 |  |
`Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ' (Acts 20:21).
`That they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for
repentance' (Acts 26:20).
The one outstanding reference to repentance in Paul's prison ministry
is 2 Timothy 2:25, where deliverance from the bondage of error is connected
with repentance unto the acknowledging of the truth.
It will be seen from these notes that `repentance' is a word of
dispensational significance, both in the Old and New Testaments. To
endeavour to expound every phase would be to give the term disproportionate
space, but we believe the reader who uses this analysis as it is intended to
be used, will find considerable profit by pursuing the suggestions here
given.
Restoration. The Hebrew word translated `restore' is shub, a word which we
find translated a few times `repent'. See article on Repentance (p. 39).
The passages of dispensational importance are:
Isa. 1:26
`I will restore thy judges as at the first'.
Isa. 49:6
`It is a light thing that Thou shouldest be My servant to
raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel'.
Jer. 27:22 `They shall be carried to Babylon ... I will bring them up,
and restore them to this place'.
The Greek word is apokathistemi, and as it occurs only eight times we
give the concordance:
Matt. 12:13 `It was restored whole, like as the other' (Mark 3:5; Luke
6:10).
Mark 8:25
`He was restored, and saw every man'.
Matt. 17:11
`Elias truly shall first come, and restore all
things' (Mark 9:12).
Acts 1:6
`Wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to
Israel?'
Heb. 13:19 `That I may be restored to you the sooner'.
Closely related to these references to the restoration of the kingdom,
are the words restoration and refreshing that occur in Acts 3:
Acts 3:21
apokatastasis
until the times of restoration of all
things. (R.V.).
Acts 3:19
anapsuxis
when the times of refreshing shall come.
The subject subdivides under the following headings:
(1)
The problem of John the Baptist and Elijah.
(2)
The question of Acts 1:6 and its validity.
(3)
The theme of Act 3:19-26.
(1)
John the Baptist and Elijah