p. 34 | Shaking of the Powers of Heaven

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 28, 1864

Shaking of the Powers of Heaven.

By John Norton Loughborough

THE question is often asked us, "Do you believe the present commotion among the nations is the shaking of the powers of heaven?" We invariably answer, No! This does not seem to be a natural construction of the language, but it would rather seem to have reference to some commotion in the heavens, while the struggle among nations would be the shaking of the powers of earth. We consider the present strife among the nations, the "waking up of the mighty men" and a preparation for the assembling of the kings of earth to the battle of Armageddon. Although this strife is noted in prophecy, it is not presented as the shaking of the powers of the heavens.

Christ in giving the signs, as recorded by Luke, says, "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity." Chap. xxi, 25. Matthew tells us what these signs are; "The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken." Matt. xxiv, 29. By comparing the testimony of the two evangelists, we see an event is placed between these signs and the actual shaking of the powers of heaven called the "distress of nations with perplexity." The difficulties springing up in this generation among the nations will bring on this predicted perplexity. The same distressed condition of the nations is presented in Jer. xxv. 32, 33.

The "shaking of the powers of heaven" seems to be something distinct from the commotion among the nations. But we now inquire, What is meant by the shaking of the powers of the heavens? and when will it take place? The first text we will examine as to what is meant by this expression is Heb. xii, where Paul, referring to the Lord's speaking from Mount Sinai, says; "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from Heaven; whose voice then shook the earth; but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven." Verses 25, 26. It seems that this shaking was yet future when Paul wrote. This also shows that the shaking is to be accomplished by the Lord's speaking; for it is contrasted with his speaking from Mount Sinai. As the voice from Sinai was literal, so we should consider this will be literal that is contrasted with it.

Paul says that the Lord has "promised" to shake the heavens. There is a promise of that character in Haggai ii, "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, and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come."

Verses 6, 7. Here we see the shaking of the heavens and the shaking of the nations are two events, and that all is to take place a little previous to the time that the "desire of all nations shall come." In verses 21, 22, the Lord says: "I will shake the heavens and the earth. And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen, and I will overthrow the chariots and those that ride in them." Here we see a distinction is made between the shaking of the heavens and the distress among the nations.

There are several testimonies in Isaiah's prophecy which speak of this voice of God and shaking of the heavens and earth which we will present. In chapter ii, we read of events connected with the "day of the Lord." "And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth." Verses 17-21.

This is at the same time as the shaking of the heavens and a consequence of that voice of God; therefore we quote it here. It also helps in fixing the chronology of that event, as it is to happen near the day of the Lord. In the 13th chapter we read, "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger." Verses 9-13.

Here again we see the shaking of the heavens, and it is to take place near the day of the Lord, and following the signs in the sun and moon, and stars. In chapter xxiv we read; "Fear, and the pit, and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear, shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit, shall be taken in the snare, for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again." Verses 17-20.

We consider that the "noise of fear," and the opening of the "windows of heaven" in this text, correspond with the "shaking of the heavens," and "the sign of the Son of man" of Matt. xxiv. And the fleeing of the people corresponds with the above scriptures and also with Rev. vi, 14-17: "And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?"

In the midst of the confusion of that time, as mountains are cleft from their bases, and rocks from their summits are thrown in every direction by the "reeling to and fro" of the earth, how natural for men in their fright and dismay to call to these flying rocks, "Fall on us!" and for others, fleeing to the opening caverns and "tops of the ragged rocks" to escape the piercing gaze of Christ's glorious majesty, to cry, "Hide us" from his face! But all in vain. None but holy ones can escape in that fearful time. Reader, weigh well your ways, and prepare to stand.

In Isa. xiii, 13 we read; "The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war, he shall cry, yea, roar, he shall prevail against his enemies." And in verse 15 we learn the result of this: "I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs, and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools."

Jeremiah in speaking of the confusion of the nations in the last days, also introduces the voice of God. Chapter xxv, 30, 31: "Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout as they that tread the grapes, [Rev. xiv, 19, 20.] against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh he will give them that are wicked to the sword saith the Lord. This text refers to the same time as the others; for it is when a battle is to be fought in which none shall be left to lament, nor gather, nor bury. Verse 33. This can only be when all the wicked are slain, the saints taken up to Heaven, and none are left."

Ezekiel says; "For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel, so that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God; every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his hands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hail stones, [Rev. xvi, 21.] fire, and brimstone." Chapter xxxviii, 19-22. This is said to be in the last days. Verse 16. And it is when the hail stones are to fall, which event is connected with the voice of God. See Rev. xvi, 17, 21.

Joel in his prophecy speaks of this event; "And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army; for his camp is very great; for he is strong that executeth his word; for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can abide it?" Chapter ii, 11. And again: "The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." Chapter iii, 16.

Amos speaks of this event also in his prophecy: "The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither." Chapter i, 2.

But the testimony of Rev. xvi, definitely locates this event, and shows it to be under the pouring out of the seventh plague. When the sixth vial is poured out, Christ says, "Behold I come as a thief." Then Christ's coming is very near when the seventh vial is poured out. This awfully solemn event is described by John as follows: "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of Heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great . . . . And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven every stone about the weight of a talent; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for the

plague thereof was exceeding great." Chapter xvi, 17, 18, 20, 21.

What awfully solemn grandeur to the righteous is in these scenes. That voice, "It is done!" proclaims their captivity turned, their deliverance come; and as the opening heavens reveal to them the Son of God, their rapturous shouts will be heard "This is our God, we have waited for him, he has come to save us." But to the wicked, in the midst of their blaspheming, as that voice opens the heavens and discovers to them the piercing gaze of the Son of God whom they have cursed, it is terrible. Every wall shaken to the ground, every hiding place destroyed, and then upon their shelterless heads is poured the hail stones of Jehovah's wrath. Oh may the Lord help us to prepare for these fast-approaching and solemn events.

J. N. Loughborough.