Killed by the Word

DEVOTION

THE REVELATION

KILLED BY THE WORD

Rev 19:17-21

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.   21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

NIV

It is unlikely this angel was actually standing on the sun, but John may well have been telling us this angel was so bright, so brilliant in radiance that he was like the sun, almost unable to stare at him because of his shining so intensely. Certainly during these times in history when there were great battlefields and many dead were simply left where they died, the wild beasts and birds of the air would find much food. John, knowing this, also sees or hears this angel calling to the birds, for a great number of dead are going to left for their gorging upon. There is a new thought about this lake of burning sulfur which we might explore and see if it lines up with the rest of scripture. The beast and the false prophet were not killed, but every single person who had been deluded by this false prophet, this false ideology was killed. Now this does not mean they completely perished, as in the second death, but they were killed. We will see in the coming events that death and hades are going to give up their dead to be judged. We also have to remember the story about Lazarus and the rich man who both died. Lazarus went to Abraham's side, which we understand as heaven, and the rich man was buried and he went to hades and was in torment, asking for Abraham to send Lazarus to dip his toe so he could quench his thirst. Abraham replied can’t be done, a great chasm exists between and no one crosses over either way. Hades is also in the presence of God, it can be seen and those in it can see heaven. So  these people who die because they opposed God, and worshipped their own course of life, being deluded by the promise of fame and fortune, trusting in their wealth for security, are simply in hades still waiting for the final judgment. The time their names are not found in the book of life is coming. But what we also see about this lake of fire, is complete destruction. When we burn something in an intense flame all we are left with is a pile of ash, almost like dust. So it would seem the beast and the false prophet are dust. Although we are going to also see that Satan, the beast and the false prophet will be tormented day and night in the lake of burning sulfur. It is their end, the end of all that mankind has ever believed in if they did not believe in God, in Jesus. All is gone, the world economy is dust. Throughout all the plagues, all the seven angels, all the bowls filled with the wrath of God, mankind kept endeavoring to battle back, trying to survive on their own ideas. World leaders, perhaps one world leader will emerge trying to capture the hearts and minds of people with plans to recover that which has been lost, bringing the economy back to its former self. He will give them hope of being strong and mighty and having security in their wealth once more. This is the deception and perhaps this is even this great battle between mankind and Jesus instead of some single battlefield in some valley. But Jesus and his army will have none of it, the world economy is completely demolished and it will never be allowed to gain any power again. Those who fought against God, will die, they will be killed by this destruction of everything they hold dear. The end is at hand. They are now awaiting their final judgment and their final demise, the second death, the end of their complete existence. It is sad to think there are people who are so deceived by this powerful ideology. Who will warn them? Yet with all the truth in the world, they are so deluded, so close-minded about their insistence in their being right, they may never come to the truth. If they are able to resist the conviction of the Holy Spirit, how can we persuade them to see the error of their way? They have accepted the mark of the beast, and their fate is the second death. But for now they are simply dead. Killed by the Word.