Revelation 19:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"And I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a great voice, saying to all the birds flying in midheaven." We consider this angel to be one of the highest, because he commands the others to rejoice over the punishment of sinners and the cessation of sin. Angels are called birds because of the height and swiftness of their flight, for our correction and instruction. The fulfillment of God's will serves as food for them, and in this they imitate Christ. They fly in midheaven in order to open access to it for the saints and for the joy foretold. Their intercessions serve as a kind of step for ascent from below into heaven. Therefore the saints will be caught up by them to meet the Lord (1 Thess 4:17).

He saw an angel standing in the sun, for the sun is the faith of the catholic Church, on which this angel is described as standing. Daniel also spoke of him in this way: "At that time Michael shall arise, the great prince who stands for the sons of your people" (Dan 12:1). For as this holy archangel then stood before the face of God on behalf of the sons of the ancient people, so now he continually intercedes for the people of the whole catholic Church. Daniel says: "And there shall be a time of distress, such as never has been since there was a nation until that time" (Dan 12:1). At that time, holy John says in Revelation, the birds of the earth will gather to feed on the corpses of sinners (cf. Rev 19:21).

"And I saw," John says, "one angel standing in the sun," that is, a preacher in the Church. "And he cried with a great voice, saying to all the birds flying in midheaven." By birds and beasts we understand good and evil people, as it is said: "The beasts of the field will glorify Me" (Is 43:20), and "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Rev 5:5). Therefore in this place he calls birds flying in midheaven the churches. Having gathered them into one body, he earlier called them an eagle flying in midheaven (Rev 8:13).

I think that the holy angel is a kind of herald of the divine army. He summons all the holy angels in heaven, who are here called birds because of their height and power of flight, to take part in the destruction of the enemies. This is not because one angel would be insufficient to destroy the army of the adversaries. The one who slew 185,000 Assyrians in one night clearly showed this (cf. 2 Kgs 19:35). Rather, it is so that all may share the joy over the defeat of the enemies. It also seems to me that they speak together with the Prophet: "Do I not hate those who hate Thee, O Lord? Do I not loathe those who rise against Thee? I hate them with perfect hatred; they have become my enemies" (Ps 138:21-22).

The angel who proclaims is the Church. He rightly adds "one," for "my dove is one" (Song 6:9). In this the mystery of unity is revealed. "In the sun" means that he now makes things clear and hides nothing out of fear. "And he cried with a great voice." A great voice, as we must understand it, presupposes freedom born of great confidence. Sometimes in certain places birds are understood as the qualities of evil people, and sometimes as the qualities of the good. Just as the image of the flying eagle was mentioned above (cf. Rev 8:13), so here the spiritual are invited to the supper. Peter, who bears in himself the image of the present Church, was called to this supper when it was said to him: "Kill and eat" (Acts 10:13).

This is the preaching in the Church. The more strongly they try to silence it, the more clearly it shines and the more freely it sounds. He calls the saints birds, those who spend their life in the heavens: "For wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered" (Mt 24:28). Considering them as one body, he had earlier spoken of an eagle flying in mid-heaven (cf. Rev 8:13).

The angel foretells a defeat of God's enemies so complete that there will be no one to bury their corpses, and they will be given to the birds.

"Come and gather for the great supper of God." During battles whole flocks of birds of prey and beasts gather on battlefields and devour the uncollected corpses of the slain. Here the angel summons the predators to the supper prepared for them, which will be given to them after the defeat of Christ's adversaries.