3:19 "Repent
therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of
refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send
Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 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."
Notice the sequence of events:
First repentance and conversion which opens the ways for the
following:
Sins blotted out
Times of refreshing
Jesus returns
Restoration of all things
Jesus was here. He died in the courtyard of heaven's
sanctuary (the earth). He returned to heaven representing the blood of the lamb
being taken into the holy place. He must remain there until the sins of all who
choose to repent and be converted are blotted out. That will happen on the Day
of Atonement or Yom Kippur. When that is completed times of refreshing will
come, Jesus will return to earth and gather those who love Him. This will be
followed by the restoration of all things.
In a letter Peter wrote later which was to be circulated to
all the churches he said this:
2 Peter 3:1 "Beloved, I now write to you this second
epistle (letter)... 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken
before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the
Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last
days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise
of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they
were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by
the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water
and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being
flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by
the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of
ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the
Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The
Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance."
Jesus came and lived and died to reveal the heart of God. To
show us that God is love, that He is for us and not against us; that He wants
us back and He'll do anything to make that happen short of forcing us. It's
been almost 2000 years since He returned to heaven. Why the delay? Noah's flood
contains the answer. God waited and endured the evil choices of humanity until
He knew waiting any longer would leave no trace of love or faith on the earth.
Today He continues to wait. He will wait until there is not one more person to
rescue from this sin sick world. All who choose to be rescued, who choose love
over hate, freedom over force, and Divine grace over the deceptions of Satan.
He will come for those who long for the times of refreshing. He will come to
reclaim us as His own.
Deep stuff and yet simple. We either choose Him or we reject
Him. That's all this life is about. Why had the people in this crowd cried
"Crucify Him!!!" a few weeks earlier? Because they were self-obsessed.
They had been taught to place all their hopes in a self centered religion that
actually encouraged hatred toward outsiders. They expected a prosperity
bringing warrior, not a friend of tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners, and
foreigners. They had been looking for self-advancement, not self-surrender.
Peter told them plainly: "It's time to repent and be
converted."
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