Our New Covenant reading for this week belongs to what is often called the Olivet Discourse, Yeshua’s prophetic teaching concerning the end of the age, the coming of the Son of Man, and the necessity of vigilance. The words here are weighty, weaving together the language of the Prophets, the imagery of apocalyptic vision, and the urgency of covenantal obedience.
Cosmic Signs and the Coming of the Son of Man (verses 29-31)
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Yeshua here speaks in the idiom of the Prophets. The darkening of sun and moon recalls Isaiah 13:10 and Joel 2:31, where cosmic disturbances mark the day of Alaha. The falling of the stars signifies a shaking not only of creation, but of the spiritual powers opposed to Maran.
The appearance of the Son of Man upon the clouds reminds us of Daniel 7:13–14: “I saw in the night vision, and, behold, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man, and he came unto the Ancient of days, and was brought near to him. And to him was given the dominion, and the honour, and the kingdom; and all nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him.” (Septuagint) Yeshua identifies Himself with this figure, declaring that the dominion of the everlasting kingdom will be revealed at His coming.
The sounding of the great trumpet reminds us of the shofar blast of Sinai (Exodus 19:16), the trumpet of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9), and the prophetic promise: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish” (Isaiah 27:13). The angels gather the elect from every corner of creation, fulfilling the promise that the scattered of Israel and the believing nations will be united under the true Mshikha.
The Parable of the Fig Tree (verses 32-35)
“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near: So likewise, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Truly I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
The fig tree, a familiar symbol of Israel, becomes a lesson in discernment. Just as leaves signify the coming of summer, so the signs Yeshua described reveal that His coming is near. The call is to spiritual attentiveness, not slumber.
Yeshua affirms the eternal authority of His word. Heaven and earth may be shaken, but His word remains. This is a claim to divine authority, pointing back to Isaiah 40:8: “The word of our God shall stand for ever.”
The Days of Noah (verses 36-39)
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son, except the Father alone. For just as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. And they did not understand until the flood came and swept them all away. So shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (TLV)
Yeshua Mshikha emphasises both mystery and vigilance. The exact time of His coming is concealed in the counsel of the Father. Attempts to calculate the day or the hour are therefore contrary to His teaching. Believers should always be careful about not speculating concerning the end times. The comparison to Noah is illuminating. The generation before the flood was not destroyed for ordinary acts of eating, drinking, or marrying, but for their heedless indifference to divine warning. They lived as though judgement would never come, until it overtook them suddenly.
The ark of Noah becomes a type of salvation in Mshikha. Just as Noah and his family were preserved through the flood, so those in Yeshua are preserved in the day of wrath. The Apostle Peter affirms this typology, stating that the ark corresponds to baptism, whereby we are united with Mshikha’s death and resurrection (1 Peter 3:20–21).
Watchfulness Required (verses 40-42)
“Then two men will be in the field, one taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one taken and one left. Therefore stay alert; for you do not know what day your Lord is coming.”
In this passage, we read about two individuals engaged in identical tasks who experience different destinies. Judgement makes distinction, not human activity. The point is not the location of the righteous—taken or left—but the necessity of readiness.
The phrase “stay alert” connotes wakefulness, vigilance, and attentiveness. It is the opposite of spiritual slumber. Yeshua calls His disciples to live every moment as though His coming were imminent. Watchfulness is a spiritual discipline, guarding the heart, mind, and body in prayer, purity, and anticipation. The Assembly is to live as a bride awaiting the Bridegroom, with lamps trimmed and ready (25:1–13).