Matthew 24:30 - The sign of the Son of Man (1st century historical understanding & fulfillment?)
Matthew 24:30 (1st century historical understanding & fulfillment?)
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Matthew 24:30
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 24:31 - Angels gather together His chosen ones (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:30: "And at-that-time the sign (of) the Son (of) Man will-appear in (the) heaven. And at-that-time all the tribes (of) the earth will-strike(-their-breasts-to-mourn). And they-will-see the Son (of) man coming on the clouds (of) heaven with power and great glory."
Summary
Jesus said: "THE SIGN (of) the Son (of) Man will-appear in (the) heaven" (Matthew 24:30).
Jesus did not explicitly indicate what "THE SIGN (of) the Son (of) Man" (Matthew 24:30) would be in Matthew 24:30, but other evidences may be gathered in order to come to an informed understanding of what THE SIGN may be.
Earlier in Matthew 24, the disciples saw the "temple" (Matthew 24:1) in Jerusalem, and Jesus told them that it will "be-torn-down" (Matthew 24:2) which prompted the disciples to ask: "when will these (things) be? And what (will be) THE SIGN (of) Your COMING" (Matthew 24:3).
Several verses later, Jesus mentioned that false christs and false prophets would give "SIGNS" (Matthew 24:24), but in contrast to them, Jesus, being the true Christ and true prophet, indicated that "just-as THE LIGHTNING comes-out from (the) east and IS-APPEARING as-far-as (the) west, so will-be the COMING (of) the Son (of) Man" (Matthew 24:27).
Only 3 verses later, Jesus said: "THE SIGN (of) the Son (of) Man WILL-APPEAR in (the) heaven" (Matthew 24:30) as also "the Son (of) Man COMING on the clouds (of) heaven with power and great glory. And He-will-send-out His angels" (Matthew 24:30).
THE LIGHTNING is said to be "APPEARING" in Matthew 24:27, THE SIGN is said to be "APPEARING" in Matthew 24:30. Both in the context of a "COMING".
In the 1st century, an event happened around AD 66 in which an army of angels was seen in the clouds around the start of the First Jewish-Roman War. A detail was then reported after this description: a sudden LIGHTNING flash appeared from the clouds to lit up the temple of Jerusalem. That very temple ended up being destroyed a few years later as a consequence of the war that started around the same year.
You can find below evidences for that.
Where would this sign appear?
Considering Matthew 24 as a whole
The disciples of Jesus asked Jesus what the SIGN of His COMING would be. The answer may be expected to be provided by Jesus in Matthew 24
The 1st century disciples of Jesus asked: "what (will be) the SIGN (of) Your COMING" (Matthew 24:3). The disciples of Jesus may have expected an answer for what specifically this SIGN would be. The answer may thus have been expected to be found at some point after they asked as Jesus was answering them in Matthew 24.Matthew 24:3, Matthew 24:27 and Matthew 24:30 seem to be connected
The 1st century disciples of Jesus asked: "what (will be) THE SIGN (of) Your COMING" (Matthew 24:3). The very next mention in Matthew 24 of the specific Greek word used for "COMING" (Matthew 24:3) in the question of the 1st century disciples was used 24 verses later to refer to "the COMING (of) the SON (of) MAN" (Matthew 24:27). Jesus then talked 3 verses later about "THE SIGN", describing then "the SON of MAN coming", saying: "at-that-time THE SIGN (of) the SON (of) MAN will-appear in (the) heaven. And at-that-time all the tribes (of) the earth will-strike(-their-breasts-to-mourn). And they-will-see the SON (of) MAN coming" (Matthew 24:30).
Considering Matthew 24:27 specifically
The disciples asked in Matthew 24:3 about the sign of His "COMING". The very next mention of that Greek word for "COMING" is in Matthew 24:27
The 1st century disciples of Jesus asked: "what (will be) the SIGN (of) Your COMING" (Matthew 24:3). The very next mention in Matthew 24 of the specific Greek word used for "COMING" (Matthew 24:3) in the question of the 1st century disciples was used in Matthew 24:27 to describe "the COMING (of) the Son (of) Man" (Matthew 24:27).
By mentioning the same Greek word that the disciples used to ask about His "COMING" (Matthew 24:3), could Jesus have implicitly indicated to the disciples that He would have been referring to their question regarding the SIGN of His COMING in Matthew 24:27?
Matthew 24:27 seems to contrast the SIGNS of false-christs and false-prophets with the SIGN of the Son of Man, the true Christ and true prophet
The specific Greek word used for "SIGN" (Matthew 24:3, Matthew 24:30) was used in Matthew 24:24. This is the only other instance in Matthew 24 apart from Matthew 24:3 and Matthew 24:30 in which this specific Greek word is used.
Jesus warned in Matthew 24:24 that "false-christs and false-prophets will-arise and give great SIGNS and wonders, so as to-deceive". Jesus then proceeded to warn how these false-christs and false-prophets will deceive, saying: "if they-say (to) you, ‘Behold — He-is in the wilderness’, do not go-out; ‘Behold — (He is) in the inner-rooms’, do not believe (it)" (Matthew 24:26). In contrast to go in the wilderness or in the inner-rooms because of false-christs and false-prophets giving great SIGNS, Jesus the true Christ and true prophet would have indicated what "the SIGN of His COMING" (Matthew 24:3) would be in the next verse in contrast to their SIGNS. Jesus started the next verse using the conjunction "FOR", connecting the following statement with the previous ones, indicating: "FOR just-as THE LIGHTNING comes-out from (the) east and is-appearing as-far-as (the) west, so will-be the COMING (of) the Son (of) Man" (Matthew 24:27).
Matthew 24:27 is using Greek words consistent with an earlier passage in Matthew spoken by Jesus to describe a "SIGN"
12 chapters earlier in Matthew, the same Greek words "FOR JUST-AS", "SO" and "WILL-BE" that are used in Matthew 24:27 were used in Matthew 12 to describe a "SIGN".
In Matthew 12, Jesus used the same Greek words to describe "the SIGN (of) Jonah the prophet. FOR JUST-AS Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly (of) the sea-creature, SO WILL-BE the SON (of) MAN three days and three nights in the heart (of) the earth" (Matthew 12:39-40).
In a similar way, when asked about "the SIGN (of) Your COMING" (Matthew 24:3), Jesus later said: "FOR JUST-AS the lightning comes-out from (the) east and is-appearing as-far-as (the) west, SO WILL-BE the COMING (of) the SON (of) MAN" (Matthew 24:27).
Considering Matthew 24:27 and Matthew 24:30
The lightning is "APPEARING" in Matthew 24:27. The sign is "APPEARING" in Matthew 24:30
The Greek word for "APPEARING" is only used in 2 instances in Matthew 24: only in Matthew 24:27 & Matthew 24:30.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:27: "For just-as the lightning comes-out from (the) east and IS-APPEARING as-far-as (the) west, so will-be the coming (of) the Son (of) Man".
3 verses later in Matthew 24:30, in the only other instance in Matthew 24 in which the Greek word for "APPEARING" was used, Jesus said: "the sign (of) the Son (of) Man WILL-APPEAR in (the) heaven".
The lightning is "APPEARING" in Matthew 24:27, the sign is "APPEARING" in Matthew 24:30.
Mathew 24:27 described the lightning appearing, which is usually expected to appear specifically in the heaven/sky. Matthew 24:30 described the sign appearing specifically in the heaven/sky
Jesus said in Matthew 24:27: "the lightning comes-out from (the) east and IS-APPEARING as-far-as (the) west". The fact that the lightning is "IS-APPEARING as-far-as (the) west" (Matthew 24:27) even though it "comes-out from (the) east" (Matthew 24:27) could imply that the lightning would appear IN THE SKY, so that those on the earth could see its appearance from afar "as-far-as (the) west" (Matthew 24:27).
Jesus described 3 verses later in Matthew 24:30: "the sign (of) the Son (of) Man WILL-APPEAR IN (THE) HEAVEN".
The expression "IN (THE) HEAVEN" (Matthew 24:30) may also simply describe "in the sky", as the Greek word for "HEAVEN" can also simply be used to describe the "sky".
Matthew 24:27 described the lightning as an indication of the Son of Man coming. Matthew 24:30 described the sign and then described the Son of Man coming
Jesus described in Matthew 24:27 THE LIGHTNING as an indication of the SON of MAN coming: "For just-as THE LIGHTNING comes-out from (the) east and is-appearing as-far-as (the) west, so will-be the coming (of) the SON (of) MAN".
3 verses later, Jesus described in Matthew 24:30 THE SIGN and then described the SON of MAN coming: "at-that-time THE SIGN (of) the SON (of) MAN will-appear in (the) heaven. And at-that-time all the tribes (of) the earth will-strike(-their-breasts-to-mourn). And they-will-see the SON (of) MAN coming on the clouds (of) heaven" (Matthew 24:30).
Coherence of "lightning" as being specifically a "sign" of coming
Matthew 24:3 mentions "the sign of Your coming". In the Bible lightning can be described as accompanying a coming
2 Samuel 22:10-15: "And He parted (the) heavens, and came down, and darkness (was) under His feet. And He sat upon (the) cherubs and spread out, and was seen upon (the) wings of (the) wind. And He made darkness His hiding-place; His tabernacle round about Him (was) the darkness of waters; He thickened (it) with the clouds of (the) air. At the brightness before Him coals of fire were kindled. The LORD thundered out of heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice. And He sent out arrows, and scattered them, LIGHTNING bolts, and deranged them."
Coherence of "lightning" as being specifically a "sign" of the Son of Man
Matthew 24:30 mentions "the sign of the Son of Man". The only other instance in Matthew that the Greek word for "lightning" is used to describe the appearance of a being coming from heaven
1st century events
Around the time the First Jewish-Roman War started around AD 66, angels were seen in the clouds and a lightning was also recorded to have lit up the temple
The Roman historian Tacitus (who was born in the 1st century) wrote in "The Histories":
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