The “Royal Appearance” of the Son of Man

Matthew 24:15-16, 21, 23, 27-28 (cf. 15-28)

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. . . . For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. . . . Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. . . . . For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming [literally the ‘parousia,’ the royal appearance] of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures/eagles will gather.”

Tom Wright, Matthew for Everyone (Vol. 2)

Once again, the terrible times of the first century are echoed by the terrible times that the world, and the church, have had to go through many times over. As I write this I am conscious that some of my brother and sister Christians will today be running away from evil regimes, will be tortured and killed for their faith. They will be tempted to follow false messiahs who offer them quick solutions. But the passage is not primarily about today. Its main significance lies in the fact that then, in the time of Jesus and the disciples, the world went through its greatest convulsion of all, through which God’s new world began to be born. Living with this fact, and working out its long-term implications, have been essential parts of Christian discipleship ever afterwards (119-20).