Expositor's Bible Commentary 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)

The sound of a loud trumpet (cf. Isaiah 27:13; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16) is a common eschatological figure. This verse is related to 13:41. For comments on “his elect,” see v.22. The “four winds” represent the four points of the compass (Ezekiel 37:9; Daniel 8:8; Daniel 11:4): the elect are gathered from all over (cf. 8:11), from every place under the sky, since that is how far the Gospel of the kingdom will have been preached (v.14). Although all nations of the earth will mourn, nevertheless the elect are drawn from them.