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And responding, they said to Him, “Where, Lord?” And He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.” - Luke 17:37 NASB

“His young ones also lick up blood greedily; And where the slain are, there he is.” - Job 39:20 NASB

Context for Luke 17:37 and Job 39:30

Luke 17:37 - "Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered"

Setting

Jesus is teaching His disciples about His second coming and the final judgment.

Immediate Context

The disciples ask Jesus "Where, Lord?" — meaning where will these events of judgment take place. Jesus responds with this proverb about vultures gathering where there is a dead body.

This verse concludes Jesus' teaching comparing His return to the days of Noah and Lot (Luke 17:26-36). Just as judgment came suddenly in those times, so will His return be.

Meaning

The imagery of vultures (or eagles) gathering around a carcass illustrates:

  • The certainty and inevitability of judgment
  • That judgment will be obvious and unmistakable (just as vultures naturally find carrion)
  • The finality of God's judgment on the spiritually dead

Key Theme

Jesus emphasizes that His return will bring swift, certain, and inescapable judgment. Where there is spiritual death, divine judgment will surely follow.

Job 39:30 - "His young ones also lick up blood greedily; And where the slain are, there he is"

Setting

God is speaking directly to Job out of the whirlwind (Job 38-41), responding to Job's complaints and questions about suffering.

Immediate Context

This verse is part of God's description of the eagle (or vulture) in Job 39:27-30, showcasing the bird's remarkable characteristics — dwelling on high cliffs, hunting from great distances, and feeding on prey.

Meaning

God demonstrates His wisdom and power in creation by describing animals Job cannot control or understand. The eagle's instinct to find the slain shows:

  • God's intricate design in nature
  • The natural order that God has established
  • Job's limited understanding compared to God's sovereignty

Key Theme

This is part of God's larger point to Job: "If you cannot understand or control even the creatures I've made, how can you question My governance of the universe and My purposes in allowing suffering?" God is humbling Job by showing the vastness of divine wisdom in creation.

The Connection Between the Passages

Jesus' Intentional Allusion

Biblical scholars believe Jesus was directly alluding to Job 39:30 when He spoke Luke 17:37. When translated back into Hebrew, Jesus' saying closely mirrors the Job passage: "And where the slain are, there it [the vulture] is."

The Parallel Principle

Job 39:30 - God's point to Job:

  • Natural Law: Where death is, the eagle/vulture will inevitably be found
  • Certainty: This is an unbreakable pattern in creation
  • Divine Design: God established this natural instinct

Luke 17:37 - Jesus' point to the disciples:

  • Spiritual Law: Where spiritual death/judgment is, Christ will inevitably be present
  • Certainty: His coming in judgment is as sure as vultures finding carrion
  • Divine Purpose: Just as God designed the vulture to find the slain, He has appointed Christ to execute judgment

The Theological Themes

1. Inevitable Divine Presence

In Creation (Job): God is present in the natural order—even in something as seemingly mundane as a vulture's instinct

In Judgment (Luke): Christ will be present where judgment must occur—it's as natural and certain as the created order itself

2. Judgment and Grace United in Christ

The Dual Nature of Christ's Presence:

  • Christ is not solely the Judge, but also the Redeemer
  • Where judgment occurs, grace is also found
  • The same Christ who executes judgment is the one who offers salvation

The Paradox:

  • In Job, God appears in the whirlwind to confront Job's suffering, but ultimately restores him
  • In Luke, Jesus speaks of judgment, but He is speaking to His disciples—those who will be saved
  • Where death and judgment are found, Christ is present—both to judge the unrepentant and to redeem the faithful

The Gospel Pattern:

  • Christ came to where humanity was "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1)
  • He went to the cross—the place of death and judgment—to bring redemption
  • At His return, He comes to execute final judgment, but also to gather His redeemed people
  • The vultures gather to consume the dead; Christ comes to raise the dead to life

3. The Certainty of Both Judgment and Redemption

Just as the vulture's presence at death is inevitable:

  • Christ's judgment on sin is certain and unavoidable
  • Christ's redemption of His people is equally certain and unavoidable
  • Where there is spiritual death, Christ will be found—either as Judge or as Savior
  • His presence is the defining factor: judgment for those who reject Him, grace for those who receive Him

The Irony and Hope

  • In Job, God uses this image to show His wisdom in creation
  • In Luke, Jesus uses the same image to show His certainty in judgment
  • In the Gospel, Christ embodies both: Where there is death, He brings both justice and life
  • Both passages emphasize: Where there is need (death/judgment/suffering), there God/Christ will surely be

Conclusion

This is an example of how Jesus, as a Jewish rabbi, used Old Testament imagery to teach deeper spiritual truths. The disciples familiar with Job would have immediately recognized the allusion and understood: "Just as surely as vultures find the dead, so surely will the Son of Man appear in judgment."

But the fuller revelation is this: Christ's inevitable presence at the place of death and judgment is not only to condemn, but to save. He is drawn to death—not to consume like a vulture, but to conquer it. Where the body is, there He will be—bringing both justice and mercy, judgment and grace, death and resurrection.