Revelation 19:17; An Angel Standing in the Sun
Revelation 19:17 (KJV) And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
The second of the eight scenes that comprise the seventh bowl judgment is the invitation to the birds of prey to the great supper of God (Revelation 19:17-18).
Revelation 19:17-18 (KJV) And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
This further set the state for the brief description of the battle proper that the next scene describes (Revelation 19:19-21).
Revelation 19:19-21 (KJV) And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
With the Messiah and and His armies poised and ready for battle, the insertion of this brief vision adds to the suspense of this dramatic moment. (Mounce)
The announcing angel positions himself so as to be conspicuous – standing in the sun. There all the birds of prey could see him and respond to his summons to the battlefield son to be listed with the corpses of the King’s enemies (Swete, Beckwith, Moffatt).
The word “birds” appear in Revelation 18:2 in the picture of Babylon’s destruction.
Revelation 18:2 (KJV) And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
In predicting this same battle, Jesus used the word for “eagles” or “vultures” instead of the general word for birds used here (Matthew 24:28; Luke 17:37).
Matthew 24:28 (KJV) For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
Luke 17:37 (KJV) And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
One of the characteristics of vultures is how incredibly swift they are in discovering and reaching the prey. Hence, this invitation implies immense doom to come.
[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody, 1995, 392-393]