The Great Evening Meal Of God

In Ezekiel's vision, after the destruction of Gog's crowd, the birds and the wild animals are invited to a feast! they rid the landscape of carcasses by eating the dead bodies of Jehovah's enemies. (Ezekiel 39:11, 17-20) John's next words bring that earlier prophecy vividly to mind: "I saw also an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice and said to all the birds that fly in midheaven: ' Come here, be gathered together to the great evening meal of God, that you may eat the fleshly parts of kings and the fleshly part of military commanders and the fleshly parts of strong men and the fleshly parts of horses and of those seated upon them, and the fleshly parts of all, of freemen as well as of slaves and of small ones and great.' " -Revelation 19:17, 18.

The angel is "standing in the sun," a commanding position for attracting the attention of the birds. He invites them to be ready to gorge themselves on the flesh of those about to be slain by the Warrior-King and his heavenly armies. The fact that the dead are to be left on the surface of the ground indicates that they will die in public shame. Like Jezebel of old, they will not have an honorable burial. (2Kings 9:36, 37) The list of those whose corpses would be left lying there shows the range of the destruction : Kings, military commanders, strong men, freemen, and slaves. No exceptions. Every last trace of the rebellious world in opposition to Jehovah will be eliminated. After this, there will no more be a restless sea of confused humans. (Revelation 21:1) This is "the great evening meal of God," since it is Jehovah who invites the birds to share therein.

John summarizes the course of the final war: "And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage the war with the one seated on the horse and with his army. And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who render worship to its image. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulphur. But the rest were killed off with the long sword of the one seated upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth. And all the birds were filled from the fleshly parts of them." -Revelation 19:19-21.

Next time:Continue with The Great Evening Meal Of God.

Revelation Its Grand Climax At Hand! Watchtower Bible And Tract Society, 1988