Revelation 19:18

18 that ye eat the flesh of kings, and [the] flesh of tribunes, and [the] flesh of strong men, and flesh of horses, and of those that sit on them, and the flesh of all free men and of bondmen, and of small and of great [and small and great].

Revelation 19:18 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 19:18

That ye may eat the flesh of kings
Of the earth, and of the whole world, who will fall in the battle at Armageddon; see ( Revelation 16:14 ) ( 19:19 ) and design either those antichristian kings and states, which have drunk of the wine of Rome's fornication, and will bewail the downfall of Babylon, ( Revelation 18:3 Revelation 18:9 ) or those Pagan kings which will be drawn in by the pope and Turk, to aid and assist in this war, or both, when, upon the defeat of them, the Christian princes will seize upon, possess, and enjoy their kingdoms and dominions, which is meant by eating their flesh; (See Gill on Revelation 17:16).

And the flesh of captains;
of their generals, and officers under them:

and the flesh of mighty men;
the common soldiers, who are so called, ( Jeremiah 46:5 ) who will be rifled and plundered:

and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them;
whose rich trappings and clothes will be taken away from them:

and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great;
that is, the substance of all the inhabitants of the antichristian empire, both eastern and western, of whatsoever rank, state, and condition they be, ( Revelation 13:16 ) . The metaphors are taken from, and there is a manifest allusion to, ( Ezekiel 39:17-20 ) and the whole denotes the entire slaughter and utter ruin of the whole antichristian army, and the certainty of Christ's victory over it before hand; and also the destruction of all that are the followers of antichrist, throughout his dominions, which will now wholly fall into the hands of the saints, and be enjoyed by them.

Revelation 19:18 In-Context

16 And he hath written in his cloak, and in the hip [And he hath written in his cloth, and in his hem], King of kings and Lord of lords.

17 And I saw an angel, standing in the sun; and he cried with a great voice, and said [saying] to all birds that flew by the middle of heaven, Come ye, and be ye gathered [together] to the great supper of God,

18 that ye eat the flesh of kings, and [the] flesh of tribunes, and [the] flesh of strong men, and flesh of horses, and of those that sit on them, and the flesh of all free men and of bondmen, and of small and of great [and small and great].

19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and the hosts of them gathered, to make battle with him, that sat on the horse, and with his host.

20 And the beast was caught, and with her the false prophet, that made signs before her; in which he deceived them that took the character of the beast [that took the mark of the beast], and that worshipped the image of it. These two were sent quick into the pool of fire, burning with brimstone.