Mat 24:29 | PNT | STEP | Immediately after the tribulation of those days . The first question, "When shall these things be"? ( ) has now been answered. Here begins the answer to the second, concerning the coming of the Lord. For other passages on the second coming, see . "Immediately" after the destruction of Jerusalem (the tribulation) the series of events begins that leads to the coming of Christ. Shall the sun be darkened . I take what follows to be symbolical, as is usual for prophecy, rather than literal. Christ is "the Sun of Righteousness" ( ). After the destruction of Jerusalem, the causes began to work that led to the great apostasy of the church and produced "the Dark Ages" of the church. The moon shall not give her light . The moon shines by reflected light of the sun and if it is darkened so will be the moon. So, too, the church shines by the light of Christ. When Christ's light was darkened by taking the Bible from the people the church give forth little light during the long night of the Middle Ages. The stars shall fall . Stars represent great teachers of the church, apostles and evangelists. See . When the apostles were dethroned by the Romish apostasy, "the stars fell from heaven", figuratively. Other stars, great church lights who apostatized, fell from heaven in another sense.

Matthew 24:29

Immediately after the tribulation of those days. The first question, "When shall these things be"? (Mt 24:3) has now been answered. Here begins the answer to the second, concerning the coming of the Lord. For other passages on the second coming, see 1Th 2:19 3:13 4:15 5:23 2Th 2:1,8,9 1Co 15:23 Jas 5:7 2Pe 1:16 3:12 1Jo 2:28. "Immediately" after the destruction of Jerusalem (the tribulation) the series of events begins that leads to the coming of Christ.

Shall the sun be darkened. I take what follows to be symbolical, as is usual for prophecy, rather than literal. Christ is "the Sun of Righteousness" (Mal 4:2). After the destruction of Jerusalem, the causes began to work that led to the great apostasy of the church and produced "the Dark Ages" of the church.

The moon shall not give her light. The moon shines by reflected light of the sun and if it is darkened so will be the moon. So, too, the church shines by the light of Christ. When Christ's light was darkened by taking the Bible from the people the church give forth little light during the long night of the Middle Ages.

The stars shall fall. Stars represent great teachers of the church, apostles and evangelists. See Re 1:20. When the apostles were dethroned by the Romish apostasy, "the stars fell from heaven", figuratively. Other stars, great church lights who apostatized, fell from heaven in another sense.