Matthew 24:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

False prophets and false Christs will emerge and create turmoil, and immediately, Christ Himself will return. During that time, great disorder will engulf the cosmos. How will His coming be? In such a manner that all creation will be transformed. "The sun shall be darkened," not destroyed but overshadowed by the brilliance of His arrival; "and the stars shall fall from heaven," for what purpose will they serve in the absence of night? "And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken," and rightly so, given the magnitude of the change. If they were filled with fear and wonder when the stars were created—"When the stars were made," the Lord says, "all my angels joyfully praised me with a loud voice" (Job 38:7)—how could they not be even more terrified and shaken when they witness all things being transformed, their fellow servants being judged, the entire universe facing a profound reckoning, and all who have lived from Adam until the coming of Christ being required to account for their deeds?

The moon, at times, is blocked from the sun by the earth, diminishing its glow; similarly, the holy Church becomes unable to receive the full brilliance of Christ's divine light when human vices come between it and the heavenly Light. For a consideration of the moon as a representation of the Church, see: ekat. 4:7, 32; sacr. 6:25. In periods of persecution, the allure of earthly existence obscures the divine illumination. The prophecy continues, "The stars shall fall" (Matt. 24:29). The stars that shine with the glory of the resurrection embody those who, as beacons in this world, carry the word of life (Phil. 2:15-16); they represent the lineage of Abraham, which was foretold to shine “like the heavens and the stars” (Gen. 15:5; Dan. 12:3). As persecution intensifies, the patriarchs may vanish from among the people, and the prophets may falter. This is an inevitability, continuing until the complete embodiment of virtue in every member of the Church reaches perfection, allowing the steadfast to be affirmed and the faint-hearted to be revealed. The overwhelming burdens of suffering and the awareness of numerous transgressions, along with the fear of impending judgment, will deplete the refreshing waters of the holy wellspring within us. Unbelief leads to desiccation, while faith brings rejuvenation.

Confusion is described as a tightness, stemming from distress, because even in the absence of wind, the sea and its surging waves will create noise, indicative of death. The celestial powers will be shaken, and the heavenly hosts will be astonished, witnessing the transformation of all creation, with God coming down to earth, and all humanity from ages past being resurrected, accountable for their lives.

In such a manner that all of creation will undergo transformation. Distressing signs will appear in the heavens and on the earth: THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, not eradicated, but eclipsed by the brilliance of Christ's return, similar to how a candle is overshadowed by the light of the sun; AND THE MOON WILL NOT SHED ITS LIGHT for the same cause, AND THE STARS WILL FALL FROM THE HEAVENS, rendered invisible, for night will no longer exist; everything will be removed from its order and boundaries, AND THE POWERS OF HEAVEN (the angels of God) WILL TREMBLE at such a significant alteration. “It will be like the moments before a storm on earth: despair, confusion, fear, and trembling will prevail everywhere. The sea will roar and be disturbed. The dread of impending disasters will surpass the disasters themselves. All of creation will be in the throes of birth pains,” - as stated by St. Chrysostom.

It is unclear from the Savior’s words whether this signifies the end of the entire cosmos or simply the earthly realm; thus, various interpretations may arise. However, the Savior Himself indicated that with the end of the world will come the Last Judgment upon humanity dwelling on earth. If the end of the world pertains only to the earth’s inhabitants, we must then consider it to be the culmination of life on earth rather than the total end of the universe. This would imply the conclusion of earthly existence or the planet's status as a dwelling place for life. Such matters are solely known to God. Yet, based on the Lord's teachings, it seems more likely that life's conclusion on earth is imminent, leading me to interpret from an earthly perspective the phenomena that will precede it. Therefore, amid the upheavals affecting the earth, its inhabitants will perceive it as if stars were plunging from the heavens.

Stars cannot literally fall to the earth, as in comparison to them, the earth is of trivial size. Furthermore, the Lord states that when these occurrences take place, one should lift up your heads (Luke 21:28) as you will witness the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30); from these words, we can deduce that the sky, representing the universe beyond the earth, along with the heavenly clouds, will continue to exist, fulfilling the Almighty Creator's will.

What will then happen to the globe we inhabit? Will its orbit around the Sun be altered, drawing it in as if to be consumed by it? Will the Sun itself cool down to the point of losing its capacity to provide light and warmth? Or will there be some other shift within our planetary system? These questions remain unanswered, and their resolution was not necessary for conveying to the Apostles the signs relating to the end of the world. It was sufficient for them to understand that such phenomena would precede the revelation of the Kingdom of Heaven and the gift of eternal blissful life.

h more will this trial also be shortened for them." Thus, Christ did not say simply after the tribulation, but "suddenly" after the tribulation of those days, for all these events will unfold almost instantaneously (Chrysostom).

Statements like "The sun shall be darkened" reflect the language of the ancient prophets, which often symbolize the downfall of nations and cities, the overthrow of rulers, and significant political upheaval. The foretold destruction of Babylon (Isaiah 13:10), Tyre (Isaiah 24:23), and the calamities of Bozrah and Edom (Isaiah 34:4; see also Isaiah 50:3, Isaiah 60:19-20, Ezekiel 32:7, Joel 3:5), are examples of such figurative expressions. In relation to the Second Coming, these phrases generally indicate a transformation in the natural order, signaling a reordering of the world consistent with the reign of Christ.

When it states “The sun shall be darkened,” this does not imply its destruction but rather that it will be overshadowed by the brilliance of Christ’s arrival. Similarly, “And the stars shall fall from heaven” suggests their redundancy in the absence of night. Furthermore, “And the powers of heaven (the angels) shall be shaken,” which is entirely justifiable considering the profound transformation. If they were filled with awe and fear at the creation of the stars (Job 38:7), how can they not be even more awestruck and disturbed when they witness the complete transformation of all things, the testing of their fellow servants, and the universe facing a profound judgment where every person from Adam to the coming of Christ is called to account for their deeds (Chrysostom, cf. Theophilus and Sig.)?

However, in those days, following that time of hardship, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not shine, the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly powers will be shaken. - The sun will dim, not being destroyed, but overshadowed by the brilliance of Christ’s return; the stars will fall, for their presence will be unnecessary with the absence of night. - The heavenly authorities will tremble at such a momentous transformation.