19:11-21 What is portrayed here?
19:11-21 What is portrayed here?
This portrays the second coming of Christ with all the angels of heaven and saints of God, for the battle of Armageddon.
This is the fulfilment of many Old Testament prophecies (cp Isa 10:20-27; 11:4; 13:6-16; 14:4-6, 9-11, 16-20, 24-27; 30:30-33 (tophet means a great funeral pyre); Isa 34:1-17; 63:1-6; Jer 30:1-11; Eze 38:1-3, 17 - 39:7; Joel 3:1-2, 9-16; Mic 5:1-15; Zech 14:1-7, 12-15 with 2Th 1:7-10; Rev 19:19-21).
In the context of the prophecy in Eze 38 and 39, Gog represents Antichrist, and Magog, the nation he rules - Assyria. Antichrist is the king of the north - Assyria. He is called the Assyrian in scripture, and also the king of Babylon (that part of Old Testament Syria where Babylon is located, is now modern day Iraq (cp Isa 10:24; 14:4, 25; 30:31; 31:8; Dan 11:40; Mic 5:5-6).
In Rev 20:8 Gog and Magog describe hostile nations aligned with Satan in the last great rebellion against God at the end of Christ's millennial reign on earth (cp Re 20:8
(see also comments on Rev 20:1-3)).
We learn from Zech 14 that at Christ's second coming he will return to the Mount of Olives from which He ascended to heaven at His first advent (cp Lk 24:50-51; Ac 1:9-12). The Mount of Olives will split in two and create a great valley, into which the remaining half of Israel will flee for protection from Antichrist's armies, and the outpouring of God's wrath upon the earth (cp Zech 14:1-5).
We also learn from Isa 63 that although all the angels of heaven and saints of God accompany Jesus to the battle of Armageddon, they do not fight the battle with Him. Jesus single-handedly defeats Antichrist and his armies, together with Satan and the false prophet (cp Isa 59:15-16; 63:1-6; Rev 19:15, 19-21). The battle of Armageddon will last only one day (cp Isa 30:26; Zech 14:6-7).
Only one sixth of Antichrist's forces will be spared (cp Eze 39:1-7). The blood that is shed will flow for a distance of two hundred miles, or approximately 320 kilometres, at a depth of 1.2 metres "... up to the horses bridles" (cp Rev 14:19-20). It will take seven years to burn the weapons of war as firewood (cp Eze 39:8-10).
It will take the whole of Israel seven months to bury those killed in the battle notwithstanding that the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field will also eat the dead bodies (cp Rev 19:17-18 with Eze 39:11-20).
Antichrist's forces will not only die by Christ's hand. They will also die from a plague sent by God that will eat away their flesh, and they will slay each other as well (cp Zech 14:12-13; Eze 38:21).
See also comments on Mt 24:1-3; Jn 5:43; Rev 6:1-2, 13:1-7, 14:14-16, 16:16.