What Are We Seeking to Restore?
Acts 1:6; Acts 3:17-23; Acts 15:12-18
Jim Davis
What is the restoration movement about? What are we seeking to restore? The restoration movement seeks to bring about restoration by “Speaking where the Bible speaks, and being silent where the Bible is silent.” We have many probing through the pages of restoration history seeking answers. Others are searching through reformation history to find the key to restoration. Why not go back to the Bible and let the Bible speak for itself or should we say let God speak for himself as to what it is he is working to restore. This seems to be more consistent with our plea.
The gospels build the bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. As Luke opens his gospel he foresees Christ occupying the throne of his father David.
Luke 1:32-33
2 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." NIV
Luke closes the book of Luke with Jesus teaching his disciples about the kingdom of God. He opens the first chapter of Acts seeking to build a bridge between the gospels and the book of Acts. Luke builds the bridge from the gospels to what is happening throughout Acts by reiterating the proclamation of the coming of the kingdom of God. Jesus is teaching his disciples about the kingdom.
Restoration of the Kingdom of God
The book of Acts opens with the idea of restoring the kingdom of God. Jesus expounded the Old Testament teaching concerning the kingdom of God to his disciples after his resurrection. When Jesus finished his teaching about the kingdom of God the disciples asked Jesus, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6.) The book of Acts opens with this idea because the preaching of Moses, the prophets, John the Baptist and Jesus Christ was about the coming of the kingdom of God. That was the theme of the Old Testament. That was the theme of the Gospel writers. Jesus began his ministry preaching the “kingdom of God is near” (Matthew 4:17).
When you consider the New Testament arising out of the teaching of Moses and the prophets, it is little wonder why the restoration of the kingdom of God is the topic of the New Testament. The kingdom of God is the hot topic throughout the New Testament. The apostles consistently pointed to the kingdom of God as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.
In Acts chapter one the disciples were thinking in terms of God restoring the kingdom to Israel. Jesus had just spent forty post-resurrection days with them explaining the kingdom of God. After he finished teaching them about the kingdom of God he ascended to the throne of David. On Pentecost Peter preached that Christ was on the throne of David.
Acts 2:29-36
29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
"'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet." '
36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." NIV
It is obvious that God restored the rule to David’s throne upon Christ’s ascension into the heavens. Peter proclaimed Christ was sitting on the throne of David on the day of Pentecost.
We may begin to see the disciples’ idea of God restoring the kingdom is more accurate than our idea of Christ establishing his kingdom anew on Pentecost. God is simply seeking to restore his reign upon earth through Christ.
Acts 15:12-18
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 "'After this I will return
and rebuild David's fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things'
18 that have been known for ages. NIV
In essence, the rebuilding of David’s fallen tent is the restoration of God’s kingdom.. This is the restoration plea of the first century Christians. Christians are now living in David’s rebuilt tent.
Is it any wonder Jesus taught his disciples to pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”? God’s plan to salvage the world goes beyond seeking to restore an order to Israel or an order in an assembly of his people--the church. It must include the assembly of God’s people, for they make up the kingdom of God. He is seeking to bring all things back under his rule through Christ.
Acts 3:17-23
17 "Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you-even Jesus. 21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.' NIV
In these verses Peter’s concept about God restoring the kingdom broadens. Peter speaks of Christ remaining in heaven until he returns to restore everything. Restoring the kingdom goes far beyond simply restoring the kingdom to Israel. God used Israel to bring about his plan, but his plan didn‘t begin and end with Israel. It began in eternity past (Ephesians 3:11), and it will continue in eternity future. God’s plan reaches beyond Israel and it reaches beyond the assembly of God’s people.
Christ’s throne is in heaven far above all principality and power on earth and in heaven. Christ’s heavenly rule reaches beyond Israel; it reaches beyond the church; it reaches beyond heavenly realms; it embraces all there is to rule.
Ephesians 1:15-23
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. NIV
The final chapter of Revelation gives us a view of God restoring Eden and the tree of life to his original plan. The new heaven and new earth reveals God’s ultimate purpose to be accomplished through the restoration of his kingdom. It is obvious that restoring David’s fallen tent reaches beyond Israel and the church as it embraces all of God’s creation. It is about God restoring all things in heaven and on earth to the authority of the risen Christ (Philippians 2:1-10).
Restoration of God’s kingdom is ongoing, it will not be completely restored until Christ comes in judgment, then every knee will bow and every tongue in heaven and on earth confesses Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father (Philippians 2:1-11).
Christ will restore all things on that final day, and when he does, he will deliver up the kingdom to God. That is when it will be completely restored.
1 Corinthians 15:24-28
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. NIV
Do we see the bigger picture? Restoration of the kingdom of God over all creation is the theme of both Old and New Testaments. It goes far beyond restoring the kingdom to Israel, or restoring a particular order of worship in the church. It reaches down into to my soul to establish Christ’s reign in my life.
God’s Kingdom Is Spiritual In Nature
The Jews of the Old Testament became so enamored with what it meant to be Jewish that they lost sight of the spiritual realities of God’s kingdom. The true Israel of God—the true kingdom of God—in the Old Testament was spiritual Israel. Not everyone who bore the fleshly marks of a Jew was a Jew.
Romans 2:28-29
A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. NIV
The Old Testament law was given to circumcise their hearts. Moses spoke to the Israelites saying, “The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (Deuteronomy 10:15-18). Moses admonished them to circumcise their hearts (Deuteronomy 10:16). Listen to Jeremiah admonish Israel.
Jeremiah 4:4
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD,
circumcise your hearts,
you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done--
burn with no one to quench it. NIV
Circumcision of their hearts indicated that God’s kingdom has always been spiritual in nature. A Jew was a Jew if he was circumcised in heart. Ultimately, this indicates that the true Israel was made up of those circumcised in heart. So it is to day. The true church of God is circumcised of heart.
Today God has circumcised our hearts. It was done by Christ when we were baptized into Christ and raised with him through our faith in the powerful spiritual operation of God.
Colossians 2:9-12
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. NIV
When Christ circumcised our hearts God brought us into the kingdom of Christ.
Colossians 1:13-14
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. NIV
Revelation 1:5-6
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father-to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. NIV
1 Peter 2:4-5
4 As you come to him, the living Stone-rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him- 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. NIV
God is seeking to restore a spiritual kingdom. Jesus emphasized those who worshipped him would worship him in spirit and in truth. He emphasized the spiritual nature of the kingdom.
God promised David he would seat one of his descendants upon David’s throne, but he refused to overlook the depravity of David‘s heart. The only thing that made David fit to have someone reign on his throne was that he was a man after God’s own heart.
Acts 13:22
2 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' NIV
In essence, this is what the kingdom of God is. God must restore his reign in our hearts. This was David’s plea after his adultery with Bathsheba.
Psalms 51:10-12
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. NIV
The kingdom of God is about God working in our hearts to accomplish his will in our lives so that we may seek his purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. NIV
To the faithful of the Old Testament restoration was personal.
Psalms 71:19-21
19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God,
you who have done great things.
Who, O God, is like you?
20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again. NIV
Psalms 85:4-7
4 Restore us again, O God our Savior,
and put away your displeasure toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your unfailing love, O LORD,
and grant us your salvation. NIV
An assembly of those who belong to God’s kingdom today is a congregate of God’s people who are seeking to allow God to restore his kingdom rule in their hearts. I wonder if the assembly has lost sight of God’s plan to restore his rule in heaven and on earth. It seems that all the focus is on what goes on in the assembly today. God’s kingdom is about restoring his rule in our hearts and minds.
The idea that the kingdom has already fully come, or the idea that the kingdom will be established at Christ second coming is an inaccurate portrayal of God restoring his kingdom. The restoration of God’s kingdom is an ongoing process through each successive generation. The key to restoration is to receive the kingdom afresh each day as God seeks to restore his order in our world. The receiving of the kingdom is a moment by moment occurrence that makes our lives unshakable.
Hebrews 12:28-29
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire." NIV
Conclusion:
Focusing on restoring God’s kingdom from this view point allows us to see God’s continuing plan for restoration. Our focus must be on reestablishing God’s rule on earth as it is in heaven. It seems like a massive undertaking, but it is done on heart at a time.
We must seek a spiritual restoration of God's kingdom on earth that will culminate in the restitution of God's order for all eternity. We must not lose sight of the grand movement of God through time to bring about an end to the reign of Satan.