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?

24. (a) When, in Bible prophecy, is it that mountains and islands are said to rock or be destabilized? (b) How did ‘mountains rock’ when Nineveh fell?

²⁴ In Bible prophecy, mountains and islands are said to rock or be otherwise destabilized at times of great political upheaval. For example, when foretelling Jehovah’s judgments against Nineveh, the prophet Nahum wrote: “Mountains themselves have rocked because of him, and the very hills found themselves melting. And the earth will be upheaved because of his face.” (Nahum 1:5) There is no record of any breaking up of literal mountains when Nineveh actually fell in 632 B.C.E. But a world power that previously had seemed mountainlike in its strength suddenly collapsed.​—Compare Jeremiah 4:24.

25. At the coming end of this system of things, how will “every mountain and every island” be removed from their places?

²⁵ Therefore, “every mountain and every island” as referred to at the opening of the sixth seal would logically be political governments and dependent organizations of this world that have seemed so stable to many of mankind. They will be rocked right out of place, to the consternation and horror of those who have previously trusted in them. As the prophecy goes on to relate, there will be no question that the great day of the wrath of Jehovah and his Son​—the final quaking that removes all of Satan’s organization—​has come with a vengeance!