‘See that you do not refuse him who speaks. For if they escaped not when they refused him who warned them on earth, much more shall not we escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven:'
But let them not be misled. It is true that this glory is now theirs if they truly belong to Christ. Yet they must beware. For if they refuse Him Who speaks, Him Who calls them to this glory, they will find Him far more fearsome than the God of Sinai. He spoke to men from Sinai and they did not escape when they refused Him by their behaviour and their lives, outwardly entering into covenant but inwardly rejecting it. How much more then shall men not escape if they refuse the One Who speaks from Heaven itself, also outwardly accepting His new covenant but inwardly rejecting it. Laying their claim to the right to Heaven and then spurning it. For, for those who refuse Him Who speaks, Mount Zion will be more terrifying than Mount Sinai (just as Jesus will one day be more terrifying for unbelievers than Moses when his face shone). They will find His judgment to be even more severe.
‘Him Who speaks.' Primarily in context He speaks through the blood of sprinkling especially (Hebrews 12:24). Jesus speaks through His death and through the offer of His blood to cleanse all Who will come to Him, and through its application to those who become His people in order to bring them within the new covenant. It speaks better than that of Abel for it speaks of pardon, mercy and restoration. But woe to those who despise that blood, for then its voice will be more fearful than they could ever know.
However we may see here also all the ways in which God speaks from Heaven through His Holy Spirit, for the voice is still the voice from Heaven, and is also to be paralleled with the voice in which He spoke from the Mountain (Hebrews 12:19-20). He speaks from Heaven on may ways.
‘Him who warned on earth.' There is disagreement as to whether this refers to God or to Moses. Hebrews 12:19; Hebrews 12:26 would suggest that it refers to God. But the question is not of primary importance, for the message was God's whoever spoke it. Certainly in the next verse it is God's voice directly that speaks.
‘Him Who warns from Heaven' or ‘Him Who is from Heaven' (literally ‘He Who from Heaven', the verb has to be read in). This may be seen as referring to the fact that Jesus described Himself as the One Who had come from Heaven bringing God's word to men, yes more, bringing Himself (John 5:37; John 6:33; John 6:38; John 6:50-51; John 7:16; John 7:29; John 8:18; John 12:49 compare Hebrews 3:13). Or it may refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit and His testimony through His Apostles and those who followed them (Acts 2), and Who still speaks through the ministry of His word. It may also include the voice of God that spoke directly from Heaven during the ministry of Jesus (Mark 1:11; Mark 9:7; John 12:28), and especially the blood of sprinkling which ‘speaks' from Him in Hebrews 12:24. Or indeed all are probably included, for His warning was continual and even now reaching his readers (Him ‘Who is warning').
Note the change again from ‘you' to ‘we'. This message is for all. The thought is certainly theoretical and conditional. He did not see himself as one who had turned away from God and from Christ. But he was aware that it was the responsibility of all men not to turn from Him.