ACC ~ Hebrews 12 v25 - 27

“ON EARTH” AND “FROM HEAVEN.” PHOTIUS: “The one who warned them on earth” can be understood to mean the one promising them earthly things that will pass away: the land flowing with milk and honey, the conquest of enemies, goodly offspring and long life. But from heaven speaks the one who promises heaven itself as an inheritance, who graciously bestows the enjoyment of that unspeakable and eternal glory. Or “warned them on earth” can be said to mean that bodily purifications pervaded nearly everything of the law given through Moses. But the giving of the law that took place through Christ is a cleansing and illumination of the soul for us. Then “on earth” are the things proclaimed, because they are lowly and applied to the body made of dirt; and the things of the New Testament are “from heaven” because they are divine and exalted and cleanse the soul in a truly divine manner and bear it up into heaven. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 12.25.

THE STEADFASTNESS TO COME. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Quite rightly on the basis of the prophetic versedoes he establish the instability of the present order and the steadfastness of the things which shall be later. For the “shaking” shows that he is proclaiming the alteration of the present order exactly as it will be. And by adding the word once he shows that what will be afterwards cannot be changed. COMMENTARY ON HEBREWS 12.26.

SHAKINGS OF THE EARTH. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS: There have been two remarkable transformations of the human way of life in the course of the world’s history. These two are called two “covenants” and, so famous was the business involved, two “shakings of the earth.” The first was the transition from idols to the law; the second, from law to gospel. The gospel also tells of the third “shaking,” the change from this present state of things to what lies unmoved, unshaken, beyond. An identical feature occurs in both covenants. The feature? There was nothing sudden involved in the first movement to take their transformations in hand. We need to know why. It was so that we should be persuaded, not forced. The unspontaneous is the impermanent—as when force is used to keep stems or plants in check. The spontaneous both lasts longer and is more secure. It belongs to despotic power to use force; it is a mark of God’s reasonableness that the issue should be ours. ON THE HOLY SPIRIT, THEOLOGICAL ORATION 5(31).25.

“TO SHAKE” “ONCE AND FOR ALL.” THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Based on the voice of the prophet he proves both the change from the things that now exist and the establishment of the things that follow. For the promise “to shake” makes clear that they will change altogether in the future. By the addition of the word “once and for all” he shows clearly that thereafter they will be unchangeable. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 12.26.

YET ONE MORE SHAKING. OECUMENIUS: The phrase “yet once more” makes clear that another “one time” would be added after the second. For the world was shaken for the first time when the law was given on Sinai: “For the earth shook,”David said. Again the earth was shaken during the sojourn in the flesh: “For all Jerusalem was shaken” and “the idols of Egypt built by human hands.” And he calls an earthquake that which was heard of the proclamation, through which people were shaken from their old condition in error and brought into a new condition. So says Cyril. He speaks of yet one more occasion, namely, at his second coming with glory, when he will alter and change creation. For then creation will especially be shaken with a real shaking and crash—a more drastic change than of people who were corrupt at the time turning from evil to good. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 12.27.

COMING OF THE ETERNITY. SEVERIAN OF GABALA: That is why Paul says elsewhere, “For the form of this world is passing away.” So that the temporary may pass away and the eternal may come. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 12.27.

Heb