“Shaken” (σαλεύω) denotes causing something to move to and fro or waver. The term “shaken” can refer to both physical objects (e.g., the foundations of the heavens) and psychological states (e.g., a person’s mental state).
During the tribulation period, after the sun has been darkened and the moon ceases to give light, the inherent abilities of the heavens will be shaken, causing the stars to appear as if they are falling (Matthew 24:29). Then the sign of the coming of Christ will be seen (Matthew 24:30). When the heavens are shaken, the hearts of men will fail them out of fear. They will see the coming of the Lord (Luke 21:25-26). In Christ’s second coming, only the things that cannot be shaken will remain (Hebrews 12:27).
The foundation we build upon is crucial. The man who builds his house on a foundation rock ensures that when the storm comes the house will not be shaken (Luke 6:48). This principle also applies to the foundation of our work. Paul, as a master builder, laid down a foundation for the Church based on the doctrine he receive from God. There is no other foundation that can be laid (1 Corinthians 3:11). Our salvation rests upon the belief in the death of Jesus Christ on behalf of our sins and His resurrection three days later (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). It is a salvation by grace through faith, not by any quality of law (Ephesians 2:8). When we stand before Christ at the Bema seat, let our works be found to be of good quality by using what we have been given in salvation to live out the righteousness we have in Christ so that they stand approved when tested (1 Corinthians 3:12-13).
We are not to be shaken in our minds by those who say that the day of the Lord has already come (2 Thessalonians 2:2). Among those desiring to shake our minds are those who interpret current events as fulfillments of prophecy, creating a sense of urgency about impending trouble while seeking to profit. The rapture of the Church is not the beginning of the tribulation; however, it must occur before the man of lawlessness can rise to power. The tribulation begins with the signing of the seven year peace treaty between Israel and the man of lawlessness that brings God’s wrath upon the earth (Daniel 9:27). The man of lawlessness, also known as the beast of Revelation, cannot rise until the Holy Spirit stops restraining Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Since the Holy Spirit resides within the Church, only after the Church has been taken from the earth can the man of lawlessness rise, signing a seven-year covenant with Israel, and therefore beginning the Tribulation period. No member of the Church will be left behind; therefore, our minds are not to be shaken by those who claim that the day of the Lord has already come, for God will not leave us nor forsake us.
