What Did Jesus Mean in Luke 17 verse 37 About the Eagles Gathered Around the Body?

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What Did Jesus Mean in Luke 17 verse 37 About the Eagles Gathered Around the Body?

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In this case, yes there are. A parallel account of this was recorded in Matthew 24:28, and in both places, it appears that Jesus was paraphrasing the inspired words of Job: "Does the eagle mount up at your command, and make its nest on high? On the rocks it dwells and resides, on the crag of the rock and the stronghold. From there it spies out the prey; its eyes observe from afar. Its young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there it is" (Job 39:27-30). It's interesting to note that the Hebrew word for "slain" in this verse is chalal, which can be translated "pierced to death."

The symbolism in this allegory of Job helps unlock the mysterious but valuable message Jesus Christ gave many years later. Other scriptures show by analogy, metaphor, or allegory what "eagles" can symbolize. Isaiah spoke of eagles as an allegory of Gods faithful people:

"But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).

Where does Job say the eagle dwells? On the rocks, when using the symbolism of Gods people, points to Jesus Christ, who is our spiritual Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4).

What is the "prey," which is "afar off" that the "eagles" seek? The answer is found in Matthew 6:33—the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Now that we have unlocked the symbolic meaning of Job 39:27-30, we need to read Christ's statement in Luke 17:37 and Matthew 24:28 and ask what the context surrounding these verses is.

In both accounts, the context is about the coming Kingdom of God on Earth. Notice how right before Luke 17:37 in Luke 17:24-36, Jesus prophesies the events immediately preceding His return to this earth and the resurrection of Gods faithful people:

"For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day…Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left" (Luke 17:24, Luke 17:35-36).

The same is true in the verses right before Matthew 24:28. So the context of the statement is of the end of the age, just preceding Christ's return and the resurrection of Gods people.

We can now understand that Jesus Christ is the "body" around whom the "eagles" (the Church, His faithful people) will congregate at the resurrection when Jesus returns to this world to rule over all the nations as King of Kings (Revelation 11:15, Zechariah 14:9, Revelation 5:10).

It was our Savior Jesus Christ who allowed Himself to be pierced and bleed to death to become a "carcass" before He was resurrected. He was dead for three days and three nights and did not go to His Father in heaven during His time in the grave.

Did the faithful "eagles (Gods faithful disciples) gather around Jesus Christ when He was resurrected then? Yes they certainly did. Paul recorded how Jesus was seen by over 500 brethren during the 40 days He revealed Himself after His resurrection to life again (1 Corinthians 15:6).

Will Gods faithful people be resurrected in the end of the age and gather around the "body" of the returning Jesus Christ? Yes, indeed they will:

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

We too can be considered by God to be worthy "eagles" in that resurrection, to be with the "body" of Jesus Christ when He returns in power to set up His Kingdom on Earth, and to rule over all the nations with His faithful people.

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Comments

  • samsamy

    Was looking for the comparison a person made about Jesus in the Eucharist and eagles. Then came to this web site. Excuse my english. How the mother when run out of food feeds her yougsters from her own flesh. We can also understand that Jesus Christ is the "body" in John 6: 53-56 . "Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them." Our God is indeed the God of the living. Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

  • TheRadiumGrrls

    Wow, so many differing views - I like that the Bible has so much depth, a puzzle requiring effort, but I also wonder what Jesus really meant to get across; I don't like confusion! Via online Mass, one Priest said that the 'vultures' were really eagles &, as it was written years after Jesus' Crucifixion, the eagles symbolised the oppression of the Romans, the eagle being their symbol?! None of the other Sermons I heard that day offered that explanation; it's surprising how people interpret the same story differently! - & confusing..

  • Chimauzom

    Thanks for your explanation however I have a few reservations. The carcass mentioned is not the body of Christ because the Bible is replete with verses about mentioning it in a different perspective. Christ compared His coming to Noah's time meaning that those taken in the event are the wicked reserved for destruction. For example Isaiah 66:24 gives us an idea of the fate of the wicked. Other portions include Jeremiah 7:33 ; Revelation 17:18 . All these spell doom for the wicked and more so, the word nesharim may mean eagle or vulture but in this context it befit the meaning vulture considering its reputation as a scavenger. Christ was the perfect sacrifice - our Passover lamb- in contrast with meaning of Nevelah ( Hebrew for Carcass) - an imperfect sacrifice. I believe that the Bible says that the wicked will be taken and destroyed making them food for vulture putting all this in the context of Christ's parable.

  • Ironjacket

    yashua /Jesus said that as in the days of Noah so it will be when the son of man or Yashua/Jesus comes. In the days before the flood came, they were eating, drinking , and marrying until Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and took them all away. The keyword to note is the word "took". Who did the flood take? Not Noah of course, he was left behind along with his family and they inherited the earth because they were righteous before Yahweh. So when yahshua makes reference to the Eagles gathering where the body/carcass is he's talking about the bodies of the wicked that are going to be "taken", taken is another way of saying killed, because remember, the people in the days of Noah were also taken. So the Eagles are gathering around the carcasses to feast on their flesh. Those that are taken are the wicked those left behind are the righteous who inherit the kingdom of earth. Did the most high not promise the righteous would inherit the earth, so why would he take us away , that would mean we would be cut off from the land of the living, and that's reserved for the wicked. As in the days of Noah so will it be when the son of man returns.

  • agape77

    The keyword is not "took" as you suppose. Focusing on the word "took" in verse 39 of the passage and attempting to link it with the word "taken" in verse 40 in order to draw a parallel between them is not a good way to interpret scriptures. In English language, the same word can be used in a different sense even within the same sentence. That fact that the flood "took" them in verse 39 refers to the wicked (unsaved people) does not necessarily mean that the word "taken" in verse 40 must also refer to the wicked/unsaved. Depending on which Bible Version one is using, the word "took" could be replaced with "swept away" or "destroyed".

    Those taken are the righteous, not the wicked. Those left behind are the wicked. In John 14: 2-3, Jesus said: "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and TAKE you to be with me, so that where I am you may be also."

    The correct interpretation of the passage is that the righteous will be raptured and the wicked left behind. The word "rapture" means to suddenly snatch or take away. The rapture is a sound scriptural doctrine. But there is no teaching about the unsaved being snatched/taken.

  • Skip Miller

    Hello Victor,
    I appreciate your strongly felt, personal view. But I really question your statement:
    "The rapture is a sound scriptural doctrine." Jesus said He will prepare a place for (someone).
    And then He said He will return and take those, somewhere. But the conclusion of those who preach the "rapture' requires all sorts of non Biblical additions.

  • pegaso
    You don't understand Jesus's answer because you don't understand the question. In Luke 17:37, the question is "Where, Lord". Most believe this to be a question of [where will this happen], but that is not what they are asking, rather they are asking [where will they be taken]. Jesus's answer coincides with 1 Thess 4:17. Jesus says in Matt. 24:28 and Like 17:37 (wheresoever the body or carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Jesus is referring to the rapture of the physical body and he states that wherever you (your body is, it will be where the eagles gather when you are taken). Question: Where do eagles gather? That's right, very high; 15000 feet and are very social birds). The use of the word body in Luke and carcase in Matthew is descriptive of one who is mortal; alive but can perish versus those who are already dead. Now look at what 1 Thessalonians 4;17 says, " Then we which are (alive) and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. I hope this helps. I do have a greater concern for the church body...that is when people believe the rapture will happen. PLEASE read Matthew, chapter 24. Jesus lays out everything that has to happen before the rapture of the church. We will go through some stuff; at least the first 6 seals. This includes those things described in Matt 24:29 and Revelation 6:12-17. The good news is that we appear in Heaven in Revelation 7:9 after the 144,000 are sealed, escaping the 7 trumpets and the 7 last plagues. Prepare yourselves now. Flee from every temptation. Bury yourself in God's word. Preach the gospel to anyone that has an ear. Be right and do right so you can be found blameless before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God bless you all.
  • palazzo
    Actually, an eagle is mostly a scavenger. But the really cool videos of them 'raptoring' a fish out of a lake is what sticks in our heads. If you spent time observing them (especially in a harsh winter) your opinion of them would go down. I don't think it destroys the metaphor though.
  • Malachi 3_16-18
    Voice In the Wilderness, I don’t believe in the rapture, popular as this doctrine is. Jesus returns to the earth (Acts 1:11; Zech 14:3-5) to set up His Kingdom on earth (Rev 5:10; Rev 3:12; Mt 5:10), and it is before the millennium that He does so (Rev 20:4, 6). When the saints rise to meet Christ in the air at His Second Coming, they are giving Him a royal welcome (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17), but this does not mean they go back to heaven with Him; they stay with Him and accompany Him (Zech 14:5, last part) as He establishes His Kingdom on this earth (Obadiah, verse 21). There are several other allusions, including parables, to Jesus Christ going to His Father to obtain for Himself the Kingdom, and returning with that Kingdom to set it up on earth, assisted by His loyal and faithful followers (Dan 2:44; Dan 7:18; Lk 19:11-27; Rev 5:10).
  • Voice in the wilderness
    @Aaron you bear the name of the first priest. Do not link the eagle to the nature but to the context. Just like lion symbolises Jesus, Lion of Israel, the king, and some other time satan roars like a lion seeking to take us to perdition. This is the ugly part of the animal, the predator, a characteristic. So here the eagles may be angels, where they are, there our renewed body would go at the rapture.
  • Juma
    ...Thank-you for this article... I have wondered about this scripture as well..but, after reading your explanation, it is perfectly clear... The body is most always referred to in the bible as the "church" and God's people are his Church...who else would know the meaning , unless it was revealed by God ... Thanks again for sharing this message...❤
  • Ken Murray
    Thank you Daniel for your encouragement. Yes, it is very exciting and reassuring isn't it, to understand the depth of Jesus comments and the nuances of His wise understanding, steeped in the ancient scriptures that He had previously inspired, such writers as Job. This wonderful allegory of Jesus, reminds us in virtual picture form, the kind of feeling we will have, just like eagles, soaring high to meet with the body of our Saviour. It is truly an indelible impression on our memories and motivation to continue to overcome, and become converted with the "mind of Christ", so we can be part of that 1st Resurrection event, lasting eternity. :)
  • Aaron_Dominguez
    Is the reference to eagles actually people? Are they (eagles & body\carcass) both referring to people? Maybe... God the Father is not God of the dead but of the living. So it is a natural fact that the animal eagle, is not a scavenger, neither are the righteous angels who remained loyal to the Father & His Son. The animal eagle is found on every continent in the world...it only goes after LIVING things. Psalm 91:4 He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield & buckler. One type of angel has the face of an eagle, amongst 3 others, we all believe in guardian angels correct? What if the eagles are symbolically wherever God places His holy angels regardless of the condition of His people because they assist us like they did Daniel? JUDE 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body (or carcass) of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke thee. When Ruth asks Boaz to spread out his garment as a protection is it not a similar metaphor for protection? RUTH 3:9 and he (Boaz) said, Who art thou? And she answered, I'm Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt (covering) over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. Is it possible that the body is the compiled believers of Jesus Christ with Him as the Head? The loyal 2/3rds of the angels are His protective barrier against prince of Persia & all of the spiritual forces of the devil. Perhaps the patriarch Job is making an observation about the actual animal, eagle, inasmuch the female lays 2-eggs usually & the larger older chick usually kills its sibling after it hatches? The parents do nothing to stop the fratricide. I don't know, but I am curious as to the eagle being an unclean animal, but obviously it is the most powerful apex predator in the avian world. I mean that in Revelation 18:2...Babylon...is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every UNCLEAN and hateful bird. So...I am unfamiliar with us, the Israel of God being used as eagles in metaphor, but... A dove was used for sacrifices, an eagle cannot be accepted, so we are to be harmless as doves & wise as serpents...wherever the Body of Jesus Christ is, He's THE Head, the protection under the wings by His eagles, angels, are going to be there.
  • VicThaKilla

    I like this! There are many other scriptures where God uses the eagle to descriibe His people. An eagle can also mean angel.Here are a couple of example where God uses eagle as a ravemous bird to describe His righteous servant Abraham:

    Isaiah, 41:2 - Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.

    Isaiah, 41:3 - He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.

    Isaiah, 46:11 - Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it

    In the verse where Jesus answered Thomas and the rest of the disciples on where those people would be taken, He is referring to the gathering of His Saints together. He is going to gather His people togdther where His body is; that is the dead patriarchs. God is going to raise them from the dead and they will nourish His people and refine the remnant in these Last Days with the Spirit of Judgment. I hope this helps.

  • DanielSnedden
    Thanks for the article. I never quite understood the meaning in Matthew 24:28. Now it makes more sense. I never associated Job 39:27-30 with Jesus and the Church in the end ties. Thanks again!
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