One reason Christians are to seek the salvation of the lost is our awareness that the offer of salvation will end when Christ returns. Although we are called hatemongers for our witness of God’s wrath against sin, Christians are motivated by the forewarning of destruction for those who deny Jesus and reject His salvation. The horrific nature of that destruction was foretold to John with an image of an angel summoning carrion birds to the future battlefield (vv. 17-18).

The angel stands in midair, an appropriate place from which to summon the eagles and vultures to descend on those slain by the judicial sword of Christ. This image is symbolic, but what it represents is correspondingly devastating: the utter shame, destruction, and condemnation suffered at the end of history by those who opposed Christ and afflicted His people during history. Divine retribution for sin is just as certain as the arrival of vultures to devour flesh that dies in the desert.

The details of verses 17-18 are worth noting. First, there is a clear and ironic contrast with the earlier summons of believers to the wedding feast of the Lamb. This carnage is named “the great supper of God” (v. 17), making the point that God is glorified in judgment just as in salvation. One of these destinies is the end toward which every single person is heading, depending in his or her response to the saving offer of Jesus Christ. The ungodly, whose sins are not forgiven because of their unbelief, “will go away into eternal punishment,” Jesus said, “but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt. 25:46).

Second, this fundamental contrast pertains equally to every single person. The carrion birds are summoned to devour all walks of life. This proves that whatever earthly distinctions we may recognize, the entire human race is united in the guilt of sin and in our need for a Savior in order to escape God’s judgment. When that judgment comes, those who have refused Jesus will find that no earthly status matters at all, but only their guilt before the scorned Savior who has now returned to judge.

Verse 19 presents the final battle itself, which was described earlier in Revelation as the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:16). Revelation 17:14 foretold that the beast and his vassal kings “will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them.” Revelation 19:19 presents the same epic final confrontation. Jesus’ teaching clarifies that this great battle symbolizes a worldwide persecution before His return: “There will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved” (Matt. 24:21-22).

John is shown the immediate aftermath of the last battle and the devastating effects of Christ’s coming in verse 20. Here in the end, the final beast and false prophet will be captured by Christ, leaving only Satan to face his judgment in the very end. Having been disarmed, the beast and false prophet “were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur” (v. 20). This is the first of four references to the “lake of fire” at the end of Revelation. The lake of fire manifests the wrath of God, inflicting the burning punishment of hell.

John specifies that the beast and false prophet “were thrown alive” into the lake, making the point that their punishment will consist not of eradication but of eternal suffering as the just penalty of sin. When the devil receives his punishment, he too, is cast “into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). Whether or not we like the idea of such a hell, the fact is that God’s revealed Word teaches it. Hell is part of the reality we must face, and to deny reality is a disaster for us, sooner or later.

Verse 21 makes clear that the beast and false prophet will not suffer alone. All their allies “were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.” Later in Revelation 20:15 it states that all who worship the beast and serve in his army will be cast into the lake of fire, together with everyone who has not believed in Jesus Christ. The slaying sword appears here to represent a decree of death as the punishment for sin. The New Testament teaches that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), and these images depict that death in terms of eternal condemnation, eternal suffering, and eternal shame.

These symbolic images – the lake of fire and the carrion birds who eat the flesh – combine to show the torment and shame that God will inflict on His enemies when Christ returns. The solemn scene with which Revelation 19 concludes confirms the warning of Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

According to the Bible, you can avoid a destiny of punishment in the lake of fire in one of two ways. The first is to live a life of perfect obedience to God’s law, never sinning in the least degree and doing all things over the entirety of your life for the glory of your Creator. If you have not done that – if you have sinned in the least degree (and Solomon reminds us that “there is no one who does not sin” [1 Kings 8:46]) – then you need a second way of salvation. You need a Savior to deliver you from God’s holy justice. The only Savior available is the very Son of God, who did live a perfect life to provide righteousness for His needy people, and who died a sin-atoning death so that those who believe in Him may be forgiven of their sins.

Notice that verse 20 speaks of the people who bore “the mark of the beast and those who worship its image.” According to Revelation, there are two marks that determine one’s ownership and destiny, and everyone bears either one or the other. Revelation 7:2-3 says that God has marked His servants with a seal, a mark that only He can see and that signifies true and saving faith. Revelation further teaches that “those people who do not have the seal of God” (Rev. 9:4) all bear the “mark” of the beast (14:9, 11). These are those who worship the beast’s false gods – pleasure, power, wealth, and beauty – and belong to the world in rebellion to Christ.

The point is that unless you are gathered to Jesus for salvation, having believed on Him in this life, you must in the day of His return be consigned to the judgment reserved for the servants of rebellion to Christ’s kingdom. Jesus said that when He returns, He will gather His people into eternal glory, but that to those who refused Him He will declare, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). With this punishment looming before you, the most urgent issue in your life is to act on the counsel given by the apostle Paul: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

The outcome of the last battle not only urges us to believe, but also teaches believers not to fear the power of evil in this world. The Bible says that Christians will face tribulation and, in the end, a dreadful conspiracy of worldwide persecution. Yet the last battle will bring a stunning end to all evil. The appeal of the writer of Hebrews aptly suits the exhortation of Revelation: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).

Revelation 19:17-21 Study Questions:

What is the ultimate fate of the beast and the false prophet (v. 20)?

Why do they face such a harsh judgment?

Many in our own day are still oppressed by monstrous forces, and the local propaganda machines that promote their cause. Equally, many otherwise well-intentioned people are taken in by the lies and deceits which these systems continue to put out. Revelation 19 stands as a promise to the first, and a warning to the second. Once you understand who Jesus was and is, and the significance of the victory which He has won in His death, there can be no doubt about the final outcome. Monstrous regimes may come and go. Lies and deceits will continue to be spread. We must be on our guard. But the King of kings and Lord of lords will be victorious. In the meantime, there must be no compromise. How can we help each other to be on guard against falling prey to the lies and deceits of the world system?