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It is important to understand that the New Testament is the Old Testament explained in the light of Christ who is the fulfilment of all of God’s promises and intentions for the earth. Christ and His finished work on the cross heralds the restoration of all His intentions for the cosmos when finally the glory of God will again cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

The Old Testament is key to understanding the New Testament. The New Testament has hundreds of direct quotes and many more allusions to OT scriptures. The Old Testament is the message of the coming Messiah and the work He would do to redeem and restore the earth.

Thankfully there is much scholarship now available to assist the reader. This is a rich and rewarding field of study to discover how the Old Testament is fulfilled in Christ and His church. Beale and Carson’s Commentary on The New Testament Use of the Old Testament is a very helpful resource.

Jesus used the Old Testament many times in His ministry. A notable time is when He explained to the disciples on the road to Emmaus His work on the cross. (Luke 24:25-27) He then went on to use scripture to explain the mandate to nations in Luke 24:45-47.

Peter in his Pentecost sermon uses the Old Testament to explain that the coming of the Holy Spirit was to declare the enthronement of the Lord and Christ to reign over all until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. (Acts 2:34-36)

The story of the Old Testament: creation, redemption and restoration is fulfilled in Christ. The New Testament takes for granted that Christians will know this and live in the light of this reality.

This brings us to Peter’s second sermon preached after His Pentecost sermon. (Acts 3) He and John go to the temple, the very centre of Old Testament faith for the Jews. There he is used by God to bring healing to a cripple. As a crowd gathers he quickly declares to all that this healing is nothing to do with him or John but it is solely the work of Jesus who they had just crucified.

While Peter excused their ignorance he said this truth about Jesus is clear in their very own scriptures. Peter’s sermon mentions this fact three times. (Acts 3:18,22,24) But let’s look at this whole quote as it contains a pivotal teaching for the early church, and for us today.

“And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’ For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.” (Acts 3:17-26. NASB).

The key thought from the above quote in terms of our discussion about God being a city builder is verse 21. It reads, “whom heaven must receive until the period of RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS (my emphasis) about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.”

In other words Jesus is staying put in heaven and not coming a second time until the period of restoration of all things spoken by the prophets. Then three wider explanations follow in verse 22-26 that includes Moses, Samuel, the prophets and Abraham; pretty much the whole Old Testament!

We know God as creator and redeemer but not always as restorer. This restoration is the ongoing work of a Holy Spirit inspired church.

The “restoration of all things” is a powerful phase and needs careful consideration. The wonderful and simple gospel truth is that this restoration begins with repentance of sins and returning to God through Christ. (Verse 18-19). This results in “times of refreshing” coming from the Lord being present with His people; a vibrant new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).

All Christians have experienced these times of refreshing from personal repentance from sins, but not all have experienced the amazing times of refreshing that comes when there is corporate repentance from sins. As I have written previously, corporate repentance marked turning points in what God did through His Body in our city.

So what is this work of restoration spoken of in the Old Testament that we are meant to be involved in? The prophets of old, in the midst of the many failed kings of Israel and a backslidden people, spoke of a coming King who through His suffering would restore the world to its original pre fall purpose. This second Adam, though tempted by the same devil did not succumb but triumphed over him on the cross bestowing on a great host of repentant people the gift of righteousness enabling them to reign in life through the One Man, Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:17) Israel finally had a righteous king and the world a perfect Man, who is and always will be the Lord of all.

But that is not all, let’s look at the role of these repentant people, the new creation, in this now to be restored world.

Here is what some bible scholars say about Acts 3:21. This quote is from The Pillar NT Commentary on this verse.

“Furthermore, Peter goes on to teach that the blessing of all the peoples on earth through the messianic restoration of Israel must first take place (Acts 3:25-6; cf. 1:7-8). In other words, the restoration of all things has begun and will continue until it is consummated at Christ's return.”

The following is the margin comment from The Passion Translation of Acts 3:21.

“This one the heavens must receive until the times of universal restoration.” The word restoration in Greek is apokatastasis, which infers the restoration of creation to the state of existence before the fall, but also Davidic covenant being restored. Luke’s choice of the Greek word found only here in the New Testament is noteworthy. It is a medical term that means “restoration of perfect health.”

The idea of “restoration of perfect health” to God’s world is interesting in light of 2 Chronicles 36:16 where it is stated that there was “no remedy” or healing for the people because of their constant rejection of God’s word through the prophets. Then in a word of hope Malachi 4:2 says there will come a day when healing (same Hebrew word as “remedy”) will once again arise with a return to God’s word and the restoration of relationships. (Mal.4:4-6)

So if there is going to be a healed people and a healed creation the very first requirement is a people who will heed what God says. The people constantly failed to heed God’s word but Moses states that there would come a Prophet who would heed all God said. (Acts 3:22)

This Prophet would not only “heed” God’s word but Himself was and is the living Word. (John 1:1) The path for healing and restoring creation was again opened through this new obedient Prophet. He alone brings God’s Word of healing to a broken world. The role of the church is to continue to bring God’s Word of healing into every city and community on the planet.

Peter preached the first sermon at Pentecost and began with, “give heed to my words.” (Acts 2:14). In his second sermon, which we are dealing with, Peter quotes Moses saying God will raise up a prophet who will heed God’s word.

All that to say that heeding God’s Word is His means to bring “the restoration of all things.” God’s Word is the reconciling, healing and restoring agent in the hands of the church. It seems to me that only too often the western church fails to heed the Word of God. The result is destruction all around us, in our churches and in our cities. I thank God for the exceptions and the growing number of Christian leaders who are charting and pioneering an alternative course.

Back to our passage in Acts 3:18-26. So far we have seen that basic to the “restoration of all things” is the acceptance of Christ and His work on the cross through individual and corporate repentance in order to experience “times of refreshing.” This is the essential foundation for Jesus to begin His work of restoration. (18-20)

Secondly, we have seen that restoration is the result of heeding God’s Word through Jesus. Again this needs to be both individually and corporately. (22-23)

That takes us, thirdly, to see that Jesus speaks this word of restoration and healing through the prophets, beginning with Samuel. (24) This Old Testament restoration message from the prophets was not only preached to the people of their day but they were announcing “these days” of restoration and healing also. (“These days” refer to the time between the ascension and second coming of Christ.)

Fourthly, Peter tells his Jewish listeners that they are the covenantal people who have the Abrahamic mandate to be a blessing to the world. (25) Their faith was never just about themselves but always about their responsibility to bring God’s blessings to the whole world. This is the same mandate for today.

Finally, Peter finishes with the wonderful statement that God had sent His Servant to bless them by turning them from their wicked ways and save them from destruction. (26)

This sermon is equally applicable today. God’s intention to restore the broken world is as important now as ever. If the prophets are the key to understanding the “restoration of all things” then it becomes important to check them out.

I think it is powerful that the idea behind the restoration of creation is the healing of its brokenness. The world is sinking beneath the weight of its brokenness and pain. At the time of writing we are witnessing this almost every night on the news as cities across the US erupt in rioting and looting, the sufferings of people in the newly conquered Afghanistan, the division and fighting in Beirut and so it goes on in city after city and nation after nation. Closer to home our own seemingly lovely cities have thousands of people suffering the pain of broken and abusive relationships.

Even our churches contain many sitting quietly in pain but never having it addressed and healed. Some years ago a friend of mine who was the senior pastor of a large church was shocked to discover that hundreds of women in his church, and many men, were suffering from abuse but never saw a pathway to healing. God wonderfully led him to begin a ministry of healing that has now been used in many other churches.

When we speak of God as a city builder we see that a large aspect to this rebuilding is restoration which is the healing of lives and of communities. It begins with the church and then flows into the wider city or town.

This is the message of the new creation in Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. Having been reconciled to Christ the church has this ministry of reconciliation which is basic to healing. First our broken relationship with God is restored and then with each other. Christians are automatically reconcilers. For Christians to ignore or reject their role as reconcilers is to ignore what the gospel is all about. This is John 17. The world will never see the glory of God without a reconciled church in a city giving witness to the love and unity of Christians.

The gospel begins with the message of reconciliation bringing renewal of relationships and the healing of pain that so many suffer from. But it is important to begin with the end in mind to remind us of where God is leading us.

The end of course is a city that heals the nations. (Rev. 22:1-3) This city never needed healing because it’s the city that God built and lives in, called here in Revelation 21, the new Jerusalem. It was the city Abraham saw and the city that Adam and Eve were to model the building of Eden’s cities on. It was the model for David to shape the earthly Jerusalem on and then to inspire every earthly city and community. It’s the city Jesus came from with His message to heavenize the earth through the gospel of the Kingdom of God. The church got its identity from this city and at the same time reminded to be careful “not to refuse Him who is speaking.” (Heb. 12:22-29) The church is therefore defined by God’s presence in the midst, with His voice being the source of all worship and work.

But there is something else to note about this city and why it is a city that heals. The coming of the new Jerusalem finally deals with the pain that humanity labours under.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” “ (Rev. 21:4-5. NLT)

This is the city that goes on to heal the nations.

The “restoration of all things” spoken by the prophets ends here in this city. Jesus on the cross took the pain of humanity and of creation caused by the cumulative sins of all “in Adam.” The church begins the long slow work through the gospel applying the finished work of Jesus. The result is a church that is empowered and inspired to restore and rebuild the cities and towns.

This is what the prophets spoke of when they spoke of Christ and the days of “restoration of all things” coming to the world. Jesus came to heal a broken wounded pain filled world.

By Ian Shelton Coordinator of Movement Australia