Reading: Revelation 19-20
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh(Rev. 19:17-21).
Chapter 19 of the Book of Revelation ends in a flood of graphic imagery. The final battle has been fought, and evil has been defeated. The beast (the final antichrist) and his false prophet have been seized and cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. All who fought with the beast against God—the kings, captains, and mighty men, as well as the ordinary people, both free and bond—are dead, slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, and their bodies lie rotting in the battlefield. Prior to the start of the great battle, God’s angel summoned great flocks of carrion birds to hover over the battlefield in anticipation of the feast to come. As the chapter closes, the birds swoop in and devour all of the previously living flesh.
These are not pleasant passages to contemplate; nevertheless, we would do ourselves and those to whom we have been called to witness a grave disservice if we chose to gloss over their violent nature or skip them entirely. While salvation by God’s grace and boundless love is and always should be the primary message we carry with us out into the world, it is vital that we remain open and honest about what awaits all those who refuse it. The choice is not a life with or without God; the choice is either eternal life with God or utter destruction and damnation without Him. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14-15).
It is impossible to scare someone into a relationship with Jesus Christ, and attempting to do so frequently does more harm than good. But unless we are willing to share all that God has revealed to us of the future, the good and the bad, then we are denying them the right to make an informed choice. It is not fearmongering to warn others of imminent danger; it is the ultimate act of love.
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power (II Thess. 1:7-9).
Thought for Today: Our eyes can adjust to the dark, but we still cannot truly see, so it is to live without God; we exist, but we do not truly live.
Cross Reference: For Rev. 19:2: See Ps. 19:9; Deut. 32:43; II Kin. 9:7. Rev. 19:5: See Ps. 115:13. Rev. 19:11: See Ps. 96:13. Rev. 19:16: See Deut. 10:17. Rev. 19:18: See Ezek. 39:4. Rev. 20:2-3: See Is. 24:22. Rev. 20:8: See Ezek. 38:2,15. Rev. 20:12: See Dan. 7:10.
Word Studies: 19:6 Omnipotent = All-Powerful; 19:13 vesture = robe; 20:9 compassed = surrounded.
Pray For :lost loved ones • Government Officials: Rep. Michael Bost (IL), Rep. tom Tiffany (WI), Gov. Janet Mills (MA) • Country: Micronesia, Federated States of (105,681) North Pacific Ocean • Religious Freedom • 52.7% Roman Catholic; 42.7% Protestant; 3.8% Other; 0.8% None/Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Pray when distressed and afflicted (Jon. 2:2).