Revelation 19:15-21

15 And a sword sharp on either side [And a sword sharp on each side] came forth of his mouth, that with it he smite folks; and he shall rule them with an iron rod. And he treadeth the presser of wine of strong vengeance [and] of the wrath of almighty God.

16 And he hath written in his cloak, and in the hip [And he hath written in his cloth, and in his hem], King of kings and Lord of lords.

17 And I saw an angel, standing in the sun; and he cried with a great voice, and said [saying] to all birds that flew by the middle of heaven, Come ye, and be ye gathered [together] to the great supper of God,

18 that ye eat the flesh of kings, and [the] flesh of tribunes, and [the] flesh of strong men, and flesh of horses, and of those that sit on them, and the flesh of all free men and of bondmen, and of small and of great [and small and great].

19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and the hosts of them gathered, to make battle with him, that sat on the horse, and with his host.

20 And the beast was caught, and with her the false prophet, that made signs before her; in which he deceived them that took the character of the beast [that took the mark of the beast], and that worshipped the image of it. These two were sent quick into the pool of fire, burning with brimstone.

21 And the others were slain with the sword of him that sat on [upon] the horse, that cometh forth of the mouth of him; and all birds were filled with the flesh of them.

Revelation 19:15-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 19

This chapter contains the triumph of the saints over Babylon, and their thanksgiving to God because of his judgments on her; the marriage of Christ and his church, and a battle between him and his and her enemies, with the success of it. The congratulations are first of a promiscuous multitude in the church, ascribing salvation, praise, honour, glory, and power to God, because of the righteousness of his judgments, and because of the perpetuity of them, Re 19:1-3 and then of the four and twenty elders and four living creatures, who worship God, assent to what had been before said, and join in praising the Lord, Re 19:4 and then another voice out of the throne is heard, calling upon all the servants of the Lord, and those that fear him, whether small or great, to praise our God, Re 19:5 after which is heard the voice of a great multitude, stirring up one another to praise, because of the reign of the Lord God Almighty, and to rejoice and be glad because the time of the Lamb's marriage with his bride was come; who is described by her dress, the righteousness of the saints, comparable to fine linen, clean and white, Re 19:6-8 upon which an angel bids John write those persons happy who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and affirms these to be the true sayings of God; wherefore John, in a transport of joy, was just going to worship the angel, had he not been forbidden by him; from which he dissuades him, by observing that he was his fellow servant, that God only is the object of worship, and that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, Re 19:9,10 next follows a vision of a battle between Christ and his enemies; and first he the General is described, by the horse he sat upon, a white one; by the characters he bears, faithful and true; by what he did, judging and making war in righteousness; by his eyes, which were as a flame of fire; by his having many crowns on his head; by having a name, or names unknown, and particularly one, which is the Word of God; by his habit, a vesture dipped in blood; by the armies he was at the head of, riding on white horses, and clothed in fine linen; by a sharp sword coming out of his mouth, with which he should utterly destroy the nations; and by having a name on his vesture and thigh, King of kings, and Lord of lords, Re 19:11-16 upon which an angel is seen standing in the sun, and calling to all the fowls of the heaven to come to the supper of the great God, and to eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses and horsemen, of all ranks, and degrees, Re 19:17,18 and next an account is given of the armies of the beast, and of the kings of the earth, that came to make war with the above warrior, Re 19:19 the issue and success of which follow; the beast and false prophet are taken, and cast alive into a lake of fire and brimstone; and the rest are killed by the sword of the above General, and the fowls have a feast of their flesh, Re 19:20,21.