The word “Restitution” in the Greek language is “apotakastasis”–a complete RESTORATION or re-establishment of an entity to its original condition or status.  The questions relative to this series concern the identity of the entity to be restored to its orignial state and the specific “things” that are to be restored.

In the third chapter of the Book of Acts we find Peter and John entering the Temple in Jerusalem.  As they entered they saw a crippled man sitting at the Temple gate asking for alms of those who were entering.  Peter pronounced healing for the man and the life-long cripple rose to his feet and “went walking and leaping and praising God.”  Those entering the Temple saw him and were struck with wonder for they had often passed by him.  Upon seeing the people’s reaction to the miracle, Peter explained to them that the man had been healed through the power of the risen Son of god whom they had killed due to their spiritual ignorance.  He then told them to repent of their PAST sins and be CONVERTED (vs 19) so that they could enjoy “THE TIMES OF REFRESHING” that would later come from the having the Lord present among them.  Peter went on to say that at a future time God would send Jesus Christ back to earth, that at present He was with the Father in heaven and would remain there until “THE TIMES OF THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS” which God had spoken of through His prophets in what we call the Old Testament.  One of those prophets was Moses who had told the ancient Israelites that a Prophet would one day rise up among their descendants who would hear (obey) every word that Prophet would speak.  Anyone who refused to hear and obey that Prophet would die.  In verse 25 Peter confirmed the fact that the Bible was written to, for and about Israel when he noted that God had made His covenant with “our (Israelite) fathers” (vs 25), saying that the seed (descendants) of Abraham–the Israelites–would be a blessing to the entire (Gentile) world.  The Israelites would accomplish this by living and bearing witness to God’s light (Word/Law/Truth/Gospel) before the Gentiles among whom they would be living (Isa. 42:6; 49:6).

In verse 26 Peter told the Jews in the Temple that God had sent Jesus to them first, just as the Apostle Paul would later tell New Testiment Church in Romans 2:9,10 where he proclaimed that Jesus had been sent “to the Jew first, then to the Gentile” (Rom. 2:9,10.)  Paul went on to explain that Jesus came to the Jews first because they had retained God’s Law.  This gave them a spiritual advantage over the Gentiles because Christianity was founded upon that Law.  Being familiar with it gave the Jews a head start in that they did not have to learn it.  This was brought out in Romans 3:1,2 when Paul asked: “What advantage does the Jew have …?  Much in every way, mainly because unto them were committed the Oracles (Words/Law) of God.”  This is not to say that the Jews obeyed His Law, for they did not.  But they had retained knowledge of it.  Paul reminded the church at Ephesus that the New Testament Church was founded on the writings of the prophets and the apostles (2:20), both of whom commanded the people to obey the Law of God.  Recall that one man was rejected by Jesus because he disobeyed ONE COMMANDMENT of the Law.  One can only imagine the Lord’s opinion of the modern church which proclaims that He came to earth to destroy that same Law.  This in spite of Him saying in Matthew 5:17: “I did not come to destroy the Law ….”  The moral: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER THAT SATAN EXERCISES OVER CATHOLICISM/PROTESTANTISM.

In the first chapter of the Book of Acts we find that Jesus has returned from heaven to the Mount of Olives where He has been instructing His disciples about “the THINGS pertaining to the KINGDOM OF GOD.”  For Him to come from heaven and for 40 straight days to teach His messengers to the world about the THINGS of the KINGDOM OF GOD shows that both the kingdom and the things involved in it are of vital importance.  Which allows us a glimpse into the meaning of the Apostle Peter’s promise of “the restitution of all THINGS” when there would be a time of REFRESHING from the Lord.

Before Christ’s return to heaven the disciples, soon to be apostles (sent ones), asked Him: “Will You at this time RESTORE AGAIN THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL?”  The question involved the RESTORATION of the KINGDOM OF ISRAEL to its former glory (vs 6).  The question was not “if,” but “when.”  Note that Jesus did not deny that the restoration would take place.  He simply told them that it was not for them to know when it would take place.  During His earthly ministry He and others had identified the nation that would be restored and what that restoration would be like.  Recall Paul’s description of that kingdom in 1 Cor. 2:9 where he said that man has not seen, nor has entered into his mind the things that God has in store for those who love Him.  Jesus said concerning those who professed a love for Him: “If you love me, keep my commandments/ keep My Words (Jn. 14:15,23).  Please read these verses and note that in them He uses “commandments” and “Words” interchangeably.  His WORD (Truth–Jn. 17:17) is the entire Bible, which He summarized in the Ten COMMANDMENTS.

Recall that in the first posting of this series I quoted from the Scriptures several statements concerning the nation Jesus Christ had come to save–ISRAEL.  And recall to whom God originally sent Him (the Jews) and why (they had retained the Law).  Contrary to popular opinion, the Nation of Israel was, is and will ever be God’s Chosen People.  See Who and Where is Israel Today? and God’s Eternal Harvest.  The “Jews” (Judahites) consist of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi.  “Israel” consists of the other 10 tribes.  The tribe of Joseph was split into two separate tribes–Ephraim and Manasseh–thereby making the House of Israel a 13 nation commonwealth.  However, with extremely rare exception, the ten tribes of Israel, who number in the hundreds of millions, do not know who they are.  To the world, including the Israelites themselves, they are “lost” relative to their biological (Israelite) identity.   For this reason they are known as “the lost tribes of Israel” to this day.  Humanity’s greatest irony is that there are multiplied millions of self-described “Gentiles” who are in reality biological Israelites.  Many of these people are harsh critics of the Jews–their biological brethren.  They also do not believe that the area known as “Palestine” belongs to the Jews who now live there, even though God states loudly, clearly and repeatedly in His Holy Word that He gave Israel that geographical area because of Abraham’s obedience to Him.  Ironically, that is also their (“lost” Israel’s) inheritance.  See Israel’s Right to Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

Let us understand that God divides the totality of mankind into two groups–Israelites and Gentiles (Heb–goy–heathen).  Israelites are the biological descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whom God renamed “Israel,” which means “power with God.”  God created the nation of Israel to be His light to the Gentile world.  Israel was to take His Word/Law/light/gospel to the Gentiles.  Some of them, He prophesied, would “… come to your (Israel’s) light” (Isa. 60:3/ Mat. 5:14).  In 1 John 1:5,7 the apostle proclaimed that, as God’s people we are to walk (live) in God’s light and to reveal that light to those around us.  However, every human being has been given the power of choice.  Alas, both the Israelites (including the Jews) and the Gentiles have rejected God and His light in favor of hundreds of different religions, many of which are known as “Christian.”

The entity to be restored is the Kingdom of Israel which will become as she was during King David’s rule.  God promised to “restore the tabernacle of David” (the house of Judah) to its prominence (Acts 15:16,17).  For this reason Jesus said that “Salvation is of the Jews” because they are the scepter (ruling) tribe from which came the Savior of the world came.  The “things” that will be restored will be the observance of the commandments of the Law and universal worship of God and Christ with fear and adoration.  All of this will take place during the 1000 year reign over the earth following Christ’s return.  See the Millennium series.  L.J.