Revelation 19:17

In the sun] i.e. in mid heaven; a central station to call to the vultures. Fowls] RV 'birds.' The supper, etc.] RV 'the great supper of God,' i.e. the supper which God has prepared.

19-21. The persecuting empire gathers all its forces to overcome Christ, cp. Revelation 16:14; Revelation 16:16 note, Revelation 17:12. (Revelation 19:19), but is itself overcome, together with the Asian Emperor-worship, figured by the beast and the false prophet or second beast: cp. Revelation 13:11. note, Revelation 16:13. Both empire and Emperor-worship are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). The 'lake of fire' (cp. Revelation 20:10; Revelation 20:14; Revelation 21:8) is Gehenna, cp. Matthew 18:9; (RM) Mark 9:43; (RM), etc., i.e. 'the valley of Hinnom.' This is a valley outside Jerusalem, and was the place of idolatrous sacrifices to Molech: cp. 2 Kings 16:3; 2 Kings 21:6; Jeremiah 7:31.; Jeremiah 19:11. It came to be regarded as a figure of the place of punishment of the wicked: cp. Isaiah 66:24; Isaiah 2; Es 7:36. Matthew 5:29; (RM) Matthew 10:28; (RM): see HDB. Evidently the casting of empire and idolatry into such a place can only be a figure for the complete destruction of the persecuting and wicked systems. The 'rest' (RV), i.e. the kings of the earth and their armies, were killed with the sword of Christ's mouth (Revelation 19:21). The distinction between their fate and that of the two beasts appears to have been made, partly because destruction by the lake of fire could not be the end of any human being before the Judgment, partly because the slaughter is symbolical. Christ overcomes men who are His enemies, in one way by strengthening His people to endure their assaults, in another way by converting them. But it is not so much individuals who are spoken of here, as the systems and principles of evil which succeeding generations of individuals nourish and carry out. It is those systems and principles which are conquered by Christ. The weapons which they turn against Him and His people are persecution, 'the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life,' the spirit of materialism, etc. This spirit of the world is conquered by the preaching of the gospel of Christ, and by the Spirit of Christ in the hearts of men. This is the battle of Har-Magedon.