TRV
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
Six Centuries of Reception
7 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.
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.
"as of things that are made," that is, those suffering according to nature. For since it takes a beginning and reaches an end, he says, as of things that are made. For since it has been made, and it began from motion, that which comes from non-being to being will reasonably be shaken and moved again in the change.
"so that the things which cannot be shaken may remain." The creation shakes and alternates, so that the unshakable may remain; that is, those that will no longer be shaken or changed; as if it were saying: Therefore, it shakes and alternates the creation, so that in the future the unshakable may remain in its place, no longer subject to shaking or changing. The unchanging, therefore, rightly will no longer be subject to shaking. For once it has received the first change, it will be incorruptible.
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Summary
Hebrews 12:27 serves as a profound theological declaration, interpreting an Old Testament prophecy to signify a climactic, future divine act of cosmic removal. This ultimate "shaking" will decisively purge all temporary, created elements, whether physical or institutional, revealing and establishing the enduring, unshakeable reality of God's eternal kingdom. It underscores the transient nature of all that is "made" in contrast to the permanence of God's sovereign reign and the new covenant established in Christ.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is deeply embedded within the climactic exhortation of Hebrews 12, which contrasts the terrifying, Old Covenant encounter at Mount Sinai with the gracious, New Covenant approach to Mount Zion. Preceding this verse, Hebrews 12:26 explicitly references God's voice shaking the earth at Sinai, then immediately quotes Haggai 2:6 to introduce a future, even more comprehensive shaking. The author's use of "Yet once more" in Hebrews 12:27 is a direct interpretation of Haggai's prophecy, emphasizing its finality and universal scope. It transitions directly into the call for reverence and gratitude in Hebrews 12:28, as a response to receiving an unshakeable kingdom.
Historical & Cultural Context
The original audience of the Epistle to the Hebrews consisted of Jewish Christians facing severe persecution and the temptation to revert to the perceived safety and familiarity of Judaism. They were grappling with the implications of the destruction of the Temple and the shifting landscape of their faith. The concept of God "shaking" the heavens and earth would have resonated deeply with their understanding of prophetic literature and divine judgment, particularly the imagery found in prophets like Isaiah (Isaiah 2:19) and Joel (Joel 2:10). The author uses this familiar imagery to assure them that while their world might be collapsing, God's ultimate plan is unshakable and superior to the temporary rituals and institutions they were tempted to return to.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Hebrews. It highlights the Superiority of the New Covenant, demonstrating that the old order, with its earthly sanctuary and temporary laws, is destined to be removed, making way for the eternal and perfect covenant in Christ. It emphasizes God's Sovereignty and Eschatological Judgment, portraying God as the active agent who orchestrates this final shaking, purifying creation and human systems. Crucially, it establishes the theme of the Unshakable Kingdom, contrasting the transient nature of "things that are made" with the enduring reality of God's reign, which believers have already begun to inherit (Hebrews 12:28). This theme provides profound assurance and a call to persevere in faith.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Meaning "to make plain (by words); declare, shew, signify." Here, it indicates that the divine utterance "Yet once more" is not merely a poetic statement but a clear, authoritative declaration of what God intends to do. It reveals the prophetic word's true meaning and implications.
Meaning "transposition, i.e. transferral (to heaven), disestablishment (of a law); change, removing, translation." This term denotes a complete and definitive alteration or abolition. It's not a mere adjustment but a fundamental change of position or status, implying the annulment of the old order to make way for the new.
Meaning "to waver, i.e. agitate, rock, topple or (by implication) destroy; figuratively, to disturb, incite." This word vividly portrays instability, upheaval, and the process of being overthrown. It describes the active, divine process by which temporary structures and systems are destabilized and ultimately dismantled.
Meaning "to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy); abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for)." This term stands in stark contrast to "shaken" and "removing." It signifies permanence, stability, and enduring presence, highlighting what will survive God's ultimate purification.
Verse Breakdown
"And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth"
The author clarifies that the phrase "Yet once more," quoted from Haggai 2:6, carries profound theological weight. It is not just a repetition of a past event (like the shaking at Sinai) but a definitive, final declaration of God's intent to act in a comprehensive and ultimate way. The Greek "dé" (G1161) often introduces a continuation or emphasis, here stressing the significance of this particular prophetic word.
"the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made"
This clause explains the purpose and nature of the "once more" shaking. It's a "removing" (metathesis), a complete disestablishment or transferal, of everything that is susceptible to being "shaken" (saleuō). The phrase "as of things that are made" (poiéō, G4160) clarifies that the targets of this removal are all created things, implying their inherent finitude, impermanence, and susceptibility to change, in contrast to the uncreated, eternal God. This includes not only physical creation but also human institutions, covenants, and systems that are not rooted in God's eternal nature.
"that those things which cannot be shaken may remain"
This final clause articulates the ultimate, divine goal of the shaking. The removal of the temporary is not for destruction's sake but for the revelation and establishment of the permanent. What "cannot be shaken" (mḗ saleúō, G3361 and G4531) refers to God's eternal kingdom, His immutable promises, and the new covenant established in Christ. These are the realities that will "remain" (ménō, G3306), enduring forever, providing a secure and eternal foundation for believers.
Literary Devices
The author employs several powerful literary devices in this verse. Allusion is central, as the verse directly references and interprets the prophecy from Haggai 2:6, giving it a new, eschatological significance within the New Covenant framework. Contrast is vividly used, setting "things that are shaken" (temporary, created) against "those things which cannot be shaken" (eternal, divine). This sharp dichotomy underscores the impermanence of the old order and the enduring nature of God's kingdom. Furthermore, Symbolism is evident in the "shaking" itself, which serves as a metaphor for divine judgment, purification, and the dismantling of all that is not eternal or aligned with God's perfect will. This symbolic act reveals the true, unshakeable reality beneath the transient surface.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Hebrews 12:27 is a pivotal statement on divine sovereignty, eschatological hope, and the nature of God's kingdom. It asserts that God is actively working to bring about a final separation between the temporary and the eternal. This "shaking" is not arbitrary chaos but a purposeful act of divine purification, designed to remove all that is imperfect, human-made, or transient, thereby revealing the enduring substance of His reign. It teaches us that true security is found not in earthly structures or even religious systems, but in the immutable character of God and the everlasting covenant established in Christ. This theological truth calls believers to a radical reorientation of their values, prioritizing the eternal over the temporal.
Reflection and Application
Hebrews 12:27 offers profound comfort and a clear call to action for believers today. In a world characterized by constant change, instability, and uncertainty—whether economic, political, or social—this verse reminds us that all earthly foundations are ultimately temporary and subject to God's sovereign "shaking." Our hope and security must not be rooted in these fleeting realities, but in the unshakeable kingdom of God. This truth encourages us to live with an eternal perspective, discerning between what truly matters and what will ultimately pass away. It challenges us to invest our lives, resources, and affections in pursuits that align with God's eternal purposes, fostering a deep trust in His unchanging nature amidst a world in flux. It also invites us to examine our own lives: are we building on sand or on the solid rock of Christ? Do our priorities reflect the permanence of His kingdom or the transience of this world?
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "Yet once more" mean in this context?
"Yet once more" is a direct quotation from Haggai 2:6, which prophesies a future, final, and comprehensive shaking by God. In Hebrews 12:27, the author interprets this phrase to mean that there will be one ultimate, decisive act of God that will transform creation, going beyond the localized shaking at Mount Sinai (Hebrews 12:26). It signifies the finality and universality of this divine intervention, distinguishing it from previous, partial shakings.
What are "those things that are shaken, as of things that are made"?
This refers to all created things, both physical and institutional, that are temporary and subject to change or decay. This includes the physical heavens and earth, as well as the Old Covenant system with its laws, rituals, and earthly sanctuary. The phrase "as of things that are made" emphasizes their created, and thus finite, nature, in contrast to the uncreated, eternal God and His kingdom. God's "shaking" will remove these temporary elements to reveal what is truly eternal.
What are "those things which cannot be shaken" that "may remain"?
"Those things which cannot be shaken" refer primarily to the eternal, unchangeable kingdom of God, established through Jesus Christ. This includes God's immutable character, His everlasting covenant, His promises, and the spiritual realities of the new creation. These are the enduring truths and realities that will survive God's final act of purification and judgment, providing a secure and lasting foundation for believers. Believers, by virtue of their union with Christ, are part of this unshakable kingdom (Hebrews 12:28).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Hebrews 12:27 finds its ultimate fulfillment and meaning in Jesus Christ. The "shaking" described is not a random act of destruction but a purposeful divine work that culminates in the establishment of Christ's eternal, unshakeable kingdom. All that is temporary, including the Old Covenant system, was designed to point to Him and is now being removed to reveal His supremacy. Christ Himself is the unshakable foundation upon which this kingdom is built (1 Corinthians 3:11). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus inaugurated this new covenant, which is "better" because it is eternal and perfect (Hebrews 8:6). He is the King of this kingdom, whose reign "will have no end" (Luke 1:33). Therefore, when the author speaks of "those things which cannot be shaken" remaining, he is ultimately referring to the enduring reality of God's reign through Christ, into which believers are invited to enter and partake (Colossians 1:13-14). Our security is not in the stability of this world, but in the eternal reign of the resurrected Lord, who has overcome all things and whose kingdom cannot be moved (Revelation 11:15).