Matthew 24:30-31(NKJV)

Matthew 24:30-31(NKJV)

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The sign of the Son of Man has been taken to be a sign of the cross in the skies; more probably it is Christ Himself or the Shekinah glory (Matt. 16:1; Acts 1:11). Because the context of this discourse is Jewish, the tribes of the earth probably refers to Israel. This will be the national repentance of Israel predicted in Zech. 12:10, 12. The Son of Man coming on the clouds is in fulfillment of Dan. 7:13, 14.

Gather refers to the regathering of Israel predicted so often in the OT (Deut. 30:1–6; Is. 11:11, 12; 43:5, 6; 49:12; Jer. 16:14, 15; Ezek. 34:13; 36:24; 37:21–23). Many will have been scattered throughout the earth because of persecution (24:16) and the witness of the 144,000 will bring innumerable multitudes to Christ (Rev. 7:1–10). Elect speaks here specifically of Israel as God’s chosen people.