Final Events #2 Supper of God

THE GREAT SUPPER OF GOD.

A study of Revelation 19:17-21

Connected with the second coming of Christ is the great supper of God. His coming sparks a great time of judgment with evil. It has been noted:

“Right away a great contrast occurs with this section of Revelation 19. Above, in verse 9, saints are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. “Supper” is deipnon, the primary meal of the day, and there it refers to the blessings and fellowship of the millennial reign of Christ…. But here, birds (vulture types) are invited to another supper (deipnon), only now it is to eat the flesh of those killed in this battle. Either one accepts God’s supper of grace, or he must face the one of God’s judgment.”[1]

The event has three main sections:

The Call to the Birds 19:17-18

The paragraph opens with another revelation by the angel. “I saw an angel standing in the sun” (19:17) marks a new event from the second coming. This designates the position of the angel. It amazes me that many cannot take this statement for what it says. They seem to take this reference as symbolic. They say it means the angel was at the highest point of the sky. Or, the sun stands from the angel in the place of splendor. Scott takes it as a symbol that the angel is standing at the very center of governmental authority.[2] That is pure spiritualization that has nothing to support it scripturally. However, I will stay with the text that the angel stood in the sun or more likely in front of the sun. This is the natural meaning of the text. There is no need to go beyond the natural meaning. Yet, there is no question that it is a view of splendor and great light and glory. The call by the angel is twofold:

• Proclamation to the Birds (19:17). The proclamation is in the form of an inviting call to the birds which fly in midheaven to “come, assemble for the great supper of God.” This call goes out to assemble before the actual battle (cf. 19:20-21). It is a call to readiness. The event has not yet occurred when they were summoned (“so that you may eat” 19:18). What they are to be ready for them is “the great supper of God.”
• The Purpose of the call (19:18). They are called for a cleanup mission. Animals, including birds, are often sacrifice in offering to God; here God surafices the wicked to offer to the birds. The wicked will share in the curse of Deuteronomy 28:26. Jesus predicted this slaughter in his return (Matt. 24:27-28). Jesus also said in the context of judgment, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered” (Luke 17:37). Five times the word flesh is used in this passage, each connected with classifications of men, once in regard to horses. “The divine judgment upon the wicked is no respecter of persons or station, and is the great equalizer of all” observes Walvoord.[3]

The Conflict 19:19.

John now comments briefly of the events that will precede the great supper of God. There will be the great conflict. This is parallel to Revelation 16:14. The world will be controlled by spirits of demons, which seduce kings and nations that make up the whole world against Christ. God will send them a strong delusion to believe what is false (2 Thess. 2:11). Evil has a unifying power. They will meet at Armageddon.[4] Armageddon is also known as the valley of Megiddo, located in Israel southeast of Mt. Carmel. This is an invasion of the nation of Israel by the gentile world. The battle is in concert with the Old Testament prophecies (cf. Zech. 12-14; Joel 2:11; 3:2). Seiss says “It is a day for executing an armed world—a world in covenant with Hell to overthrow the authority and throne of God….”[5] For the world this will be a day of great defeat and slaughter. It is called “the war of the great day of God” (Rev. 16:14). This phrase indicates the sovereignty, judgment, and victory of God.

The Capture of the Beast and False Prophet 19:20-21

This section marks twofold destiny:

• The Beasts (19:20). It is during the conflict that the beast and false prophet are seized or taken (KJV). The Greek word is piazo, meaning to lay hold of, apprehend, arrest, or catch. It is used here in the judicial sense—to take into custody. The beast (Antichrist) and the false prophet rise and work together, they are dependent upon one another. He rises out of the earth (Rev. 13:11),[6] and carrietis out his work in the presence of the beast (Rev. 13:12). Figuratively speaking they are joined at the hip. Ironside calls them arch-conspirators.[7] It appears they are captured together because they are together. 

The false prophet ministry is deception so the world receives the mark of the beast and worships the image (cf. Rev. 13:12-17; 2 Thess. 2:9-12). The counterfeit duo is now in the hands of the Messiah/God. Their judgment is to be cast alive into the Lake of fire. This is the only record where these two are cast in the Lake of fire alive.  Here are the beast and false prophet that are first residents in the Lake of fire. They are there waiting for their leader, Satan himself and his followers. Being cast alive suggests conscious punishment in the lake of fire. They were in the fire of brimstone (burning sulfur), yet they are not consumed. This is not purgatory, nor annihilation for this fire neither annihilates nor purifies its residents.[8]  

• Their Followers/Army (19:21). The text indicates the following details of their destiny. Unlike the two beasts; the rest are killed. Thomas notes: “the passive verb… (were killed) tells the fate of this vast portion of living humanity. Rather than going immediately to the lake of fire like the beast and false prophet, their spirits went to Hades until the judgment when they rise from the dead and eventually depart into the lake of fire.”[9] Their lives will be destroyed by the sword of the Word (Rev. 19:15). This fulfills the words of Isaiah 11:4; 49:2, 6. The sword here is not to be taken as a literal sword, rather the power of His word pronounced and exercised in judgment. God will destroy those who do not exercise faith in Christ. Their fate is sealed by the immediate power of the Messiah/Victor.

The destiny of these armies is now given over to the cleanup crew who now feast upon their bodies. The section began with the invitation to the supper of God, now the supper is supplied. All the guests were filled with their flesh.

This is the first of five end-time judgments.[10] There are at least three vital truths of this passage.

• Jesus will win over Antichrist.
• It shows the power of deceit and delusion.
• It underscores the reality of divine judgment

Those who reject the gospel of God will face the judgment of God. This warns us to accept the gospel of grace of God, who paid the price for your sin in Christ. Today it is by grace we are saved through faith in the redemptive work of Christ (cf. Eph. 2:8-9).

---

[1] J. Hampton Keathley, STUDIES IN REVELATION, www. Bible Org, 1997, n.p.

[2]  Walter Scott, EXPOSITION OF THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, [Westwood NJ, Revell, n.d.], 390.

[3] John F. Walvoord, THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, [Chicago, Moody Press, 1966], 279,

[4] For a more complete study of Armageddon see J. Dwight Pentecost, THINGS TO COME, [Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1969], 341-358.

[5] J.A. Seiss, THE APOCALYPSE: LECTURES ON THE BOOK OF REVELATION, [Grand Rapids, Zondervan, reprint 1972] 441.  

[6]  I believe this refers to the false prophet that will come out of Israel, whereas the beast comes out of the sea, symbolizing the gentile world.

[7] Harry A. Ironside, LECTURES ON THE BOOK OF REVELATION, [New York, Loizeaux, 1930], 330.

[8] Ibid, 330.

[9] Robert L Thomas, REVELATION 8-22, [Chicago, Moody Press, 1995], 399.

[10]  E.W. Bullinger, THE APOCALYPSE, [London, Bagster, reprint 1972], 607.