Matthew 24:29-34 (Jesus' Little Apocalypse)

Introduction

English Standard Version Chapter 24

The Coming of the Son of Man

29 “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. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 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.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

In our last time we looked at what’s famously called the Great Tribulation in verses 15-28. Contrary to popular teaching today, I argued that the Great Tribulation is not a future event that we’re looking forward to, but rather an event that Jesus warned his disciples about in their own generation. That what we call the Great Tribulation was an event that ultimately came to pass between 66-70 AD when the Roman army attacked the region of Judea culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple, known in history as the First Jewish-Roman War.

That Jesus gave his disciples signs that would accompany the Great Tribulation so that they might escape it. Signs that included an abomination that would bring desolation, or as Luke put it, “when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation has come near” (Luke 21:2). That these signs were meant for their generation in order to escape the judgement that would come upon Jerusalem for executing her Messiah. Verses 15-28 answer the disciple’s question back in verse 3, “Tell us, when will these things be?”

And in verses 15-28 Jesus emphasized the severity of the tribulation when he said, “let those who are in Judea flee to mountains,” and for those who are “on the housetop not to go down to take what is in his house,” and for “the one who is in the field not to turn back to take his cloak,” because “there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no and never will be.” We saw that he used prophetic hyperbole (exaggeration) to emphasize just how serious this judgement would be, in order to ensure his disciples would escape in time.

Jewish-Roman War

Two weeks ago I also said that I would give you some examples of the tremendous tribulation that Jerusalem faced in 70 AD at the hands of the Roman military, in order that you might see how Jesus’ prophecy came to pass. So before we start in on verses 29-35 I want to begin by connecting Jesus prophecy with the historical events that we have recorded for us of Rome’s attack on Jerusalem in 70 AD. Moreover, I think this will provide for us a good launch point for looking at verses 29-35, which are intended to be the zenith, or the climax of the tribulation described in verses 15-28.

Previously, we looked at the initial events that sparked the Jewish-Roman War in 66 AD. That Cestius, a Syrian governor, was sent by Rome to put down a rebellion that had started in Jerusalem over the issue of taxation. The rebellion had escalated to such a degree that the small Roman military presence had been overwhelmed, so Cestius is sent to put an end to the rebellion. He brings with him approximately 30,000 men from the north and encamps at Mt. Scopus (just north of the Mount of the Olives) within a mile of Jerusalem. Cestius attacks the city, but for reasons unknown to us he retreats, despite the Jewish historian, Josephus, indicating that Cestius was winning handily. Cestius retreats as far west as the Mediterranean Sea and messages for help.

Rome eventually sends another, larger army, lead by the Roman General Vespasian in 67 AD. He began his campaign by subduing all of the cities in the region of Galilee, then in 68 AD he continued his campaign in the region of Judea. The brutality of the Roman army was particularly severe in order to make a point, often cities learned of the of the army’s advancement not by messenger but by the bodies that floated down the Jordan River.

Later in 68 AD the Emperor Nero died by committing suicide, which was followed by a year of infighting over who would take his place. In the midst of Rome’s turmoil Vespasian actually emerged as the victor and became Rome’s new Emperor in 70 AD. With all but the city of Jerusalem conquered Vespasian sent his son Titus to finish the job. By the time Titus started his march on Jerusalem he had assembled something like 60,000 men. An army two times larger than Cestius had in 66 AD.

Rome marches on Jerusalem

Rome marched on Jerusalem from the north, the west and the east simultaneously, arriving in the spring of 70 AD. Due to the geography around the city Rome decided to attack the northwest side of Jerusalem first in an area known as the New City (think Jerusalem suburbs). This part of the city was protected by what they called Josephus’ Third North Wall that had been commissioned only 25 years earlier.

It didn’t take long before the Romans broke through the Third Wall and occupied the New City, and it didn’t take much longer before they broke through Jerusalem’s Second Wall that allowed them to occupy what was known as the Second City (again, think Jerusalem suburbs). This of course caused the Jews to retreat behind their last remaining wall, called the First Wall. Behind the First Wall were the older parts of the city, the Upper City, the Lower City, and the old City of David.

Circumvallation wall

And at this point, the Temple Mount remained unaffected, but it was also at this point that Titus decided to employ a new tactic. He decided to build a 5 mile fortified wall around the remaining parts of the city to begin a siege against Jerusalem. And to give you an idea of just how formidable Rome’s war machine was, they were able to finish the wall in just 3 days!

Jews crucified

The idea was to keep the inhabitants of Jerusalem from leaving the city at night to forage for food and supplies, in order to put further pressure on the Jews. As time passed, citizens and Jewish rebels who were caught outside the city were crucified and put on display outside the city walls to send a message to any Jew who would try to escape. The Jewish historian, Josephus, writes that,

“Thousands were crucified in plain sight of the city walls, often at a rate of 500 per day. So many were killed in this manner that “room was wanting for crosses, and crosses wanting for bodies”” (Book 5, Ch. 11:1)

Starvation

The siege against Jerusalem also caused mass starvation among the Jews. Josephus writes,

“… there was no corn that appeared anywhere publicly . . . it was now a miserable case, and a sight that would justly bring tears into our eyes . . . insomuch that children would pull the very morsels that their fathers were eating out of their mouths . . . so did mothers do to their infants” (Book 5, Ch. 10:2,3).

Josephus goes on to say that the people were forced to eat from the public sewer system, that they ate “cattle and pigeon dung, leather shields, hay, clothing, and things that scavenger dogs would dare not to touch! Unbelievable forms of torture were inflicted on those suspected of hiding food.” (Sam Storms, Matthew 24 Pt. 2, quoting Josephus)

And as the siege dragged on Josephus said,

“Then did the famine widen its progress, and devoured the people by whole houses and families; the upper rooms were filled with women and children dying of the famine; and the lanes of the city were full of the dead bodies of the aged; the children also and the young men wandered about the market places like shadows, all swelled with famine, and fell down dead wherever their misery seized them. . . . Thus did the miseries of Jerusalem grow worse and worse every day . . . and indeed the multitude of carcases that lay in heaps one upon another was a horrible sight, and produced a pestilential stench, which was a hindrance to those that would make sallies out of the city and fight the enemy” (Book 5, Ch. 12:3; and Book 6, Ch. 1:1).

Josephus would go on to tell of “one woman who killed her son, roasted his body, ate half of him and hid the remaining half. When the smell drew others desperate for food, she offered to share his body, inciting horror among the multitudes.”

Great tribulation

Inside the city walls unimaginable forms of torture were inflicted on anyone suspected of hiding food, Josephus writes, “It is impossible to give every instance of the iniquity of these men. I shall therefore speak my mind here at once briefly: that neither did any other city suffer such miseries, nor did any age ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness than this was, from the beginning of the world” (Book 5, Ch. 10:5).

Josephus most assuredly wasn’t a believer, but, remarkably, he records the situation in Jerusalem, and the severity of tribulation they experienced very much like Jesus predicted in verse 21, that,

English Standard Version Chapter 24

there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

Curses come to pass

And I highlight all of this not only to communicate the severity of the tribulation and how it connects here to Matthew 24, but also to demonstrate how it connects to the OT. How Jesus’ judgement against Jerusalem was a result of Israel’s long history of persistent rebellion culminating in the rejection of the Messiah himself.

If you would, turn with me to Deuteronomy 28, starting in verse 45,

English Standard Version Chapter 28

45 “All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you. 46 They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever. 47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand, 50 a hard-faced nation who shall not respect the old or show mercy to the young. 51 It shall eat the offspring of your cattle and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed; it also shall not leave you grain, wine, or oil, the increase of your herds or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish.

52 “They shall besiege you in all your towns, until your high and fortified walls, in which you trusted, come down throughout all your land. And they shall besiege you in all your towns throughout all your land, which the LORD your God has given you. 53 And you shall eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies shall distress you. 54 The man who is the most tender and refined among you will begrudge food to his brother, to the wife he embraces, and to the last of the children whom he has left, 55 so that he will not give to any of them any of the flesh of his children whom he is eating, because he has nothing else left, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in all your towns. 56 The most tender and refined woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because she is so delicate and tender, will begrudge to the husband she embraces, to her son and to her daughter, 57 her afterbirth that comes out from between her feet and her children whom she bears, because lacking everything she will eat them secretly, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in your towns.

Notice the parallels of what took place at Jerusalem in 70 AD and the kind of curses promised to Israel if they chose to disobey the Lord their God. Like I’ve said so many times before, that we are so very prone to think little of our sin, to take our sin lightly, yet when we do so, we unavoidably end of up thinking little of God, we end up trivializing his holiness and making him like us. However, it’s texts like these that should jar us from our slumber, to remain sober-minded about our sin, remembering that God does not take it lightly, and that apart from Christ we would be hopelessly in our sin. Which in turn reminds us of the great mercy God has shown us in Christ, and that we have been given the privilege of delivering a message of salvation during this age of God’ forbearance, before one day our Lord does returns to bring judgement upon the whole world, not just one nation, or city.

The coming of the Son of Man

Now, it’s at this point I want to jump into verses 29-35, because it’s in these verses we reach the climax of this great tribulation, when Jerusalem is finally taken, and the Temple is finally destroyed, or as Jesus put it, when “there will not be left … one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (v.2), so read with me again starting there in verse 29,

English Standard Version Chapter 24

The Coming of the Son of Man

29 “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. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 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.

The problem

Now, before we walk through these verses I want to address the problem that these verses typically pose to our modern ears, because it’s very likely you’ve only ever understood these verses to refer to events at the end of the age and at Jesus’ second coming. In fact, you may be thinking right now, how am I going to reconcile these verses with the assertion that verses 15-28 (which came before it) are about Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 AD. Well, I’m glad you asked!

Because the challenge we tend to have, particularly verses 29-31, is that to our modern ears they appear to speak, without question, of Christ’s second coming, therefore, if we’re going to argue that the verses before refer to the events of 70 AD and the destruction of Jerusalem, how are we to reconcile Jesus’ words, that “immediately after the tribulation of those days” with verses like “you will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven?” Doesn’t that imply that Jesus should have returned immediately after the Great Tribulation at Jerusalem in 70 AD?

Well, there are those who argue this view, it’s a view called full preterism. Now, don’t get tripped up by that word, it comes from a Latin word that simply means “past.” Therefore, a full preterist would argue that all biblical prophecies have come to pass, including the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead, however, that is not what I’m going to argue for here. Generally, full preterism is considered a heretical view. In fact, Paul in his letters to the church in Thessalonica condemned a certain kind of full preterism, and reassured them that Christ had not yet returned.

However, I am arguing for what’s called partial preterism. That at least some of biblical prophecy has already come to pass, particularly here in Matthew 24. More specifically, I’ve been arguing up to this point that all verses of chapter 24, except verses 36-51, have already come to pass in the events of 70 AD and the destruction of Jerusalem.

So if I’m not going to argue that verses 29-31 refer to Jesus’ second coming, then how are we to understand them as referring to the judgement against Jerusalem? Well, those who hold to a position called dispensationalism avoid this challenge altogether by arguing that all of Matthew 24 must then be talking about events that still lie in the future. If verses 29-31 are talking about the second coming of Christ then all the verses before it must be talking about a great tribulation that’s still in our future. This is the most common modern day solution.

However, I think there’s a better way, while still maintaining that verses 15-28 are in reference to Jerusalem’s destruction. In fact, I think upon close examination verses 29-31 clearly coincide, and even build upon the verses that come before it.

Apocalyptic language

Read verse 29 again with me,

English Standard Version Chapter 24

29 “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.

So, immediately after the tribulation in Jerusalem in 70 AD we’re told that “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.”

Now, when we read something like that, as Westerners, almost 2,000 year removed, we immediately think that Jesus is talking about the end of the world, or the end of the cosmos, because if the sun goes dark and stars start falling from the skies, no one is going to survive those events for very long, and such events are effectively going to leave the earth completely uninhabitable, so Jesus must be talking about the end of the world, and therefore his second coming.

Well, I want to propose that we come to conclusions like that primarily because we read a text like this as if it were historical narrative, in other words, we read it like it’s a plain description of historical events. In fact, that’s how most of us tend to read other prophetic literature, like the Book of Revelation, which is also why I think those books seem so confusing to us, because we’re reading them like historical narrative.

Let me give you an example, in Psalm 98 we read things like “let the seas roar,” “let the rivers clap their hands,” and “let the hills sing for joy” yet we know, without thinking about it, that we’re not supposed to conclude that the seas are alive like a lion, or that rivers have hands, or that hills can sing like we do. We know that intuitively, why? because we recognize that it’s poetry. We understand that poetry is a different literary genre than historical narrative, and so we read it with that in mind.

Well, what Jesus is doing here in verses 29-31 is using what’s called an apocalyptic literary device. In other words, Jesus is utilizing a style of prophetic language that’s intended to communicate something that anyone familiar with the prophetic genre would immediately pickup, without thinking twice about it, just like we do with poetry. However, Jesus talks right past us here because, in our modern context, we have no equivalent to the the biblical literary genre known as prophecy. So what do we do? We treat it like historical narrative and conclude that stars are literally going to fall from the sky.

Now, let’s look at an example of what I mean. Turn with me to Isaiah 13:9-13. The prophet Isaiah here is specifically referencing the judgement and destruction of Babylon, and when he does he says,

Isaiah 13:9–13 ESV

Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. 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. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.

Notice that what Jesus says back in Matthew 24 is nearly verbatim to what Isaiah says here. This is an OT example of apocalyptic literature, a type of prophetic literature that’s meant to describe the doom and gloom associated with God’s judgement and destruction of a nation. And no one argues that when this prophecy came to pass that the cosmos was destroyed, instead this is how the prophets described these kinds of events. And we find this kind of language all throughout the OT prophets. We find this kind of language in Ezekial 32:7, Amos 8:9, Joel chapter 2 & 3, and so on. Therefore, when Jesus utilizes this same language he’s drawing from a long history of prophetic writers to shockingly describe the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

The Son of Man coming on the clouds

Now, flip back to Matthew 24 and let’s continue in verse 30,

English Standard Version Chapter 24

30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Let’s break this down into three parts, 1) the Son of Man coming on the clouds 2) the sign of the Son of Man, and 3) the tribes that will mourn. If I can help you understand the first one, then I think our understanding of the other two will fall into place.

So, at the end of verse 30 we read, “and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with great power and great glory”. This is probably the biggest stumbling block of all of the verses in Matthew 24. We immediately have this image in our minds of Jesus manifestly riding on the clouds in the sky with all of the people around the world witnessing his second coming, but ask yourself this question, could there be any OT texts that might better inform your understanding of this text? Now, you may not immediately know the answer to that question, but it’s where you should start. What might have come to mind for the disciples when Jesus said this?

Well, thankfully, we have some really good Bibles in our day that can help us answer these kind of questions, many of you probably have Bibles that provide cross references to related texts. In fact, your Bible probably has a cross reference at his point referring specifically to Daniel 7:13, so turn with me to Daniel 7.

The Book of Daniel

Daniel 7 is one of the clearest pictures we have of the Messiah’s eschatological mission. Read with me there, starting in verse 13,

English Standard Version Chapter 7

The Son of Man Is Given Dominion

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.

14  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.

Notice that first verse, “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.”

What I want you to see here is that this is precisely the same language Jesus used back in Matthew 24, but here it’s not in reference to his second coming, but instead it’s a reference to his ascension, his coming on the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days, it’s a reference to Jesus sitting down at the right hand of his Father in heaven and being given a kingdom. You see, after the leaders of Jerusalem had executed him, Paul tells us that he was vindicated by the Spirit in his resurrection. The Jews had rejected their Messiah and even put him to death despite who he was and being without sin, but God vindicated him by raising him from the dead and giving him everlasting dominion and a kingdom. Therefore, Christ’s vindication bears witness to Jerusalem’s guilt.

For instance, this is why Jesus says in Matthew 16:28, when he’s talking to his disciples about following him even to death, that,

Matthew 16:28 ESV

Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Notice that same kind of language, “the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” What does he mean? Well, some of his disciples will still be alive when we comes on the clouds of heaven to receive his kingdom. Jesus isn’t referring to his second coming, he’s referring to Daniel 7:13 when God the Father gives him everlasting dominion and a kingdom. And for God to do this is Jesus’ ultimate vindication in the face of Jerusalem’s condemning him to death.

And we see this even more clearly in Matthew 26:63 when the high priest is accusing Jesus of blasphemy. He tells Jesus that he’s liar by claiming he’s the Christ, and the Son of God, but listen to what Jesus says,

English Standard Version Chapter 26

63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.”

What Jesus is essentially saying is this, “you call me a liar, but I’ll be vindicated when you see me seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven!” Which absolutely infuriates them, so they condemn him to death. But how will they see him seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven? Is this a literal reference to his second coming to earth? No! It’s a reference to his future vindication of when he is given an everlasting kingdom, while not one stone of their Temple is left upon another. You see while Jesus is exalted and given a kingdom, theirs is destroyed.

You see, Jesus was vindicated when the Temple was leveled to the ground less than 40 years later. It was the sign of the Son of Man and the reason all the tribes of the land will mourn. It’s was a big sign that said, “I was right and you were wrong.” You may remember Matthew 21:43 when Jesus tells the Pharisees,

English Standard Version Chapter 21

I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

And not only will this kingdom be taken away from you, but it will be given to a people producing its fruit. Or as Jesus puts it back in verse 31,

English Standard Version Chapter 24

31 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.

And here we are almost as far from Jerusalem as we could get, listening to the words of our Lord, submitting our lives to him thousands of miles away from Jerusalem. We are a living testament that Jesus did indeed send out his angels with a loud trumpet call to gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

I’m also reminded of what Jesus said in Matthew 8:11-12,

Matthew 8:11–12 ESV

I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Lesson of the fig tree (conclusion)

Then Jesus concludes his answer to the question, “when will these things be?” by saying there in verse 32,

English Standard Version Chapter 24

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

In other words, as sure as summer follows spring these thing will take place, and truly these things will happen before this generation passes away, and you can be sure of my predictions, for my words will not pass away.

Prayer