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.”
28

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

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:

30

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.

31

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.

32

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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Sequential Timeline
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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.

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Cross-References

Daniel 7:13Allusion

“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.”

Revelation 1:7Thematic

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

Daniel 7:13Thematic

“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.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16Thematic

“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:”

Revelation 1:7Thematic

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

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Thematic Connections

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Private Study Note