Eagle Christians

Author Dr. Brian J. Bailey in Spiritual Understanding

The Lord God, Creator of the universe is a God of variety. Yet, He states that He created this earth not in vain but with purpose. So purposeful and meaningful is His creation that we may understand His eternal power and Godhead through those things that He has made.

Thus, all aspects of His creation have, apart from the fact that they function to perform His will, an intermeshing with each other in harmonious accord.

Each part of His creation reveals His wisdom (Psalm 135:5), and reveals His glory and nature.  King Solomon, through wisdom, spoke of trees and also of fowl as stated in 1 Kings 4:35.  The Gospel is shown in creation as Paul writes in Romans 1:20, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

So, all His creation reveals His glory and it also instructs us, His creation. The purpose for this article that we want to concentrate our thoughts and intentions upon are the fowl of the air and in particular upon the eagle.  However, before doing so let us consider the spiritual significance of some of the other birds.

The Sparrow
Is a symbol of insignificance.  Are not two sparrows sold for penny, but yet not one falls to the ground without the Heavenly Father knowing it. Thus, the sparrow speaks of those Christians who feel of little worth yet the eye of the Lord is upon them for good and He cares for them.

The Raven
An unclean bird, was used by God to feed the mighty prophet Elijah. This speaks of the fact that the Lord will use the unclean – the unsaved – to provide for His people.

The Owl
Is a type of human wisdom; an appearance of wisdom but the owl is a bird of the night, as are all those who trust in the wisdom of this world.

The Dove
Is a symbol of the Holy Spirit Himself and also of peace. The dove has no gall bladder – the gall bladder being a symbol of bitterness. The dove is also a symbol of faithfulness, mating only once in their lifetime.

The Sparrow, The Raven, The Owl and The Dove.

The Eagle

But now we wish to consider the mighty eagle whose head adorns one of the four living creatures. The eagle is a symbol of the message of the fourth Gospel, the Gospel of John, which portrays the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God and therefore the eagle portrays the mature sons of God.

Here are some significant facts concerning the eagle:

• The eagle is a bird of prey. We are called to take the enemy and destroy him. The eagle is especially able to fight, overcome and destroy snakes, which are the symbol of Satan and his hordes. Just as Moses placed a bronze serpent upon the staff and all who looked upon it were healed, so Jesus, upon the Cross, destroyed the power of Satan that old serpent and we are healed.

• The eagle has a telescopic eye and sees things afar off. Thus, the eagle Christians are men and women of vision, who see the goal of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

• Eagles are swift and so does the King’s business demand haste. We cannot dilly-dally in life, taking our time about the Lord’s work. Diligence and application to the ministry are the hallmarks of eagle Christians. They who are zealous for the things of God shall stand before great men.

• The delight of the eagle is the lofty cedars that are a symbol of strength.  Eagles dwell and make their nests in the high rocks.

• Eagles symbolize the overcomer, as I trust this experience that I had many years ago will illustrate.

I was experiencing extreme persecution whilst pastoring an evangelical Church because the Lord had commanded me to preach on the truths of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Not only did I feel pressure from many members of the congregation who opposed those truths but also from many in the town who would cross over on the other side of the street when they saw me.

One night I had a vision of a long valley and at the other end a storm was gathering. As it came rushing down the valley gorge with increasing intensity the sparrows and other birds hid for fear until the storm would pass. However, at the end of the valley towards which the storm was bearing down there was a magnificent eagle. As it scented the storm with its nostrils, far from fleeing and hiding like those smaller birds, it stretched out its tremendous wings and that storm that sent lesser birds seeking refuge, was in fact the very means whereby the eagle would rise to higher heights. It sprang into the storm with a joy that I felt pulsating in my own heart. I began to understand how the eagle Christian of old, the Apostle Paul, could triumphantly declare that he gloried in tribulation.

Beloved, this is the attitude of eagle Christians and look at their rewards. The Word of God states that those who feed upon His Word shall renew their youth like the eagle (Psalm 103:5). Those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint.

Eagles are symbols of the victorious Kings of Assyria and Babylon, conquerors of old. They are too, however, symbol’s of God’s kings and priests who shall triumph gloriously over the storms of life and soar to higher heights in Him.

Let us, dear ones dwell in Psalm 91:1 under the shadow of our Glorious Eagle King, that we might triumph with Him over the pestilences and the enemy. Borne upon His Eagle Wings like Israel of old, we will learn to fly as He does, to soar into Heavenly places and yet descend with swiftness to destroy the enemy that seeks to destroy the weaker ones.

In so doing, we will inhabit the mountaintops and yet with vision be able to see the enemy afar off and wan the younger ones. Oh what joy the eagle has as he through the storms does soar above life’s viscitudes triumphantly, using adversity to climb to higher heights and taste of the powers of the world to come.

May God bless all you eagle and eaglet Christians with glorious days of victory are ahead.  Stretch forth your wings and face the storms of life and you will more than a conqueror through our Beloved, Jesus, the Glorious Eagle King.

About the Author

Dr. Brian J. Bailey is the President of Zion Fellowship International, Zion Ministerial Institute, and Zion University. He is also Senior pastor of Zion Chapel in Waverly, New York. He has traveled to over a 100 countries during his ministry of over fifty years, teaching in Bible colleges and preaching in leadership seminars. He is a prolific author of over 50 Christian books that have been published around the world and translated into many languages, including Chinese, Hindi, Russian, Spanish, and French.

Dr. Bailey hails from London, England and left there on his first missionary trip to France. From there he went to Switzerland and became co-founder of a missions fellowship called “Croisade Missionaire.” It was there he met his wife who was herself on a missionary trip to Europe and North Africa.

After a pastorate in Washington State, the Baileys were invited to be on the faculty of Elim Bible Institute. Later they were invited to New Zealand where they had an extended ministry and participated in the national awakening that the country experienced. In 1973 they served for more than five years with World MAP, a missions organization that conducted leadership training seminars in many nations throughout the world. This led them to travel and minister in many nations. Then the Lord directed them to establish Hebron Missionary Fellowship at Waverly, NY which is now named Zion Fellowship International.

Dr. Bailey received a Doctor of Theology, Th. D. from Hebron Bible College. He received a Ph. D. in Biblical Studies form Vision Christian Bible Seminary. He also received a Doctor of Divinity, D. D. from Canada Christian College.