When Jesus was speaking to His disciples on the Mount of Olives, He spoke of great signs such as famines, earthquakes, pestilences and wars followed by a severe persecution of His people occurring just before His return in glory. Then in verse 30 of Matthew 24 He speaks of the most important sign they should be looking for, the sign of the Son of Man appearing in the sky. Jesus said,

"And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other," Matt.24:30-31.

As a young believer I wondered what this great sign was. Given that the cross is universally known as the symbol of Christianity, I wondered whether this great sign would be a giant cross suddenly appearing in the sky showing people that it was Jesus returning in glory? I even wondered whether the sign could be a symbol or outline of a great fish such as people have on the backs of their cars to show they are Christians. I didn't really know; I was rather ignorant of these things. Then when reading Daniel chapter 7 verses 13 and 14 it all became very apparent.

"I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a Kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His Kingdom is one which will not be destroyed," Dan.7:13-14.

I suddenly realised that the sign of the Son of Man was this great event happening live before all, Jesus the Son of Man Himself appearing on the clouds of heaven in power and great glory, receiving the Kingdom in full view of all creation, and not only Him but also the Ancient of Days revealed to the naked eye for the first time in human history. Every eye will see Jesus the Christ as He is led before His Father and formally presented with the throne of David and the sceptre of the Kingdom. This is not some hidden event occurring in a small corner of the world. Somehow it will be publically viewed by all who are around in those days. All will see the Father and the Son appearing in the heavens, an event that will be so traumatic and terrifying the sky will be split apart like a scroll being rolled up and every mountain and island will be removed from their places. According to Revelation 6 verses 12 to 17, and also Isaiah 2 verses 19 to 21, the inhabitants of the earth will try and hide themselves in the rocks of these collapsing mountains and will wish for themselves to be crushed by their great weight for such a fate is better than trying to stand before the holiness of the Ancient of Days and His Christ. They say to the mountains and rocks,

"Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne (the Father), and from the wrath of the Lamb (Jesus the Christ receiving the Kingdom); for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" Rev.6:16-17.

Once the Lord Jesus receives the Kingdom He sits on His glorious throne, the throne of David and exerts His authority over His church and over the nations.

Excerpt from "The Gospel of the Kingdom," by Alex Tinson.