds to be figurative, whereas Christ's actual and physical return for the church in resurrection is not figurative. There is no reference to a resurrection in Matthew 24 as there is in 1 Thess 4 and 1 Cor 15.



Some might claim there is reference to resurrection in Matt 24 as follows:

Matthew 24:31 KJV And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

They claim clouds and a trumpet are mentioned in association with His coming, just as in 1 Thess 4. They say the "gathering together" is the resurrection. However, we read nothing about anyone coming from graves like we do in 1 Thess 4 and 1 Cor 15.

Trumpets were sounded for many different reasons according to the Word of God. Sounding a trumpet was usually associated with war signals and times of declaration.

Numbers 10:2-10 KJV Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. (3) And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (4) And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. (5) When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward. (6) When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys. (7) But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm. (8) And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations. (9) And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. (10) Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.

Judges 7:18 KJV When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

1 Kings 1:34-35 KJV And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. (35) Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

If there were trumpets blown for all the varying reasons listed in the above scriptures, then who is to say that if a trumpet is associated with the resurrection that means that same resurrection must be considered everytime a trumpet is indicated to be blown? Israel did not think only one kind of event was being signaled everytime a trumpet was blown.

"Gather together" and "sound of a trumpet" is not enough grounds to say a resurrection occurs. Trumpets simply signal various events. Why might it not signal a trumpet call for salvation? When the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed, the heavy persecution from the Jews lifted off the church, and the church went forth evangelizing everywhere! Jerusalem had been the headquarters of church persecution until this point. Her persecutors either died or were taken as prisoners.


Continued... (click here).