Matthew once again takes up the Marcan sequence of events. But the transitional marker Immediately differs from “In those days” of the Marcan parallel (13.24). This adverb is found thirteen times in Matthew’s Gospel, though only once in Mark. However, an adverb of the same meaning but with a slightly different spelling is used forty-one times in Mark and only five times in Matthew. Therefore the use of “immediately” as a transitional marker is actually much more a feature of Mark’s Gospel than it is of Matthew’s Gospel, which adds importance to its usage here.
Tribulation (see 13.21) was earlier used in this chapter in verses 9 and 21. Good News Translation translates “trouble”; one may also use a phrase such as “those terrible times” or “those terrible things have happened.” Care should be taken that the reader does not interpret this as a reference to verse 28! It can be translated either as “Immediately after those times of suffering” or as “Immediately after that time when people will suffer so much.”
The cosmic events depicted in this verse represent typical Jewish figures of speech frequently used to describe the universal and world-shaking significance of what God will do at the end of history. Note, for example, Isaiah 13.9-10; 34.4. This is not dissimilar to what Peter proclaimed at Pentecost (Acts 2.17-20, especially verses 19-20).
The sun will be darkened: the problem with the passive is that in many languages one must indicate the agent involved: “God will make the sun turn dark, and the moon will no longer shine.” Good News Translation avoids the direct use of a passive: “the sun will grow dark.”
The powers of the heavens are identified by the Traduction œcuménique de la Bible (footnote) as “the stars and the celestial powers.” In the ancient world there was thought to be a correspondence between stars and the invisible celestial powers that they represented. And so what happened to the visible stars was also attacking the invisible powers that controlled them. New English Bible translates “the celestial powers will be shaken.” One may also translate as a summary statement: “God will shake loose everything in the skies.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .