Hezekiah's Plea to the Lord

In Isaiah chapter 38 we read that King Hezekiah became very ill to the point of death. He is in the prime of his life so he humbles and prays to the Lord how he has been faithful to God, and how he has served him with his whole heart. 

God hears his prayer and sends him word through the prophet Isaiah that he will add fifteen years to his life (vs 5). Hezekiah was suffering from a painful boil. A cake of figs was made which apparently had the medicinal properties to heal Hezekiah once it was rubbed on the boil to heal him (vs 21).

Question, how did Hezekiah's life change so dramatically when it was told to him by the prophet to "put your house in order because you are going to die and not live" (vs 1)?

Simply, due to Hezekiah's prayer. It moved the hand and heart of God to act on his behalf. The text said the Lord heard Hezekiah's prayer and saw his tears (vs 5).  I am bringing this point up because of the fact that some reading this account may get the impression or simply believe that God changed his mind regarding what he decided to do regarding Hezekiah. 

No, God did not nor does he ever change his mind. Hezekiah certainly would have died of his sickness had he not prayed to God to spare his life. God also knew that Hezekiah would pray that prayer of humility to him which gave the Lord the opportunity to bless him. Both scenarios are true. Had Hezekiah not prayed he would have died. Because he did pray, God granted fifteen more years and healed him. Some look at the word Isaiah gave Hezekiah regarding him dying as an intention and not a declaration from the Lord; a divine intention God can change if one prays (as was the case of Hezekiah praying for himself), or if one intercedes, but a decree from God must be fulfilled.

This story should be of great encouragement to us as children of God. The Lord hears the prayers and sees the tears of his saints. Just like with Hezekiah, he is moved with compassion to act on our behalf. But please notice what Hezekiah prayed, "Remember now O Lord how I have walked before you in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight" (vs 3).

2 Chronicles 29:2 tells us that Hezekiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord. His relationship with the Lord no doubt gave him the confidence to petition the Lord to spare his life.

Is Paul usurping the Lord's authority in I Corinthians 7:12?

Paul is discussing marriage in this chapter. The reason I wanted to discuss the matter is because I'm sure there is confusion regarding the fact that Paul says in verse 12 that, "To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.

For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called us to peace. For how do you know, wife whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know husband if you will save your wife?

When Paul states in verse 12 to the rest I say and not the Lord, he is by no means giving his personal opinion on the matter. Rather he is providing new revelation never dispensed before regarding marriage. If you read verses 10-11 in this chapter Paul talks about if one is married, do not separate from your spouse. For if you do, remain unmarried or reconcile with your spouse. Understand this particular command came from the Lord Jesus. Jesus stated the following, "It was said,'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you (i.e. not Moses and the law, but I, Jesus say) that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery" (Matt 5:31,32). The part where Jesus declares that those that divorce and marry another commit adultery was brand new revelation at that time. Moses never made that declaration in the law. 

So do you see why it was important for Paul to differeniate between what Jesus commanded and the new command given to him from the Spirit of God to deliver to the church at Corinth?  What Paul wrote Jesus never spoke about. Let discuss the new revelation Paul gives regarding marriage.

1. Paul discusses that if an unbelieving spouse desires to remain with their believing spouse, let them remain. Do not get a divorce (vv 12-13).

2. But, if the unbelieving spouse desires to leave, for the sake of peace let them leave. The believer can re-marry in the Lord (vv 15, 39).

3. The believing spouse because the Lord's favor rests upon them, sanctifies [(not saves) their unsaved partner and children, vs 14)]. The unsaved partner can receive blessings they would not otherwise enjoy if they were married to an unbeliever like themselves. The saved spouse provides a holy covering for the unsaved spouse. Hopefully the unsaved acknowledges the blessings they are receiving because of their saved partner and becomes a believer in Christ by repenting and turning to the Lord by faith.

In conclusion, just because Paul said "I said" and not the Lord does not mean Paul is usurping the Lord's authority. Once again these particular truths Paul revealed were never spoken of by Christ. What this also proves is that the same Holy Spirit that led our Lord to declare absolute truth is the same Spirit that led Paul and leads all true believers. Paul's words had just as much force and power as Jesus' words for he was an Apostle inspired by the Holy Spirit.

What did Jesus mean when he said, "I came not to bring peace but a sword!"

This is one of those apparent contradictory statements by Jesus again. I love these type of statements by the Lord. And why? Because it forces me to carefully examine the text to see what he meant by this controversial phrase. 

Once again to understand what Jesus meant, we must understand the context in which he said it. Matthew 10:34-37 says, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth, but a sword. For I came to set a man against Father, and a Daughter against her Mother, and a Daughter-In-Law against her Mother-In-Law; and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves Father and Mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who will lose his life for my sake will find it."

The prior verses tell us that Jesus had commissioned his disciples to preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast of demons (Matt 10:5-8). 

When Jesus said, "I came not to bring peace, but a sword", he was making reference to a sword of division between family members. Why in the world would Jesus want to do that? Because, family are the closest relationships we have in the earth. If we are to be effective genuine Christians, we have to be willing to abandon any and all relationships for the excellency that is in Jesus Christ or else we CANNOT serve him.  Jesus is commanding ultimate love and devotion to him first. All other relationships must be subservient to his. 

Jesus is not being double minded when he says that he came not to bring peace. He is and always will be the Prince of Peace as Isaiah 9:6 tells us. Yet at the same time, the life we must live as Christians will not be totally devoid of conflict and trial. Ultimately peace will prevail, but prior to obtaining eternal peace we will have conflict; perhaps even in our own family. Jesus is warning his readers that a cost is required to follow him. It is like he is saying, "Are you willing to cast your vote for me even at the expense of your family and even your own life?" If one is unwilling to do that, they cannot be Jesus' disciple. 

In Luke 9:59-62 we read these words, And he said to another, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my Father. But he said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." Another also said, "I will follow you Lord, but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." But Jesus said to him. "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God."

If we are to follow Christ, we cannot make any excuses. Either we are all the way in, or we are out; no middle ground! Thank the Lord he cares enough about us to warn us first what is required to  follow him. Jesus does not paint a unrealistic pretty picture, but a real one of the cost of discipleship. 

Are there times when it is OK to hate someone?

In Psalm 139:21 we read David saying, "Do I not hate them O Lord that hate you? And am I not grieved with those that rise up against you? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them my enemies."

These feelings by David are in contradiction to what Jesus taught us about loving our enemies and doing good to them right (Matt 5:44)? So why did David feel justified in hating his enemies? How could he make such an out loud and brash statement like he did? The word hate is the Hebrew word miseo. The word has several meanings; malice, disregard, preferring one thing over another, dislike.

David was justified in saying he hated those that hated God because those that hate God are his enemies, and are bent on committing evil. The nations that Israel had to drive out of Canaan were perversely wicked nations that God commanded them to destroy. Why? Because God hated those nations. Would God have commanded those nations be destroyed if he loved them?  Of course not. An evil person wicked ways are repulsive to God and HAVE to be repulsive to us as well - those of us who are his children.  If not, we are siding with God's enemies which we must not do.

So, how do we balance what Jesus commanded us in Matthew 5:44 verses what David said in Psalm 139:21? Jesus commanded us to love and pray for our enemies which we are supposed to do. That does not mean we want God to bless them in their state of wickedness and rebellion. Rather we should pray that they repent of their sins and believe the gospel so that they can be saved. We are to despise them - not with an unjustified malicious hatred toward them, but a godly, holy hatred because of their wicked ways. It is a justified hatred with a godly cause - all the while praying for the salvation of their soul even as your enemy. 

Remember, whom or what God hates, we hate. Whom or what God loves, we love. 

A perfect example of a righteous hatred would be the terrorist regime ISIS. Question, does God love them? I would say yes and no.

These terrorists are enemies of God and his Church. They are beheading and crucifying Christians. They have made it clear that they hate God and his children. I think I would be safe in saying that God hates ISIS and we should to because they are evil. I know that language sounds strange. The paradox however is that we are to love and pray for the individuals salvation, and at the same time pray for them being brought to justice, their organization destroyed and even executed for their crimes. They deserve to die. They are an abomination to all, but we as believers should pray they do not perish eternally.

Even though it can be hard to understand this apparent duplicitous dynamic humanly, it is not difficult to decipher in the mind of God. God's hate of something or someone is just as perfect and holy as his love. We must not forget that. And remember, David's loathing of those in his day was justified because of the wickedness of those who hated God. God is holy and perfect. Anyone who is against God is against us. Jesus said, "Whoever is not for me is against me (Matt 12:30)."

Jesus at the end of time will destroy all evil - that means he will kill everyone of his enemies. Why? Because he loves them so? No, because he despises them for their evil and for his holiness sake he must judge them (Rev 19:11-21).  God would not be just if he did not judge evil doers. Just as a human judge must sentence wicked people to life in prison or death for their crimes, God must and will do the same thing.

God's hating of individuals is never baseless or causeless. It is because man is against and hates God that God reacts with perfect hatred. We like David have to hate evil doers as well; not with the attitude that we are pursuing personal revenge, but that God would punish them in his time.

Is there such a thing as a heavenly prayer language?

To those in the Charismatic and Pentecostal communities, the question is a no-brainer. They are convinced there is a heavenly language spoken of in the Bible. If so, where would one find this language? In 1 Corinthians 13 and 14. 

In 1 Corinthians 13:1 we read, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels..." Now, when Paul says he speaks with the tongues of angels, is he speaking literally or figuratively? It would have to be figuratively. Every time an angel spoke in the Bible, they spoke in the language of the people they were talking to - not in some "angel talk". Yet many have determined that speaking with the tongues of angels is speaking in tongues. How they come to that conclusion is a mystery to me. 

Are there two different gifts of tongues in the Bible?

The reason I present this question is because there are those that believe and teach there are two types of tongues in scripture - one for the Church in public use that requires interpretation (not translation in the Charismatic and Pentecostal Churches),  and one for private use (which requires no interpretation because it is between the speaker and God alone).  Why is this so? I believe because of a misunderstanding of what Paul is describing in 1 Corinthians 14. In verses 18 and 19 Paul says, "I thank God I speak in tongues more than all of you. Yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue." 

There is no account in scripture where Paul spoke in tongues. But we know he did because he tells the Church at Corinth so. But Paul says something interesting. He says he rather speak only a few words in his native tongue to the Church so that he can instruct and edify others than ten thousand words in a tongue. Why would Paul say that? Because he understood the superiority of edifying the Church than edifying one's self  by speaking in a foreign tongue that no one could understand, not even him (1 Cor 14:4).

Also, this supposed "second tongue" for private prayer cannot be found in the Bible. So what is going on? Why are so many speaking in unintelligible speech and saying that is a heavenly language or tongues? They are misinterpreting 1 Cor 14:4 which reads, "He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself; but he that prophesies edifies the Church." 

What the Charismatic is saying is that when one speaks in this ecstatic speech (or what they call tongues), it is some type of esoteric prayer on a heavenly level that is a greater form of worship (some believe) than if one spoke in their native tongue to God in prayer. Also, it is a way to build one's self up in the Holy Spirit. And by the way, this gift is available to every Christian and does not need to be interpreted because it is strictly between the tongue speaker and God alone.  

Paul made it clear that anyone that spoke in a tongue were to pray that they may interpret (1 Cor 14:5,27). Now keep in mind when Paul mentions tongues, he is not talking about a heavenly language or gibberish for gibberish or non language cannot be translated because it has no meaning.

This is the difference between the tongues spoken in the assembly vs the one spoken privately in one's prayer closet. I grew up in the Charismatic movement from the age of 13-24, and I have never witnessed a genuine manifestation of the gift of language and an interpretation of that foreign language. 

All I experienced and practiced were the current counterfeit manifestations.  

What about using tongues as a means of spiritual warfare?

One of the main passages used for tongues as a means of  wrestling against the unseen forces of evil in heavenly places is Ephesians 6:18, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching for this purpose with all perseverance for all saints".

The phrase "In the Spirit" is the what Charismatics believe is the phrase that justifies them engaging in what I believe is a foolish practice at best, and perhaps a demonic practice at the worst. Why do I say demonic? Because there are pagan groups like Tibetan monks and foreign tribes that chant in unknown tongues that are not of the Spirit of God. The genuine gift of tongues was always human languages not known by the speaker but understood by the hearers as witnessed on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. The phrase "In the Spirit" simply means by the leading of the Holy Spirit, not uttering ecstatic speech as a means of spiritual warfare.

Other passages used to justify what they believe is spiritual warfare are: Romans 8:26 and Jude 1:20.

Conclusion

There are ongoing debates regarding whether the Biblical gift of  tongues has ceased or is operative today. What I am arguing is there is no such thing as a personal private heavenly language to build one's self up. There is a great divide regarding this matter also. Those that practice this ecstatic speech are considered the "haves", and those who do not are the "have-nots" spiritually speaking.

I fall into the latter group.

Speaking in the Biblical gift of tongues was never a weapon to fight demons and fallen angels, nor was it used as a personal prayer language. The gift was manifested to advance the kingdom of God, to magnify God and his power (Acts 2:11;10:46;19:6), and it was a sign of judgment to the unbeliever (in particular unbelieving Israel, 1 Cor 14:21-22). To see how it was a sign of judgment to Israel one has to travel back to the book of Isaiah 28.

We Need Humilty!

What does mean to be humble? With all of the seminars, books, and videos that tell us to "Believe in yourself", "You can create your own reality if you can just visualize it", it's no wonder why people today have very little or no humility at all. I am by no means advocating apathy, and not having confidence in one's abilities, but like most things we do as humans, we take it to the extreme.

Too often many are overconfident in themselves to the degree that many believe they are better than those who they feel have not reached their status in life - money, education, corporate success, etc.

Humble by definition means one of low degree, one of a lowly spirit. These are adjective forms of the word. This perfectly describes Jesus who said that he was gentle and humble in heart (Matt 11:29).

To have humility is not a bad word. Some have misunderstood the term believing that to be humble is to exhibit weakness, to not have a backbone. To become a doormat.

No. Rather a humble person knows that they do not have win every argument. I believe also a humble person is a peacemaker and a fair leader - one who is willing to go the extra mile to smooth things out between adverse situations. They are looking for a better way to handle things instead of yelling and cursing and fighting to get their way.

I felt it important to discuss humility in light of everything happening with our corrupt government and the recent natural disasters the nation and other nations have and are experiencing.

I know there are an innumerable amount of people blaming God for all the catastrophes happening in our world right now. With the all the earthquakes and hurricanes hitting areas like Puerto Rico, the Carribean Islands, Turk and Caicos, Houston, TX, the state of  Florida, Mexico, et al, many believe God does not care so they are cursing his name, or have resolved in their minds that he is not real so what is the point in calling out to him.

The Prophet Daniel had a different mindset regarding the exile of the nation Israel. Daniel knew why they were in captivity. So what did Daniel do? He humbled himself and petitioned the Lord.

In Daniel 9:3-20 we read the following, 

3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him;

10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God because we have sinned against him.

12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil has come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand your truth.

14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and has gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and your fury be turned away from your city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people have become a reproach to all that are about us.

17 Now, therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations and the city which is called by your name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for your great mercies.

19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for your city and thy people are called by your name.

20 And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God;

21 Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

We see here that Daniel made himself a committee of one to intercede to God on behalf of the nation Israel. Daniel understood why they were enslaved by their enemies; because of the disobedience of their fathers. He made it clear in verse five: We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments.

Daniel didn't get angry and curse and blaspheme God; rather he beseeched and petitioned God to forgive the nation Israel and to pardon their sin for his holy name's sake. In other words, Daniel asked God to forgive Israel in spite of their sinful rebellious ways - not because they deserved it, but because God is merciful (v 18). 

This is one of the greatest displays of humility ever recorded not just in the scripture but in human history. When we read further in Daniel chapter nine, you discover that the angel Gabriel gives Daniel understanding regarding the future of the nation.

We must learn from Daniel's outstanding humility and character. The U.S. and the world are in the mess it is in because of its countless sins. It's not God's fault things are happening the way they are - it's ours. We as a nation has turned its back on God. As a result, we are being judged in the form of earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. These calamities should serve as a wake-up call and cause us to fear God and cry out to him for repentance and mercy, but the pleasures of sin have a way of lulling people to sleep - making us dull and insensitive to God's clear warnings that he is angry.  The moment we realize that as a nation, we should collectively get on our knees and implore God's forgiveness like Daniel did 2500 years ago for the nation Israel.

Will the U.S. ever do that? I doubt it. Why? Because it is too proud. This U.S. is rushing headlong into hell unless she repents.

Listen to the wisdom in the following verses:

Proverbs 16:18 - Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 29:23 - A man's pride will bring him low, but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.

James 4:6b - God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.

Proverbs 6:17 - God hates a proud or arrogant look.

Psalm 9:17 - The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God.

Matthew 23:12 - And whoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (Jesus speaking). 

A humble man is a righteous man. He will not be quick to point the finger at others when he knows the problems he is facing is most likely because of his own sins. He will cry out to God for mercy - realizing that the Lord is the solution, not the problem.

A self-righteous man is blind and will point the finger at everyone else for his problems except himself. That is why he will be brought low, or made to be humble or humiliated because of his sinful pride. 

Do we want things to get better as a nation? Then we must do what Daniel did, humble ourselves and pray.

The Lord speaking to King Solomon uttered these timeless words:

If my people, who are called by name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will hear their land. 

Now, this promise was made directly to the nation Israel, but I believe that by extension America can hear from the Lord if we humble ourselves and pray to the God who has and is blessing this nation daily despite its unfaithfulness to God.

And finally, the humble heart is never self-reliant, they are petitioners. They are people of prayer; they are intercessors like Christ, Daniel, and the prophets of old along with the apostles. They know who their source is and where their help comes from (Heb 4:16).

The proud and arrogant heart are those that are self-righteous. They are like Nebuchadnezzar who in Daniel chapter four said the following prideful words, "Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty" (Dan 4:30)?

The Bible says that same hour Nebuchadnezzar was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox. His body was wet with dew from heaven. His hair was grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws (Dan 4:33). The king suffered a psychological disorder called Boanthropy. Those with this condition believe they are a cow or an ox so they graze and eat grass. If you do not humble yourself, God will humiliate you. This happened to the king for seven years until his mind was restored. Fortunately for Nebuchadnezzar, he repented and praised God and gave him thanks for all things (Dan 4:34-37).

I hope those that read this realize humility is not a weakness but a strength.
Humble people pray and are exalted by God. Proud people only brag and are brought low by God.

What is the Battle of Armageddon?

The word Armageddon is the Hebrew word [Har]megiddon which means mountain or plain of Megiddo. Megiddo is located in northern Israel in the valley of Jezreel. In ancient Biblical times battles were fought there.

If you look closely at the map, you will see the half tribe of Manasseh to the left and Megiddo in the northern part of it. 

In the 15th Century B.C. Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III fought against a group of Megiddo and Kadesh rulers. There are some that believe this is the same Pharaoh Moses and Aaron confronted when they demanded that Pharaoh let the Hebrews go free in the book of Exodus. 

During the time of Joshua's and his army defeat of many kings, it is mentioned that the tribe of Manasseh (one of the 12 tribes of Israel) received the region of Megiddo (Josh 12:21).

This is also the area where King Josiah of Judah is killed in 609 B.C. when battling against Pharaoh  Neco (2 Kings 23:29 - 30, 2 Chr 35:20 - 35). 

The word Megiddo is also mentioned in I Kings 9:15, "And this is the reason for the labor force which  King Solomon raised: to build the house of the Lord, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer."

That region has been the place of several battles in history and will be the place of a final battle - in essence World War III. Revelation 16:16 says that all nations will gather themselves to fight at this place - the plains of Megiddo. Or more popularly called Armageddon.

The armies of the earth are defeated by Jesus Christ

Revelation 19:11-21, "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike the nations, and he will rule with a rod of iron. He will tread the wine press of the fury of his wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords. 

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great." And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive (italics mine) into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. 

The Apostle John is miraculously transported to the future, to the end of time as a matter of fact. He sees numerous visions which he records in his revelations, hence the name of the book - Revelation [(no "S" :)]. 

The above mentioned verses describes in incredible detail a final battle which most Biblical scholars believe will take place in the plains of Meggido. This battle comprises the armies of heaven led by Jesus Christ himself against the armies of the earth led by its leaders. The result will end in a gruesome blood bath where the earth armies will lose so that horse and rider along with the nobility of the earth and with all the ignoble that side with them will be devoured by ravenous birds.

After this victory by Christ, he will usher in the Millennium which is a thousand year period of global peace (Rev 20:2-7).