Earthquakes in the Lord's Day - "The Heaven" Departs

John's vision continues: "And the heaven departed as a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and every island were removed from their places." (Revelation 6:14)  Clearly, these are not the literal heavens or the literal mountains and islands.  But what do they symbolize?

Regarding "the heaven,"  we are helped in our understanding by a similar prophecy that tells of Jehovah's rage against all the nations: "And all those of army of the heavens must rot away.  And the heavens must be rolled up, just a book scroll." (Isaiah 34:4)   Edom in particular must suffer. How? She was overrun by the Babylonians soon after the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. At that time, there were no outstanding events recorded  as happening in the literal heavens. But there were catastrophic events in Edom's "heavens."  Her human governmental powers were abased from their elevated, heavenlike postion.  (Isaiah 334:5)  They were "rolled up" and put aside , as it were, like an old scrollthat was no logner of any use to anyone.

Thus, "the heaven" that is to 'depart as a scroll' refers to the anti-God governments that rule over this earth.  They will be removed with finality by the all-conquering Rider of the white horse.  (Revelation 19:11-16, 19-21)   This is confirmed  by what the apostle Peter  said when he looked foward to the event signified by the opening of the sixth seal.  "The heavens and the earth that are now stored up for fire and are being preserved to the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:7) But what about the expression,  "every mountain and ever island were removed from their places"?

Next time: Earthquakes in the Lord's Day - "Conclusion of "The Heaven" Departs" 

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