Where is the dead body in Luke 17?
score:6
This one line "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather." is parable.
This would be the equivalent of saying, "Where there's smoke, there's fire."
Long answer:
Where, Lord?
The question that Jesus is responding to is also a bit confusing (particularly given our modern understanding of the rapture). However, the question of "Where, Lord?" seems to be addressing the last thing Jesus says. He just finished saying that the "Son of Man" will come and gather his people. The disciples' question seems to ask "Where will they be gathered to."
This very much is a reference to what we call the "rapture". This is the "gathering up" of people that Jesus will perform in the last days. Just before this he talks about how the world is turning evil and then he says that he will come back and gather his people. This is definitely what we modernly call the "rapture".
Jesus replies
His reply to the question of "Where, Lord?" is a parable. He's basically saying, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." The meaning behind this is:
"That should be pretty obvious to you."
Jesus was saying that his kingdom was coming, the world was about to end, he was about to gather his people. The disciples ask a stupid question: "Where will you gather them?" Jesus doesn't even bother giving a straight answer because the answer is obvious: He's gathering them to heaven to be with him forever.
Why use a parable?
The reason that the answer is obvious is because, he's already answered that question. Just previously in Luke 17:20-21 the passage begins Jesus' speech with "The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed."
The entire speech is about the Kingdom of God. So when they ask, "Where will they be gathered." He just replies in parables, since he's already made it obvious.
Summary
This phrase about vultures and a dead body is just Jesus way of saying, "Hey, it should be obvious". He's not trying to imply anything with vultures or dead bodies. Just like the phrase "Where there's smoke there's fire" today does not imply smoke, fire, or anything related to smoke or fire.
Upvote:0
Ok, I'll give you an answer to this question. My answer is this. Jesus Christ is using a veiled reference here. And what it's referring to is a prophesy. Daniel 8 to be exact. In Matthew 24 he referenced Daniel 11 with the abomination of desolation. I believe this carcass/dead body reference is simply another Daniel reference and his story of the battle of the ram and goat.
He telling you to watch for the event when 2 nations in the middle east get conquered by a powerful country from the west. And it's aftermath in Matthew 24. The tribulation of those days.
:)
Upvote:2
It is a common view that this part is talking about the rapture:
"I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”
In that case the ones taken would be raptured while the left ones were in troubles, or tribulation.
There are other views too. Kingdom Theology for example looks at this like this:
In Noah's time, the people that were left on the earth were the people after God's heart, while the ones taken were in fault. This teaching is started by likening the times with Jesus is talking about to the times of Noah. If we follow that analogy, to be taken has to be translated as to die (a valid translation from the Greek). According to Kingdom Theology there is no rapture, as both accepted and not accepted will live on earth until the ones that are not accepted are done away.
This view is supported by the parable of the wheat and the tares, where the tares are kept until harvest and then burned.
This interpretation can be argued pointing out that both Noah and Lot left the place of destruction, while the others stayed and died. Yet leaving and staying are active decisions on the part of the people, while being taken and being left are not.
Both views are within the local context valid interpretations and can be used to support both Rapture and Kingdom Theology.
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