When Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the law, the people could hear the voice of God as He spoke (Ex 19, Deut 4:12 & 36). It was so powerful the mountain shook, and the fear of God made the people shake. God does send literal earthquakes (Is 2:19-21, Is 13:13, Is 29:6, Eze38:20, Joel 3:16, Hag 2:6 & 21, Heb 12:26, Rev 6:12, Rev 8:5, Rev 11:13 & 19, Rev 16:18). The book of Hebrews is about how we have a greater opportunity in the New Testament than they did in the Old Testament, but greater opportunity also means greater responsibility. Hebrews 12:25-29 says that the same voice that shook Mount Sinai will speak again; but this time it will shake heaven (Is 13:13, Joel 3:16, Hag 2:6-7 & 21, Lk 21:26). How does heaven get shaken? What is heaven? Is it a geographical location or a spiritual condition and realm? There are several meanings to the word heaven:
1. the atmosphere around the earth (Gen 1:1)
2. outer space where the stars are (Gen 15:5)
3. the special dwelling place of God (1Ki 8:43, Is 66:1)
4. 2Cor 12:2 speak of the third heaven, which some believe refers to these three meanings
5. the spiritual realm of the angels and demons (1Ki 22:19-23, 2Chr 18:18, Job 1:6, Dan
4:13, Dan 8:10, Mat 22:30, Mat 24:31, Luke 10:18, Eph 2:2, Col 1:16, Rev 12:3-4).
Jesus said that before His return the powers of heaven will be shaken (Lk 21:26). The spiritual world is the heaven that will be shaken. We must remember that the spiritual world is real. Just because we cannot see it with our natural eyes does not mean it does not exist. In fact, the invisible things are more real than the visible. If it is visible, it is not eternal. All of the eternal things are currently invisible (2Cor 4:18). Evolutionists try to explain everything by the material, but the truth is that the visible came from the invisible, not the other way around (Rom 1:20, Heb 11:3). Sometimes, what is occurring in the visible world is merely a reflection of what is occurring in the invisible world. There is a great shaking occurring in the kingdoms of men. Politics is becoming more and more polarized. These are just a reflection of the intensifying of what is occurring in the realm of the spirit, which will continue to intensify the closer we get to the return of the Lord. The reason God is shaking things up is so that the things that can be shaken will be removed, and that the things that cannot be shaken will remain. We need to realize that putting our trust in uncertain things will be very disappointing when those things fail us. Only the eternal things of God can be fully trusted. His is the only kingdom that will last forever (Ps 2, Dan 2-7, Rev 11:15, Rev 19). The word of God is the only sure foundation to build our lives on:
A. Prov 10:25 – as a whirlwind wicked no more but righteous everlasting foundation
B. Is 28:16 – I lay in Zion for a foundation a tried stone, sure foundation
C. Mt 7:21-29 – rain, floods, wind
D. Mt 16:18 – upon this rock (revelation)
E. Mt 21:42-44 – stone became head of corner (Ps 118:22, 1Pet 2:4-8)
F. 1Cor 3:9-17 – God’s building, take heed how you build, foundation is Jesus Christ, ye are
the temple
G. Eph 2:20-22 – foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ chief corner stone
H. 2Tim 2:19 – foundation of God stands sure having seal
I. Heb 6:1-2 – repentance, faith, doctrine of baptisms, laying on hands, resurrection, eternal
judgment
J. Heb 11:10 – city which has foundations whose builder is God
K. Heb 12:25-29 – that which may not be shaken may remain
L. Rev 21:14-20 – 12 foundations, names of apostles (Is 54:11)
The foundation is layed first, takes the longest, involves digging down and deep, is heaviest material, holds up structure, and ends up unseen and unthought about unless something goes wrong with it. God shakes the kingdoms of men (Ps 29:8, IS 10:32, Is 11:15, Is 19:16, Is 23:11, Eze 38:19). He is shaking the kingdom of Satan. It will not last forever (Luke 10:18, John 12:31, John
16:11, Rev 12:3-4, Rev 19-20). God shakes for revival (Eze 37:7). God is directing the faith and attention of men from that which can be shaken to that which cannot.
The kingdom of God is not a geographic location. It is His people in whom He has invested
His authority (Jer 1:10, Dan 7:27, Mat 8:11, Mat 19:28, 1Pet 2:9, Rev 1:6, Rev 5:10, Rev 20:4). God has given the church 2 offensive weapons – prayer and the word of God (Eph 6:17-19). We can and must shake the spiritual world in prayer. We need to have wisdom as to how to pray about these things, and not attempt to engage things we are not ready for (Acts 19:11-16). However, we must also realize that the church has been given authority to make an impact in the spiritual war which is occurring all around us every day. We cannot see it directly with our natural eyes, but we can see its manifestation in what is occurring all around us. God wants us to realize that our prayers make a difference, and the devil does not want us to realize it. Let us pray that we are able to grow in our ability to handle greater spiritual responsibility in this war. God has already ordained us to victory, but we cannot have it unless we fight. Let us pray that God will help us understand what is going on, and how to pray about it (2Ki 6:17, 1Chr 12:32). The greatest voice of God in the world is His written word - the Bible. The second greatest voice of God in the world is His church. We can shake the world with the message He gave us so that they say of us as they did of His people before, "These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also (Acts 17:6)."