Chapter Eighteen - Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Eighteen
The Fall of the Great Harlot.

This chapter is primarily concerned with the fall of the Great Harlot. The chapter can be sub-divided into three smaller sections. In the first there is a plain and simple foretelling of her ruin, in the verses Rev 18:1-8. The second section is a figurative prediction of the circumstances following her destruction, Rev 18:9-20. The third section is a confirmation of her destruction by signs or wonder, -24.

Rev 18:1-8   Announcement of Her Destruction.
1)      The First Angel.
a)      Came from heaven.
b)      “having great authority.”
c)      “the Earth was illuminated by his glory.”
These three points show that this angel came from the very presence of God. God gave this angel’s great authority and his illuminating glory to him. Now following God’s instructions this angel announces that the great city of Babylon has fallen.
The angel’s appearance and strength of his voice is very much connected with his message. What he has to say is almost impossible for men to believe, Babylon the Great, the city which rules the known world has fallen.

2)      The Angel’s Cry.
a)      “Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the Great.”
Notice the tense of this statement. The angel did not say Babylon will fall or is going to fall but rather that it has already fallen, speaking as if it is already an accomplished fact.
b)      His description is taken from the Old Testament prophecies of the overthrow and fall of the city of Babylon.
Isa 13:20-23;   Jer 51:37, 42.

c)      Reason for the fall.
“for all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality”
The cause of her fall was she was drunk with fornication and immorality, both her own and those she involved other nations in. We saw this in the views of the Great Harlot in chapter seventeen and now Babylon (Rome) is reaping the fruit of her sin.   See also Isa 47:1-15;  Nah 3:4.
Notice the reactions of:-
The kings of the earth - Rev 18:9-10.
The merchants - -16.
The shipmasters - -19.
The righteous - .

3)      Call to Leave the City.
a)      Another voice.
b)      Call for the people to come out.
c)      The Reason:- “for her sins have piled up as high as heaven , and God has remembered her iniquities.”
Jer 51:6-9, 45;   Jer 50:8;   Isa 48:20.  2 Cor -18.

d)      Who are the people called?
i)                    The people of God, the saints. “My people”
ii)                  A last call to the wicked to repent.
iii)                2 Cor   “Come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord.”

This is not the only time that God saves the righteous people of a city or nation before He destroys it. See the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Gen 18 – 20 where God saves Lot and his family before He destroys the cities.

The call to leave Babylon is addressed to God’s people in all ages. (See Is 48:20; Is 52:11; Jer 50:8; Jer 51:54; Zech 2:7; II Cor 2:16-18.) From this fact it appears that Babylon is not only the city of the end-time. It is the world, as centre of seduction, in any age. To depart from Babylon means; not to have fellowship with her sins, not to be ensnared by her allurements and enticements. Those who set their heart on the world shall also receive her plagues. It may seem as if God has forgotten Babylon’s sins. He has not. In the day when Babylon falls, it will become evident that he has called them to remembrance.
          More Than Conquerors  by William Hendriksen    pg 208

Although I don’t agree with William Hendriksen’s final conclusion regarding the Great Harlot I do agree with his applying the lessons of this fall to us today. He takes the idea of Babylon standing for the worldly temptations faced by Christians of any age. Here the instruction ‘come out from her, come out from Babylon so that you don’t share in her sins,’ is very relevant to us as it was to those when Revelation was written.  

The View of Jerusalem being the Great Harlot.
Here we have the strongest argument for the Great Harlot being Jerusalem.  This verse has often been held up as being God’s judgement on Jerusalem. In the book Daniel, Dan -27 and in Matt 24:15-28 the saints are warned to flee from Jerusalem before God’s judgement arrives. In this case the Romans sieged, captured and destroyed the city. While the vision we are considering in Revelation is similar, other evidence from the surrounding scriptures points to the fact that this could be God’s judgement on the city of Rome rather than the city of Jerusalem.

        If the date of the book suggested in the introduction is correct (spring, 70 A.D.), and Jerusalem is indeed the "harlot", then this chapter likely refers to the destruction by the Romans in August, 70 A.D. This would be in harmony with Rev 17:16, where those who first supported the harlot eventually turned on her. So it was with Jerusalem, who depended upon the approval of the Roman authorities to persecute the church, and later became the object of Roman persecution herself. Very fitting is the depiction of Jerusalem as a harlot, for she who should have been a great spiritual city had become a great commercial centre by virtue of the roads that passed through her between Europe, Asia and Africa. Her spiritual adultery was also manifested by rejecting the many prophets and apostles sent to her (cf. Matt 23:31 with Rev 17:6; Rev 18:20, 24; Rev 19:2).
                                                                        Revelation Notes by Mark Copeland, pg76.
           
            Also see my notes on Chapter 17 regarding the identity of the Great Harlot.

4)      Judgement Upon the City.
a)      “Pay her back even as she has paid,”
Matt 7:2  “For in the way you judge, you will be judged.”
b)      “Give her double according to her deeds.”
In the cup she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.”
                  Ex 22:4, 7, 9;    Isa 40:2

As these scriptures show the instruction given to the angel to pay back double is a long-standing commandment of God.
c)      “because she boasted”
Rome is being judged because of its arrogant, boastful attitude towards God.
Isa 47:7-11  “I sit as a queen…..and I am not a widow…..and will never see any mourning.”
     
d)      Further Judgements.
i)                    Plagues.
ii)                  Pestilence.
iii)                Mourning.
iv)                Famine.
v)                  Burned with fire.

e)      “For the Lord God who judges her is strong.”
The city maybe strong in the eyes of men but when it is compared with the strength of God it is weak.

Rev 18:9-20   Effect of Her Fall on the People.
The consequences of the fall of Babylon (Rome/Jerusalem) are seen in two ways. First there is the lamentation of the wicked Rev 18:9-19 and then there is the rejoicing of the godly in .
This sorrowful lamentation has three parts:
1)  The first is the mourning of the kings and mighty men of the earth, Rev 18:9,10: 2)  The second is the lamentation of the merchants who trade by land, -16. 3)  The third is the wailing of those who trade by the sea, the shipmasters and sailors. Rev 18:16-19.

1)      On the Kings of the Earth. Rev 18:9-10.
a)      “Who committed acts of immorality and sensuously with her.”
b)      They see the smoke of her burning.
This is similar to when Abraham saw the smoke of Sodom and Gomorrah go up like the smoke of a furnace. Gen 19:28. 
c)       “Will weep and lament (wail and mourn)”
There is an interesting parallel between this description of judgement on the great city of Babylon (Rome/Jerusalem) and God’s judgement on the city of Tyre in Ezekiel.  Ezek 26:1-27, 35.
d)      Standing afar.
They are pictured standing afar because they do not want to be caught up in the destruction that is about to come upon the great city.
e)      They see this as the judgement of God.
“Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city. For in one hour your judgement has come.”
                        f)   “The city falls in one hour.”
In -14 we saw that for one hour persecution was made upon the saints, well here is the pay back where for one hour of punishment is made upon the city. Keep in mind the use of this term ‘one hour’ is symbolic as it was in chapter 17.
g)    Not the end of the world.
This is not the end of the world because these kings are still standing.

Perhaps part of their wailing and mourning is that they realize that God’s judgement is to come upon them, for their part in supporting the sins of the Great Harlot, when He has finished with Rome.

2)      On the Merchants. Rev 18:11-16.
a)      They weep and mourn.
b)      Why? Because no one will buy their cargos and trade goods. They are not concerned for the city but just for their own welfare and their own profits.
c)       List of their cargos.
Notice the list of their cargos fill of all kinds of luxury items. Included in this list are “slaves and human lives (souls of men).” To trade a man as a slave is bad enough but to trade a man’s life or soul is far worse. Perhaps this was a reference to the trade of slaves to become gladiators or just to be killed for entertainment in the arenas of Rome. 
                        Ezek 27:13;    1 Chr :21
d)      “their cargos had made then rich.”
This is the real reason for their mourning, no more profits.

3)      On Shipmasters and Sailors. Rev 18:16-19.
This appears to be a different group to the merchants mentioned above. These are the men involved in transporting of these trade goods.
a)      They had made a living out of transporting these cargos.
b)      They cry out, “What city is like the great city.”
See also Ezek 27:25-33
c)       Why?  Because they have lost their living. Their main customer has been taken away from them.
d)      “threw dust on their heads.”
This is a classic Old Testament sign of grief or great despair.
Josh 7:6;   Job ;   Lam

4)      On the Righteous. .
The other consequence on the ruin of Babylon is the exultation or rejoicing of the godly in heaven and on the earth as we see in this verse.  
a)      Rejoicing.
b)      Who?
i)                    The saints.
ii)                  The apostles.
iii)                The prophets.
c)       Why?  Because God has pronounced judgement upon the great city.
d)      The idea of the saint’s judgement.
i)                    Rev 2:26-27  Overcame – rule the nations.
ii)                  Rev 6:9-10  Cry for vindication.
iii)                Rev 8:3-5  Judgement as a result of their prayers and much intercession.
iv)                  Their reward – judgement of the wicked.
v)                  -11  They overcame – thus they rule.
vi)                Rev 14:13  “Blessed are the dead who die for the Lord.”
vii)              Rev 16:7  Altar praises - God’s judgement.
viii)              The promise that if we walk with Christ we will overcome.

We see that it is really because of the saints that God brought His judgement upon evil men.  So the saints do rule over the nations just as they were promised in chapter 2.

We have returned to this theme many times throughout the book Revelation. This is why Revelation was so important to the church of the 1st century. In a time when it seemed that the entire world was against the young church, Christians needed hope. They needed to believe in and have confidence in the fact that God was still in control.

Of course the message is the same for Christians today as well. The lesson we have to learn is that although God is in control and He will bring judgement upon the wicked, He will do it in His own time and His own way. In spite of what we see going on in the world around us, in spite of what may be even happening to us, we must have the patience to wait for God to act

-24   The Fall.
“A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast [it] into the sea, saying, ‘Thus will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence and will not be found any longer.’”

1)      Vision of the Fall.
a)      A strong Angel.
b)      “like a great millstone thrown into the sea.”
Jer 51:63-64;   Ex 15:5;   Neh .
c)      Babylon the Great City will:-
We have already seen that Babylon used here means the city of Rome. There is a focus on the city rather than the empire because the city of Rome held the empire together.
If we hold this city to be Jerusalem then the meaning here is the political and commercial power of a city set on the crossroads of trade routes between Africa, the East and Europe.

d)      Will be thrown down with violence.
The idea of throwing a millstone into the sea is expressive of the utter destruction of Rome, the violence, force, and power with which it will be destroyed, and the suddenness and swiftness of its destruction, 
e)      Will be no more.
i)                    No more music
ii)                  No craftsmen of any craft
iii)                The sound of a mill will no longer be heard.
There will be no industry, work or economic life.
iv)                No more light – total darkness.
This is symbolic for lack of knowledge.
v)                  No more marriage.

“And no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be shall be, found any more in thee;” very useful and necessary in cities and societies; it is threatened to Judah, that the cunning artificer should be taken from her, which are Isa 3:3 and it is reckoned as a considerable part of the distress of the captivity that the carpenters and smiths were away from Jerusalem, Jer 24:1 and this judgment may fall on Rome for her worshipping idols of gold, silver, brass,  stone,  and wood,  the works of men's hands,  artificers and craftsmen,  and who are employed in making other trinkets and wares for antichrist:
                                                                        John Gill’s Expositor – Online Bible.
   
This is a very vivid picture of the fall of a very wicked nation. There can be no doubt left that what is talked about here is total or complete destruction.

2)      Reason for the Fall.
Again we are given the same reasons why God has brought judgement upon Rome.
a)      Sorcery by which the nations were deceived.
b)      The blood
i)                    Of the saints.
ii)                  Of the prophets
iii)                All who have been slain on the earth.

Overview:- The Story So Far.
Lets stop now and look back over the past few chapters:-

Under the Struggle between Christ and Satan.
Delivering of the Child   Rev 12:1-6.
            War in Heaven.   Rev 12:7-12.
            War on Earth.   Rev 12:13-17.
            The Forces of War
1)      Forces of Evil lead by Satan.   Rev 13.
2)      Forces of Righteousness  Rev 14.
a)       Forces of Righteousness lead by the Lamb. Rev 14:1-5.
b)      Interlude:- Hope and confidence.   Rev 14:6-13.
c)      The Sickles of Judgement.   Rev 14:14-20.
The Seven Bowls of Wrath.
1)      Introduction.   Rev 15:1
Interlude:- Glory to God.   Rev 15:2-4.
2)      The Temple of Testimony.   Rev 15:5-16:1. 
3)      The Seven Bowls of Wrath.   Rev 16:2-21.
a)      The First Bowl of Wrath – Rev 16:2..
Loathsome and malignant sores.
b)      The Second Bowl of Wrath – Rev 16:3.
The Sea turned to blood of a dead man.
c)      The Third Bowl of Wrath – Rev 16:4-7.
            Rivers and springs of waters turned to blood.
d)      The Fourth Bowl of Wrath – Rev 16:8-9
God gave the sun power to scorch men with fire.
e)      The Fifth Bowl of Wrath – -11.
Darkness.
f)       The Sixth Bowl of Wrath – -16.
The Euphrates dried up.
g)      The Seventh Bowl of Wrath – -21.
A Great Earthquake – God’s Final Judgement.
4)      The Great Harlot.  Rev 17:1-6, 18.
5)      The Mystery of the Sea-Beast is explained.  Rev 17:7-17.
6)      The Fall of the Great Harlot.  Rev 18:1-24.
a)      The Call for her destruction.  Rev 18:1-8
b)      The effect on those watching her destruction. Rev 18:9-20.
c)      Destruction of the city, Rev 18:21-24
So finally we see that the great city has fallen. Why has it taken Revelation so long to build up to this point?
1)      To add greater effect to the fall.
2)      To present a chance for sinners to repent.
3)      To make very clear to the readers the lesson that:-
“God is in control and He will do everything in His own way and in His own time.”

Chapter Nineteen
1Rev 19:1-10   Rejoicing & the Marriage.
          The Complete Victory of Christ.

1)      Rev 19:1-6   Rejoicing & Praises.
a)      Hallelujah.   Rev 19:1, 3, 4, 6.
Note that this is the only place in the Old and New Testaments where the word ‘hallelujah’ is used.
Halal – to praise.
            Yah – God (The Lord.)
The full meaning – ‘Praise the Lord.’
            Ps 104:35;   Ps 105:45;   Ps 106:1 & 48;  Ps 113:1,9.
Notice that in the examples from the book of Psalms the term is usually translated as “praise the Lord” rather than the word “hallelujah” as used in the Book of Revelation.
Although the word 'hallelujah' appears four times within these verses this section is usually known as the 'Threefold Hallelujah' because the one in verse three actually still part of what was shouted by the great multitude of verse one.

“Alleluia” An Hebrew word, which signifies "praise ye the Lord". The Jews say, that the book of Psalms consists of ten sorts of songs, but Hallelujah is the greatest of them, because it comprehends the name (Jehovah) and praise in one word: and it is observable that this word, which is often used in the Psalms, is first used when the Psalmist desires the utter consumption and destruction of sinners and wicked men on earth, and is here taken up by the saints at the destruction of the man of sin and son of perdition; see Ps 104:35. 
                                                                                    John Gill’s Expositor – Online Bible.
           
b)      Three things belonging to God.
i)                   “Salvation.”
This refers not only to the salvation of the saints but also to the accomplishment of God’s purpose.
ii)                 “Glory.”
This is the renown and honour that is justly due to God.
iii)              “Power.”
Christ is Lord overall, he has control over all and power over all things.

                        Some versions also add the word ‘honour’ to this list between ‘glory’ and ‘power.’

2)      Rev 19:2-3   The Great Harlot is Judged.
a)      God’s judgements are:-
i)                    True.
ii)                  Righteous.

b)      The harlot was judged because:-
i)                    She corrupted the earth with her immorality.
ii)                  The blood of the saints.
(see notes on .)
iii)                “Amen Hallelujah.”

And again they said,  “Alleluia,”  Or a "second time" they said it; they began and ended their solemn worship and service with it; so some psalms begin and end with this word,  translated in the Old Testament by the words "Praise ye the LORD",  as in Ps 106:1,48 113:1,9 and the repeating of the word shows how hearty, earnest, and constant they were in the work of praise on this account:
                                                                        John Gill’s Expositor – Online Bible.
  
iv)                An eternal judgement.
“Her smoke rises up forever and ever.”
Perhaps this is also a view of the lake of fire and brimstone .

c)      The 24 elders and the 4 living creatures give their approval and praises to God.

d)      All, from the lowest saint to the greatest angel, are summoned to praise God.

e)      The sound of this rejoicing.
i)                    The voice of a great multitude.
;   Rev 19:1.
ii)                  The sound of many waters.
Ezek 43:2;   .
iii)                The sound of mighty peals of thunder.
Rev 6:1  The voice of the 4 living creatures.

3)      Rev 19:6-10   The Marriage.
a)      The Old Testament pictured the relationship between God and man as the relationship between a man and a wife. The idea being that God is shown as the husband and Israel is shown as the wife. In the New Testament this idea changes so that Christ becomes the husband and the church becomes His bride.
Eph 5:22-33  “… as Christ also is the head of the church.”
They are considered to be one flesh much like a husband and wife are considered to be one flesh.

II Cor 11:2  “for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.”

Rom 7:1-4  “the married woman is bound by law to her husband”
            “…. you also were made to die to the law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead…”
            As we are part of the church, we are bound to Christ in much the same manner as by law a husband and wife are bound together for life.
 
b)      Bride clothed in fine linen.
i)                    The dress of Priests.
ii)                  This dress is explained to be:- “the righteous acts of the saints.”
The dress is symbolic of her righteousness because sin is likened to filthy garments, where as righteousness is likened to garments beautiful and white. 

Christ's righteousness may be compared to fine linen, clean and white, because of its spotless purity; those that are arrayed with it being unblamable and irreprovable, and without spot and blemish, and without fault before the throne; with this the Jewish church will be clothed; all the Lord's people will be righteous, they will have on the best robe, and wedding garment, which was despised by the Jews in Christ's time, who refused to come to the marriage feast; and their being arrayed with it will be owing to the grace of Christ,  who grants it; and so Christ's righteousness is called the gift of righteousness,  the free gift,  and gift by grace, and abundance of grace; and faith,  which receives it,  and puts it on,  is the gift of God,  Rom 5:15-17 Eph 2:8. Not only the garment is a gift of grace, but the putting of it on is a grant from Christ, and what he himself does,  Isa 61:10 Zech 3:4.
                                                                                                John Gill’s Expositor – Online Bible.
c)      “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage feast of the lamb.”
Some people believe that this is a marriage feast at the end of time so therefore the marriage relationship between Christ and the church only comes about at the end of time. Others believe that the marriage between Christ and the church has already taken place.
In the scriptures (Eph 5:22-33; Rom 7:1-4; II Cor 11:2) that we looked at above in section ‘a’ we saw that this was not the case. In these verses, Christ and the church are shown to be already married. Here in Revelation 19 the marriage between Christ and the church is seen as taking place at the end of time. How can we resolve what appears to be an obvious conflict within the scriptures?

Under the Jewish system a marriage consisted of three parts:-
Betrothal – When the dowry is paid. From this point on the couple were considered to be married.
Interval – Where the couple continue to live separately. This is where Joseph and Mary were when Mary was found to be pregnant with Jesus. 
Feast – Consummation of the marriage after which the couple live together and become ‘one flesh.’

In the case of the marriage between Christ and the church it is the same with the marriage being divided into three parts.
Betrothal – When Jesus died on the cross.
Interval – When Jesus lives in heaven and the saints (church) lives on earth.
Feast – When the saints and Christ are united together in heaven.

 You will get some idea of how this works by reading Matt 22:1-14 The Parable of the Wedding Feast.

d)      “These are the true words of God”
Authorised Version:-  “And he saith unto me,  these are the true sayings of God;”
Syriac version:- "these my true words are of God";
It is clear these words are from God, and being of God, we can be certain that they are true, for God is the God of truth, He cannot lie, and so therefore these words may be depended upon. 

e)      When John tried to worship the angel he was directed to whom should be the true object of his worship, God.
Here is a lesson for us. Our worship should always be directed towards God through His son Jesus Christ. Even coming face to face with one of God’s mighty angels should not distract the focus of our worship.

Now Revelation changes in its theme. We have seen the judgement of the Great Harlot. Now the persecutor of the saints has been destroyed. From here we will move through a series of victory scenes until we eventually come to the final judgement on Satan. Then to finish the book we have two views of destiny.
1)      Destiny of the wicked, the unredeemed.
2)      Destiny of the saints, the redeemed.

The Victory of Christ.
1)      The Vision of the Victorious Christ.   Rev 19:11-17.
Now that the Great Harlot has been destroyed we come to the victory over the two remaining forces of Satan and then finally victory over Satan himself. Before we do this we must see who is behind these victories.
            As we go through the main points of this vision compare this picture of Christ with the one we saw of Him in Chapter One.
a)      Heaven Standing Opened.
Rev 4:1;   .
                        The rider of the white horse came from heaven, came from God. 

          For those of you who have seen the movie Independence Day, you may remember those amazing view of the alien spaceships entering the Earth's atmosphere. That cloud appearing, the air seeming to burst into flame. Terrible scene of the awesome power of God.  

“The heaven opened.” So Ezekiel in Ezek 1:1 begins his prophecy. See also the baptism of Jesus Matt ; Luke 3:21. Jesus predicted the opened heavens to Nathaniel John 1:51. In Rev 4:1 a door is opened in heaven, the sanctuary is opened ; 15:5, angels come out of heaven Rev 10:1; ; Rev 18:1, and sounds come from heaven Rev 19:1. 
                                                                        Robertson’s NT Word Pictures – Online Bible.      

b)      “A White Horse.” – Symbolic of victory conquest and triumph.
Remember the first of the four horsemen of Rev 6:2, the conqueror. Except, that here there are many other points that identify this rider as Christ.

c)      Called Faithful and True.
Rev 1:5;  .

d)      In righteousness He judges and wages war.
Isa 11:3-5

e)      “Eyes are a flame of fire.”
The all-seeing eyes of Christ.   ;  .
Penetrating eyes; all-seeing, all-knowing eyes; He can see to the deepest corner of our hearts, no secret can be kept from Him.
                        1 Cor 2:9-11.

f)       Upon His head are many diadems. (Crowns).
‘Diadem’ – this is the royal crown not the victory crown.
A symbol of rule and dominion, the authority of a king.

“many crowns”-Greek, "diadems": not merely (Greek,  "stephanoi")garlands of victory,  but royal crowns,  as KING OF KINGS. Christ's diadem comprises all the diadems of the earth and of heavenly powers too. 
                                                Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary – Online Bible.

g)      “Name written upon Him which no one knows.”
Probably this is the new name promised in .
The name disclosed to those who are invited to the marriage supper of the .
Other names given to Him in this chapter are:-
            “The Word of God” – .
            “King of Kings;  Lord of Lords” – .
                Judges 13:18;   1 John 3:2.
                       
h)      “Clothed with a robe dipped in blood.” What is the symbolic meaning here? First it could be His own blood, the blood of salvation, symbol of His power. Or second it could be the blood of His enemies.  See Isa 63:3

“His armour,” and that is a vesture dipped in blood, either his own blood, by which he purchased this mediatorial power, or the blood of his enemies, over whom he has always prevailed.
                                                Full Matthew Henry Commentary – Online Bible.

i)        Name called “The Word of God.”
John 1:1;  1 John 1:1;  Rev 1:2, we have seen this is a name John uses to describe Jesus Christ.

j)        His Armies.
                                                                          i.      “clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”
Rev 15:6;  Rev 19:8 – The dress of priests.
The righteousness of the saints – means pure enough to enter the Holy of Holies, the very presence of God.
                                                                        ii.      “followed Him on white horses.”
Symbol of victory – see .

k)     “From His mouth comes a sharp sword.”
;  Heb 4:12;  Isa 49:2;  .
With He may smite many nations.
;  Pas 2:9.
            He will rule them with a Rod of Iron.

l)        “He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.”
This is the wine press of -20.
            Remember the fate of the wicked in the Sickles of Judgement.
  “The cup of wine of His fierce wrath.”

m)    His Name,
Written on His robe and on His thigh.
King of Kings; Lord of Lords, we could also add Word of God.
          1 Tim 6:15.

2)      Victory over the Allies of Satan. (The two beasts)   Rev 19:17-21.
a)      Invitation to the feast.   Rev 19:17-18
i)                    “An angel standing in the sun.”

“And I saw an angel standing in the sun.” And riding with the sun in his course. From this position in the heavens and riding through the heavens he can call all the fowls of heaven together.  
ii)                  He invites the birds of prey to assemble.
This imagery is taken from Ezek 39:17-20 where God invites all the feathered fowl and wild beasts to come to the table which he has provided.
iii)                Why? To eat the flesh of Satan’s allies.
Christ describes the habits of vultures in Matt 24:28. This is a bold and powerful picture of the battlefield after the victory of the Messiah,  "a sacrificial feast spread on God's table for all the vultures of the sky"  
iv)                These allies are:-
These allies are those under the command of the beasts. They are slain by the sword in verse 21.

b)      The Victory.   Rev 19:19-21.
i)   Satan’s allies are assembled.
       These are:-  The Beast  (The Sea Beast.)
                           The False Prophet  (The Earth Beast.) verse 20.
                           The Kings of the Earth.
                           Their Armies.
ii) The reason:-  To make war against Christ and His army.

c)      The result of this war.  Rev 19:20-21.
i)  “The Beast (the Sea Beast) and the False Prophet (the Earth Beast) are seized and thrown into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.”

   “They. … . were cast alive into a lake of fire.” In Rev 18:8 it is said that Babylon shall be burned with fire. Here the false prophet, both symbols of the same power, is cast into the lake of fire. The symbol indicates utter destruction. What is cast into this lake is seen no more.     
                                                               People’s New Testament Notes.

ii)    The rest (this is the Roman Empire in general) were slain with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the white horse.”

iii)   “all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
                                     Rev 19:17-18

“And all the birds were filled, etc.” If this is a symbol its signification is that the victory was complete.  
                                                             People’s New Testament Notes.
iv)                Now they await final judgement.
Rev 20:12-15

                   This chapter appears designed to reinforce the idea that Christ in His kingly rule will defeat those who have been persecuting His people. Just as Babylon the harlot would be destroyed, so the beast and false prophet would be overcome. If the latter two represent the Roman empire in its persecution against the church, this section with its vivid imagery would have been fulfilled by 313 A.D. when Constantine brought an end to Roman persecution.
                                                                                    Revelation Notes by Mark Copeland, pg168.
           
Overview:- The Story So Far.
Lets stop now and look back over the past few chapters:-

Under the Struggle between Christ and Satan.
Delivering of the Child   Rev 12:1-6.
            War in Heaven.   Rev 12:7-12.
            War on Earth.   Rev 12:13-17.
            The Forces of War
1)      Forces of Evil lead by Satan.   Rev 13.
2)      Forces of Righteousness  Rev 14.
a)       Forces of Righteousness lead by the Lamb. Rev 14:1-5.
b)      Interlude:- Hope and confidence.   Rev 14:6-13.
c)      The Sickles of Judgement.   Rev 14:14-20.
The Seven Bowls of Wrath.
1)      Introduction.   Rev 15:1
Interlude:- Glory to God.   Rev 15:2-4.
2)      The Temple of Testimony.   Rev 15:5-16:1. 
3)      The Seven Bowls of Wrath.   Rev 16:2-21.
4)      The Great Harlot.  Rev 17:1-6, 18.
5)      The Mystery of the Sea-Beast is explained.  Rev 17:7-17.
6)      The Fall of the Great Harlot.  Rev 18:1-24.
a)      The Call for her destruction.  Rev 18:1-8
b)      The effect on those watching her destruction. Rev 18:9-20.
c)      Destruction of the city, Rev 18:21-24
7)      Rejoicing & the Marriage. Rev 19:1-10.
a)      Rejoicing & Praises.  Rev 19:1-6.
b)      The Great Harlot is Judged   Rev 19:2-3.
c)      The Marriage  Rev 19:7-10.
                        1) The Vision of the Victorious Christ   Rev 19:11-16.
                        2) Victory over the Allies of Satan.  Rev 19:17-21.
a)  Invitation to the Feast.  Rev 19:17-18
b)  The Victory.  Rev 19:19-21.
            c)  The Result of this War.  Rev 19:20-21
So we can now see that the story of Revelation is quickly winding up. We have seen the Great Harlot meet her end in chapter 18. Then in this chapter Satan brought his remaining forces against Christ. These Allies of Satan were quickly overcome and the Beast (the Sea Beast) and the False Prophet (the Earth Beast) were both thrown into the lake of fire.
There is now one remaining on our list that Christ has to deal with. This is the one behind all this evil, Satan. In chapter 20 he will also meet his end.
To finish the story we will then see Christ at the Final Judgement of all mankind. The judgement scene is followed by a glorious vision of the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, this being the final destiny of God’s righteous people.  
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