Hebrews 12:26 kjv
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Hebrews 12:26 nkjv
whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven."
Hebrews 12:26 niv
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."
Hebrews 12:26 esv
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."
Hebrews 12:26 nlt
When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also."
Hebrews 12 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Old Covenant Shaking (Sinai) | ||
| Exod 19:18 | Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke...and the whole mountain trembled greatly. | The powerful manifestation of God's presence at Sinai. |
| Deut 4:11-12 | You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain...with thick darkness, cloud, and gloom. | Describes the terrifying phenomena accompanying the Law at Sinai. |
| Ps 68:7-8 | O God, when you went out before your people...the earth trembled; the heavens poured down rain. | God's powerful leading causes earth to shake. |
| Judg 5:4 | O Lord, when you went out from Seir...the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped rain. | The Lord's mighty appearance causes creation to quake. |
| Ps 77:18 | The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind...the earth trembled and shook. | God's voice accompanied by trembling and shaking. |
| Nahum 1:5 | The mountains quake before him; the hills melt...the earth heaves before him. | Describes the awesome power of God's presence causing universal trembling. |
| Prophecy of Cosmic Shaking (Haggai Source & Parallels) | ||
| Hag 2:6-7 | For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens... | The direct Old Testament prophecy quoted by the author of Hebrews. |
| Hag 2:21-22 | Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth... | Further reiteration of the future cosmic shaking and judgment. |
| Isa 13:13 | Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place. | Prophetic warning of cosmic upheaval during the Day of the Lord. |
| Isa 24:19-20 | The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. | Imagery of extreme global devastation in a time of divine judgment. |
| Joel 3:16 | The Lord roars from Zion...and the heavens and the earth quake. | God's powerful decree from Zion leading to cosmic trembling. |
| Zech 14:4 | On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives...and the Mount of Olives shall be split. | Prophecy of geographical transformation at Christ's return. |
| New Testament Echoes of Shaking | ||
| Matt 24:29-30 | ...the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man. | Jesus's prophecy of celestial disturbance preceding His return. |
| Mark 13:24-25 | ...the sun will be darkened...and the stars will be falling...and the powers in the heavens shaken. | Description of signs accompanying the end times. |
| Luke 21:26 | People fainting with fear...for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. | Fear and trepidation in response to cosmic disturbances. |
| Acts 4:31 | And when they had prayed, the place where they were gathered together was shaken. | Immediate physical manifestation of God's presence and Spirit's power. |
| Result: An Unshakable Kingdom | ||
| Heb 12:27 | The words "Yet once more" indicate the removal of things that can be shaken—that is, created things. | Clarification that the shaking removes the temporary to reveal the permanent. |
| Heb 12:28 | Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. | The purpose of the shaking: to highlight the enduring nature of God's kingdom. |
| Dan 2:44 | And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed. | Prophecy of God's eternal, unshakeable kingdom replacing all earthly ones. |
| Isa 65:17 | For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. | God's ultimate plan to replace the temporary creation with a lasting one. |
| 2 Pet 3:10-13 | But the day of the Lord will come...and the earth and the works...will be exposed... | The fiery judgment and renewal of the heavens and earth. |
| Rev 21:1 | Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. | Vision of the final, unchangeable state of creation. |
Hebrews 12 verses
Hebrews 12 26 Meaning
Hebrews 12:26 asserts that just as God's voice dramatically shook the earth at Mount Sinai when He gave the Old Covenant Law, He has now made a promise to execute an even more profound, cosmic, and final shaking. This promised shaking will encompass not only the physical earth but also the heavens, indicating a complete transformation and removal of the present created order to make way for an unshakeable and eternal reality.
Hebrews 12 26 Context
Hebrews chapter 12 vividly contrasts the old covenant administration at Mount Sinai with the new covenant reality in Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. Verses 18-24 paint a picture of the terrifying, tangible manifestation of God's holiness and power at Sinai—fire, darkness, whirlwind, the trumpet blast, and a voice so dreadful that even Moses trembled. This past event served to instill fear and highlight the distance between a holy God and sinful humanity, mediated by a limited law.
Verse 26 transitions by stating that the same God who demonstrated such power at Sinai is now making an even grander promise for the future. This future shaking is more comprehensive, affecting "not only the earth but also the heavens," signifying a cosmic, ultimate transformation and judgment that will remove all temporary, created things. This powerful contrast between the past trembling of the earth and the future shaking of both heaven and earth serves as a theological foundation for the author's exhortation in verses 27-29. The purpose is to urge Jewish believers facing persecution not to return to the perishable rituals of the Old Covenant, but to cling to the "unshakable kingdom" established through Christ. It's a subtle polemic against placing ultimate trust in any earthly or temporary system, emphasizing the eternal superiority and finality of God's New Covenant in Christ.
Hebrews 12 26 Word analysis
- At that time (τότε - tote): Refers specifically to the time of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai (Exod 19). It sets up a direct contrast with "but now."
- his voice (ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ - hē phōnē autou): Points to God's own direct, audible declaration of His Law, carrying ultimate divine authority and power.
- shook (ἐσάλευσε - esaleuse): From saleuō, meaning "to shake, to agitate, to cause to waver or tremble." The aorist tense denotes a completed historical action with profound effect. This refers to the physical quaking and smoke associated with God's descent on Sinai.
- the earth (τὴν γῆν - tēn gēn): Specifically, the geographical location of Mount Sinai and its surroundings.
- but now (νῦν δὲ - nyn de): Introduces a shift to the present reality and future promise. It marks the inaugurated New Covenant era, signifying a different, yet even more significant, divine act.
- he has promised (ἐπήγγελται - epēggeltai): From epaggellō, "to promise, announce, give a pledge." The perfect passive indicative emphasizes that God Himself has given this binding promise, and it stands as an enduring truth, certain of fulfillment.
- saying (λέγων - legōn): Introduces the direct quotation from Haggai 2:6, crucial for the author's argument.
- Yet once more (Ἔτι ἅπαξ - Eti hapax): A key phrase quoted from the Septuagint (LXX) of Haggai 2:6. "Yet" indicates continuation or addition; "once more" signifies a decisive, final action, a complete and unrepeatable act of divine shaking. It means "one more time and no more."
- I will shake (σαλεύσω - saleusō): Future active indicative of saleuō. Indicates a future, active, and determined divine action, with an intensified and expanded scope.
- not only the earth (οὐ μόνον τὴν γῆν - ou monon tēn gēn): Extends the scope of the shaking beyond the physical earthly realm, intensifying the previous Sinai event.
- but also the heavens (ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν οὐρανόν - alla kai ton ouranon): This expansion is profound. "Heavens" refers to the entire cosmos, the celestial realm, including possibly spiritual powers and the existing cosmic order. It implies a total cosmic upheaval and purification, encompassing all that is temporal and created.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "At that time his voice shook the earth": This phrase succinctly recounts the tremendous demonstration of divine power at Mount Sinai when God manifested Himself and delivered the Mosaic Law. It underscores the initial, awe-inspiring, yet localized, divine encounter.
- "but now he has promised, saying": This highlights the crucial transition from the historical past to the current revelation of God's ongoing and future redemptive plan. It emphasizes divine intentionality and certainty behind the impending events.
- "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens": This is the heart of the verse, drawing from Haggai. "Yet once more" signals a final, comprehensive, and definitive shaking, meaning no further such foundational shakings will occur. Extending the shaking to "the heavens" denotes a cosmic-wide, absolute, and terminal removal of the temporary created order, far surpassing the physical trembling at Sinai. This indicates an eschatological act that dismantles the old order entirely to make way for the eternal.
Hebrews 12 26 Bonus section
The "shaking" is not merely a destructive act but a transformative one, designed to distinguish and eliminate the impermanent, allowing the unshakeable (God's kingdom, Christ, the New Covenant) to remain and be fully established (Heb 12:27). This implies a radical purification, stripping away everything that cannot stand the scrutiny of God's perfect holiness. The cosmic nature of this future shaking underscores the universal scope of God's redemptive plan and judgment, affecting all created reality. Believers are called to live with a dual awareness: recognizing the terrifying power of God's impending judgment (manifested in the shaking) and simultaneously embracing with gratitude the secure and permanent kingdom they have received in Christ. This understanding mandates worship offered "with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb 12:28-29), rooted not in the transient earthly sphere but in the eternal, unshakeable heavenly reality.
Hebrews 12 26 Commentary
Hebrews 12:26 provides a powerful theological argument by contrasting two pivotal moments of divine revelation and action: the past manifestation of God's power at Mount Sinai and a future, even grander, promised cosmic transformation. At Sinai, God's voice dramatically "shook the earth," demonstrating His majesty and setting a boundary for human approach, an event that terrified the Israelites. This was an shaking confined primarily to the earthly sphere and specifically to that mountain, associated with the inauguration of a temporary covenant.
The pivotal shift "but now" introduces God's greater promise, taken from the prophet Haggai (Hag 2:6). The phrase "Yet once more" is crucial, signifying a final and ultimate act of shaking, after which there will be no more fundamental structural alterations to reality. The scope is also vastly expanded: "not only the earth but also the heavens." This points to a total, comprehensive cosmic overhaul—not just a localized tremor but the deconstruction of the entire present created order. This cosmic shaking symbolizes the removal of everything that is temporary, perishable, and fallible within creation and covenant, making way for what is eternal, permanent, and divine. It indicates the consummation of God's kingdom and the transition from the temporal to the eternal. This profound shaking culminates in the unshakable kingdom, encouraging believers to anchor their faith in Christ's unmoving reign rather than transient earthly systems.