The Coming of the Son of Man
Read Matthew 24:29-35
In today’s passage (see also Mark 13:24-27 and Luke 21:25-28), Jesus plainly describes the events
of the rapture and His second coming. In verse 29 He says “immediately after the tribulation of
those days.” Which days is He talking about? The days which He just finished describing in verses
4-28, the days of the Great Tribulation. Jesus describes the Second coming as being after these
days and the rapture (angels gathering up the elect) happening at the same time (see also 2 Thess.
2:1-12). In verse 31 we see the last trumpet call (see also 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 11)
which brings in both the rapture and the second coming of Christ. The timing of the last trumpet
is very clear as being at the end of the Great Tribulation. Jesus, knowing that the deception in
the tribulation would be intense, did not want to leave us unprepared. After warning us of false
christs and false signs (verses 23-24), He then teaches the true sign by which we could discern,
for certain, His real return to earth. What is the sign of Jesus’ second coming and the end of the
age? First, the sky will become dark (sun, moon, stars will darken – verse 29) and second, the
whole sky will be lit up as bright as lightning (verse 27) and then we will finally see the real Jesus
coming on the clouds of Heaven. A Heavenly earthquake will accompany the darkening of the sky
during part one of the sign (verse 29). Then all the nations of the earth will mourn (verse 30). Many
Christians believe the lie that we cannot know when Jesus is coming back. Although we cannot
know the exact hour, we can know the season. Jesus tells us to learn a lesson from the fig tree, He
is reinforcing that we can know when His return is near.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time thanking God for His goodness in preparing us for the events that are to
occur in the End Times and for showing us the order of many of these events.
2. Jesus is coming back one day. This will be a very exciting event for all believers. Pray that
many would accept Him as Lord and Saviour and be ready for the day of His return.
3. Pray that God would continue working in your heart to prepare you for the Tribulation that is to
come, pray that you would be found faithful until the end.
