Matthew 24:27 (NKJV)
For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west,
so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
The translation of this text suggests that the Lord comes unexpectedly, suddenly, as in a flash of lightning from east to west.
The word used for coming in Matthew 24:27 is the word Parousia.
It is derived from the verb paremi.
Although it’s often translated coming or to come, it does not indicate the arrival of someone, but someone who is already there, so; presence.
The literal translation of Parousia is ‘presence’.
The word is used 24 times in the New Testament, also in this well-known text in Matthew 24:
Matthew 24:27 (NKJV)
For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west,
so also will the coming (Parousia) of the Son of Man be.
The translation of this text suggests that the Lord comes unexpectedly, suddenly, as in a flash of lightning from east to west.
The Greek word used here for coming is parousia.
It does not mean a sudden coming, but it indicates a growing presence.
The word translated lightning is the Greek word astrape.
It doesn’t mean lightning, but bright light.
In Luke 11 it is translated shining.
Luke 11:36 (NKJV)
…as when the bright shining (astrape) of a lamp gives you light.
What bright light always comes from the east and shines to the west?
Lightning?
No! It’s the sun, the light of the day!
The path of the sun is always from east to west, everywhere on Earth.
Such is also the coming of the true Light and therefore also the spiritual way of a person who does not try to justify himself, but accepts the righteousness, the grace, of God.
Proverbs 4:18 (NLT)
The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
So a good translation of Matthew 24:27 would be:
Matthew 24:27
For as the sun comes from the east and shines to the west,
so also is the presence of the Son of Man.
If Jesus can dawn in you as the True Light, He will shine brighter and brighter in you.
Then we experience more and more under His wings and we grow towards Him in all respects (Mal.4:2, Eph.4:15).
Thus the corruptible shall be clothed with incorruption and the mortal with immortality (1Cor.15:51-53).
And so our inner man becomes more and more new from day to day (2Cor.4:16, Eph.4:24).
So the coming of the Son of Man is not like a thunderbolt, but like a rising sun. He does not come suddenly for the children of light (1Thes.5:1-6). When He merges into our hearts, we are transformed into His image from glory to greater and greater glory (2Cor.3:18).
If you have never read Matthew 24:27 in this way before, it may come to you as a shock
and you may choose to close your heart to it and say it is not true.
However, I want to ask and encourage you to investigate for yourself whether what I show here is correct.
At the same time, it is therefore very important to examine
whether it is correct what others have taught you, in Bible studies, in videos or in church.
I pray that in a deep relationship with God you will hear His voice
so that He can lead you in your search for the Truth.
The path of the sun is always from east to west, everywhere on Earth.
If we go with the Light, from east to west, we walk in obedience the holy, narrow, ascending road to life.
If we go against the Light, from west to east, we are on the way of the disobedient flesh, of your own self.
You see this throughout the Bible, even with Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:24), but even more clearly with Cain and Abel.
Cain kills his brother Abel.
Genesis 4:16 (NASB)
Cain went out from the presence of the LORD,
and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden
and he built a city.
Cain went east. He went his own way.
He went from the west to the east, against the Light, further and further away from the blessing presence of God.
Nod means to roam.
Cain’s life became one great wandering.
In that land of restlessness he builds a city.
The Hebrew word for city is ir.
It is derived from a verb meaning to watch or to guard.
Cain had to protect himself, for he had strayed from God the protector.
Cain shows us building without God, building in our own strength, from the flesh.
But…
Psalms 127:1 (NKJV)
Unless the Lord builds the house,
they labor in vain who build it.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
Not much later we see the same thing happening to Nimrod and Babel, as well as to countless others to this very day.
Jude 1:11 (NASB)
Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain
It is the road from west to east, against the light.
It’s the direction…
Ephesians 2:2 (NASB)
…in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air,
of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
Even today we build spiritual walled cities for ourselves.
You can be very religious there and still not experience the presence of God.
They are cities of religion, but the relationship with our heavenly Father is missing.
If you follow the Way of Jesus, the light of Christ will rise in you like the sun.
Matthew 24:27
For as the sun comes from the east and shines to the west,
so also is the presence of the Son of Man.
Than…
1 Peter 2:5 ( NASB)
…you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house.
This spiritual house, in which you and God dwell together, is in the city that you did not build yourself, but which was built by God; the New Jerusalem.
Adam and Eve went from the west to the east from paradise. Cain also traveled from west to east. But Abram traveled from east to west, following the Light, to the promised land.
Genesis 12:7-8 (NKJV)
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said,
to your descendants I will give this land.
And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel,
and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east.
Abram pitched his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east.
Bethel means house of God.
Ai means heap of ruins.
Abram turned to the house of God and turned his back on Ai, the ruins of the city in the east which he build out of the strength of the flesh.
The tabernacle in the desert and later the temple in Jerusalem were also set up in a specific way.
They were built with the entrance on the east side (Ex.27:13-16, Eze.8:16).
The only way to enter the sanctuary was from east to west, along with the Light.
That way is a way of spiritual growth; from outside God’s House, ignorant and darkened in our minds, into the most holy place, heaven, where the throne of God is.
At the birth of Jesus we see a number of wise men move from the east to the west.
They went west, like Abram, with the sun, and when they arrived in Jerusalem, they asked:
Matthew 2:2 (NKJV)
Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?
For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.
The wise had gained earthly wisdom in the east, but they turned their backs on that human wisdom and set out for…
…Christ; the power of God and the wisdom of God.
(1 Corinthians 1:24 (NKJV))
How about you?
Are you going from east to west, following God’s Spirit to meet the King in spirit, to worship Him?
Are you just as pleasantly surprised with the appearance of the king star in your life?
Are you willing to leave all earthly wisdom behind you to get to know Him, so that you can say later, or perhaps already now:
For his sake I have discarded everything else,
counting it all as garbage,
so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.
(Philippians 3:8-9 (NLT))
The Lord Jesus said His coming, His parousia, His presence would be like a bright light shining from east to west.
God says to you:
Malachi 4:2 (NLT)
for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings!
Isaiah 60:1 (NKJV)
Arise, shine; For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you!
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
and deep darkness the people
but the Lord will arise over you,
and His glory will be seen upon you!
His coming from east to west is a process in secret, within you.
But the Light of that new day will not stay hidden (Matt.5:14).
The coming of His light will be seen in all glory. It shines in us already (1John 2:8).
The day of the Lord has already arrived!
And in the great day of the Lord it will be revealed and seen everywhere (Rev.21:24).
It will eventually enlighten every person! (John 1:9).
Numbers 14:21 (NKJV)
All the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord!
Follow Jesus on the path to the glory of God.
Proverbs 4:18 (NKJV)
The path of the just is like the shining sun,
that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
Matthew 24:27
For as the light comes from the east and shines to the west,
so also is the coming of the Son of Man.
