AM Bible Study Group; October 5, 2016 from Revelation 19:17-2:3
Theme: This passage describes what will happen to the forces of evil on this earth at the return of the Lord
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
This passage describes victory. It is a scripture that declares good news; because it describes to us the events that will occur at the return of the Lord—just before He commences His rule and thousand-year reign on earth with His saints.
Though it is a very sober passage, we should nevertheless greet it with the attitude of reading a story of “the battle won”. We should give praise to God for it; because, in it, we are promised the end of the devil’s activities of evil against the saints during this present age.
I. THE GREAT SUPPER OF GOD IS ANNOUNCED (19:17-18).
This vision is introduced to John through an angel standing in the sun. This would illustrate a stark contrast to the darkness that covered the earth during the times of judgment. Imagine what a scene this would be—as the silhouette of this angel stands in the bright sunshine! What a picture of victory! But it is a sober victory; because we read that he announces to the birds of the earth that they should come for the supper of the great God (or more accurately, “the great supper of God”). This parallels the prophecy of Ezekiel 39:17-20; which says,
“And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God, ‘Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field:
“Assemble yourselves and come;
Gather together from all sides to My sacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you,
A great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel,
That you may eat flesh and drink blood.
You shall eat the flesh of the mighty,
Drink the blood of the princes of the earth,
Of rams and lambs,
Of goats and bulls,
All of them fatlings of Bashan.
You shall eat fat till you are full,
And drink blood till you are drunk,
At My sacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you.
You shall be filled at My table
With horses and riders,
With mighty men
And with all the men of war,” says the Lord God (Ezekiel 39:17-20).
Note that these birds—called together for the feast—gather to eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses and their riders, and all people—free and slave, small and great. This sounds very much like the group described in Revelation 6:15—who we’re told will cry out in woe for the mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them on the coming of the dreadful day of wrath of the Lamb. Could it be that the slain are about to so fill the Jezreel Valley (or “Armageddon”; see 16:16) in this great ‘final’ battle, that it will be a greater clean-up task than the survivors alone could do?—and that God must enlist the birds of the air to do this gruesome job? How horrible this victory will be!
II. THE ARMIES OF THE BEAST ARE GATHERED AGAINST CHRIST (19:19).
We often think that the coming of the Lord to this earth at His return will be a time of instant peace. But no. Amazingly, at the sight of our Lord and His armies, the beast and his kings will gather their armies against Christ at His coming—and all in a last-ditch effort to prevent Him from reigning. Jesus was described to us earlier as the One sitting on the white horse (v. 11) and as the glorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords (v. 16). Who then can fathom the depths of human depravity—that men would actually gather to make war against the glorious Son of God and try to prevent Him from taking His rightful throne upon earth! Note that, for one brief period, all the kings of the earth and their armies will be in unison with each other. They will all unite to make war against Christ.
III. THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET ARE TAKEN (19:20).
But their effort to make war against the Son of God comes to nothing. The beast is “captured”; and along with him, the false prophet is also taken—who worked miracles in the beast’s presence, and who deceived those who received his mark into worshiping his image (see 13:11-17). It is apparent that these two individuals are human; but they both hold a notorious distinction from all the rest of humanity in that they are cast alive into the lake of fire at least 1,000 years before anyone else (see 20:5, 11-15). Note that they are cast in “alive” into that place described as burning with brimestone; and they remain in that condition—continuing to exist in conscious torment—until the devil is cast in with them 1,000 years later! And there they will be “day and night forever and ever” (20:10). What a dreadful thought.
IV. THE ARMIES OF THE BEAST ARE KILLED (19:21).
We’re not told specifically that the beast and the false prophet are killed. (In fact, we’re told that they are cast ‘alive’ into the lake of fire.) But we are told that the rest of the armies of the beast, who joined him in his attack against Christ, are killed “with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse” (see 1:16; 2:12, 16). This sword was spoken of as a feature of the Lord at His coming in Revelation 19:15. The mighty, conquering Lord Jesus Christ has but to speak the word; and those who set themselves to make war against Him die. It’s then that the birds of the heavens, who were given their loathsome invitation, gather and dine at the great supper of God. What a contrast to the marriage supper of the Lamb (19:7)! May we be there for the marriage supper … and not the other!
V. THE DEVIL IS BOUND FOR A THOUSAND YEARS (20:1-3).
It’s then that another angel comes down with the key to the bottomless pit (the abyss; see 9:1 ff) and a great chain in his hand. It will take a great chain to hold Him! This angel then “laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan (20:2); and with the great chain, binds him and casts him in the bottomless pit (not yet into the lake of fire), shuts him up, sets a seal on him, and thus ensures that he will not deceive the nations during the next thousands years. He will be released, however, for a time at the end of the thousand-year reign of our Lord; but only to then be defeated and finally cast into the lake of fire (20:7-10). When we consider all the evil and misery he has been the sponsor of upon mankind, what joy those 1,000 years will be!