INTRODUCTION - The fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple marked the end of the Old Testament dispensation. It was an event of extreme importance for both Jew and Christian, as the Jews lost the kingdom, and the Christian church went forth as the people of God. The passage we are studying in Matthew 24 deals specifically with that time, warning the disciples of the judgment which would fall on the Jews, and showing them how the kingdom of Christ would come to power. This morning we shall conclude our study by looking at the remaining events which will take place at the fall of Jerusalem.

B) THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN IN HEAVEN - Matthew 24:30 - The disciples have already asked a question concerning this sign in Matthew 24:3. They are interested in knowing when the Temple will be destroyed, when Christ will come in His kingdom, and what will show that the Old Testament age is over. In Matthew 24:30, Jesus answers their question about the sign which would tell them that Christ had indeed succeeded as King of kings and Lord of lords. When we read the text in our modern versions, they are telling us that there is a sign which will appear in heaven (or in the sky). Unfortunately, our modern English translations have misrepresented the Greek text. Note the way the following versions translate Matthew 24:30 -

1. THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION -

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven..."

2. THE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION -

"And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky..."

3. THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION -

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky..."

In each case we are told that some sort of sign is going to appear in heaven or in the sky. The disciples are being told to watch for a sign which will appear in the sky. If this were the proper translation, then certainly the second coming of Christ is in mind here. Yet this is not the way the passage should be translated. Instead, note the difference with the older King James Version. It has remained true to the Greek sentence.

4. THE OLDER KING JAMES VERSION -

"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven..."

The modern versions are telling us that it is the sign which appears in heaven. The King James version correctly tells us that it is not the sign which is in heaven, rather, it is the Son of Man who is in heaven. In other words, the disciples were to look for a sign which would signify or confirm that the Son of Man was indeed in heaven. What is that sign? It is the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. This is the symbol, the sign, the indication that the Son of Man was truly in heaven, that He had ascended to His throne of power and glory.

We should take a moment to realize the great repercussions if Jerusalem and the Temple had not fallen. What would have happened to the early church and to ourselves had the Jews continued with their sacrifices in a Temple that was still standing to this day? The Jews could easily turn to us and say that Jehovah was still with them, for their Temple was standing and their sacrifices were being accepted by God. On the other hand, what proof do we have today that the old dispensation has been overthrown, that Christ is truly seated on the throne of glory and power, and that the church is indeed the true people of God? What can we point to? We can point to a Temple which still remains in ruins to this day in Jerusalem. The great importance of the Temple's destruction is that it proves that Christ has ascended into heaven and His kingdom has begun. So we see, the disciples were not looking for a "sign in heaven." Instead, it was the fall of Jerusalem which was the sign that "the Son of Man is in heaven."

C) THE TRIBES OF THE LAND WILL MOURN - Matthew 24:30 - The word for "tribe" in the New Testament can refer to the different peoples of the world, yet it is more often used in Scripture to refer to the twelve tribes of Israel. There is no reason why we cannot make the same inference here since the entire text is focused upon the Jewish nation. Certainly we know that when Jerusalem and the Temple fell in 70 AD, all of Israel mourned its loss. The Jews in Jerusalem, in Palestine, and those scattered all over the world, would mourn the destruction. The word "earth" can be translated either the "world", in which case, the Jews all over the world are shown mourning, or it can be translated "land" (Luke 21:24) in which case, the passage has directed reference to the tribes of Israel mourning in the land of Palestine.

D) THE SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS - Matthew 24:30 - Certainly this sounds like the second coming, and yet we shall realize from Scripture that if the Son of Man did not come in the clouds in the first century, we, as a church, are in a hopeless condition. We have no power or authority if Christ did not come on the clouds in the first century. The reason is, this phrase "the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" does not refer to the second coming, but refers to the ascension of Christ to the right hand of God in order to receive His power and authority. This happened at the ascension of Christ and does not happen at the second coming.

In Matthew 26:63-66, the High Priest wants Christ to admit that He is the Messiah so that they can condemn Him with blasphemy. Christ admits that He is the Messiah, that He is the Son of God, but then He adds that the High Priest and religious rulers will see Him, the Son of Man, sitting at the right hand of God and coming on the clouds of heaven. The High Priest knows exactly what Christ is saying, for the Lord Jesus has just quoted from the Old Testament. Note that Christ says to the High Priest that he will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds. In other words, the High Priest and the religious rulers will witness the coming in the clouds - it will happen in their generation! Therefore, when did Jesus sit at the right hand of power? When did He come in the clouds of heaven? Jesus is quoting from Daniel 7 (a well known passage for the High Priest). Daniel 7:13,14 teaches us that the phrase "the Son of Man coming in the clouds" has nothing to do with the second coming. Instead, it refers to the ascension of Christ to the throne of God. It refers to Christ receiving His kingdom after His ascension into glory. Ephesians 2:20-23 tells us that all of this took place at the ascension. God the Father seated Christ at His right hand and placed Him above all power and dominion. Christ came on the clouds in the first century. The disciples of Christ saw this literally fulfilled when Christ ascended from them on a cloud (Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9). The High Priest and religious rulers saw Christ come on the clouds into glory when they beheld the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple. What was the evidence that Christ had come on the clouds and was now seated at the right hand of power? The fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, the Jewish kingdom being overthrown, the High Priest would see it, all of Israel would see it, and they would know that Christ had proceeded to the right hand of God. They would know that the Son of Man had come in the clouds! If Christ did not come on the clouds in the first century, then we as a church have no power, no authority, no hope. Jerusalem's fall is evidence that the Son of Man is seated on the throne of glory, having entered heaven on the clouds.

E) THE GATHERING OF THE ELECT - Matthew 24:31 - Though this might look like the final gathering of God's people for the day of judgment, there is one thing missing in the passage which is vital to the last judgment and the final gathering. The one thing missing are the wicked, unsaved souls. They are nowhere to be found in this text. Other passages involving the work of angels at the last judgment will involve both the saved and unsaved. The unsaved are conspicuously missing in this text. It is only speaking of a gathering of God's people, the elect. In fact, there is no mention of the last judgment at all in this text, and we have no right to presume that this is what is taking place here.

Regarding the "blast of a trumpet" we have already seen in Revelation 1:10 and in other places, that a trumpet blast does not mean the "last" trumpet. The voice of the ascended Christ sounds like a trumpet blast to John. The same may be applied here as Christ sends out His angels to gather the elect. It is not the second coming, but the command of Christ, sounding as a trumpet blast, as the command goes forth.

Regarding the word "angel", we realize that the word in Greek literally means "messenger." It does not always refer to spiritual beings. The context of the passage determines whether it should be translated "angel" or simply "messenger." John the Baptist is called an "angel" in Matthew 11:10, and the spies who came to Rahab are called "angels" in James 2:25. Certainly we would not refer to them as "spiritual angels" rather they are simple "messengers" of God. If we were pushing for a second coming interpretation of Matthew 24:31, then we could leave the word as "angel", but there is nothing in the text which presumes the second coming. We are therefore allowed to simple translate the word "messenger" which fits beautifully into the context of the passage. Who are the "messengers" that Christ sends out into all the world to gather in the elect? Surely this refers to the disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:19).

Yet this verse is extremely significant to our understanding of the entire picture which we have seen in Matthew 24. In Matthew 23:37,38, Jesus has just told the Jews that He would have "gathered" (same word used in Matthew 24:31) their children, but they were not willing. Thus, He turns from them, leaving the house of Israel desolate. Yet does this mean the end of the people of God? If Christ turns from the Jews, is it over? No, for Matthew 24:31 tells us that now Christ will send His messengers into all the world. The elect will no longer be just the Jews, but His kingdom will include the elect from around the world, the Gentiles from every nation, tongue, and tribe. The point which Matthew 24:31 is making is that there has been a change in the people of God. No longer is it just Israel, but now the elect will be gathered from the four corners of the world.

9) THE TIMING OF ALL THESE EVENTS - Matthew 24:32-34 - The disciples saw all of these events happen in their own day. They were warned in advance that Jerusalem would fall. It would be the sign that the Son of Man had come on the clouds and had entered His glory at the right hand of the Father. It would be the sign that the kingdom had passed to the Gentiles and that the church could now go forth victoriously, for the old dispensation had ended. That generation would certainly not pass away until all of those things had been accomplished!