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The Book of Revelation
Chapter Nineteen


Preface

Chapters 19 through 22 are of special and joyful interest to the believer in Jesus Christ. These chapters outline the culmination of God’s creation as it relates to Earth and the evil that has dominated it since its renovation in Genesis 1:2. These chapters document the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the final and victorious battle of Armageddon, the Millennial Kingdom, the disposition of Satan, the Beast and the False Prophet, and the establishment of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

These chapters graphically reveal what the disciples were curious about when they approached Jesus Christ on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24, 25), asking about the sign of His coming and the end of the age. This being the case, these two chapters will be herein outlined, and the “parables of end-time judgment” in chapter 25 will be briefly summarized.

Matthew 24 


Verses 	1, 2 	     Prediction of the Temple’s destruction
Verse	3	     “What” and “When” inquiries by the disciples
	             ***************WHAT****************
Verses	4-26	     The Tribulation Period
      Note: The following cogent paragraph from Major Bible Prophecies, by John F. Walvoord, which applies to this passage, is offered for the reader’s consideration.

      In connection with the prospect of the gospel of the kingdom, Jesus declared, “He who stands firm to the end will be saved (Matt. 24:13). This has confused many because it implies that salvation is not a work of God but something that is attained at the end of life. The answer, however, is found in the fact that this is not referring to spiritual salvation but to deliverance from persecution such as will characterize the end of the age. Many in the Great Tribulation will live until the end of the age but others will die because of their faith and therefore will not be on earth when Christ returns. The passage is referring to the godly remnant who will last through the Great Tribulation in spite of everything and who will be awaiting Jesus when he returns. This remnant will be composed of both Jews and Gentiles who are saved and have put their trust in Christ even during that awful period. They will be delivered by the second coming of Christ. 

Verses 27-31 	    The Second Coming of Christ
               	    ***************WHEN****************
Verses 32-51        Three parables regarding the time of the Second Coming of Christ
	            Fig Tree
		    Days of Noah
		    Two Servants


Note: A parable is a short, fictitious narrative that illustrates a principle or fact of doctrine. A study of the Greek word “parabole,” which is translated parable, indicates the meaning of “setting alongside” or a “comparison.” In order to fully understand a parable, one must also know and compare it with Bible doctrine. All parables are derived from the mode of life as it was at the time the parable was written. The characters and incidents are figurative or typical. Proper names and geographic locations are never used in a parable. This enables the student of God’s Word to distinguish a parable from an actual historic event; although, the parable may in fact illustrate a fact or facts regarding an historical event. The narrative of a parable has an outward literal meaning to both the believer and the unbeliever, but its inner spiritual meaning is directed to the believer that has Bible doctrine resident in his soul.

Matthew 25    Two Parables and the Account of the Nations End-time Judgment

Parable of the Ten Virgins (1-13)

This parable is addressed to Israel and not to the church. It is the first of two parables that describe events and/or lessons that take place “at that time,” i.e., upon the return of Christ, which He has just previously been discussing with His four disciples in chapter 24. This parable describes those of the Nation Israel who are either prepared or not prepared upon the coming of the bridegroom (Christ)-who comes with His bride (Revelation 19:7-9, 14), the Church-which is subsequent to the Rapture and at the end of the Tribulation Period. Israelites who have gone through the Tribulation Period will either be prepared for His coming or not, depending on whether or not they have by faith alone accepted Christ alone for their personal salvation. Those who do not have oil (typical of the Holy Spirit) for their lamps will not be permitted into the wedding [banquet], because the bridegroom will not know them.

The Parable of the Talents (14-30)

This second parable, again addressed to Jews who will go through the Tribulation Period, illustrates that they will be accountable with that which God provides them, e.g., spiritual enlightenment, gifts and opportunities, during that time. Upon the coming of Christ, those who have properly accepted Him, evidenced by their conduct, will be acceptable to Him and in a position for reward. Those, on the other hand, who do nothing with His grace-gift other than bury it and then blame God for their misfortune, will be cast into outer darkness.

The Nations End-time Judgment (31-46)

This passage is sometimes referred to as “the parable of the sheep and goats,” and although sheep and goats are analogically mentioned in the account, this passage is a factual account addressed to the nations (Gentiles) concerning their treatment of Israel (possibly the 144,000 Jewish witnesses) during the Tribulation Period. John F. Walvoord in his Every Prophecy of the Bible has this to say regarding this passage.

      This passage, however, has puzzled expositors because there is no preaching of the Cross, there is no statement of the Gospel as necessary for salvation, and all the passage speaks of is the contrast of the works of the sheep and the goats. The answer to this problem, however, is not a denial that salvation is based on faith and grace alone (Rom. 3:10-12, 21, 28). The passage can be seen in the light of James 2:26 which declares, “faith without deeds is dead.” What is here presented is not the ground of salvation but the fruit of salvation.

      In ordinary times it would be difficult to determine whether a Gentile is saved or lost on the basis of his treatment of Jews. However, in the Great Tribulation preceding the Second Coming because of worldwide anti-Semitism and the attempt to kill all the Jews, anyone who opposes this and actually befriends a Jew and visits him in prison or in the hospital is obviously declaring his faith in the Bible and his recognition that the Jews are God’s chosen people. Apart from faith in Christ under these circumstances, no one would dare to befriend a Jew. Though the sheep were different in nature than goats, they are demonstrated as the saved by their works, and goats are demonstrated by their lack of good works.

This passage concerns itself with one of several judgments spoken of in Scripture. Expositors differ on the number of judgments. For instance Clarence Larkin lists five separate judgments in his book, The Second Coming of Christ-although only four can be considered “end-time” judgments. The list of five is as follows.

    1.     The Judgment of Believers for Sin at the Cross. Romans 10:4; Romans 8:1-2; John 5:24.
    2.     The Judgment of Believers for Works at the Judgment Seat of Christ-to take place between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Peter 5:4; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; Revelation 22:12.
    3.     The Judgment of Jews during the Great Tribulation. Matthew 24:20-22; Jeremiah 30:4-7; Daniel 12:1; Ezekiel 22:19-22.
    4.     The Judgment of the Nations at the Throne of His [Christ’s] Glory-to take place at the Second Coming of Christ and either before or at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. Matthew 25:31-46; Joel 3:1, 2
    . 5.     The Judgment of the Wicked Dead at the Great White Throne of Christ-to take place at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ upon the Earth. 2 Peter 3:7; Revelation 20:11-15; Jude 14, 15.

The judgment spoken of in Matthew 25:31-46 is often referred to as the “Judgment of the Gentiles.” A companion passage to these two chapters in Matthew is found in Luke 21:24-28, wherein Jesus states, “They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ” Here Christ indicates a time frame for the “times of the Gentiles,” which began with the Babylonian captivity in 606 BC and will terminate at the end of the Great Tribulation with the Second Coming of Christ. At this time the Judgment of the Nations (Gentiles) will take place. This event and possibly others will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation after the Battle of Armageddon and before or at the initiation of the Millennial Kingdom. The time frame difference between 1,260 and 1,335 days as noted in Daniel 12:12 may account for this and other activities, which will be commented on later in this commentary.

The overriding message of however many judgments one may understand that will take place at the “end of the age,” is this-whereas Jesus, in essence very God, once humbled Himself to leave His multi-dimensional and eternal realm to become fragile flesh and reside in earth’s four-dimensional (length, width, height and time) sphere of existence to exercise grace by dying on the Cross for the sins of mankind, He will now at the “end of the age” come only in great power, glory and final judgment. Throughout time man has always had available to him the love and grace of God. The time is soon coming when the “other side of the coin” of God’s character will appear. The justice and wrath of God will prevail over all evil-of Satan and his angels and of man.

On to the commentary of chapter 19, which presents the Second Coming of Jesus Christ-the primary theme of the Book of Revelation. All that precedes this event throughout this book is by way of introduction of this, a major, if not the major prophecy throughout both the Old and New Testament.

Revelation 19:1-6
After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants." And again they shouted: "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever." The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!" Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both small and great!" Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.


“After this” [the destruction of the two Babylons] John hears a tremendous roar of a sound from heaven, like unto a “great multitude” [the same wording as used in 7:9]; therefore it is concluded that this sound emanates, at least in part, from the martyred saints of the Great Tribulation. The first word John hears is “Hallelujah,” which is the first of four “Hallelujahs” in the New Testament, all of which are found in this chapter.

The Greek word for hallelujah is allelouia, which is a transliteration from the Hebrew and both have the same meaning-“praise the Lord.” It is a strong and distinct expression of “praise.” This passage is what inspired Handel in his creation of his famous Messiah, which contained the ever popular and forceful “Hallelujah Chorus.” The rejoicing in heaven is as a result of several factors, as listed.

    1.     God’s salvation-the grace of God by faith alone in Christ alone, available to all.
    2.     God’s glory-the honor and admiration due God from everyone.
    3.     God’s power-the supremacy and total control of God in everything.
    4.     God’s judgments-which are true and just, over all evil and sin.


The “hallelujah chorus” continues to amplify its joy over the fact that God has condemned the “great prostitute” [the “religious” Babylon] and has avenged the blood of the saints by destroying her. Of the two Babylons, the one representing “religion” is by far the worse. It may be ventured that without “religion” and its influence upon man, there never would have been an evil “political and commercial” Babylon. This may be supposition, but it is for certain that without Satan’s emphasis on “salvation by good works,” this world would be by far a better place, and the systems, political and otherwise, of this world would have taken another tack. The next “Hallelujah” appears to apply to God’s destruction of the second Babylon (“the smoke goes up from her forever and ever”)-the political and commercial Babylon. Those in heaven will experience great joy over the fact that neither Babylon will be permitted to ever live again to spread their evil and idolatry.

The 24 elders, who at the very least all represent believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (see commentary on Chapter 4), and the four living creatures fall down before the throne of God and worship Him, crying “Amen, Hallelujah.” The word “amen” is first mentioned in Numbers 5:22, and it is a word of “affirmation and approval.” It is an expression of “total consent” to whatever it applies. It is the same as saying, “so be it.” Therefore, the 24 elders and the four creatures are offering their complete and absolute approval and consent, along with their praise, of the actions taken by God at the end of the age. John next hears a voice that comes from the throne of God saying to the throng gathered around the throne. As a result of this, a mighty roar of praise, shouting “Hallelujah,” goes up before God declaring, “our Lord God Almighty reigns.”

Revelation 19:7-10
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, "Write: `Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God." At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."


The hosts around the throne continue to rejoice and give glory to God because the “wedding of the Lamb” has come and “His bride” has made herself ready. To the Bible student there is no confusion as to who is the “Lamb” (known as the “Bridegroom” in other passages of Scripture) and who is the “bride.” In this passage alone it is clear that the “Lamb” is the “Bridegroom,” because of the reference, “His bride.”

A review of John 1:29; 3:28-30 shows that John the Baptist referred to Jesus Christ as the “Lamb” and then as the “bridegroom.” Jesus referred to Himself as the “Bridegroom” in Matthew 9:15, Mark 2:19 and Luke 5:34. There is no doubt that Jesus Christ is both the “Lamb of God” and the “bridegroom,” as seen in this passage of Scripture.

Who is the “bride?” Tim LeHaye in his Revelation Unveiled says it well.

      The answer to the question “Who is the Bride?” presents a difference of opinion. Some say that the Bride is Israel, because in Revelation 19:7 [KJV] she is called “wife,” as in Isaiah 54:5 Israel is called the wife of God. But the Bride cannot be Israel because a bride is not called a wife until after the marriage has taken place. Besides, there are two wives in Scripture. The Old Testament wife was “cast off” because of the spiritual adultery committed in the worship of other gods (Jer. 3:1-20; Ezek. 16; Hos. 2; 3:1-5). It is this very difference that Paul had in mind in 2 Corinthians 11:2: “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.” The Church has been guilty of many sins in her nearly two thousand years of existence, but spiritual adultery is not one of them. Spiritual adultery is defined in Scripture as the worship of other gods. One cannot be a Christian, with the Holy Spirit as the witness in one’s heart, and worship anyone but the Lord Jesus Christ. This fact, of course, automatically becomes the test as to the genuineness of salvation.

      One other verse of importance to consider here regarding the identity of the Bride is found in Ephesians 5:32. The Apostle Paul, speaking to husbands and wives of their relationship together, likens the husband to Christ and the wife to the Church. He sums it up in verse 32 by saying, “This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church,” clearly indicating that the perfect picture of the relationship between the Lord Jesus and His Church is that of a bride and a bridegroom. Therefore when a person accepts Jesus Christ, he or she becomes a member of the Church, the true invisible Church, and is automatically espoused or engaged to Christ. This engagement will be finalized as the marriage of the Lamb.


In this passage the bride [Church] is seen as ready, dressed in “fine, clean and bright linen,” which represents the “righteous acts of the saints.” This indicates that the Bema Seat Judgment of the Church has already taken place sometime between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ, as seen in the next passage of Scripture. This judgment takes place in heaven, where every child of God is rewarded for his faithfulness and stewardship while he or she is on earth.

The wedding ceremony must be understood in light of the wedding traditions of the days when Christ walked upon the earth. At that time there were three phases to a proper wedding: (1) The execution of a marriage contract between the parents of the bride and the bridegroom, wherein the parents of the bridegroom would pay a dowry to the parents of the bride. This was the legal marriage, which would require a divorce to break the union. (2) At a later date, which could be as much as a year in length, the bridegroom, along with his male friends, would proceed to the bride’s house at midnight with a torch parade through the streets. The bride would be ready with her maidens and would then join the procession and go back to the home of the bridegroom-usually the home of his parents. This is illustrated in the Parable of the Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. (3) The third phrase of the wedding was the marriage feast that could go on for days, which is illustrated in the wedding at Cana in Galilee in John 2:1-12.

The first two phases of the wedding between Christ and His Church take place before Christ returns to earth at His Second Coming. The legal phase is consummated on earth when an individual places his trust in Christ as Savior. He is bought and paid for by the blood of Christ and now belongs to Him in the sense of a betrothal. The second phase of the wedding is at the Rapture when the Bridegroom [Christ] comes to take His bride [Church] at the “midnight hour,” and take her back to His Father’s house.

Now as the Second Coming is in view, the third phase of the wedding (the wedding feast) is now announced as if it was not consummated in heaven but is about to be performed at or after the Second Coming. Many expositors have it taking place in heaven prior to the Second Coming. Although this may be the case, there is no reason, by way of analysis of the text, that it couldn’t take place just before the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom on earth. This then, again, could be one of the reasons for the difference in 1,260 and 1,335 days as is seen in Daniel 12:12. Furthermore, it would allow the gathering and inclusion of all the appropriate wedding guests-the Old Testament saints who are going to be raised at the Second Coming as well as the martyred dead of the Tribulation Period. One other thought is that if the wedding feast takes place when each person has his resurrected body, it would allow for a very festive time of actually eating and drinking.

John is overwhelmed by the revelation of the wedding and the wedding feast. He falls down to worship the angel who is revealing this to him, only to be brought up short by the angelic being. The angel quickly informs John that he is simply a “fellow servant” with John and his brothers who “hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Bottom line, with men and angels, the testimony-death, resurrection, ascension and second coming-of Jesus Christ is all that matters in time or eternity. The angel tells John to “Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” John F. Walvoord put it succinctly when he said, “Prophecy has its central purpose in revealing the beauty and righteousness of Christ.” (Every Prophecy of the Bible) Tim LeHaye in Revelation Unveiled is more effusive, but correct.

      The above expression gives the finest definition of the spirit of prophecy to be found in the Bible, “the testimony of Jesus.” Prophecy is not solely the prediction of the future, as some say, not is it only the declaration of ethical principles, as others claim. Prophecy receives its value and meaning from its relation to Christ, whether that relation be direct or indirect. From the first prophetic utterance of God (Gen. 3:15) to the last prediction of the Revelation, the heart of prophecy has been directed to the person of Christ. Errors of interpretation of details may be inescapable, but there need be no error in understanding the direction and purpose of prophecy; as a whole, it points to Christ.

Never forget the opening words of the most significant book of prophecy within the New Testament-the Book of Revelation, which are “The revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Revelation 19:11-16
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.


Next to the Rapture, which is the “glorious appearing-the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) of Jesus Christ when He appears in the clouds to snatch His bride from the earth prior to the Tribulation Period, the most significant event in God’s Word is the Second Coming of Christ in power and in glory back to earth, with His bride at His side, to set up His Millennial Kingdom. This is the subject of this passage.

John sees heaven “standing open” and before him a white horse with a rider. The rider is none other than Jesus Christ. The rider is called “Faithful and True,” and this reminds the Bible student that Jesus is the “Way, the Truth and the Life.” His eyes are like “blazing fire,” and He has on his head “many crowns.” This signifies the wrath of Christ and His supreme authority as He now descends upon earth and all its evil. The rider has a name that no one knows but Himself. Apparently this is a different name than the one given in the next sentence, which is “Word of God”-another affirmation that the rider is Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 2, 14). The rider is dressed in a robe dipped in blood. Jesus Christ comes on the basis of His shed blood on the Cross of Calvary, and He now comes to shed the blood of all who have refused His mercy and love.

Along with Christ are the armies of heaven, which the writer believes is the Church of God-since they are dressed in the “fine linen, white and clean” that was given to them in verse 8. The rider and His armies are all on white horses, verifying that there will be horses (and possibly-this is pure conjecture-other animals) in heaven and the Millennial Kingdom. Should anyone think it strange that there are horses in heaven, suggested reading would be 2 Kings 2:11; 6:13-17. The rider will strike down the nations with a sword that proceeds from His mouth. He will then rule these nations with an iron scepter (Psalm 2:9; Revelation 2:27; Isaiah 11:4). The sword that comes from the mouth of Christ may be the “sword of the Spirit,” which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Certainly if Christ can “speak” the universe into being, He can by a simple word destroy the earth and all that is upon it.

Finally, in His anger He “treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.” That is, His judgment and destruction will be both holy and complete. Finally, it is stated that a name is written on the rider’s robe and on His thigh, which is “King of kings and Lord of lords.” (1 Timothy 6:15)

It is helpful to study other passages of Scripture that depict the Second Coming of Christ, which are Isaiah 63:1-6; Zechariah 14:3-5; Matthew 24:27-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10; Jude 14, 15.

Revelation 19:17-
And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and His army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.


“Armageddon”-a word that should strike terror in the minds of unbelievers and solace in the hearts of those who have by faith alone accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior; yet, it is a word used generically today so often to represent any large military conflict that it often goes unnoticed. To the serious Bible student it is known as “The Battle of Armageddon,” “The Great Day of God Almighty,” or “The Battle on the Great Day of God Almighty.” “Armageddon,” introduced to the reader of this book in 16:16 (the only use of the word in the Bible) means “Mount of Megiddo” or “Mount of Slaughter” and is a location-a beautiful valley-to the east of Mount Megiddo. This location will be the final battleground between the forces of good and evil. It is a natural battleground. Many great military generals throughout history have experienced both victory and defeat in this expansive and fertile valley.

A study of all scriptural passages relating to it throughout both the Old and New Testament indicates that it is probably a series of battles rather than just one conflict-therefore it can be seen as the “War of Armageddon.” The number and length of these battles are unknown. They could take place in a moment of time, for nothing is impossible with God; but, they probably will extend over a period of time so that unbelievers may truly see the futility in opposing God Almighty. Could this be one of the reasons for the difference in time between 1,260 and 1,335 days as stated in Daniel 12:12? The answer is unknown.

In chapter 16 the reader has already seen the three evil spirits that looked like frogs that came out of the mouths of the dragon [Satan], the Beast and the False Prophet, which were “spirits of demons” that performed miraculous signs before the “kings of the whole world” in order to gather them for “the battle on the great day of God Almighty.” In Ezekiel 39:17-22 the carnage of this great battle is well described. Actually it appears that Ezekiel 38 & 39 encompass two major conflicts between the forces of good and evil-one which may transpire prior to the Tribulation Period and the other, the battle of Armageddon. Here is what Tim LaHaye in Revelation Unveiled says on this subject.

      Ezekiel 38-39 primarily describe the destruction of the armies of Gog and Magog, who come down against Israel, which will probably take place just prior to the Tribulation. Most Bible commentators call this the Battle of Armageddon, but I think they speak amiss, for several reasons.

      1.     In Ezekiel 38:1-39:16 Gog’s armies come against Israel and are opposed by the Western confederation of nations. Armageddon will find all the armies of the earth united against Christ . . .(Ezek. 38:13)
      2.     In the battle described in Ezekiel, Israel is living in the land of unwalled villages in a time of peace, which will not be their lot in the latter half of the Tribulation period.
      3.     Also, it takes seven years to burn the implements of war left on the ground after this great battle . . .(Ezek. 39:9)

      This cannot be carried out during the Millennium; therefore, we conclude it will be accomplished before the Tribulation. Whether this is before or after the Rapture of the Church is impossible to ascertain, because the Bible does not teach conclusively that the Tribulation begins immediately after the Rapture. The Tribulation, begun by the signing of the covenant between Antichrist and Israel (Dan. 9:27), may or may not commence immediately following the Rapture. Therefore Ezekiel 39:17-22 goes beyond that immediate battle when Gog’s armies come down against Israel, for in this latter section it is all the armies united together, as it will be at the end of the Tribulation.

      Putting these passages together (Ezek. 39:17-22 and Rev.16:13-21), we find that when Christ meets the armies of Antichrist in the Valley of Megiddo, they will come from east and west, and from the north and south. He then will slay them with the sword that comes out of His mouth (Rev. 19:15). All that will be left of these armies is little more than a gigantic feast for the birds of prey and other parasites.

Other scriptural passages that should be studied in light of Armageddon would be Joel 3:1-2, 9-17; Zechariah 12:1-9; 14:1-4; Matthew 24:27-31; and (possibly) Revelation 14:14-20. As the reader will find by wading through various detailed and fundamental expository works on this major future event, there are various interpretations as to just how this war of Armageddon will be executed. But all are in agreement that (1) it will take place, (2) it will culminate at the end of the Tribulation Period, (3) it will be final and (4) Jesus Christ will be completely victorious over Satan and all the forces of evil.

In addition to all the armies being destroyed so that their flesh may serve as cuisine for the birds of the air, John records that the Beast and the False Prophet are captured and “thrown alive” into “the fiery lake of burning sulfur.” Here is John F. Walvoord’s commentary out of Every Prophecy of the Bible on this subject.

      Careful distinction needs to be made between this lake of fire and hades. Those who are unsaved who die before the second coming of Christ go to hades, as illustrated by the rich man after his death (Luke 16:23). Up to this point nobody had been cast into the lake of fire. Both the beast and the false prophet, however, now are cast directly into the lake of fire, and they will be joined 1,000 years later by those who are now in hades or those who are unsaved at the end of the millennial kingdom. This marks the end, of course, of Gentile power and the world kingdom which was under the ruler of the beast out of the sea, and the beast out of the land, the false prophet who was associated with the beast of the sea (13:1-18). As supported by the fact that the beast and the false prophet are still there in the lake of fire at the end of the Millennium, it is clear that the lake of fire is not annihilation, and also it does not serve as a sanctifying force because those who are in it remain in their wicked natures with bodies that are suited for eternal punishment.

Jesus Christ is totally victorious at this battle, or war, if you please, of Armageddon. His judgment on them is summarized, “The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.” How useless is the power of man against God. The will of man controlled by his evil (sin) nature against the will of God is complete futility. No one will escape the final judgment and wrath of God. The only escape for anyone is to come by faith alone to Christ alone-TODAY, before it is too late.