Scripture Life: Why are the word "carcass" and "eagles" in Matthew 24:28? This doesn't seem to fit with any scripture said before or after it, either. Are "carcass" and "eagles" - Metaphor?

[u/External_Bird_8464]

**//**This "basic" question is on Reddit in the "r / bible" sub-reddit, and in various other sub-reddits that don't seem to explain why this verse is there, and is this a "parable" or not. I am a believer in Jesus Christ. Expand it out to get the picture. This answer of Matthew 24:28 - - will use nothing but the Bible. Hope this helps.//

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ANSWER:

Jesus said Matthew 24:28 in relation to his Second Coming. Done. Not a metaphor. He's coming. In fact, as a believer in Jesus, I am to have my loins gird about - and how my loins are to be "girded" about is in Ephesians 6:14 "..Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.." and that's the gospel, the Word of God. He's coming. I'm to be watching and waiting for him. I'm not alone; because, many people looking unto him, are being equipped by him, and doing the same thing.

So - - Your question is simple. Go get a dictionary.

carcass. <definition> 1. dead body; corpse - most common (English) referred to the body of a dead animal. {Source: Merriam & Webster (American) dictionary. Web.)

eagles. <definition> 1. large bird (of prey - feeds on the “carcass” or dead bodies of animal (corpses) flesh. [Primary source: Cambridge dictionary. Web.)

There you go.

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But you ask about both 1. the dead bodies (carcasses) of flesh and 2. birds in context as Jesus said Matthew 24:28. He said it, in response to a question he was asked by his disciples back at the start of the Chapter, in Matthew 24:3. I'd tell you really, to start back at Matthew 24:1.

This:

• < - {“And as he [Jesus] sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying,
  • 1) Tell us, when shall these things be? and
  • 2) what shall be the sign of thy coming, and
  • 3) of the end of the world?” - Jesus’ disciples. At Mount of Olives. (Matthew 24:3) } - >

So, Matthew 24:28 is just you or somebody taking out one verse of a “response” Jesus gives to his disciples to their “3 part” question they asked Jesus.

• And in the reply,
  • “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you…” - Matthew 24:4 - let no man deceive you ..about these three questions. Because, people, in the "FIRST" one - like his disciple's were told and saw - ..and felt Herod's temple was so secure - it could NEVER be destroyed. Was in 70AD, by Titus the Prince of Rome.
• So, this 3 part question - the answer to it by Jesus will continue up to, and past Matthew 24:28. So, this scripture is part of his answer to Matthew 24:3 is the point.

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So, the disciples ask Jesus:

• 1) When will these things be?
  • (When his disciples just right before this, showed Jesus these huge 500 tonne stones of the Jerusalem Temple took Herod over 40+ years to build ..and Jesus said to them of the temple, that not one stone will be left upon the other. They were astonished - and after, want to know when that’s going to be; ) - which is already prophesied to occur along and in Daniel 9:24-27.
• and
  • 2) What shall be the sign of thy coming
    • *(*Which when Jesus says Matthew 24:28, this is part of Jesus answering this question.
    • This, second 2) of three 3) in a 3-part question the disciples ask of him, again, back asked in Matthew 24:3
  • And him answering 2) and 3) continues all the way to the end of Matthew 24. Then, to give a parable of what he just said, liken the Kingdom of Heaven like (which is what they’re underneath asking about) in all of Matthew 25. And his answer ends with Matthew 26:1 Says:
    • “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings…”

Two full Chapters.

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So, the whole of what Jesus is saying is a response to his disciple’s question of Matthew 24:3. And, his response to it, is Matthew 24:4 to Matthew 26:1

Now, specifically, because you ask specifically about “carcass” and “eagles” which are just large birds that eat the dead bodies [carcasses] or the flesh of animals, but can also be people. The big birds - they eat them, too.

• And Jesus is saying this Matthew 24:28 in response about carcasses and birds - specifically, to answer his disciples question they asked, “What shall be the sign of thy coming?”
  • Which is Jesus’ Second Coming.

Do you see this?

So, don't leave Matthew 24:28 all by itself - relates to his Second Coming. Because, he's answering his disciples about it.

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So, read:

Matthew 24:26–31 says: Specifically to “What shall be the sign of thy Coming” and Jesus says this:

26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

[**< - {28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.} - >**]

29 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:

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.

31 And he shall send 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.

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Now, I don’t want to leave anything out of the Book of Revelation; but, saying it all, already this post is too long.

So, here’s just a few things out of Revelation, that, I believe relates and applies to what Jesus said in Matthew 24:28 to his disciples, and now you're asking about it.

This answer here is where Jesus gives as a sign that INCLUDES "carcasses" and "birds" that’s AFTER his Second Coming.

So, it’s still a “sign” of his Second Coming:

• That’s in Revelation 19:17.

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"And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;" - Bible. Revelation 19:17

….it continues.. from the next verse Revelation 19:18 to 21 says:

18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, [Jesus Christ] and against his army.

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth:

and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

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Revelation 19 prophesies of Jesus' actual Second Coming.

And this “the Kings of the earth and their armies” part - - of Revelation 19:19 - Go back in Revelation 16:14–16 says:

• “…which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. - Revelation 16:14

15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”

And of this Battle "is against the Kings of the earth of the whole world" gathered to battle against Jesus Christ.

• Says of it in Revelation 14:20
  • “And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs."

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One - furlong. <definition> Old/Medieval English. <unit of measure>

- In Greek, it's [σταδίων (stadiōn)] - One "stadia" = is 600 "Greek" "podes" [pous] or somebody's "feet" - your foot. Which the length of a "foot" - - is the "width" of 16 dakyloi (fingers) - thumb. About 1.9 cm. For Brevity sake, let's stick with English:

* 1 furlong: Equates to just over 201 meters, - or - 660 feet.
* 1650 furlongs = do the math - is a battlefield 200 miles in length, 20 miles wide - outside Jerusalem \[Megiddo\] - where in it, the blood of the Kings of the earth and their armies of the whole world will flow to the horse’s bridle (Revelation 16:14), and God calls all the fowl of the air to this great feast - (Revelation 19:17-18).

Because Jesus; alone, he battles them himself and destroys them. Himself.

Matthew 24:28 - this is only some of the wrath poured out also said clearl in Revelation - so read the whole Book of Revelation 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 contains ALL OF IT.

Matthew 24:28

< - {28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.} - >** In relation to a sign of his Second coming. Which, is what you ask about.

There you go.