Mankind is a creation above the animals
The Bible teaches us that mankind is a creation above the animals, and one for which he would die. Certain vocal elements in our world would diminish the place of man moving him down to a par with animals. The Bible teaches this was not God’s intention in the past nor will it be in the future. The animals of the world are loved by God, but different than the humans of the world.
The relationship between Jesus and his animals will be reestablished
Do the birds hear this call? Can angels speak bird? Is this passage to be taken literally or figuratively? Maybe the passage is for the birds or maybe the passage is for the riders behind Jesus. It could be the passage is for us or for the kings who are on the bird menu.
Take the passage as you need to for the maturity you need at the moment of your understanding it. God will invest this passage with meaning according to your moments. God will take care of your molecular needs: food, clothing, shelter. He will also take care of your soulish needs: anxiety, depression, happiness, confidence. So like Peck and Chuzzzle pull your head out from under the sheets, spread your wings, crouch down and jump up into the sky of your life. Beat your wings because like we saw in the story the first wing-beats require a lot of effort. Eventually you will be soaring on the updrafts God will put beneath you. God takes care of his birds, and he takes care of his people.
Could this be a snapshot of Armageddon
19 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. 20 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 its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 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. (Revelation 19:17-21–ESV)
At first blush, what specter rises before me as I read this passage? “Armageddon! Here it is!” The problem is that the word Armageddon is somewhat of a culturally defined mother of all battles. In that merely potential description all non-God-aligned are done away with. It does not seem unwarranted to read this passage and conclude that this is Armageddon. The problem is Revelation 16 and Revelation 20. The passage in 16 is the only place in scripture where the word Armageddon is actually used. The passage of chapter 20 has no Beast or False Prophet, but another battle is fought, enemies of Christ still abound.
No easy solution is apparent from these chapters but there are some options. A crucial first step is to put a grain of salt on your own preconceptions some of which may be quite accurate and others quite fantastic. It likely will require eternity for the two to be resolved.
As I have tried to settle in my mind what the scriptures teach about Armageddon several options quickly manifest themselves. First, is Armageddon the final battle of all time? Or could it be a turning point battle in the war like Stalingrad, Midway, Gettysburg/Vicksburg battle, or Trenton/Cowpens? 1.
Second, is the book of Revelation even sequential, meaning do chapters 19 and 20 really fall chronologically after chapter 16? It seems very plausible that a listing of the seals and plagues may have shown one view of the end times and then sections like chapter 19 and 20 another.
Third, sometimes the Biblical narratives will tell parts of a story each of which is accurate, but divorced from one another seem contradictory. Think of the passages about the women coming to the tomb of Jesus. Sometimes it seems like just Mary and other times people like Joanna may be there. Each author to some extent has brought their own vantage point along in their writing. This does not mean the Holy Spirit was not active in their writing, their memories, their compiling. It just means that how one saw it or remembered it can diverge from another and while seemingly contradictory in point of all the facts isn’t.
So these closing verses of Revelation 19 may in fact be Armageddon, but what I need to believe, what you need to believe is a thing best left between us and God. With that I will move on.
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