Satan Loosed

The long suffering of God means that He waits and deals with man in the right season as He works out His salvation. In Revelation 20 Satan is depicted as let loose for a season. He gathers the people against Christ but then fire comes down from heaven and destroys them. Revelation 20 is not a chronological series of events. It depicts themes, one after the other in picture form.

The loosing of Satan shows how God allows him to perform certain functions in the nations. At various times in history Satan is allowed to gather the goats (the unclean, unbelievers) together against the gospel and God finally judges in favour of His church. It is the Psalm 2 scenario. Satan puts out the garbage, as it were. God organises all that Satan does. There is coming a time when Satan will be cast into the lake of fire at the end of the world.

Subject to Vanity

Why has God not yet put all enemies under the feet of Christ, since Christ rules over all already? It is timing. God has chosen to save His elect out of the world while the curse remains. He has “hidden His pearl (church) in the field (world)” (Matt 13:34), so He gets the glory and not us.

He has chosen to allow the curse to be a catalyst in showing us the vanity (meaninglessness) of life without Him, as His Spirit draws us and the rest of His people to eternal life:

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who has subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Rom 8:20-21).

His voice shakes the nations, meaning He brings down the pride of men and reveals the meaninglessness of our ways. All that we trust in and give our souls to collapses. This is a kindness from God, so that we may look beyond this life to Him. This is an ongoing work of Christ throughout our ages as Christ reigns. He brings down kingdoms and establishes His gospel in our hearts.

Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith…might be found to praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, you love…with joy unspeakable and full of glory. (1 Pet 1:6-8).

Yet Once More

Whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, Once more I shake not the earth only but also the heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and fear. (Heb 12:26-28).

This is referring to the time that God shook Mount Sinai when the first covenant was made:

And mount Sinai was altogether on smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. And the smoke ascended as the smoke of a furnace. And the whole mountain quacked (shook) greatly. (Ex 19:18).

God came down on Sinai and shook the mountain. When Hebrews 12 says, “Once more I shake not only earth, but also heaven.” it is speaking about the institution of a second Covenant. The first shaking is the first covenant. The second shaking is the second covenant. This second shaking is a removal of an Old system and an installation of the New. It refers to the putting away of sin in Christ and the bringing in of unconditional faith, righteousness and eternal life.

Heb 12:26-28 quoted Hag 2:5-7. Haggai was speaking about the New Covenant and the Gentile church that would come to Christ. He said that God established the first at Sinai, but will shake the earth once more. Haggai was referring to the New Covenant being established by Christ. This shaking has nothing to do with the Second Coming of Christ. It is referring to the time of “reformation” from the Old system to the New Covenant (Heb 9:10).

The book of Hebrews is about the removal of the Old Covenant and the establishment of the New. The rituals, types, shadows, the temporary, the unsatisfactory, the things that have no life, no substance, are shaken and removed, that that which is solid (Christ and His substance and fulfilment) may remain in the New Covenant. This is the intended meaning of Heb 12:26-28. It refers to the atonement of Christ, His ascension and the sending of the Spirit at Pentecost.