Revelation 19:17-18 As the battle is joined there will be the call to the supper to all the birds of the air. These are the birds of prey, created to feast on the armies that will be slain in the battle of Armageddon (Ezekiel 39:4; 39:17-20; Matthew 24:27-28). Even after the birds have eaten, it will still take seven months to bury the remaining corpses (Ezekiel 39:12). Every year millions of birds fly over Israel as they migrate south from Europe to Africa.
Revelation 19:19 – The world’s armies will be mobilized for battle. The Antichrist is there. The kings of the earth are there. The armies of the nations are there. One might ask why bother with foot soldiers when the world has so many sophisticated weapons such as missiles and atomic warheads? The reason is armies use foot soldiers when they want to preserve the land and its resources. The Antichrist will lead his armies against Israel to rid the world of the Jewish problem, once and for all and to take the Middle East with its rich resources for himself. He will march against those who claim to be followers of Jesus.
Many Jewish people have come to faith through the testimony of the 144,000 in Rev 7. This is what is meant by the statement that the Antichrist and his armies gather together to fight against Christ. Jesus and His people are one; therefore, to fight against the followers of Jesus is to fight against Messiah. The armies of the world will gather in Israel as we have already considered in Revelation 16:12-16. But we should consider Ez 38-39 to get a more vivid picture of the gathering armies along with Zechariah 13-14 & Joel 3:12-14. This verse says that all the nations and alliances of the earth are going to be involved in the great battle of Armageddon.
The kings of the east: all the nations east of Israel, apparently involving the Arabs, China, and all the other eastern nations. These will probably be headed up by the Antichrist. The kings of the north: all the nations north of Israel including Russia. The kings of the south: all nations south of Israel including the nations of Africa. The kings of the west: all the nations west of Israel including a western alliance and involving some of the European nations and probably including America and other powerful nations of the Americas and Canada. Enemies will gather from every nation with each taking sides to protect its own interest.
As stated, the point of conflict may be oil or the phosphates and minerals in the Dead Sea. Behind all these forces are the demonic spirits aligned against God and His Kingdom. The Lord will slay the Antichrist with the spirit of His mouth which is the spirit of truth, holiness, and unlimited power. When Jesus speaks there will be no battle, He will just speak the Word and the Antichrist and all the forces aligned with him will be slain.
Revelation 19:20-21 The Lake of Fire is also called Gehenna. This is the place where all those who have rebelled against God are to be cast at the end of the world, this includes all unbelieving men, fallen angels, and the devil. At the final judgment of unbelievers, the lake of fire is the final hell to which all the wicked will be judged and condemned, and the judgment of Gehenna is said to be eternal (Matthew 13:41-42; 18:8; 25:41, 46).
