Is Heaven a Place on Earth? (Part 2)

Acts 3:21

As previously pointed out, a key element of the reconstructed earth theory is the concept of restoration—restoring earth to its pristine purity. Of course, this time earth will not host a two-person population, but presumably it will be flooded with millions of people—all of whom possess physical bodies that will consume physical food as prescribed in Genesis 1:29.

One passage frequently cited as evidence of this condition is Acts 3:21: “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.” The question would be, of course, “To what does ‘the restoration of all things’ refer”? Not mentioned specifically is the earth, renovation, or resurrected bodies.

It is easy to see that people who believe in the heaven on earth theory would count this as one of their passages. Many who just read it without examining it too closely might conclude that it teaches that, at the end of time, Jesus will come back to the earth and restore all things. The problem with that interpretation is that the text is saying something else altogether. A good Bible student must consider the text in which a verse is nestled.

Acts 3 contains the second recorded sermon by Peter. He tells the crowd candidly that they asked for a murderer (Barabbas) to be granted to them “and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are all witnesses” (14-15). It was through His name (Jesus’) that the lame man was made strong enough to walk, which those gathered together on this occasion had seen (16). Peter assigns their actions to ignorance (17) and then appeals to the Scriptures.

“But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled” (18). Luke uses this phrase four times in his writing—three of which are in this passage. The first occasion is in Luke 1:70. After John the Baptizer was born, his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and said:

Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people,
And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
who have been since the world began….

These verses (Luke 1:68-70) pertain to Jesus, as do verses 71-75, which include the fact that God is remembering the holy covenant He swore to Abraham.

In verses 76-79, Zecharias explains John’s role in God’s keeping of His covenant. John would go before Jesus to prepare His ways and to “give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins” (77). The point pertinent to this discussion to remember is that this time period, beginning with John and continuing through Jesus, was spoken by the mouth of God’s holy prophets since the world began.

Second, Acts 3:18 says the same thing. God foretold that Christ would suffer (and bring salvation to all mankind) by the mouth of all His prophets. The third time Luke uses this phrase is in Acs 3:21. The restoration of all things was likewise “spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” To what, then, can “the restoration of all things” refer? It cannot be to a renovated earth because that idea was not spoken of through the mouths of all the holy prophets. Some cite verses from Isaiah 65-66, but that is only one prophet (if the interpretation were correct)—not all.

The meaning of “the restoration of all things” must refer to something that all the prophets had spoken of through the centuries. But what would that be? If we begin with the very first prophecy given (which came from the mouth of God Himself), we find a spiritual promise that the Seed of woman (Gen. 3:15), Who is Christ (Gal. 3:16), would triumph over the seed of the serpent (Satan). Jesus did so when He arose from the dead. In Acts 3, Peter preached the resurrection to the Jews assembled together, just as he had in Acts 2.

In Acts 2, Peter quotes from Psalm 16:8-11, which David wrote, concerning the resurrection. Isaiah implies the resurrection in Isaiah 53. Jesus gave His soul as an offering for sin, but He continues to live (10-12). Isaiah also foretold the virgin birth (Isa. 7:14), the Messianic kingdom (2:1-4), and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (Isa. 9:1-7). Jeremiah prophesied of the new covenant that was to come in the Christian era (Jer. 31:31-34). Moses also spoke of the Prophet Who was to come, like unto Moses Himself. And, in fact, Peter quotes this passage in Acts 3:22-23.

The point is that none of these prophets (Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah)—or any others—is predicting a renovated earth as part of the Christian system. They do speak of Christ’s forerunner, John, Jesus’ birth, the nature of the kingdom, salvation, and the resurrection.

Thus, “the restoration of all things” pertains to what happens during the Christian age—not afterward. Notice Acts 3:20-21 again, after having considered the immediate and remote context of these two verses. God will send Jesus back to the earth (to—not on) at the appropriate time. Heaven will keep Him until what? Until a certain time—“until the times of restoration of all things.”

In other words, the text appears to be misread by renovated earth advocates. Jesus is not remaining in heaven until it is time to come to earth to restore all things. He is remaining in heaven until all things have been restored on earth. We know this is the case because Peter repeats himself after the quotation of Moses. Notice Luke’s fourth reference to the prophets in Acts 3:24: “Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.” The text ends—not with a reference to a renovated earth—but with another allusion to the resurrected Jesus and the salvation in Him that comes through turning away from iniquities.

In 1985, Wayne Jackson was asked to write about Acts 3:21 in the Denton lectureship book on Acts (edited by Dub McClish). He did not analyze the text because of the renovated earth theory but to refute the doctrine of premillennialism. His analysis of the text applies to both doctrines. Jackson pointed out:

Peter parallels the “times of the restoration of all things” (v. 21), with “these days” (i.e., the Christian age (v. 24), thus putting the fulfillment in the present, not in the future!” (382).

Jackson says that one cannot miss the parallel between verses 21 and 24—that “the restoration of all things” is synonymous with “these days.” He further adds that what Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:9-12 further comments on this point. He says the apostle

writes of the “salvation…concerning which the prophets sought and searched diligently.” Those prophets, says he, “prophesied of the grace that should come to you” (the people of Peter’s age). He firmly declares that the fulfillment was in preaching the Gospel. This clearly refers to the Christian age, and the parallel between Peter’s testimony here, and in Acts 3, is simply too obvious to miss (383).

A fair question to ask (if this is the correct interpretation) is: “In the Christian Age, what are the all things that have been restored?” Things are restored in Christ that were lost when man sinned. A few concepts come to mind.

Truth. The world’s troubles began with a lie told by Satan— “You shall not surely die.” Eve believed that lie. She and her husband disobeyed the truth they has been given (not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). But Jesus is the truth (John 14:6; 1:14; 8:31-32, 17:17). He restored truth to the world (whether mankind believes it or not).

Fellowship. Before sin, God and man enjoyed perfect fellowship together; sin disrupted that relationship. But through the gospel preached throughout the Christian age, sins can be removed by the blood of Christ (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rev. 1:5), and fellowship is thus restored (1 John 1:7-9).

Holiness. Man cannot be holy while sin has spotted his soul, but in Christ, the stains of sin are removed. We become sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11) and made righteous (2 Cor. 5:21).

Peace. Sin made us the enemies of God. The night Jesus was born, a heavenly host proclaimed peace on earth (Luke 2:13-14). First, when man obeys the gospel and his sins are removed, he has peace with God; no conflict with Him remains because he has humbly acknowledged his guilt, and his sins are washed away. A further benefit is that all those who are at peace with God (John 14:27) can be at peace with one another, also. We should all be trying to do the will of God in our lives.

Love. Yes, love for God was diminished in the first sin. It is the case that if we love God, we keep His commandments (John 14:15). The contrapositive of that statement is also true. If we do not keep His commandments, we do not love Him. In Christ, love for God is restored. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). And the first and greatest commandment is that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30), which is followed by loving one another. If God loved us, we ought to love one another (1 John 4:11).

Other concepts could also be listed, but the point should be clear. “But you haven’t said anything about the earth being restored to its initial state.” That is correct. Which is preferable—the earth previous to sin entering the world—or truth, fellowship, holiness, peace, and love being restored? After the Flood, man had a cleansed earth, and it took a relatively short time for sin to take over once again (Rom. 1:21-32). The earth is not going to change mankind; the gospel does. Sin is the problem; Jesus and the gospel are the solution.

The Regeneration

It does seem to be the case that the Greek word translated “regeneration” can refer to the physical, as well as moral regeneration. One would have to depend on the context for the correct meaning. The word is used in Titus 3:5 where “the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” obviously are used in a spiritual sense. The other verse is Matthew 19:28, in which Jesus told His apostles that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, they would also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

The most reasonable interpretation of these words is that it is dealing with the gospel age. Jesus ascended into Heaven and is on the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 1:1-3). In a sense, mankind is being judged by the words of Jesus and the words of His divinely-inspired apostles (1 Cor. 14:37). The reward of those who have lost lands or family for the sake of the gospel is a hundredfold (which would be now) and eternal life (which would be later) (Matt. 19:29). Christians are now living in the restoration and the regeneration.