“SHAKING THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH”: DANIEL

AND THE ESCHATOLOGY OF HEBREWS

Felix Cortez
GC, Andrews University

ABSTRACT: Desmond Ford argued that he could not find an allusion to Daniel in Hebrews and the Daniel
and Revelation Committee agreed on this point, concluding that Hebrews neither explicitly teaches nor
denies Christ’s two-phased ministry in heaven. Adventist scholarship, however, has missed an allusion
to Daniel 7:18 in Hebrews 12:28. This presentation explores the role that the allusion to Daniel 7:18—a
chapter dealing with the pre-advent judgment—plays in the argument of Hebrews. It will show that
while in the expository sections of Hebrews the author was primarily interested in discussing the
achievements of Christ in the past, his hortatory argument looks to the future and its most important
concern is to prepare believers for the judgment they will face.
______________________

Introduction

In the introduction to volume 4 of the DARCOM Series, Frank B. Holbrook related the ways in
which The Epistle to the Hebrews has brought the church both joy and sadness:
Hebrews provided our pioneers with the initial insights to resolve the dilemma of the
1844 disappointment. The Epistle pointed them not to the church or the earth as the
sanctuary to be cleansed in the Christian era but to the heavenly sanctuary … Strange as
it may seem, the book that brought great joy to our pioneers has caused other Adventist to
withdraw from the church. The charge is that Hebrews denies the Adventist belief that
Christ mediates in a two-phased priestly ministry … with the latter ministry beginning in
1844. 1

1 Frank B. Holbrook, ed., Issues in the Book of Hebrews, (DARCOM 4; Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute,

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1989), xi.

 This was one of the main arguments of Desmond Ford. He argued that he could not find an
allusion to Daniel in Hebrews 2 and the Daniel and Revelation Committee agreed on this point concluding
that Hebrews neither explicitly teaches nor denies Christ’s two-phased ministry in heaven. 3 I want to
suggest in this paper, however, that not only Desmond Ford and critics of the Adventist understanding
of Jesus’s two-phased ministry in the heavenly sanctuary but also Adventist scholarship have missed an
important allusion to Daniel 7:18 in Hebrews 12:28. 4 This allusion is important not only because it is an
allusion to Daniel and the pre-advent judgment but also because it raises the question regarding to what
extent was the eschatology of the Letter to the Hebrews shaped by Daniel.
The purpose of this paper is, then, to explore the role that the allusion to Dan 7:18 plays in the
argument of Hebrews 12:18–29 and understanding of eschatology in the Letter to the Hebrews.

Haggai, Daniel, and Hebrews 12:18–29

An allusion is a way to talk about a hermeneutical event. As Richard B. Hays has briefly and
helpfully described, an allusive echo “functions to suggest to the reader that text B should be understood
in light of a broad interplay with text A, encompassing aspects of text A beyond those explicitly echoed.” 5
This means that the author Hebrews expects the readers to grasp allusions beyond those he has
explicitly stated in the text and believes that the readers have “ears to hear” those allusive echoes. In
other words, the author has placed his audience “within a field of whispered or unstated
correspondences” because he expects them to understand them.6 Being able to “hear” these echoes will
help the reader understand better the document.
With this in mind, let’s analyze the function of the allusions to Haggai 2 and Daniel 7 in Heb.
12:25–29:
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they
refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who
warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but 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

2 See Frank B. Holbrook, ed., Doctrine of the Sanctuary: A Historical Survey (DARCOM 5; Silver Spring, MD: Biblical

Research Institute, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1989), 218

3 Holbrook, Issues, xi.
4 See cross-references in the Greek New Testament, Nestle-Aland 28th edition.
5 Richard B. Hays, Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1989), 20, see also

pp. 1–33; The Conversion of the Imagination: Paul as Interpreter of Israel's Scripture (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2005).
I understand allusions as equivalent to Hays’s echoes. It is important to note, however, Stanley E. Porter’s critique of
Hays’s method to identify an echo, “Allusions and Echoes,” As It Is Written: Studying Paul’s Use of Scripture (ed. Stanley E. Porter
and Christopher D. Stanley; SBLSymS 50; Atlanta: SBL, 2008), 29–40. See G. K. Beale’s evaluation of Hays’s method and Porter’s
critique in Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament: Exegesis and Interpretation (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Academics, 2012), chapter 2.
6 Hays, Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul, 20.

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 been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us
be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God
acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire (emphasis
mine).

This passage has three sentences and therefore three main important assertions. 7 First, it warns
that there will be a judgment that those who “refuse” God—who is speaking to them from heaven—will
not escape (Heb 12:25–26). This assertion brings to a culmination the author’s exhortation to believers
throughout the letter that they should be careful not to disregard God who is speaking to them in the
person of his Son (Heb 1:2). 8 Secondly, this judgment includes a shaking of heaven and earth and a
removal of those things that can be shaken (v. 27). This assertion makes an allusion to Haggai 2:6–7 that
we will explore below. Thirdly, the author exhorts believers to be grateful because they will receive a
kingdom that cannot be shaken (vv. 28–29). This assertion contains an allusion to Daniel 7:18, which
will be the main concern of this paper. Let’s explore each one of these assertions.

“See that you not refuse him who is speaking”

First, Hebrews warns that those who reject God, who is speaking to them “from heaven,” will not
escape God’s judgment (Heb 12:25–26). This warning caps an argument that he made in the passage
immediately before. In the verses 18–24, the author contrasted the desert generation, who came to God
at Sinai and heard God speak in the context of frightening phenomena (vv. 18–21), with believers, who
have heard God speak at “Mount Zion,” “the heavenly Jerusalem,” as part of a festal gathering (vv. 22–
24). Believers have heard God’s voice speaking through Jesus, whose blood speaks “a better word than
the blood of Abel” (v. 24; cf. 1:2). Hebrews makes the point, then, that believers have experienced a
greater revelation and benefits than the desert generation did and, therefore, they are more accountable
before God in the judgment should they refuse God.9 If the desert generation did not escape judgment
when they refused to hear God at Sinai, much less them.
This warning not only culminates the argument of verses 18–24 but also culminates two motifs
that have appeared throughout the letter: the call to hear the word of God in the person of Jesus and the
contrast between believers and the desert generation. The first assertion of the letter was that “in these
last days, [God] has spoken to us in [his] son” (Heb 1:2). 10 This idea that God is speaking to us not only

7 I am following here the text of the Nestle-Aland 28th edition of the Greek New Testament.
8 Also Heb 3:7–4:13; 5:11–6:8.
9 The verb to παραιτέομαι (“I refuse”), used in Hebrews 12:25 to warn against refusing to hear God, was also used in v.

19 referring to the Israelite generation’s refusal to hear God who was speaking to them from Mt. Sinai.
10 My translation. Similarly, ASV and NASB.

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continues but is also pervasive throughout the letter. 11 Also, the first warning section against
disregarding God’s voice comes shortly after the beginning: “we must pay much closer attention to what
we have heard…. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every
transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great
salvation?” (Heb 2:1–3a). This warning is repeated in Heb 3:7–4:13; 5:11–6:8; 10:26–31; 12:25–31.
Finally, these warnings are given in the context of a comparison between believers, who have enjoyed
God’s revelation in the Son, and the desert generation who refused to hear God who spoke to them from
Sinai (Heb 2:1–4; Heb 3–4; 5:11–6:8; 10:26–31, 35–39). Thus Hebrews 12:25–29 culminates the call to
believers throughout the epistle to hear the voice of God and prepare for future judgment.

The Removal of Things that Are Shaken

Hebrews 12:26–27 quotes Hag 2:6–7 (cf. 21–22) to make the point that God’s judgment will
include the heavenly things. The quotation of this passage in Hebrews is very significant because the
author modifies the original quotation to emphasize the points he wants to make.
Yet once more, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land (Hag
2:6; mine translation).

Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens (Heb 12:26)
Ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐγὼ σείσω τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν ξηράν· (Hag 2:6)
ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐγὼ σείσω οὐ μόνον τὴν γῆν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν οὐρανόν. (Heb 12:26)
The author introduces three changes to the text of Haggai 2:6 (see also verse 21). First, he
deletes any reference to the sea and the dry land. The only important thing for him is earth and heaven,
which are in fact two very important categories throughout Hebrews. Secondly, the author changes the
order of the words to put heaven at the end for emphasis. Finally, and more importantly, he adds the
expressions “not only” and “but” to further emphasize the word “heaven.” Thus, the author wants us to
know that God is going to shake both the “earth and the heaven” but especially, and most importantly,
“heaven” (compare Matt 24:29; Mark 13:25; Luke 21:26).
The author also emphasizes the finality of the shaking. The author argues that the expression
“Yet once more” (ἔτι ἅπαξ) indicates or makes clear the removal of things that are shaken (v. 27). The
author has argued throughout the letter that Christ died “once for all” (ἅπαξ) referring to the finality of

11 Heb 3:1, 7, 15; 4:7, 12–13; 5:12; 12:5–6; etc. See Felix H. Cortez, “‘See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking’:

Hearing God Preach and Obedience in the Letter to the Hebrews,” JATS 19 (2008): 98–108; Jonathan I. Griffiths, Hebrews and
Divine Speech (Library of New Testament Studies 507; London: Bloomsbury, 2014).

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his sacrifice (9: 26–28; 10:2). 12 Similarly, the shaking of heaven and earth will also be final in 12:25–29.
Verse 27 explains that the expression “once more” (ἒτι ἃπαξ, v. 26) does not refer simply to a “shaking”
but to a removal of things that can be shaken so that those things “that cannot be shaken may remain.”
What remains is “a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (v. 28). This means, then, that the “shaking” refers to
an event in the earthly and, especially, in the heavenly realm whose consequences are final.
In the Old Testament, the shaking of the earth is a common figure of the presence of God who
shows up to deliver his people.13 When Deborah and Barak fought against king Jabin of Canaan and
Sisera the commander of his army, God fought from heaven on their behalf (Judg. 5:20). This is
described as a powerful earthquake, a shaking of the earth and mountains because of the presence of the
Lord (Judg. 5:4–5). This same image appears throughout the OT when God appears to deliver the
oppressed. 14 Thus, shaking became a signal of God’s judgment on the oppressors. 15 It is related to the
enthronement of God as judge over the peoples of the earth (Ps. 96:9–10; 99:1). In the prophets it
happens in the context of the Day of the Lord. 16 That is why, according to the Hebrew Bible, it is the
righteous who is not “shaken.” 17
Now in order to understand the logic of Heb 12:25–29, we need to understand the meaning of
Haggai 2. Haggai 2 was uttered about seven weeks after Haggai gave the leaders and the people the
message that it was necessary for them to begin rebuilding the temple and four weeks after they had
actually begun building it. The precise date was the 21st of the seventh month, the 7th day of the feast of
tabernacles. 18 This feast commemorated God’s care for Israel through the desert, but also the dedication
of Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:2). This recollection, however, made the people think that the temple
they were building was not worth the effort because it would be not even nearly as glorious as
Solomon’s temple had been (Hag 2:3). Notwithstanding, Haggai promised that God would “shake the
heavens and the earth … and all the nations” and fill this temple with glory by bringing their treasures to

12 The word ἃπαξ means “once” (BDAG, 97; cf. Heb 6:4; 9:7). Hebrews 9:26–28 and 10:2 apply this term to the death of

Jesus but the context implies that Jesus’s death has happened “once for all.” Thus, in other places, the author uses the cognate
ἐφάπαξ, which means “once for all, once and never again” (BDAG, 417), to refer to Jesus’s sacrifice, his ascension, and the
sanctification that his sacrifice achieves in behalf of believers (Heb 7:27; 9:12; 10:10).
13 Haggai 2:6–7, 21, quoted in Heb 12:26–27, uses the Hebrew root ‫רעשׁ‬, which denotes a phenomenon that involves

sound and movement and could refer to an earthquake through the clatter of chariots, trampling of boots, a storm in the sea, etc.
TDOT 13:589. The LXX Hag 2:6–7, 21, translates the Hebrew ‫ רעשׁ‬with the Greek verb σείω, which is largely equivalent in
meaning (Silva, NIDNTTE, 4:278–80). Interestingly, all earthquakes in the NT are divinely caused.
Hebrews 12:26–27 also uses the verb σαλεύω, largely a synonym of σείω, in its interpretation of the passage. The verb
σαλεύω, however, it is mostly used figuratively referring to mental agitation (e.g., Ps 15:5; 16:8; Silva, NIDNTTE, 4:232).
14 Ps 68:7–8; 10:6; 46:5–6; 60:2; 77:17–18; 97:4; 107:27; Mic 1:4; Nahum 1:5; Hab 3:6; Matt 24:29; Mark 13:25; Luke

21:26; cf. Acts 16:26.

15 Gareth Lee Cockerill, The Epistle to the Hebrews (NICNT; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012), 665. In fact, σαλεύω

means judgment in LXX 2 Kgs 17:20; Ps 47:6–7 (MT 48:5–6); Lam 1:8.
16 LXX Isa 13:13; 24:18–23; Eze 38:20–23; Joel 2:10–11; Hab 3:6, 14. See Peter A. Verhoef, The Books of Haggai and

Malachi (NICOT; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987), 103.

17 LXX Ps 14:5 (15:5 MT); 15:8 (16:8 MT); 20:8 (21:8 MT); 61:3 (62:2 MT); 111:6 (112:6 MT).
18 This was approximately October 17, 520.

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the temple they were building. He explains this in a following oracle pronounced two months later, on
the 24th of the 9th month (520 B.C.; Hag 2:21–23), on the occasion that the foundation of the temple was
laid (Hag 2:18). The oracle explains that the Lord will overthrow the kingdoms and their armies and
then he will establish his own king in Jerusalem, from the line of David (represented by Zerubbabel), and
will give him total authority, like that represented by a signet ring (v. 23). He will be the plenipotentiary
of the Lord. 19 The filling of the temple with glory in Haggai probably does not have to do with the riches
inside, but with the political clout or respect it would command as the symbol of the restored empire of
God as king over Israel and the Davidic king as His plenipotentiary. Note that that glory of the first
temple was that it was a symbol of the Davidic empire, and the subjugated nations sent their riches to
that temple. The new temple will command the respect of the nations for the rule of God.20
The context of the message of Haggai is remarkably appropriate for the argument of Hebrews.
The message of Hebrews is given in the context of the inauguration of a heavenly temple that “the Lord,
and not any mortal, has set up” (8:2) and that it was consecrated with the sacrifice of Jesus (Heb 9:15–
23). Haggai referred to the enthronement of the Davidic king in Jerusalem with total authority. Hebrews
brings the news that Jesus has been enthroned “at the right hand of the Majesty on high” as the
fulfillment of the promises made to David in Ps 110.
What does the shaking of heaven and earth mean in Hebrews?21 The expression “heaven and
earth” refers to totality, it is a merism. In Haggai 2:22, the “shaking” meant the destruction of kingdoms
and thrones. The enemies of Israel would be destroyed and their riches would fill the temple with glory.
The result of this judgment is the final removal of what can be shaken. This same word (metathesis) is
used for the removal of the levitical priesthood (7:12) and for Enoch’s removal from the earth (11:5),
which are not temporary. In Hebrews, the shaking of “heaven and earth” implies the judgment of
everything, but especially of things in heaven, which the author emphasizes. This includes first of all
believers who are described in Hebrews as already with God in the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12:22–

19 Verhoef, 148.
20 See Meyers and Meyers, 72–76.
21 Some commentators consider that this passage shows how the Platonic worldview has been incorporated into and

adapted to the argument of the author of Hebrews (Johnson, 335). Similarly, Erich Gräßer argues that the author of Hebrews
distinguishes a lower transient heaven and earth [Heb. 1:10–12] from the eternal heavens where God and Christ abide, An die
Hebräer (EKKNT 17; Zurich: Benziger Neukirchener, 1990-1997). James W. Thompson, for example, argues that this passage
contrasts the sense-perceptible world to the intelligible world, "'That which cannot be shaken': Some Metaphysical Assumptions
in Heb 12:27," JBL 94, [1975]: 580–87). The author of Hebrews, however, is not a Platonist, neither he holds a metaphysical
dualistic view of the universe. See Cockerill, Hebrews, 666–9; Felix H. Cortez, “Creation in Hebrews,” AUSS 53 (2015): 282–90,
310–12.
Craig R. Koester has suggested that the shaking of heaven in 12:26 is related to the cleansing of heaven in 9:23
(Hebrews [AB 36; New York: Doubleday, 2001], 547). This connection is very intriguing, but it has the problem that the cleansing
of heaven in 9:23 appears to be an event of the past, while the shaking of heaven in 12:26–27 lies in the future. Nevertheless, the
fact that Heb 9:23–24 is so complex calls for a closer scrutiny of this passage—something that I will not be able to accomplish
here.

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24). 22 Thus one of the main concerns of the letter has been to warn believers about the future judgment
they will face. 23 If they are unfaithful, God will judge them as enemies (10:27, 30–31). The shaking of
heaven probably includes as well judgment and destruction of the devil and evil spiritual powers (2:14–
16). Jesus made them “powerless” (καταργήσῃ) through his death, but they will be destroyed in the
future (Heb 1:14; 10:11–14). What remains, on the other hand, is Jesus himself (1:11), his priesthood
(7:3, 24), the inheritance of the new covenant (10:34), and the righteous who are those that have been
cleansed by the blood of Jesus (10:10; 12:23). Remember, it is the righteous ones who are not
“shaken.” 24

“Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom”

The expression “we are receiving a kingdom” in v. 28 is most likely an allusion to Dan 7:18. 25
Note the important verbal connections. 26
But [the] saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom (Dan 7:18, the translation
and emphases are mine).

Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakeable kingdom, let us be thankful (Heb

12:28; the emphases are mine)

καὶ παραλήψονται τὴν βασιλείαν ἅγιοι ὑψίστου (Dan 7:18; the emphases are mine)

Διὸ βασιλείαν ἀσάλευτον παραλαμβάνοντες ἔχωμεν χάριν (Heb 12:28; the emphases
are mine)

The marginal notes to Heb 12:28 in the twenty-eight revised edition of the Nestle-Aland Novum
Testamentum Graece notes the verbal parallelism, as well as many of the commentaries. 27 Both passages
talk about a kingdom that is received by believers (“the saints”). Furthermore, both passages affirm that
that kingdom cannot be destroyed. It will last forever. There are several reasons that make this allusion
more likely. It is clear that the author knew the story of Daniel. Hebrews 11:33 refers to Daniel’s rescue

22 Similarly, Revelation constantly describes believers as standing in heaven before the throne (Rev 7:9–17; 14:1–4;

15:1–4; etc.) and Paul also describes believers as being seated already with Christ (Eph 2:5–6).
23 Heb 2:1–4; 4:12–13; 6:4–8; 10:26–31, 35–39; 12:18–29.
24 LXX Ps 14:5 (15:5 MT); 15:8 (16:8 MT); 20:8 (21:8 MT); 61:3 (62:2 MT); 111:6 (112:6 MT).
25 See the marginal reading of Heb 12:28 in the Nestle-Aland 28th Revised Edition of the Greek New Testament.
26 “The telltale key to discerning an allusion is that of recognizing an incomparable or unique parallel in wording,

syntax, concept, or cluster of motifs in the same order or structure.” G. K. Beale, Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old
Testament: Exegesis and Interpretation (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academics, 2012), Kindle edition, ch. 2, “Seeing the Old
Testament in the New: Definitions of Quotations and Allusions and Criteria for Discerning Them.”
27 See pages 682 and 866. Also Attridge, Hebrews, 382 n. 58; Cockerill, Hebrews, 670 n. 44; Paul Ellingworth, The Epistle

to the Hebrews: A Commentary on the Greek Text (NIGTC; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1993), 689; Koester, Hebrews, 557; and,
specially, Lane, Hebrews, 2:484–5, and Vanhoye, “L’οίκουμένη dans l’épitre aux Hébreux,” Bib 45 (1964): 248–53.

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from the mouth of the lions (Dan 6:23) and probably to his friends being rescued from the fiery furnace
(Heb 11:34 alluding to Dan 3:25). Furthermore, what we know about the early church suggests that the
author of Hebrews and its audience were probably acquainted with the text of Daniel, at least the
prophecy of Daniel 7. The book of Daniel is cited frequently in Jewish apocalyptic literature28 as well as
in the New Testament. Matthew 24:15 quotes Daniel by name. The 28th edition of the Nestle-Aland
Novum Testament Graece suggests that more than 150 passages in the New Testament contain allusions
to the book of Daniel, 29 which is significant given that Daniel is not a large book. Most importantly, the
majority of the allusions (around a third of the total) are to Dan 7. 30 In fact, the clearest allusions to
Daniel in the NT are to Dan 7:13. 31 The Apostolic Fathers quote Daniel at least six times, three of which
are to Daniel 7. 32 It is clear, then, that the prophecy of Dan 7 was an important text for New Testament
authors and the early Christian church.
The immediate context also suggests that the author had Daniel 7 in mind. Daniel 7 describes a
judgment scene before an “Ancient of Days” where “ten thousand times ten thousand” serve him and
where the books are open. The result of the judgment is that “the saints of the Most High shall receive
the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever” (Dan 7:18). Similarly, Hebrews 12:22–
29 describes a festive meeting at Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, where believers, who are enrolled
in heaven, and “innumerable angels” 33 come before God, the Judge of all, and to Jesus who mediates a
new covenant in their favor. The author, then, warns believers that they will be judged (vv. 25–27) but
those who “remain” after the judgment will receive “a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (12:28). I am not
aware of any Biblical passage, besides Dan 7, that refer to the idea that the saints will receive a kingdom
that cannot be shaken, or that will remain forever, as a result of a judgment. Finally, note that Matt
24:39–30 and Luke 21:26–27 allude to Hag 2:6 and Dan 7 together and in the same order they appear in
Heb 12:25–28. 34
I think it is probable, then, that the author of Hebrews had Dan 7 in mind when he wrote
Hebrews 12:18–29. This has important implications for the way we should interpret this passage. As I
mentioned at the beginning of this passage, an allusive echo “functions to suggest to the reader that text

28 See G. K. Beale, The Use of Daniel in Jewish Apocalyptic Literature and in the Revelation of St. John (Lanham, MD:

University Press of America, 1984).

29 See pages 865–6.
30 More than 50 allusions to Dan 70, according to the NA28.
31 Dan 7:13 is clearly referred to in Matt 24:30; 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 21:27; Rev 1:7; 14:14.
32 1 Clem 34:6 (Dan 7:10); 1 Clem. 45:6 (Dan 6:16); 1 Clem 45:7 (Dan 3:19–21); Barn 4:4 (Dan 7:24); Barn. 4:5 (Dan

7:7–8); Barn 16:6 (Dan 9:24).

33 Literally, ten thousand.
34 First there is an allusion to the shaking of heaven and then a reference to the Son of Man coming to the Ancient of

Days, or the believers receiving the kingdom.. Hag 2:6 may be also referring back as well to the shaking of the heavens found in
Joel 2:10–11 (which also mentions Jerusalem and Mt Zion Joel 2:1, 32).

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B [Heb 12:28] should be understood in light of a broad interplay with text A [Dan 7:18], encompassing
aspects of text A [Dan 7:18] beyond those explicitly echoed.” 35 The reference to judgment in Heb 12:25–
29 is all the more important, however, because it is the theological and rhetorical climax of the letter and
sheds light on the nature of the author’s eschatological understanding.

Daniel and the Eschatology of Hebrews

Eschatology has to do with history and time. It implies a linear development of the history of the
world and of the relationship between God and the world. The structure of the argument of Hebrews is
eminently historical. This temporal framework is clearly established in its first sentence:36 “Long ago, at
many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has
spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the
world.” 37 The story of the world is divided in two: the past, characterized by God’s word through the
prophets, and the present, inaugurated by God’s word in the Son in “these last days.” It also identifies the
first act, God’s creation of the world through the Son, and the last act, the inheritance of the world by the
Son. All of these events are caused by God’s word. In the past, God created the world and has sustained it
through his word (Heb 1:3; 11:3). “[I]n these last days,” God has enthroned Jesus in heaven at his right
hand (Heb 1:5–14) and appointed him high priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” through his
word (Heb 4:5–6). 38 More importantly, however, God will speak “yet once more” and “shake not only the
earth but also the heavens” to establish the Son’s unshakeable kingdom at the end of history (Heb
12:25–29). 39 It is this eschatological orientation of God’s work through Jesus that provides the work
theological and hortatory coherence. The defeat of the devil (2:14–16) and the enthronement of Jesus in
heaven (1:5–14) lack relevance if they do not lead in the end to the subjection of the enemies as the
“footstool” of Jesus’s throne (1:13; 10:13). Jesus’s offering of his life as high priest is significant only if it
leads to believers been saved in the final judgment (9:27–28). Thus, the subjection of the enemies
consummates Jesus’s enthronement and the deliverance of believers in the judgment consummates
Jesus’s sacrifice and ascension.
Hebrews understands, then, Jesus’s death and ascension as a pivotal moment that changes the
history of the world and suggests that Jesus’s achievements can only be rightly understood from the

35 Hays, Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul, 20.

36 James C. Miller, “Paul and Hebrews: A Comparison of Narrative Worlds,” Hebrews: Contemporary Methods, New
Insights, ed. Gabriella Gelardini (BibInt 75; Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2005), 245–64.
37 All biblical quotations are taken from the ESV, unless otherwise noted.
38 See Cortez, “See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking.”
39 The parallelism between God’s voice that shook the earth in the past at Sinai (Heb 12:18–21), in the present at Zion

(12:22–24), implies that God’s voice will shake the earth and the heavens in the end (Heb 12:25–29).

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perspective of the end they precipitate. The same happens if we want to understand Hebrews itself. In
order to fully appreciate the eschatology of Hebrews, it is necessary to understand the relationship that
Hebrews 12:18–29, the theological and rhetorical climax of Hebrews, has with the rest of the work. As it
is with the history of the world, prophecy, our own lives, or even fiction, it is the ending that gives sense
to the story. 40

Hebrews 12:18–29 as the Theological and Rhetorical Climax of Hebrews

Many scholars recognize that Heb 12:18–29 is the rhetorical and theological climax of the
letter. 41
In terms of rhetoric, the contrast between Sinai and Zion in verses 18–24, condenses the
antitheses between the angels and the Son (1:4–14), Moses and the Son (3:1–6), the desert generation
and believers (3:7–4:13), the Levites and Jesus (5:1–7:28), and the old and new covenants with their
sacrifices, sanctuaries, and provisions (8:1–10:25). Also, the alternation between exposition and
exhortation throughout the letter climaxes in a final alternation between the exposition of verses 18–
24, 42 which compares Sinai and Zion, and the exhortation to pay attention to God’s voice in verses 25–
29. In terms of theology, Heb 12:18–24 provides short references to the main ideas of the letter: Jesus as
mediator of a new covenant (v. 23), Jesus’ sacrifice as the “sprinkled blood that speaks a better word
than Abel” (v. 24, my translation), the perfection of believers (v. 23), etc. As William L. Lane recognizes:
“The passage furnishes a magisterial résumé of themes and motifs introduced throughout the homily.” 43
Most importantly, however, Hebrews 12:18–29 forms an inclusion with the prologue (1:1–4)
that spans the whole letter and gives coherence and unity to its seemingly diverse theological
arguments. The prologue affirms that God, having spoken through prophets in the past, has spoken to us
in these last days in his Son (Heb 1:1–2). Hebrews 12:18–24 recalls this contrast between God’s
revelations in the past and in the present through a contrast between God’s speeches at Mount Sinai and

40 See Frank Kermode, The Sense of an Ending: Studies in the Theory of Fiction with a New Epilogue (Oxford: Oxford

University Press, 2000).

41 See Kiwoong Son, Zion Symbolism in Hebrews: Hebrews 12:18–24 as a Hermeneutical Key to the Epistle

(Paternoster Biblical Monographs; Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2005), 77–124. Also, George H. Guthrie, The Structure of
Hebrews: A Text-Linguistic Analysis (NovTSup 73; Leiden: Brill, 1994), 143; Barnabas Lindars, “The Rhetorical Structure of
Hebrews,” NTS 35 (1989): 402; Ellingworth, Hebrews, 669; Marie E. Isaacs, Sacred Space: An Approach to the Theology of the
Epistle to the Hebrews (JSNTSup 73; Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1992), 87; William L. Lane, Hebrews 9-13 (WBC 47b; Dallas, Tex.:
Word, 1991), 448; and Koester, Hebrews, 548.
42 Most scholars identify Heb 12:18–24 as part of an exhortation that ends in v. 29. See Attridge, Hebrews, 19; Guthrie,

Structure, 127–34; and Vamhoye, Structure, 79. It should be noted, however, that there is a clear difference between vv. 18–24
and vv. 25–29 regarding the nature of their arguments. The contrast between Sinai and Zion provide the logical and theological
basis upon which the exhortation of vv. 25–29 is developed. See Son, 84.
43 Hebrews 9–13, 448.

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Mount Zion. 44 The idea that God is speaking to us is the backbone of the theological argument of
Hebrews. 45 The superiority of God’s revelation in the Son at Mt Zion resides in the fact that it is carried
in heaven while God spoke at Mt. Sinai from earth. If you bracket out the description of the Son’s
enthronement scene in 1:5–14, you will notice that God’s warning in 2:1–4 has remarkable parallels to
the warning of 12:25–29. Both of them exhort believers to pay attention to God’s voice and both
compare believers to the desert generation. Hebrews 1:1–4, 2:1–4 provides, then, a clearly discernable
inclusio that encapsulates the argument of the whole letter. Hebrews 12:18–29 is both a microcosm as
well as the climax that integrates in a nutshell the rhetorical and theological output of Hebrews.
The purpose of Heb 12:18–29, as rhetorical and theological climax, is not to bring new
theological or rhetorical elements into the argument but to culminate in a powerful précis the rhetorical
and theological devices the author has already wielded. It is possible that some important elements of
the theology of Hebrews remained somehow below the surface, as part of a subtext to Hebrews or not
clearly distinguishable, but then have finally emerge into our view in the grand finale of the argument. It
is not that the conclusion has arbitrarily altered somehow the nature and meaning of those concepts and
images. It is simply that the author is bringing them into focus. This is what I want to suggest happens
with the contribution of Daniel to the eschatology of Hebrews. The clearest significant allusion to Daniel
appears only at the conclusion, in Heb 12:28. Once we recognize, however, the relationship that this
section has with the previous sections of the letter, it dawns on us that Daniel was always there. Daniel
provides the conceptual framework to understand the author’s understanding of “these last days” in
chapter 1:1–4, the enthronement scene of Heb 1:5–2:5, the son of man figure of 2:6–9, and the judgment
concern the pervades the epistle. I will turn now to this.

The Feast at Zion, Judgment, and Jesus’s Enthronement

The structural relationship between Heb 12:18–29 and Heb 1:1–2:4 helps understand better the
nature of the judgment/panegyric scene described in Heb 12:18–24. The location of the scene is Mount
Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. At the center of the scene is God, the judge, who speaks through Jesus, the
covenant mediator. Also attending are innumerable angels 46 and the assembly of the firstborn, the
spirits of the righteous made perfect. 47 The strong verbal connections between 12:18–29 and 1:1–2:4

44 Son, 84–85.
45 Heb 2:1–4; 3:7–4:13; 5:11–6:8; etc. See Cortez, “See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking.”
46 The original hand of Codex Bezae has μυριάσιν μυριων ἃγιων ἀγγελων (ten thousand of ten thousands of holy

angels). This brings to mind the LXX μύριαι μυριάδες of Dan 7:10.
47 The definition of who “the spirits of the righteous made perfect” are needs further clarification; however, the

argument of this paper does not depend on it. This study operates under the provisional view that “the assembly of the firstborn”
and “the spirits of the righteous made perfect” refer to the same persons, and that the expression “the spirits of the righteous

11
(see previous section) suggest that these passages form an inclusio and that they refer to the same event.
Hebrews 1:5–14, in the center of this first section, describes the scene of the enthronement of Jesus.48
The central idea of this section is that God is speaking from heaven the words of Scripture. This passage
is formed by a chain of OT quotations that are introduced by an expression in which God is the one who
speaks the OT passage quoted. 49 All the passages quoted have as a background Mt Zion or Jerusalem.
Hebrews 1:5a quotes Ps 2:7, which refers to God’s installation of his Son as king at Zion (v. 6). Hebrews
1:b quotes 2 Sam 7:14 and 1 Chr 17:13, which refer to God’s adoption of the Davidic king as a response
to David’s wish to build a temple for God at Mt Zion. Hebrews 1:8–12 quote Ps 45:6–7 and 102:25–27
referring to the eternal nature and rule of the Son. It contrasts the Son’s eternity and immutability with
creation’s transience. The context of this Psalm is Zion as well (Ps 102:21). Finally, Hebrews 1:13 quotes
Ps 110:4, which refers to the Son’s enthronement at God’s right hand as king and priest at Zion (v. 2).
The author of Hebrews, then, describes in Heb 1:5–14 the audience as participating, through the words
of Scripture, in the enthronement ceremony of the Son at Mount Zion (Heb 1:5–2:5). 50
This heavenly event at Mount Zion in which God speaks does not end with the enthronement of
the Son. God also speaks to appoint Jesus as high priest (Heb 5:5–6, quoting Ps 2:7 and 110:4) and to
inaugurate the new covenant (Heb 8:8–12, quoting Jer 31:31–34). These events, which are the backbone
of the expository argument of Hebrews, also happen at Zion. 51 All these events, and the motif of God’s
speech come to a climactic summary at the joyous judgment scene of Heb 12:22–29. This scene is joyous
because it celebrates Jesus as king, priest, and mediator in favor of believers, the saints. Hebrews 12:22–
29 describes it as a judgment because it has in mind Dan 7:18, alluded in Heb 12:28, which describes the
enthronement of the Son of Man at heavenly Zion in favor of the saints as a result of judgment. 52

made perfect” is a synecdoche in which the part (“the spirit”) stands for the whole (“the person”; e.g., Num 16:22; 27:16; Ps 76:12
[LXX 75:13]; 1 Cor 14:32; Heb 12:23; 1 John 4:1; Rev 22:6).
48 Note references to all the elements of an enthronement ceremony included in the passage: adoption (1:5), obeisance

and presentation of subjects (1:6–7), giving of royal symbols (throne, scepter, anointmentl; 1:8–9), affirmation of the eternal
nature of the kingdom (1:10–12), enthronement (1:13–14). See Felix H. Cortez, “‘The anchor of the soul that enters within the
veil’: The Ascension of the ‘Son’ in the Letter to the Hebrews” (PhD diss., Andrews University, 2008), 224–35.
49 See Cortez, “See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking.”
50 Hebrews also describes Jesus’s consecration as priest (Heb 5:1–6:20) and the inauguration of the new covenant (Heb

8:1–10:31).
51 See Ps 2:6; 110:2; Jer 30:17; 31:6. See further, Cortez, “Anchor,” 442–5.
52 This would agree with the assertion in John and other gospels that the world was judged in the person of Jesus, the

devil was cast out, and Jesus given all dominion and power (John 12:31; 16:11; Matt 28:18–20). This may also shed light on the
discussion on whether Rev 4–5 refer to a judgment scene or not. While I agree with Ranko Stefanovic (Revelation of Jesus Christ:
Commentary on the Book of Revelation, 2d. ed [Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2009],163–84) and Norman Gulley
(“Judgment or Inauguration?,” JATS 8 [1997]: 59–81) that there is no reference in Rev 4–5 to the pre-advent judgment, I
understand that judgment and enthronement are not mutually exclusive ideas. Jesus’s rule was inaugurated at his ascension as a
result of judgment implied in (John 12:31; 16:11; Matt 28:18–20). Jesus’s accession to the throne, however, will be consummated
at the second coming as a result of the pre-advent Judgment. For a short description of the allusions to Dan 7 in Rev 4–5, see G. K.
Beale, Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament: Exegesis and Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2012), ch. 4,
“Primary Ways the New Testament Uses the Old Testament.”

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 This would help us understand two other features of the argument of Hebrews. First, the
description of the enthronement of Jesus (1:5–14; 12:22–24) is followed by a warning against
disobeying the voice of God (2:1–4; 12:25–29). 53 This happens as well with the enthronement Psalms
2:10–12 and 110:5–7 and of the events that follow the enthronement ceremonies of Solomon, Zimri,
Jehu, Athalia, Jehoash, and Jesus at the eschaton. 54 It also helps us understand why references to
judgment in Hebrews may be positive (9:27–18; 12:22–24, 28) or negative (4:12–13; 10:26–31; 12:25–
27).

“These last days”: Daniel, Hebrews, and the Establishment of the Unshakable Kingdom

The relationship between Heb 12:18–29 and 1:1–2:4 makes us rethink the meaning of the
expression “in these last days he has spoken to us by his son” (Heb 1:2). The LXX normally translates the
Hebrew ‫ בְּ אַח ִ ֲ֣רית הַ יּ ִָ֔מים‬with the Greek expression ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν. This expression was frequently
used in Near Ancient historical and legal texts to refer to the future in general or to a specific moment in
the future. 55 In the OT, it is used 12 times outside of Daniel, whether to predict events in the future, 56 or
54F 5F

to announce the eschatological restoration of Israel and the cosmos. 57 So, the prophets announced that
56F

in “the latter days” …

1. … a King would come that would defeat the enemies of Israel and that the peoples would
gather to him (Gen 49:1; Num 24:14; Hos 3:5).
2. … Israel would be exalted and the nations would convert to God (Isa 2:2; Miq 4:1).
3. … evil forces would be totally defeated (Eze 38:16).
These eschatological prophecies are echoed in Daniel 2, where God announces that in “the latter
days” God would “set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to
another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand
forever” (Dan 2:28, 44). This new kingdom is described as a mountain that would grow and fill the
whole earth, just as Isa 2:2 and Mic 4:1 had prophesied that Mt Zion would be “be established as the
highest of the mountains.” It also implies the coming of a new king that would defeat of the forces of evil
(cf. Dan 7:13–14) just as in Gen 49:1; Num 24:14; Ose 3:5; and Eze 38:16. In the OT eschatological
passages outside of Daniel, the phrase “the latter days” is connected to the establishment of God’s

53 Note that similar warnings accompany the consecration of Jesus as priest (5:11–6:8) and the mediation of the new

covenant (10:26–31).
54 Cf. 1 Kgs 2; 16:11; 2 Kgs 9:14–10:27; 11:1, 13–16; Rev 19:15–16. See Ranko Stefanovic, 169.
55 Gerhard Pfandl, The Time of the End in the Book of Daniel (ATSDS 1; Berrien Springs, MI: Adventist Theological

Society Publications, 1992), 311–2.

56 For example, to refer to the time of the judges (Deut 31:29), to refer to the fall of Jerusalem (Jer 23:20, 30:24), to

refer to the Babylonian Exile (Deut 4:30), and to refer to the restoration after the Persian Empire (Jer 48:47; 49:39).
57 Ibid, 312. Ver también, Donald E. Gowan, Eschatology in the Old Testament, 2a ed. (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 2000).

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kingdom through the royal supremacy of Judah (Gen 49:1, 8–10; Num 24:14) or the Davidic king (Hos
3:5; Eze 38:16; cf. 37:25). Daniel’s main concern is also the establishment of the kingdom of God. He
does not, however, connect the fulfillment explicitly to the Davidic king or to Judah but both Jewish
interpreters and the New Testament connected the fulfillment of the promises of Daniel with the Davidic
promises. The “Son of God” text from Qumran, some Early Jewish writings (4 Ezra 12–13; cf. 1 Enoch 46–
48; 62:2–71), and some rabbinic sources (b. Sanh. 38, 96, 98) interpreted the “one like a son of man” of
Daniel 7 as the Davidic Messiah. 58 Similarly, according to the gospels, Jesus referred to Himself as “the
Son of Man” who will come and judge the world (e.g., Matt 16:27; 19:27–28; 25:31; Mark 8:38; 14:62;
Luke 21:36; John 5:22–27). He was identifying himself as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 7
where “one like a son of man” (ESV) comes to the father and receives “dominion, and glory, and a
kingdom” (v. 13). 59 Jesus also conflated the fulfillment of Dan 7 with the enthronement of the Davidic
king in Ps 110:1 at God’s “right hand” (Matt 19:27–28; Mark 14:62; cf. Acts 7:56). This reading of Dan 7
in terms of the Davidic covenant (Ps 110:1) was probably anticipated by Ps 80:17 where the psalmist
asks God to restore Israel—who is suffering under nations that behave like animals (v. 13)—by
restoring the man/son of man of his right hand. This connection between “one like a son of man” and the
Davidic promises helps us explain why the author of Hebrews jumps from the description of the
enthronement of Jesus as Davidic king, at the right hand of God on the heavenly mount Zion (Heb 1:5–
14), to a discussion of Ps 8 and why ask, if everything has been submitted under the “son of man,” why
we don’t see yet everything submitted under him? (Heb 2:8). 60 Probably, then, the author of Hebrews
had Dan 7 in mind when he applied Psalm 8 to Jesus but recognizes it has not been fulfilled for believers,
human beings that are represented by him. This connection between the “son of man” and the “saints” is
explicit in Dan 7 but not in Ps 8. The author probably is reading Ps 8 through Dan 7.

Hebrews 12:28 and the Bifurcation of the Fulfillment of Dan 7

This leads us to a significant phenomenon of the interpretation of Dan 7 in Hebrews. The Letter
sees Jesus enthroned at his ascension in fulfillment of the Davidic promises 61 but the fulfillment of the
promises for the people are still in the future. 62 In other words, while the “son of man” has come to the
Father in the clouds of heaven for judgment and found righteous and seated at God’s right hand (John

58 John J. Collins, The Scepter and the Star: Messianism in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls (2d. ed; Grand Rapids, Mich.:

Eerdmans, 2010), 191; Chrys C. Caragounis, The Son of Man (Tübingen: Mohr, 1986), 133–34.
59 For a brief introduction to the history of interpretation of this expression, see Adela Yarbro Collins, “Son of Man”

NewIDB 5:341–8.
60 Ps 8 is tied with Ps 110 in other passages in the NT (1 Cor 15:26-27; Eph 1:20-22).
61 Heb 1:3, 13; 2:9; 8:1; 10:12; 12:1–2.
62 Some aspects of the Biblical text may suggest that this bifurcation of fulfillment is even implied in the text of Dan 7:9–

14, 27. See Hamilton, With the Clouds of Heaven, 147–53.

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12:31; 16:8–11; Matt 28:18–20; Acts 1:9; 2:22–35). Jesus is the righteous one par excellence (Acts 3:14;
7:52; 22:14) who is “not shaken” at the moment of judgment but resurrected in vindication (Acts 2:25–
28). The saints of the Most High, however, have not received yet the kingdom. According to Hebrews,
that is still in the future (Heb 12:25–28). The judgment of believers is still in the future (Heb 12:25–28;
Heb 9:27–28; 10:25).
In Daniel, the bifurcation of the fulfillment of prophecy of Dan 7 becomes clear until Daniel 9 and
the 70 weeks. Hebrews connects the fulfillment of all the prophesies of Daniel 9 to Jesus’s sacrifice on
earth and intercession at his ascension in AD 31. Note the connections. On the one hand, the theological
argument of Heb 9–10 is that Jesus’ sacrifice has inaugurated a new covenant (9:15) and a new heavenly
sanctuary (9:23). Thus, it has redeemed from transgression (9:15), removed the sacrifices (10:18), and
removed sin (9:26). Notice as well, that Jesus’ removal of sin is preliminary to the judgment (9:27-28).
On the other hand, Dan 9:24 says that 70 weeks were decreed in order to “finish the transgression, to
put an end to sin [removal of sin? Heb 9:26], and to atone for iniquity [redeem from transgressions? Heb
9:15], to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy
place [inauguration of the heavenly sanctuary? Heb 9:23].” Daniel 9:27 adds: “He shall make a strong
covenant with many for one week [inaugurate the new covenant Heb 9:15-21], and for half of the week
he shall make sacrifice and offering cease [cf. Heb 10:18]; and in their place shall be an abomination that
desolates, until the decreed end is poured out upon the desolator [the subjection of the enemy is still in
the future, Heb 10:11–14].” All the elements of Daniel 9 are fulfilled in Jesus’s death and ascension to
heaven. Yet, Hebrews 9:23–29 describes two appearances of Jesus before the Father. I want to suggest
that these two appearances refer to two phases in the ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary.

The Two Appearances in Heb 9:23–28 and the Two Phases of Jesus’s Ministry in Heaven

Hebrews 9:23–28 refer to two “appearances” of Jesus. Hebrews 9:24–26 emphasizes that Jesus
appeared before the Father in heaven to atone for our sins by his own blood. Of course, this appearance
implies that Jesus appeared in earth to die for us (1 Tim 3:16; 1 Pet 1:20; 1 John 3:5, 8; cf. 2 Cor. 5:10),
but Hebrews emphasizes Jesus’s intersession before God in heaven.
Hebrews 9:27–28 refer to a second appearance:
27
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, 28 so
Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not
to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him (Heb 9:24–28,
emphasis mine).

The argument of this passage is that the human experience that consists of death and judgment
represents two appearances of Christ. The first—represented by death—refers to Jesus’s presentation of
his blood before the Father for the removal of sin. This appearance requires Jesus’ death on earth but

15
Hebrews emphasizes instead Jesus’ intercession before God in heaven. (After all, it is the presentation of
Jesus’s blood [his sacrifice] before the Father that makes Jesus’s death significant.) The second
appearance—represented by judgment—refers to the Parousia—Jesus’ arrival on this earth to save
those who are waiting for him. The very fact, however, that it refers to this appearance as a “second” one
(9:28), when the context identifies Jesus’s intercession before the Father as the “first” one (vv. 24–26),
implies that Jesus’s Parousia includes an appearance of Jesus before the father before coming to earth to
save. This agrees with another fact. Salvation in Hebrews implies that the enemies have been made “a
footstool” for Jesus’s feet. Hebrews is very clear, however, that Jesus is waiting for God to subject the
enemies under his feet (Heb 1:13; 10:11–14). Hebrews 9:27 seems to suggest, then, that this submission
of the enemies will be done by God as a result of judgment. Again, this makes sense if Dan 7 is part of
subtext of the letter because Daniel 7 connects judgment, salvation, and the subjection of enemies.

Where Are We Now?

From the point of view of Hebrews, believers were at an eschatological moment that was similar
to that of those who were building the temple of God in the time of Haggai. According to Ps 96 (LXX 95),
which, according to the superscript in the LXX translation, was composed “When the house was being
rebuilt after the captivity,” the building of the temple of God implied the establishment of God’s kingdom
on earth—“Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns!’” (96:10, cf. vv. 1–10). It also implied the
announcement that God will come to judge the earth—“sing for joy before the Lord for he comes, for he
comes to judge the earth” (96:13, cf., vv. 10–13). For believers in the time of Haggai, the foundations of
the temple had been set but the glory that would be brought by God’s judgment on the nations was still
in the future. For the believers of Hebrews, the heavenly temple had already been “set up” by the Lord
(Heb 8:2). God had also set up his king in Zion (Heb 1:5–14; 8:1). Yet, judgment and salvation for
believers were still in the future (1:14; 10:11–14; 10:25–29).
For the author of Hebrews, believers are in an eschatological moment similar to that of the
righteous one of Hab 2:4, quoted in Heb 10:35–39. 63 God had commanded the prophet to “write” down
the vision concerning God’s judgment on Chaldeans that would “shake” them (2:7). That vision had its
“appointed time” and they needed to wait for it, or for Him, 64 because in the greater context of Habakkuk
the one who comes is the Lord himself. Similarly, believers are going through difficulties but have to
wait on the promise that God will judge, or “shake,” their enemies (Heb 12:25–27). They needed to wait
because the vision would come at its “appointed time.”

63 See Cockerill, 506–512.

64 In the LXX translation, vision (ὁρασις) is feminine, but the text exhorts the reader to wait for “him” (αὐτόν,
masculine).

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 And we could continue, because in the rhetorical re-description of space and time in the letter to
the Hebrews, the readers are at the same place where the desert generation was at Kadesh-Barnea, just
before they entered Canaan (Num 13–14; Heb 3–4)). God had appointed a captain that is going before
them into the promised land (Heb 2:10, ἀρχηγός) but it was time for them to exercise faith. They should
not be “of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their
souls” (Heb 39). These connections, however, are a topic for another time.

Conclusion

The allusion to Dan 7:18 in Hebrews 12:28 seems faint at the beginning but once we give it a
closer look we discover that it is like a little spring of water that witnesses to an undercurrent that goes
below the surface and feeds the eschatology of Hebrews. Hebrews 12:28 alludes to the promise of Dan
7:18 that there will be a judgment which will result in the saints receiving the kingdom. This judgment is
a main theme of the exhortatory sections of Hebrews. The author constantly urges believers to prepare
for that judgment. The connections to Heb 1:1–2:4 also show that this coming judgment is an iteration of
God’s voice that has already spoken “in a Son” (1:2). Jesus, the son of man, has fulfilled in his person the
promises of Dan 7 and secured, therefore, the fulfillment of the promise. The kingdom of God has been
established in heaven in the person of the Son and judgment has been decided in His favor (Heb 2:5, cf.
1:5–14; 9:24–26), yet, this kingdom still needs to be consummated on earth. This bifurcation of the
fulfillment of Daniel is further explained in Dan 9 in which the renewal of the covenant is accomplished
through the messiah, but the hope for the consummation of God’s kingdom on earth has to wait to the
future. Believers, then, live after the confirmation of the promises of Dan 7, but before their
consummation. Thus, the author invites them to “hold fast” their “confession” because the one who
promised is “faithful (Heb 4:14; 10:23). They need to wait “yet a little while” because “the coming one
will come and will not delay” (Heb 10:37).
It seems to me that the message of Hebrews is very much relevant for us who are even closer to
the border of the land of Canaan, right before the rest. The shaking of the heavens and the earth began in
1844 and very soon we will see the “Son of man” coming for our salvation.
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to
grace.” (Heb 12:28, HCSB) Thank you!

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