Today's Gospel (Lk 17:26-37): Jesus said to his disciples, «As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be on the day the Son of Man comes. Then people ate and drank; they took husbands and wives. But on the day Noah entered the ark, the flood came and destroyed them all. Just as it was in the days of Lot: people ate and drank, they bought and sold, planted and built. But on the day Lot left Sodom, God made fire and sulfur rain down from heaven which destroyed them all. So will it be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

»On that day, if you are on the rooftop, don't go down into the house to get your belongings, and if you happen to be in the fields, do not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever tries to save his life will lose himself, but whoever gives his life will be born again. I tell you, though two men are sharing the same bed, it may be that one will be taken and the other left. Though two women are grinding corn together, one may be taken and the other left». Then they asked Jesus, «Where will this take place, Lord?». And he answered, «Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather».
:confused:What interpretation do you have of Jesus' above answer to the question asked by His disciples?:confused:
:)Peace and kindness,:)
Fred (arcura)

I think he meant, everywhere.

simoneaugie,
Could be, maybe.
Thanks,
Fred

You can see that noah prepared, with god's guidance. The others were caught unprepared. When god came, he destroyed them with fire.
Then, lot's wife looked back, and was killed as well. She could have lived, by continuing on her path.
So we need to prepare, and continue with the preparation, not going back to what we were before. This preparation is of god, and we will be led along to a better place, like noah, and the israelites after him.
I think also, the importance of death to our flesh, in the sense of what the new testament says, to mortify the deeds of the flesh, is the part about where the body is, the vultures gather, because it's a dead body. If we're dead, we cannot prepare, but dying to flesh spiritually cleanses and prepares us.
So I think this scripture is appropriate:

Jhn 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Jhn 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit.
Jhn 15:3 Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you.
Jhn 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me.
Jhn 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.
Jhn 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Jhn 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Jhn 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and [so] shall ye be my disciples.

This narrative is addressed to the Jewish nation of that time and speaks about their fall as they stumbled over the Rock:

1 Peter 2:7-8
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone,"
8 and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."
NIV

Jesus almost always spoke in riddles to the Pharisees and those who rejected Him in their hearts. All they got was the law and the curse of the law:

Deut 28:49-52

49 The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young. 51 They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined. 52 They will lay siege to all the cities throughout your land until the high fortified walls in which you trust fall down. They will besiege all the cities throughout the land the Lord your God is giving you.
NIV

But to the disciples there was a word of spiritual newness even though the physical world they knew would be horrible for a while.

About the 144,000; I believe this is a number like "seventy times seven"(an in "times to forgive"). And even then it has more to do with the tribes of Israel:

Rev 7:8-10
... from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
From the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

"Salvation belongs to our God,
Who sits on the throne,
NIV

Very good.
Thanks
Fred

Jesus taught in parables, in metaphors and symbolic language in order to best get across the meaning of spiritual language, a more powerful way to teach his spiritual realities in ways easy to remember.

Jesus is saying that on the day the teachings of the Son of Man are *revealed* to you(when you "get it"), then don't look back at a sinful world, leave everything including friends and family behind for you don't belong any more... just go forward and follow Jesus' teachings with like-minded folks.

Choux.
Thanks much.
Peace and kindness,
Fred

One point about Noah and Lot. Noah & family were safe in the ark BEFORE destruction came. The same is true of Lot.

In your second scriptures, Jesus was answering a question about the temple in Jerusalem. When the Romans started their siege of Jerusalem, the believers took an offered opportunity to leave and thereby escaped the total destruction that followed.

Psa 2:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Psa 2:10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Psa 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Psa 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish [from] the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed [are] all they that put their trust in him.

Our blessing comes from loving and trusting jesus, but rejecting jesus will bring wrath. I believe there's a preparation that must be developed in us.
We would be 'saving our lives' if we neglect or reject this preparation, by 'eating and drinking and giving in marriage', in other words doing whatever we please.
We could 'lose our lives' by letting the 'vultures' be used by god to eat the impurities from our spiritual 'flesh', or heart.

Very good.
Thanks
Fres