Matthew 24 Verses 29-30 part 2
Matthew 24 Verses 29-30
Audio
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Scriptures used in this lesson:
Matthew 24 Verses 29-30
Ezekiel saw Christ coming in the cloud, on the throne, and in the Spirit (Ezekiel 1:26-28). That cloud brought judgment to Jerusalem in 587 B.C. John saw the same cloud and open heaven in Revelation 4, showing Christ’s glory.
Both Ezekiel in chapter 1 and John in chapter 4 say that heaven was open to them and that they were called up, or they heard a word that said, “Come up hither,” and they saw the same things.
“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” (Revelation 4:1)
The cloud that John saw was the same cloud Ezekiel saw. Ezekiel’s cloud judged Jerusalem in 587 B.C. That same cloud also judged Jerusalem in 70 A.D. We discussed this in our last study.
Now, let’s look at Matthew 24, verses 29 and 30. The great tribulation described there happened in 70 A.D. That event does not negate the promise of Christ’s return to his church at the resurrection. I am not talking about that final coming. The coming described in Matthew 24 was marked by the destruction of Jerusalem. We will look into this more closely.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:29–30)
The last coming or the advent of Jesus Christ, as he comes for his bride, the bride without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that coming will carry with it the sign of the redeemed body (1 Corinthians 50-56). Will it not? Will the dead in Christ be raised? Will we who are alive and remain be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air? We sure will.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17)
Will this mortality put on immortality? Will this corruption put on incorruption? Then can we truly say, Oh death, where is your sting? And grave, where is your victory?
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:51–55)
You see, now that’s the sign of his advent. That’s not the sign that’s given in Matthew 24. The sign that’s given here is the great tribulation.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:” (Matthew 24:29)
In our last study, we saw that meant lights out for Jerusalem. We looked at many scriptures. We also noticed that in Acts chapter 2, it was very clear. Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost says this is what Joel prophesied about.
“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:16–21)
The cloud that John saw in Revelation was the same cloud Ezekiel saw. Ezekiel’s vision showed judgment on Jerusalem in 587 B.C. That same cloud judged Jerusalem again in 70 A.D. We talked about this connection last time.
I want us to look at Matthew 24, verses 29 and 30. The scripture describes a great tribulation. This tribulation happened in 70 A.D. with the destruction of Jerusalem. It does not replace Christ’s future coming to redeem his church. I am not speaking about that final advent. The coming in Matthew 24 is about the judgment and the fall of Jerusalem, not the second coming for the church. We will study this more tonight.
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30)
We have spent a lot of time on these two verses of scripture. Last week’s discussion was clear, and I enjoyed it. If you missed last week, you can get the audio for clarification. We cannot recap everything again.
Today, we are starting with the sign. The scripture says the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. Many modern Bible translations say the sign will appear in the sky, but I believe that is a mistranslation. We need to talk about whether it should be “sky” or “heaven.”
Several English translations use the word sky. This has shaped our thinking. People expect Jesus to appear in the sky, but that is not what the verse means.
I want to talk about heaven. Some have thought I took heaven away from them, but I only tried to clarify it. I will give a biblical definition of heaven. Heaven is not just the sky. Many Christians picture Jesus and God sitting in chairs up in the sky. However, the kingdom of God is within you.
“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)
And what is the kingdom of heaven? It’s God’s throne. It’s his authority (Isaiah 66:1).
Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? (Acts 7:49, KJV)
Let’s look at what I mean by “heaven.” We need to change our thinking. Heaven is not just the universe above and around the Earth. Heaven is where God rules and where God’s authority is. That is the true meaning.
The Greek word for heaven, “ouranos,” is often translated as “sky” in some Bibles. It is used in many verses, such as Matthew 3:2, 4:17, and others. All those verses talk about the kingdom of heaven. It is the same word—kingdom of heaven, not kingdom of the sky.
So, is it really the kingdom of the sky or the kingdom of heaven? It is the same word every time. That’s what I want us to see. My teaching will help you stop thinking of heaven as a distant place above. Instead, realize that heaven is God’s throne.
The same word, “ouranos,” appears in more verses. Matthew 3:17, 5:16, 5:45, 5:48, and more. These verses show God the Father is in heaven. The prayer says, “Our Father which art in heaven.” It does not say “Our Father which art in the sky.” It’s the same Greek word. It doesn’t mean that God is not in the sky; he is in heaven, the place of authority.
Now, where’s the kingdom of God? It’s within you, right? And where does Jesus say that he and the Father and the Spirit are going to come and dwell? Where? In you.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” (John 14:23)
Now, let’s not limit heaven to within us or with us. Heaven is God’s reign, God’s rule, and God’s authority.
The same word, heaven (ouranos), is found in Matthew 18:10, 22:30, and 24:36. Here it speaks of the angels in heaven, not angels in the sky. Heaven is God’s authority and God’s realm. In heaven, angels aren’t running around up there. Angels are ministering spirits, and they’re sent to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation.
“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14)
Angels function under the authority of God. Heaven is God’s authority.
In Matthew chapter 3, verses 16 and 17, it speaks of the heavens, the ouranos, being opened and of a voice from the ouranos speaking at the baptism of Jesus. It wasn’t the sky that opened, and a voice came out of the sky, that’s not what happened, but a voice came out of God’s throne, a voice came out of God’s authority, and says, This is my beloved son.
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16–17)
Heaven did not open so that a bird could fly out. The Spirit came from God’s authority and his throne. The cloud, however you want to describe it, also represents God’s authority, not just the sky.
Jesus did not walk with a bird. He had the Holy Spirit and the anointing. The voice and Spirit came from God’s authority, not from the sky.
Matthew 11:23 talks about Capernaum. That city thought it was exalted into heaven but would be brought down to hell. Heaven here means God’s place of rule, not just the sky.
“And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.” (Matthew 11:23)
Capernaum was not exalted in the sky. The Greek word is the same as in Matthew 24. The city thought it was exalted because Christ’s presence was there. They believed they had special status, but Jesus said they would be brought down to hell. They were not truly exalted. They were proud because of the authority of God living in their city.
Churches can fall into the same trap. Sometimes when the Spirit moves, people think they are especially exalted. It is easy to confuse the authority and presence of God with pride.
Matthew 16:19 talks about binding and loosening in heaven, not in the sky. We bind and loose by God’s authority, by his throne, and by his power. It is not about the sky. The focus is on the heavenlies. That is the place where Christ is, where God is, and where we sit with him. Our spiritual gifts come from God’s authority in heaven.
“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)
Matthew 21:25 is where Jesus was asked whether John’s baptism was of heaven (ouranos) or of men.
“The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?” (Matthew 21:25)
John’s baptism was not from the sky. It was from heaven, meaning God’s authority. Jesus says we will see him sitting in the clouds in heaven, which means we will see him in authority.
We need to change our thinking about heaven. Heaven is where God rules and reigns. If you look up “heaven” in a concordance, you will see that it often means God’s authority and rule.
Sometimes the Bible talks about the sky, but the context makes it clear. The King James Version helps make this distinction. It uses “sky” for weather and “heaven” for God’s authority. When scripture mentions “heavens,” it is about God’s realm and dominion.
Where do we sit as believers? Not in the sky, but in heavenly places. This is about being under God’s authority, not location in the sky.
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians 2:6)
You can only be in the heavenly places if you are under God’s authority. That is the main difference between believers and nonbelievers. Believers are under God’s authority; nonbelievers are not. Nonbelievers are not in the heavenlies.
This is the key point about heaven. The word “heaven,” or “ouranos,” really means God’s authority and his rule. Heaven is the place where God rules. The kingdom of God is the same as the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is his kingdom. God wants his will to be done on earth, just as it is in heaven.
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
God wants his authority on earth, just as it is where he reigns. The kingdom of God is the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is God’s kingdom and his place of rule.
God is in heaven. The angels are in heaven, waiting for their orders. God spoke with authority from heaven during Christ’s baptism. Capernaum felt it had God’s authority because Christ was there, but that did not save the city. God’s authority is not a guarantee just because of location.
We do not bind or loose things in the sky. We do it by the authority we have in God’s kingdom. John’s baptism came from God’s authority, not from the sky.
So, when scripture says the sign of the Son of Man appears in heaven, it means he appears in God’s authority. He appears on God’s throne and as God, ruling in power and glory.
Acts chapter 7 talks about God’s throne as heaven. Stephen, before his stoning, spoke about this truth. There are many more verses about this, but that’s enough to show my point.
“Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; As saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?” (Acts 7:48–49)
Heaven is God’s throne. That is the scriptural definition of heaven. Many people think heaven means the sky, but the Bible teaches that heaven is where God rules.
When Jesus says he will appear in the heavens, he means he will appear in God’s authority. He is in the throne, in his place of rule and reign. Heaven is God’s throne, and earth is his footstool.
“Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?” (Isaiah 66:1)
Heaven is God’s throne. God controls everything on earth. The devil does not run things; God does. That is the true meaning of heaven.
So, when Jesus says the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, he is talking about God’s authority and rule, not the sky. This comes from scripture, not tradition or human teaching. Heaven in the Bible means rule and authority.
Christ is seated in the heavenly places, where God rules.
“Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,” (Ephesians 1:20)
Where are we seated? In the heavenly places, Ephesians 2-6. That’s God’s rule and God’s authority.
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians 2:6)
If we are under God’s rule and authority, we are in the heavenly places. If not, we are outside and living without God’s rule. That is what makes someone a believer or a nonbeliever.
Nonbelievers are lawless because they do not have God’s authority in their lives. Believers are under God’s authority. That is the actual test. If a person says they are a Christian, you can tell by whether they submit to God’s authority.
God has also set up authority in his church. This is how we know who is genuinely in the heavenly places. A true believer will live under that authority. That is what it means to be in the heavenly places.
Where are our spiritual blessings? Where are our spiritual gifts? Heavenly places. Ephesians 1-3.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:” (Ephesians 1:3)
If we want the blessings and gifts from God, we have to be in the heavenly places. That means we must go to God’s authority and get under his rule. It is close enough to reach, but far enough that we need to change.
God wanted to gather Jerusalem under his protection, but they refused. Because of that, destruction came. The same principle applies to anyone. If we come under God’s authority, he will protect and keep us forever. But if we reject him, judgment will come.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
I’ve got a good one now. It says that the principalities and the powers and the spiritual wickedness are where? Heavenly places. Ephesians 3-10.
“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” (Ephesians 3:10)
Heavenly places are where God’s authority is. That means even spiritual wickedness is under God’s control. No evil has free reign. Nebuchadnezzar had a leash on him. The devil can only act as far as God allows.
When scripture says the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, it means heaven, not sky. Jesus appears with God’s power, glory, and authority. If you look at Matthew 24:29-30, you see that it is the sign that appears.
The sign shows that the Son of Man is in heaven. It means he has come to his throne and he is ruling and reigning. Now, the kingdoms of this world belong to our Lord and to his Christ.
“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)
The sign shows us important truths. It is the destruction of Jerusalem and the desolation of the temple. When the sign appears, it means the Son of Man is in the authority of God.
Hebrews explains that God gave Jesus all authority. God handed everything over to him. The sign makes it clear that Jesus rules with God’s power.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” (Hebrews 1:1-3)
Everyone will see the sign. The sign shows the Son of Man is seated in heaven. The tribulation and destruction of Jerusalem are proof of this. When the sign appears, it means the Son of Man is in heaven, in God’s throne.
Hebrews tells us Jesus sat at the right hand of the Father. He will stay there until all his enemies become his footstool.
“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.” (Hebrews 10:12-13)
This is straight from the Bible. There are many connected scriptures. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple is the sign that Jesus rules from heaven at the Father’s right hand. That means he has come to his throne.
Matthew 24:3 shows the disciples asking Jesus about the sign. They asked, “When shall these things be?” They also asked for the sign of his coming, and the end of the age—not the end of the world, but the end of an age.
“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3)
God is going to take the kingdom from the Jews. He will give it to another people, to a nation that produces fruit. This is clear in Matthew chapter 21.
In verse 43, Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and the religious leaders. He tells them that the kingdom of God will be taken away from them and given to a nation that brings forth its fruits. God wants a people who will bear fruit for his kingdom.
“Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Matthew 21:43)
That’s exactly what happened. He took it from them, and he gave it to the nation that was not a people, but now are the people of God. You’re a holy nation. You’re a peculiar people. You’re a royal priesthood. You’re a chosen generation. 1 Peter 2:9.
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (1 Peter 2:9)
You are a people that were not a people, but now you are the people of God.
“Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:10)
God took the kingdom from the Jews and gave it to the church. The people of God are now the new nation.
This coming is about Jesus coming in the clouds to be in heaven. It is his coming to glory and to the throne. The sign that points to this event is the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.
Let’s look at Daniel chapter 7. We also talked about Daniel chapter 2. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about an image made of different materials. A stone cut without hands struck the image. It crushed it, and the wind blew the pieces away.
“Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:34-35)
After the stone struck the image, it grew and filled the whole earth. This shows that every earthly kingdom must be destroyed, even the religious kingdom of the Jews. Only then can God’s kingdom grow and fill the whole earth.
Now, in Daniel chapter 7, we see another vision. Daniel sees the throne room of God. He has been in the cloud and in the heavenlies. In the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel had a dream and saw visions on his bed. He wrote the dream down. In verse 9, he describes the Ancient of Days on a fiery throne, with garments white as snow and hair like pure wool.
“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.” (Daniel 7:9)
Daniel is seeing the throne room of God. He is in the cloud, in the glory, and in the heavenlies. He is seeing the same kind of thing John saw in Revelation and Ezekiel saw in Ezekiel 1.
In verse 13, he sees “one like the Son of Man.” This is the first key use of that title. Jesus later calls himself the Son of Man repeatedly. When he does that, he is pointing back to Daniel 7:13.
Daniel sees the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He comes to the Ancient of Days. He receives dominion, glory, and a kingdom. All peoples, nations, and languages will serve him. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom will never be destroyed.
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
He says, You’ll see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven.
The sign shows that the Son of Man has come in the way Daniel 7:13 foretold. When Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, that was the sign that the old age had ended. The old covenant with natural Israel came to a close. It was lights out for that age.
Then the lights came on for a new generation and a new season. A new age began: the age of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we rule and reign with him because we are under his authority. Jesus, the Son of man, has come to his throne.
Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand. He will remain there until there is a bride without spot or wrinkle that he can present to himself (Ephesians 5:27).
He’ll sit there until his enemies are made his footstools.
“For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:25)
He’ll sit there until he appears; there’ll be people who shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)
He’ll sit there until Ephesians 4.13 comes to be, the people who have come to the measure and the stature and the fullness of Christ.
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13)
He’ll sit there until we do what he did, until we think like he thought, until we move as he moved. He’ll sit there until his enemies have become his footstools, and nothing can stop it.
The age in Matthew 24:3 would end with a sign. That sign was the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Natural Israel had built its whole religious system on that temple and that city. When both fell, it showed that God had left that system. He was no longer there. God had moved.
This meant God took the kingdom from natural Israel and gave it to the church of Jesus Christ. The desolation of the old temple was the final sign. God no longer dwelt there. He now dwells in a new temple, which is the church, and even more personally, you and me. That is what Stephen meant when he said God does not dwell in temples made with hands.
“Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?” (Acts 7:48-49)
Matthew 24:29-30 does not say the Son of Man appears. It’s the sign that shows Jesus is on the throne or in heaven. That sign was the desolation of the old system.
What does heaven mean to you? Give me a scriptural definition of heaven. God’s throne.
And Jesus says, when you see the sign, that’s the sign, then I’m on God’s throne. Did they see that sign? Sure did. It was the desolation that Daniel prophesied about in Daniel chapter 9.
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)
Let’s talk about the “tribes of the earth.”
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:29–30)
When scripture speaks of the “tribes of the earth,” it first speaks of the twelve tribes of Israel. That is the starting idea. Those tribes had been scattered among all the nations. Acts 2:5 shows this when it says there were Jews from every nation under heaven.
“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.” (Acts 2:5)
On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:5, Jews from every nation were present. When the believers spoke in tongues, the people understood, because every language was represented. They were from all over the earth.
Later, those same scattered tribes saw the desolation of Jerusalem and the temple. Their whole religious system had been centered on that city and that house. When Daniel prayed, he faced Jerusalem, because that was where the Jews believed God dwelt (Daniel 6:19).
Because that’s where God dwelt to the Jew, the Lord was saying, I’m not in Jerusalem anymore. I’m not in that temple made with hands anymore. I’ve moved. Lights out for Judaism, lights on for Christianity. And that was the sign Jesus said would come.
When scripture uses the word “tribes” here, it mainly means the twelve tribes of Israel. They were scattered across all the earthl For them, like Daniel, the temple and Jerusalem were thought to be the external dwelling place of God. Their whole religious system was built around that city and that temple. In many ways, it still is. Of course, they mourned when the temple went down and Jerusalem was destroyed.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:” (Matthew 24:29)
These verses use strong scriptural imagery. The picture is “lights out” on one age and nation, and “lights on” for the next. One season fights to hold on, like winter pushing back against summer, but it must yield. There is always a “spring” overlap as one season gives way to another. That is what was happening here.
On the day of Pentecost, we see this shift. The Holy Ghost fell in the upper room. They spoke with tongues of fire and looked like drunk men. Peter stood up and said, “These are not drunken as you suppose.” He declared, “This is that” which the prophet Joel had spoken.
Acts 2:15-21
“For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Joel prophesied hundreds of years before this event in Acts 2. Theologians believe that he’s talking about exactly what Peter says because this is what Joel prophesied about. I believe it too, simply because I have a greater understanding of lights out now.
Joel’s prophecy speaks of the “last days.” These are the last days of that age—the age of Moses. There were about forty years left of that age. One season was going out, and another was coming in. Like winter giving way to summer, spring overlaps—cold nights and warm days at the same time.
God said, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” That marked lights out for one order and lights on for another. Sons and daughters would prophesy. Young men would see visions. Old men would dream dreams. Servants and handmaidens would receive the Spirit and prophesy.
God also said there would be wonders in heaven, and signs in the earth—blood, fire, smoke, sun darkened, and moon turned to blood. This is scriptural imagery. It did not happen in a literal, physical way. It happened in the spiritual realm as one age ended and the next began. In that setting, the promise stands: whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:” (Joel 2:31-32)
Lights out for one, lights on for the next.
Now we got in that last week and went through a whole lot of scriptures. Isaiah prophesied to Babylon. He says it’s going to be lights out for you (Isaiah 60:2). And it was.
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Immediately after tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened. We see scriptural imagery and terminology used in these verses. This imagery shows lights out to the age and the nation, meaning lights on for the next age. Every age throughout eternity. Go back to Genesis. Every age has come to a lights out. The next age was began with lights on. A brand new covenant, a brand new time, and a brand new age. That came to a time of lights out. The next age come to lights on. And that’s what we’re talking about here. Every age throughout history has gone through this time.
All right, then the second thing that we’ve talked about here is the sign. I’m on page 349. The sign. We talked about that tonight. The sign is then seen. As long as Jerusalem and the temple existed, everyone would wonder, especially the Jew, if the age had changed. The sign was the desolation of the temple and the city. The sign showed that Jesus was seated in heaven. Verse three, they asked for a sign. They got it. Number three, tribes mourned. Surely the Jews, the twelve tribes and all the earth mourned as they learned and saw Jerusalem destroyed. Then the fourth point that we’ve looked at through these two verses is the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Another imagery is given. The cloud is the revelation of the heavenlies where God is seated, where he speaks, where he rules, where he judges, and is surrounded by the court and counsel. Jesus came in the glory cloud of God in judgment. He came to his throne, Daniel chapter seven.
That’s all I want to do tonight. I just wanted to get those and you won’t believe it, but it’s ten minutes till. I’ve got more, but I can’t start something that I could even get close to finishing. So we’ll just wait.
But I want to talk a second just on what, how can I apply what we’ve talked about tonight to my life? I want to do that. I don’t want to get in all this eschatology stuff and let’s go out of here dry. I mean, you know, that’s not what it’s about. If we can’t take some of this stuff and make it meaningful for me today, then what good is it, you know? But what is the lesson today? What can we see from here? Ah, where is Jesus seated? He’s on the throne.
“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” (Hebrews 1:3)
Is he seated in the sky or is he seated on the throne? I want you to know, heavenly places, not the sky.
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians 2:6)
Where are your gifts? Your gifts are in the sky.
I want us to know, I think the thing that God has been speaking to our fellowship for the past several months is that God runs things. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.
“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)
And he shall reign for how long? Ever and ever. It’s an everlasting kingdom. Everlasting, Daniel said.
“His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14)
Can you trust him with that? That’s what I want to come to tonight. Can you trust him with that? No matter what you face or what your circumstances are, can you trust God that he’s in control? Sure. Romans chapter 1 verse 17 says, The just shall live by faith.
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)
We may say it today this way, the just shall live by trust.
If we’re just and if we believe in God, we’re going to trust God with every situation. Because we have a revelation that he’s in the throne. That he’s running things. He’s ruling things. And the difference between me and a nonbeliever is that I can trust God. And no matter what happens, I know my Redeemer liveth.
“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” (Job 19:25)
I know I can trust him. I know he’s in the throne. God’s in the throne. Not only is God in the throne, but he’s got some help. Though he doesn’t really need it, but he’s still got some. His son’s there. And he’s in the throne.
“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34)
And then if that wasn’t enough, you and I are in the throne. Because we’re seated together with him in the heavenly places.
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians 2:6)
And no matter what we’re going through, God’s in control. God runs it. God’s in control. He’s the one that’s over it. He’s the one that’s taking charge of it. And the just shall live by faith. And he came with great glory and power. When he comes into our life, he’s still got that same glory. And he’s still got that same power. Whatever we face, whether it’s illness, family problems, financial problems. If we’ll trust God, if we’ll conform to his covenant, we were praying this morning, and Thibaut was praying, that members of our fellowship would learn to covenantally respond to him and then expect him to covenantally respond to us. It’s a two-way covenant. There are some things that we do. The just shall live by faith. The just shall live by trust. If we trust him, then we’re just. Isn’t that right? Amen.
Father God, we trust you tonight. You’re in the throne. Lord Jesus, we trust you tonight. You’re in the throne. You’re on clouds of glory. You’re in the heaven. You rule and you reign. You sit there in all authority.
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18)
You sit there in all wisdom and all majesty.
And Lord, oftentimes we can’t understand what’s going on in this world. We can’t even understand what’s going on in our nation. Oftentimes, Lord, we can’t even understand what’s going on in our church or in our city or even in our family. And Lord, sometimes I can’t even understand what’s going on inside of me. But Lord, I know you rule and I know you reign, and it doesn’t matter if I understand it or not. All I’ve got to know is that the just shall live by trust. That all I’ve got to do is have faith in you and know that you’re ever living.
“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
You’re ever living to make intercessions for me. You’re ever living to fulfill your aspects of your covenant with me. You’ve called me, Lord. I didn’t call me.
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:16) I
‘m yours. I’m yours. And I trust you. I trust you with every avenue of my life.
And Lord, I pray that every area of my life will come under the heaven that on this earth, on my earth, in my world, the kingdom of God would come as it is in heaven.
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
Thank you, Lord, tonight. Thank you for opening the Scriptures and showing us things. Thank you for blessing us. Thank you, Lord. Amen. Amen.
Matthew 24 Verses 29-30 part 1
Matthew 24 Verses 29-30 part 1
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