Matthew 24:29

Immediately] RV 'But immediately.' This discourse, in the form in which it has come down to us, seems to place the Second Advent immediately after the fall of Jerusalem. Solutions of the difficulty: (1) Plumptre considers 'the boldest answer as the truest and most reverential,' and finds the explanation in Christ's ignorance of 'that day and hour' (Mark 13:32). But although Christ was ignorant, as man, of the exact day and hour of His Second Advent, He at least knew that it was separated from the fall of Jerusalem by an immense interval (see intro. to this discourse). Even if we assume, with Plumptre, His complete ignorance of the date, we are no nearer a solution; for if He did not know the date, He would not attempt to fix it. (2) Stier maintains the theory of 'prophetic perspective.' As men.gazing from a distance on two distant mountain peaks, one behind the other, see them in close proximity, so Christ saw the two events 'in close proximity, overlooking the wide intervening space.' A legitimate hypothesis, but inconsistent with the fact that Christ was fully aware of the 'wide intervening space.' (3) That 'immediately 'is to be interpreted with prophetic latitude, and may mean after an interval of thousands of years, as when our Lord says, 'And behold I come quickly' (Revelation 22:20 : see 2 Peter 3:8). This is the best explanation of the passage as it stands (4) That 'immediately after' means immediately after the premonitory signs of Christ's second coming, which have been omitted in the evangelists' report of the speech, which is doubtless condensed. The sun, etc.] prophetic imagery for the fall of earthly empires, thrones, and powers, and human pride (Isaiah 13:10).