THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS

Can a broken World be fixed?

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. – Acts 3:19-21 NKJV

As Peter and John come to pray at the Temple, they encounter a man begging at the entrance. This man has been lame from birth. As he looks up at the apostles hoping to receive something from them, Peter says,

“Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

Taking the man by his right hand he lifts him up; as he does so, strength comes into the man’s feet and ankles. Immediately he leaps to his feet praising God. Rejoicing, he joins Peter and John, walking and leaping as they continue toward the Temple.

Those gathered at the Temple immediately recognize him as the beggar who had laid before the gate; a crowd gathers around the three in amazement to find out what’s happened. It’s obvious to them that they’ve witnessed a notable miracle.

This crowd isn’t a bunch of rowdy street sinners, these are worshippers who’ve come to the Temple to pray. It’s this group Peter addresses as he shares his witness of Christ. He calls them to repent and turn from dead ritualistic Religion to Christ’s spiritual reality.

All this takes place in Jerusalem, in Judea, a very small piece of real estate in the midst of a very large Pagan World dominated by Rome. Judea and its Holy City Jerusalem are just a speck on the map, a small Island of Righteousness in a Sea of Idolatry and Gentile World Power. It’s important that you get this!

A mere 40 years from this time, the Great Jerusalem Temple will no longer exist, the people of Jerusalem will be either slaughtered by the Romans or sent away in the slave ships, never to return.

120 years from this day Judea and Israel will no longer exist, all Jews will be expelled from the land and banned from ever returning. The Romans will rename their land, Palestine (Land of the Philistines) after their ancient enemy, as an act of contempt against them.

Jesus himself had prophesied this; one of the most stunningly accurate prophecies of the Bible.

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” – Luke 19:41-44

GOD chose Israel as HIS own special people to be the Salt and Light of the World, to reveal Himself through them too the World.

The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: – Deut. 7:7

It was the right time, the designated time in Human History for the Messiah to come into the World.

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. – Gal. 4:4-5

This was the hour of their Visitation, and they, the Chosen People, missed it. Because they did, that wrong choice will bring about,

THE END OF THEIR WORLD . . .

But, in the Last Days saith, GOD . . .

I will restore you to your land, I will gather you from the nations, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh, young and old, bond and free, men and women.

This then, is the beginning of the Restoration of All Things and the End of The Times of the Gentiles.

When you see these things begin to come to pass, said Jesus, look up and know that your redemption is drawing near.

THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS

The KJV says Restitution where as The NKJV and other translations prefer Restoration. Either word is an appropriate translation from the original Greek of the New Testament.

RESTITUTION:

• reparation made by giving an equivalent or compensation for loss, damage, or injury caused; indemnification.

• the restoration of property or rights previously taken away, conveyed, or surrendered.

• restoration to the former or original state or position.

As the Apostle Peter speaks to the astonished crowd that has gathered, he tells them to repent of their religiosity and embrace the righteousness that can only come by faith in Jesus Christ and His redemptive sacrifice and work on the Cross. Justification can only come through His death and resurrection.

Our churches are important. Our gathering together in whatever form, small or great, as the church is important. But somehow our spiritual awareness, knowledge, and experience of the reality of Jesus Christ must get outside of the four walls and containment of our gatherings into the world of the lost; with the faith that the restoration of our World is possible; that with Christ all things are possible, with God nothing shall be impossible.

Yes! It is the End Time! Yes! The spirit of Antichrist is at work; but the Apostles saw similar times and made similar declarations two thousand years ago; and they were right.

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. – 1 John 2:18

Their’s was at the Beginning of the End Times, ours is near their Conclusion; a period of time designated as the “Times of the Gentiles.”

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled – Luke 21:24

This is what is meant by the End of the Age, the Gentile Age, or the Age of the Nations.

The exact duration of this Age is unknown, it’s in The Father’s keeping and at His discretion; but Jesus told us that we would not be in ignorance concerning the nearness of His coming. There would be distinct Signs that believers would recognize and take heart in. The Chiefest of these being the restoration of the Jews to their land, the Land of Israel.

And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. – Isaiah 11:12

May 14, 1948 – Israel is Reborn

Israel is GOD’S Prophetic Timepiece, His Ensign or Flag to the nations as a Sign.

Since it’s inception as a State, Israel has been rejected and opposed by the surrounding nations. Despite its contributions to the international community it has become more and more “politically incorrect” in the eyes of much of the world. This is also prophetic and indicative of the last of the last days.

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. – Zech 12:2-3

Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; – Zech 14:1-2

THE LAST SIEGE OF JERUSALEM

There will be one last siege of Judea (modern Israel) and Jerusalem; when it comes the world will tremble, for GOD’S fury will come up in His face and HE will deal with these nations and their armies and they will fall upon the mountains of Israel.

I personally believe this terrible time to be Christ’s Return to Earth.

How extensive the damage will be, and this is only an opinion, will be dependent upon our action as the Church today.

If we’re content to play Church and content ourselves with our religious business of being the Church, if we’re more interested in our Brands, Logos, Titles, Programs, Entertainment, Buildings, Property and Institution than we are in the souls of a lost humanity, then I fear that things will get every bit as messy as we’ve perceived the apocalypse to be; except those days be shortened, no flesh will be saved.

But as it’s written, for the elect’s sake, those days will be shortened.

And here’s a provocative thought; just how short can those days be? To what extent need the damage spread? Can there be, will there be, Saved Nations upon the LORD’S return? If not, why would He have asked the question, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

We’ve preached and warned of a catastrophic end of things for so long that we’ve developed a mindset of impotence. Oh, well, nothing we can do about it. Really? Did HE who endured the Cross, even the death of the Cross, for the joy set before Him, teach us that?

Yes, HE told us that sacrifice would be part and parcel in the conflict, that many would give their all in the struggle, and history has borne this out. But is victory possible?

I believe it is, that’s not really the question is it? The real question is whether or not we’ll make the effort.

Things would have been far different for Israel in the first century, had they recognized the day of their visitation and accepted their Messiah. But they chose the confines of their religion and beliefs of their time instead. They were the Chosen, the Gentile nations were just fuel for the fires of hell. What’s truly frightening is that we can draw similar conclusions and fail to be the Salt and Light of our world.

What Peter proclaims to his generation is just as apropos for us now as it was for then. Yes, we are nearing the end of the world as we’ve known it; but we also are at a junction between it and the dawning of another world coming. This is a time if not the time of transition. In GOD’S plan we’re moving toward a new beginning, the Restitution of all things, the Restoration of all that was lost.

When the Last Trumpet sounds, it heralds the Coming of The King of Kings and The Lord of Lords, there are loud voices in Heaven which proclaim,

The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and His Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. – Rev 11:15

Even so, come Lord Jesus.