Conclusion of Pay Attention, You Nations

Attention is drawn to the bloodguilt of the nations.  Today the nations of Christendom  have the most bloodguilt of all.  In two world wars and in many smaller conflicts, they have soaked the earth with human blood.  Who should rightly demand justice for all this bloodguilt?  None other than the Creator, the great Life-Giver.  (Psalm 36:9)  Jehovah's Law has set the standard:  "You must give soul for soul."  (Exodus 21:23-35; Genesis 9:4-6)  True to this law, he will cause the blood of the nations to flow-to their death.  The stench of their unburied, dead bodies will fill the air-a truly shameful death!  (Jeremiah 25:33)   The blood asked back in repayment will be enough to melt, or dissolve, as it were, the mountains.  (Zephaniah 1:17) With the complete destruction of their military forces, the worldly nations will see the fall of their governments, which in Bible prophecy are sometimes pictured as mountains. -Daniel 2:35, 44, 45; Revelation 17:9.

Again employing vivid imagery, Isaiah goes on to say:  "All those of the army of the heavens must rot away. And the heavens must be rolled up, just like a book scroll; and their army will all shrivel away, just as the leafage shrivels off  the vine and like a shriveled fig off the fig tree."  (Isaiah 34:4)  The expression "all those of the army of the heavens" does not mean the literal stars and planets.  Verses 5 and 6 speak of a sword of execution being drenched with blood in those "heavens."  Hence, this must be a symbol of something in the human realm.  ( 1 Corinthians 15:50)  Because of their loftiness as superior authorities, the governments of mankind are likened to heavens, ruling over earthly society.  (Romans 13:1-4) So "the army of the heavens" represents the combined armies of these governments of mankind.

This "army" will "rot away,"  molder, like something perishable.  (Psalm 102:26; Isaiah 51:6)  To the naked eye, the literal heavens above us appear curved, like an ancient book scroll, the writing of which was generally on the inner side.  When the material written on the inner side of a scroll has passed before the eyes of the reader, the finished scroll is rolled up and put away.  Similarly, "the heavens must be rolled up, just like a book scroll," in that human governments must come to their end.  Reaching the final page of their history, they must be brought to their finish at Armageddon.  Their impressive-looking 'armies'  will fall just as withered leaves fall off a grapevine or "a shriveled fig" drops off a  fig tree.  Their time will be past. -Compare Revelation 6:12-14.

Next time: A Day of Retribution

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind, 2000