ChristStory Bestiary

EAGLE

King of the Air

Because the eagle makes its nest in the heights, it has become a symbol of those who either soar into or make their dwellings in the high places. In the Bible, Edom's eagle-like nest in the heights is scorned by the LORD whose reach extends into the high places, bringing the proudest eagles down (Jer 49:16; Oba 1:4). In such a picture, we see the vanity of earthly strongholds.

The eagle's love of heights along with its great flying speed make it a Christian image of prophecy and of prayer. St. Jerome considers this bird a symbol of Christ's Ascension. Its wings put one in mind of the winged angels. The inspiration, speed, and power of the Gospels is symbolized by the eagle's wings which are often used in the design of the lectern. This bird's association with divine contemplation and transcendence make it an emblem of St. John the Evangelist and his gospel which concentrates on the divine and eternal nature of Jesus Christ.

All around the world, the eagle has been strongly associated with the sun, fire, air, life, sky, and sun gods. Its antithesis is the owl which is connected with darkness. The eagle was believed to enjoy staring directly into the sun - a habit which was equated with the ability of the pure in heart to see God and to discern divine truths. Pliny believed eagles tested their young by forcing them to stare directly into the sun. An illegitimate eaglet would betray itself by blinking and be thrown out of the nest.

The shape of the eagle's wings when spread suggested lightning to many cultures. Native Americans called this bird the Thunderbird. Greeks and Romans called it Jupiter's/Zeus's "storm bird" or "lightning-bearer." In the rape of Ganymede, Zeus disguised himself as an eagle in order to swoop down and kidnap a young boy. Eagles were believed to be invulnerable to lightning and so the Greeks hung eagles above their doors to protect their homes from storms and evil spirits.

Eagles found on Syrian, Greek, Roman, and Babylonian tombs and funeral monuments indicate that their occupants believed an eagle would carry their souls to their heavenly home, original source, or god. In Ancient Syria, the soul-bearing eagle had human arms. Pagan ideas die hard, and many early Christians believed eagles would carry their souls to God when they died. Shamans in the Americas and Asia relied on eagles to carry their souls on their magical or mystical journeys.

Orientals, Israelites, and early Christians believed eagles were able to restore their own youth every ten years by flying into the sun and then, after their wings had caught fire, diving three times into the water of the sea or a fountain. David made this eagle legend a symbol of the renewal of those who wait upon the LORD, and early Christians saw it as an analogy of the new life received in baptism (Isa 40:31; Psa 103:5). Unlike the phoenix whose symbolism the eagle shared, the eagle, although renewed, was not believed to be immortal. Even so, this majestic bird became a symbol of Christian immortality and the Resurrection. For the sake of humankind, the Phoenician god Melkarth burned himself on a funeral pyre. Then, having conquered death, Melkarth was transformed into an eagle and soared away from his pyre.

The association of the eagle with the sun, fire, light, and the Resurrection caused it to become an emblem of the Messiah. Christ, our supreme "fisher of men," was depicted as an eagle flying into the heavens with a fish in his claws. In the Song of Moses, God is portrayed as an eagle stirring up its nest of eaglets, teaching them to fly, and carrying them on its wings (Deu 32:11).

The eagle is considered the lion of the air. It is the king of birds just as the lion is the king of beasts. A two-headed eagle has twice the power, speed, courage, and nobility of a single-headed bird. A lion-headed eagle represents the king of both the earth and the sky. As a symbol of power, triumph, royalty, and omniscience, the eagle is the emblem of many countries both ancient and modern including the Roman Empire and the United States. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Roman soldiers insulted the temple mound by offering sacrifices to their eagle standards on the very site of the ruined temple.

Since the conversion of Constantine, this well-known symbol of divine power has been an emblem of Christianity's triumph over persecution and paganism. Like many royal images, the eagle represents Christ and His kingship.

The prophet Ezekiel saw visions of creatures who had four faces corresponding to the four living creatures of Revelation; one of which was like an eagle. These creatures which continuously sing, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" have been variously interpreted (Ezek 1:10; 10:14; Rev 4:7-8). Since they represent (in Revelation order) the kings of wild beasts, domestic creatures, intellectual beings, and birds, Clarke believes that together they symbolize the entire creation engaged in praising God. Matthew Henry thinks they stand for the four Gospel writers. (We have previously seen that the eagle is the emblem of St. John and his Gospel.) Chilton says the four living creatures, represent "the middle signs in the four quarters of the Zodiac," (Leo, Taurus, Aquarius, and Scorpio - Scorpio was once pictured as an Eagle) and so the heavens declaring the glory of the Lord (Ps 19:1).

The eagle is a natural "enemy of serpents" and sometimes represents Christ triumphing over Satan as it ascends, grasping a snake in its powerful beak. In pre-Christian art, an eagle struggling with a bull, snake, or lion signifies the struggle between spiritual and earthly forces. In this sense, the eagle may also symbolize various gods and heroes engaged in the war between good and evil.

Like many birds of prey, the eagle is a symbol of Satan or the Antichrist who devours the human soul in the form of helpless creatures such as rabbits or birds. This is especially true when the eagle is pictured making off with a fish. (The fish is one of the earliest symbols of Christianity.) The eagle here may also represent oppression, the thirst for power, or the sins of pride and greed.

Because of the swiftness of the eagle's flight, both the eagle and its wings have been used to emphasize the speed of attacking armies and of the LORD (Deu 28:49; Dan 4:19-37; Jer 49:22; Ezek 17:3-7; Hosea 8:1; Hab 1:8; Jer 4:13; Lam 4:19). During the Exodus, the Lord bore Israel safely away from the Egyptians upon eagle's wings (Exo 19:4). The early Judean church was granted the "wings of a great eagle" to flee from the siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (Rev 12:14; Mt 24:15-28; Dan 9:27). Saul and Jonathan were "swifter than eagles" (2 Sam 1:23). Job's days passed so swiftly and brought such terrors, they were "like an eagle swooping on its prey" (Job 9:26). Riches, too, made themselves wings with which they were wont to "fly away like an eagle toward heaven" (Prov 23:5).

Unless otherwise indicated all scripture quotes are from the NKJV Bible.