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NASB | Matthew 24:28 "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 24:28 "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will flock together. [Job 39:30] |
Subject: What does Matthew 24: 28 mean? |
Bible Note: Dear Tim, religious leaders considered His Holiness the Christ to be 'unorthodox'. Prophecies were being fulfilled all around them during His Ministry, yet they saw those fulfillments as 'unorthodox'. Examples: turning over the tables of the money-changers in the Temple and chasing them out of the Temple with a whip. The Holy Bible records that event as a fulfillment of Holy Prophecy. After that event, how many Jewish leaders do you suppose stood up and said: 'Surely this One must be the Messiah!' No doubt they viewed Him as a vandal, not the Messiah, and certainly unorthodox. You and I well know that He was orthodox, however. Some were suggesting or stating that He was the Messiah, yet the Priests were responding with the teaching that "Elijah must come first." Those Priests spoke the truth with respect to that prophecy of course. They viewed Him therefore as 'unorthodox'. Yet neither they nor the disciples of the Lord had discerned that 'Elijah' had in fact already come in the person of John the immerser. In fact, not any person on Earth knew that Truth except the Lord Himself, until the day He revealed that Truth to His disciples after descending from the mount of Transfiguration. Most Jews alive during His Ministry died believing that He was 'unorthodox' in the manner of His appearance, because they continued to believe until their death that Elijah had not come first. They believed that the Messiah would establish His Kingdom at His appearance. They believed that it was 'unorthodox' for Him to die on a cross 'instead', apparently having accomplished little or nothing towards establishing an Administration over the Earth. They believed it was 'unorthodox' for Him to heal on the sabbath, and to permit His disciples to pick corn on the sabbath. He had not passed through their schools of Divinity, so as to receive the approval of their 'scholars' and yet He was teaching with Authority--very 'unorthodox' from their viewpoint. His disciples were mostly illiterate fishermen and the like, many with the very despised accent of the Nazarenes, a very 'unorthodox' manner to usher in a new Revelation from the viewpoint of Jewish leaders and 'scholars'. Later on, the chosen vessel, Paul, continued that apparently 'unorthodox' approach, evident by the fact that he was whipped six times forty lashes less one because of the message He was carrying into Jewish synagogues. Most or all of the apostles of the Lord and many other disciples were martyred because they were viewed as 'unorthodox'. Concerning Holy Scripture outside of the Bible, the Holy Bible itself often refers to Scripture outside of itself. The Book of Jude quotes from Holy Scripture outside of the Bible. How did the Zoroastrian Priests know to follow the star, a journey of months over desolate, rugged terrain? How did they know that it was "His star" as they are recorded to mention in the Holy Bible? How did they know that He would be born "King of the Jews"? How did they know to take the specific and very significantly symbolic gifts of gold, frankinsence and myyrh? Gold--the Truth He would teach, frankinsence--His life of prayer, myrrh, the embalming fluid to signify His sacrificial death. They identified Him as the Messiah--the Promised One of their Holy Scriptures also, by the gifts which they left for Him. They wer faithfully waiting for that star, and their Holy Writings told them exactly what to do when they saw it. They did so, and the Holy Bible records the fulfillment. That the Holy Spirit would descend in the form of a dove upon Him is not prophesied in the Bible. The fullfilment is recorded in the Bible. It is prophesied in the Zoroastrian Scriptures and its fulfillment was an important sign for them to identify their Promised One. Why do you think they rejoiced so much when they saw the star? They very well knew that they were experiencing the privelege of specifically sharing in the fulfillment of Holy Prophecy, that is why they rejoiced. There were likely a number of caravans in convoy, or laden camels, perhaps with wives and children, perhaps even armed guards for the journey, because they caught the attention of the border guards and ended up uin Herod's Palace. The Romans governing Israel at that time had just experienced a few armed uprisings by false Messiahs, such as Judas of Galilee, as mentioned in the Book of Acts, so they would be alert. we know of course that Herod attempted to trick them into betraying the child, and an angel from God warned them to return by another route on their way back to Persia. They doubtless returned rejoicing that they had fully accomplished their small share in identifying the Messiah and fulfilling Holy Prophecy. That alone is an immense eternal reward. No-one can take it from them. Our Christ is the Same One from Almighty God's viewpoint, as explained in the Kitab-i-Iqan (The Book of Certitude) Cordially, Ross |