Hebrews 12:28, commentary and pictures

We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be moved, and we are to hold grace so that we may serve God in a way that pleases Him, with reverence and awe and holy fear. The promised shaking once more of earth and heaven means the removal of all shakable, created things, so that only what cannot be shaken remains on an unchanging foundation. That enduring kingdom is received when Christ comes and the saints are raised and made immortal. Only those whose lives are hidden with Christ, rooted and established in present truth and doing the Word, will stand firm through the shaking that tests every soul. The call to gracious, reverent service stands with the warning not to refuse Him who speaks from heaven, for God is a consuming fire, and it calls for earnest humility, watchfulness, and wholehearted loyalty in keeping His law.

The Shaking and Kingdom

The promise to shake earth and heaven once more means the removal of all shakable, created things so that only what cannot be shaken remains on an unchanging foundation. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken so that what cannot be shaken may remain, and that enduring remainder is the kingdom of God, Christ's kingdom which cannot be moved.

That lasting kingdom is what God's people are being prepared to stand in during the last days. It is received when Christ comes and the saints are raised and made immortal, for holy flesh belongs to that change and not to a state attained in this life. The shaking applies to the present time and calls for understanding of spiritual condition and duty. It tests every soul, and Satan's deceptions lead many astray when they lack a clear, deep experience proportionate to the light and advantages given.

Only those whose lives are hidden with Christ in God, rooted and established in present truth, will stand firm through the shaking. Only those who have received light from Jesus and are doers of the Word will stand through it and have everlasting life. No person can be leaned on or made a trust, for men prove as a broken reed, so each must look to God for himself while giving respect and courtesy to others without depending on them.

To remain when only what cannot be shaken remains, those who profess sanctifying truth must retain vital godliness and be conquerors with a religion that meets the highest standard. They must watch and pray, seek more of heaven and less of earthliness, and refuse idolatry such as making gold a god. Because iniquity abounds and heavenly intelligences watch with intense solicitude, men who carry heavy responsibilities must not surrender without thought to engrossing cares but must ask if their way is the Lord's way, for they cannot afford to become religious wrecks. Being rooted and grounded in truth enables loyalty as subjects of the King of kings when everything shakable is shaken, and God's law is steadfast and unalterable because it expresses His character.

The final testing shakes everything that can be shaken by temptation so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Trials cleanse from selfishness and pride, purifying for endurance. They test the church to separate the true from the untrue, and must be met not with provocation or excessive talk but with stillness and trust in God.

Grace for Acceptable Service

Those who are receiving the kingdom which cannot be moved need to hold grace in order to serve God in a way that pleases Him, acceptably with reverence and godly fear, with awe and holy fear. The call to such gracious, reverent service stands with the warning not to refuse the One speaking from heaven, for those who refused the voice speaking on earth did not escape and turning from the heavenly voice brings still more certain punishment, and with the truth that God is a consuming fire. It rests on the promise to shake earth and heaven once more, meaning the removal of all shakable, created things so that only what cannot be shaken remains. Feeding on Christ by thinking of Him and obeying His words builds up spiritual life and leads to growth in grace and knowledge of the truth, fitting believers for this faithful service.

Having grace for acceptable service means weighing action carefully and refusing to mingle the common with the sacred in the work of ministers and stewards of God's grace, because heedless moves start evils that cannot be controlled and sow a root of bitterness, meaning any kind of evil, whereby many are defiled, and the result is charged to those who caused it. It calls for spiritual purification and earnest humility before God, in light of the shaking that removes what can be shaken. Those who hope to meet Christ in peace at His coming must walk before Him in this life with humility, meekness and lowliness of mind, living modestly and carefully in harmony with the testing truths given. Acceptable service means fearing the Lord, walking in all His ways, loving Him, serving Him with all the heart and soul, trembling at His presence, standing in awe of Him, hoping in His mercy and living in humility, and those who fear His name receive healing, watchful care, riches, honor and life.

Serving God means wholehearted loyalty to Christ, using freedom and God-given abilities and powers in His work, refusing the power of evil and honoring His law, and His ministers are in His service. Being rooted and grounded in truth enables loyalty as subjects of the King of kings when everything shakable is shaken, for God's law is steadfast and unalterable because it expresses His character. Serving God acceptably includes treating others with care rather than discouraging or harming them, helping others see the truth and serve Him by responding with sympathy to those suffering or weak in spirit, offering the help and understanding they need. The verse applies to preparation for the heavenly school: children should be trained from an early age in right habits, thoughts, discipline, reverence and responsibility to one another and to God as an everyday experience, with parents educating and training them according to the principles of God's Word.