Where I live in the rolling country hills of the Missouri Ozarks, you are sure to see a vulture circling above you on any given day at any time. In an old dilapidated shed in our field, there used to be a giant nest of them that really gave me the creeps. Just knowing what they eat and what they do all day, looking for something dead to eat, is really gross. But what really amazes me about God’s creation, is that he has a purpose and a lesson that can be taught in everything you see. He is true when He tells us that Christ is in all things! Which brings us to our scripture for Weird Verse Wednesday,
“So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” Matthew 24:26-28.
Why vultures?
Usually, when anyone thinks of vultures, they think of death; if you see a vulture on the ground, or circling the air, most likely, its eyes are on a corpse. Death is exactly the message that Jesus is going for here.
What is the context?
Matthew 24 is a passage of Scripture in which Jesus is warning his disciples, and believers in all ages, of the signs of His return. In verse 27, he states that “as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Then he says, where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." In my area, folks know where a dead carcass is because of the circling vultures overhead. In this same way, Christ is saying that His return will be seen and known by the entire world; this same point is made by his statement about the lightning. Vultures feeding on corpses also foreshadows the judgement that will accompany His return, and the eternal death that will separate the unbelievers from God for eternity.
What does this passage mean for us today?
This passage is a warning from our Lord. As believers, we should take heed to listen to and obey His warnings. He has let us know that the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and that false messiahs will come who will try to lead us astray. We are not to believe them, because we know that our Lord has told us that His coming will be unmistakable. No one will miss it. It also should create an urgency in believers to share the good news of the gospel with all whom we come into contact with. Visualizing the vultures gathering at the corpses, surely should light a fire in us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone around us . We should strive to infuse our entire lives with sharing the good news that the one True and Holy God from all eternity, humbled himself in the form of a man and lived a life of perfect righteousness, and was crucified on the cross in the place of guilty sinners, satisfying the wrath of God. He rose from the grave
conquering sin and death for us. When we come to believe and trust in Him and His finished work, and repent of our sins and make Him our Lord, we are justified before God and declared NOT GUILTY. Oh what great love!
Ding on,
Jessica Weaver,
Dingers, this Weird Verse Wednesday blog was written by Jessica Weaver an insanely talented woman who enjoys Bible Journaling, deep theology, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ! You can find her incredible art @my.journey.with.jesus on Instagram and you can also find more of her blogs, recommended sermons, personal studies she is currently doing, and much more at www.myjourneywithjesus.org!