'But those things,
which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets,
that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.
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;
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.'
(Acts 3:18-21)
Hello there,
Only recently have I realised how very important this word preached by Peter is, in establishing the purpose of this period covered by the Acts of the Apostles. These words spoken to the People of Israel, '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; and He shall send Jesus Christ ... ... ' is vital to our understanding of this book. Everything during this period depended on the obedience of Israel to this call to repent: and for forty years opportunity was given them to do so.
The ministry of the Twelve, was with this end in view: as they witnessed, confirmed what the Lord Jesus had began both to do and to say during His time with them (Heb.2:3). As was that of Paul during this period; and those who worked alongside him in ministering the word of God; for opportunity had to be given to Israel to repent.
Not until the closing chapter of the book of Acts, when both in the Land of Israel, and among the dispersion, those of the nation of Israel refused to repent, and rejected the words spoken to them concerning the Lord Jesus Christ; did the blindness prophesied (Isaiah 6:9-10), of which they were warned (Acts 13:38-41), fall upon them (Acts 28:23-31), and salvation was finally sent to the Gentiles.
This explains the many expressions of hope for Christ's imminent return expressed in the early epistles, written during this period, (1 & 2 Peter; 1, 2 & 3 John; James and Jude; 1& 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Hebrews, Romans; and also in the book of Revelation): for Israel's repentance was expected, which would have resulted in the return of Christ.
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris
which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets,
that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.
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;
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.'
(Acts 3:18-21)
Hello there,
Only recently have I realised how very important this word preached by Peter is, in establishing the purpose of this period covered by the Acts of the Apostles. These words spoken to the People of Israel, '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; and He shall send Jesus Christ ... ... ' is vital to our understanding of this book. Everything during this period depended on the obedience of Israel to this call to repent: and for forty years opportunity was given them to do so.
The ministry of the Twelve, was with this end in view: as they witnessed, confirmed what the Lord Jesus had began both to do and to say during His time with them (Heb.2:3). As was that of Paul during this period; and those who worked alongside him in ministering the word of God; for opportunity had to be given to Israel to repent.
Not until the closing chapter of the book of Acts, when both in the Land of Israel, and among the dispersion, those of the nation of Israel refused to repent, and rejected the words spoken to them concerning the Lord Jesus Christ; did the blindness prophesied (Isaiah 6:9-10), of which they were warned (Acts 13:38-41), fall upon them (Acts 28:23-31), and salvation was finally sent to the Gentiles.
This explains the many expressions of hope for Christ's imminent return expressed in the early epistles, written during this period, (1 & 2 Peter; 1, 2 & 3 John; James and Jude; 1& 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Hebrews, Romans; and also in the book of Revelation): for Israel's repentance was expected, which would have resulted in the return of Christ.
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris