Matthew 24:29 - Sun, moon, stars (1st century historical fulfillment?)
Matthew 24:29 (1st century historical fulfillment?)
Matthew 24:28 - Wherever the corpse may be (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:29
Matthew 24:30 - The sign of the Son of Man (1st century historical understanding & fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:30 - Tribes of the earth will mourn (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:30 - Coming on the clouds with angels (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:29: "“And immediately with the affliction (in) those days, the sun will-be-darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will-fall from the heaven, and the powers (of) the heavens will-be-shaken."
The same Greek words that are used in the various passages will be CAPITALIZED.
1st century audience?
Jesus said in Matthew 24:29: "the sun will-be-darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will-fall from the heaven, and the powers (of) the heavens will-be-shaken."
Jesus addressed His 1st century disciples when He said these things.
Jesus said 4 verses later to His 1st century disciples: "So also YOU — when YOU-see all these (things), YOU know that it-is near, at (the) doors. Truly I-say (to) YOU that this generation by-no-means will-pass-away until all these (things) take-place" (Matthew 24:33-34).
Connection with the destruction of a city or nation?
It is written in Matthew 24:29: "the SUN WILL-BE-DARKENED, and the MOON will not GIVE its light, and the STARS WILL-FALL from the HEAVEN, and the POWERS (of) the HEAVENS will-be-shaken".
Such description as the stars falling and the powers of the heavens shaken can be given in connection with the destruction of a city or nation in the Old Testament.
For example with the destruction of Babylon (by the Medes) in the sixth century B.C: "the STARS of the HEAVEN, and Orion, and all the host of the heaven, will not GIVE (their) light; and IT-WILL-BE-DARKENED (at the) rising of the SUN, and the MOON will not GIVE its light" (Isaiah 13:10).
Another example with the destruction of Egypt in the sixth century B.C: "I-will-veil HEAVEN when you-are-extinguished, and will-darken the stars of it; I-will-cover (the) SUN with a cloud, and (the) MOON by-no-means shall-shine its light" (Ezekiel 32:7).
Another example with the destruction of Edom (by the Babylonians) in the sixth century B.C: "all the POWERS (of) the HEAVENS shall-melt-away. And the HEAVEN will-be-rolled-up like a scroll; and all the stars WILL-FALL like leaves from a grapevine, and as leaves FALL from a fig-tree" (Isaiah 34:4). In this example, "leaves FALL from a fig-tree" (Isaiah 34:4).
3 verses later in Matthew 24, Jesus actually mentioned a "fig-tree" (Isaiah 34:4) with its "leaves" (Isaiah 34:4) when He said: "learn the parable from the fig-tree: when its branch already becomes tender and grows-out (its) leaves, you-know that the summer (is) near." (Matthew 24:32).
Similarities with the language of the destruction of Egypt
Jerusalem spiritually called Egypt in Revelation 11?
1st century events: The city of Jerusalem destroyed around AD 70 (as a result of the First Jewish-Roman War)
The 1st century historian Josephus recorded that in the 1st century as a result of the First Jewish-Roman War, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans around AD 70.
The 1st century historian Josephus wrote in "The Wars of the Jews":
(7:1:1): "Now as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury, (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other work to be done,) Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, ...it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind."
Connection with a coming with clouds?
Jesus said in Matthew 24:29: "the SUN will-be-darkened, and the MOON will not give its light, and the stars will-fall from the HEAVEN" (Matthew 24:29). 1 verse later, Jesus added: "they-will-see the Son (of) man coming on the CLOUDS" (Matthew 24:30). There may be a connection between the SUN being darkened and a coming on the CLOUDS.
It was written about the destruction of Egypt in the sixth century B.C: "I-will-veil HEAVEN when you-are-extinguished, and will-darken the stars of it; I-WILL-COVER (THE) SUN WITH A CLOUD, and (the) MOON by-no-means shall-shine its light" (Ezekiel 32:7). Here the SUN is covered (or darkened) "WITH A CLOUD" (Ezekiel 32:7). It was also written about the destruction of Egypt: "Behold, the LORD sits on a swift CLOUD, and will-come to Egypt" (Isaiah 19:1).
1st century events: Coming on the clouds & signs in the sky around AD 66
Historians wrote about an event that happened around AD 66, in which armies of glittering appearance were seen in the CLOUDS around the start of the First Jewish-Roman War that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.
For more information:
Matthew 24:30 - Coming on the clouds with angels (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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In addition to the description of that event, LIGHTNING was described to have lit up the temple of Jerusalem.
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Matthew 24:27 - Coming like the lightning (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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LIGHTNING can usually be seen when there is a STORM, accompanied oftentimes with DARK CLOUDS in the sky. Those DARK CLOUDS could darken or cover the SUN and the MOON in the sky.
For example it is written in Acts that during a storm there were "NEITHER SUN NOR STARS APPEARING for many days, and no small STORM lying-upon (us)" (Acts 27:20).
Such an event could fit the following description: "the SUN will-be-darkened, and the MOON will not give its light" (Matthew 24:29).
In a similar way it was written about an event in the context of the destruction of Egypt in the sixth century B.C: "I-WILL-COVER (THE) SUN WITH A CLOUD, and (the) MOON by-no-means shall-shine its light" (Ezekiel 32:7)
In addition to that, the 1st century historian Josephus also recorded that several signs in the sky appeared before the destruction of Jerusalem in the 1st century, that were according to him foretelling the coming desolation of Jerusalem. These signs also included a "star" and a "comet, that continued a whole year". Jesus added that "the stars will-fall from the heaven" (Matthew 24:29).
The 1st century historian Josephus wrote in "The Wars of the Jews":
War 6.288 (6.5.3): "Thus were the miserable people persuaded by these deceivers, and such as belied God himself; while they did not attend, nor give credit, to the signs that were so evident and did so plainly foretell their future desolation; but, like men infatuated, without either eyes to see, or minds to consider, did not regard the denunciations that God made to them."
War 6.289 (6.5.3): "Thus there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet, that continued a whole year."
Immediately "with" the affliction in those days?
Matthew 24:29 can read: "And immediately WITH the affliction (in) those days"
The Greek word for "WITH" [meta 3326 in Greek, preposition] can also be translated as "AFTER".
This Greek word is used only 4 other times in Matthew 24, and all these other times it is translated as "WITH". For example, just one verse later in Matthew 24:29 that same Greek word is translated twice as "WITH", as it is written: "they-will-see the Son (of) man coming on the clouds (of) heaven WITH power and great glory. And He-will-send-out His angels WITH (a) loud trumpet" (Matthew 24:30-31).
The "affliction" in those days?
Jesus talked in Matthew 24:29 about: "the AFFLICTION (in) THOSE DAYS".
8 verses earlier, it is written: "there-will-be (a) great AFFLICTION such-as has not taken-place since (the) beginning (of the) world until now, nor ever will-take-place. And if THOSE DAYS had not been-shortened, no flesh would-have-been-saved" (Matthew 24:21-22).
The parallel passage to Matthew 24:29 found in Mark 13:24 can read: "in THOSE DAYS with THAT AFFLICTION". Here "THAT AFFLICTION" would refer to one mentioned earlier, which can be found 5 verses earlier, as it is written: "For THOSE DAYS will-be (an) AFFLICTION such-as has not taken-place such-as-this since (the) beginning (of the) creation which God created until now, and never will-take-place (again)" (Mark 13:19).
For more details about that affliction:
Matthew 24:21 - Great tribulation (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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