Isaiah 34:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.

NIV: All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

NASB: And all the heavenly lights will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All its lights will also wither away As a leaf withers from the vine, Or as one withers from the fig tree.

CSB: All the stars in the sky will dissolve. The sky will roll up like a scroll, and its stars will all wither as leaves wither on the vine, and foliage on the fig tree.

NLT: The heavens above will melt away and disappear like a rolled-up scroll. The stars will fall from the sky like withered leaves from a grapevine, or shriveled figs from a fig tree.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree.

Isaiah 34:1–4 begins with a call for "nations" to listen. These are the cultures and people groups who have utterly rejected the Lord. In the end times, God will bring brutal slaughter to His enemies in heaven and on earth. The carnage will create rivers of blood and piles of corpses. Even the heavens—possibly meaning demons or evil spirits—will be subjected to His righteous power.

The Lord is enraged against the godless nations who have rejected Him. In the end times, He will devoted all the unbelieving peoples of the earth to destruction and slaughter (Revelation 19:15–18). After judging heaven and earth, God will turn His wrath on Edom. They will be destroyed as thoroughly as if they were animals sacrificed on an altar. Even the land and soil will be ruined so no one dares even cross the territory. Only animals will live there. This is all part of the Lord's divine plan and purpose.

This is part of an announcement of the Lord's judgment against the pagan, godless nations of earth (Isaiah 33). This passage focuses specifically on Edom (Genesis 36:1). God's bloody sword of judgment will turn to Edom and utterly destroy it. Even the environment will be spoiled. None will even dare cross the territory, other than the various animals God will allow to reclaim the land., This matches descriptions of Christ's return and millennial rule (Revelation 19:15–18).

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).