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Explanation for:
Matthew
24
:
28
Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.
13
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Christ then mentions another sign, stating that \\"where the corpse shall be, there the eagles shall be gathered together.\\" This indicates the gathering of numerous angels, martyrs, and all the holy ones."},{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The Lord referred to the adversaries that would attack this city, which is symbolically associated with a corpse, as eagles, as it is stated, ‘its horses are swifter than eagles’ (Jer. 4:13). This signifies the rapidity of their approach. Conversely, the faithful are represented as righteous eagles, characterized by the swiftness of their wings. \\n\\nThe owls will congregate around the lifeless, and the demons will assemble around the soul that is filled with despair, as it is written, ‘wherever there is a corpse, there shall the owls gather’."},{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The sacrament of Christ is illustrated by the lessons we observe in the natural world around us. It is noted that eagles and kites can detect the scent of decaying flesh from great distances, gathering together to feed on it. If such instinctual birds, separated by vast expanses of land and ocean, can discern the presence of a small corpse through their natural senses, how much more should we, along with the faithful, strive towards Him whose brilliant light shines forth from the East and is visible even in the West! By referencing a dead body, or in Greek, π τώμα, which translates to cadaver in Latin—meaning that which falls due to death—we can comprehend the sufferings of Christ, to which we are united. Whenever we encounter mentions of these sufferings in the Holy Scriptures, we can be gathered through them to the Word of God, as seen in passages like: \\"They pierced my hands and my feet\\" (Psalm 22:16) and the words of the prophet Isaiah: \\"Like a sheep He was led to the slaughter\\" (Isaiah 53:7), among other scriptures. The eagles represent the saints, who have their strength renewed like that of an eagle (Psalm 103:5) and who are adorned with feathers, taking flight to unite with the sufferings of Christ. As referenced in Isaiah, \\"I have called an eagle from the east, from a far country, the fulfiller of my determination\\" (Isaiah 46:11)."},{"author-name":"Apollinarius of Laodicea","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":4,"exegesis-text":"This account serves as a parable. Just as carcasses attract eagles and other birds of prey that swoop down unexpectedly and without awareness to satisfy their hunger, so too will the return of the Son of Man occur (Matt. 24:27). When He manifests once more on this earth during His second glorious coming to execute judgment over all creation, the angelic hosts armed with lances will also emerge, and all the saints will be resurrected in an instant, at the sound of the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52). As the apostle indicates, this resurgence resembles certain rapid and soaring eagles, appearing suddenly and without known origin, as they embody thoughts of the divine and an existence befitting the heavenly kingdom. Some have sought to interpret this proclamation, suggesting that at the Lord's second coming, those who have lived faithfully—akin to eagles with elevated and celestial aspirations—will depart from paradise and convene at the site of Adam’s fall, where the disobedience that led to his sin occurred."},{"author-name":"Isidore of Pelusium","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88d94130e668938c9ae9d_Isidore%20of%20Pelusium.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"The Creator and Sovereign granted us the paradise of Eden as a state of joyful existence, yet due to our will's tendency and the cunning of the tempter, we were exiled from it, thrust into a realm marked by toil and sorrowful wandering. Thus, for those who have taken up the spiritual struggle, who have departed from earthly existence, and have approached the heights of the celestial realm, the benevolent Christ assures us that He will restore them to their original place. This interpretation aligns with your inquiry regarding the phrase, \\"Where there is a corpse, there shall the eagles also be gathered together\\" (Matt. 24:28). This signifies that where there has been succumbing to excessive indulgence, there will also be triumph through fasting and self-denial, which resides within human nature."},{"author-name":"Theodoret of Cyrus","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8981534fdbcbdf10ec17e_Theodoret%20of%20Cyrus.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"In the Holy Gospel, He referred to eagles as those who rise above the earth, having forsaken worldly attachments and attained a clarity of vision for their souls, longing to be part of the sacred Body. Regarding the saints, who are taken to heaven after the resurrection, He further stated: ‘Wherever there is a corpse, there the eagles will be gathered together.’"},{"author-name":"Cyrill of Alexandria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a8ea5c988a4fc073480_Cyrill%20of%20Alexandria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"It may be questioned by some, \\"How does the Savior refer to His own body as a lifeless form?\\" He Himself states, \\"Wherever there is a corpse, there the eagles will be gathered.\\" Our response is that while Christ did use this language regarding His own body, it was in a parabolic manner, symbolically indicating the future assembly of the faithful as He returns from heaven with the holy angels in the glory of His Father (Matt. 16:27). Just as predatory eagles flock swiftly to carcasses, so too will you be drawn to Me. This truth is articulated by Paul, who declares, \\"For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible\\" (1 Cor. 15:52), and also notes, \\"We will be caught up in the clouds on the Lord’s Day to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord\\" (1 Thess. 4:17). Thus, the use of metaphors and comparisons does not undermine the authentic significance of the statement."},{"author-name":"Gregory II.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88c0b635ff53382a3b793_Gregory%20II..png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":8,"exegesis-text":"People from every corner of the earth began to gather in Jerusalem, much like eagles drawn to a carcass, as the Lord stated in the Gospel: ‘But if there is a corpse, eagles will gather there.’ The corpse refers to Christ, while the eagles soaring above symbolize the faithful and those who love Christ."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"As the birds of prey are drawn to a carcass, likewise, all the saints who rise in the heights of righteousness will gather to the location where Christ is present; they will ascend to the heavens like eagles. Here, the term \\"carcass\\" refers to Christ, who experienced death. Simeon remarks of Him, 'This one lies fallen.'"},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"This statement pertains to those who would follow Him. He compared them to eagles, symbolizing their ascension to the heights of righteousness and glory, while He referred to Himself as a lifeless body, acting as the gatherer of these eagles and serving as their spiritual nourishment and eternal life. In the Gospel of Luke (Luke 17:37), the term used for corpse is πτωμα."},{"author-name":"Theophan the Recluse","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8983a6e0f4c3aecaae3fc_Theophan%20the%20Recluse.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"This passage speaks of the return of Christ. Just as eagles are drawn to a lifeless body, all the saints will be drawn to the location of Christ's appearance, rising in the heights of righteousness and ascending to the heavens like eagles. The Saviour is compared to a lifeless body because He sacrificed Himself for us."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Wherever the dead body is, there will the eagles assemble. Just as voracious eagles flock to a lifeless body, so too will all the saints gather at the appearance of Christ, who sacrificed Himself for all, those who soar to the heights of righteousness, lifted by clouds high in heaven like eagles. The disciples listened to the teachings of the Lord with profound awe; not solely the twelve, but all of them had gathered and settled on the mountain beside Him. Occasionally, during His moments of silence, they would pose questions about the significant events that were to come, and He would continue His teaching, providing them with answers. The Holy Evangelists did not document these inquiries; only the Lord's words remain, making this dialogue recorded by them appear as a singular discourse. Therefore, in reading this discourse, one may notice a certain fragmentation, where distant occurrences seem intertwined, and responses to questions appear connected to preceding statements. For instance, this can be seen in the phrase: and suddenly. \\n\\nIn applying the Lord's prophecy regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, which serves as a foreshadowing of the end of the world, the terms “a corpse” and “eagles” may be interpreted in this way: just as relentless eagles descend upon a lifeless body, so will the Roman legions, symbolized by the eagles on their standards, hurry towards spiritually desolate Jerusalem. The phrase “and suddenly,” as noted by one interpreter, should not be taken literally; behind this prophetic declaration lie entire epochs—the vast expanse of time from Jerusalem's destruction to the world's conclusion, a period referred to by the Evangelist Luke as the time of the Gentiles."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"“Wherever the body lies,” etc. Those who associate this saying with the second coming of the Lord interpret it in this manner: Just as lightning strikes suddenly and illuminates the skies, the return of Christ will be evident to all who inhabit the earth. Likewise, as hungry eagles quickly gather around a lifeless body, so too will all the saints, who rise through the heights of righteousness, ascend to the heavens like eagles to the presence of Christ. In a symbolic sense, Christ is referred to as a body due to His sacrifice for humanity. Alternatively, a body can represent those spiritually dead, who are susceptible to the judgment and retribution of the Messiah; the phrase “the eagles shall be gathered together” parallels Matthew 13:41, indicating that the angels dispatched by the Messiah will separate the deceitful and evildoers from His kingdom, casting them into the fiery furnace. Those who interpret this saying in light of the destruction of Jerusalem see the body as representing Jerusalem and the Jewish people, while the eagles symbolize the Roman forces that besieged and captured the city. Their understanding is that the Lord will arrive to bring judgment upon this sinful nation, and at His divine command, the Roman legions will descend like voracious eagles upon the fallen city and dismantle it completely."}]}
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