Matthew 24:30–31

Context

When Jesus had left the Temple in Jerusalem and was sitting on the Mount of Olives, His disciples came to Him with questions. They asked when the Temple would be destroyed and what would be "the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world." The passage is part of Jesus' reply, known as the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25). The coming of the Son of Man follows warnings about false Christs and the great tribulation, as well as the sign of the sun and moon being darkened (24:29). It is followed in turn by the saying "This generation shall not pass" (24:34). Parallel accounts appear in Mark 13 and Luke 21.

"Son of Man" means "son of a human being" and was a title Jesus favored when referring to Himself. The phrase "coming in the clouds" recalls Daniel 7:13, and "all the tribes of the earth mourn" recalls Zechariah 12:10–12.

Interpretation

• Second Coming reading: Most denominations in the Korean church and most commentators read the passage as describing Christ's Second Coming, that is, His visible and glorious return and the gathering of the saints.
• Dispensationalist reading: Dispensational premillennialism holds that the Rapture of the church occurs separately, before the tribulation. Accordingly, this scene "after" the tribulation is taken as Christ's return to earth, and "his elect" are understood as tribulation saints or as Israel.
• Posttribulational Rapture reading: Historic premillennialism and related views connect the trumpet in this scene with the trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16. On this view, the saints are caught up at the Second Coming after passing through the tribulation.
• Preterist reading: Some scholars, such as R. T. France and N. T. Wright, appeal to 24:34. They read the passage as describing, in Danielic symbolic language, the destruction of the Temple in AD 70 and the vindication of the Son of Man. On this reading, the "angels" (the Greek word can also mean "messengers") are understood as those who proclaim the gospel.

Debates and Issues

The chief point of contention is the timing of the Rapture, which is bound up with one's view of the millennium. Interpreters also differ on whether "the sign of the Son of man" is the appearance of the Son of Man Himself or a separate sign; some early Church Fathers are reported to have understood this sign as a cross appearing in the sky. There is further discussion over whether "all the tribes of the earth" refers to the whole world or to the tribes of the land of Israel. The statement in the same chapter, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man" (24:36), is often cited alongside this passage in criticism of date-setting eschatology, which attempts to fix the date of Christ's return.

In the Korean Church

The passage is frequently read in sermons on the Second Coming and in Advent sermons. It is also used as a proof text when explaining the confession of Christ's return in the Apostles' Creed.

Related Passages

• Daniel 7:13–14
• Zechariah 12:10
• Mark 13:26–27
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
• Revelation 1:7