Hebrews 12:26

26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, "I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven as well." 1

Hebrews 12:26 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 12:26

Whose voice then shook the earth
That is, at the giving of the law on Mount Sinai: Christ was then present; his voice was then heard; which was either the voice of thunder, or the voice of the trumpet, or rather the voice of words: this shook the earth, Sinai, and the land about it, and the people on it; which made them quake and tremble, even Moses himself; see ( Exodus 19:18 ) ( Psalms 68:8 )

but now he hath promised, saying
in ( Haggai 2:6 )

yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven;
not only the land of Judea, and particularly Jerusalem, and the inhabitants of it, who were all shaken, and moved, and troubled at the news of the birth of the Messiah, the desire of all nations, the prophet Haggai speaks of, ( Matthew 2:2 Matthew 2:3 ) but the heaven also; by prodigies in it, as the appearance of a wonderful star, which guided the wise men from the east; and by the motions of the heavenly inhabitants, the angels, who descended in great numbers, and made the heavens resound with their songs of praise, on account of Christ's incarnation, ( Matthew 2:2 ) ( Luke 2:10 Luke 2:13 Luke 2:14 ) . How the apostle explains and applies this, may be seen in the next verse.

Hebrews 12:26 In-Context

24 You have come to Jesus, who arranged the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that promises much better things than does the blood of Abel.
25 Be careful, then, and do not refuse to hear him who speaks. Those who refused to hear the one who gave the divine message on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape, then, if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven!
26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, "I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven as well."
27 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.
28 Let us be thankful, then, because we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe;

Cross References 1

  • 1. 12.26Haggai 2.6 (LXX).
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.