When the Vultures Circle


Matthew 24:26-28
26So, 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.
27For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

I have someone associated with my family who is a member of a radical cult. This group has sequestered themselves in the desert of New Mexico living very restricted lives. The cult leadership claim that they are the only ones who know the truth about the Bible and the rest of us are doomed. If you look this group up on the internet you will find that I’m not exaggerating their stance at all. (They call themselves “Aggressive Christianity”.) They epitomize Jesus warning words in Matthew 24:26. So He wasn’t just saying these things to illustrate a point. They have actually happened. He uses this example as a marker for His return. This too declares the imminent return of the Savior.

While there will be numerous signs that the end is near, when it actually happens it will be like a lightning strike, sudden but hopefully not unexpected. He even uses the rather disgusting visual of the vultures that circle over a dying animal. They actually gather before the animal dies, waiting in anticipation of their next meal. They know the signs! The Apostle John wrote in the Revelation of the suddenness of Jesus’ return.

Revelation 1:5-8
5To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Since the wars, famines, and natural disasters are happening in an ongoing fashion we need to be like those vultures, simply waiting and watching for the end to come. The watchword here is readiness. It’s going to happen. I guess this passage begs the question which will come up again and again, are you ready?

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