The letter to the Hebrews includes these words:
Now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. (Hebrews 12.27-28)
There is a lot going on! (And this list is nowhere near complete!)
- there are wars, most recently the Israel-Hamas conflict; also in Sudan and the horn of Africa.
- There are many incidents evidencing climate change; floods, extreme heat, etc.
- The worldwide impact of covid-19, which scientists expect not to be the final such pandemic. This has diminished supply chains across the world.
- The Ukraine conflict in particular has inflated prices of basic foodstuffs for many millions.
in light of events across the world recently, I came to meditate on the words above.
I would not be so bold as to claim that what I have witnessed is the same as what Hebrews predicts. It is not ‘this is that’ (see Acts 2.16) but ‘this is like that.’ There is a shaking, ahead of ‘the’ shaking.
The shaking removes created things. It tests our trust in God and His Son and His promises. What remains may be unseen but cannot be shaken.
The kingdom we will receive will not be shaken.
Our response? – we worship and we are thankful. We press on in service and witness.