When the Lord as Son of Man comes in judgment it will be with the brightness and suddenness of lightning. But the Lord adds further: “For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” The “carcass” represents the lifeless, apostate part of the nation of Israel. The eagles symbolize the penetrating eyes of God and His swiftness in judgment.
“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.” No doubt this is symbolic language. When God interferes in that day, all authority which governs the world shall fall, and all the powers in rebellion against Him shall be overthrown forever.
Signs of His Coming to Reign
The disciples had asked the Lord, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming?” (vs. 3). Here He tells them, “then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.” It was in heaven the sign of His coming would be seen. “And then shall all the tribes of the earth [land] mourn.” We believe it is more the land of Israel the Spirit of God has in view here. “And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
“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.” Not only in Israel will His elect be delivered, but from the four winds of heaven (Zech. 2:6) shall His chosen ones be gathered in. It is a sweet and comforting thought that while He will send His angels to gather back His earthly people when He comes for the church, His bride, He is coming Himself. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout ... and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
After this the Lord gave His disciples another sign of His coming in the parable of the fig tree — a type of Israel as a nation. “When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.”
All that He had spoken would surely come to pass. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.”
But no one would know the day nor the hour of His coming except the Father. The wickedness that filled the earth in the days of Noah would characterize the last days at the coming of the Son of Man, who will judge with righteous discernment. “Then two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” One shall be taken away in judgment, and the other left to enjoy Christ’s blessed reign.
Present Application of Prophecy
In the end of the chapter we get principles that would apply to a Christian now in view of all that the Lord had said. The faithful and wise servant would continue in the work the Lord had given him to do and would receive a blessed portion at His coming. The unfaithful servant would be judged as a hypocrite.
Further Meditation
1. Where else was the fig tree used to represent Israel?
2. Why do eagles represent penetrating sight and swift judgment?
3. A more in-depth exposition of Matthew 24-25 can be found in The Olivet Discourse by B. Anstey.