Matthew 24:30
Matthew 24:3030At that time 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 coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
JWs interpret as describing an invisible "coming" of Christ that began in 1914. The "sign of the Son of Man" is understood as the composite sign — wars, famines, earthquakes — rather than a single visible event. The "tribes of the earth" mourning is projected into the future at Armageddon. This verse is central to the Watchtower's parousia doctrine: Christ's coming is not a visible, bodily return but an invisible presence discernible only through world conditions interpreted by the faithful and discreet slave.
The three-category parousia framework (argument 008) identifies as the answer to the disciples' question in v. 3. Jesus was asked for one sign (to semeion, singular) and gave one: the Son of Man appearing in heaven. The "coming on the clouds" language connects to , where the Son of Man comes TO the Ancient of Days — going up to receive dominion, not descending to earth. The direction of movement is toward heaven. This is the Ascension and enthronement, and the judgement on Jerusalem that followed is exactly what Jesus described. The tribes of the land (ge can mean "land," not just "earth") mourning fits the AD 70 fulfilment — the Jewish nation mourning as Rome destroyed their temple and city. A parousia is a consequential royal arrival with real-world effects: the temple destroyed, the priesthood ended, the sacrificial system terminated, the city razed. 1914 had zero verifiable consequences except the Watchtower claiming authority. The "signs are not the sign" argument (040) reinforces this: the wars and famines are NOT the sign; v. 30 IS the sign.