Revelation 6 14

Revelation 6:14 kjv

And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Revelation 6:14 nkjv

Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

Revelation 6:14 niv

The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

Revelation 6:14 esv

The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

Revelation 6:14 nlt

The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.

Revelation 6 14 Cross References

Verse Text Reference
Isa 34:4 All the host of heaven shall rot away... the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. Direct prophetic parallel to the rolling up of the heavens in judgment.
Isa 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens... for the heavens will vanish like smoke... but my salvation will be forever. Highlights the transient nature of creation compared to God's eternal salvation.
Ps 102:25-26 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth... They will perish, but you will remain... they will all wear out like a garment... you will change them. Affirms God's unchanging nature despite creation's transience and eventual renewal.
Heb 1:10-12 And, "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth... they will all wear out like a garment, like a cloak you will roll them up..." Quoting Ps 102:25-26, applying it to Christ's sovereignty over a temporary creation.
2 Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief... the heavens will pass away... and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Forebodes the fiery dissolution of the present heavens and earth at the Lord's coming.
2 Pet 3:11-13 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved... looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire... But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth. Calls for holy living in light of cosmic dissolution and the promise of new creation.
Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. The direct outcome and fulfillment of the preceding cosmic dissolution.
Isa 24:1, 19-20 Behold, the Lord lays the earth waste... The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken... will sway like a hut. Prophecy of severe judgment causing the earth to convulse and break.
Joel 2:30-31 And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth... the sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood. Cosmic disturbances as signs preceding the great and terrifying Day of the Lord.
Matt 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light... and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Christ's prophecy of celestial disruption preceding His return.
Mark 13:24-25 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened... and the stars will be falling... and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Synoptic parallel, confirming the shaking of heavenly powers during end-time events.
Luke 21:25-26 And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars... The sea and the waves roaring... people fainting with fear... for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Broad depiction of distress on earth accompanying cosmic signs.
Hag 2:6-7 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth... And I will shake all nations. Prophecy of God shaking all creation, pointing to universal divine intervention.
Heb 12:26-27 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven." This indicates the removal of what can be shaken. Connects Hag 2:6 to the future removal of a changeable creation to establish an unshakable kingdom.
Ps 46:2-3 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea. Even if foundational elements like mountains are disturbed, God remains our refuge.
Mic 1:4 And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split apart... like wax before the fire. Description of the earth's features dissolving in God's presence during judgment.
Nah 1:5 The mountains quake before him; the hills melt... the world and all who dwell in it. God's formidable power demonstrated by nature's inability to stand before Him.
Amos 9:5 The Lord God of hosts... touches the earth and it melts, and all who dwell in it mourn... it rises and falls like the Nile. God's touch causing the earth to become fluid, demonstrating His power over creation.
Jer 4:23-26 I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and empty... the mountains were quaking. Jeremiah's prophetic vision of creation reverting to primeval chaos under judgment.
Isa 40:4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low. While often referring to preparing a path, it highlights radical topographical change.
Zech 14:10 The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon... Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabit its place. Prophecy of dramatic topographical changes in the land during a final battle or reordering.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. Later repetition of the motif of universal topographic alteration under judgment, intensifying this verse's theme.

Revelation 6 verses

Revelation 6 14 Meaning

Revelation 6:14 describes a catastrophic cosmic upheaval where the physical heavens withdraw like a rolled-up scroll, and all stable terrestrial features, mountains and islands, are displaced. This verse vividly portrays the absolute dissolution of the current creation in the face of divine judgment, signifying the end of the existing order and the utter inescapability of God’s wrath. It illustrates the magnitude and finality of God's sovereign intervention in human history.

Revelation 6 14 Context

Revelation 6:14 occurs as part of the opening of the Sixth Seal judgment (Rev 6:12-17). This section details intense cosmic and geological disturbances that cause widespread terror among humanity. Preceding this verse, the sun darkens, the moon turns to blood, and stars fall, intensifying the imagery of impending global catastrophe. This sequence signifies the visible onset of God’s wrath upon an unrepentant world, specifically targeting human pride and the perceived stability of their earthly kingdoms and havens. Historically and culturally, for the original audience, this would resonate with Old Testament prophetic language regarding the "Day of the Lord," a time of divine intervention, judgment, and cosmic undoing. It stands in stark contrast to the perceived permanence and divine blessing often claimed by empires like Rome, serving as a powerful polemic against any earthly power that considers itself unshakable or autonomous from God’s sovereign authority. The events are described as causing universal fear among all social strata (Rev 6:15-17), indicating no one is exempt from the wrath of the Lamb.

Revelation 6 14 Word analysis

  • The sky (ὁ οὐρανός - ho ouranos):
    • Word: Sky, heaven.
    • Significance: Refers to the visible firmament, the heavens above. In biblical cosmology, the sky is the visible domain separating humans from God’s immediate dwelling, yet it is part of creation subject to Him. Its disappearance emphasizes the magnitude of divine judgment affecting all levels of existence.
  • vanished (ἀπεχωρίσθη - apechōristhē):
    • Word: Was separated, drew back, departed.
    • Significance: A strong verb implying a deliberate and complete withdrawal or separation. It's not a slow fading but a decisive movement away. This underscores the immediate and total nature of the cosmic removal. Scholars note it suggests an unmaking.
  • like a scroll that is being rolled up (ὡς βιβλίον ἑλισσόμενον - hōs biblion helissomenon):
    • Word-group: biblion (book, scroll), helissomenon (being rolled up).
    • Significance: A vivid and common ancient metaphor. A finished scroll is rolled up and put away, signifying completion, conclusion, and storage. Applied to the sky, it portrays the definitive end of the present celestial order, no longer needed or visible. It carries a sense of finality, that its "story" or purpose in its current form is done. This echoes Old Testament prophetic imagery (Isa 34:4).
  • and every mountain (καὶ πᾶν ὄρος - kai pan oros):
    • Word: pan (every, all), oros (mountain).
    • Significance: "Every" signifies universality, total scope. Mountains symbolize strength, permanence, stability, and often power or kingdoms in biblical and ancient cultures (Ps 46:2-3, Zech 4:7). Their upheaval points to the destabilization and destruction of all that seems immovable or represents human pride and perceived security. No earthly refuge will stand.
  • and island (καὶ νῆσος - kai nēsos):
    • Word: Island.
    • Significance: Islands, often isolated and seen as places of refuge or distant territories, further emphasize the comprehensiveness of the judgment. There will be no escape, no place too remote or secure from God’s transformative wrath. Together, "mountain and island" signify the entire solid landmass of the earth, from its highest peaks to its most remote shores.
  • was removed from its place (ἐκ τῶν τόπων αὐτῶν ἐκινήθησαν - ek tōn topōn autōn ekinēthēsan):
    • Word-group: topōn (places), ekinēthēsan (were moved, displaced).
    • Significance: Indicates a complete and radical shift from their established, seemingly unshakeable positions. This isn't merely a minor tremor but a fundamental reordering, or rather, disordering, of the entire terrestrial geography. It highlights God's absolute power over creation, to the extent that He can literally "unmake" and displace foundational elements of the world. It’s an irreversible change, signifying the end of the existing natural order.

Revelation 6 14 Bonus section

This verse stands as a powerful testament to the transient nature of all created things, contrasted with the enduring and unchangeable nature of God. It directly foreshadows the creation of "new heavens and a new earth" (2 Pet 3:13, Rev 21:1), indicating that this destruction is not merely annihilation but a purification and radical re-creation necessary for the establishment of God's perfect kingdom. The imagery draws heavily from the apocalyptic tradition, where natural phenomena are metaphors for spiritual and political upheavals orchestrated by divine power. The deliberate movement of these elements ("vanished," "removed from its place") conveys the intentionality of God's judgment, rather than mere chaos. This cataclysmic imagery reinforces the message to persecuted believers that no earthly power, no matter how formidable, can ultimately defy God's sovereign will or prevent the consummation of His plan.

Revelation 6 14 Commentary

Revelation 6:14 marks a climactic point within the sixth seal, depicting an unprecedented cosmic and terrestrial collapse. The withdrawal of the sky like a rolled-up scroll signifies the definitive closure of the current heavenly order, echoing Old Testament prophecies of the "Day of the Lord" when creation itself will groan under divine judgment (Isa 34:4; Heb 1:10-12). This act is a dramatic visual statement that the present age is ending, its script now complete and folded away. Following this, the earth's most prominent and seemingly enduring features—mountains and islands—are completely dislodged from their foundations. Mountains, representing permanence, strength, and often political powers or human systems, and islands, representing remoteness and refuge, are shown to be utterly unstable and powerless before God. This complete destabilization underscores that no place, no human stronghold, and no part of creation can withstand the immediate manifestation of God's wrath. It asserts God's ultimate sovereignty not only over humanity but over the very fabric of the cosmos, signaling an impending radical new order where the "first heaven and first earth" give way to the new (Rev 21:1).