Chapter Thirty-Nine -The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon

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 evening meal of God, that you may eat the fleshly parts of the kings and the fleshly parts 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 ground indicates that they will die in public shame.  Like Jezebel of old, they will not have an honorable burial.  (2 Kings 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 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 on the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth. And all the birds were filled from the fleshly parts of them." -Revelation 19:19, 20. 

After the pouring out of the sixth bowl of Jehovah's wrath, John reported that "the kings of the earth and of the whole world" were gathered by demonic propaganda to "the mighty battle of that great Day of God Almighty." This is fought at Armageddon-not a literal location, but the global situation that calls for the execution of Jehovah's judgment.  (Revelation 16:12, 14, 16,  King James Version)  Now John sees the battle lines. There ranged against God, are all"the kings of the earth and their armies."  They have stubbornly refused to  submit themselves to Jehovah's King. He gave them fair warning in the inspired message: "Kiss the son, that [Jehovah] may not become incensed and you may not perish from the way."  Not having submitted to Christ's rule, they must die.-Psalm 2:12.

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Nine -The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - Conclusion of The Great Evening Meal of God

From the book of Revelation