The Supper of the Great God
Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
The Riddle of the Vulture and the End Times:
First Published JCF Newsletter August 2012Shortly after my arrival in Jerusalem in the fall of 1982, I was introduced to someone who had written a number of articles and newsletters regarding Israel and the End Times. One particular story about vultures caught my attention especially since the claims were quite astounding. The title had to do with a sudden and dramatic increase in vulture populations across the country, especially in the Jezreel Valley where the ancient city, Megiddo is located. Here at “Har Megiddo (=Ar-mageddon: "mountain of Megiddo"),” a final battle is prophesied to take place with “birds of the air” devouring the defeated armies (Rev 16:16; 19:17-18).
VULTURES -- BIRDS THAT FEED ON CARRION -- ARE SUDDENLY INCREASING DRAMATICALLY IN ISRAEL BECAUSE ISRAELIS ARE FEEDING THEM, CARING FOR THEM
Subtitle: Almost everyone in the world despises birds of prey who feed on the flesh of dead animals! How, then, do you explain the phenomenon whereby Jewish citizens of Israel are suddenly attracted to vultures, even to the point of setting up feeding and caring stations?
Israel's hotspot for migratory birds
The Sea of Gallilee, where Christ reputedly walked on water, is today home to another miracle of sorts.
It is where hundreds of millions of birds migrate across Israel and a paradise for bird watchers.
Located west of the Golan Heights, the area is part of the Great Rift Valley, which stretches from northern Syria to central Mozambique in Africa.
It is akin to a superhighway of bird migration routes, creating thermal currents that raptors and other birds can ride from central Africa to Europe.
Israel is at a bottleneck on the migratory birds' flight path where an estimated 540 species converge. Compare that with 460 species in Germany, which is 20 times bigger.
In late autumn, tens of thousands of common cranes and pelicans flock to the area, as well as more than 25 species of raptors like the imperial eagles and spotted eagles. Some of these birds stay in the area for the entire winter.
It is a spectacular sight, and the area has become a popular spot for amateur bird watchers and ornithologists. There is even the Hula Valley Bird Festival held every November.
According to Yossi Lessem, director of the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration, every year the Hula Valley's Agamon bird sanctuary attracts 398 bird species, more than 400,000 visitors and 50,000 hardcore bird watchers.
Starlings need variety in their diets, and are primarily carnivorous. Foods designed for other types of pet birds aren't sufficient for starlings, as most birds kept as domestic birds are omnivorous and don't contain sufficient protein.
Some formations can be made up of up to 250,000 birds
Huge flocks of synchronized starlings that appear like a black cloud are returning to Israel for the first time in 20 years, according to ornithologist Dr. Yossi Leshem of Tel Aviv University.
The common starling, first sighted this year at Kibbutz Ein Gev on the eastern shore of the Kinneret, used to fly to Israel from Russia and Eastern Europe until about 20 years ago in mind-boggling flocks numbering some 15 million. But for unknown reasons, the population declined to about a tenth of its former size, and for that reason is no longer seen in Israel.
But now that their numbers are climbing back, they can now be sighted again in Israel, particularly at dusk when the flocks begin their spectacular aerobatic display before retiring for the night.
According to Leshem, of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, "after spending all day in the fields, the starlings gather for about 20 minutes of amazing aerial antics." The larger flocks create a black cloud that without warning changes direction and form, in a sychronization that is difficult to explain, he adds.
