Current events are not signs that the return of Christ is imminent. Paul clearly said there are no signs for the Lord’s return: “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (1 Thess.… Read more
Category: Eschatology
Do You Stand With Israel?
If you stand with Israel, with which Israel do you stand? The word “Israel” can mean different things, based on the context in which it is found, such as: 1) The grandson of Abraham (originally named Jacob) who had twelve sons; 2) The nation which proceeded from Jacob and his twelve sons; 3) The modern nation commonly called “Israel,” which may or may not be true descendants of Jacob (nobody today can prove that his lineage goes back to Jacob—cf.… Read more
The Times of Refreshing and Restitution (Acts 3:19-21)
Acts 3:19-21 can be a difficult passage to understand, especially when trying to understand it without really examining the surrounding context and comparing with other passages. However, when one notices that the Holy Spirit (via Peter) is actually using the same kind of language He used in many other passages, the meaning becomes clearer. Acts 3 is the second recorded sermon of Peter after Christ’s ascension. Many marveled at the healing of a lame man in the temple, and Peter used the occasion to preach the Gospel, with the last words of the sermon being these (Acts 3:19-26):
(19) 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; (20) And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: (21) 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.… Read more