TRV
“One more time I will shake
not only the earth, but heaven too!”
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Hebrews 12:18–29. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here the apostle goes on to engage the professing Hebrews to perseverance in their Christian course and conflict, and not to relapse again into Judaism. This he does by showing them how much the state of the gospel church differs from that of the Jewish church, and how much it resembles the state of the church in heaven, and on both accounts demands and deserves our diligence, patience, and perseverance in Christianity.
I.He shows how much the gospel church differs from the Jewish church, and how much it excels.
And here we have a very particular description of the state of the church under the Mosaic dispensation, Heb 12:18-21.
1.It was a gross sensible state. Mount Sinai, on which that church-state was constituted, was a mount that might be touched (Heb 12:18), a gross palpable place; so was the dispensation. It was very much external and earthly, and so more heavy. The state of the gospel church on mount Zion is more spiritual, rational, and easy.
2.It was a dark dispensation. Upon that mount there were blackness and darkness, and that church-state was covered with dark shadows and types: the gospel state is much more clear and bright.
3.It was a dreadful and terrible dispensation; the Jews could not bear the terror of it. The thunder and the lightning, the trumpet sounding, the voice of God himself speaking to them, struck them with such dread that they entreated that the word might not be so spoken to them any more, Heb 12:19. Yea, Moses himself said, I exceedingly fear and quake. The best of men on earth are not able to converse immediately with God and his holy angels. The gospel state is mild, and kind, and condescending, suited to our weak frame.
4.It was a limited dispensation; all might not approach to that mount, but only Moses and Aaron. Under the gospel we have all access with boldness to God.
5.It was a very dangerous dispensation. The mount burned with fire, and whatever man or beast touched the mount must be stoned, or thrust through with a dart, Heb 12:20. It is true, it will be always dangerous for presumptuous and brutish sinners to draw night to God; but it is not immediate and certain death, as here it was. This was the state of the Jewish church, fitted to awe a stubborn and hard-hearted people, to set forth the strict and tremendous justice of God, to wean the people of God from that dispensation, and induce them more readily to embrace the sweet and gentle economy of the gospel church, and adhere to it.
II.He shows how much the gospel church represents the church triumphant in heaven, what communication there is between the one and the other.
The gospel church is called mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, which is free, in opposition to mount Sinai, which tendeth to bondage, Gal 4:24. This was the hill on which God set his king the Messiah. Now, in coming to mount Zion, believers come into heavenly places, and into a heavenly society.
1.Into heavenly places.
(1.)Unto the city of the living God. God has taken up his gracious residence in the gospel church, which on that account is an emblem of heaven. There his people may find him ruling, guiding, sanctifying, and comforting them; there he speaks to them by the gospel ministry; there they speak to him by prayer, and he hears them; there he trains them up for heaven, and gives them the earnest of their inheritance.
(2.)To the heavenly Jerusalem as born and bred there, as free denizens there. Here believers have clearer views of heaven, plainer evidences for heaven, and a greater meetness and more heavenly temper of soul.
2.To a heavenly society.
(1.)To an innumerable company of angels, who are of the same family with the saints, under the same head, and in a great measure employed in the same work, ministering to believers for their good, keeping them in all their ways, and pitching their tents about them. These for number are innumerable, and for order and union are a company, and a glorious one. And those who by faith are joined to the gospel church are joined to the angels, and shall at length be like them, and equal with them.
(2.)To the general assembly and church of the first-born, that are written in heaven, that is, to the universal church, however dispersed. By faith we come to them, have communion with them in the same head, by the same Spirit, and in the same blessed hope, and walk in the same way of holiness, grappling with the same spiritual enemies, and hasting to the same rest, victory, and glorious triumph. Here will be the general assembly of the first-born, the saints of former and earlier times, who saw the promises of the gospel state, but received them not, as well as those who first received them under the gospel, and were regenerated thereby, and so were the first-born, and the first-fruits of the gospel church; and thereby, as the first-born, advanced to greater honours and privileges than the rest of the world. Indeed all the children of God are heirs, and every one has the privileges of the first-born. The names of these are written in heaven, in the records of the church here: they have a name in God's house, are written among the living in Jerusalem; they have a good repute for their faith and fidelity, and are enrolled in the Lamb's book of life, as citizens are enrolled in the livery-books.
(3.)To God the Judge of all, that great God who will judge both Jew and Gentile according to the law they are under: believers come to him now by faith, make supplication to their Judge, and receive a sentence of absolution in the gospel, and in the court of their consciences now, by which they know they shall be justified hereafter.
(4.)To the spirits of just men made perfect; to the best sort of men, the righteous, who are more excellent than their neighbours; to the best part of just men, their spirits, and to these in their best state, made perfect. Believers have union with departed saints in one and the same head and Spirit, and a title to the same inheritance, of which those on earth are heirs, those in heaven possessors.
(5.)To Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. This is none of the least of many encouragements there are to perseverance in the gospel state, since it is a state of communion with Christ the Mediator of the new covenant, and of communication of his blood, that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel.
[1.]The gospel covenant is the new covenant, distinct from the covenant of works; and it is now under a new dispensation, distinct from that of the Old Testament.
[2.]Christ is the Mediator of this new covenant; he is the middle person that goes between both parties, God and man, to bring them together in this covenant, to keep them together notwithstanding the sins of the people and God's displeasure against them for sin, to offer up our prayers to God, and to bring down the favours of God to us, to plead with God for us and to plead with us for God, and at length to bring God and his people together in heaven, and to be a Mediator of fruition between them for ever, they beholding and enjoying God in Christ and God beholding and blessing them in Christ.
[3.]This covenant is ratified by the blood of Christ sprinkled upon our consciences, as the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the altar and the sacrifice. This blood of Christ pacifies God and purifies the consciences of men.
[4.]This is speaking blood, and it speaks better things than that of Abel. First, It speaks to God in behalf of sinners; it pleads not for vengeance, as the blood of Abel did on him who shed it, but for mercy. Secondly, To sinners, in the name of God. It speaks pardon to their sins, peace to their souls; and bespeaks their strictest obedience and highest love and thankfulness.
III.The apostle, having thus enlarged upon the argument to perseverance taken from the heavenly nature of the gospel church state, closes the chapter by improving the argument in a manner suitable to the weight of it (Heb 12:25, etc.): See then that you refuse not him that speaketh - that speaketh by his blood; and not only speaketh after another manner than the blood of Abel spoke from the ground, but than God spoke by the angels, and by Moses spoke on mount Sinai; then he spoke on earth, now he speaks from heaven. Here observe,
1.When God speaks to men in the most excellent manner he justly expects from them the most strict attention and regard. Now it is in the gospel that God speaks to men in the most excellent manner. For,
(1.)He now speaks from a higher and more glorious seat and throne, not from mount Sinai, which was on this earth, but from heaven.
(2.)He speaks now more immediately by his inspired word and by his Spirit, which are his witnesses. He speaks not now any new thing to men, but by his Spirit speaks the same word home to the conscience.
(3.)He speaks now more powerfully and effectually. Then indeed his voice shook the earth, but now, by introducing the gospel state, he hath shaken not only the earth, but the heavens, - not only shaken the hills and mountains, or the spirits of men, or the civil state of the land of Canaan, to make room for his people, - not only shaken the world, as he then did, but he hath shaken the church, that is, the Jewish nation, and shaken them in their church-state, which was in Old Testament times a heaven upon earth; this their heavenly spiritual state he hath now shaken. It is by the gospel from heaven that God shook to pieces the civil and ecclesiastical state of the Jewish nation, and introduced a new state of the church, that cannot be removed, shall never be changed for any other on earth, but shall remain till it be made perfect in heaven.
2.When God speaks to men in the most excellent manner, the guilt of those who refuse him is the greater, and their punishment will be more unavoidable and intolerable; there is no escaping, no bearing it, Heb 12:25. The different manner of God's dealing with men under the gospel, in a way of grace, assures us that he will deal with the despisers of the gospel after a different manner than he does with other men, in a way of judgment. The glory of the gospel, which should greatly recommend it to our regard, appears in these three things: - (1.) It was by the sound of the gospel trumpet that the former dispensation and state of the church of God were shaken and removed; and shall we despise that voice of God that pulled down a church and state of so long standing and of God's own building? (2.) It was by the sound of the gospel trumpet that a new kingdom was erected for God in the world, which can never be so shaken as to be removed. This was a change made once for all; no other change shall take place till time shall be no more. We have now received a kingdom that cannot be moved, shall never be removed, never give way to any new dispensation. The canon of scripture is now perfected, the Spirit of prophecy has ceased, the mystery of God is finished, he has put his last hand to it. The gospel church may be made more large, more prosperous more purified from contracted pollution, but it shall never be altered for another dispensation; those who perish under the gospel perish without remedy. And hence the apostle justly concludes, [1.] How necessary it is for us to obtain grace from God, to serve him acceptably: if we be not accepted of God under this dispensation, we shall never be accepted at all; and we lose all our labour in religion if we be not accepted of God. [2.] We cannot worship God acceptably, unless we worship him with godly reverence and fear. As faith, so holy fear, is necessary to acceptable worship. [3.] It is only the grace of God that enables us to worship God in a right manner: nature cannot come up to it; it can produce neither that precious faith nor that holy fear that is necessary to acceptable worship. [4.] God is the same just and righteous God under the gospel that he appeared to be under the law. Though he be our God in Christ, and now deals with us in a more kind and gracious way, yet he is in himself a consuming fire; that is, a God of strict justice, who will avenge himself on all the despisers of his grace, and upon all apostates. Under the gospel, the justice of God is displayed in a more awful manner, though not in so sensible a manner as under the law; for here we behold divine justice seizing upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and making him a propitiatory sacrifice, his soul and body an offering for sin, which is a display of justice far beyond what was seen and heard on mount Sinai when the law was given.
Historical interpretation
Eight Centuries of Reception
9 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
A third saying let them add, "Let us eat, and drink, and marry, for to-morrow we shall die; " not reflecting that the "woe" (denounced) "on such as are with child, and are giving suck," will fall far more heavily and bitterly in the "universal shaking" of the entire world than it did in the devastation of one fraction of Judaea.
There have been two remarkable transformations of the human way of life in the course of the world’s history. These two are called two “covenants” and, so famous was the business involved, two “shakings of the earth.” The first was the transition from idols to the law; the second, from law to gospel. The gospel also tells of the third “shaking,” the change from this present state of things to what lies unmoved, unshaken, beyond. An identical feature occurs in both covenants. The feature? There was nothing sudden involved in the first movement to take their transformations in hand. We need to know why. It was so that we should be persuaded, not forced. The unspontaneous is the impermanent—as when force is used to keep stems or plants in check. The spontaneous both lasts longer and is more secure. It belongs to despotic power to use force; it is a mark of God’s reasonableness that the issue should be ours.
"But now hath He promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things which are shaken, as of things that are made." All things therefore will be taken away, and will be compacted anew for the better. For this is what he suggests here. Why then dost thou grieve when thou sufferest in a world that abideth not; when thou art afflicted in a world which will very shortly have passed away? If our rest were to be in the latter period of the world, then one ought to be afflicted in looking to the end.
"That" (he says) "those which cannot be shaken may remain." But of what sort are "those things which cannot be shaken"? The things to come.
That is why Paul says elsewhere, “For the form of this world is passing away.” So that the temporary may pass away and the eternal may come.
Based on the voice of the prophet he proves both the change from the things that now exist and the establishment of the things that follow. For the promise “to shake” makes clear that they will change altogether in the future. By the addition of the word “once and for all” he shows clearly that thereafter they will be unchangeable.
Quite rightly on the basis of the prophetic verse does he establish the instability of the present order and the steadfastness of the things which shall be later. For the “shaking” shows that he is proclaiming the alteration of the present order exactly as it will be. And by adding the word once he shows that what will be afterwards cannot be changed.
“The one who warned them on earth” can be understood to mean the one promising them earthly things that will pass away: the land flowing with milk and honey, the conquest of enemies, goodly offspring and long life. But from heaven speaks the one who promises heaven itself as an inheritance, who graciously bestows the enjoyment of that unspeakable and eternal glory. Or “warned them on earth” can be said to mean that bodily purifications pervaded nearly everything of the law given through Moses. But the giving of the law that took place through Christ is a cleansing and illumination of the soul for us. Then “on earth” are the things proclaimed, because they are lowly and applied to the body made of dirt; and the things of the New Testament are “from heaven” because they are divine and exalted and cleanse the soul in a truly divine manner and bear it up into heaven.
For on earth, it is said that Moses speaks. He says, This is the case: If the Jews, having rejected the message of Moses, did not escape destruction, how shall we escape if we reject the one who speaks from heaven, that is, Christ? Is it not because, while the law was given by another long ago, now another speaks, and calls to his kingdom and faith, but because he is more fearful now, speaking from heaven and by himself, than he was before, when he spoke from the earth through Moses, from whom he is more justly to be heard?
That the former lawgiver is not different from the one speaking now, he himself makes clear by saying, "whose voice then shook the earth." When? He says, when he gave the law on Mount Sinai.
"but now has promised, saying." Do you see that the same one is both then and now? But the difference is in the manner of his preaching. For then he proclaimed from the earth and through Moses, but now from heaven and through himself.
"who turn away from the one from heaven." In common, that which is speaking, as in proclaiming.
"Yet once more I shake," that is, "once more," clearly, that which comes after the second, is added another once. For previously the world was shaken at the lawgiving in Sinai. "Indeed, the earth shook," says David (Ps. 68:8). Again, during the presence in the flesh; the world will be shaken; for "all Jerusalem was shaken." (Matt. 21:10)
"And the handmade things of Egypt shall be shaken." (Isa. 19:16) By "shaking," it is said to be the renowned nature of the preaching, by which they were shaken from their former state of wandering and the people were transformed. Therefore, speaks holy Cyril: But the "yet once more," he says, will be at his second glorious coming, when he will transform and renew creation; for then creation will be shaken most truly, the true shaking and uproar or the transformation from evil to good of those then being saved. Refer also to the commentary of the blessed Cyril on the Song of Songs.
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Summary
Hebrews 12:26 powerfully contrasts God's past display of power at Mount Sinai, where His voice physically shook the earth, with a future, even more comprehensive divine intervention. This verse, drawing from Old Testament prophecy, declares God's promise to shake not only the earth but also the heavens, signifying a final, cosmic upheaval that will remove all that is temporary and created, making way for the eternal and unshakable kingdom of God. It highlights the profound transition from the Old Covenant's physical manifestations to the New Covenant's ultimate spiritual and cosmic realities.
Context
Literary Context
Hebrews 12:26 is strategically placed within a broader exhortation to perseverance and a call to embrace the superior nature of the New Covenant. The preceding verses (Hebrews 12:18-24) vividly contrast the terrifying experience of the Israelites at Mount Sinai, characterized by fire, darkness, storm, and the trumpet blast, with the joyous and privileged access believers now have to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. The author emphasizes that while the Old Covenant was inaugurated with a physical shaking of the earth, the New Covenant anticipates an even greater, cosmic shaking. Following verse 26, the author immediately explains the purpose of this future shaking in Hebrews 12:27-29, which is to remove all that can be shaken, so that only the unshakable kingdom remains, underscoring the permanence and superiority of the New Covenant.
Historical & Cultural Context
The original audience of the Epistle to the Hebrews consisted primarily of Jewish Christians who were facing persecution and temptation to revert to Judaism. The author's argument throughout the book is to demonstrate the supremacy of Christ and the New Covenant over the Old Covenant, its rituals, and its institutions. The reference to God's voice shaking the earth directly recalls the dramatic theophany at Mount Sinai, an event foundational to Jewish identity and the giving of the Law. The prophecy "Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven" is a direct quotation or strong allusion to Haggai 2:6, a post-exilic prophecy that speaks of a future, universal shaking of nations and creation, leading to the coming of the "desire of all nations." This prophecy would have been familiar to the Jewish readers, and its reinterpretation in Hebrews underscores the eschatological and universal scope of God's redemptive plan, far surpassing the localized event at Sinai.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several major themes within Hebrews and broader biblical theology. It highlights Divine Sovereignty and Power, demonstrating God's absolute control over all creation, capable of causing cosmic disturbances with His voice alone. It underscores the Transition from the Old to the New Covenant, showing that the Sinai event, though powerful, was merely a precursor to a more profound and ultimate divine intervention that inaugurates an eternal reality. Furthermore, the verse points to Eschatological Transformation and the Unshakable Kingdom. The promised shaking of both earth and heaven signifies a comprehensive, end-time purification and re-creation, where all temporary, created things will be removed to reveal the permanent, eternal kingdom of God, which cannot be shaken (as explicitly stated in Hebrews 12:28). This theme resonates with other New Testament passages that speak of the dissolution of the current heavens and earth and the creation of new ones, such as in 2 Peter 3:10-13.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Meaning "to waver, i.e. agitate, rock, topple or (by implication) destroy; figuratively, to disturb, incite." This word describes the physical agitation of the earth at Sinai, conveying a sense of instability and commotion caused by God's powerful presence. It implies a disturbance that can lead to destruction or a change in state.
Meaning "to announce upon (reflexively), i.e. (by implication) to engage to do something, to assert something respecting oneself." This highlights the divine assurance behind the future shaking. God is not merely predicting an event; He is making a solemn commitment, a declaration of His intent to act.
Meaning "to rock (vibrate, properly, sideways or to and fro), i.e. (generally) to agitate (in any direction; cause to tremble); figuratively, to throw into a tremor (of fear or concern)." While similar to saleúō, seíō often carries a connotation of a more violent or widespread tremor, emphasizing the comprehensive and profound nature of the future cosmic upheaval. The shift in Greek words for "shook" and "shake" from the past to the future event, though subtle, may suggest an intensification or a different quality of divine action.
Meaning "the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of God); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel (Christianity)." In this context, it refers to the celestial realm, encompassing not just the physical sky but also the spiritual dimension often associated with divine dwelling and cosmic order. The inclusion of "heaven" alongside "earth" signifies the universal and all-encompassing nature of the promised shaking, affecting both the visible and invisible aspects of creation.
Verse Breakdown
"Whose voice then shook the earth"
This clause refers to God's past action, specifically at the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. The "voice" signifies God's direct, powerful communication, and the "shaking of the earth" underscores the terrifying and awe-inspiring manifestation of His presence and authority. It recalls the physical tremors and the dramatic display of divine power that accompanied the Old Covenant's inauguration, as described in Exodus 19:18.
"but now he hath promised, saying"
This marks a pivotal transition, introducing a new divine declaration. The "but now" contrasts the past event with a present, ongoing reality of God's promise. It emphasizes that God's future action is not a mere possibility but a certain, divinely ordained event, rooted in His faithful word. The "saying" introduces the content of this crucial promise.
"Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven"
This is the core of the promise, quoting or alluding to Haggai 2:6. The phrase "Yet once more" indicates a final, decisive, and irreversible shaking. Crucially, the scope expands beyond just the "earth" to include "heaven," signifying a cosmic, universal upheaval that will affect all created order, both visible and invisible. This shaking is not merely a physical tremor but a fundamental reordering and removal of all that is temporary and contingent, preparing the way for the eternal.
Literary Devices
The author of Hebrews masterfully employs several literary devices in this verse. Contrast is paramount, setting the past, localized shaking of the earth at Sinai against the future, universal shaking of both earth and heaven. This highlights the Old Covenant's limitations versus the New Covenant's ultimate and comprehensive scope. Allusion to Haggai 2:6 provides theological depth, connecting the current argument to established prophetic tradition and demonstrating its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase "not the earth only, but also heaven" serves as a form of Amplification or Hyperbole, intensifying the scale of the promised event beyond human comprehension, indicating a cosmic, all-encompassing transformation rather than a mere physical tremor. Finally, Symbolism is present, where "shaking" represents not just physical movement but a divine act of judgment, purification, and the removal of all that is unstable or temporary, making way for the permanent and eternal.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Hebrews 12:26 is a profound theological statement on the nature of God's kingdom and His redemptive plan. It underscores the transient nature of all created order in contrast to the eternal, unshakeable reality of God's reign. The shaking at Sinai inaugurated a covenant based on law and physical manifestations, which ultimately proved insufficient. The promised future shaking signifies the culmination of God's purposes, where everything that can be shaken—all human institutions, earthly powers, and even the physical cosmos—will be removed, leaving only that which is eternal and established by God's own power. This divine act is not arbitrary destruction but a purposeful purification, clearing the way for the full manifestation of the New Covenant and the establishment of a kingdom that cannot be moved, providing ultimate security and hope for believers.
Reflection and Application
Hebrews 12:26 serves as a powerful call to spiritual discernment and a re-evaluation of our priorities. In a world characterized by constant change, instability, and the inevitable decay of all earthly things, this verse reminds us that only God and His kingdom are truly eternal and unshakeable. It challenges us to consider what we are building our lives upon: are we investing in temporary structures and fleeting pleasures, or are we anchoring our hope and efforts in the enduring realities of God's truth and His spiritual kingdom? Recognizing that all that can be shaken will be shaken should lead us to greater detachment from worldly attachments and a deeper commitment to pursuing righteousness, holiness, and the values of God's eternal reign. This perspective fosters a profound sense of security and peace, knowing that our ultimate inheritance is in Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and whose kingdom will never end.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of God's voice shaking the earth at Sinai?
The shaking of the earth at Mount Sinai was a dramatic and terrifying manifestation of God's holy presence and immense power. It underscored the gravity of the Old Covenant, the Law given to Israel, and God's absolute authority. It was a physical demonstration of divine power intended to instill awe and reverence, highlighting the unapproachability of a holy God under the old dispensation.
How does the "once more" shaking differ from the shaking at Sinai?
The "once more" shaking, prophesied in Haggai 2:6 and quoted in Hebrews 12:26, differs from the Sinai event in two crucial ways: its scope and its purpose. While Sinai was a localized, earthly shaking, the future shaking will encompass not only the earth but also the heavens, signifying a cosmic, universal upheaval. Its purpose is not merely to inaugurate a covenant but to remove all temporary, created things so that only the eternal, unshakeable kingdom of God remains, ushering in the final, permanent reality of God's reign.
What does it mean for "heaven" to be shaken?
The shaking of "heaven" (Greek, ouranós) alongside the earth signifies that the future divine intervention will be comprehensive and cosmic, affecting all aspects of the created order, both visible and invisible. It implies a fundamental reordering or dissolution of the current cosmic framework, including celestial bodies and perhaps even spiritual dominions, to make way for the new heavens and new earth described in passages like 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1. This emphasizes the radical and ultimate nature of God's final work of purification and recreation.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Hebrews 12:26 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus, who is the mediator of the New Covenant and the foundation of the unshakable kingdom. The old covenant, inaugurated with the shaking at Sinai, was temporary and pointed forward to Christ. Jesus, through His perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection, has established a new and better covenant, one that is eternal and cannot be shaken (Hebrews 8:6). The future cosmic shaking, therefore, is not a threat to those in Christ, but a promise of the full and final establishment of His kingdom. It signifies the removal of all that stands in opposition to His reign and the complete purification of creation, culminating in the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13). As the one through whom "all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible" (Colossians 1:16), Christ is the sovereign agent of this final shaking, ensuring that His kingdom, which believers have received (Hebrews 12:28), will stand eternally. He is the immovable rock upon which we build our lives, providing ultimate security amidst all cosmic upheavals (Matthew 7:24-25).