Matthew 24:29

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken,”

‘Immediately after the tribulation of those days.' That is, ‘once the long, tortuous tribulation of the unbelieving Jews is coming to an end'. This follows the pattern of the Exodus when the great deliverance was postponed until every last one of the people of Israel who had not believed had died (Numbers 14:28; Numbers 26:64; Numbers 32:13; Deuteronomy 2:14). They had suffered tribulation in the wilderness until they had died, and were replaced by a believing nation who would obey Moses. But this present unbelieving nation, who will have committed an even greater sin, and will go on doing so generation by generation because they still refuse to believe, will suffer on and on in their generations until the One Whom they had caused to be crucified returns again (although we should note that there is always a way of escape for any who believe. Mercy is always available on repentance). Their tribulation will thus not end until they come face to face with the Messiah, either in belief or judgment.

‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.' All will fade and quiver at the approach of the Coming One. In the Old Testament such vivid descriptions regularly indicate the powerful judgment of God which results in tumultuous political events and the defeat of the gods of the nations (see for example Isaiah 13:9 of the ravages of Babylon; Isaiah 34:4 of the destruction of Edom; Joel 2:30; Joel 3:14 of the time of the end). Thus these are the indication of God's final judgment and of the fading before His glory of all other heavenly or earthly opposition. All the lights of Heaven grow dim in His presence. And Luke makes clear that earth is very much involved (Luke 21:25).

‘The powers of the heavens will be shaken.' This idea is taken from Haggai 2:21 where it connects with God's establishment of Zerubbabel's earthly kingly rule by the defeat of all his enemies. Here it results in the establishment of the everlasting heavenly Kingly Rule of the Son of Man.