And what does that statement mean?
There is also another (related) way to interpret Matthew 24:28. Carrion eaters, (buzzards, vultures, crows and eagles) also consume, or sweep
away the remains of the dying, or dead, in order to promote a
healthier "sustainable" habitat. If no carrion birds quickly cleaned up a carcass... flies, rodents and other creatures that spread disease would be attracted to the carcass and multiply. It could be argued, the "eagles" referred to in Matthew 24:28 are the very forces God will use to "purify and cleanse" the Earth. Indeed, the Scripture says, the Earth is one of the things God has reserved for fire, and the judgment of unrighteous men, (2 Peter 3:7).
We often
forget in our own hubris how powerful the forces of nature and the universe are. In the blink of an eye, an asteroid impact, super earthquake eruption, coronal mass ejection from the sun (super solar flare) could ravage our modern civilization and knock us back to the 17th century virtually overnight. The North Pole melting and sea levels rising 20 feet ? That is where our populations and trade are concentrated, along coastlines in major cities. The inundation of our coastal cities would be a catastrophic and apocalyptic event.
So the foreshadowing of terrors we are now glimpsing, may well be a final
warning from God. He is saying, "I have the power to purify and cleanse the Earth". The "Earth and all the creations therein" are MINE. The Bible says, "the FEAR of God is the beginning of Knowledge and Wisdom" (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10).