Introduction
The book of Revelation is an eschatological book and it is not in chronological order, similarly, Matthew 24:27-31, is an eschatological text, and like the book of Revelation holds no chronological pattern. The subsequent writing is an exegesis of the above-mentioned Matthew text. All New Testament scripture will be used from the Numeric English New Testament (NENT) translation. All Old Testament scripture will be taken from the American Standard Edition.
Matthew 24:27 (NENT), for just as the lightening cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west, so shall be the presence of the Son of · man. This verse would imply seeing the visible coming of the Lord to the earth, and seeing him come from the vantage point of the earth. Revelation 1:7 (NENT), says “Lo, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Yea, Amen”. This could not mean that every eye on the planet will see Him when he comes, but that every eye in the battle theatre where Armageddon is fought will see him, compare Acts 1:9-12 with Zechariah 14:4. Every eye on the planet didn’t see Jesus ascend up to heaven from the Mount of Olives, neither will every eye on the planet see him when he returns. Also, consider this, Exodus 19:18 says that God descended on Mount Sanai in fire at the giving of the Law to Israel and Deuteronomy 33:2 gives insight into the brilliance and majesty of this same event, but people in other remote parts of the earth did not see it, nor did they know that it had even occurred. Here are some proof texts showing that not everyone on earth will know that Jesus is reigning from Jerusalem until much later: Isaiah 2:2-3, Isaiah 66:18-19, and Zechariah 8:23.
Matthew 24:28 (NENT), Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered. This verse is in reference to the aftermath of the battle of Armageddon which takes place after Jesus and his angels have touched down on planet earth, consider these proof texts: Ezekiel 39:17-21; Zephaniah 1:7 and Revelation 19:17-21.
Matthew 24:29 (NENT), But straightway after the tribulation of those · days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her · light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. These events of Matthew 24:29-31, pertain to the rapture resurrection of the church which takes place before the events of Matthew 24:27-28. Since the first resurrection is also the only resurrection of the righteous, it must be at the end of the tribulation. If it was at the beginning, the great multitude that is purified during the great tribulation could not be resurrected as part of the church, see Revelation 7:9-14. Notice that the resurrection and the rapture are after the great tribulation, which most agree is the last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s 70th week, see Daniel 9:24-27. In verse 27, “In the midst of the week,” begins the martyrdom of the church, and continues for the latter 3 ½ years of the tribulation period, compare Revelation 11:7 and Revelation 13:5-7. The sun being darkened, and the moon not giving its light could be so that our enemies could get a clear unmistakable visual of this great catching away, Revelation 11:11-12; Daniel 12:1-3. In the resurrection, the saints are depicted as being like the angels, see Luke 20:35-36, and the stars shall fall from heaven, is in reference to the saints that are in heaven in their spirit and soul essence, see Revelation 6:9-11, Who come from heaven with Jesus when he comes in the rapture, and they put on their glorified bodies. See 1 Thessalonians 4:14.
And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. The word “powers” is translated from the Greek word “dynamis.” This could not refer to the devil and his cohorts being cast out of the heavenlies, see Revelation 12:7-9, for they are cast out at the beginning of Daniels 70th week. This is in reference to the angelic escort who will accompany the saints when they come back to earth to put on their glorified bodies. Then the saints are accompanied back to heaven by the angels along with those who enter the kingdom through translation, see I Thessalonians 3:13. The Greek word dynamis translated powers means ability, miracle, ruler. An extended meaning is of a person or super-natural being who has administrative power. The reference here is to God’s holy angels who are supernatural beings and have administrative duties as it relates to both the resurrection of the righteous as well as of the wicked, see Matthew 13:30, also verse 39, and Luke 16:22.
If I have not made my case, that the powers spoken of are God’s holy angels carrying out their administrative duties, consider these proof texts that God has and does use them in this capacity: Deuteronomy 33:2; Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19; and Psalms 68:17.
Shall be shaken of verse 29, refers to the angels of God being moved or agitated to perform their assigned duties as it relates to the rapture of the church.
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. And then, at the beginning of verse 30 implies the time element of all the sign events mentioned by Jesus leading up to the sign that the disciples inquired of back in verse 3, and that sign was the appearing of the Son of man in heaven. All the other sign events referred to by Jesus on this side of the second coming culminates up to the sign. And that sign is the coming of Jesus in the air above the earth for the rapture or catching away of the church. And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, the term and then here implies the time element between the rapture of the church and the second advent which means when Jesus actually sets foot on planet earth. This time period is clearly laid out between Genesis chapters 7:11-13, and Genesis 8:13-14. In Genesis 7:11, the Bible says, “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And in Genesis 8:14, the scripture says, “And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month was the earth dry.
The time period between these two dates is exactly one (1) year and ten (10) days. The seven days of Genesis 7:10, typify the coming seven (7) years of the tribulation period. The Ark being borne up by the flood-waters typify the rapture of the church, and according to type, the rapture is after the tribulation period. Jesus speaks of these times this way in Luke 17:26, “And as it came to pass in the days of Noah, thus shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.” Jesus references Noah’s days as a timeline to be followed as to the very events that are to take place in these end-times in which we live. The year and ten days interim between the rapture and the second advent refers to the wrath of God being poured out on the wicked, see Revelation 15:1; 16:1. Also the year and ten days parallels the year of recompenses of Isaiah 34:8, “. . . And the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.” In Matthew 24:30, After the “and then” interval, shall all the tribes of the earth mourn. This does not mean all nations or tribes, as to their geographical locations on planet earth, for many people are still in their homelands. The tribes referred to are all nations in the battle theatre of Armageddon which came against Jerusalem and its inhabitants. This mourning particularly applies to the remnant of Jews that God allows to survive. The word mourn means a sincere remorse for wrong doing and a repentance for sin with a sincere desire to make amends. This event will fulfil the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10.
The King James Version (KJV) falsely translates Zechariah 12:10, “. . . And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced.” A better translation, the American Standard Edition, correctly translates it, “. . . and they shall look unto me whom they have pierced.” This prophecy will be fulfilled in Revelation 1:7.
Matthew 24:30 (NENT), And shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory. This as well as the above-mentioned portion of this scripture shows Jesus coming with his mighty angels to fight against the armies of antichrist who have come against Jerusalem. See Zechariah 12:8-9.
Matthew 24:31 (NENT), And he shall send forth his angels with a great trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the heavens’ ends unto their ends. For clarifications sake, the same verse in Mark 13:27 says, “And then shall he send forth the angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the earth’s end to heaven’s end.” Taken together, we can see that one end of the heaven is on earth, the living, those who enter the kingdom through translation. And the others are in heaven, the living as well. The only sense in which they are dead is that they had laid down their physical bodies here on earth, either by natural causes or through martyrdom. Luke 20:38 says, “Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living: for all live to him.” As I have already said in this writing, Jesus resurrects and raptures his elect after the great tribulation.
At this present time the church is in an unholy alliance with the world, in which a large portion are very comfortable there. Through Hollywood, big tech, media, hip hop, R and B, and many other genres of music that doesn’t glorify God, the Church of Jesus Christ with the exception of a few are in the firm clutches of the world. In the coming tribulation, in the middle of the week through the mark of the beast, God will separate the true saints from the ain'ts. Sadly, many in Christiandom have embraced the false teaching of a pretribulation rapture which will never come to fruition. Just as Israel went through their wilderness experience before they were prepared to enter their promise land. The church also must enter it’s wilderness experience in order to be purified in preparation for the rapture. My prayer is that this teaching will be rich in the hearts of those who hear it. And that it might provoke some to look deep within themselves to make an assessment of whether they will be able, by Jesus, to endure the great tribulation to come.
In His Service,
Garrison