What is the Sign of your Coming?

Distinguishing God’s Visitations

Destruction of the Temple, ~70 AD

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Introduction

Few theological concepts are as misunderstood or misapplied as the “coming” of God. In many Christian circles, the phrase is almost automatically equated with the visible, physical, and glorious return of Jesus Christ at the end of time—His Second Coming. Yet, throughout Sacred Scripture, the notion of God “coming” occurs repeatedly in contexts that do not pertain to the Final Judgment, nor to a physical manifestation of the Son of Man. This confusion, left unaddressed, has led to significant eschatological errors, especially in interpreting the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24.

This article endeavors to distinguish the biblical concept of God’s Coming—an event that may be entirely spiritual, judicial, or providential in nature—from the Second Coming of Christ in the Flesh, which is singular, visible, and definitive. Through rigorous exegesis, patristic awareness, and biblical precedent, we aim to recover a right understanding of divine visitations, and thereby defend the inerrancy of Christ’s prophetic word.

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The Language of Divine Coming in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, God’s “coming” is often framed in poetic, symbolic, and judicial terms, rather than incarnational or corporeal ones. For example:

“Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before Him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.”
(Isaiah 19:1)

This is not an anthropomorphic descent from heaven in visible form. Egypt was judged, its idols fell, and its political structure faltered—not because Yahweh appeared visibly, but because His judgment was made manifest in history. The pattern is clear: theophany need not imply visibility.

Throughout the prophetic literature, the language of “coming” and “appearing” regularly refers to God intervening in history. Whether to bless or to chastise, God’s presence is often discerned through effects, not through physical appearance. The destruction of cities, the overthrow of nations, and the rise or fall of Israel’s fortune are all described as moments when God “comes.”

This establishes the necessary hermeneutic: divine visitation does not equate to visible incarnation.

For passages referencing God’s Judicial Coming, see:

Isaiah 13, Isaiah 19, Micah 1, Amos 5, Zephaniah 1, Psalm 18, Isaiah 64, Joel 2

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The Plague of Justinian, 6th Century

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Christ’s Prophecy in Matthew 24: A Coming in Judgment

A misreading of Matthew 24:34 has caused many to doubt the prophetic credibility of Jesus:

“Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
(Matthew 24:34)

Liberal scholars such as Albert Schweitzer famously claimed that Jesus believed the end of the world would occur within a generation of His earthly ministry. Their mistake lies in conflating the coming of Christ in judgment with His Second Coming in the flesh.

A closer examination of the context dispels this confusion. Matthew 23 ends with Christ lamenting over Jerusalem:

“Your house is left to you desolate… You will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Mt 23:38-39)

Here, “house” unmistakably refers to the Temple, and “you” to the religious leaders of Jerusalem. Notice, He will not be seen visibly until after the religious leaders of Israel accept the Messiah, necessitating the Second Coming to only occur after the Jews convert to Christianity. The following chapter opens with the disciples marveling at the Temple’s beauty. Christ then declares:

“Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
(Matthew 24:2)

The disciples respond in an interesting manner. They may have asked with eschatological curiosity in mind, but the way they phrased their question actually dealt with a historical concern:

“When will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3)

Christ’s answer is primarily not about the end of the world, but about the end of the Old Covenant era, represented by the Temple’s destruction. Our Lord’s reply focuses overwhelmingly on the fall of Jerusalem—a judgment that occurred within that very generation in 70 A.D. at the hands of the Romans.