From the First to the Last — What Is Removed, and What Remains
Throughout our studies, we've repeatedly encountered moments when everything familiar begins to change. Waters cover the earth, darkness falls, the ground shakes, kingdoms are overturned, and those who belong to YHWH (יהוה) are called to remain faithful.
But what does Scripture actually reveal about the shaking?
We have examined Noah entering the ark, the prepared virgins entering with the Bridegroom, and the people called into their chambers until indignation passes. In each account, something takes place beyond the place of protection.
Now I want to examine what happens when the shaking begins, particularly the distinction between what is removed and what remains.
Not everything affected by the shaking experiences the same outcome.
And that distinction becomes important when we return to Jesus' words concerning the days of Noah.
The Flood — Those Taken and Those Who Remained
In Matthew 24, Jesus compares his coming with the days of Noah. People continue eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage until Noah enters the ark. Then the flood comes and takes them away. Read Matthew 24:37–42.
We've examined this before, but it deserves to remain in view.
Those taken by the flood are not the ones preserved inside the ark.
Noah and his household remain alive while the waters remove those outside. Afterward, they emerge according to the instruction of YHWH (יהוה).
Jesus then speaks of two in the field and two women grinding, with one taken and another left.
When we read these statements together, we should not automatically assume that being taken means being delivered.
Could those who remain be connected with the preservation of what YHWH (יהוה) has established, while those removed belong to what cannot endure the judgment?
This brings us directly to Hebrews.
Hebrews 12 — What Can Be Shaken Is Removed
Hebrews 12:25–28 recalls the voice that shook the earth and then speaks of a promised shaking involving both heaven and earth.
The passage explains that the removal concerns things that can be shaken, so that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Read Hebrews 12:25–29.
Notice the purpose expressed.
The shaking distinguishes what can be removed from what remains.
And the passage speaks of receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
This changes how we might approach the troubling events described throughout prophecy.
The shaking is not merely something terrifying to survive. It also exposes what cannot endure.
What happens when the things people have trusted—their institutions, positions, possessions, and claims of authority—are shaken?
And what remains when those things no longer provide security?
We've already examined the house that YHWH (יהוה) is building, a dwelling place in the Spirit rather than one dependent upon human construction.
If that dwelling belongs to what cannot be shaken, then its foundation matters far more than the outward appearance of the structures surrounding it.
The Foundation — What Has Been Built Upon It?
Jesus describes two men building houses in Matthew 7:24–27.
One hears his words and acts upon them. The other hears but does not act.
Rain falls, floods come, and winds beat upon both houses.
The difference becomes apparent when the storm arrives. Read Matthew 7:24–27.
Both hear. Both build. Both houses experience the storm.
Yet one stands and the other falls.
This connects with our previous examination of the Shepherd's voice.
It is not merely whether someone hears, but how that person responds to what has been heard.
Paul also describes building upon a foundation in 1 Corinthians 3:10–15. The work of each builder becomes apparent when tested, and what has been built may endure or be consumed.
Consider the distinction between the foundation and the work built upon it.
A person may claim the correct foundation while building something that cannot survive the appointed testing.
This is why outward profession and inward condition cannot be treated as interchangeable.
The cup may appear clean outside while remaining corrupt within. A person may speak of love while failing to demonstrate it through actions.
What survives the testing reveals something about what was truly being built.
Haggai — The Shaking of Heaven, Earth, and Nations
The prophet Haggai speaks of YHWH (יהוה) shaking the heavens, the earth, the sea, the dry land, and the nations.
The passage also concerns the Glory of the house. Read Haggai 2:6–9.
Now remember our earlier studies of Ezekiel.
We examined the Glory departing from the defiled sanctuary and later returning. We also followed the developing spiritual dwelling described in Ephesians 2.
The repeated relationship between shaking, the house, and Glory deserves attention.
What happens to a dwelling built according to the desires and authority of men when YHWH (יהוה) shakes what they have established?
And what happens to the dwelling prepared according to His purpose?
We have previously examined Babel's construction with brick and mortar, and the contrast between houses made with human hands and the dwelling that belongs to God.
The shaking brings that distinction back into view.
The House That Remains — A Dwelling in the Spirit
Ephesians 2:19–22 describes members of God's household being built together into a dwelling place of YHWH (יהוה) in the Spirit.
Paul also speaks of Christ as the Head and of the body growing toward fullness. Read Ephesians 1:22–23 and Ephesians 4:13–16.
We've examined the accomplished joining of the two, the one new man, and the larger household that follows.
That order matters here.
The house is not merely an organization calling itself holy. It is a spiritual dwelling being built according to the purpose of YHWH (יהוה).
Christ works through his members, and the body continues toward its appointed fullness.
This brings us back to the difference between the true dwelling and the counterfeit structures claiming authority over God's people.
What has been built by men may appear impressive. It may possess wealth, influence, and generations of tradition.
But can outward size or authority establish that something belongs to the kingdom that cannot be shaken?
The question is not how great a house appears, but who has built it and what remains when it is tested.
The Sun Darkened, the Moon Changed, and the Powers Shaken
Jesus describes events involving the sun, moon, stars, and powers of heaven in Matthew 24:29–31.
He then speaks of the appearing of the Son of Man in power and great Glory, followed by the angels gathering the elect with a great trumpet. Read Matthew 24:29–31.
This is another passage we've examined in our earlier studies.
Notice the distinction between the signs, the appearing, and the gathering.
They are related, but the text identifies different actions.
The Son of Man appears. Angels are sent. The elect are gathered.
And within our established First and Last study, we've distinguished Jesus the First, the preparation of his spiritual body, Jesus the Last with the Bride, and the gathering that follows.
That relationship becomes important when examining who is already prepared, who is protected, and who is subsequently gathered.
The shaking of the powers of heaven belongs within the larger prophetic picture, but we should not assume that every description must begin and end within the same instant.
The Two Witnesses — The Earthquake and the Seventh Trumpet
Revelation 11 provides a particularly important sequence.
The two witnesses finish their testimony and are killed. Their dead bodies lie in the great city spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.
After three and a half days, the Spirit of life from God enters them. They stand upon their feet, hear a great voice from heaven, and ascend in a cloud. Read Revelation 11:7–12.
Then, in that hour, a great earthquake occurs.
A tenth of the city falls, seven thousand are killed, and the rest become afraid and give Glory to the God of heaven.
The second woe passes, and the seventh angel sounds. Read Revelation 11:13–19.
We've returned to this sequence many times because the details matter.
The witnesses rise and ascend. The earthquake follows. Some are killed, but others remain and respond.
The text distinguishes those who perish from those who survive the shaking and give Glory to God.
That distinction deserves attention alongside Matthew 24 and Hebrews 12.
And Revelation 10:7 tells us that the mystery of God reaches its completion in the days of the seventh angel.
The earthquake, the passing of the second woe, and the sounding of the seventh trumpet are essential anchors in our study. They should not be silently merged with every other earthquake described in Revelation.
Another Shaking — The Bowls and the Final Conflict
Revelation also describes an extraordinary earthquake in connection with the seventh bowl. Cities fall, Babylon comes into remembrance before God, and islands and mountains are affected. Read Revelation 16:17–21.
Earlier in the chapter, the kings of the whole inhabited earth are gathered toward the battle of the great day of God Almighty.
Revelation 20 also describes Satan's release, the gathering of nations, and their surrounding the camp of the holy ones. Read Revelation 20:7–10.
We've examined these accounts as overlapping prophetic views rather than assuming Revelation must be read as one uninterrupted chronological sequence.
Yet the distinctions within each account remain important.
Revelation 11 describes a tenth of the city falling and seven thousand killed.
Revelation 16 describes a far-reaching earthquake and the judgment associated with Babylon.
Revelation 20 describes nations gathered against the holy ones after Satan's release.
The accounts may illuminate related aspects of judgment, but they must be compared carefully.
What is being shaken, who remains, and what follows are questions we should ask in each account.
The Time of Trouble — Deliverance and Awakening
Daniel 12:1 describes Michael arising during an unparalleled time of trouble. Those of Daniel's people found written in the book are delivered.
The next verse describes many sleeping in the dust awakening. Read Daniel 12:1–3.
Now compare Isaiah 26:19–21.
The dead live, those dwelling in the dust awake, and God's people are instructed to enter their chambers and shut their doors until indignation passes.
Then YHWH (יהוה) comes out of His place to bring judgment, and the earth discloses the blood that has been shed.
Here we encounter awakening, protection, concealment, and judgment within a closely connected passage.
Our recent study also brought Daniel 12 alongside 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, where the Lord descends with a commanding shout, the voice of an archangel, and God's trumpet. The dead in Christ rise first, and those remaining are gathered afterward.
We connected those who rise first with the two witnesses receiving the Spirit of life in Revelation 11.
These comparisons bring us toward the appointed deliverance, while preserving the distinct roles of the witnesses, the Bride, the elect, and the larger multitude.
Not everyone is described as experiencing the time of trouble in the same manner.
The Woman Protected — The Remaining Seed Persecuted
Revelation 12 describes the woman fleeing into the wilderness, where a place is prepared for her.
The dragon persecutes her, but she receives protection. He then goes away to make war against the remaining ones of her seed, those keeping God's commandments and holding the testimony of Jesus. Read Revelation 12:13–17.
This returns us to the distinction we've preserved between the Bride's protection and the trial involving the elect.
Philadelphia is promised protection from the hour of trial, while Smyrna is warned of tribulation and ten days of testing. Read Revelation 3:7–13 and Revelation 2:8–11.
We should not merge the protected woman, the remaining seed, and the great crowd simply because each appears within the larger work of restoration.
Their experiences and appointed roles deserve to remain distinct.
And Matthew 24 describes the days of distress being shortened for the sake of the elect.
What does that tell us about the limits placed upon the trouble?
The period of distress does not continue indefinitely. The appointed work belongs to YHWH (יהוה), not to the adversary.
Babylon — What Cannot Remain
Revelation 17–18 describes Babylon's power, wealth, commerce, and eventual fall.
Her merchants mourn because their commerce has ended. The account includes the buying and selling of human lives and identifies deception among the nations. Read Revelation 18:9–24.
Then comes the declaration that the light of a lamp will no longer shine there, and the voices of the Bridegroom and Bride will no longer be heard in her.
We recently compared this with Joel 2:16, where the Bridegroom and Bride are called out from their chambers.
That contrast deserves attention.
The departure of their voices from Babylon belongs to the examination of what is removed and what remains.
Babylon appears wealthy and established, yet her greatness cannot protect her from the appointed judgment.
Now return to Hebrews 12.
What can be shaken is removed, so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
And consider the people caught within Babylon's influence.
Our earlier studies have repeatedly distinguished those responsible for exploitation and deception from those who have been misled, exploited, or harmed.
The judgment of a corrupt system should not become an excuse for us to condemn every person who has lived under its influence.
Paul reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Read Ephesians 6:12.
The exposure of deception should direct us toward truth, compassion, and the restoration of life.
What Remains — The Kingdom and the Invitation
The destruction of what is corrupt is not the final picture Scripture presents.
We have examined the return of Glory in Ezekiel 43, the living waters flowing from the sanctuary in Ezekiel 47, and the name of the city in Ezekiel 48:35.
Revelation 21–22 describes the dwelling of God, the river of life, the tree bearing fruit, and the invitation to those who thirst.
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”
Read Revelation 21:1–7 and Revelation 22:1–17.
What a contrast with Babylon's commerce, corrupted wine, and exploitation.
Life is offered freely.
The kingdom that cannot be shaken belongs within this larger restoration, where what YHWH (יהוה) establishes endures beyond the removal of what was corrupt.
And we return once more to the Shepherd.
His sheep hear his voice. They follow. They are led toward life.
Where the Word Leads
We began with the flood taking people away while Noah and his household remained preserved.
Hebrews then directed our attention toward the removal of what can be shaken and the receiving of a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
We examined houses tested by storms, the shaking of heaven and earth, the witnesses rising before the seventh trumpet, the greater judgment associated with Babylon, and the distinct experiences of those protected and those tested.
Throughout these accounts, one relationship continues to emerge.
What appears established is not necessarily what will remain.
A house may stand for generations and still be built upon a foundation that cannot endure.
A kingdom may appear powerful and yet fall when YHWH (יהוה) acts.
But what He has established according to His purpose cannot be overturned by the claims or authority of men.
For now, I leave this question:
When everything familiar is shaken, will we hold tightly to what is being removed, or will we remain faithful to the One whose kingdom cannot be shaken?
Perhaps the greater question is not how much we have built or acquired, but whether what we have received belongs to the work YHWH (יהוה) is bringing toward completion.
Threads to Follow
- The flood and those who remain: Genesis 7–8; Matthew 24:37–42.
- The shaking and unshakable kingdom: Haggai 2:6–9; Hebrews 12:25–29.
- The foundation and tested works: Matthew 7:24–27; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15.
- The spiritual dwelling and Glory: Ezekiel 43:1–12; Ephesians 2:14–22; 4:13–16.
- The powers shaken and elect gathered: Matthew 24:21–31; Mark 13:24–27.
- The witnesses, earthquake, and seventh trumpet: Revelation 10:7; 11:7–19.
- The seventh bowl and final conflict: Revelation 16:13–21; 20:7–10.
- The time of trouble and awakening: Daniel 12:1–3; Isaiah 26:19–21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17.
- Protection and appointed trial: Revelation 2:8–11; 3:7–13; 12:13–17.
- Babylon and what is removed: Revelation 17–18; Joel 2:15–19; Ephesians 6:12.
- The kingdom and living waters: Ezekiel 47–48; Revelation 21–22.
The books were opened…
🌿 Studies by Maria Emilia ~ 🗺️ Continue exploring: Visit Bible Books to find studies organized by book of the Bible, along with related studies and links.
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