Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 24:31

"And he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." — Matthew 24:31 (ASV)

And He shall send His angels. Angels signify, literally, messengers (Luke 7:24; Luke 9:52). The word is often applied to inanimate objects, or to anything that God employs to rescue His people from danger (Psalms 104:4). But it most commonly refers to the race of intelligences more exalted than humans, who are often employed in the work of humanity's rescue from ruin, and their salvation (Hebrews 1:14).

In either of these senses, it might here refer to deliverance granted to His people in the calamities of Jerusalem. It is said that there is reason to believe that not one Christian perished in the destruction of that city, God having in various ways secured their escape, so that they fled to Pella, where they lived when the city was destroyed. But the language seems to refer rather to the end of the world; and no doubt its principal application was intended to be to the gathering of His elect, at the day of judgment.

With a great sound of a trumpet. The Jewish assemblies were usually called together by the sound of a trumpet, as ours are by bells (Leviticus 25:9; Numbers 10:2; Judges 3:27).

Hence, when they spoke of convening an assembly, they also spoke of doing it by sounding a trumpet. Our Saviour, speaking to Jews, used language to which they were accustomed, and described the assembling of the people at the last day in language they were accustomed to use in calling assemblies together.

It is not certain, however, that He meant this would be literally so, but only to indicate the certainty that the world would be assembled. Similar language is often used when speaking of the judgment (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:52).

A trump, or trumpet, was a wind instrument, made at first from the horns of oxen, and later from rams' horns, cut off at the smaller extremity.

In some instances, it was made of brass, in the form of a horn. The common trumpet was straight, made of brass or silver, a cubit in length, with the larger extremity shaped to resemble a small bell. In times of peace, when assembling the people, this was sounded softly. In times of calamity, war, or any great commotion, it was sounded loud. Perhaps this was what our Saviour referred to when He said, with a great sound of a trumpet.

They shall gather together His elect. Elect (see the commentary on Matthew 24:22).

The word means Christians—the chosen of God. If this refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, it means God will send forth His messengers—whatever He may choose to employ for that purpose: signs, wonders, human messengers, or the angels themselves—and gather Christians into a place of safety, so that they will not be destroyed with the Jews.

If it refers to the last judgment, as it doubtless does in a primary or secondary sense, then it means that He will send His angels to gather His chosen, His elect, together from all places (Matthew 13:39, 41-43).

This will be done before the living are changed (1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).

From the four winds. That is, from the four quarters of the globe—east, west, north, and south. The Jews expressed those quarters by the winds blowing from them .

From one end of heaven, etc. Mark says (Mark 13:27), from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. The expression means that they will be gathered from all parts of the earth where they are scattered.

The word heaven is here used to denote the visible heavens or the sky, meaning that through the whole world He would gather them (Deuteronomy 4:32).