7. What are “the heavens,” and what is “the army of the heavens”?

⁷ 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. Isa 34 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 human society. (Romans 13:1-4) So “the army of the heavens” represents the combined armies of these governments of mankind.

8. How do the symbolic heavens prove to be “just like a book scroll,” and what happens to their ‘armies’?

⁸ 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.

[Picture on page 360]

“The heavens must be rolled up, just like a book scroll”