Hebrews 12:27

12:18-29 Mount Sinai, on which the Jewish church state was formed, was a mount such as might be touched, though forbidden to be so, a place that could be felt; so the Mosaic dispensation was much in outward and earthly things. The gospel state is kind and condescending, suited to our weak frame. Under the gospel all may come with boldness to God's presence. But the most holy must despair, if judged by the holy law given from Sinai, without a Saviour. The gospel church is called Mount Zion; there believers have clearer views of heaven, and more heavenly tempers of soul. All the children of God are heirs, and every one has the privileges of the first-born. Let a soul be supposed to join that glorious assembly and church above, that is yet unacquainted with God, still carnally-minded, loving this present world and state of things, looking back to it with a lingering eye, full of pride and guile, filled with lusts; such a soul would seem to have mistaken its way, place, state, and company. It would be uneasy to itself and all about it. Christ is the Mediator of this new covenant, between God and man, to bring them together in this covenant; to keep them together; 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. This covenant is made firm by the blood of Christ sprinkled upon our consciences, as the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the altar and the victim.

This blood of Christ speaks in behalf of sinners; it pleads not for vengeance, but for mercy. See then that you refuse not his gracious call and offered salvation. See that you do not refuse Him who speaketh from heaven, with infinite tenderness and love; for how can those escape, who turn from God in unbelief or apostacy, while he so graciously beseeches them to be reconciled, and to receive his everlasting favour! 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, in a way of judgment. We cannot worship God acceptably, unless we worship him with reverence and godly fear. Only the grace of God enables us to worship God aright. God is the same just and righteous God under the gospel as under the law. The inheritance of believers is secured to them; and all things pertaining to salvation are freely given in answer to prayer. Let us seek for grace, that we may serve God with reverence and godly fear.

This word "yet once more" (τὸ δέ Ἔτι ἅπαξ) 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. Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1. Signifieth (δηλοῖ) From δῆλος manifest, evident. To make manifest to the mind. Used of indications which lead the mind to conclusions about the origin or character of things. See Thucyd. i. 3; Aesch. Pers. 518. Comp. 1 Corinthians 3:13; Hebrews 9:8; 1 Peter 1:11. Appropriate to prophetic revelations. The removing (τὴν μετάθεσιν) See on Hebrews 7:12. For the thought comp. 1 John 2:17; 1 Corinthians 7:31. As of things that are made (ὡς πεποιημένων) Made indeed by God, who also makes the new heaven and the new earth (Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22), but made to pass away. That the things which cannot be shaken may remain (ἵνα μείνῃ τὰ μὴ σαλευόμενα) Whether we consider the things which are shaken, the old heavens and earth which pass away, or the new heaven and earth which cannot be shaken, both are πεποιημένα made by God. The writer perceives this, and therefore adds to as of things that are made a clause stating that they were made (by God himself) to pass away. Accordingly, ἵνα in order that is to be connected with πεποιημένων, after which the comma should be removed.

Hebrews 12:27 . Τῶν σαλευομένων , of those things that are shaken ) the heaven and the earth.— τὴν μετάθεσιν , the removing ) The same word occurs at Hebrews 7:12 . The antithesis is μείνῃ , should remain . It will be said: When the earth was formerly shaken, no removal took place; how then is a removal now connected with the shaking of the heaven and the earth? Ans . This shaking is total; is final; is promised , and there is therefore an intimation, that better things will succeed,—that is, those things which are not removed, but are immoveable, will succeed those things which are removed. The first was the prelude of the second.— ὡς πεποιημένων , as of those things that are made ) The reason why those things, which are said to be shaken, fall under removal , for they are things made formerly by creation, and so made, that they would not remain of themselves, but would be removed; and that subsequently those should only remain which are not removed. So Paul speaks, 2 Corinthians 5:1 .— ἵνα μείνῃ ) that they should remain . For he says μείνῃ , not μένῃ . The imperfect depends on the preterite πεποιημένων , made . Μένω , I remain , is often said of a thing which is left remaining (surviving) when others pass away; and hence also μόνος comes from μένω ; 1 Corinthians 13:13 .— τά μὴ σαλευόμενα , the things which are not shaken ) the city of the living GOD, Hebrews 12:22 : the new heaven and the new earth, Revelation 21:1 , note.

27 . And this word, Yet once more ] The argument on the phrase “ Again, yet once for all ,” and the bringing it into connexion with the former shaking of the earth at Sinai resembles the style of argument on the word “to-day” in Hebrews 3:7 to Hebrews 4:9 ; and on the word “new” in Hebrews 8:13 . the removing …] The rest of this verse may be punctuated “Signifies the removal of the things that are being shaken as of things which have been made, in order that things which cannot be shaken, may remain.” The “things unshakeable” are God’s heavenly city and eternal kingdom ( Daniel 2:44 ; Revelation 21:1 , &c.). The material world—its shadows, symbols and all that belong to it—are quivering, unreal, evanescent ( Psalm 102:25-26 ; 2 Peter 3:10 ; Revelation 20:11 ). It is only the Ideal which is endowed with eternal reality ( Daniel 2:44 ; Daniel 7:13-14 ). This view, which the Alexandrian theology had learnt from the Ethnic Inspiration of Plato, is the reverse of the view taken by materialists and sensualists. They only believe in what they can taste, and see, and “grasp with both hands;” but to the Christian idealist, who walks by faith and not by sight, the Unseen is visible ( ὡς ὁρῶν τὸν Ἀόρατον ( Hebrews 11:27 ), τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ … νοούμενα καθορᾶται , Romans 1:20 ), and the Material is only a perishing copy of an Eternal Archetype. The earthquake which dissolves and annihilates things sensible is powerless against the Things Invisible.

27. this word, Yet once more—So Paul, by the Spirit, sanctions the Septuagint rendering of Hag 2:6, giving an additional feature to the prophecy in the Hebrew, as rendered in English Version, not merely that it shall be in a little while, but that it is to be "once more" as the final act. The stress of his argument is on the "ONCE." Once for all; once and for ever. "In saying 'once more,' the Spirit implies that something has already passed, and something else shall be which is to remain, and is no more to be changed to something else; for the once is exclusive, that is, not many times" [Estius]. those things that are shaken—the heaven and the earth. As the shaking is to be total, so shall the removal be, making way for the better things that are unremovable. Compare the Jewish economy (the type of the whole present order of things) giving way to the new and abiding covenant: the forerunner of the everlasting state of bliss. as of things … made—namely, of this present visible creation: compare 2Co 5:1; Heb 9:11, "made with hands … of this creation," that is, things so made at creation that they would not remain of themselves, but be removed. The new abiding heaven and earth are also made by God, but they are of a higher nature than the material creation, being made to partake of the divine nature of Him who is not made: so in this relation, as one with the uncreated God, they are regarded as not of the same class as the things made.

The things made in the former sense do not remain; the things of the new heaven and earth, like the uncreated God, "shall REMAIN before God" (Isa 66:22). The Spirit, the seed of the new and heavenly being, not only of the believer's soul, but also of the future body, is an uncreated and immortal principle.

(27) This word, “Yet once more,” is equivalent to once more only; and the words “once more only will I move the heaven and the earth” must of necessity point to the final change, which issues in the removal of all that can pass away. Which cannot be shaken.—Literally, which are not shaken. The great difficulty of the verse is to ascertain on what word this clause depends. (1) If upon “removing,” the sense will be: This word . . . signifieth the removing of the things made (as being created things), that the things not shaken may remain. The next verse throws light on the writer’s meaning; there that which “cannot be shaken” is the kingdom which we receive: he is not speaking of that which belongs to a material creation. (2) The other view can only be briefly mentioned: This word . . . signifieth the removing of the things shaken, as of things that have been made in order that the things not shaken may remain. The idea is striking—that created things were made for the very purpose of giving place to what shall abide; but the other view seems to give the more probable meaning of the verse.

Verses 27-29. - And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken (observe the present participle, παραλαμβάνοντες : we already belong to this kingdom, which exists now behind the veil of this visible scene, and will survive its catastrophe; observe also that the phrase, βασιλείαν παραλαμβάνοντες , corresponds with Daniel 7:18 , Καὶ παραλήψονται τὴν βασιλσίαν ἅγιοι ὑψίστου , - it implies an actual share in the royalty of the kingdom; cf. Ephesians 5:5 ; Revelation 1:6 ; Revelation 5:10 ), let as have grace (or, thankfulness ; the usual meaning of ἔχειν χάριν is "to be thankful," or "to give thanks," as in Luke 17:9 ; 1 Timothy 1:12 ; 2 Timothy 1:3 ), whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire. This last verse is from Deuteronomy 4:24 , where the Israelites are being warned of the danger of forgetting the covenant of the LORD their God. The LORD'S nature is not changed: he is still a consuming fire against evil, as he declared himself from Sinai; and if We scorn the present dispensation of grace, the day of judgment will still be to us a day of terror (cf. supra , Hebrews 10:26, etc.). Hebrews 12:27