And they answered and said unto him, where,
Lord?
&c.] That is, either the Pharisees put this question to
Christ, who demanded of him when the kingdom of God would come, (
Luke 17:20 ) or
rather the disciples, to whom Christ more especially directed his
discourse, ( Luke 17:22 ) who hearing
of the distinction that would be made of persons in these dismal
times, ask where it should be; not where the persons would be
left, but whither the others would be taken, and by whom: and he
said unto them,
wheresoever the body is;
the carcass of the Jewish nation, as at Jerusalem chiefly, and in
whatsoever place:
thither will the eagles be gathered together;
the Roman army, whose ensign was the eagle; these will come,
seize upon them, and take them and devour them, as they did: the
Persic version renders it, "vultures"; (See Gill on Matthew
24:28). These words can by no means be understood of
sinners fleeing to Christ for eternal life and salvation; nor of
the gathering of saints to him, at the last day; for how fitly
soever such persons may be compared to "eagles", the word "body",
or "carcass", as in ( Matthew
24:28 ) and which is so read in some copies here, is not so
suitable to Christ; and especially at his glorious appearing; and
besides, the words are an answer to a question, where such
persons would be, who would be taken and destroyed, when others
would be left, or preserved; and manifestly refer to the body, or
carcass of the Jewish people at Jerusalem, and other fortified
places; where they should think themselves safe, but should not
be so, the Roman armies gathering about them, and seizing them as
their prey: it is yet a more strange interpretation, which is
proposed by a very learned man F9; that by the "eagle" is
meant, Christ; and by "the body", or "carcass", the church in the
times of antichrist; and by "gathering" to it, the coming of
Christ: for though Christ may be said to bear and carry his
people, as the eagle bears and carries its young upon its wings,
which he observes from ( Exodus 19:4 ) (
Deuteronomy 32:11 ) (
Isaiah 63:9 )
yet not a single eagle, but "eagles", in the plural number, are
here mentioned; which shows, that not a single person, as Christ,
but many are here intended, even legions of Roman soldiers: nor
can the church of Christ be compared to a dead and filthy
carcass, in the worst of times, even in the times of antichrist;
for however forlorn, distressed, and afflicted her condition is,
she is kept alive, and in some measure pure from antichristian
pollutions; and is represented by a woman, to whom two wings of a
great eagle are given (wherefore she should rather be designed by
the eagles) to fly with into the wilderness, where she is
preserved and nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, (
Revelation 12:14 ) .
Nor is Christ's coming ever expressed by the gathering of him to
his people; but on the other hand, they are always said to be
gathered unto him; see ( 2
Thessalonians 2:1 ) .