Hebrews 12:27 · Bible study
Hebrews 12:27 Commentary: The Shaking That Removes and the Kingdom That Remains
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does Hebrews 12:27 describe the end of the Jewish system, the final cosmic judgment, or both? A study of the 'yet once more' shaking.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s final shaking removes all that is temporary so that his eternal kingdom may stand alone.
- Key words: ἅπαξ (once for all), σαλεύω (to shake), μετάθεσις (removal), πεποιημένων (created things).
- Main debate: Does the shaking refer to the end of the Jewish system (AD 70), the cosmic dissolution, or both in a typological pattern?
- Theological theme: The permanence of God’s kingdom versus the transience of the created order.
- Best use: A call to hold loosely to earthly institutions and cling to Christ alone.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.
WEB World English Bible 2000
This phrase, “Yet once more” signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and this--`Yet once' --doth make evident the removal of the things shaken, as of things having been made, that the things not shaken may remain;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But this Yet once, signifies the removing of what is shaken, as being made, that what is not shaken may remain.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And in that he saith: Yet once more, he signifieth the translation of the moveable things as made, that those things may remain which are immoveable.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y esta palabra, Aun una vez, declara la mudanza de las cosas movibles, como de cosas hechas, para que queden las cosas que son firmes|strong="G3361, G4531".
Esta expressão ,“Ainda uma vez”, mostra a remoção das coisas abaladas, como coisas criadas, para que as inabaláveis permaneçam.
Ces mots: Une fois encore, indiquent le changement des choses ébranlées, comme étant faites pour un temps, afin que les choses inébranlables subsistent.
Aber solches “Noch einmal” zeigt an, daß das Bewegliche soll verwandelt werden, als das gemacht ist, auf daß da bleibe das Unbewegliche.
En dit woord: Nog eenmaal, wijst aan de verandering der bewegelijke dingen, als welke gemaakt waren, opdat blijven zouden de dingen, die niet bewegelijk zijn.
Or questo “ancora una volta” indica la remozione delle cose scosse, come di cose fatte, onde sussistan ferme quelle che non sono scosse.
A to też mówi: Jeszcze raz, pokazuje zniesienie rzeczy chwiejących się, jako tych, które są uczynione, aby zostawały te, które się nie chwieją.
Слова: "еще раз" означают изменение колеблемого, как сотворенного, чтобы пребыло непоколебимое.
這再 一次的話，是指明 被震動的，就是 受造 之物都要挪去，使 那不 被震動 的常存。
And the words, Still one more, make it clear that there will be a taking away of those things which are shaking, as of things which are made, so that there may be only those things of which no shaking is possible.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Hebrews 12:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree the phrase “Yet once more” (ἔτι ἅπαξ) announces a definitive, final separation between all that is temporary and all that is eternal. The Greek adverb ἅπαξ carries the sense of “once for all,” as Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note, stressing that this is the last shaking. What is shaken is what “has been made” (πεποιημένων), a perfect participle indicating created things in their contingent, passing nature. The present participle σαλευομένων (“being shaken”) suggests an ongoing removal process that culminates in the final establishment of what cannot be shaken. Commentators differ on the referent. Clarke and Gill point primarily to the dismantling of the Jewish ceremonial system, the temple, sacrifices, and civil order, at the first coming of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem. Wesley and the Cambridge Bible see instead the dissolution of the material universe at the end of history. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and Calvin read the verse typologically: the old covenant’s passing prefigures the final cosmic renewal. Yet the purpose clause is clear: ἵνα μείνῃ, “so that the things not shaken may remain.” Whatever view one takes, the text promises that God’s work of removal serves a single goal, a permanent, unshakable kingdom centered on Christ.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Jewish system only (AD 70): The immediate context of Hebrews contrasts the old covenant with the new; the destruction of the temple fulfills Haggai’s shaking (Gill, Clarke).
- Final cosmic dissolution: The language of shaking heaven and earth matches 2 Peter 3 and Revelation; the perfect participle πεποιημένων points to all created matter (Wesley, Cambridge).
- Both typologically: The old covenant’s removal is a type of the final judgment; Haggai’s prophecy has a double fulfillment in AD 70 and the eschaton (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Calvin).
What is clear: God will definitively remove what is temporary and created in order to establish his permanent, unshakable kingdom, and believers are called to trust in that kingdom today.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The timing of the shaking | It is a final, definitive event, not an ongoing series of tremors. | Some interpreters identify it with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the end of the old covenant order (Gill, Clarke). Others see the final cosmic dissolution at Christ’s return (Wesley, Cambridge). A third group reads it typologically, with the AD 70 event foreshadowing the final judgment (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). |
| The things being shaken | They are created, temporary things, not eternal realities. | Is the focus on the Jewish ceremonial system (temple, sacrifices, priesthood) or the entire material universe? Commentators who emphasize AD 70 see the Jewish polity; those who emphasize the eschaton see all of creation. |
| The purpose of the removal | The shaking clears away what is passing so that what is permanent may remain. | Does the ‘unshakable’ refer primarily to the new covenant church age, or to the new heavens and new earth? Both views are represented. |
| The meaning of the phrase “Yet once more” (ἔτι ἅπαξ) | It stresses finality, this shaking will not be repeated. | Some argue the ‘once’ refers to a single historical event; others that it marks the final act in a long pattern of divine judgments. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were tempted to retreat from Christ back into the familiar patterns of the old covenant. The author has argued throughout that the Mosaic system was always a shadow, a temporary arrangement pointing to the reality found in Jesus. In chapter 12 he drives this home by contrasting two mountains: Sinai, where God’s voice shook the earth, and heavenly Zion, where the redeemed gather in joy. The quotation in verse 26 comes from Haggai 2:6, where the prophet promised a shaking of nations that would fill the rebuilt temple with glory. The writer of Hebrews takes that promise and expands it: the shaking will touch both earth and heaven.
For first-century readers, the immediate horizon included the coming destruction of Jerusalem and its temple (AD 70). When the temple fell, the entire sacrificial system, the priesthood, the festivals, the purity laws, collapsed with it. Many early Christian readers saw that event as the fulfillment of this prophecy. At the same time, the language of shaking “the heavens” points beyond any one historical catastrophe to the final judgment when the entire created order will be transformed (Psalm 102:26, 27; 2 Peter 3:10). The phrase “things that are made” (πεποιημένων) emphasizes the contingent, creaturely character of everything that can be removed. Only what is uncreated and eternal, God himself, his word, his kingdom, will survive the final shaking.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries do not discuss textual variants for Hebrews 12:27. The Greek text is well established. The phrase ἔτι ἅπαξ (“Yet once more”) appears in the best manuscripts with only minor orthographic variation that does not affect meaning.
Reception History
From the early church onward, Hebrews 12:27 has been read in two main streams. Many patristic writers, applying the literal-historical sense, saw the shaking as the end of the Jewish age, the destruction of the temple and the passing of the law. In the Reformation, Calvin interpreted the verse as the transition from the old covenant to Christ’s eternal kingdom, focusing on the believer’s confidence. Wesley and later commentators emphasized the cosmic dimension, connecting the verse to the new heavens and new earth. The diversity of these readings testifies to the verse’s layered meaning: it speaks both to the first-century crisis and to the ultimate hope of every Christian.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The finality of the shaking. The “Yet once more” of Haggai becomes, in the apostle’s hands, a “once for all.” This is not one more tremor in a series; it is the decisive removal of everything temporary.
- The purpose of the removal. God shakes not to destroy indiscriminately but so that the unshakable may remain. Every loss has a clearing purpose.
- The response of confidence. Because we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, we can serve God with reverence and awe, not fear of losing what was never permanent.
Five-point outline
- God announces a final shaking, once and only once.
- What is shaken: everything created, including the old covenant order of worship.
- Why it is shaken: to remove what is passing so that the eternal may stand alone.
- What remains: the unshakable kingdom, Christ’s rule, the new covenant, the heavenly city.
- Our present calling: to receive that kingdom with gratitude and serve God with holy wonder.
Illustration hooks
- A renovation crew strips away old drywall and rotted framing to expose the steel beams underneath. The rubble is temporary; the framework is what holds the building.
- A farmer threshes wheat, beating the stalks to separate grain from chaff. The chaff blows away; the grain is gathered and kept.
- A family cleans out a childhood home after a parent’s death. Furniture, clothes, and knickknacks are given away; only the heirlooms and stories that truly matter remain. The process is painful but clarifying.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God is shaking the world right now, through political upheaval, personal loss, or church change, how do I know what is being removed and what will last?
- I’m afraid of losing everything. Does “receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken” mean I won’t suffer loss, or that what I gain outweighs any loss?
- How do I hold onto Christ without holding too tightly to the forms of worship or ministry that I love?
Leading a Discussion
This verse invites us to examine what we treat as permanent. The writer of Hebrews wants his readers, and us, to see that the things of this world, even good religious structures, are only temporary. The shaking reveals what is built on the foundation of God’s eternal kingdom.
Discussion questions
- What does the phrase “Yet once more” (ἔτι ἅπαξ) tell us about the nature of God’s final work? Why does the author stress the word “once”?
- The verse says the things shaken are “things that have been made.” What does this description add to our understanding of why they can be removed?
- How does the immediate context, contrasting Mount Sinai and Mount Zion, shape the way we interpret the shaking? What is the author preparing his readers for?
- Think of an “unshakable” truth or promise from Scripture that has held you steady during a season of change or loss.
- The next verse (28) calls us to “receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken.” What does it mean to receive that kingdom right now, and how does that affect the way we live today?
- Christians differ on whether the shaking refers to the fall of Jerusalem, the end of the world, or both. How does this diversity of interpretation affect how we apply the verse? What do all sides agree on?
- What is one temporary thing, an institution, a habit, a priority, that you sense God may be loosening in your own life so that something more permanent can take its place?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 102:26 | They will perish, but you will endure. Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment. You will change them like a cloak, and they will be changed. |
| Psalms 102:27 | But you are the same. Your years will have no end. |
| Ezekiel 21:27 | I will overturn, overturn, overturn it. This also will be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it.”’ |
| Matthew 24:35 | Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. |
| I Corinthians 7:31 | and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away. |
| II Peter 3:10 | But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat; and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. |
| II Peter 3:11 | Therefore, since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, |
| Revelation of John 11:15 | The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the Jewish religious system was always temporary, deliberately designed by God to last only a limited time. In contrast, the Gospel system is unshakable and permanent, intended by God as the final dispensation of grace until the end of the world.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes sees the phrase "Yet once more" as describing a future shaking that separates everything temporary from everything permanent. Christ's coming removes what is merely typical or wrong, like the ceremonial system, while preserving eternal moral truth. The result is an unshakable kingdom built on principles that no revolution or time can change.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin downplays the original prophetic phrase and instead stresses that the shaking of creation signals the arrival of Christ's eternal
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator reads the verse through an Alexandrian lens shaped by Plato: the material world is only a trembling, passing copy of an eternal reality. What is shaken is everything made, visible and tangible; what remains is God’s unseen, unshakeable kingdom. The earthquake that destroys the physical cannot touch what is invisible and real.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And this worde, Yet once more, signifieth the remouing of those things which are shaken, as of things which are made with hands, that the things which are not shaken, may remaine.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that the removal of shaken things points to the destruction of Jerusalem, not the end of the world. This event swept away the entire Jewish system of worship and government. What remained unshaken was Christ’s everlasting kingdom, including the gospel and its ordinances, which continue until his return.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that the word "once" in "yet once more" signals a final, conclusive act, not just a brief interval. The total shaking of heaven and earth clears away everything made within this present creation to make room for the unshakable new order, which partakes of God's own uncreated nature and therefore will remain forever.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the "one speaking" is God himself, not Christ. The warning contrasts not different persons but two modes of revelation: God spoke from earth on Sinai and now speaks from heaven through Christ. This shift focuses attention on the unmatched weight of the New Covenant revelation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a sharp contrast between the terrifying, unapproachable presence of God at Sinai and the gracious, welcoming access believers now have through Christ to the heavenly Jerusalem. The old covenant struck fear even into Moses, but the new covenant offers a kingdom that cannot be shaken, calling for reverent gratitude rather than dread.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the things that are shaken as the created heaven and earth, which are changeable because they were made. Their removal makes way for what cannot be shaken: the new heavens and new earth that will remain forever.