Anticipating the coming slaughter, an angel calls carrion birds to eat the fleshy parts of those who will be slain.​—Re 19 Vss. 17, 18.

Revelation 19:21 then says that “the rest were killed off” with a long sword and left to be eaten by birds. Are “the rest” merely uninvolved persons who are not on either side in this war?

Revelation clearly answers, No. Note that back in Revelation 19:18 an angel, when inviting birds to the feast, enumerated the sort of persons whose flesh would be consumed: kings, military commanders, strong men, equestrian warriors and ‘all, freemen as well as slaves and small ones and great.’

But what about the fact that Revelation 19:20, 21 says that the wild beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire whereas “the rest” are killed with the sword and left for the birds?

It is noteworthy that the execution of “the rest” (the committed supporters of the wild beast) is an expression of the “anger of the wrath of God.” Rev. 19:15) Revelation 13:8 states about those worshiping the wild beast: “The name of not one of them stands written in the scroll of life of the Lamb.” And Revelation uses basically the same language about the worshipers of the wild beast as Revelation 20:10 does about Satan, the wild beast and the false prophet, namely: “They will be tormented day and night forever.” Thus it shows that the execution, being left unburied and being consumed by the birds represents complete rejection by God of “the rest.” Rather than being buried as if meriting resurrection, their carcasses are left on the ground. Carrion birds are to eat them. Hence, Revelation 19:21 does not picture them as being burned up. (Compare Ezekiel 39:17-19.) On this The Tyndale New Testament Commentary states: “The picture of destruction is completed with the statement that the birds were sated with the flesh of the slain, a common piece of imagery for final disaster.”