Hebrews 12:25-29 (NKJV) See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
V25 “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven…” The Greek word for “refuse” is (G3868) παραιτέομαι paraitéomai, which means to ask or beg for something. As it is used here, it refers to begging God to stop talking. Compare Luke 8:18 and Acts 3:23). They hear but refuse to believe or obey Jesus. The consequences of such foolish sin is hell, if they persist. Him who spoke of earth applies that first God spoke to the people of Israel at Mt Sinai and secondly, Moses (as God’s prophet to Israel). Jesus came from heaven but also the Father testified about His Son (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, and John 12:28).
V26 “…whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” God’s voice has authority and ability. He can 1) speak into existence (Genesis 1), 2) speak death (Genesis 3:19 with Genesis 5:5, 3) speak miracles (Mark 6:38-44, Mark 4:39, and Matthew 12:22-23), and 4) speak resurrection (Lazarus in John 11:43 and Believers at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16), and 5) new life, a newly created heart when one believes in the Lord Jesus for salvation (Luke 19:9-10). The final shaking is of the whole universe because of God’s anger towards sin and its destructive ability. See Isaiah 2:19, Isaiah 13:13, and Haggai 2:6-7.
V27 “Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” The things of heaven and God’s people cannot be shaken. God judges sin and unrepentant sinners. Jesus judges the world because they refuse to believe, rebellingagainst His laws and authority (kingship), and the destroying the earth (Revelation 11:18). Sin destroys, causes death, and brings God’s wrath.
Some other translations:
MSB: “The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.”
GNB: “The words “once more” plainly show that the created things will be shaken and removed, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain.”
Some quotes:
(Holman Commentary) “This shaking of the earth in judgment involves the destruction of created things. This judgment will reveal the greater, spiritual realities which cannot be shaken or removed. Christian believers share in a kingdom which no amount of final judgment can destroy. See verse 28. The security of our position in Christ gives us an incentive to endure in faithfulness.”
(Vincent’s Word Studies) “Attention is called to this phrase as specially significant, because it indicates that the shaking prophesied by Haggai is to be final. It is to precede the new heaven and the new earth. Isa 65:17; Isa 66:22; 2Pe 3:13; Rev 21:1.”
(Wuest Word Studies) “The universe was created by God, but will be made to pass away, and to be substituted by a new universe which will exist forever. Thus, transitory, perishable things must pass away, in order that the eternal things may appear in their abiding value. The writer is pointing out that the passing away of perishable things only emphasizes the eternal. One of these is mentioned in the next verse, an eternal kingdom, the kingdom of God’s rule over the saved of the human race on a new earth all through eternity. The old earth will pass away and a new earth will be made so that the saints might have a fit place of habitation throughout the eternal ages.”
V28 “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” The eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ never ends, never will be shaken, and is always pure and sinless. Believers have this kingdom promised to them. For the kingdom of God, see 1 Corinthians 15:50, Galatians 5:21, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, and Revelation 5:10.
V29 “For our God is a consuming fire.” God is the ultimate tester, judge, standard of everything good. For the Christian, the consuming fire is to refine us. See 1 Peter 1:7 and Psalm 66:10-12. For the non-Christian, it is God’s wrath. See Jeremiah 4:4, Isaiah 30:30, and Revelation 20:14-15.
We learn:
- Listening and living by Jesus’s words are of greater importance than any other word.
- Jesus’s words have authority and ability that no other being is capable of.
- Judgment is coming.
- Believers have a motive and obligation to live a Christian life.