The Book of Hebrews - Part 33
Nick Padovani
Part of The Book of Hebrews—An Encounter Bible Study
January 19, 2025

The Book of Hebrews

Part 33: The Unshakable Kingdom (Heb. 12:16-29)

I. Despising a Divine Birthright

Before we get into the stunning revelation that closes up chapter 12, we need to focus in on something important that emerges in verses 15-17…

15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. —Hebrews 12:15-17

Hebrews has masterfully summed up the finished work of Christ. In this new life—this race we’re running (flying!)—there is no place for bitterness, immorality (sexual sin), and godlessness. The key to experiencing freedom from these things is by not missing the grace of God. In this passage there is a warning about Esau that shows us what it means to miss God’s grace.

In Genesis 25 there is a seemingly unimportant story about Jacob and his brother Esau. One day, Esau comes home starving and sees that his brother has cooked a meal. He asks for the stew and Jacob tells him that he will give to him if he hands over his rights as a firstborn son. Esau has a wonderful birthright being the firstborn, and Jacob sees an opportunity to take it.

Unfortunately for Esau, he agrees and the Scriptures make this scathing comment about him:

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. —Genesis 25:34

An older version of the New Living Translation says it this way:

…Esau ate and drank and went on about his business, indifferent to the fact that he had given up his birthright.

Esau “despised his birthright,” which meant he was indifferent about the gracious gift given to him as the firstborn. This birthright from his father Isaac was not something he earned. He did not do anything to pay or to please his dad for this blessing. He just happened to be the one born first and so it was entitled to him. This birthright would involve many blessings that his father shed blood, sweat, and tears for. Esau only needed to freely receive and wait for its full unfolding.

Esau’s “selling his birthright for a meal,” as it says in Hebrews, is a picture of what it means to be indifferent about the grace of God over your life and your inheritance, which is freely given to you, although you have to patiently wait for its full unfolding.

Each of us have given a free inheritance that is not due to any work or merit of our own. It’s a gift that was secured by the sweat, blood, and tears of our Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.

To live in bitterness, immorality, and godlessness means you are despising or being indifferent about the free gift. Godlessness sums it up well. It means you are not walking in the image and glory of your Father. You are living God-less. Bitterness and immorality are two forms of this.

In regard to bitterness: You are made in his image of a merciful Father who holds no record of wrongs. You have been redeemed as his son and daughter. So, if you are not walking in mercy, you are despising your birthright of identity. And, most likely, you are indifferent about the mercy and kindness shown to you all the time.

Immorality and sexual sin is another distortion. We are made in the image of a Savior who is faithful and holds to his covenant promise. Sex is a gift within a faithful covenant between two people. To live outside of that is to be indifferent about the very nature of who Jesus is and how you are made.

The passage says that Esau found no place for repentance though he sought for it with tears. It doesn’t matter how emotional and passionate a person looks, there is no freedom outside of a revelation of grace. There is only thing to be passionate about—not indifferent—and that is truth of your birthright as a redeemed son or daughter. You don’t struggle your way into godliness, you become alive to grace and truth.

Grace says you are truly loved and forgiven beyond imagination. Grace says you are pure and have a faithful heart. We must “pay much closer attention,” as we’ve discussed to this truth. We are new creations, and we cannot allow ourselves anymore to feed appetites and desires in our souls with the wrong things.

We have appetite for things like justice and intimacy. Bitterness feeds an appetite for justice. Immorality feeds an appetite for intimacy. But both cause you to lose the very thing you want.

Holding on to bitter feelings toward someone is a way that we try to fill that hunger for justice, by punishing them in our own heart and attitude—but it doesn’t work. Sexual sin is the same with our desire for intimacy. But it just a bowl of temporary stew with fading warmth for the stomach compared to an eternal birthright.

Jacob was cooking things in this stew that came from the land Esau would inherit! We look for these petty ways of satisfying our needs, when there is a whole inheritance in Christ that will fulfill our true appetite beyond our wildest expectation.

With this, we also have to recall the original reason this letter was written and who it was written to.

The first recipients of this letter were being pressured and tempted to go back to Temple Judaism, which involved animal sacrifice. They felt pressure from family and friends who wondered why they weren’t following the old ways of Moses and dabbling in this Jesus nonsense. Participating in animal sacrifice would alleviate that pressure—although in a false way. (Such an act would not cure their inner struggle with people pleasing.)

Animal sacrifice would also provide a more familiar way of alleviating guilt or trying to become a godly person. Back then, you sacrifice an animal and it gave you a false sense of relief from guilt. It also made you feel more acceptable and blessed by God, and thus closer to God. But it was another false path.

In the case of those who first read this letter, the temptation was to return to the law in order to fit in with others or to be more holy. When someone sacrificed an animal according to the law, they got to enjoy a meal from the meat. So, the author is subtly saying here: Don’t despise your divine blessing in Christ by eating religious sacrifices to alleviate guilt! Do not eat sacrifices that will alleviate the pressure you feel from people in your life… Discover your true birthright!

The writer then makes this powerful statement:

18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear the command, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.” 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am full of fear and trembling.” —Hebrews 12:18-21

All of a sudden the writer brings up, with vivid imagery, Mount Sinai. This is the place where the Old Covenant was given. This was where a system of working for our birthright came forth. This was the place where animal sacrifices and the plans for the physical temple were initiated.

The warning—don’t be like Esau who sold his birthright for a meal—is connected to this. The writer is saying here: You have not come to Sinai, the mountain of works, and the mountain of fear and dread … You have come to a different mountain, a greater inheritance, something that if you truly understood it, you would never be indifferent about it again.

Here again is the main point of the letter. The Old Covenant system showed us our problem. We lost sight of our birthright. We embraced systems defined by fear, guilt, punishment, doom and gloom—and much of the church still operates from this mountain and calls it godly.

II. Ascending into the Heavenly Realm

But like the original readers, we are being called to a different mountain. In fact, we have already come to it. We’re waking up to what’s already ours.

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant (a new meal!), and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. —Hebrews 12:22-24, parenthesis mine

There is a tremendous statement here. The writer says: We have already come to the heavenly Jerusalem. In the book of Revelation, the apostle sees a vision of this same heavenly Jerusalem coming down to earth (Revelation 21-22). Many interpret this symbolic vision literally, thinking that one day a physical city of gold and other gemstones will descend into the Middle East. Our job is to then wait to either to die and go there, or somehow stay alive long enough to see it appear from outer space.

This thinking creates a sense of distance between us and heaven, and since God dwells in the heavenly realm, it also creates a sense of distance between us and God. This distance impacts how we pray and live our lives.

It also strips us of a huge part of our birthright in Christ. Our birthright is to experience heaven now and bring it to earth.

First of all, the heavenly Jerusalem is not really a place—it is a people filled with God’s glory. This is the point of Revelation 22 when John sees the heavenly Jerusalem coming down to earth. God is showing John that he is bringing the reality of heaven to earth through a people radiating his glory.

The true “gold” of heaven is not in the streets, but in the paths of our lives. The gold is love, unshakable joy, everlasting peace, right relationship with others (righteousness), and true justice. Through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us we have entered into these realities now.

Now, there is an actual heavenly realm; but is not in the sky somewhere. It’s in another plane of reality that is all around us, and the scriptures tell us we are there right now!

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus —Ephesians 2:4-6

Every believer has access to the heavenly realm because they are already in it. Your spirit is already there. (And your spirit is here too.)

This is our birthright. By simple faith—accepting and not despising his grace—we can “ascend” into the heavenly realm anytime. In the heavenly realm, there is peace, wisdom, and constant fellowship with God. Heaven has everything you need and more! The password to get in is the blood of Jesus, which already cleansed you and restored your access to God.

How we experience this looks a lot of different ways. Prayer and worship are the main avenues we have. We can close our eyes (or keep them open) and go to where your spirit is already seated. We can go into the realm where Jesus is at our side, and we can walk with him and talk with him, even as we live this physical life.

All we need to do is accept that we are already there because we have been given Jesus’s own robes of authority and righteousness—which brings us back to our birthright …

III. Our Heavenly Calling: The Ekklesia of the Firstborn

Jesus is the firstborn Son of God who has inherited all of his Father’s domain. Heaven and earth belong to him. But unlike any other firstborn Son, he has shared the full inheritance with us.

This is why Hebrews says that we have come not only to the heavenly Jerusalem, but to the general assembly and church of the firstborn. The writer is calling the believers to understand what they are part of. This isn’t about being a part of some religious group that meets at a building once a week. The word “church” means something far beyond our imagination.

Here’s where we connect all the dots from the Esau story… The word for “birthright” (which Esau sold for a single meal) is the same word used here as “firstborn” (but in a different form). You can translate this as saying we are the church of those who now have the firstborn birthright.

It will be important now to understand more of what this birthright is all about. In the ancient world, the firstborn son was given a special blessing by the Father of the house. They were given special favor above all the other siblings. This includes a “double portion” of the inheritance of both money and land. (In an agricultural world, the money was the land.)

This meant if there were four sons, the land would be split five equal ways. The firstborn would get two portions of land (2/5) and the others would get the remaining three (1/5 each).

Now this double portion came with special responsibilities. In fact, it was not always a welcomed thing because it meant you had more to manage. The firstborn was in charge of their father’s estate and acted as a kind of power of attorney and executer. One of the things they were responsible for was the care of their siblings and the dispensing of the inheritance.

Look at this passage from 2 Chronicles 21 and how King Jehoshaphat handled things with his sons:

3 Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn. —2 Chronicles 21:3

All the kids were given blessings, but the firstborn received the throne. So, a double portion is not only about blessing—it’s about a responsibility to rule and reign. It is an affirmation that they are a favored and beloved son, but with that they are called to be a leader and a person of influence who helps their other siblings inherit their portions.

Jesus Christ is the true firstborn who has inherited his Father’s Kingdom and now he takes care of dispensing gifts and other blessings to his brothers and sisters. But Christ is so different from any other firstborn as he goes further than that and shares his firstborn status with those who are called as “the church.”

The church is not a religious organization that meets every week. The church is a people who have been given a double portion of blessing, affirmation, and responsibility to the nations. In this passage, in the original language it was written in, we are called the ekklesia of the firstborn.

The word ekklesia was turned into “church” by English translators of the Bible. Church has come to have many different meanings in people’s minds, but the original word ekklesia was far from what we understand it as today.

In biblical times, ekklesia was a governmental word. It was used often for a group of elders or leaders in a community who would meet at the gates of their city to discuss important matters. They would make decisions and dispense wisdom to the community. They were given privileges to be a voice for the betterment of the people.

This helps us see the purpose of “the church of the firstborn,” especially when we tie it into the revelation of a double portion birthright. This is now unveiling the race we are called to run.

We are called to dispense heaven onto earth. And we have access to heaven’s glory through the blood of Jesus and the New Covenant.

By simple faith, we can come to God personally and we can gather together as an ekklesia to pray and worship and ascend into heaven. We can fellowship with God, hear his voice, receive direction, and then go forth to share the wisdom and blessing of his Kingdom.

But this high calling that is part of our birthright is not centered around the doom and gloom and striving and judgment of Mt. Sinai. This calling to change the world is centered around the New Covenant in an atmosphere of joy and celebration. This is what the Shulamite in Song of Songs describes as a house of wine! It means entering God’s presence freely and joyfully, and being filled to overflow with wisdom and revelation and strength. There is no fear in this path of entering God’s presence, only overwhelming awe and majesty and grace.

We are called to enjoy all the wonders of who Christ is. And out of that enjoyment we then have a responsibility to steward our lives around the mission of bringing heaven to earth.

IV. The Great Shaking

The remainder of Hebrews 12 goes back to the promise and warning of a great shaking. Earlier the author quoted Habakkuk; now he quotes a similar message from the prophet Haggai.

25 Make very sure that you never refuse to listen to God when he speaks! For the God who spoke on earth from Sinai is the same God who now speaks from heaven. Those who heard him speak his living Word on earth found nowhere to hide, so what chance is there for us to escape if we turn our backs on God and refuse to hear his warnings as he speaks from heaven?

26 The earth was rocked at the sound of his voice from the mountain, but now he has promised, “Once and for all I will not only shake the systems of the world, but also the unseen powers in the heavenly realm!” 27 Now this phrase “once and for all” clearly indicates the final removal of things that are shaking, that is, the old order, so only what is unshakable will remain.

28 Since we are receiving our rights to an unshakable kingdom we should be extremely thankful and offer God the purest worship that delights his heart as we lay down our lives in absolute surrender, filled with awe. 29 For our God is a holy, devouring fire! —Hebrews 12:25-29 TPT

Once again, in the original context of the letter, this warning of great shaking is all about the disruption happening in the city of Jerusalem where there was a physical temple for religious services. The author is saying these things are enmeshed with the systems of this world and so they will be shaken to the point of destruction. Only the Kingdom remain.

The Arch of Titus (Click here to see image)

This horrific image is nothing to celebrate. It points to the fate of those who sold their birthright for a bowl of soup. This image is engraved on the Arch of Titus (that still stands in Rome, Italy to this day). It shows General Titus and his army carrying plunder from the destroyed temple, including the menorah.

In reality, the menorah is a symbol of the ekklesia, a people who have left the systems of this world and embraced union with God. They are the light of the world. This sad image was incredibly prophetic, for it spoke of how the true Kingdom was “leaving the building” (religious structures) and going out in the highways and byways of the world. As Ezekiel saw in a vision, the glory was leaving the temple and going into the city (Ezekiel 10).

This shaking continues through the ages. We are in the midst of another great shaking much like the days of 70 AD (which is a big reason we are exploring this letter in the first place). Things that have not been built on the foundation of Christ’s finished work are being exposed and falling apart. This includes religious structures within the “church.”

But it is not just the church that is shaking—every sector of society is shaking. There is consuming fire burning through the world. This has been happening since the days of Christ, but it will be accelerating more and more. This fire is not destroying the planet, it’s destroying ungodly systems. Unhealthy things at work in our families, governments, educational spheres, businesses, and the arts are all being shaken.

The true ekklesia—those who know their birthright as beloved children and have taken the double portion of divine responsibility/calling—are going to arise in these arenas. The ekklesia (church) was never meant to be a separate from the world, it is awakened sons and daughters within the world, bringing healing and renewal. They bring the Kingdom of God into every sphere until the heavenly Jerusalem is fully manifest on earth.

The passage ends with: “Since we are receiving our rights to an unshakable Kingdom…” Most translations only say “receiving an unshakable kingdom,” but the Passion renders it as “receiving our rights to an unshakable kingdom.” This is important because the usual word for receiving something is not used here. Instead, a different term is utilized (paralambanō), which was often used when someone was receiving rights as a ruler or king.

As the ekklesia, we are being called to take hold of our birthright, which is all about our beloved identity as redeemed sons and daughters, but it includes our access to the heavenly realm, and the ability to take what is in that realm and release it on earth through prayer and action. Out of the ashes of things being destroyed, new Kingdom structures of righteous and justice will come forth.

This is our divine calling, and it’s meant to flow from a people living in the house of wine, celebrating the joy of the Gospel together, and accessing those heavenly riches, then pouring them out on others.

Follow-up Encounter:

As you prepare to take communion, ask the Lord what he wants you to understand about your own “double portion birthright.” Write down what you’re sensing and turn it into prayer as you take the communion elements that seal your inheritance.