"Whose
voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing
of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things
which cannot be shaken may remain."
Hebrews 12:26-27
Paul
is here referring us to the prophecy of Haggai. He means for us to understand
that there is only one more shaking after the time of Haggai. The shaking he
speaks of is not a physical, material thing (though it certainly includes all
things physical—2 Pet. 3), but a moral and spiritual shaking. It is a shaking
that began with our Lord’s first advent, continues throughout this gospel age,
and will be consummated in his glorious second coming. It is a work both of
God’s wrath upon those who refuse to hear his Word, upon those who despise his
Gospel, and of his great mercy, love, and grace upon his elect, whom he causes
to hear his Word, whom he makes willing to receive, believe, and delight in his
gospel.
The Lord our God will shake and remove everything that
is natural, transitory, temporal, and perishable, not merely the old Mosaic
dispensation, but also every human thought and power that is opposed to Christ,
his Gospel, his Church, his Kingdom, and his dominion. This shaking is the
thrice repeated overturning of all things in his creation that are opposed to
God our Savior and his people (Ezek.
Haggai’s
prophecy was written more than 500 years before Christ came into the world
(about 520 BC). Yet, he tells us what we should expect our God and Savior to do
in our day. Haggai was, from all accounts, born in
They were content
just to be out of
11
Feasting,”
or “The Feasts of the Lord.” God sent Haggai to his people to encourage them to
believe him and build his house, assuring them that he would make it glorious.
He rebukes them by
telling them twice in chapter 1, “Consider your ways! Consider your ways!”
Then, we read in verse 8 of Haggai 1, ― "Go up to the mountain,
and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will
be glorified, saith the LORD." In other words, he says, “Put your
shoulder to the work!”
Zerubbabel
Then
(vv. 12-14) God raised up Zerubbabel (another type of Christ), who inspired “the
remnant of the people to obey the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him, and the
people did fear before the Lord.”
Before, while looking at themselves, they feared to believe God. Now, looking
away from themselves to him, they feared not to believe him! And, we read in
verse 14, “They came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.” They put
their shoulders to the work.
Still, there were some old, old people in their midst,
who had seen the
"For
thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake
the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; (7) And I will shake
all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this
house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. (8) The silver is mine, and the gold
is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. (9) The glory of this latter house shall be
greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I
give peace, saith the LORD of hosts." (Haggai
2:6-9)
Let us not despise the days of small things. God’s
hand is not short. His ear is not heavy. So long as the Lord our King is on his
holy, sovereign throne, he will both sustain us in our work for him and make
our work effectual and fruitful for the building of his true
So long as Christ is King and
Shepherd upon his throne we will lack nothing in the service of his Kingdom. He
will provide the means of building his house and filling His temple with the
splendor and glory of his grace.