Verse 14 says, “And the armies which are in heaven followed Him on white horses, dressed in fine linen, white and pure.” The armies here are the called and chosen believers in 17:14. They are also both the Bride and the guests invited to the marriage dinner of the Lamb (vv. 7-9). The guests invited to the wedding feast and the Bride are the same. The Bride consists of the invited guests, and the invited guests make up the Bride. After the wedding, all the guests will become the army.
Verse 14 says that the armies are dressed in fine linen, white and pure. In the previous message we saw that the overcoming saints have two garments, the one for salvation and the other for reward. The fine linen here is the second garment. This second garment of the overcomers qualifies them both to attend the marriage dinner of the Lamb (vv. 8-9) and to fight with the Lord against His enemy. Thus, the wedding garment becomes the fighting garment. The second garment qualifies us not only to attend the wedding, but also to join the army. As we have seen, this garment is Christ lived out of us to be our daily righteousness. Even today, we are fighting by Christ as our garment. Ephesians 6 indicates that the whole armor of God is Christ. Furthermore, the Lord’s army will be on white horses. We shall not be guerrillas; we shall be a properly formed heavenly army. Hallelujah!
According to verses 17 and 18, an angel will cry out with a loud voice and say to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven, “Come, gather yourselves to the great dinner of God,” and the birds will eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses, those who sit on the horses, and the flesh of all, both free and slaves, small and great. The Lord’s fighting in the war at Armageddon will prepare a great dinner for all the birds. The great dinner of God is in contrast to the marriage dinner of the Lamb. The latter is for the invited overcomers; the former is for the invited birds. Although the birds will feast on the flesh of kings, they will not eat Antichrist and the false prophet, because they will be cast into the lake of fire.
In verse 19 we see the Lord’s enemies. This verse says, “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war with Him who sits on the horse and with His army.” According to this verse, Christ’s enemies are the beast, Antichrist (undoubtedly including his associate, the false prophet), and the kings of the earth and their armies. The kings of the earth (16:12-16) especially include the ten kings under Antichrist (17:12-14), and the armies include the two hundred million cavalry troops from “the rising of the sun” (9:16; 16:12).
In verses 20 and 21 we see the defeat of Antichrist and his armies. Verse 20 says, “And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who in his presence had done the signs, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worship his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.” Antichrist and the false prophet will be the first to perish in the lake of fire. All the rest will be killed “with the sword which proceeds out of the mouth of Him who sits on the horse” (v. 21), and all the birds will be gorged with their flesh, devouring a great meal.