The fourth reason why verses 36–44 refer to the immediate context of the coming in verses 30–31 is found in the use of the term parousia. The term is used only four times in the gospels and are all found in Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39. Hart argues the parousia mentioned in verses 37 and 39 covers all the events between verses 4–31, beginning with the imminent rapture just before verse 4. This is a deeply flawed because Jesus explicitly places the beginning of the parousia at verse 30 (cf. v. 27), not before verse 4. The parousia mentioned in verses 37 and 39 naturally refers back to it’s depiction:
(27) For just like the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming [parousia] of the Son of Man will be. (28) Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (29) “Immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. (30) Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matt 24:27–31).
In this passage, Jesus instructs his disciples that the beginning of the parousia will be signaled by his glory (v. 27), which will happen immediately after the great tribulation during the celestial blackout (v. 29–30). Accordingly, the parousia in Matthew 24:27–31 describes the inception of his coming. Therefore, to retroject the starting of the parousia before the great tribulation, as Hart does, is exegetically baseless. Moreover, the Noahic and agricultural illustrations of the parousia in verses 37–41 intend to illustrate the beginning of the parousia in verses 30–31, where the Lord will separate out the godly for deliverance (“gather his elect” v. 30) from the ungodly for judgment (“all the tribes of the earth will mourn” v. 30).
