ACTS 108                   Chapter 3:1-21

 

     Read Acts 3:1-10 in your own Bible, about how Peter heals a lame man in front of the temple. Then let’s talk about healing for a minute.

 

     In early Acts, Israel is in between the old covenant and the new. Read Jer 31:31-34 and Heb 8:7-13. Both covenants are based on the law of Moses. Under the old covenant, the nation did not keep the law, so they earned God’s curses. But in the new covenant, God’s Spirit will enable them to keep the law, so they can get the blessings. (Ez 36:27-30; Lev 26) Remember we today are not under the law at all, or either covenant. (Rom 6:14 & 9:4)

     Disease and physical ailments were one of the curses the nation got for not keeping the law. (Deut 28:21,22,27,28) By the time Jesus came, the nation was hopelessly under all the curses of the law. (Lev 26:14-40) Jesus came proclaiming the new covenant kingdom (Mat 4:17) in which people will keep the law, and therefore never be sick.(Mat 5:17-19; Deut 7:12-15; Is 35:4-6) So healing miracles were a sign pointing to that kingdom. (Luke 11:20) At no other time in history did God heal many people (other than in Num 21:4-9 which is a foreshadow of Christ), and He never healed anyone just to make them feel better, or to prove His power.

 

     What about today? Is that earthly kingdom at hand now? If you get sick, is God punishing you? No, we are not under the law and it’s curses, and the earthly kingdom is not at hand today. Then does God heal today? Well, did He heal Paul in II Cor 12:7-10 ?

God knows we often suffer in these aging bodies, in this sin-cursed world, and He tells us in Rom 8:18,22-25 to patiently wait for the "redemption of our body". Then He will give us a perfect immortal body that will never age or hurt.(I Cor 15:35-54; Phil 3:21)

     Just as Israel looked forward to being resurrected into a kingdom on earth with no sickness or suffering, (Ez 37:11-14) so we are to look forward to our resurrection and future in heaven. (II Cor 5:1,2) And now that Israel’s kingdom has been postponed, we will be resurrected before them. (I Thes 1:10; II Thes 1:7,8 & 2:1-7)

11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? Remember Peter is speaking to Israel, not us!

 

Now watch Peter blast Israel again for the murder of Jesus! (Acts 2:23,36)

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, (these are the fathers of the nation Israel, Deut 30:20&31:1) hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

15 And killed the Prince of life, (Luke 23:13-25) whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. (Acts 1:21,22)

     Israel freed a murderer and killed their sinless Messiah. But God raised Christ from the dead and glorified Him, .....and the healing of the lame man proved it.

 

16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

     When God healed someone, it was immediate (vs7) and total, regardless of the ailment. (Mat 4:23) Contrast that with so-called healings today.

 

17 And now, brethren, I wot (know) that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

     This was really giving the Jews the benefit of the doubt. Since they had the scriptures, (Deut 4:5-8; Ps 147:19,20; Rom 3:1,2) and saw Jesus’ miracles, (John 5:36,39; 10:24-27) they should have known who He was, if they had wanted to. But God was willing to forgive them for killing Christ (Luke 23:34; Mat 12:31,32) and gave them another chance.

 

18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. (For example: Is 53; Ps 22)

 

     Now pay attention to this next passage! Peter, who had "the keys to the kingdom of heaven", (Mat 16:16-19) opens the door of that kingdom to Israel. They just needed to change their minds about Jesus.

 

19 Repent ye (change your mind) 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.

 

     How were they to "be converted"? Remember Acts 2:38? If they would accept Jesus as their Messiah and be identified with Him, they would receive "the gift of Holy Ghost". That converts their thinking over to God’s thinking, and enables them to stop sinning and to keep His law. Only God can do such a conversion! Deut 30:6 calls it a circumcision of the heart. Ez 36:26 says God gives them a new heart and takes away the old one. This is not how God works in us today. We have God’s Spirit but we still have the old heart. (Gal 5:16,17; Eph 4:22-24)

 

     What are "the times of refreshing"? This is the kingdom of heaven on earth which was prophesied since the world began. (Deut 11:21) Remember Acts 1:6? The kingdom will be restored to Israel but in a much bigger way than Solomon ever had it. (Ps 72:7-12; Is 60:11-14) Sin will be judged and justice will prevail.(Malachi 3:5; Is 9:6,7) Very refreshing!

 

     When will Israel’s "sins be blotted out"? (This is the sin of the nation Israel, not yours and mine.) What is the promise of verse 20? That Christ will return, bringing this time of refreshing, and then, Israel’s sin will be blotted out. (Ez 36:33)

In vs 21, Jesus will stay in heaven until the "times of restitution of all things" - until it’s time to restore all things back to the condition for which He created them. The land will be like the garden of Eden (Ez 36:35) there will be world peace, with justice for everyone, no sickness, and even animals won’t kill each other. (Is 2:1-4; 11:4-9; 32:15-17; 35:4-6) All this was "spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began". Read them and see.

 

     Contrast this with Paul’s gospel (in Rom 16:25) which was a "mystery, ... kept secret since the world began". Obviously Paul talks about something new, and different than Peter. Otherwise why would God call a new apostle when He had 12 perfectly good ones already?! Or why reveal the same information to Paul that the 12 knew already? (Gal 1:11,12; Eph 3:1-5; I Tim 1:16)

     Paul’s arrival on the scene with a new message (Eph 3:1-6) explains why God’s wrath and reign on earth did not happen back in the time of Acts. (II Peter 3:3,4,15,16) Prophecy has been interrupted by our dispensation. God’s wrath has been delayed and the earthly kingdom has been put on hold until after our resurrection. (I Thes 4:13-18)