A:Astrology has long been debunked as mere superstition. Mark's Gospel does, however, contain signs that Jesus was reported to have told his listeners they would see in their own lifetimes, and that some of those still alive would most certainly see Jesus return in clouds of glory. Jesus said (Mark 13:30) that this generation [that of his listeners] will not pass until these things are done, the sun and moon will be darkened, the stars will fall from the sky and he will return in clouds of glory.
The astrological signs expected in the latter part of the first century did not eventuate and Jesus did not return on cue. If those signs failed, we can not expect astrological signs of the second coming in our own generation or in future centuries.
A:In Matthew chapter 24, after Jesus had just excoriated the scribes and Pharisees, it says "And Jesus went out and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings and the temple" (clue # 1). In verse 2, Jesus says (regarding the temple)..."See ye not all these things? verily I say to unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (clue #2). In verse 3, the disciples ask Jesus "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world" (clue # 3). Jesus proceeded to explain to His disciples the signs as:All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they shall:
Up to this point, there have been no astrological signs to speak of. However, Jesus goes on to say, starting in Matthew 24:29-30 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. 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 great power and glory."
Skeptics like Bertrand Russell and Albert Schweitzer have been quick to point out that by these very Words, Jesus disqualified Himself as deity and demonstrated beyond peradventure of doubt that He was a false prophet because He did not return "on cue." Had these men understood the language of The Bible, they would have understood that Jesus was not predicting His second coming in Matthew 24. He was predicting the judgement of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple (which occurred 40 years later within their lifetimes or this generation). When Jesus said, "They will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of the sky with great power and glory, he was using apocalyptic language that anyone familiar with the Old Testament would readily grasp. As any student of Scripture should know, "clouds" are a common Old Testament symbol pointing to God as the sovereign Judge of the nations. In the Words of Ezekiel, "The day of the Lord is near--a days of clouds, a time of doom for the nations (Ezekiel 30:3). Or as the prophet Joel put it, "The day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand--a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloudsand blackness" (Joel 2:1-2). Recall the language used regarding the judgement of Egypt: "See the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt" (Isaiah 19:1). Like Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekial, and a host of prophets before Him, Jesus employed the language of "clouds" to warn His disciples of judgement that would befall Jerusalem within a generation. Using final consummation language to characterize a near future event. Far from predicting His second coming, Jesus was telling His disciples that those who witnesses Jerusalem's destruction would likewise see His vindication and exaltation as Israel's rightful king.
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