Signs of Christ's Return

The Sign of the Son of Man
by
John MacArthur
All Rights Reserved

(A copy of this message on cassette tape may be obtained by calling 1-800-55-GRACE)
Matthew 24:29-31    Tape GC 2371

Introduction

Those of us who know the Lord and study His Word are aware that man's dominion over the world will end with the glorious return of Jesus Christ. The first time He came, He came to die on a cross, but He will return to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. After Christ ascended into heaven, two angels said to the disciples, "This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). Jesus will return bodily, just the way He went away.

Throughout all the history of the church, believers have looked for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul writes in Titus 2:11- 14, "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present age, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people of his own, zealous of good works." The hope of Christ's return should motivate us to live holy, obedient lives, for when He returns, our bodies will be changed and made like His glorious body (Phil. 3:21).

The world is familiar with the details of Christ's first coming, but it is far less familiar with the circumstances of His second coming. In Matthew 24:29-31, our Lord describes the very moment of His second coming.

Lesson

I. THE SEQUENCE OF THE EVENTS

Verse 29 tells us where the second coming fits into the chronology of end-time events: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days." That verse in its context clearly states the second coming will immediately follow the time period called the tribulation.

"Tribulation" (Gk. thlipsis) means "trouble," "difficulty," "tribulation," or "distress." To make clear what tribulation He was talking about, Jesus describes it as the tribulation "of those days." That refers to the days He described in verses 4-28. Note especially verse 21: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." The tribulation Jesus referred to is the worst the world will ever know-- the period of intense tribulation that will follow the abomination of desolation.

II. THE SCENE IN THE HEAVENS

In verse 29 the Lord sets the stage for the second coming: "The sun [shall] be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken." Just before the Lord appears, the universe will begin to disintegrate. Luke 21:25-26, a parallel passage to verse 29, adds more details of what the Lord said: "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." Luke tells us there will be signs on earth as well as in the heavens-- signs so dramatic and cataclysmic that men's hearts will fail them. The Greek word translated "failing" in verse 26 (apopsuchonton) actually means "to expire." People will drop dead from terror.

A. As Described by Matthew

Matthew 24:29 tells us, "The powers of the heavens shall be shaken." Everything in the universe is held together by the power of God (Heb. 1:3). He prevents orbits from fluctuating. We can navigate our spacecraft with accuracy to distant planets because of the unchanging, fixed powers of the heavens. The heavenly bodies move consistently at all times and do what they are predicted to do. Scientists can even mathematically predict what heavenly bodies will do thousands of years in the future because of the uniformity from the past.

Just before the second coming, the Lord will relax the powers that normally hold the universe together, bringing about chaos. Heavenly bodies will careen at random through space as the earth becomes a victim of this cosmic breakdown.

Specifically, Jesus said that the sun will go black. The implications of that are staggering--man can't survive for long without sunlight. There would also be dramatic temperature changes. Jesus said the moon won't give its light, since its light is reflected from the sun. The changes in the heavens will cause the tides to be erratic. Revelation 6:13-14 says the stars will fall like overripe figs off a fig tree, and the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll.

Only divine intervention will prevent the extinction of life until the establishment of the Kingdom.

B. As Described by the Old Testament Prophets

1. In Isaiah 13

Many people believe Isaiah 13 relates only to Babylon's destruction, but I believe it has a broader reference than that. Note that the Hebrew word translated "land" (erets) in verse 9 should be translated "earth" in this context. Also, verse 11 speaks of God's punishing the world, not just Babylon. Isaiah 13 does predict Babylon's destruction, but, as often happens in prophecy, there is a short-range prediction that typifies another prediction for the distant future. Isaiah sees in the destruction of Babylon a microcosm of what will happen in the world at the second coming of the Lord.

Verses 6-16 describe the coming judgment: "Wail; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt; and they shall be afraid. Pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain like a woman that travaileth. They shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine. And I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more rare than fine gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore, I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of its place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. And it shall be like the chased roe, and like a sheep that no man taketh up; they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee everyone into his own land. Every one that is found shall be thrust through, and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished."

Isaiah predicted a terrible time of judgment. Men will drop dead of heart attacks on account of God's terrible judgment (v. 7) and there will be worldwide slaughter to the point that men themselves become as rare as gold (v. 12). There will be signs in the heavens and on earth--just as our Lord taught in the Olivet Discourse.

2. In Isaiah 34

Isaiah again looks into the distant future and says in verses 1-4, "Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye peoples: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth from it. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies; he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stench shall come up out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together like a scroll; and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and like a falling fig from the fig tree."

Once again it is clear from verse 2 that Isaiah is referring to the judgment of the world, not one particular nation. He predicts the great slaughter that will ensue when God destroys the armies gathered against Jerusalem at the battle of Armageddon (v. 2).

Isaiah goes on to say in verse 6, "The sword of the Lord is filled with blood; it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom." Bozrah was the main city of Edom. It will be the southern border of the battle of Armageddon. Revelation 14:20 tells us the battle of Armageddon will cover an area of sixteen hundred furlongs, or 200 miles. If you measure 200 miles to the north, starting with Bozrah, it takes you just past @Armageddon into Lebanon. That is the extent of the battle of Armageddon. The Bible is very accurate in describing what verse 8 calls "the day of the Lord's vengeance and the year of recompenses"--the day when God pays back sinful man.

3. In Joel 2

Joel describes a locust swarm that blots out the sun and moon. It seemed to him that the earth shuddered as they landed on the ground (v. 10). He uses that as an illustration of the ultimate shaking of the heavens and the earth as a result of divine judgment (vv. 30-31).

Haggai describes the coming judgment in the same terms (Hag. 2:6- 7). Peter, preaching on the day of Pentecost, quoted the prophecy of Joel that the day will come when the sun goes dark and the moon turns to blood--all those things are part of this coming holocaust.

Canceling the Curse

Romans 8:19-22 says the whole creation waits for the glorious manifestation of the children of God. When the Lord appears, the corrupt universe will be replaced by a purified and recreated universe that will be all that God ever intended it to be. All of creation groans, waiting for that reality. Scripture speaks often of the day when the Lord will tear down what is to put up what ought to be.

III. THE SIGN IN THE SKY

In verse 30 Jesus answers the question the disciples asked Him previously, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age" (v. 3)? He gave them a list of general signs in verses 4 to 14, but He still hadn't given them the sign.

A. The Definition of the Sign

1. What it is not

a) The sign of the cross

Some early church fathers taught that the sign of which Christ spoke was a blazing cross that would fill the black heavens. This was the position of men such as Chrysostom, Cyril of Jerusalem, and Origen.

b) The Shekinah alone

Others have taught that the sign will be the Shekinah--the blazing light of God's glory. That's closer to the truth, but you can't have the Shekinah apart from the One it emanates from.

2. What it is

Verse 30 defines what the sign will be: "Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven." That is a subjective genitive in the Greek text, indicating that the sign is the Son of Man Himself. In the midst of the blackness will appear in blazing, unveiled glory the Son of Man.

B. The Description of the Sign

1. The previews

The Bible records several instances when men received a glimpse of God's glory. In Matthew 17 Jesus took James, Peter, and John up a mountain, pulled aside the veil of His flesh, and showed them His glory; they got a taste of His second coming appearance. Adam had a glimpse of it in the Garden when he walked in the cool of the day with the presence of God. The people of Israel had a glimpse of God's glory when it dwelt between the wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies. They saw it as a cloud that led them by day and a fire that led them by night. But the world has never seen the full, unveiled glory that Christ will reveal at His second coming, and they will scream for mercy and cry for the rocks and the mountains to cover them up, lest they be consumed by it (Rev. 6:15-17).

2. The particulars

a) Clouds

The end of verse 30 tells us that Jesus will come on the clouds of heaven. Just as He ascended into heaven on clouds, so He will return in the same manner (Acts 1:9-11). Daniel (Dan. 7:13), John (Rev. 1:7), Mark (Mark 13:26), Luke (Luke 21:27), and Matthew all say He will come on the clouds of heaven (Matt. 24:30; 26:64).

The Old Testament tells us that clouds are the chariot of God. Psalm 104:1, 3 says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honor and majesty ... who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters; who maketh the clouds his chariot, who walketh upon the wings of the wind." Isaiah 19:1 says, "The Lord rideth upon a swift cloud."

b) Light

Zechariah 14:6-7 describes the blazing light that will accompany Christ's return. Verse 6 can be translated, "It shall be in that day that there shall not be light, the glorious ones will wane," or "The bright ones will fade." Either way it refers to the stars, the sun, and the moon. All the lights in the sky will go out. Verse 7 says, "It will be one day which shall be known to the Lord." It is one day that only the Lord could explain.

Zechariah goes on to say in verse 7, "Not day and not night." Since the sun, moon, and stars have waned, there can't be day or night as we know them. He continues, "It will be at the time of closing, the time of evening, the time of the end of that day, there will be light." The light accompanying Christ when He returns will bring an abrupt end to the darkness of the tribulation.

Revelation 21:23 and 22:5 give us some idea of the brightness of the light. Those passages tell us that in the New Jerusalem, there will be no lamp or sunlight, because the lord Himself will light it up.

The Church Has a Front-Row Seat!

Some people wonder where the church will be while all those things are happening. I believe the church will be raptured before the tribulation begins (cf. 1 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 3:10), so we'll already be with the Lord. We'll be having the marriage supper of the Lamb, where we'll get our rewards (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10). Does that mean we won't get to see Christ's return? Not at all! Colossians 3:4 says, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."

Revelation 19:7-8 describes the marriage supper of the Lamb, where the Lord is joined to His redeemed church, His bride. When the wife (the church) comes into the presence of the Lord, to her it is "granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (v. 8).

John tells us in verse 14 that we will return with Christ at His second coming: "The armies that were in heaven [the church and the Old Testament saints] followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." We'll each have our own robe and our own white horse. We'll be there, only we'll be coming down with Christ, not on earth looking up at Him.

IV. THE STRENGTH OF THE LORD

Matthew 24:30 says Jesus will return "with power." It will take tremendous power to set the universe reeling and the earth rocking on its axis. He has power over all creation. He has power over Satan. He has power over demons. He has power to slaughter all Christ-rejecting unbelievers. He has power to establish His Kingdom. And He has power to redeem His elect. That is power without equal.

A. To Judge the Wicked

Zechariah 14:4 tells us Christ will return to the very place He left--the Mount of Olives. According to Revelation 19, He will destroy many of the ungodly, and subject the survivors to the sheep-and-goat judgment (Matt. 25:31-46). Then He will establish His Kingdom.

B. To Restore the Earth

Zechariah 14 describes some of the changes the Lord will make on the earth when He returns. Verse 8 says there will be a channel cut between the sea in front of the Mount of Olives (the Mediterranean) and the sea behind it (the Dead Sea). When I was in Israel, I was told the Israelis are trying to dig a channel or build a pipeline to bring water from the Mediterranean to the desert. The Lord will accomplish that when He returns, and the desert will then blossom like a rose (Isa. 35:1).

The canal from the Mediterranean to the desert is just one manifestation of the Lord's power to restore the earth. The book of Isaiah mentions these things in addition: the wolf will lie down with the lamb (Isa. 11:6), children will play with poisonous snakes and not be bitten (Isa. 11:8), and people will live long lives (Isa. 65:20).

V. THE SORROW OF ISRAEL

The Jewish nation will mourn at Christ's return. Zechariah 12:10 tells us "they shall look upon [Christ] whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son." They will mourn that they have crucified their Messiah. Zechariah 13:1 says that when they do that, a fountain of cleansing will be opened to them. I believe it is at that moment when all Israel will be saved (cf. Rom. 11:26).

VI. THE SELECTION BY THE ANGELS

In verse 31 our Lord tells us angels will be used by God to gather men in the end times: "He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." In the parables of Matthew 13, our Lord spoke of angels being sent out to gather people for judgment (v. 41). In Matthew 24:31 however, they're not gathering unbelievers for judgment, but the elect for glory. Sounding a trumpet was the familiar Jewish of calling an assembly. When the trumpet is blown, the angels gather God's elect from their hiding places.

"From the four winds" is a colloquial expression similar to "from the four corners of the world"--it's another way of saying from everywhere. None of the elect will miss the Kingdom; the godly survivors of the tribulation will enter it with the Old Testament saints (who are resurrected at this time).

Conclusion

Matthew 24:29-31 is the Lord's own description of the very moment of His second coming. Are you ready for His return? Will you be one of those who return with Him in glory, or will you miss out on His Kingdom and be sent to an everlasting hell? Your eternal destiny is at stake. I pray you respond to the Savior.

Focusing on the Facts

1. Name a verse that indicates Christ's return will be a physical, bodily one (see p. 1).

2. Why should the second coming motivate us to live holy lives (see p. 1)?

3. When will the tribulation Jesus referred to in Matthew 24:29 take place (see p. 2)?

4. Will the signs associated with the return of Christ occur in the heavens only, or will there be signs on the earth as well (see p. 2)?

5. What will happen when the Lord relaxes the powers of the heavens (see p. 3)?

6. Does Isaiah 13 refer only to the destruction of Babylon? Support your answer from Scripture (see p. 4).

7. What does the cursed creation await (see Rom. 8:19-22; p. 7)?

8.What are two things the sign of the Son of Man is not (see p. 7)?

9.Describe two particulars associated with Christ's return (see pp. 8- 9).

10. What will the church be doing during the tribulation (see p. 9)?

11. Will the church return with Christ at His second coming? Support your answer with Scripture (see pp. 9-10).

12. To what spot will Christ return when He comes back to the earth (see p. 10)?

13. Describe some of the changes the Lord will make in the earth after His return (see pp. 10-11).

14. Why will Israel mourn when Christ returns (see p. 11)?

15. Who will the angels gather at the second coming (see p. 12)?

Pondering the Principles

1. When Christ returns in judgment, the manifestation of His glory will be so terrifying that unbelievers will cry for the mountains and rocks to fall on them to hide them from God's wrath (Rev. 6:15-17). The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:11, "Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." How will the knowledge of the coming judgment affect your attitude toward the unsaved people in your life? Is there someone you have put off sharing Christ with? Ask God to give you an opportunity to share Christ with an unsaved friend or loved one today.

2. Do you live in the light of eternity? Philippians 3:20-21 tells us Christ will change our bodies into glorious bodies like His. Colossians 3:4 says, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." How should knowing that affect how you view suffering in your life? Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:17 that our afflictions are temporary, and will bring us eternal glory. Memorize that verse and use it the next time you encounter trials in your life to keep them in perspective.

Added to the John MacArthur "Study Guide" Collection by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
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Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986