The Sign of the Son of Man

After Jesus said not one stone of the temple would be left upon another His disciples equated this destruction of the temple with His return in judgment of the 12 tribes of Israel (His "Second Coming") [ref. Matthew 19:28].

They also asked "what" would be the sign of His coming and when it would happen.

 

Matthew 24:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Most preterists readily say that Jesus provided many "signs" in His Olivet Discourse- primarily Matthew 24:4-29... false christs, rumors of wars, famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, false prophets, the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, the great tribulation,...

And then 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 in verse 29.

But then, in verse 30, after all these "signs" were predicted, Jesus said the sign of the son of man would appear in heaven:

 

Matthew 24:30  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 power and great glory.

So therefore a specific "sign" was going to appear in heaven AFTER all these other "signs" were to take place.

 

I believe (it can't be proven) that the star that guided the Magi to Bethlehem, "His star" [ref. Matthew 2:2] was "the sign of the Son of man" and was the same star that must have reappeared over Jerusalem before its downfall and is the sign Jesus is referring to in Matthew 24:30.

 

Matthew 2:2  Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

 

From Josephus' "The Jewish Wars" 6.5.3 288-309:
"Thus there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet, that continued a whole year." 

I believe that the star that resembled a sword that Josephus described was the sign of the Son of man and is the sign the disciples were referring to and is the sign that Jesus was referring to in Matthew 24:30.