Matthew 24:29 (KJV)
“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:”
Since the imagery of Matthew 24:29 comes directly from Old Testament prophetic language (Isaiah, Joel, Ezekiel), should it be interpreted literally as astronomical events, or symbolically as the collapse of political and spiritual powers? On what exegetical grounds?
One exegetical ground for a symbolic interpretation is the fact that in the Torah, the sun, moon and stars are explained as symbolizing the young patriarch Joseph's father, mother and brothers.
Genesis 37
“Look, I had another dream,” he said; “this time, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 When he told it to his father and his brothers, his father reproved him and asked, “What is the meaning of this dream of yours? Can it be that I and your mother and your brothers are to come and bow to the ground before you?” 11 So his brothers were furious at him but his father kept the matter in mind.
Thus, no less a personage than Jacob - the father of the Israelites - understood a vision of the sun, moon and stars to represent Joseph's father, mother and brothers. If this exegetical principle is applied to Matthew 24, it should be expanded from the family level to the national or worldwide level. If applied to Judaism at the time when the Temple fell, the sun might represent Moses, the Moon might represent the OT Law and the stars might represent the people of Israel who did not accept Christ. If applied to Christianity at the time of the Second Coming, the sun might be Jesus, the moon could be the Holy Spirit, and the stars could be Christians who fail to keep faith during the Tribulation. The specifics of this are interpretive, of course; but the principle of understanding the sun, moon and stars as representing those in the position of father, mother and children seems clear.
Consider Jesus's use of figures of speech in the surrounding context:
Simile:
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Metaphor:
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles[vultures] be gathered together.
Prophecy:
…
Parable:
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: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
One might think that verses 29—31 are also symbolic, but it would be wrong to do so.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars[bright objects in the sky] 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[beat their chests], 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.
Those surrounding verses are used to set the mood and attitude for the hard facts of what will happen:
The prophecy of his return is a real event; it doesn't symbolize anything.
(One possible exception is that the word "stars" could represent angels, in which case the word "falls" would instead mean "to descend from a higher place to a lower", which is the primary meaning of the original Greek word.)
Astronomical extravaganza claims abound, when it comes to Matthew 24:29, triggered (it would appear) by ignoring Jesus opening statement of fact. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days..." What days? The days of "this generation" (23:36 & 24:34). The generation of Jewish people who heard his prophecy that was fulfilled within their lifetime by the horrors that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in A.D. 70 - it was that generation.
The verses before v. 29 speak of fleeing the coming judgment of God upon literal Jerusalem, for refusing to be gathered safely under Jesus' 'wings'. They would not receive him as the promised Messiah, therefore Jesus cried out against them, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." (Matthew 2:37-39)
By Jesus saying, "All this will come upon this generation", the meaning must be confined to that generation hearing him prophesy, and witnessing its fulfillment by A.D.70. Here is how the matter is explained in this book:
"These celestial disturbances are not precursors of Christ's Second Coming at the end of the world for the teaching of Jesus absolutely forbids that interpretation, as well. We are debarred by the Lord's plain statements from taking these commotions to be physical signs, visible to the eye, that are to herald His end-time Coming: No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mark 13:32). (If Jesus didn't know 'when', He certainly could not give signs of 'when' it will occur!)...
The use of the word immediately (eutheos, Gk.) clearly mandates an interpretation of an event hard on the heels of the Destruction of Jerusalem and all the tribulation (KJV; distress, NIV) of those days. This same word was used when a leper stretched forth his hand and was immediately healed (Mathew 8:3). And when Jesus called the fishermen to by His disciples, they immediately left their nets and followed Jesus (Matthew 4:20, see also Galatians 1:6, James 1:24 and Revelation 4:2)...
Immediately does not allow the separation of these events from the Jewish drama in 70 A.D., especially not a huge gap of over two thousand years! To list these phenomena as signs of the climax of the so-called Church age, or even at the end of some Great Tribulation of the Jews in the future, would be a forced interpretation based on a preconceived bias, largely influenced by the Jesuits and the Darbyites...
It would even violate the futurists' (Dispensationalists') own rule of interpretation, which they call, 'The Golden Rule of Interpretation: (When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense, but take every word at its primary, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context clearly indicate otherwise - Tim LaHaye, No Fear of the Storm, 1992, p.240). The plain sense of Jesus' 'book-ends' ('this generation') and the use of 'you standing here' in the plain sense, and the accurate description of the Fall of Jerusalem (destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.) all together referring to the first century, make common sense... We should seek no other sense."
So, how are we to interpret these astronomical phenomena mentioned by Jesus, which were to happen in the first century?... These very same [Hebrew] words are used repeatedly in a figurative (symbolic) sense to describe the collapse of a government and its governed society. These cosmic phrases are common prophetic language used at the important vortex of an ancient nation when they are consumed by a dark hole of God - judgment. This is how the disciples would comprehend them. [Then gives O.T. example of Isaiah 13:9-11.] Times they are a-changing - Matthew 24 and the end times, Raymond Grant, pp. 79-81, 2016. http://www.adfontespress.com/times-changing/
This provides the exegetical answer: Those cosmic references are symbolic, not literal, as shown by Hebraic (O.T.) use, and by Greek language for the meaning of Jesus' use of the word 'immediately'.
When we look at these cross references we find:
Revelation 6:12-17 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,
Hence the literal falling of figs from a tree indicate that the stars will also fall literally to the ground, like a lamp from the ceiling (The Truman Show)
There were at least these other literal darknesses described in the Bible:
[Matthew 27:45 KJV] 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
[Exodus 10:21-23 KJV] 21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness [which] may be felt. 22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: 23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
It sounds as if the darkness was darker than a normal solar eclipse:
as it could be felt.
Comparing Matthew 24:29 to events at the crucifixion would indicate that it's literal.
Matthew 27:45 Mark 15:33 Luke 23:44
Now take a look at: Revelation 8:12 Revelation 9:2
In these passages, the opening of the bottomless pit causes the darkening of the sun. And by application of the fact that the moon reflects sunlight. The moon "would not give her light".
This jives with John 13:30 that says when Judas left the others at the last supper; "it was night". By implication that not only had the sun gone down: but there was very real and thick darkness.
As for the stars falling from the sky? The gospels speak of "signs" (in the sun, moon and stars) as well as "the sign of the son of man in heaven" (Matthew 24:30)
Jump on over to Daniel 7:13: 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.
The event in Matthew 24:30 is picked up in Revelation 5:6. The "lamb as was slain" is standing in heaven. (This happens at the point Jesus dies and his soul (and 2nd Person of the Trinity / Divine nature) ascends to heaven.
This is connected to: "You have not left my soul in hell" and also when he tells the thief "Surely I tell you; today you shall be with me in paradise" This happens right before he says "It is finished".
Which brings us to the next question: When did Jesus "preach to the spirits in prison"?
Connect Passover and the visitation of the angel (at midnight) in Gethsemane to Exodus and the "angel of the Lord" who "passed through Egypt at midnight" and slayed the first born. Jesus is the Passover lamb; but also the "first born from the dead".
Now go back to Matthew 24: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened...." The sun was darkened at noon; but what happened 12 hours earlier? (Jesus, Gethsemane and the angel)
Matthew 24 says the tribulation is cut short or no flesh will be saved. (When is the atonement secured? When are people saved?) The payment / atonement for sin was completed at the cross. Remember "it is finished".
So, what about the stars falling from heaven?
The sun was darkened, the moon did not give her light and the powers of heaven were shaken.
If we look at the end of time; The sun becomes "black as sackcloth of hair". The moon is "blood red" and "the stars fall from heaven". The heavens are "rolled together as a scroll" and "the elements melt with fervent heat". (The cosmos is recreated / raised incorruptible.) The final judgment is here.
Now, back up to the cross. The death of Christ signified judgement upon all those in Him because He atoned for their sin. That was the commencement of Judgement Day; the conclusion of Judgement Day comes at the end of time when all of humanity is resurrected. The redeemed inherit the new heavens and new earth and the unregenerate are cast into the Lake of Fire.
Between ignition event and final event; we're nearing on 2000 years now.
So what happened to the stars at the crucifixion?
Here's my theory: If Christ hadn't completed the atonement, the end of the world would have commenced at sundown that Friday night. Thus the darkening of the sun, the moon and stars in what we call "outer space" beginning to "come unglued".
Is what we now see of things such as super novas, black holes, etc. the consequence of the commencement of the collapse of the universe that was "stayed" by the completion of the atonement? I don't know because we have no real way of knowing what the night sky actually looked like before the crucifixion. We only know what "science" assumes has always been there. We can believe that is true; but have no way of verifying if it is really so.
So, it seems what was actually literal, which commenced almost 2000 years ago now; will "resume" and be completed at the end of time.
