Reference

Matthew 24:30

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“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.”

For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

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.

And 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.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

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Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Visible Return

The verse explicitly states "shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven" and "they shall see the Son of man coming," directly describing a visible event. There is no plausible reading of the plain text that suggests this return is not visible.

Signs Before Return

This verse describes the appearance of the "sign of the Son of man" and the Son of man coming, which are presented as events themselves, rather than preceding signs. The mourning of the tribes and the seeing of the Son of man are reactions to this event, not precursors to it.

Sequential Timeline

While the verse describes events that will happen "then," it doesn't explicitly detail a sequence of multiple distinct events, but rather a singular, multifaceted appearance, making its contribution to a "sequential timeline" less about a series of steps and more about a singular, climactic moment.

Single Unified Return

While the verse describes a single coming, it explicitly mentions only the "sign," "mourning," and "coming in the clouds," without directly stating that resurrection, judgment, or gathering occur simultaneously with this event.

Visible Return

Related Verses

Matthew 25:31

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:”

Matthew 24:29

“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 26:64

“Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

Matthew 24:27

“For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Matthew 24:33

“So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.”

Thematic Connections

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Private Study Note

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