The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - The Great Evening Meal of God

 In Ezekiel's vision, after the destructuction 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 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 a great evening meal of God, that you may eat the fleshly parts of strong men and the fleshly parts of horses ad 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. 

John summarizes  the course of the final war:  "And now I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war with the one seated on teh horse and 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 sulfur.  But the rest were killed off with the long sword of the one seated on the white horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth. and all the bird were filled from the fleshly parts of them." - REVELAtiO 19:19-21.

After  the pouring out of the sixth bowl of Jehovah's wrath, John reported that  "the kings of the earth ad of the whole world" were gathered  by demonic propaganda to "the battle of that great day of God Almighty."  This is fought at Armageddo-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 i 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. 

The seven-headed, ten-horned wil beast out of the sea, representing Satan's polticial organizatio, is tumbled into oblivion, and along with it goes the false prophet, the seventh world power.  (Revelation 13:1, 11-13; 16:13)  While still "alive," or still functioning in their united oppositon to God's people on earth,  they are cast into "the lake of fire."  Is this the literal lake of fire? No, not any more than the wild beast ad the false prophet are literal animals.  Rather, it is a symbol of complete, final destruction, a place of no return.  Here is where, later, death and Hades, as well as the Devil hiself, will be hurled.  (Revelation 20:10, 14) It is certainly not an inferno torture for the wicked, since the very idea of such a place is destestable to Jehovah. - JEREMIAH 19:5; 32:35; 1 JOHN 4:8, 16. 

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

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