God’s Impending Judgment

Hebrews 12:25-29

Main Idea: God has spoken to us in the person and work of his Son, Jesus Christ. If we, like the Israelites, reject his merciful Word, we will not escape his coming judgment.

1. He Who Speaks and Warns (12:25)
   1. Do not reject his words.
   2. Those who reject will not escape.
2. All That Remains (12:26-27)
3. An Unshakable Kingdom and Its Holy King (12:28-29)

Certain passages in the Bible are particularly vivid, either in promise, judgment, or warning. Hebrews 12:25-29 is one of these vivid passages. It gives a stern word of caution. The warning advises against neglecting the gospel of Christ and refusing to hear God’s Word. It is a sobering warning and one we must heed and take to heart.

He Who Speaks and Warns

Hebrews 12:25

The author begins verse 25 similarly to 12:18. By placing the command in the negative rather than the positive, he gives greater emphasis to the following directive. The writer urges us to listen intently to the one who is speaking—that is, not to ignore God’s Word. He goes on to explain the serious eternal consequences that arise by rejecting the one who is speaking.

Do Not Reject His Words

The idea of God speaking is essential to the entire passage and even the entire letter—indeed to all of Scripture. From the beginning of Hebrews, the author establishes God as a speaking God (1:1). In the Old Testament, God speaks directly to Israel. In Deuteronomy 4 God spoke through Moses to tell the children of Israel that he is their God. Thus, Israel belonged to God precisely because God spoke to them. They were God’s people because God told them so. Furthermore, Israel knew God existed because they heard his voice.

The verb reject is important to note. Our modern cultural context as well as general lack of attentiveness to the text often causes us to present the gospel in terms of consideration rather than command. This verse, though, helps us see that the gospel is never presented solely as an offer to be considered. It is presented as an ultimatum, as something to be either received or rejected. Presenting the gospel always produces a response. One either hears the gospel and believes it unto salvation or hears the gospel and rejects it unto eternal judgment.

Those Who Reject Will Not Escape

This passage also contrasts God speaking the old covenant to Israel with God now speaking to all peoples in all places through Jesus Christ. This is what the heaven-earth contrast insinuates. It is an argument from the lesser to the greater. If the consequences of disobedience under the old covenant given on earth through Moses were severe, imagine the consequences for rejecting the new covenant spoken from heaven through Christ! If those on earth did not escape God’s judgment, how can those who turn away from him who speaks from heaven escape his judgment?

Again, the author’s choice of words is significant. Why does he choose to use the word escape? Escape what? God’s wrath against those who reject his Son. The Bible is straightforward about the certainty of God’s holy wrath against sinners. Those who reject the word God has spoken through Jesus Christ will not escape his wrath. This is an essential part of the gospel, a part Christians should not be embarrassed to proclaim. Our rebellion against God merits his wrath. Praise God that he has placed that wrath on his Son for all those who repent and believe—for those who do not reject his word and do not turn away from his warning. If we reject Jesus, we will not escape wrath.

All That Remains

Hebrews 12:26-27

The author continues drawing out the contrast between heaven and earth in verses 26 and 27. At first he considers what happened on Sinai when God shook the earth with his voice and caused an earthquake on Sinai (Exod 19:18; Judg 5:5). Then the author quotes from Haggai 2:2-9. Here the Lord promises to shake both the heavens and the earth.

“Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people: ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem to you like nothing by comparison? Even so, be strong, Zerubbabel—this is the Lord’s declaration. Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land—this is the Lord’s declaration. Work! For I am with you—the declaration of the Lord of Armies. This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit is present among you; don’t be afraid.’”

For the Lord of Armies says this: “Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord of Armies. “The silver and gold belong to me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. “The final glory of this house will be greater than the first,” says the Lord of Armies. “I will provide peace in this place”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

The Lord’s word is crystal clear in Haggai 2. He is verbally ensuring the restoration of his temple. The Lord affirms that he owns all things and that his Spirit is in the midst of the people. He will do what is necessary to restore the temple to its former glory. He also claims that he will shake both the heavens and the earth and all nations, which means that he will judge the world.

The expression yet once more serves as a reminder that God’s shaking has happened before and will happen again. God’s judgment is looming. He shook the earth once at Sinai, and he will shake it again in such a way that encompasses all creation. Thus, the author picks up the words of Haggai in order to continue emphasizing the certainty of God’s coming wrath and judgment of the world.

In verse 27 the writer seeks to explain his usage of the expression yet once more. The phrase signals the removal of the present world and pictures all its idols crushed, broken, and cast down. God will destroy all that man has made. All that remains will be that which belongs to the Lord. We should not put our hope in this present world, for nothing in it will continue. As the author of Hebrews will tell us in the next verse, let us indeed be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

An Unshakable Kingdom and Its Holy King

Hebrews 12:28-29

The kingdom that remains is the kingdom of God’s purchased people, who by virtue of their union in Christ will not be shaken. All other kingdoms, however, will ultimately face God’s coming judgment. They will crumble and fall. For this, God’s people should respond with reverent gratitude and worship.

What brings us together and causes us to worship every Lord’s Day? Gratitude to God for giving us the gospel and a kingdom that cannot be shaken. While everything around us may look permanent now, it will pass away in an instant. Yet God’s people will remain. Nothing can stop God’s kingdom from triumphing over the kingdoms and rulers of this world. His kingdom and its citizens will prevail. It cannot be shaken. This is why the author exhorts his people to be grateful to God.

Additionally, he exhorts them to offer acceptable service to God. The idea behind acceptable service is the same one we find behind Romans 12:1, where Paul states we are to submit ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. All of life is worship and is to be a response to the One who redeemed us by the blood of the Lamb. When we present our whole selves to God in this kind of worship, it pleases the Lord. Acceptable service is about being a living sacrifice.

“Reverence and awe” must characterize true Christian worship. We should not flippantly and haphazardly approach the One who will shake the heavens and the earth. We worship him with reverence and awe. This simply means that we worship him with humility and holy fear, not with arrogance and carelessness. We worship him as those who know we do not deserve his mercy and grace. We worship with awe that we are citizens of his unshakable kingdom.

We live our entire lives with God’s impending judgment in the future. Those who reject his Word will not escape this consuming fire. Only those in Christ will remain unshaken. This is the reason we worship with reverence and awe. Describing God as a consuming fire draws on the language Moses uses to describe God on Sinai (Exod 24:17; Deut 4:24). The gospel isn’t merely fire insurance. The gospel is Christ’s abundant mercy saving us from the holy wrath we rightfully deserve. Remembering that God is a consuming fire stokes our reverence and awe of him and reminds us of the severe and eternal consequences of failing to turn to him in faith and repentance. We must not fail as the Israelites did. We must persevere until the end.

Reflect and Discuss

1. How is God’s speaking in the new covenant different from his speaking in the old covenant? How does the author use the heaven-earth contrast to draw out these distinctions?
2. The writer of Hebrews identifies God as a speaking God throughout his letter. Why is it important that we remember that our God speaks to his people? What does it mean to reject his words? How is the word he has spoken through Jesus Christ a message of both grace and judgment?
3. What is significant about the author’s usage of the verbs reject and escape? What do these words tell us about the relationship between the gospel and God’s wrath? About man’s response to the gospel?
4. Many Christians and non-Christians have a difficult time comprehending God’s wrath. Why must we talk about God’s wrath when we talk about the gospel? Why is God’s wrath an essential component to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Why must we take God’s wrath against sin and sinners seriously?
5. Why does the author refer to Sinai and quote from Haggai 2? What truth is he driving home by making these references? What does God’s shaking of the heavens and earth represent? What does the phrase “yet once more” signal?
6. How does the promise of God’s impending judgment motivate you to live a holy life and to continue receiving his word today? How does it lead you to offer acceptable service to God and worship him?
7. Why does the author encourage his people to be grateful about receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken? How does the promise of God’s unshakable kingdom and its certain triumph encourage you to endure in the faith, even in the midst of today’s increasing hostility toward Christians?
8. Why must reverence and awe characterize true Christian worship? What does it mean to worship God with reverence and awe? How does Romans 12:1 help us understand what it means to offer acceptable service?
9. How does the reminder that God is a consuming fire stoke your reverence and awe of him? How does it help you respond to him with obedience and faith?