Matthew 24:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

By the tribulation, He means the times of Antichrist and the false Prophets; for when there are so many deceivers, the tribulation will be great. But it shall not extend through any great length of time. For if for the elect’s sake the Jewish war is shortened, much more shall this tribulation be shortened for their sakes; for which reason He said not After, but Immediately after, for He shall come immediately after.

The cross will manifest in the heavens as a rebuke to the Jews, radiating with brilliance surpassing that of the sun. The Lord will arrive bearing the cross as paramount evidence against the Jews, much like an individual would display a stone they have been struck by. This cross is regarded as a symbol, akin to a triumphant royal standard. "Then shall all the tribes" of the Jews mourn, grieving over their rebellion; likewise, Christians who cling to worldly matters will also shed tears, for those devoted to earthly pursuits can be seen as all earthly tribes. However, when the Lord comes with the cross, He does so with immense power and glory.

Or, the Church is the sun, moon, and stars, to which it is said, Fair as the moon, bright as the sun. Then shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light (Song of Solomon 6:10.), because in that ungoverned fury of wicked persecutors, the Church shall not be seen. Then shall the stars fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken, because many, who seemed to be shining in God’s grace, shall give way to their persecutors, and shall fall, and even the stoutest believers shall be shaken. And these things shall be after the tribulation of those days, not because they shall happen when the whole persecution is overpast, but because the tribulation shall be first, that the falling away may come after. And because it shall be so throughout all those days, it shall be after the tribulation of those days, yet on those very days.

These things, therefore, shall not come to pass by any diminution of light, for in another place we read that the light of the sun shall be sevenfold; but by comparison with real light, all things shall seem dim.

He refers to the sign as the Cross, which will shine more brilliantly than the sun; it may fade, yet the Cross will remain visible. But what is the purpose of its appearance? To instill fear first in the Jews, and then in the Gentiles who mocked the Cross of Christ, ensuring they realize that it is He who comes down as God. ...And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn.... Every tribe will lament, meaning the unbelievers: some for having crucified the Lord, others for having persecuted Christians, and still others for their lack of faith. The Cross will serve as their only indictment; yet their mourning will yield no benefit. ...And they will behold the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, in unparalleled power and glory. The Cross leads the way as a condemnation to those who crucified Him; and He descends in the clouds, just as He ascended.

One will say, As at the breaking out of great conflagrations, great darkness is at the first caused by the smoke, so when the world shall be consumed by fire, which shall be kindled, even the great luminaries shall be darkened; and when the light of the stars is decayed, the rest of their substance, incapable of exaltation, shall fall from heaven into what it was, when it was first raised aloft by the light. When this shall have taken place, it follows that the rational heavenly powers shall suffer dismay and derangement, and shall be suspended from their functions. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, that sign by which the heavenly things were made, that is, the power which the Son wrought when He hung upon the cross.

The darkening of the sun, the failing of the moon, and the fall of the stars, indicate the glories of His coming.

But nothing hinders our supposing that the sun and moon with the other stars shall for a time lose their light, as we know did the sun at the time of the Lord’s passion; as Joel also says, The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord come. (Joel 2:31.) But when the day of judgment is passed, and the life of future glory shall dawn, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, then shall that come to pass of which Isaiah speaks, The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold. (Is. 30:26.) The stars shall fall from heaven, is expressed in Mark; There shall be stars falling from heaven, (Mark. 13:25.) that is, lacking their proper light.

O my brethren, all things are possible to God; both to reveal the created to man, and to create the uncreated. But most importantly for us is that He can and wants to save our souls from sin and death and give us eternal life. Let us ask for this day and night.

In that day, all the nations of the earth will mourn. The Jewish people will grieve as they witness the One whom they believed was dead, now alive and sustaining life. The evidence of their transgression will be evident in the wounds on His body, making denial impossible. The Gentiles will lament as well, for having been swayed by the fallacious rhetoric of philosophers, they dismissed the worship of the crucified Savior as foolishness, thereby robbing the Creator of His rightful honor. Believers who prioritized worldly desires over Christ will also sorrow when they hear Him declare, “For your sake I became man. For your sake I was bound, mocked, scourged and crucified. Where is the fruit of these great injustices which I have borne?

Then the Sign of the Son of Man shall be revealed in the heavens, which is the Cross, shining brighter than the sun itself; for the sun will be dimmed and obscured, while the Cross will manifest its radiance. It could not be revealed unless it far surpassed the sun's brightness. But what is the reason for this sign's appearance? It is to completely expose the shamelessness of the Jews. For Christ will come to this Judgement with the utmost vindication—the Cross—demonstrating not only His wounds but also the disgraceful manner of His death (Blessed Theophylact). By this sign, the Lord designates the Cross as a triumphant and regal standard.

All these remarkable events, coupled with the unprecedented turmoil of the sea, will leave individuals perplexed and in a state of bewilderment. When they eventually come to the horrifying realization that dire misfortunes are approaching, they will lament in hopelessness, collapse, become exhausted, and even perish in despair. Conversely, those who place their faith in Christ and seek to fulfill the will of His Father should not be overtaken by fear or disheartened; rather, as these occurrences unfold, they ought to rejoice in the knowledge that their liberation from this mortal existence and the commencement of joy in Eternal Life is imminent.

The Sign of the Son of Man refers to the cross, which shines more brilliantly than the sun; the sun may be obscured and concealed, but the cross stands out. What purpose does this sign serve? It is meant to completely expose the shameful behavior of the Jews. When Christ returns for judgment, He will do so with unparalleled vindication, presenting not only His wounds but also the disgraceful manner of His death. In response to the magnificent arrival of the Lord, people will weep out of fear, witnessing the upheaval of this world, the establishment of a new order, and the disruption and transformation of all previous relationships.

The forthcoming tribulations will serve as a prelude to the awe-inspiring and dreadful return of the Son of Man. At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will be revealed in the heavens, prompting mourning among all the nations, as they behold the Son of Man descending upon the clouds of heaven in majesty and might. According to the teachings of the holy fathers, the cross represents the sign of the Son of Man, which ‘will first shine in heaven surrounded by the heavenly hosts, illuminating the earth more brightly than the sun, heralding the arrival of the Lord Christ’ (St Ephraim the Syrian). ‘The cross, illuminated by divine light, leads the way for the King who was crucified, so that those who wronged and crucified Him—namely, the Jews—might weep at His coming’ (St.