Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

This morning we are returning to our study in the book of Revelation.

Reviewing Revelation 19

For those of you who are just joining us let me remind you a little bit of where we’ve been in the book of Revelation.

The book of Revelation - and Revelation 19 in particular - describes the victory of Jesus Christ over Satan and evil.

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,