Heb 12:26

“A third saying let them add, "Let us eat, and drink, and marry, for to-morrow we shall die; " not reflecting that the "woe" (denounced) "on such as are with child, and are giving suck," will fall far more heavily and bitterly in the "universal shaking" of the entire world than it did in the devastation of one fraction of Judaea.”

“There have been two remarkable transformations of the human way of life in the course of the world's history. These two are called two "covenants" and, so famous was the business involved, two "shakings of the earth." The first was the transition from idols to the law; the second, from law to gospel. The gospel also tells of the third "shaking," the change from this present state of things to what lies unmoved, unshaken, beyond. An identical feature occurs in both covenants. The feature? There was nothing sudden involved in the first movement to take their transformations in hand. We need to know why. It was so that we should be persuaded, not forced. The unspontaneous is the impermanent—as when force is used to keep stems or plants in check. The spontaneous both lasts longer and is more secure. It belongs to despotic power to use force; it is a mark of God's reasonableness that the issue should be ours.”

“"But now hath He 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 which are shaken, as of things that are made." All things therefore will be taken away, and will be compacted anew for the better. For this is what he suggests here. Why then dost thou grieve when thou sufferest in a world that abideth not; when thou art afflicted in a world which will very shortly have passed away? If our rest were to be in the latter period of the world, then one ought to be afflicted in looking to the end. "That" (he says) "those which cannot be shaken may remain." But of what sort are "those things which cannot be shaken"? The things to come.”

“Quite rightly on the basis of the prophetic verse does he establish the instability of the present order and the steadfastness of the things which shall be later. For the "shaking" shows that he is proclaiming the alteration of the present order exactly as it will be. And by adding the word once he shows that what will be afterwards cannot be changed.”

“Based on the voice of the prophet he proves both the change from the things that now exist and the establishment of the things that follow. For the promise "to shake" makes clear that they will change altogether in the future. By the addition of the word "once and for all" he shows clearly that thereafter they will be unchangeable.”

“Do you not see that the One who spoke then was the very Same One who now prophesies to us from heaven? For His voice then, at the time of the giving of the Law, shook the earth. "And Who has now given such a promise: 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.'" We learn of two earthquakes from Scripture: the first was at the giving of the law on Sinai, as David says: "the earth feared" (Ps. 76:9); the second was at the manifestation of Christ in the flesh. For it is said: "all Jerusalem" "was troubled" (Matt. 2:3) and: "the idols of Egypt shall be moved" (Isa. 19:1). For they were shaken, that is, they were deprived of such a state as to deceive those who nourished them, and their power was cast down. Therefore, the expression "yet once more" indicates the third shaking, which will happen after the second coming, or the renewal at the end of the world, when all things will be changed, passing from corruption to incorruption. This is spoken of by the prophet Haggai (Hag. 2:7).”

“718. – Then he compares the two testaments in regard to the efficacy of the speaking. As to the efficacy of the Old Testament's speaking he says, His voice then shook the earth, i.e., wrought many changes on earth, namely, by the signs in Egypt, by the division of the sea, by the earthquake in the desert: 'The earth was moved: and the heavens dropped at the presence of the God of Sinai, at the presence of the God of Israel' (Ps. 67:10). This signified that all that speaking moved their hearts by earthly promises. 719. – Then when he says, but now he has promised, he deals with the efficacy of the New Testament and proves it by the authority of a prophet, and then explains it. 720. – That authority is found in Hag (2:7) but not according to our version; for we have: 'Yet one little while, and I will move the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.' But the Apostle says, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven. But the sense is the same. And it is clear that those words were uttered near the end of the time of the Old Testament, namely, after the return from captivity; at which time nothing remained of the Old Testament. Therefore, it is clear that what was promised was to be fulfilled in the New Testament, namely, the new heaven and the new earth: 'Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth' (Is. 65:17). This creation was shown to John in the spirit: 'And I saw a new heaven and a new earth' (Rev. 21:1). For in that new creation the heavens will be moved. But heaven can be taken in two senses: in one way for the ethereal heaven and that will be cleansed by the fire of the final conflagration, as has been stated above. In another way, the starry heaven, which will not be cleansed, but will be changed to a new state: for it will cease its motion and the clarity of its parts will be increased, because 'The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven times brighter' (Is. 30:26). He says, therefore, but now, i.e., through the New Testament, he promises, saying, Yet once more and I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.”

“Whose voice then moved the earth, by such signs and prodigies on Mount Sinai: but now he promiseth, saying by the prophet Aggeus[Haggai]: yet once; and I will move not only the earth, but heaven also. These words of the prophet are commonly understood of Christ’s first coming at his incarnation, when at his birth a star appeared, Angels were sent, and sung his praises, when the heavens opened at his baptism, when the earth trembled at his resurrection, when the sun and moon were darkened at his death, &c. Yet others expound these words of Christ’s coming to redeem mankind, so as to comprehend all the time of the law of grace, and even his second coming to judge all men, at the end of the world, of which may particularly be understood those words, (ver. 27.) of the translation of the moveable things; that is, of the elements, and of the heavens changed to a more perfect state. See here St. Chrysostom; St. Augustine, lib. 18. de civ. Dei. chap. xxxv. p. 517. Nov. Editionis. (Witham)”

“then shook--when He gave the law on Sinai. now--under the Gospel. promised--The announcement of His coming to break up the present order of things, is to the ungodly a terror, to the godly a promise, the fulfilment of which they look for with joyful hope. Yet once more--Compare Notes, see on Hag 2:6; Hag 2:21-22, both of which passages are condensed into one here. The shaking began at the first coming of Messiah; it will be completed at His second coming, prodigies in the world of nature accompanying the overthrow of all kingdoms that oppose Messiah. The Hebrew is literally, "it is yet one little," that is, a single brief space till the series of movements begins ending in the advent of Messiah. Not merely the earth, as at the establishment of the Sinaitic covenant, but heaven also is to be shaken. The two advents of Messiah are regarded as one, the complete shaking belonging to the second advent, of which the presage was given in the shakings at the first advent: the convulsions connected with the overthrow of Jerusalem shadowing forth those about to be at the overthrow of all the God-opposed kingdoms by the coming Messiah.”

“For on earth, it is said that Moses speaks. He says, This is the case: If the Jews, having rejected the message of Moses, did not escape destruction, how shall we escape if we reject the one who speaks from heaven, that is, Christ? Is it not because, while the law was given by another long ago, now another speaks, and calls to his kingdom and faith, but because he is more fearful now, speaking from heaven and by himself, than he was before, when he spoke from the earth through Moses, from whom he is more justly to be heard? That the former lawgiver is not different from the one speaking now, he himself makes clear by saying, "whose voice then shook the earth." When? He says, when he gave the law on Mount Sinai. "but now has promised, saying." Do you see that the same one is both then and now? But the difference is in the manner of his preaching. For then he proclaimed from the earth and through Moses, but now from heaven and through himself. "who turn away from the one from heaven." In common, that which is speaking, as in proclaiming.”

“"Yet once more I shake," that is, "once more," clearly, that which comes after the second, is added another once. For previously the world was shaken at the lawgiving in Sinai. "Indeed, the earth shook," says David (Ps. 68:8). Again, during the presence in the flesh; the world will be shaken; for "all Jerusalem was shaken." (Matt. 21:10) "And the handmade things of Egypt shall be shaken." (Isa. 19:16) By "shaking," it is said to be the renowned nature of the preaching, by which they were shaken from their former state of wandering and the people were transformed. Therefore, speaks holy Cyril: But the "yet once more," he says, will be at his second glorious coming, when he will transform and renew creation; for then creation will be shaken most truly, the true shaking and uproar or the transformation from evil to good of those then being saved. Refer also to the commentary of the blessed Cyril on the Song of Songs.”

“For yet once more I shall shake not the earth alone but also heaven. But the word, yet once more, signifies, as the Apostle shows, 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, let us show thankfulness whereby, we may offer service well-pleasing to God, with reverence and piety and supplication.”

“For, saith He, yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also the heaven. And this word "once more" signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that have been made, that those things that are not shaken may remain; as if He said: In the consummation I will shake yet once more all things, and throw them into commotion, in order that all things may be changed back into their proper state. For as these things have been made from the beginning, and have undergone corruption or change, I shall easily remodel everything into its proper nature, that they may thereafter remain in a better state and be no longer subjected to commotion and shaking.”