“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:” (Hebrews 12:25).
Here is a very somber announcement made by the writer of Hebrews who I
believe was the Apostle Paul. Here is a warning to the Hebrews during
the Acts period. When God spoke on earth at Mount Sinai, those who did
not heed His warning received a just recompense of reward. If that was
so then, how much more will the recompense be to those who turn away
from Him when He speaks from heaven. When He spoke on earth, the earth
trembled.
“Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet
once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven” (Hebrews 12:26).
God will once again speak audibly. It not only will shake the earth but,
also, heaven. When He speaks, He will bring His judgments into the
earth. This is not a reference to His Parousia. It is a reference to His
Epiphany. His voice will be heard when the blessed hope, and the
appearing of the glory of God is realized (Titus 2:13). It will be at
His Appearing and Kingdom (2 Timothy 4:1).
In order to realize the importance of the Scriptures which relate to
this event, it needs to be pointed out how certain grammatical
expressions used by the Hebrew writers of the Old Testament are in need
of an explanation. Robert Young points this out in the “Preface” of his
“Literal Translation of the Holy Bible.”
He wrote, “King James’ translators were almost entirely unacquainted
with two distinctive peculiarities of the Hebrew mode of thinking and
speaking, admitted by the most profound Hebrew scholars, viz:” Young
pointed out, “(I). That the Hebrews were in the habit of using past
tense to express the certainty of an action, taking place, even though
the action might not really be performed for some time. And.( II). That
the Hebrews, in referring to events, which might be either past or
future, were accustomed to act on the principle of transferring
themselves mentally to the period or place of the events themselves, and
were not content with coldly viewing them as those of a bygone or still
coming time; hence they very frequently used the present tense.”
The LORD will audibly speak to the nations, to individuals, and to the
hosts of heaven. He will do so from heaven.
“Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared,
and was still, When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the
earth. Selah” (Psalm 76:8-9).
Here, the Psalmist wrote of a future event as if it had already
happened. As Young pointed out, the Hebrews were in the habit of using
the” past tense” to express the certainty of
a future happening. He has not yet caused judgment to be
heard from Heaven. The inhabitants of the earth have heard nothing yet
from heaven to cause them to fear. It will happen. Isaiah was so sure of
it, he wrote as if it already had taken place.
The same can be said of Isaiah 1:2;
“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken …”
The inhabitants of heaven and earth have not yet heard the Voice of God
speak as He will when He imposes His Government in the earth. When He
does, justice will prevail throughout the world. In other words, He will
administer justice. In our dispensation, He administers grace, and grace
alone, but in the coming dispensation, the out flowing from Him will be
justice (i.e. judgment).
Robert Young also pointed out in his “Preface” that many times the
Hebrew writers transported themselves, mentally, to a time of the
fulfillment of prophecy and wrote as if they were there. King David did
this by writing in the in the “present tense” in Psalm 19. He was so
certain of what was to come, he wrote as though it was already so.
Notice Psalm 19:1-4:
“The heavens declare (proclaim) the glory of God; and the firmament
sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto
night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their
voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and
their words to the end of the world.”
The heavens are not declaring the Glory of God now. The heavens are not
uttering speech night unto night. But, they will when the new heavens
are made as told by Isaiah in chapters 65 and 66. The “heavens” could
very well be the Heavenly hosts. If that is the case, “their voice” will
be heard and understood because their speech goes to all of the
inhabited world.
Not only that, the firmament (raquia) is not in place today. It was the
canopy which encased the earth (Genesis 1:6-8) and filtered out all of
the harmful rays of the sun. It collapsed, as rain, when the world-wide
flood of Noah’s time occurred. However, it will be back in place with
the “restitution of all things.” There is no firmament to show or
magnify God’s handiwork today. But, David wrote as though it was back in
place; thus, meaning that it was certain and would be true at a
particular time—the Kingdom of God.
Daniel confirms that the firmament will, again, be in place causing
refreshing times to be experienced by mankind.
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some
to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
And they that be wise shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to
righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:2-3).
Moses gave a magnificent description of the time when the LORD shall
speak from heaven.
“Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words
of my mouth.
My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew,
as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the
grass” (Deuteronomy 32:1-2).
During the Kingdom of God, He will speak audibly from heaven. His
doctrine (principles of governing) shall drop down as the rain, and His
speech shall distil as the dew. The earth’s inhabitants are likened to
the tender herb upon whom the small rain shall fall. This distilling is
like showers upon the grass. This is majestic language describing the
gentle effect His words will have upon men. He is not speaking in wrath.
This has not happened historically. It is not Tribulation truth, nor is
it Millennial truth because The Lord Jesus Christ will be in His
Parousia for 1000 years ruling the heavens and the earth from the City
of Jerusalem. Therefore, His doctrine will drop down from heaven as a
gentle rain.