Matthew 24:29 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: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, 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.
This passage of scripture makes mention of the second coming of Christ, with all of the accompanying signs and wonders that would be incident to that great climactic event. But then the verses specify that there will be "The Sign" of the Son of man, meaning that there will be one main sign, that will be different from all the rest, which will ultimately be able to distinguish Christ's coming, from that of the other "False Christs and false prophets", of which we are warned in the same verses. The question then is, what is "The Sign" of the Son of man, which will appear in the heavens, heralding the imminent appearance of Jesus in the clouds of heaven?
For answers we must turn to the scriptures, which explains itself. It is often the case that God teaches us very sacred truths in kindergarten form, so that they may be digested until further light on the matter is revealed. Thus, in harmony with this manner of revelation, God gives to us the experience of Elijah, who after announcing to king Ahab that a devastating famine and drought was on its way, was then instructed to flee into the wilderness, because of the death threats issued against him by the maddened king and queen, seeking revenge. This he did, but after three and a half years, he was again called upon by God to lead the Hebrew people to confession and repentance upon mount Carmel, through which major reforms and changes to their idolatrous worship were now instituted.
It was after that signal event that Elijah went up to the mountain to pray for rain, and he prayed seven times, each time sending his messenger to see if there were any clouds on the horizon. Then finally after the seventh prayer his servant returned with the good news that there had arisen a little cloud in the east like a man's hand, which grew darker and loomed larger until it covered the heavens, thus bring torrential, and much needed rain to the thirsty land. This is what Christ is referring to in Matthew 24, when speaking of "The Sign" of the Son of man. Let's read:
1st Kings 18:42 "And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not. 45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.
(Great controversy. pp. 640&641) Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour, and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. Not now a “man of sorrows,” to drink the bitter cup of shame and woe, he comes, victor in Heaven and earth, to judge the living and the dead. “Faithful and True,” “in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” And “the armies in Heaven follow him.”
What is worthy of note is the sequence in which these events are to be unfurled, because in Elijah's day, it was only after the contest between the commandments of God and the laws of men had been decided, that the cloud in the east appeared. Similarly in our day, it will be only after the question of the validity of God's law, including the disputed Sabbath of the fourth commandment has been settled globally, that the anti-typical cloud will again appear, thus bringing to an end the reign of terror against the righteous who withstood the advances of the mark of the beast.
It is therefore our solemn duty and privilege to be prepared against that great day, so that when "The Sign" appears in the heavens, we may behold it with joy, and not as a harbinger of impending doom. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to keep our eyes on the prize, and to live every day in readiness, because the experience here spoken of, are soon to be revealed. Let's read:
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!