Isaiah 34:4

Translation
King James Version
And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And all the host H6635 of heaven H8064 shall be dissolved H4743, and the heavens H8064 shall be rolled together H1556 as a scroll H5612: and all their host H6635 shall fall down H5034, as the leaf H5929 falleth off H5034 from the vine H1612, and as a falling H5034 fig from the fig tree H8384.
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Complete Jewish Bible
The whole host of heaven will decompose, the heavens themselves be rolled up like a scroll; all their array will wither away like a withering grape-leaf that falls from a vine or a withered fig from a fig tree.
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Berean Standard Bible
All the stars of heaven will be dissolved. The skies will be rolled up like a scroll, and all their stars will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like foliage from the fig tree.
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American Standard Version
And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all their host shall fade away, as the leaf fadeth from off the vine, and as a fading leaf from the fig-tree.
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World English Bible Messianic
All of the army of the sky will be dissolved. The sky will be rolled up like a scroll, and all its armies will fade away, as a leaf fades from off a vine or a fig tree.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And all the hoste of heauen shalbe dissolued, and the heauens shall be folden like a booke: and all their hostes shall fall as the leafe falleth from the vine, and as it falleth from the figtree.
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Young's Literal Translation
And consumed have been all the host of the heavens, And rolled together as a book have been the heavens, And all their hosts do fade, As the fading of a leaf of a vine, And as the fading one of a fig-tree.
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See also
Revelation 6:13Revelation 6:14Matthew 24:29Ezekiel 32:7Ezekiel 32:82 Peter 3:72 Peter 3:12
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God’s Coming Judgement
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In the KJVVerse 18,308 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Isaiah 34:4 presents a profound and terrifying prophetic vision of ultimate divine judgment, depicting the complete dissolution and unmaking of the cosmos. This vivid imagery serves as a powerful testament to God's absolute sovereignty and the totality of His impending wrath against all that opposes Him. The verse portrays the celestial bodies and the very fabric of the heavens collapsing and vanishing, employing stark similes of falling leaves and figs to underscore the inevitability, effortlessness, and comprehensive nature of this cosmic unmaking, thereby emphasizing that no part of creation is exempt from God's ultimate reckoning.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Isaiah 34 functions as a formidable oracle of judgment, primarily directed against Edom, but serving as a broader indictment against all nations and powers that stand in opposition to God and His covenant people. This chapter is strategically placed within a larger prophetic section (Isaiah 28-35) that masterfully contrasts the impending severity of God's wrath and judgment with the glorious future restoration and blessing He has prepared for Israel. Specifically, the devastating consequences of divine judgment described in Isaiah 34 meticulously set the stage for the radiant vision of restoration, new creation, and the highway of holiness presented in Isaiah 35. The cosmic upheaval depicted in Isaiah 34:4 serves to magnify the sheer scale and universal scope of God's intervention, indicating that His judgment is not confined to earthly nations but extends to the very structure and order of the universe, preceding the establishment of His righteous and eternal kingdom.

  • Historical & Cultural Context: The prophecies recorded in the book of Isaiah were delivered during a tumultuous and politically charged period in Judah's history, marked by the formidable rise of the Assyrian Empire and the looming threat of Babylonian dominance. The immediate historical backdrop for Isaiah 34 involves the Assyrian threat and the complex geopolitical landscape of the ancient Near East, where nations like Edom frequently acted as adversaries or hostile neighbors to Judah. Culturally, the imagery of cosmic dissolution would have evoked profound dread and existential fear among ancient peoples, who generally viewed the heavens as stable, eternal, and often imbued with divine significance. The "host of heaven" could refer to the celestial bodies (stars, sun, moon) or, in certain contexts, spiritual beings or deities associated with these realms. The concept of a "scroll" (Hebrew: çêpher) was universally familiar as the primary medium for recording important documents, implying a definitive closure, completion, or revocation when rolled up. The agricultural similes of falling leaves and figs were readily understood by an agrarian society, powerfully conveying natural, inevitable decay, loss, and the end of a cycle.

  • Key Themes: The imagery and pronouncements of Isaiah 34:4 contribute profoundly to several overarching theological and narrative themes prevalent within Isaiah and biblical prophecy as a whole. Foremost among these is the theme of Divine Sovereignty and Omnipotence, which is dramatically demonstrated as God exercises ultimate control over all creation, even its most seemingly permanent and immutable elements. The dissolution of the heavens powerfully underscores the Totality and Inescapability of God's Judgment, emphasizing that no power, entity, or structure, whether earthly or cosmic, can ultimately withstand His righteous wrath. This comprehensive judgment is frequently associated with the Day of the Lord, a recurring prophetic motif signifying a climactic time of divine intervention, wrath, and vindication. Furthermore, the cosmic imagery in Isaiah 34:4 serves as a profound Eschatological Foreshadowing, pointing forward to future cataclysmic events that will precede the establishment of God's eternal kingdom, a theme that resonates powerfully and is further developed in New Testament apocalyptic literature, such as the vision found in Revelation 6:14.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • host (Hebrew, tsâbâʼ', H6635): This term refers to a mass of persons or things, often specifically organized for war, an army, or a company. In the context of "host of heaven," it primarily denotes the celestial bodies—the stars, sun, and moon—conceived as an ordered array or army. It can also carry a secondary connotation of spiritual beings or powers associated with these heavenly realms, suggesting that even the spiritual forces that might oppose God are subject to His judgment.
  • dissolved (Hebrew, mâqaq', H4743): A primitive root meaning "to melt," "to flow," "to dwindle," or "to vanish." This verb suggests a process of disintegration, decay, or wasting away, rather than a sudden, instantaneous destruction. It implies a gradual, yet complete, loss of form and substance, emphasizing the irreversible nature of the cosmic collapse and the complete unmaking of the existing order.
  • rolled together (Hebrew, gâlal', H1556): From a primitive root meaning "to roll" (literally or figuratively). When applied to a scroll, it vividly describes the act of coiling up a document, signifying its completion, closure, or being put away. This imagery conveys the finality of the current cosmic order, as if the heavens themselves are a scroll that has been read and is now being irrevocably closed, its contents fulfilled or rendered obsolete.
  • fall down (Hebrew, nâbêl', H5034): A primitive root meaning "to wilt," "to fall away," "fail," or "faint." When applied to leaves and figs, it describes their natural and inevitable detachment and descent. In the context of the "host of heaven," it emphasizes the loss of their stability, position, and vitality, signifying their complete and irreversible demise from their established place.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved": This opening clause introduces the core prophetic vision, declaring that the entirety of the celestial realm, encompassing the stars, planets, and potentially even the spiritual powers associated with them, will undergo a process of melting away or disintegration. This signifies a profound and fundamental unmaking of the cosmic order, indicating that nothing in creation, no matter how vast or seemingly permanent, is beyond God's reach or power to dismantle.
  • "and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll": This powerful simile further elaborates on the dissolution, likening the heavens themselves to an ancient scroll that is being decisively rolled up and put away. This action symbolizes the definitive end of the current age and its cosmic framework, implying a conclusive closure and the cessation of the present order, much like a book that has been read to its final page and is now closed forever.
  • "and all their host shall fall down": This clause reiterates and reinforces the fate of the celestial bodies, emphasizing their descent and collapse from their established positions. The repetition of "host" underscores the idea that the entire ordered array of the heavens will be affected, losing their stability, coherence, and place.
  • "as the leaf falleth off from the vine": This is the first of two agricultural similes, comparing the falling celestial bodies to a leaf naturally detaching from a vine. This comparison conveys the inevitability and naturalness of the collapse from God's perspective; it is as certain, effortless, and commonplace as a leaf falling in autumn.
  • "and as a falling [fig] from the fig tree": The second simile reinforces the previous one, likening the celestial fall to a ripe fig dropping from its tree. This image further emphasizes the completeness, ease, and lack of resistance with which the "host of heaven" will be removed, suggesting that their demise is as certain and unpreventable as a fully ripened fruit detaching from its branch.

Literary Devices

Isaiah 34:4 is exceptionally rich with Cosmic Imagery, painting a vivid and terrifying picture of immense scale and dramatic upheaval. The description of the "host of heaven" dissolving and the "heavens" being "rolled together" evokes a sense of universal catastrophe, powerfully emphasizing God's absolute power and dominion over all creation. The verse employs potent Simile, comparing the falling celestial bodies to a leaf detaching from a vine and a fig dropping from a fig tree. These comparisons ground the cosmic event in familiar, natural processes, making the inevitability and completeness of the judgment more relatable and stark, while simultaneously highlighting its effortless nature from God's perspective. The use of such extreme and dramatic imagery also borders on Hyperbole or Apocalyptic Language, which is characteristic of prophetic literature that uses heightened, symbolic descriptions to convey the overwhelming magnitude of divine intervention and judgment, transcending literal interpretation to communicate profound theological truths about God's absolute dominion and the radical transformation of creation.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Isaiah 34:4 stands as a profound and awe-inspiring testament to God's absolute sovereignty over all creation and the entirety of human history. It teaches us that the seemingly immutable structures of the cosmos are entirely subject to His will and ultimate decree, serving as a powerful warning to those who defiantly oppose Him and a deep source of assurance for His covenant people. This cosmic judgment is not merely destructive in its purpose but fundamentally preparatory, clearing the way for a new heavens and new earth where righteousness will dwell eternally. It underscores the transient and temporary nature of the present world order and powerfully directs the hope of believers towards God's eternal kingdom, where His perfect justice, unblemished glory, and righteous reign will be fully and eternally manifested.

  • Revelation 6:14: This pivotal New Testament passage directly echoes Isaiah's imagery, describing the heaven departing "as a scroll when it is rolled together" during the breaking of the sixth seal, highlighting the cataclysmic events accompanying the ultimate Day of the Lord.
  • 2 Peter 3:10-12: Peter expands significantly on this theme, stating that "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat," emphasizing the ultimate dissolution, purification, and renewal of the present creation before the glorious advent of the new heavens and new earth.
  • Isaiah 24:21: This earlier passage in Isaiah also speaks of God punishing "the host of the high ones that are on high," suggesting that the "host of heaven" can include not only celestial bodies but also spiritual powers or angelic beings who are likewise subject to divine judgment.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Isaiah 34:4 confronts us with the awesome and terrifying reality of God's immeasurable power and unyielding justice. It serves as a stark and inescapable reminder that all created things, no matter how vast, seemingly stable, or eternally permanent they may appear, are utterly dependent on their Creator and are entirely subject to His ultimate decree and sovereign will. For those who stand in defiant opposition to God and His righteous ways, this verse is a solemn and comprehensive warning of inevitable and total judgment, urging profound repentance and humble submission. For believers, however, it offers profound comfort, unwavering hope, and a steadfast anchor for the soul. It assures us that God is truly and absolutely in control, even when the world around us seems chaotic, unstable, and unravelling. Our ultimate hope and security are not to be found in the stability of earthly or even cosmic structures, but solely in the unchanging character, eternal purposes, and faithful promises of Almighty God. This profound truth should compel us to live with an eternal perspective, investing our lives and resources in what truly lasts—God's kingdom, His righteousness, and His eternal purposes—rather than clinging to the transient and fleeting realities of this passing world. It calls us to live lives of holiness, devotion, and faithful obedience, knowing that the God who possesses the power to unmake the heavens is the very same God who faithfully keeps every one of His promises to His beloved people.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does the imagery of cosmic dissolution challenge your assumptions about stability and permanence in the world, and what does it reveal about where your true security lies?
  • What does this verse reveal about the absolute sovereignty and limitless power of God, and how does that profound truth impact your trust in His control over your life and the world?
  • In what ways might you be clinging to "earthly" or "heavenly" hosts (i.e., worldly systems, financial securities, personal achievements, or even spiritual powers) rather than placing your ultimate hope and reliance solely in God?
  • How should the certainty of God's ultimate judgment and the glorious promise of a new creation shape your daily priorities, your long-term goals, and the way you live your life?

FAQ

Does Isaiah 34:4 describe a literal destruction of the universe?

Answer: While the language of Isaiah 34:4 is highly dramatic and employs vivid imagery of cosmic dissolution, biblical scholars generally interpret it as apocalyptic and symbolic language rather than a strictly literal scientific prediction of the universe's physical annihilation. It is characteristic of prophetic literature to employ hyperbole and powerful metaphors to convey the immense magnitude, totality, and finality of God's judgment. The "dissolving" and "rolling up" of the heavens signify a complete and definitive end to the present cosmic order as we know it, emphasizing God's absolute authority over creation and the radical transformation that will precede the establishment of His eternal kingdom. This imagery is powerfully echoed in the New Testament (e.g., 2 Peter 3:10), which also speaks of the heavens and earth passing away, often understood as a purification and renewal rather than a complete obliteration.

What is meant by "the host of heaven" in this verse?

Answer: In the context of Isaiah 34:4, "the host of heaven" (Hebrew: tsâbâʼ shâmayim) primarily refers to the celestial bodies—the sun, moon, and stars—conceived as an ordered army or array. This interpretation aligns with common biblical usage where the "host of heaven" represents the visible cosmos and its constituent elements. However, in some prophetic contexts (e.g., Isaiah 24:21), "host of heaven" can also refer to spiritual beings or angelic powers, particularly those that might be in rebellion against God or associated with pagan worship. In this specific verse, the primary sense is the physical heavens and their contents, highlighting that even the most seemingly stable and enduring parts of creation are utterly subject to God's judgment and dissolution.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Isaiah 34:4, with its terrifying vision of cosmic dissolution and the unmaking of the heavens, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not merely in a future cataclysmic event, but profoundly in the redemptive and sovereign work of Jesus Christ, who is both the divine agent of creation's unmaking and its glorious renewal. The imagery of "the host of heaven" dissolving and the heavens being "rolled together as a scroll" powerfully foreshadows the profound truth that the present fallen cosmos, groaning under the pervasive weight and curse of sin (as eloquently described in Romans 8:22), is indeed destined to pass away. However, this is not an end without purpose, but rather a necessary and divinely ordained prelude to the new creation, which has been decisively inaugurated and will be fully consummated by Christ. He is the one through whom "all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:16). And He is also the one who will ultimately bring about the promised "new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13). The judgment depicted in Isaiah 34:4, while severe and comprehensive, ultimately points to the absolute necessity of Christ's atoning sacrifice, which alone delivers believers from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). His glorious resurrection is the triumphant firstfruits of this new creation, guaranteeing that just as the old creation will pass away, a glorified, renewed creation will emerge, perfectly aligned with God's righteous will, under the eternal and benevolent reign of the Lamb of God. Thus, the cosmic judgment of Isaiah 34:4 is not merely a terrifying end, but a dramatic and necessary stage-setting for the glorious, eternal reign of Christ, who sovereignly declares, "Behold, I am making all things new" (Revelation 21:5).

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Commentary on Isaiah 34 verses 1–8

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

Here we have a prophecy, as elsewhere we have a history, of the wars of the Lord, which we are sure are all both righteous and successful. This world, as it is his creature, he does good to; but as it is in the interest of Satan, who is called the god of this world, he fights against it.

I. Here is the trumpet sounded and the war proclaimed, Isa 34:1. All nations must hear and hearken, not only because what God is about to do is well worthy their remark (as Isa 33:13), but because they are all concerned in it; it is with them that God has a quarrel; it is against them that God is coming forth in wrath. Let them all take notice that the great God is angry with them; his indignation is upon all nations, and therefore let all nations come near to hear. The trumpet is blown in the city (Amo 3:6), and the watchmen on the walls cry, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet, Jer 6:17. Let the earth hear, and the fulness thereof, for it is the Lord's (Psa 24:1) and ought to hearken to its Maker and Master. The world must hear, and all things that come forth of it, the children of men, that are of the earth earthy, come out of it, and must return to it; or the inanimate products of the earth are called to, as more likely to hearken than sinners, whose hearts are hardened against the calls of God. Hear, O you mountains! the Lord's controversy, Mic 6:2. It is so just a controversy that all the world may be safely appealed to concerning the equity of it.

II. Here is the manifesto published, setting forth,

1.Whom he makes war against (Isa 34:2): The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations; they are all in confederacy against God and religion, all in the interests of the devil, and therefore he is angry with them all, even with all the nations that forget him. He has long suffered all nations to walk in their own ways (Act 14:16), but now he will no longer keep silence. As they have all had the benefit of his patience, so they must all expect now to feel his resentments. His fury is in a special manner upon all their armies, (1.) Because with them they have done mischief to the people of God; those are they that have made bloody work with them, and therefore they must be sure to have blood given them to drink. (2.) Because with them they hope to make their part good against the justice and power of God they trust to them as their defence, and therefore on them, in the first place, God's fury will come. Armies before God's fury are but as dry stubble before a consuming fire, though ever so numerous and courageous.

2.Whom he makes war for, and what are the grounds and reasons of the war (Isa 34:8): It is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and he it is to whom vengeance belongs, and who is never unrighteous in taking vengeance, Rom 3:5. As there is a day of the Lord's patience, so there will be a day of his vengeance; for, though he bear long, he will not bear always. It is the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. Zion is the holy city, the city of our solemnities, a type and figure of the church of God in the world. Zion has a just quarrel with her neighbours for the wrongs they have done her, for all their treacherous and barbarous usage of her, profaning her holy things, laying waste her palaces, and slaying her sons. She has left it to God to plead her cause, and he will do so when the time, even the set time, to favour Zion shall have come; then he will recompense to her persecutors and oppressors all the mischiefs they have done her. The controversy will be decided, that Zion has been wronged, and therein Zion's God has been himself abused. Judgment will be given upon this decision, and execution done. Note, There is a time prefixed in the divine counsels for the deliverance of the church and the destruction of her enemies, a year of the redeemed, which will come, a year of recompences for the controversy of Zion; and we must patiently wait till then, and judge nothing before the time.

III. Here are the operations of the war, and the methods of it, settled, with an infallible assurance of success. 1. The sword of the Lord is bathed in heaven; this is all the preparation here made for the war, Isa 34:5. It may probably allude to some custom they had then of bathing their swords in some liquor or other, to harden them or brighten them; it is the same with the furbishing of it, that it may glitter, Eze 21:9-11. God's sword is bathed in heaven, in his counsel and decree, in his justice and power, and then there is not standing before it. 2. It shall come down. What he has determined shall without fail be put in execution. It shall come down from heaven, and the higher the place is, whence it comes, the heavier will it fall. It will come down upon Idumea, the people of God's curse, the people that lie under his curse and are by it doomed to destruction. Miserable, for ever miserable, are those that have by their sins made themselves the people of God's curse; for the sword of the Lord will infallibly attend the curse of the Lord and execute the sentences of it; and those whom he curses are cursed indeed. It shall come down to judgment, to execute judgment upon sinners. Note, God's sword of war is always a sword of justice. It is observed of him out of whose mouth goeth the sharp sword that in righteousness he doth judge and make war, Rev 19:11, Rev 19:15. 3. The nations and their armies shall be given up to the sword (Isa 34:2): God has delivered them to the slaughter, and then they cannot deliver themselves, nor can all the friends they have deliver them from it. Those only are slain whom God delivers to the slaughter, for the keys of death are in his hand; and, in delivering them to the slaughter, he has utterly destroyed them; their destruction is as sure, when God has doomed them to it, as if they were destroyed already, utterly destroyed. God has, in effect, delivered all the cruel enemies of his church to the slaughter by that word (Rev 13:10), He that kills with the sword must be killed by the sword, for the Lord is righteous. 4. Pursuant to the sentence, a terrible slaughter shall be made among them (Isa 34:6): The sword of the Lord, when it comes down with commission, does vast execution; it is filled, satiated, surfeited, with blood, the blood of the slain, and made fat with their fatness. When the day of God's abused mercy and patience is over the sword of his justice gives no quarter, spares none. Men have by sin lost the honour of the human nature and made themselves like the beasts that perish; they are therefore justly denied the compassion and respect that are owing to the human nature and killed as beasts, and no more is made of slaying an army of men than of butchering a flock of lambs or goats and feeding on the fat of the kidneys of rams. Nay, the sword of the Lord shall not only dispatch the lambs and goats, the infantry of their armies, the poor common soldiers, but (Isa 34:7) the unicorns too shall be made to come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls, though they are ever so proud, and strong, and fierce (the great men, and the mighty men, and the chief captains Rev 6:15), the sword of the Lord will make as easy a prey of as of the lambs and the goats. The greatest of men are nothing before the wrath of the great God. See what bloody work will be made: The land shall be soaked with blood, as with the rain that comes often upon it and in great abundance; and their dust, their dry and barren land, shall be made fat with the fatness of men slain in their full strength, as with manure. Nay even the mountains, which are hard and rocky, shall be melted with their blood, Isa 34:3. These expressions are hyperbolical (as St. John's vision of blood to the horse-bridles, Rev 14:20), and are made use of because they sound very dreadful to sense (it makes us even shiver to think of such abundance of human gore), and are therefore proper to express the terror of God's wrath, which is dreadful beyond conception and expression. See what work sin and wrath make even in this world, and think how much more terrible the wrath to come is, which will bring down the unicorns themselves to the bars of the pit. 5. This great slaughter will be a great sacrifice to the justice of God (Isa 34:6): The Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah; there it is that the great Redeemer has his garments dyed with blood, Isa 63:1. Sacrifices were intended for the honour of God, to make it appear that he hates sin and demands satisfaction for it, and that nothing but blood will make atonement; and for these ends the slaughter is made, that in it the wrath of God may be revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, especially their ungodly unrighteous enmity to his people, which was the sin that the Edomites were notoriously guilty of. In great sacrifices abundance of beasts were killed, hecatombs offered, and their blood poured out before the altar; and so will it be in this day of the Lord's vengeance. And thus would the whole earth have been soaked with the blood of sinners if Jesus Christ, the great propitiation, had not shed his blood for us; but those who reject him, and will not make a covenant with God by that sacrifice, will themselves fall as victims to divine wrath. Damned sinners are everlasting sacrifices, Mar 9:48, Mar 9:49. Those that sacrifice not (which is the character of the ungodly, Ecc 9:2) must be sacrificed. 6. These slain shall be detestable to mankind, and shall be as much their loathing as ever they were their terror (Isa 34:3): They shall be cast out, and none shall pay them the respect of a decent burial; but their stink shall come up out of their carcases, that all people by the odious smell, as well as by the ghastly sight, may be made to conceive an indignation against sin and a dread of the wrath of God. They lie unburied, that they may remain monuments of divine justice. 7. The effect and consequence of this slaughter shall be universal confusion and desolation, as if the whole frame of nature were dissolved and melted down (Isa 34:4): All the host of heaven shall pine and waste away (so the word is); the sun shall be darkened, and the moon look black, or be turned into blood; the heavens themselves shall be rolled together as a scroll or parchment when we have done with it, and lay it by, or as when it is shrivelled up by the heat of the fire. The stars shall fall as the leaves in autumn; all the beauty, joy, and comfort, of the vanquished nation shall be lost and done away, magistracy and government shall be abolished, and all dominion and rule, but that of the sword of war, shall fall. Conquerors, in those times, affected to lay waste the countries they conquered; and such a complete desolation is here described by such figurative expressions as will yet have a literal and full accomplishment in the dissolution of all things at the end of time, of which last day of judgment the judgments which God does now sometimes remarkably execute on sinful nations are figures, earnests, and forerunners; and by these we should be awakened to think of that, for which reason these expressions are used here and Rev 6:12, Rev 6:13. But they are used without a metaphor, Pe2 3:10, where we are told that the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the earth shall be burnt up.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–8. Public domain.
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Cyril of JerusalemAD 386
Catechetical Lecture 15:3
So, our Lord Jesus Christ comes from heaven, and he comes with glory at the last day to bring this world to its close. For this world will accomplish its course, and the world that once came into being is hereafter to be renewed. For seeing that corruption, theft, adultery and every form of sin has been poured out on the earth, and in the world fresh blood has been ever mingled with previous blood, this astonishing habitation filled with iniquity is not to last. This world passes away that the fairer world may be revealed. Now would you have this proved by the express words of Scripture? Listen to these from Isaiah: “And the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all the stars shall fall down, as the leaf falls off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.”
John ChrysostomAD 407
LETTER TO THE FALLEN THEODORE 1:12
Daniel said, “I beheld in the night a vision, and saw one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man, and he came on to the Ancient of Days and was brought near to him. To him was given the dominion and the honor and the kingdom. And all people, tribes and tongues will serve him. His dominion is an eternal dominion, which shall not pass away. And his kingdom shall not be destroyed.” … Then all the gates of heaven will be opened, or rather the heaven itself is taken away. For we read, “The heaven shall be rolled up like a scroll,” wrapped up to the middle like the skin and covering of some tent, so as to be made into a more useful shape.
JeromeAD 420
HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 30 (PSALM 103)
“You have spread out the heavens like a tent cloth.” The prophet means to say that from the beginning God spread out the heavens, just as if he were unfolding a scroll and rolling it back again, as it is written in Holy Scripture: “And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll.” You have constructed your palace upon the waters, as similarly in Genesis, there were waters above the firmament and, likewise, below the firmament. “You travel on the wings of the wind.” This typifies the presence of God everywhere.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Isaiah
(Chapter 34, Verse 1, etc.) Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth and all that fills it hear, the world and all that springs from it. For the Lord's indignation is against all the nations, and His fury is against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them and given them over to slaughter. Their slain will be thrown out, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will be drenched with their blood. And all the host of heaven will rot away; the skies will roll up like a scroll, and all their host will wither away like a withered leaf from the vine, like foliage from the fig tree. For my sword is drenched in the heavens; indeed, it is drunk with blood. Behold, he will come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my slaughter, to judgment. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made thick with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fatness of the kidneys of rams: for there is a victim of the Lord in Bosra, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls: and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their soil made fat with fatness. After the overthrow of Jerusalem, and the shipwreck of the once very firm ship, and the plunder of all its furnishings, it is said concerning the destruction of all nations, and concerning the consummation of the world, which is in the future day of judgment. Whereby all peoples and nations of the earth and its fullness, the world and all its offspring, both those inhabited places and those uninhabitable due to excessive cold and heat, are commanded to hear, and to know with every trembling of the mind what is to come. For the wrath of the Lord is not only against one nation, the Jews, but also against the Assyrians and Chaldeans, the Egyptians, Moabites, and Ammonites, and the Philistines; but also against all nations, and against the entire host, or as the Septuagint translated, their number. She is described as a venture, which kills them and causes the stench of decaying bodies to rise up high, signifying the sins of all nations, so that their filth and impurities fill the mountains with blood. The lofty virtues and angels that presided over each nation and all the celestial hosts wither away, or fold up like a book, and all their armies and forces, as the LXX have translated, and the stars flow down like leaves, which, with the approaching cold, fall off dried and contracted from the vine and fig tree. Which also the Savior speaks in the Gospel: Stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven (Matthew 24:29-30). And it is to be considered that it does not say that the heavens will perish, but that they will be folded up or rolled up, like a book, so that after all sins have been exposed and read, those that were previously open may be folded up, so that the sins of many may no longer be written in them. Regarding these type of books, Daniel speaks in his volume: Judgment sat, and the books were opened (Dan. 7:10), in which the deeds of each individual were described. Many people think that the stars are falling, according to the Book of Revelation of John (Rev. 6 and 8). And that which is written elsewhere: All the stars will burn out and the sky and earth will pass away (Luke 21:2). For the figure of this world is passing away. Some believe that these stars are being referred to. which glow in the sky, so as to show in part and as a whole, namely that through the fall of the stars even the destruction of the heavens is revealed. But others think that these stars are going to fall, of which even the Apostle Paul writes: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. It is not surprising, therefore, if the demons who dwell in the air are said to be heavenly, since even the birds of the sky, which certainly do not fly in the heavens but in the air, are called celestial in Scripture. For Satan himself transforms into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11), simulating a star. And the Savior saw him falling from heaven like lightning (Luke 10). And in a metaphorical sense, he is called fallen from the great star: How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! (Isaiah 14:12). All these things will happen, because his sword is drunk in the sky, the punishment and the sentence, and the vengeance against sinners, which is brought forth by the Lord. This sword and dagger in Ezekiel (Ezek. XXI) is sharpened against the wicked; and after many are killed, he is ordered to enter his sheath. And when he is drunk and filled in the sky; that is, in the air, which is called heaven according to the custom of the Scriptures, then he will also descend to Edom, that is, to the earthly: so that after the punishment of the demons, even the souls of men may be judged. Idumaea indeed in our language means earthly. And it is filled with blood; and thickened with the fat of lambs and goats, and of the marrow of rams and bulls: that it may signify both princes and people to be punished. For the Lord's victim is in Bosra, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. Of which Bosra and Idumaea the same prophet also witnesses in the following, saying: Who is this that comes from Edom, with red garments from Bosra? And some think that Bosra, which means 'flesh', is called so because through the sacrifice of the Lord in Bosra, the torments of all are shown in the flesh: they are caught in a pious error. In the present place, it is not by the letter Sin, which is put in Bosor (), that is, in the flesh: but it is written with Sade, and it is called Bosra (), which according to Jesus and Jeremiah is not in Edom, that is, Edom; but it is found in the land of Moab (Jeremiah 48). But Bosra in our language sounds fortified and surrounded, or firm: it teaches that the city of the lands of the Lord is solidified by His will, according to what is sung in the psalm; He founded it above the seas, and He placed it above the rivers (Psalm 24, 2); and about the firmness of the earth, it is said in the person of God: I have strengthened its pillars (Psalm 75, 3). And when the sacrifice of the Lord shall be in Bosra, and his slaughter in Edom, unicorns shall come down with them, and the powerful bulls, namely kings and princes of the earth; and all the slaughter and blood shall be filled with the fat of the once rich and powerful. Through these words, according to human custom, instilling terror in those who hear them, torments are shown to all the rulers and powerful ones, as well as the people and the humble. Bosra, that is, fortified and strengthened, and Edom, or Duma, and Idumea, are understood by the Jewish teachers to refer to Rome, and everything concerning it is said in the following chapter.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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