Matthew 24:29 immediately after the great tribulation

In most Bibles, a new pericope begins again at verse 29. The verse begins with a time indication, so that we can see exactly when the developments now described take place. This verse is important, because it mentions things that we find in many prophecies and this verse explains exactly when this will be.

29 And 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.

immediately
It is immediately after the great tribulation of 1260 days that the signs of the sun, moon and stars will take place. Earlier, when discussing the seven seals, we saw that what we find described here in Matthew 24:29 occurs at the sixth seal.

Revelation 6
12 And I beheld when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood.
13 And the stars of heaven fell upon the earth (…)

Kingdom over Israel
If we compare Revelation 6:12-13 with Matthew 24:29, we know that the end of the great tribulation coincides with the sixth seal. A special moment, with signs on the heavenly bodies, that we find described many times in the Hebrew Bible, including in Isa.13:10, 24:23; Joel 2:31, 3:15; Amos 5:18; Zeph.1:15; Zech.14:6-7.

There will literally be stars falling from heaven, but the stars are also a picture of Israel (Gen.37:9-10; Dan.8:9-10). A large part of Israel will fall in the land and will perish in the great tribulation (Zech.13:8).

The moment of the signs in the sun, moon and stars does indeed mark the end of the great tribulation and then the Kingdom is real for Israel, but the Kingdom is not yet established over the rest of the world. In fact, it is only the beginning of the day of YAHWEH.

Joel 2
31 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and dreadful day of YAHWEH comes.

the day of the Lord
After the moment of the signs in the heavens, the day of YAHWEH begins, in most translations rendered as the day of the Lord. It is the period in which Christ will be revealed. He has come for the people of Israel and will establish His Kingdom over the whole earth via the throne in Jerusalem. The period following the great tribulation is also called the great day of wrath (Rev. 6:17). It is a time in which judgments come upon the nations, represented in Revelation by seven trumpets and seven bowls.

various events
At the end of the great tribulation, a number of different events take place (approximately) simultaneously: the darkening of the sun, moon and stars, the Lord sets His feet on the Mount of Olives, a great earthquake occurs and the Mount of Olives splits in two, allowing the faithful remnant to flee into the desert.

the two witnesses
But there is another event that takes place at this time. The two witnesses that we have spoken about a number of times before, will be killed by the beast at the end of the 1260 days, when they have finished their testimony (Rev. 11:7). Their dead bodies will lie as a spectacle in the Temple Square for 3.5 days (Rev. 11:8-9). After those 3.5 days, they will be raised from the dead by God (Rev. 11:11) and at the time of the great earthquake, at the sixth seal, they will be caught up to heaven.

Revelation 11
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.
13 And in that hour there was a great earthquake (…)
The two witnesses ascend to heaven in the cloud and that is a well-known image of the glory of the Lord and the indication of His presence (Ex.34:5, 40:34; 1 Kings 8:11; Ezek.10:4). It also coincides here with His appearance on the Mount of Olives. In the next verse we will see that the Lord will come on the clouds of heaven.

The two witnesses ascend to heaven in the cloud and that is a well-known picture of the glory of the Lord and the indication of His presence (Ex.34:5, 40:34; 1 Kings 8:11; Ezek.10:4). It also coincides here with His appearance on the Mount of Olives. In the next verse we will see that the Lord will come on the clouds of heaven.