Matthew 24 and its parallel chapters (Mark 13 and Luke 21) are notoriously difficult to interpret. Some think the entire chapter refers solely to events in the first century, others think it refers solely to end-time events, and others think it contains references to various time periods.
Fortunately, the flow of the chapter is straightforward: Jesus makes a comment, the disciples ask a question, Jesus answers.
A Comment and Question
As Jesus and his followers were leaving the temple, he makes a prediction: “not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (v. 2 NIV).
The disciples respond: “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (v. 3). There’s a lot in that question, which throws us into complexity from the start, but “when will this happen” must refer to the temple’s demise, mentioned in verse 2. Forty years later, Jesus’ prediction was fulfilled when the Romans conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the temple.
Jesus Answers
Jesus begins his answer by mentioning the following events:
- false messiahs will deceive many (v. 5)
- “wars and rumors of wars” (v. 6)
- “famines and earthquakes in various places” (v. 7)
But these things are not signs of the end. Instead “all these are the beginning of birth pains” (v. 8). He continues:
- “you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death” (v. 9)
- “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other” (v. 10)
- “many false prophets will appear and deceive many people” (v. 11)
- “the love of most will grow cold” (v. 12)
- “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (v. 14)
Jesus is describing a difficult period of time, filled with natural disasters, betrayal, persecution, false prophets and fake messiahs. After this list of “birth pains,” he tells his disciples when they see a certain sign in the temple— “the abomination that causes desolation”—they should flee to the mountains (vv. 15-16). That sign is a phrase from Daniel 9:27, which probably refers first to Antiochus IV, who defiled Israel’s temple by making offerings to Zeus in 167 BC. But since Jesus recalls this event, it must relate to something in the disciples’ future. And many believe it is another way of referring to the impending destruction, which occurred four decades later. In fact, Luke’s version encourages this interpretation because he replaces “the abomination that causes desolation” with “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies . . . Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (21:20-21).
“Coming on the Clouds”
After describing the dreadfulness of “those days” and reiterating the temptation to believe “false messiahs and false prophets,” Jesus continues with these extremely challenging words:
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (vv. 29-31)
The word “immediately” (v. 29) is only found in Matthew’s version and it makes things more challenging. It is also followed by this statement: “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (v. 34). Both of those details along with the emphasis on the temple’s destruction point toward a first-century fulfillment of Matthew 24.
Old Testament Background
But when was the sun darkened and when did the moon not give its light? Many believe we do not have to interpret these concepts literally because Jesus is using metaphorical language found in the Old Testament. For example, in the prophecy against Babylon, Isaiah says:
“The stars of heaven and their constellations
will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give its light.” (13:10)
According to this line of thinking, Isaiah is not describing literal physical events, he is talking about the collapse of Babylon. And most importantly, Isaiah’s wording matches Matthew 24:29:
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
Interpreting Isaiah’s words symbolically as a description of cataclysmic judgment on Babylon leads many to understand Jesus’ words in the same way: he was describing Israel’s doom metaphorically.
What about “then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven”? That phrase also parallels a quote from the Hebrew Bible. Daniel writes:
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (7:13-14)
Notice in Daniel’s description that the son of man is approaching God not coming to earth. And God gives him “authority, glory and sovereign power.” This upward movement corresponds most closely with Christ’s resurrection and ascension to God’s right hand. In fact, after his resurrection, Jesus announces, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18). Further, the destruction of the temple is another sign of Jesus’ ascension because it vindicates him as a true prophet. In sum, like the darkening of the sun and moon, some believe “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven” should be interpreted symbolically.
What about “all the peoples of the earth will mourn” in verse 30? The Greek word for “earth” can be translated as “land” so “all the peoples of the earth will mourn” may be limited to a specific region. One fulfillment of this mourning can be seen in Acts 2. When people from “every nation under heaven” heard Peter’s preaching they were “cut to the heart” and said, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (v. 37). In other words, when they realized that the crucified Jesus is Lord, they mourned.
Josephus
Some, however, find a more literal fulfillment of Jesus’ words in the writings of Josephus (AD 37-100), a prolific Jewish author. He describes a series of unusual events in Jerusalem around the time of the Roman conquest, including “a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city” and an extraordinary scene in the clouds:
Besides these, a few days after that feast, on the one and twentieth day of the month Artemisius, [Jyar,] a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared: I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sun-setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities. (The Wars of the Jews, Book 6, Ch. 5, Sect. 3)
Was that incredible scene the Son of Man coming on the clouds? Or should we stick with the symbolic interpretation? Or is there a literal fulfillment still to come at the end of the age? Or was Jesus wrong? (I have wrestled with the possibility that Jesus was wrong in this post.) Can you see why this chapter has been especially perplexing? “Immediately after the distress of those days [first century?]. . . Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.” What exactly was that sign?
New Testament Statements
Let’s broaden our scope. Does the New Testament affirm a literal return of Christ?
- Jesus said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” (Jn. 21:23)
- After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)
- For the Lord himself will come down from heaven (1 Thess. 4:16)
- These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Pet. 1:7)
- he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Heb. 9:28)
- He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Rev. 22:20)
Based on those passages and many others, we can conclude that the New Testament teaches a literal return of Christ. And the idea that Jesus himself will appear leads me to doubt that the event described by Josephus could have been “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Moreover, Paul claims that his teaching about the Lord’s return is based on “the Lord’s word.” He writes,
According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thess. 4:15-18)
Do you see any similarities between Paul’s statement and Matthew 24:30-31?
Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (vv. 30-31)
Note these overlapping details:
- Son of Man appearing/the Lord coming down from heaven
- angels/archangel
- sound of a trumpet
- clouds
- God’s people gathered
Why is this significant? Because Paul’s teaching appears to come from something identical or similar to Matthew 24:30-31 and Paul is talking about the Lord’s descent to earth: “the Lord himself will come down from heaven.”
So what determines the meaning of Matthew 24:29-31—the Old Testament background and first-century context, leading some to conclude that the fulfillment occurred more than 1900 years ago in a metaphorical manner or the New Testament statements, leading others to argue that the fulfillment is still to come. Jesus’ words can be pulled in different directions. (By the way, some interpreters like N. T. Wright believe all of Matthew 24 was fulfilled in the first century, but they still affirm a literal second coming of Christ based on other New Testament passages.)
The Past and Future in Matthew 24
Let’s return to Matthew 24 as a whole. Is everything in this chapter focused on first-century Israel? The following details certainly point in this direction:
- the destruction of Israel’s temple (v. 2)
- “let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (v. 16)
- “Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house.” (v. 17)
- “Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.” (v. 18)
- “Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath” (v. 20)
- “Immediately after the distress of those days” (v. 29)
- “this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (v. 34) (It’s best to interpret “this generation” exactly as it would have sounded to Jesus’ immediate audience.)
Based on this data, I feel confident in concluding that the primary focus of this chapter is the first century. But does it also include something more than the first century? Jesus says:
- “nation will rise against nation” (v. 7a)
- “famines and earthquakes in various places” (v. 7b)
- “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (v. 14)
- angels will “gather his elect . . . from one end of the heavens to the other” (24:31). I know the word “angel” in Greek can mean “messenger” so some interpret this as a reference to human messengers or preachers. However, Jesus says a lot about angels in Matthew and this fits with what he teaches elsewhere about these non-human creatures. (Admittedly, this angelic gathering could occur at death as mentioned in Luke 16:22 so perhaps this activity is ongoing and continuous throughout human history.)
I think these details direct our attention beyond the borders of Israel, but do they take us beyond the first century? Could all of these things have occurred within a forty-year span of time? I know some have made that case and that would correspond with verse 34: “this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” But I have a hard time limiting all of these statements to the first century, especially verse 14.
Consequently, my tentative conclusion is that this chapter primarily refers to Israel in the first century, but it also includes other nations and events from subsequent centuries. If that is correct, Jesus was first of all thinking of his immediate audience and what they would face in the near future, but he was also envisioning something more. As we have seen, the disciples’ question was complex so it makes sense that Jesus’ answer is compIex.
How does this help our understanding of the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven?
It doesn’t. We still need to categorize details in Matthew 24, including verses 29-31.
A Present and Continuous Arrival
Intriguingly, two chapters later, during his trial before the high priest, Jesus says, “From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:64).
What is he talking about? If we follow the imagery from Daniel, he is saying, “Although I look weak now standing before you, I will receive authority, glory, and sovereign power and you will see me in my glorious reign.” He is not primarily or only referring to his return to earth because that wouldn’t make sense of the Old Testament background or the phrase, “From now on.” “From now on . . . you will see me returning” doesn’t work. Moreover, “From now on you will see the Son of Man . . . coming on the clouds of heaven” detaches it from a singular event in the past or future. It is an ongoing vision in the present. Having a reference like this in the near context of the same book is a strong reason to interpret Matthew 24:30 symbolically:
Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
But then there is Paul’s statement in 1 Thessalonians 4 based on the Lord’s word. Did Paul misunderstand the symbolism? Did he literalize something that was meant to be understood symbolically? If Paul misunderstood it so did Peter, Luke, and John, because they also mentioned the Lord’s glorious appearance.
Conclusion
Perhaps our problem is trying to pinpoint the exact moment when the Son of Man came or will come on the clouds. In so doing, we are shifting the time aspect of this ancient expression. It is not in the past or future; it is present tense— “the Son of Man coming on the clouds.” It is best, then, to view this phrase as a general expression of authority, fulfilled in various events: Christ’s resurrection, ascension, seating at God’s right hand, return, and final judgment. In the words of R. T. France,
It seems, then, that the sovereign authority envisaged in Dan. 7:13-14, first inaugurated when Jesus has risen from the dead, works itself out in successive phases throughout history until it finds its ultimate fulfillment in the last judgment. (397)
If this interpretation is correct, “the Son of Man coming on the clouds” has been fulfilled, is currently being fulfilled, and will be fulfilled. (We will consider the significance of clouds in the next post.) And that makes sense of how Jesus used it in his response to the high priest—“From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.