Have you ever had a dream about flying, soaring over the landscape, high above the earth? I have, and it was such a sense of freedom and exhilaration. Unfortunately, it was only a dream from which I woke up.
As you watch the birds in the air, they seem to be defying gravity as they seamlessly soar in the skies above the earth.
I will mention the eagle in this article because an eagle has been described as the “King of Birds” similarly as the lion is the king of the beasts. What is special about the eagle?
For one, eagles can fly at great speeds. They can fly at 50km/h when soaring in the sky, but when they swoop to attack their prey, they can reach speeds of 160 km/hr.
The eagle is used as a symbol in the Bible to describe various situations.
Job compared his life to the swiftness of an eagle; his days on earth seemed to be passing quickly by. “Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good. They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.” Job 9:25–26. Have you ever felt that your days are passing swiftly as an eagle?
The Lord had promised to nurture His people, as long as they were faithful. “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings and brought you unto Myself.” Exodus 19:4
However, when they departed from the Lord, the prophesied curses followed. The Bible uses the eagle also as a symbol to describe the speed of the enemy coming to teach the disobedient children of Israel a lesson.
“Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed My covenant, and trespassed against My law.” Hosea 8:1. In this verse, the eagle refers to the King of Assyria, who was soon to come down from the north to invade Palestine with a rapid dread swoop as that of an eagle upon its prey.
The Lord had warned them what would happen if they were disobedient. “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand.” Deuteronomy 28:15, 49. The nation of Israel was not faithful so the Lord did send the Assyrian nation to swoop down on the nation of Israel, and later the Babylonian nation to swoop down on the nation of Judah. The attacks of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian armies were swift. “Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.” Jeremiah 4:13. “Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.” Lamentations 4:19
In Daniel’s vision, the nation of Babylon was thus described. “The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings” (Daniel 7:4), an appropriate symbol for Babylon. The winged lion is found in Babylonian objects of art. The eagle fittingly represents the empire of Babylon at the height of its glory. A lion is noted for strength and the eagle is famous for the power and range of its flight. King Nebuchadnezzar’s power was felt not only in Babylon but from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf and from Asia Minor to Egypt. The lion was provided with eagle’s wings—a combination of strength and speed.
The Babylonians were swift, not only against the nation of Judah, but also the surrounding nations. “Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.” Jeremiah 49:22. “They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him. For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.” Jeremiah 48:39–40. The eagle here is in reference to the Babylonians.
“Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.” Habakkuk 1:8
The Lord even told a riddle about Babylon, comparing it to a great eagle:
“Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants. He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs. There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.” Ezekiel 17:2–7
The great eagle here represents the king of Babylon. “Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon.” Ezekiel 17:12
Lebanon represented Judah—likely one of Solomon’s houses. “But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon.” 1 Kings 7:1 (see also 1 Kings 10:17, 21)
The vine was Jerusalem under King Zedekiah which prospered for a time, until it bent its roots towards the second great eagle (Egypt). When King Zedekiah sought the aid of the Egyptians, that act was the beginning of the final end of Judah before it was destroyed by the Babylonians.
FLY LIKE AN EAGLE
Eagles do not fly like other birds do. Although they do flap their wings from time to time, for the most part they use the air currents and they soar. They will often sit on a tree or rock for a long time, waiting for the correct air current. They have an inborn ability to sense the motion of air currents. As the eagle waits for the correct wind current, we also learn to wait on the Lord. We need to wait until we catch the wind of the Spirit. When connected with the Lord, true Christians will be so close to the Lord that they will move when the Spirit calls them and will wait until they know what God’s will is.
Most birds do not like storms, but eagles love storms because the storm forces them higher and higher. An eagle can detect when a storm is approaching long before it breaks. It will actually fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. It uses the strength of the storm to rise above it. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above to the sunshine above the clouds. The eagle simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us, we, too, can rise above them. We can lift ourselves above adversity by setting our minds and our hearts toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us any more than they overcome the eagle. We can allow God’s power to lift us above them. We can use adversity for gain and learn from trials—to grow from the experience and be made better. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2–4. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” 2 Corinthians 4:17
The height that eagles fly keeps them out of reach of predators as they are often flying higher than their enemies. Sometimes in our battles we try to fight in the enemy’s territory and eventually get defeated. The Lord never intended for us to fight this way. We need to soar above our enemies to the Son of Righteousness, who has healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2). He will save and protect us. In our life’s struggles, we are not to fight against the wind currents in the storm, but fly with the currents, and find out what the Lord wants from us in the storm. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” John 5:19. We need to learn from the example of Jesus.
NESTS
“Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.” Job 39:27–29
Job here describes the location of the nests eagles build, as well as their eyesight. If possible, eagles build their nests on the face of cliffs that are inaccessible except by flight. There is more safety there than on a tree or even on the top of a cliff. No place is too rugged or inaccessible to be the home of an eagle. The nest is built with great skill—not using little twigs, but great branches
woven together in an immensely skillful way. They are very comfortable. Their centres are carefully lined with feathers and leaves, and the eggs are placed there. When they hatch, the mother begins the process of feeding the babies.
Have you ever heard of someone being described as having “eagle eyes?” A person with eagle eyes has keen eyesight—the ability to notice details and see what others may not see at first glance.
Eagles, noted for their keenness of vision, sense the presence of prey from an incredible distance, and swoop down from their high nests to seize their victim. They also can identify a rabbit moving almost 1.5 km away or see a tiny lizard on a rock at 300 metres above. An eagle flying at an altitude of 300 metres over open country could spot prey over an area of almost 8 square kilometres from a fixed position.
We need to have keen eyesight spiritually to discern the truths of the Bible, noticing the fulfillment of prophecy and being aware of the signs of the times fast fulfilling.
Nehemiah: “He watched with eagle eye the movements of their enemies, who at times collected at a distance and engaged in earnest conversation, as if plotting mischief, and then drawing near the workmen, attempted to divert their attention and hinder the work.” –Christian Service, p. 175
Elijah: “The morning passes and noon comes, and yet there is no move of their gods in pity to Baal’s priests, the deluded worshipers of idols. . . . Elijah stands by, watching with eagle eye lest any deception should be practiced; for he knows that if, by any device, they could kindle their altar fire, he would be torn in pieces upon the spot.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 282
We need to see by eyes of faith that God can work in the midst of difficult circumstances and somehow bring some benefit to us. We should not be negatively affected by obstacles, but always see the purpose of God for our character building in the worst of times.
Going back to the nests, the eaglets cannot remain in their comfortable nests forever. “For the LORD’S portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.” Deuteronomy 32:9–12
The Lord took the nation of Israel from their captivity in Egypt and gently led them through the Red Sea into the desert. He protected them, led them, nurtured them and educated them, as an eagle who nurtures her offspring when they are very young (Exodus 19:4). However, we read that the eagle “stirreth up her nest.” The eagle parents provide such a safe environment for their little eaglets, that they would want to remain there forever, but there is a time for the eaglets to spread their own wings and fly. The parents teach the eaglet to fly, and then one day they have to leave the nest. The Lord has promised to take good care of us, but things may not always go on like this forever, because the nest is not only a place of feeding, but it is a school. Once we mature, we may be asked by the Lord to spread our wings and fly also out of our comfort zone.
Sometimes the Lord has to stir up our nest—our world. We were not made to remain in the comfortable surroundings of our nest-like world forever. We have been created in the image of God, made to fly and train our young to do the same.
From the life of Ellen G. White we read the following experience:
“My husband left the railroad, and with his ax went into the woods to chop cordwood. With a continual pain in his side, he worked from early morning till dark to earn about fifty cents a day. He was prevented from sleeping nights by severe pain. We endeavored to keep up good courage, and trust in the Lord. I did not murmur. In the morning I felt grateful to God that He had preserved us through another night, and at night I was thankful that He had kept us through another day. One day when our provisions were gone, my husband went to his employer to get money or provisions. It was a stormy day, and he walked three miles and back in the rain. He brought home on his back a bag of provisions tied in different compartments, having in this manner passed through the village of Brunswick, where he had often lectured. As he entered the house, very weary, my heart sank within me. My first feelings were that God had forsaken us. I said to my husband: ‘Have we come to this? Has the Lord left us?’ I could not restrain my tears, and wept aloud for hours, until I fainted. Prayer was offered in my behalf. When I breathed again, I felt the cheering influence of the Spirit of God, and regretted that I had sunk under discouragement. We desire to follow Christ and to be like Him; but we sometimes faint beneath trials, and remain at a distance from Him. Sufferings and trials bring us near to Jesus. The furnace consumes the dross and brightens the gold.
“At this time I was shown that the Lord had been trying us for our good, and to prepare us to labor for others; that He had been stirring up our nest, lest we should settle down at ease. Our work was to labor for souls; if we had been prospered, home would be so pleasant that we would be unwilling to leave it; trials had been permitted to come upon us to prepare us for the still greater conflicts that we would meet in our travels.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 82–83
“In all the dealings of God with His people there is, mingled with His love and mercy, the most striking evidence of His strict and impartial justice. This is exemplified in the history of the Hebrew people. God had bestowed great blessings upon Israel. His loving-kindness toward them is touchingly portrayed: ‘As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him.’ And yet what swift and severe retribution was visited upon them for their transgressions!” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 469
The Lord counsels His church: “People are encouraged to settle in Battle Creek, to give their influence to the building up of a modern Jerusalem. This is not after God’s order. Thus other places are deprived of facilities that they should have. Enlarge ye; spread ye; yes, but not in one place only. Go out and establish centers of influence in places where nothing, or next to nothing, has been done. Break up your consolidated mass; diffuse the saving beams of light into the darkened corners of the earth. A work similar to that of an eagle stirring up her nest needs to be done.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 150
RENEW STRENGTH AS AN EAGLE
The eagle is used to describe the strength that the Lord wishes to give to His children.
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28–31
It is a very magnificent sight to see a wild eagle soaring in the sky, higher and higher, with seemingly little effort. Similarly, the child of God who draws his strength from above is enabled to go ever onward and upward, always reaching new heights of achievement. Day after day it is the privilege of the Christian to go on from grace to grace and from victory to victory. Strength is added to strength and progress is constant. Higher and still higher goals come into view and eventually the Christian attains to the “prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
The Lord who never fails imparts strength to the fainting hearts. Whatever man’s needs may be, God has abundant resources to supply them all. Those who in meekness and lowliness of spirit realize their own frailties and short comings are the most certain of having their needs supplied. God’s ear is always attuned to the cry of those who feel themselves insufficient for the tasks at hand and who desire the help of Heaven. It is in the weakness of humanity that God’s strength is made perfect. That fact has been proven in the lives of countless thousands. Young men at the height of their vigor may become weary and exhausted; even youths in the prime of life reach a point beyond which their strength fails. Many a struggle is lost because of weakness of body or spirit, even on the part of the strongest. But if you wait upon the Lord and look to the Lord in sincerity and humility for wisdom and strength and then patiently wait for guidance, He will not fail you. Strength is expended in service to the Master but there are always new supplies of grace and vitality available from Him who knows no weariness. He who does not continue to receive strength from God will soon find himself in a position where he is unable to serve the Lord.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:2–5
“THE EAGLE HAS LANDED”
This expression was originally used by Neil Armstrong (USA) when the first man-made craft (the “Eagle”) landed on the moon (1969). Today, it is often used now to indicate the completion of a “mission objective”—to denote a great accomplishment.
One day your eagle (you) will land. Where will you land? The mission objective of the Lord is for the salvation and redemption of mankind. When He returns to earth, will your eagle land in His arms? Will the Lord’s mission objective be successful in your life? Or will you land in the enemy’s camp? The devil is also on a mission—for the destruction of mankind. Your eagle will land in one camp or the other. Which one will it be? May your eagle land safely in the arms of Jesus. We will then not just land on the moon, but we will find ourselves landing in the paradise that Jesus has gone to prepare for us, which is far beyond the moon, beyond the heavens as we see and know.
It is my prayer that your eagle will land in safety. Amen.
Wendy Eaton