Mat 24:30 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.

Alternative: And then the significance of the son of man shines in the sky; and when all the battered people of the world indeed can see the son of man rise upon the clouds of heaven among its power and a great popular reputation.

Remember the question that started this chapter, "What is the significance of your presence to the culmination of the era?" Here, we come to the final answer. When everything looks darkest, Christ significance will shine to all the battered people of the earth. They will see him in a new light.

Light and darkness have been the main points of the last several verses. Christ always used light to symbolize knowledge and darkeness to mean ignorance. Here, the idea is combined with that of the dawning of a new age. This age occurs whenever people come to the realization that Christ is the solution to their problems. The light of a better age dawns whenever believing in Christ become popular again.

Notice that this only happens after these times of great pressure, when the false prophets and saviors have failed and their darkness has fallen over humanity. Out of this upheaval comes a renewal of faith. People elevate the importance of Christ.

"Appear" is from from phainô, which means "to bring to light," "to cause to appear," "to make known," "to reveal," "to show forth," "to display," "to give light," and "to shine." This was translated as "shine" just two verses ago when referring to the coming of the son of man.

"Sign" is from sêmeion, which means "mark," "sign," "omen," "sign from the gods," "signal," and "indication."

"Mourn" is from koptô, which means "to cut," "to strike," "to smite," "to slaughter," "to hammer," "to forge," "to knock," "to tire out," and "to beat one's breast."

"Shall see" is from optanomai, (optazomai) which means "to be seen."

"Cloud" is from nephelê, which means "clouds," "mist," and "fog."

"With" is from meta, which means "in the midst of," "among," "between," "in common," "along with," and "by the aid of."

"Great" is from polus, which means "many (in number)," "great (in size or power or worth)," and "large (of space)." As an adverb is means "far," "very much," "a great way," and "long."

"Glory" is from doxa, which means "expectation," "notion," "opinion," "repute," and "popular repute." Translations as "glory" or "splendor" are found exclusively in translating the Bible.