Where the Eagles Are Gathered

Although many scholars consider Luke 17:22-37 to be "the most important eschatological passage in Luke-Acts," few agree on the precise meaning of the enigmatic proverb which forms its conclusion (Luke 17:37). Generally, Jesus' logion is taken to convey a macabre image of impending judgement. However, this study offers fresh literary, redactional, and historical evidence to suggest that Luke recast Jesus' saying in order to describe something much more glorious the deliverance of the elect. Examination of the material elsewhere in Luke-Acts corroborates Luke's expectation of an ethereal reunion, and suggests that this hope constitutes the most characteristic feature of Lukan eschatology.