The Great Supper of God

Revelation 19 opened with heaven itself being opened and John (the author) looking up and seeing a “white horse” with a robed rider sitting on top of the horse.

The description of the rider makes clear it’s none other than the risen Lord Jesus Christ returning to earth on the clouds in divine glory.

We emphasized how the second coming of Jesus is going to look very DIFFERENT than his first and that what Jesus looks like today is very DIFFERENT than what most people imagine.

“His eyes were like a fiery flame...” (Rev 19:12) Eyes of fire discribe the penetrating gaze of Jesus. Nothing escapes him. He sees it all. Even the secret motivations of the heart are laid bare before him. (that’s a sobering thought isn’t it?)

“and many crowns were on his head...” (Rev 19:12) Many as opposed to the seven crowns worn by the dragon. (Rev 12:3) The sovereign reign of Christ is unlimited in comparison to the partial reign of Satan on the earth.

“He had a name written that no one know except himself...” (Rev 19:12) This indicates that Jesus one with God and like God its impossible to know everything there is to know about him. Some in ancient world suggested to know the name meant one could control the individual (witchcraft) Jesus will not be controlled!

“He wore a robe dipped in blood...” (Rev 19:13) Commentators debate this but most concede this isn’t Jesus’ blood, shed on the cross for sinners. It’s the blood of his enemies, poured out during the judgments of God through the trumpet and bowls. (Isa 63:1-3)

This description by Jesus is followed by a description of a great army in heaven. Like Jesus they are wearing white robes and sitting on white horses. (Rev 19:14)

There’s a lot of debate over what individuals make up this army. I basically ignored most of that debate in our last message. What follows the description of this army is also hotly debated by theologians.

Read the Text

And that’s what we’re going to read about in our text today.

Revelation 19:17–21 (CSB)

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying high overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of military commanders, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great.”

19 Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against his army. 20 But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in its presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image with these signs. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate their fill of their flesh.

The Battle of Armageddon

You don’t see these verses on any coffee mugs at Mardel’s now do you?

The passage we just read is a description of Jesus - the warrior messiah - making war against the enemies of God.

This battle has already been mentioned in summary fashion earlier in the book of Revelation. It’s mentioned in the sixth of the seven bowl judgments. (Rev 16:16)

This war of wars is called the battle of Armageddon.

Announced by an Angel from Heaven

I want to give you SIX observations about this final battle. Six in honor of evil man behind this battle which is the Satanically inspired antichrist.

Notice how John sets the scene.

First, the battle is announced by an angel.

This isn’t surprising. Throughout the book of Revelation angels have been used to carry out the judgments of God.

This angel is described as “standing in the sun.” (Rev 19:17) I don’t know that we need to take that literally although some suggest maybe John means by that he’s standing in front of the sun as a type of solar eclipse.

Whether literal or figurative, the reason the angel stands in the sun is so that he’ll be positioned in the proper vantage point to call “the birds flying high overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God.” (Rev 19:17)

A Feast For Birds of Prey

That leads me to the second observation about this battle. It is a feast for the “birds.” Specifically “birds of prey.”

The text doesn’t call these birds by that name but the fact that they are instructed to eat the flesh of dead bodies indicates that is exactly what they are.

They are flying “high overhead.” (lit. middle heaven… where planes and birds fly)

Can you picture this in your minds eye? Think vultures, buzzards, eagles/hawks or crows flying high up in the sky circling around in preparation for a feast.

I can remember as a kid sweating like crazy working on barbed wire fence and a west texas buzzard circling around me (probably eying a dead rabbit not a sweaty boy!)

These birds are called upon to consume the flesh of human bodies that die in the battle of Armageddon.

It’s interesting: The digestive system of a vulture is uniquely capable of digesting poisons and acids like anthrax, cholera and even rabies! God made these animals to rid the earth of death and decay.

Jesus described this scene in his Olivet discourse.

Matthew 24:27–28 (CSB)

27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.

Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy

Not only is this battle a feast for birds of prey, it’s also a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

Both Jesus in Matthew 25 and John here in Revelation 19 are pulling imagery about this final war from Old Testament prophecy about God’s war on the Antichrist.

Consider these words from Ezekiel 38-39 which describe God’s war on Gog.

Ezekiel 39:17–20 (CSB)

17 “Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: Tell every kind of bird and all the wild animals, ‘Assemble and come! Gather from all around to my sacrificial feast that I am slaughtering for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel; you will eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the earth’s princes: rams, lambs, male goats, and all the fattened bulls of Bashan. 19 You will eat fat until you are satisfied and drink blood until you are drunk, at my sacrificial feast that I have prepared for you. 20 At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, of mighty men and all the warriors. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’

Can you picture this? A battle field littered with dead bodies and vultures and crows and animals of the night descending down on the bodies and consuming them until their bellies are gorged.

This is a picture of God cleansing the earth. He’s using his creation to purify this world of everything unholy and defiled.

This promised political deliverance is what so many first century disciples were hoping Jesus would do at his first coming. They were crying out for someone to overthrow their oppressors and let justice fall down like rain from heaven.

Indiscriminately Applied

The third thing to note about this final war is that God’s judgment is indiscriminately applied.

Notice how verse 18 describes the death and devastation harvested by these birds...

Revelation 19:18 (CSB)

18 … eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of military commanders, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great.”

The death and devastation brought about by Jesus at the battle of Armageddon is universal and indiscriminate.

You might’ve been nobility and upper class before the war began. After the battle, everybody is equally dead. Those who used their power and wealth to oppress now suffer an equal fate to their lessers on the battle field.

ALL EVIL DOERS are going to face judgment. The same idea was present during the sixth seal judgment in Revelation 6:15-16

Revelation 6:15–16 (CSB)

15 Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb,

When the wrath of the Lamb falls your nobility or earthly prestige will NOT protect you.

Usually when a king or political dignitary dies they are “laid in state” for people to come and honor the honorable. Not so with these deaths. There is no honor, no dignity, nothing but carnage and defilement for even the noblest of kings.

The death at this battle is comprehensive and universal. Regardless of your earthly status or reputation - the consequence of your sinful rebellion against God is death and destruction.

A Campaign Against Christ

When we get to verse 19 we see the camera zoom in on the players in this great war. We gain greater clarity for WHY God’s judgment is about to fall down like rain.

Verse 19 presents a great army, loyal to the beast. They’ve been enlisted as allies in a great campaign against the Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s the armies of the kingdom of the beast versus the rider on the white horse and his armies.

Revelation 19:19 (CSB)

19 Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against his army.

For those of you just now joining us this tension between these two kingdoms has been building since chapter 11.

The beast is a symbol for the antichrist and the centralization of godless political authority under his administration.

The “kings of the earth” are nations and states that’ve bowed the knee to the antichrist and joined him in his final campaign against Christ and his people.

These kings were deceived by the antichrist and his false prophet through the performing of miraculous signs and wonders. (Rev 16:13-14)

“Then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming from the dragon’s mouth, from the beast’s mouth, and from the mouth of the false prophet. For they are demonic spirits performing signs, who travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them for the battle on the great day of God, the Almighty.”

Literal or Symbolic?

As we’re going to see in a few moments, there are those who see this final battle in a symbolic or spiritual sense. They suggest it describes the ongoing battle between good and evil from the ascension of Jesus until his second coming.

While I understand the impulse to not interpret apocalyptic literature overly literal - the idea that this final battle is just a general reference to good overcoming evil doesn’t fly for me.

It seems much more definite and much more climactic than anything like that. It’s the final war between good and evil not just a symbolic representation of what takes place in every generation.

Evil Imprisoned

The result of this battle is two fold.

The first consequence of this campaign against Christ is the imprisonment of evil. Particularly the unholy trinity: the Antichrist, False Prophet and Dragon.

Verse 20 describes the imprisonment of the first two.

Revelation 19:20 (CSB)

20 But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in its presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image with these signs. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

Notice that these beast and the false prophet are “thrown alive” into the lake of fire.

The idea is that their torment is conscious and eternal. The description of hell as a “lake of fire” is unique to the book of Revelation. We’ve seen the link between torment and sulfur earlier in the book.

There are those who suggest the beast and false prophet represent something other than an individual persons but whether literal or symbolic the result is that the suffering they inflicted on others is now being experienced in their own life.

In Revelation 20:1-3 we see a different angel come down and imprison Satan the dragon. Revelation 20:1-3

Revelation 20:1–3 (CSB)

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.

Unrepentant Destroyed

After describing the imprisonment of evil Revelation 19 closes with the unrepentant destroyed.

Revelation 19:21 (CSB)

21 The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate their fill of their flesh.

This sword is the same sword that was mentioned earlier in chapter 19 that came from Jesus’ mouth.

There are those who believe this sword is a reference to Christ’ Word (ie. the Gospel, Scriptures)

Those who take this symbolically suggest that Christ triumphs over evil through the proclamation of the Gospel by the Church of Jesus Christ. Whether godless government or false religion, the forces of evil stand no chance against God’s Gospel as revealed in His inspired and inerrant Word.

I think the description of birds eating the flesh of unrepentant sinners - even if taken symbolically - suggests something other than than the preaching of the Gospel to undermine evil.

It very well may be true that the sword that comes from the mouth of Christ is symbolic of something - but the sign points to a tool of judgment and destruction. It is the means by which evil is destroyed and sinners are removed from the earth.

Putting It All Together

So for those of you who like to fill in the notes. The battle of armageddon is a great war...

announced by an angel

that becomes a feast for the birds

to fulfill Old Testament prophecy about

God’s indiscriminate judgment

for a campaign against Christ

that leaves evil imprisoned and

the unrepentant destroyed.

All Sin is Offensive To God

So what can we take away from all of this?

Well, the obvious takeaway is that ALL SIN - small and large, commission or omission, intentional and unintentional - ALL sin is offensive to a Holy God.

While there may be degrees to God’s punishment of sin there are no such degrees for God’s toleration of sin.

And while there may be a sense that certain types of people can get away with certain kinds of sin in this world with their fellow man. God sees all and knows all and He he by no means clears the guilty.

God is holy and will not indefinitely tolerate sin and evil in this world.

There are many preachers who would maybe skip this section in the book of Revelation (or skip entire sections of the Scripture). For them, this description of judgment doesn’t match with what they believe God is like. A God of mercy and grace and compassion and patience.

Well, the truth is GOD IS BOTH.

The verses that describe God’s wrath are just as inspired and true as the verses that describe God’s mercy. He’s abounding in steadfast love AND by no means clears the guilty.

One of the verses I memorized when I first starting getting serious about my faith and understanding God’s nature was in Exodus 34.

Exodus 34:6–7 (CSB)

6 The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed:

The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, 7 maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.

Different Interpretations

Before we close out our time I need to address an elephant in the room.

While most commentators would look at this break down of this final battle and agree on the basics, there is rich DISAGREEMENT on the particulars.

Everybody agrees that Revelation describes the triumph of Jesus over evil. People DISAGREE on the timing, the methods and implications of that victory.

Reading through these theological debates in preparation for this message has just brought home to me an important reminder about the interpretation of this book.

People disagree on the best interpretive grid for the book of Revelation because it’s NOT EASY to tell which method is best.

So know this: it’s okay for you to DISAGREE with me on the interpretation of the book of Revelation. To be honest, throughout this journey I’ve disagreed with MYSELF on many occasions.

As we develop our theological convictions - especially on secondary doctrines in the realm of eschatology/end times - we must remain humble and gracious in our interactions with one another.

So many churches have splits or experience incredible division because of their disagreements on these matters. May that not be true of us! Let us be humble and gracious as we seek to honor God in understanding and applying his revealed Word.

The Main Interpretive Camps

With that said, let me show you the main interpretive camps for how people understand this great battle of Armageddon.

We’ve already covered the four basic interpretive models for how people approach the book of Revelation.

Historicist (sees it being fulfilled throughout church history.)

Preterist (sees it being fulfilled within the first century / fall of Jerusalem/Rome)

Futurist (sees it as primarily being fulfilled sometime in the future)

Idealist (sees it primarily being fulfilled in a spiritual or symbolic sense)

Those of you who’ve been tracking with us since the beginning know we’ve been drawing from the bottom three camps to capitalizing on their strengths and avoid some of their weaknesses.

Like most things, most people are a combination of many different views and nuance themselves into a position that makes the most sense to them.

On The Millennium

When you get to Revelation 19-20 you run into a new interpretive question and that is the question of what’s called “The Millennium.” This battle we’re looking at today is followed by a description of peace and prosperity on the earth with King Jesus on the throne making all things new.

The main interpretive questions around the Millennium are WHEN it comes and WHAT its going to look like.

I want to present the three main views:

Premillennialism says that the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth happens AFTER Jesus return. AKA Jesus comes PRE (BEFORE) the Millennium.

Post-millennialism says that the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth happens BEFORE Jesus returns. AKA Jesus comes POST (AFTER) the Millennium.

Amillennialism says that the 1,000 year reign of Christ is spiritual or symbolic of the rule and reign we experience on the earth RIGHT NOW and therefore we’re living in the Millennium RIGHT NOW.

Within these camps there are variations and nuances. However, they are fundamentally at odds for how they understand the timing, methods and earthly implications of a battle like the battle of armageddon in Revelation 19.

Amil Nuances

For example - the amill interpretors take a more idealist approach to the chapter. They point out how the sword from Jesus’ mouth represents his Word or his Gospel. They say this triumph over evil is one through the proclamation of the Word of God.

They suggest that Satan has been imprisoned since the death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus has been ruling and reigning since his ascension into heaven.

Certainly Satan still operates in our world today. It’s not as though he has no agency. However, his activity has been restricted and subject to the rule and reign of King Jesus.

Postmil Nuances

The post-millennial interpreters largely agree with the a-mill that Satan is currently bound and that Jesus will come someday to establish the eternal state.

Where they diverge is that the Kingdom is ONLY spiritual.

They suggest that part of Jesus’ command to go and make disciples also includes a cultural mandate to usher in the kingdom of God ON EARTH as it is IN HEAVEN.

And so politically and sociologically and in every other way Christians should be about establishing the kingdom of God on earth so that we can ready the throne for Jesus when he comes again in glory.

Premil & Why

The pre-mill interpreters AGREE that Jesus will have a literal earthly reign but they DISAGREE that we can establish that kingdom prior to Jesus’ earthly return. Satan’s power has been limited but he is by no means “bound.”

Post-mills had their hayday in the early 19th century. The founding of America and the incredible wealth and human advancement would make any Bible reader think maybe the “bad times” were over with and the kingdom was about to come.

The problem was that age was followed by WWI and WWII and a rapidly deteriorating culture in front of our very eyes.

Even so - Post-mil interpreters will focus on how the world is getting better and better. Pre-mil interpreters will focus on how the world is getting worse and worse (paving the way for the rise of antichrist and the Great Tribulation.

A-mill suggests both are true at the same time and it’s a cycle of Jesus gradually taking ground in the hearts and minds of people from every tribe tongue and nation until he finally comes again to bring heaven down to earth.

Conclusion

Why do I mention all of these things? Because, on one hand, it really matters what you think about this question because it’s going to shape your approach to the book of Revelation and you’re approach to current events.

On the other hand, each view has some really good reasons and evidence going for them and it’s important we not be too overly dogmatic about our position.

Here’s what you need to know regardless of where you land.

Whether pre, post or a one thing remains: Jesus WINS the battle for this world.

Revelation 19 is a tale of two suppers. A supper of mercy and grace contrasted with a supper of wrath and judgment.

It’s the Marriage Supper of the Lamb contrasted with the Great Supper of God.

The contrast could not be more stark.

BLESSED are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the lamb. It’s the moment in which Jesus finally comes to take his bride to be with him where he is. It’s the consummation of everything every Christian has been waiting for.

WOE to those who experience the great supper of God’s wrath. It’s the climax of God’s judgment on sin and sinners. The years of mounting brokenness and injustice are finally answered by the just and righteous God.

To which supper will you be invited? God has two tables and two great suppers. Will you be invited to the table of God’s mercy or the table of God’s wrath.

If you’re here this morning Jesus is inviting you into a marriage relationship with Him.

Your heavenly Father is madly in love with you. He desires to save you, redeem you and give you a hope and a future. A future that he will bring about in a tangible concrete way when he comes again.

But to reject that offer leaves you with an allegiance to this world. This world and the things of this world are going to pass away. They’re going out with a band. Heed the voice of the Holy Spirit. Repent and put your faith in Jesus for Salvation.

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