Sermon # 90 Hebrews
Notes
Title: Once More, O Lord, Once More!
Text: Hebrews 12:26-27
Subject: The Shaking of Heaven and Earth
Date: Tuesday Evening—
Tape # X-18a
Introduction:
As we anticipate and try to prepare for our
conference next week, it is my heart’s earnest desire and prayer that our God
might be pleased to speak, speak powerfully to our hearts by the preaching of
the Gospel. Oh, that he would so speak as to yet once more shake heaven and
earth. Let us seek grace that we may hear him speaks from heaven. We must not
take this great opportunity and this great responsibility lightly.
(Hebrews 12:25) "See that
ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that
spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away
from him that speaketh from heaven."
O Lord, our God, do yet, once more, speak from
heaven! And give us grace to hear your voice, for Christ’s sake. Speak to us,
even now, and cause us to hear your Word.
Our text tonight is Hebrews 12:26-28.
(Hebrews 12:26-27) "Whose
voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
(27) 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."
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 every thing
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. 21:27) I will
overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come
whose right it is; and I will give it him.
(Isa. 13:13)
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.
(Joel 3:16) The LORD
also shall roar out of
(Mt. 24:29) Immediately
after the tribulation of those days shall the sun 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.
But that which that which cannot be shaken, the
church and kingdom of God, the faith of God’s elect, the blessed hope of the
Gospel, shall remain.
Let’s go back to the Book of Haggai (the third from the last in
the Old Testament), and see what the Lord teaches us from this ancient
prophecy, a prophecy written more than 500 years before Christ came into the
world (about 520 BC), about what we should expect him to do in our day.
Haggai was, from all accounts, born in
They were content just to be out of
(Haggai 1:2) "Thus speaketh
the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time
is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built."
So the Lord God sent his
prophet Haggai to his people. Haggai’s name comes from a word that means
“Merry,” or “Feasting.” It might even be translating “Time of Feasting,” or
“The Feasts of the Lord.”
Proposition: 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…
(Haggai 1:8) "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—Put your
shoulder to the work!
Then (vv. 12-14) God
raised up Zerubbababel (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
(Haggai 2:4-5) "Yet now be
strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech,
the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and
work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: (5) According to the
word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit
remaineth among you: fear ye not."
Now, against this backdrop, the Lord God gave the promise to his
ancient people which he has repeated to us in Hebrews
12:26-27.
(Haggai 2:6-9) "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."
(Hebrews 12:26-27) "Whose
voice then (at the giving of the law on
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 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 Temple, his true House, and the glory of it!
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.
I.
First, the Lord speaks of the
shaking of the nations (v. 6).
(Haggai
2:6) "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"
Here,
as in Hebrews 12, the Lord is reminding the people of the time when He shook
the world when He descended upon
(Isaiah 24:18-23) "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. (19) The earth is utterly broken down, the earth
is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
(20) 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. (21) And it shall come to pass in that
day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on
high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. (22) And they shall be
gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be
shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. (23) Then
the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall
reign in
(Isaiah 13:13) "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."
(Ezekiel 33:19-33) "But if
the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he
shall live thereby. (20) Yet ye say, The way of
the Lord is not equal. O ye house of
(Joel 3:15-21) "The sun and
the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. (16)
The LORD also shall roar out of
Haggai seems to see the whole universe in convulsions that effect every nation. Peter speaks of the same thing in 2 Peter
3:10-13.
(2 Peter 3:10-13) "But the
day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the
which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein
shall be burned up. (11) Seeing then that all these things shall
be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy
conversation and godliness, (12) Looking for and hasting unto the coming
of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and
the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (13) Nevertheless we,
according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness."
When God shakes the heavens
and the earth, nothing in the universe will ever be the same again. He will break the power of
the nations. The ultimate fulfillment of this passage will be, as I have said
repeatedly, at the second Coming of Christ. Look at Haggai 2:21-23.
(Haggai 2:21-23) "Speak to
Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;
(22) 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; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every
one by the sword of his brother. (23) In that day, saith the LORD of
hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith
the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the
LORD of hosts."
II. But, it is terribly erroneous to look upon this as only a prophecy
of our Lord’s second advent. This
is a promise and prophecy of God’s work today by the gospel.
Our great God is the absolute sovereign of
the universe. He establishes, uses and overthrows all
the powers and kingdoms of the universe, at his will, for the building of his
House, for the salvation of his people. He is sovereign over the nations. Wars
and revolutions are nothing but His shaking of the Gentiles. The Lord God
reigns. He uses these cosmic events to accomplish His redemptive purpose.
(Haggai 2:7) "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."
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ is that One of Whom
the prophet here speaks.—He is “the Desire of all nations.”
(Genesis 49:10) "The
sceptre shall not depart from
(Malachi 3:1) "Behold, I
will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord,
whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the
covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of
hosts."
B.
Coming to Christ, God’s elect from the four corners of the earth, the
whole
Thus,
as Calvin suggested, “the nations will come, bringing
with them all their riches, that they might offer themselves and all their
possessions as a sacrifice to God.”
The
word “desire” could be translated “consolation.” The Gentile nations will come
to Christ, the Desire of all nations, the Messiah. He is the object of desire
in the renewed heart, that in which a man finds pleasure, joy, consolation and
value.
Both
Isaiah and Micah speak of all nations flowing to the
That
shaking spoken of in Haggai 2 and Hebrews 12 is followed by this result, or
produces this effect, God’s elect are gathered from all nations, tongues, and
peoples to fill his house and make it glorious, far more glorious than the
(Isaiah 40:9-11) "O Zion,
that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem,
that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up,
be not afraid; say unto the cities of
(Micah 4:1-2) "But in the
last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the
LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted
above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. (2) And many nations
shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to
the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will
walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD
from Jerusalem."
III.
Third, the Lord God speaks of the
great glory of his house (vv. 8-9). The result of all this
shaking of the universe will be the filling of the
(Haggai 2:8-9) "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."
A.
The silver and the gold of the entire world belongs
to our God.
What
is the significance of that statement?
·
Our God is the Possessor of all things.
·
God’s Church and Kingdom shall never lack anything. His cause, his
Church, his Gospel is never in lack of supply and is never dependent upon
anything outside himself.
·
When God saves his people, they sell all they have for the Pearl of
Great Price. They bring all they possess into his house (Acts 5).
B.
The glory of God’s house since the coming of Christ far exceeds and
forever shall exceed, by infinite measure, the glory of the former house.—That house was shaken and destroyed. This house cannot be
shaken.
Haggai’s
prophecy began to be fulfilled when Christ was brought into the
The
prophet Malachi wrote in 3:1, “Behold I am going to send My
messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek,
will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom
you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord
of hosts.”
Christ
himself, as the incarnate Word, in whom the “glory of the Lord”
was and is beheld, in whom the glory of the Lord is, fulfilled Haggai’s
prophecy, when came into the temple. He brought a greater glory to the
B.
The glorification of the house of God commenced with the Incarnate Son of
God and will reach it consummation when He returns.
(Hebrews 12:26-27) "Whose
voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
(27) 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."
(Revelation 21:10-11) "And
he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me
that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, (11)
Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most
precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;"
(Revelation 21:22-24) "And
I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. (23) And the city had no need
of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for
the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
(24) And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it:
and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it."
C. Now, look at the last sentence of Haggai
2:9.—“In this place I will give
peace.”
(Psalms 72:17) "His name
shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men
shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed."
(Isaiah 9:7) "Of the increase
of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with
judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD
of hosts will perform this."
(Isaiah 66:12) "For thus
saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory
of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne
upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees."
(Luke 2:14) "Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Christ is the glory of God.
He is the Prince of Peace. In him alone sinners find peace.
·
The Peace of Pardon.
·
The Peace of Reconciliation.
·
The Peace of God’s Approval.
·
The Peace of God’s Blessing.
·
The Peace of Glory!
The Prince of Peace is one who brings peace
to
Haggai makes an astonishing promise: “The glory of the
latter house shall be greater than that of the former one” (v. 9). At the
second coming of Christ Haggai’s will be fully accomplished and fully realized.
Jesus Christ will be the desire of all the nations of the world. He alone can
change the hearts of men. His is a kingdom that will not be shaken (Heb.
(Zechariah 4:6-7) "Then he
answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the
word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my
spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. (7) Who art thou, O great
mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a
plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying,
Grace, grace unto it."
IV.
Still, there is more. Between the first
and second advents of Christ, throughout this Gospel Age, the Lord God
continually shakes the nations.
Christ, “the Desire of all nations,” comes.
He fills his house with glory. In this place, here, in the house of God, in the
·
Pentecost
·
Reformation
·
Great Awakening
·
The Conversion of a Sinner.
It is my prayer that he will be pleased, now, to
come, fill his house with glory, the very glory of God, gathering sinners to
himself, and give peace!
(Psalms 80:1) "To
the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph. Give ear, O
Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between
the cherubims, shine forth."
(Psalms 80:3-4) "Turn us
again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. (4) O
LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy
people?"
(Psalms 80:7) "Turn us
again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be
saved."
(Psalms 80:14) "Return, we
beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this
vine;"
(Psalms 80:17-19) "Let thy
hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou
madest strong for thyself. (18) So will not we go back from thee:
quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. (19) Turn
us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be
saved."
(Isaiah 64:1-2) "Oh that
thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the
mountains might flow down at thy presence. (2) As when the
melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name
known to thine adversaries, that the
nations may tremble at thy presence!"
(Zechariah 4:6-7) "Then he
answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the
word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my
spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. (7) Who art thou, O great
mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a
plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying,
Grace, grace unto it."
Once more, O Lord, once more, shake
heaven and earth! Once more, O Lord, once more, come and fill
your house with glory!
Amen.