8.3 Birds of prey
DIGRESSION 8-3: THE BIRDS OF PREY
“And when the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.” (Gen 15: 11)
“And the carcasses of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.” (Jer.7: 33)
The birds of prey (R.V.) or fowls (A.V.) of Genesis chapter 15 are the same bird(s) that pronounce the triple woe in Rev.8: 13. In Genesis God gave Abram a unilateral assurance of the promised progeny and land by “cutting” (biryth) a covenant. Normally both parties would be required to walk between the pieces, so implying that a fate similar to that of the sacrificial animals awaited the covenant breaker.(to be cut in half)
This unique covenant, only had one party (God) pass1 between the pieces, moreover it occurred when Abram was “dead.” 2 While he was “alive” he was able to keep the vultures away (15: 11) but when he was “dead” only God was able to protect the covenant sacrifice.
When the people of Judah betrayed the covenant the prophet Jeremiah warned that their carcasses would be meat for the birds of prey (and for the beasts of the earth) and that no one would “fray them away” (Jer.7: 33) The covenant that they had broken was not the Abramic3 but the Sinaitic covenant. Zedekiah the king, and the royal family would be destroyed and taken captive in the Babylonian invasion and, “their dead bodies shall be meat unto the fowls of heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.” They had undertaken a solemn covenant, and passed between the pieces of the sacrificial animals. They had promised to liberate their Hebrew slaves as instructed in the law of Jubile4, and then they had reneged on their promise. (Jer.34: 8-22)
God had promised Abram that he would liberate the children of Israel out of the slavery of Egypt, and had passed between the pieces by himself (Gen.15: 13,14) but unlike God the wicked princes of Judah refused liberating their fellow countrymen. (see Jer.34: 13) Similarly, the nation of Israel is still a slave to the law of Moses, even though they claim to be, “Abraham’s seed and were never in bondage to any man” (John 8: 33)
In the future, the birds of prey will gather around the carcass of the dead nation (just as they did in A.D.70) and God will not only judge the corrupt nation, but also restore it, this will be done despite the condition of the nation, because God passed between the pieces alone.
Note the correspondence between the Genesis 15 covenant and Matthew 24.
GENESIS 15
MATTHEW 24
The fowls came down upon the carcasses (v.11)
For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles5 be gathered together (v.28)
The sun went down, a horror of great darkness (v.12)
The sun darkened (v.29)
A smoking furnace
A flaming torch (v.17) 6
Then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven. (v.30)
The Lord Jesus Christ is alluding to the Genesis 15 covenant in Matthew chpt.24 – he is responding to the disciples question, “Where will we be gathered Lord?” (see the synoptic account Lk.17: 37) The implication is that like Abram, the saints will awaken out of their horror of great darkness and together with the living, all those liberated from sin and death will be gathered to the carcass of the nation.
The carcass of a dead animal can be seen from a great distance because of the circling vultures. Then the saints will be gathered to that spot. Moreover, there is also an allusion to the bodies of the witnesses as well as the to the death of the nation. (see chapter 11 pg. 12,26 )
We have already established that Babylon falls twice (see digression 8.1) We might then arrange this chronologically as follows:
Witnesses murdered – dead bodies.Rev.11- birds of prey?
Witnesses raised (vindicated). Rev.11
Jewish eccleisia born: Rev 12
Jerusalem destroyed – by ten kings – dead bodies: Rev 17 – birds of prey?
Beast empire persecutes new born ecclesia: Rev.13
Beast empire destroyed – by Christ – dead bodies: Rev. 19 (and 16) - birds of prey
The fulfilment of the promise to Abram is still future7 when he will become Abraham (the father of a nation) and will possess the land from the “river of Egypt to the river Euphrates.” (Gen 15: 18-21)
The land was then in possession of ten nations, it will be the ten surrounding nations that betray and attack Jerusalem (Rev.17: 16-18) but those same nations will constitute the kingdom, when, “ten men shall take hold out of all the languages of the nations, even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew (= Jesus), saying, we will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” [EMMANUEL] (Zech.8 :23)
“ In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria….Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of mine hands, and Israel mine inheritance.” (Isa.19:22-25)
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1 The law was ordained by angels through the hand of a mediator (Moses). It was made between two parties, God and the Israelites. The promise to Abraham did not require a mediator, and also did not require Abraham’s participation. It was unique and unilateral. Only God passed between the pieces. God will fulfil his promise despite the unfaithfulness of the nation. (Gal 3: 15-20)
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2 The implication of the “horror of great darkness” and the “deep sleep” (Gen.15: 12) is the sleep of death. The events of the Egyptian bondage and liberation would happen after his death. Ultimately, the final humbling of the nation would also happen when he was dead, and the final restoration and inheritance upon his resurrection.
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3 The Abramic covenant cannot be broken, even by the nations unfaithfulness. (see note one)
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4 Exodus 21:2; Deut.15:12-15; Lev.25:39-41
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5 The word used here is aetos (Gr.) the R.V. margin has the word vulture and the context seems to demand a carrion eater.
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6 Abraham probably saw a comet with a burning tail.
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7 The primary fulfilment of the Abramic covenant happened when the Israelites were liberated from the Egyptian captivity exactly 430 years later. (Ex.12: 40,41; Gal 3: 17). This occurred on the Passover night (the self same day), this means that Abram received the covenant on the Passover night 430 years before the first Passover was celebrated. All the nations deliverances occurred at Passover as also did our own. The ultimate fulfilment of this covenant promise can also be expected at Passover and consequently Rev. chpt 19 is based on the Passover. (see the introduction to Revelation pages 52,53 )
