The King Conquers Series

Revelation 19:17-20:3

Purpose: To show the awful consequences of rebelling against God.

Aim: I want the listener to love and revere God so much that sin becomes very sinful.

INTRODUCTION: One day a man, out hiking in the country, happened to see a magnificent golden eagle flying upward into the sky. He watched it with delight and admiration as it soared higher and higher. But suddenly, something went wrong! The eagle seemed incapable of going any higher. As a matter of fact, it began to fall, and before too long it lay on the ground, dead. What possibly could have happened? No human hand had touched it. No sportsman gun had reached it. Filled with bewilderment, the man went over and examined the bird only to discover an astounding sight. Still curled up in the talons of that great bird, was a little weasel, no doubt the prey of the bird that had been carried off up into the sky. As that weasel had been drawn in close to the big bird’s body for flight, it had managed to worm itself partly out of that great grip and had bit into the breast of its enemy and proceeded to suck out the lifeblood of that great eagle. [1]

The nations of the earth have rejected God’s right to rule over them. David put it this way: Ps 2:1-3 1 Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed: 3 "Let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us!" (NAS)

Last time we learned that Jesus is described eleven different ways. Today we see that same Jesus in action.

The world has rejected God, and for a time they soared with the apparent freedom of an eagle. But, God will bring them down.

This portion of Revelation also pictures the doom of every individual who is attempting to clutch sin and soar away from God. Let’s see how God’s great victory will come about.

REVIEW:

1:1-20 I. John’s Vision of the Past "the things which you have seen"

2:1-5:14 II. Christ’s Vision of the Present "the things which are"

Ch.6-22 III. John’s Vision of the Future "things which will take places"

6-7; 12-14 A. Satan’s war against God’s creation: the first six seals

8-11; 13:11-18; 15-18 B. The wrath of God: the seventh seal

Ch.19-20 C. The worship of God

19:1 1. A description of worship "salvation...glory...power"

19:2-6 2. Four reasons to worship God "true and righteous"

19:7-10 3. The Believer’s eternal union with Christ "marriage of the Lamb"

19:11-16 4. The King appears

Vs.11a a. Jesus is reliable "Faithful"

Vs.11b b. Jesus is real "True"

Vs.11c c. Jesus is right "in righteousness He judges"

Vs.12a d. Jesus reveals all things "eyes are a flame of fire"

Vs.12b e. Jesus is beyond measure "name...which no one knows"

Vs.13a f. Jesus is the conqueror "robe dipped in blood"

Vs.13b g. Jesus is the revealer of God "The Word of God"

Vs.14 h. Jesus is the leader of heaven "armies...following Him"

Vs.15a i. Jesus is the manager of His enemies "He will rule them"

Vs.15b j. Jesus is the executer of God’s wrath "tread the wine press"

Vs.16 k. Jesus is the ultimate royalty "KING OF KINGS"

LESSON:

19:17-20:3 5. The King acts

Vs.17-18 a. The expectation of the King’s victory "great supper of God"

Maybe the angel is blocking the sunlight. If so, then this is fulfilling what the prophet Joel said: Joel 2:31 The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. (NAU)

This is the seventh time in the book of Revelation that a loud voice is heard. It always indicates a very important event.

Even before the battle begins God is declaring His victory.

"ARMAGEDDON [ar mah GED un] (mountain of Megiddo) -- the site of the final battle of this age in which God intervenes to destroy the armies of Satan and to cast Satan into the bottomless pit (Rev. 16:16). Scholars disagree about the exact location of this place, but the most likely possibility is the valley between Mount Carmel and the city of Jezreel. This valley (known as the Valley of Jezreel and sometimes referred to as the Plain of Esdraelon) was the crossroads of two ancient trade routes and thus was a strategic military site and the scene of many ancient battles." [2]

The Antichrist and the False Prophet refused to let the bodies of the two Jewish witnesses be buried; here we see that God will not even let the bodies of His enemies the dignity of a burial. The vultures of the earth are called to pick the flesh off of the bones of the bodies of those who opposed Jesus Christ.