I love the bible because of its completeness, because every word is purposefully placed, and because New Testament scripture perfectly testifies to the promises of the Old Testament. In the end, I am left with the full assurance that God has fulfilled all things written in His Word and He did this through the Son Jesus Christ.
In Acts 3:18, Peter speaking to the “men of Israel” states, “But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”
By this sentence Peter testifies that God used all the prophets to point to Christ’s sufferings and brought these prophecies to pass.
Peter goes on to say, in Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord...”
Peter clarifies these words in the following verses 20-21: “And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”
Essentially:
1. God ordained a time for the restitution of all things
2. It was prophesied in scripture (this is key)
3. It was determined from the beginning of the world
4. Christ would be sent to accomplish it
This same event is mentioned in Acts 1 after Christ ascended into heaven. The two men standing by in white apparel say to the Apostles, “…this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven”, indicating an expectation of Christ’s return.
This same event is mentioned in Acts 2 after the Holy Spirit was poured out on all flesh. Peter wasted no time speaking of the “last days”, and instantly quoted Joel the prophet. Why would he use this reference at that particular time? Because Peter knew that he was living in the “last days”. Yes, God graced Peter, the lowly fisherman, with the knowledge to interpret exactly where he was in scripture. This is not by coincidence, but so that scripture could be fulfilled. From Acts 2:17-21:
And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Acts 1,2, and 3 all agree: Christ coming = times of refreshing = restitution of all things = day of the Lord/the great and magnificent day. The Apostles at that time believed there was something more in scripture awaiting fulfillment and that their experiences after Christ’s accension were pointing to that event.
To further clarify, let’s define restitution.
From Websters 1828 Dictionary:
1. The act of returning or restoring to a person some thing or right of which he has been unjustly deprived; as the restitution of ancient rights to the crown.
The Apostles were expecting restitution after the crucifixion of a perfectly innocent Jesus Christ, based on prophetic scripture. They had clearly identified the guilty party in the crime and they continually reminded the criminals of their guilt and urged them to repent. The crucifixion of the Son of God would not simply get swept under the rug like a political scandal, nor would God have it return void.
Consider what the public sentiment might have been in the days after the crucifixion. I imagine it much like the days after the detonation of Building 7 (9/11 for the new folks); with no one really understanding what happened or why, with many searching for truth, and wondering who was actually in charge. Yet there were the high priests and rabbis, still ruling in Jerusalem, scoffing at those claiming that He would return, and their physical temple still standing unharmed. Would justice be done?
It’s not as if Christ rose from the dead and suddenly American evangelicalism filled the land and a "good old fashioned altar call" broke out. God forbid! No, there were stonings, and beatings, and men being unjustly cast into prison. And then there was Apostle Paul bargaining with new converts over the use of the law, new converts who had to reconcile their paganism with the Gospel in a post-crucifixion world. Something else had to happen to make the transition from the Old to the New Covenant, and redemptive history, complete.
The temple was the focus of scripture down to every measurement and ornament and ritual and it had tentacles throughout the old world. But God, from the foundation of the world, had it marked for annihilation in order to fully transition the Israel of God (Rom 11:26) to the permanently-affixed temple made without hands (Hebrews 9:8-11). The prophets of old testified of this and so did Jesus Christ himself in the Gospels (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 to name just a few).
And this was the purpose for Christ’s appearing again. He ascended into heaven so that the Holy Spirit would be poured out, and in like manner, He came down from heaven so that his wrath and judgement would be poured out on the world.
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Rev 6:17
As disciples of Christ, it is imperative that we believe God accomplished this, and that we are no longer awaiting restitution or refreshment for the events of the first century, but that all things were set right in Jesus Christ.
God fulfilled his purpose when he brought forth perfect truth to Creation through his only begotten Son. Jesus was crucified for our sins and for our salvation and he returned to make an end of things that waxed old (Hebrews 8:13). We must be staunch witnesses of this in our own day and agree that the truth was settled and that the blood for transgression was shed long ago. God is with us, forever, even for ever and ever. Amen.
But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Daniel 7:18
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