The sign of the Son of Man
In the lecture Parousia – apocalypse – epiphany, or the scenario of Christ's second coming, I described the events connected with Christ's return, which the Holy Scripture divides into three stages: parousia, apocalypse and epiphany. The main plot of these events is woven around a large asteroid that is to hit the earth and thus cause a worldwide catastrophe. In this way, the present world order (apocalypse) will end, and at the same time the way will be opened for the establishment of Christ's Kingdom on its ruins (epiphany). Perhaps the apostle John writes about this most clearly in Revelation when he describes the first three trumpets: "And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were cast on the earth. And the third part of trees was burned up, and all green grass was burned up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea. And the third part of the sea became blood. And the third part of the creatures in the sea, those having souls, died; and the third part of the ships was destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and a great star burning like a lamp fell from the heaven, and it fell on the third part of the rivers and on the fountains of waters" (Rev. 8:6-10). What is the "great mountain burning with fire" that falls into the sea - this is a quite literal description of the effects of a collision between the earth and an asteroid.
In Rev. 9:2 John writes that "it opened the bottomless pit. And there arose a smoke out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit". An asteroid that falls into the earth's atmosphere begins to burn, hence the description of a 'mountain burning with fire' or 'a star burning like a lamp'. The collision of a large object with the ground causes effects similar to the explosion of a large nuclear charge, e.g. the formation of a fiery crater, described by John. John's description, however, suggests that it will not be a single blow. The impact upon the earth will also be accompanied by the impact of the second object upon the sea, as mentioned in Rev. 8:8. The result will be a huge tsunami wave, which in turn our Lord refers to in Lk. 21:25 ('the sea and the waves roaring'). This may suggest that more objects will be involved in the encounter. If an asteroid 'travels' in the company of smaller entities attracted by its own gravitational field, it is to be expected that they will also accompany it during contact with the earth (cf. Isa. 13:9-16, 34:1-4,9; Joel 2:30). There are more descriptions in the Bible indicating such a scenario, e.g. 2 Pet. 3:10 ("the heavens will pass away with a rushing noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. And the earth and the works in it will be burned up") and Rev. 6:13,14 ("And the stars of heaven fell to the earth ... And the heaven departed like a scroll when it is rolled together. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places").
Another passage that supports the scenario described in the above-mentioned lecture is Mt. 24:29 - "the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven". The eclipse of the sun and moon will be the result of 'falling stars'. The collision of our planet with a sufficiently large celestial body will cause an explosion and a huge mass of dust will rise into the air, which will orbit the earth and eclipse the light of the sun and moon quite literally. Such a way of fulfilling the prophecies is certainly real. In 2004, NASA researchers discovered an asteroid known today as (99942) Apophis. In the same year, the probability of its impact with the earth was also estimated at 1:37, which is very high. Today, scientists estimate that Apohis will pass the Earth on April 13, 2029 at a distance of more than thirty thousand kilometers (the exact number is given with a margin of error). It will be the first object of such size (diameter is 325 m ± 15 m) to pass the earth at such a short distance in its history (for comparison, the moon is 384,400 km from our planet). Apophis will reappear near the earth on April 13, 2036. The thing is, however, that no one today knows for sure what orbit it will take. NASA scientists reassure that we are not threatened by a collision. However, scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences point out that the 2029 flyby at such a close distance from Earth could change the trajectory of Apophis and put it on a collision course.
An interesting fact is that Apophis during its flyby in 2029 is expected to reach the visibility of 3.3 and be visible to the naked eye in Europe, Africa and western Asia. It will therefore look like a shooting star moving across the sky. Our Lord, interestingly, describes the beginning of his presence (parousia) in an analogous way. In Mt. 24:23-27 we read that he is not to be physically expected anywhere on the globe. "For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man." The Greek astrape translated as 'lightning' simply means bright light. Such a brightly shining object announcing Christ's return will be an asteroid wandering in the sky. That there is no mention of a lightning here is shown by Mt. 24:30, where Jesus says that the destruction of the present order is to be connected with the appearance of 'the sign of the Son of Man'. When the Lord Jesus came into the world as a man ('the son of man'), his birth was also accompanied by a bright light in the sky – visible from the earth as a star. The same scenario will announce the Lord's second coming. It should be emphasized, however, that Apophis will become the sign of the Son of Man if during the passage in 2029 its trajectory really changes in such a way that we will find ourselves on a collision course. If this does not happen, then it will be just another of many celestial bodies passing our planet.
For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered
Verses 23-27 are therefore a description of the manner of the return of our Lord, who will not appear physically in one place or another, but his (invisible) presence will begin with the bright shining of a celestial object that will traverse the entire sky and be visible from the earth like a shooting star. The proximity of the earth will cause 'the powers of the heavens to be shaken' (Mt. 24:29) – the asteroid's trajectory will be disturbed by the magnetism of the earth in a way that will put it on a collision course with our planet. Getting this information into the public opinion will certainly cause chaos and consternation never seen before. "And then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn" (Mt. 24:30). A time of tribulation will begin for humanity, which will begin counting the years, months and then days until the end of the current civilization. Nor will this situation be without influence upon the Lord's people. Jesus speaks about it in Mt. 24:28 - "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered". This fragment could be placed already in the time of the apocalypse, when contact with the asteroid will undoubtedly cause a lot of deaths of people who will have no one to bury. However, I mentioned earlier that the verses 23-27 preceding this passage describe the parousia. That's why I don't take Mt. 24:28 literally. The Greek word ptoma means corpse, but it can also mean error (falling away from the truth). On the other hand, aetoi, which is sometimes translated as vultures (plural), actually means eagles. The eagle, on the other hand, is a bird which, because of its foresight, represents the spirit of the truth-seeking spirit – the spirit with which God has endowed the members of his Church (Isa. 40:29-31).
Notwithstanding the loud call to leave Babylon the Great (Rev. 18:4), many of the Lord's people are still in the embrace of the universal church and its Protestant daughters (Rev. 17:5). A great many will remain in them until the sign of the Son of Man is revealed. Then it will become more than obvious that the denominational churches that have completely ignored the call to watch (Mt. 24:42; 2 Pet. 3:11-13) have nothing to say in the matter. I expect that the extraordinary circumstances that will then arise will cause many believers to examine the situation in the light of God's Word. In this way, they will begin to discover in the next cabinets of denominational catechisms dead doctrines that have nothing to do with the Bible, but are taught as the Word of God. On the other hand, God's faithful people will understand that once again the door has been opened to call the unbelieving world to repentance. The visual fulfillment of the prophecies that will then take place will be a sign, no longer to the eyes of faith, but to the eyes of the flesh that will see these things. For the Lord assures us: "I have no delight in the death of the wicked, except in the turning of the wicked from his way, and so to live. Turn, turn from your evil ways" (Ezek. 33:11). As throughout the Gospel Age, so during the Lord's parousia his faithful Church, as ambassadors of Christ, will call upon the world, "Be reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20).
Angels with a great sound of a trumpet gather the elect
This special work of God's people during the parousia is alluded to in Mt. 24:31 - "And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." A little differently describes this gathering Rev. 7:1-3. Here the command is given not to do harm to the earth and the sea until God's servants have been sealed on their foreheads. It seems that this kind of gathering is the main thing. The seal on the forehead is a sign of understanding. The testimony of Christ — and therefore a sign of belonging to the Church of Christ — is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10). The special task of the Lord's people at this time is to study the Word of God and to teach it to the household of faith (Mt. 24:45-51). In this sense, the angels, i.e. the messengers mentioned in Mt. 24:31, are all those who perform this task. A special attribute of their message is the trumpet - "And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet". The trumpet in Revelation is the announcement of the execution of God's wrath. All 7 trumpets described there refer to the destruction wrought by the power of the 'mountain of fire'. The preaching of the messengers with the trumpet indicates in particular the content of this proclamation, which is the coming judgment, while the gathering of the elect indicates the completion of this process of sealing with the parousia message. At the same time, it becomes possible to look at the content of Mt. 24:28 in this context in a slightly different way.
The reference to the carcass in the prophecy can also be read as pointing to the doctrine of the future judgment. God Himself declares that this is the time to destroy sin from the face of the earth, "to lay the land waste; and He shall destroy its sinners out of it" (Isa. 13:9). And this doctrine of the destructive sentence will symbolically nourish the symbolic eagles, the Lord's people, who will study and proclaim it; who will not feel powerless against the wrath to come, but will be strengthened by the spirit of consecration to proclaim the judgment of the Lord (cf. Isa. 40:29-31; Lk. 21:28). The purpose of the parousia preaching is to gather the elect – to enable those who have not reached the appropriate level of development before the beginning of the parousia to complete their consecration. I have written earlier that many believers will remain prisoners of their denominations until the Lord's presence begins, and only an understanding of the time in which they find themselves will free them to study and preach the Word of God. Malachi prophesies about this: "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap. And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. And He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may be offerers of a food offering in righteousness to Jehovah" (Mal. 3:2,3).
It is no coincidence that the prophet speaks of the cleansing of the Levites. In the lecture The people, Levites and priests of the Gospel Age, I wrote that the three divisions of God's people Israel have their fulfillment in Israel according to the Spirit (Rom. 2:28,29). The Levites in this arrangement represent spirit-born believers in Christ who have sufficiently developed their characters in the knowledge of the basics of the truth of God's Word, but have neglected to develop in the knowledge of the depths of God (1 Cor. 2:10). Since they have not entered into service in the antitypical Tabernacle and have not thus presented themselves to God as antitypical priests, their position is that of the Levites (Heb. 10:19-22). Just as the Levites under the Law of Moses transported the elements of the Tabernacle without experiencing its interior, so the Levites under the New Covenant, in their attachment to their chariots (organizations), do not experience the inner meaning of God's Word, but merely experience it through the lens of their denominational teachings. Hence the need for their purification, which Malachi writes about. The manifestation of the sign of the Son of Man, and thus the beginning of the Lord's invisible parousia, will give impetus to the study of the Word of God by many of the Levites, who will then awaken to the realization that their organizations do not teach the truth. They will fulfill the symbol of eagles flying down to carcass, which Jesus gave in Mt. 24:28.
Apollyon, 2,000 cubits and Friday 13th
The Levites, because of the neglect of their calling, do not perform the priestly ministry and will therefore not attain the highest prize of king-priests in glory with Jesus Christ (Rev. 5:9,10). If it is assumed that indeed God will use the asteroid Apophis previously mentioned to terminate the present world order, this would mean that the work with the Levites will begin in the spring of 2029, and thus by that time the antitypical priests should have been sealed with the spirit of prophecy. Indeed, in Rev. 7:1-4 we read that the sealing of "the servants of our God in their foreheads" is to be completed before the trouble. An interesting fact in this context is that the number of the 144,000 sealed indicates exactly this time - spring 2029. How it does so I discussed in the commentary on Rev. 14:1-5, and there I refer the interested reader for details. Here, however, it is inappropriate not to mention this, after all, extraordinary coincidence of time. The same date of 2029 is marked in the Jordan crossing described in Joshua chapter three. The Ark of the Covenant, which was first carried, represents the spiritual nature to which the calling continues throughout the Gospel Age. Israel represents the chosen ones who aspire to this state. Of particular importance, however, is the distance to be maintained during the crossing between the Ark and the people: 2000 cubits (Josh. 3:4).
If the number 2,000 in the antitype represents the period of time between the elect and their spiritual inheritance, it appears that exactly 2,000 years separate the year 2029, when the last member of the royal priesthood is to be gained, from the year 29, when the first member in the person of the Lord Jesus was gained. Thus the prophecy of 2,000 cubits indicates the same date for the completion of Church gathering as the number of the 144,000 elect. However, it is easy to see more analogies related to the number 2,000. It turns out that exactly 2,000 years pass from the calling of the first pagan Cornelius to the Church in 36 CE to the year 2036, when Apophis is again expected in the vicinity of the earth. Thus we have a full 2,000 years of the electoral period of Church gathering. Moreover, this analogy can be extended to include the observation that the Lord Jesus revealed Himself to Israel as the Messiah in the Jordan 7 years before Cornelius was called. Two thousand years later, we are in the year 2029, in which Jesus Christ reveals himself to the whole world as the one who will execute God's wrath. In 29 CE the sign to Israel is our Lord's baptism and God's declaration that he is the elect Son. In 2029, the sign for the whole world is an asteroid whose orbit is 'shaken' and directed to a collision path with the earth. There are, therefore, several interesting temporal circumstances which, in my opinion, preclude the rejection of the above-mentioned interpretation of the sign of the Son of Man too easily.
To sum up the commentary, two curiosities which, although they may not constitute a binding argument, cannot be easily dismissed as irrelevant. The first is the information from Rev. 9:11-12 concerning the plague of locusts described as a result of the earth's encounter with the 'mountain of fire'. John writes that "And they had a king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in Greek his name is Apollyon." Apophis, on the other hand, belongs to the Athena group, but due to a disturbance in the orbit during the close encounter with the earth on April 13th, 2029, the asteroid will move from the Athena group to the ... Apollo. Apollo (or Apollon) is not exactly the same as Apollyon, at least in the verbal layer. But in the semantic layer, these terms are identical. Suffice it to say that Apollo is also the god of destruction, Apollyon from the Greek apollymi means 'destroyer'. One of Apollo's attributes is locusts, of which Apollyon is king in the book of Revelation. It is difficult to resist the impression that God revealed through John from which direction the destruction would come - and He revealed it literally. The second interesting fact is related to the calendar, namely in both 2029 and 2036, Apophis is expected on April 13th. By an extraordinary coincidence, each of these two dates falls on Friday - Friday the 13th...