Topical Bible: Blood: Birds of Prey Delight In

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In the biblical context, blood holds significant symbolic and literal meanings, often associated with life, sacrifice, and covenant. However, it also appears in more ominous contexts, particularly in relation to birds of prey. These creatures, often seen as symbols of judgment and desolation, are depicted in Scripture as being drawn to blood, especially in scenes of divine retribution and warfare.

The imagery of birds of prey delighting in blood is vividly portrayed in the prophetic and apocalyptic literature of the Bible. In the book of Ezekiel, a graphic depiction of judgment is presented where birds of prey are summoned to feast on the flesh and blood of the fallen. Ezekiel 39:17-18 states, "And as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, and you will eat flesh and drink blood. You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls—all of them fattened animals from Bashan.'"

This passage underscores the theme of divine judgment, where the consumption of blood by birds of prey symbolizes the totality of God's retribution against the wicked. The imagery serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of sin and rebellion against God.

In the New Testament, the book of Revelation also employs similar imagery. Revelation 19:17-18 describes a scene of eschatological judgment: "Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, 'Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone, slave and free, small and great.'"

Here, the birds of prey are again depicted as agents of divine justice, called to partake in the aftermath of God's final victory over evil. The consumption of blood and flesh by these birds signifies the complete and utter defeat of those who oppose God's will.

Throughout Scripture, the presence of birds of prey in scenes of bloodshed serves as a powerful metaphor for the inevitability of divine justice. These creatures, drawn to the carnage of battlefields and sites of judgment, highlight the seriousness with which God views sin and the certainty of His righteous judgment. The delight of birds of prey in blood, therefore, is not merely a natural phenomenon but a theologically rich symbol of the ultimate triumph of God's holiness and justice over evil.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 39:30
Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Creation of Fowl and Water Animals.
... from the flesh to the blood, from the blood to the ... Some are gregarious, except the
birds of prey who know no ... Nearly all birds can be tamed and are capable of ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily viii the creation of.htm

The Adventures of Saint Andrew of Scotland.
... rolled upon the snow, which for miles round was ensanguined with their blood. ... body
of the Giant, on which the ravens and other birds of prey were feeding. ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter eight the adventures of.htm

Sweet Comfort for Feeble Saints
... worthless; at last you shall stand before the throne among the blood-washed company ...
shall be heavenly fruits upon it; I will keep the birds of prey from it ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/sweet comfort for feeble saints.htm

Justification by Faith --Illustrated by Abram's Righteousness
... God has shut every door except that over which the blood is sprinkled. ... all day long
and till the sun went down, chasing away the birds of prey as you must ...
/.../justification by faithillustrated by abrams.htm

A Believer's Privilege at Death
... Believers are as a lily among thorns; as the dove among birds of prey. ... on Christ;
it has both a justifying and sanctifying virtue; it fetches blood out of ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/2 a believers privilege at.htm

The Glorious Master and the Swooning Disciple
... your despondency and distress will vanish as night birds fly to ... If men of blood should
seek thy life, they could ... for thy body shall not become the prey of the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/the glorious master and the.htm

Chapter ix
... therefore, the Scriptures do speak of blood revenge, it ... living creature which is
with you, birds, domestic animals ... a time of comparative safety, fell prey to a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter ix.htm

David's Dying Prayer
... of the cattle, the singing of the birds, the leaping ... upon me." And when you feel
the blood applied to ... ended with himself, and with the miserable prey on which ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/davids dying prayer.htm

The Snare of the Fowler
... Satan adapts his temptation to the hot blood of the ... send his hawk into the air, to
bring down his prey. ... with the slanderous hawk what the little birds do, just ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the snare of the fowler.htm

A Prospect of Revival
... be a huntsman and never take any prey; a fisherman ... God would yet return and avenge
the blood of his ... were tenanted by graceful creatures and lovely birds, but I ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/a prospect of revival.htm