Just for quick reference the phrases in the poll come from the following two verses.

“whom heaven must receive until the period (times) of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” Acts 3:21

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away.” Rev 21:1


I am interested in what leads to a conclusion one way or the other, as well as references to the prophetic scriptures that tell of the "times of restoration of all things."

bryan
tampa, fl
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Bryan
Deacon, PCA
Tampa, FL

Yes, it occurs at the coming of the Lord when there's a new earth

Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Rev 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
Rev 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
Rev 21:5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

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Manuel Rivas
Merritt Island, Fl

This sounds a bit like a trick question but I voted yes

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Martin - Reformed
Husband to the most godly, honorable and loyal wife Line
Searching for a Church
Webpage www.5solas.dk
Free Online Reformed Seminary - http://www.tnars.net
Soli Deo Gloria

Not sure. Will have to study this Scripture when I get back home from church and then vote.

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sarah
WI
OPC
My Pastor's Sermons: Mark Jenkins...he's awesome!!!

Its a straightforward question. No trick meant. Yet that is not to say it can be answered adequately without an explanation. The terms "restoration" and "new" might present a dichotomy of sorts. In common usage, one would not identify a 2010 Cadillac as a "restoration." One might identify an exceptional restoration of a 1965 Cadillac as "just like new" but in any case the two cars (or the work done to establish each) are not understood to be the same.

If the "period" or "times of restoration of all things" is the same as the "new earth", the context and prophetic passages explaining each might help resolve the apparent incongruence of the usage of "restoration" and "new". Or it might reveal they are different.

In either case, a "yes" or "no" answer pleads for an explanation.

bryan
tampa, fl
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A Dispensationalist would vote "no," because they would connect it to the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel as a ethno-political entity. This would occur at the 2nd coming and establishment of the Millennial Kingdom.

My thought is, "probably yes, but I haven't studied it in detail."

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Charlie Johnson
Downtown Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, student

I agree that most naturally the restoration spoken of by the prophets is the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel in the future. The dispensationalists understand correctly the context, but they misunderstand the doctrines of such prophecies and the types and symbols represented there. The reformed understand very well the typles and symbos as well as the doctrines in its application, however, they do not understand the context and the simple meaning of these prophecies.

New earth could probably be a description of the restoration, as Isaiah also uses such bold words to describe the restoration.

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Yigang Xu
Husband of Yele, Father of Anna (07/17/08)
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
Bethesda, Maryland

"Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side." Psalm 65:10,11

Why can't the New Heavens and the New Earth be the restoration of the kingdom of Israel in the future?

Isa 65:17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
Isa 65:18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.

The true Israel means those who by faith accept Christ as the Messiah or looked forward to Him as Abraham did. Not all of the Jewish nation has done that. Manuel, do you believe that all the Jews will be restored? Dispensationalists believe there are two ways of salvation. Not true. This is the stone that was rejected. . . nor is there salvation in any other. Acts 4:11,12

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Carol
Plant City, Florida


That I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.
Philippians 3:8,9

http://gettingoffthenicenesstreadmill.blogspot.com/

Would like to recommend "Binding of the Blade"-series. 5 books that begin with the fall of men and end, I think, with the restoration of all things. (I´m allmost done with the third book.)

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Line - Lutheran
Wife to Martin, the love of my life
Mother to Josva, the most wonderfull baby in the world
Member of the Danish Evangelical-Lutheran Church

Good to see you post here. What answers do you find in these books? I looked them up on Google and they appear to be fiction, not theology. You think it ends with the restoration of all things. Let us know when you finish reading them. How does it compare with Scripture?

I have read a lot of books about eschatology this last year and blog about it. I even wrote a song dittie about it on ny PB blog. Now I am trying to go right to Scripture before I decide on a viewpoint.

The auther is L. B. Graham and it´s published by P&R. It´s Narnia for growen ups. It is fiction, but so loaded with theological ways of thinking. Mr. Graham is an amazing auther(none loose ends) and reading the books gives a feeling of knowing God, and everything He has created, better.
He´s explaning a lot of hard biblical truths in a way, that make you think; Of cause! -that make perfect sence!
-not meaning that he "explaines" God, so we can grasp his divinity.

-did that make any sence?

Yes. Thanks. Hope your author is tracking with biblical truth.

William Paul Young tried to explain the trinity with best seller The Shack. His explanations are incredibly unbiblical.

Yes I´ve heard. Up to now, he does a good job of being biblical profound. But I´ll get back to you when I´ve read all of them.

We could desire that "create new" and "restoration of" both refer to the same thing, but I am uncertain the terms themselves would be persuasive to answer an objection.

bryan
tampa, fl
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I'm not 100% sure what you meant by this post. If you are asserting that "create new" and "restoration" are incompatible, I think that linguistics would disagree. It has been well established in biblical scholarship that καινος (new) can refer either primarily temporally or qualitatively. In other words, it can imply something that never existed before (absolute newness), or it can refer to something already existing taking on a kind of newness. For example, I might buy a used car, but still call it "my new car" because it is new to me.

So, different levels of continuity are possible with the term "new." Since God uses the term "Jerusalem," He clearly implies continuity with the past. It will be new, yet it will also be Jerusalem. The same thing applies to the "new earth." By using that term, God states that his final creation will be both like and unlike earth as we know it. "New" should be taken in a primarily qualitative sense.

I think we agree. Since "new" can be used differently according to context then an explanation for which is indicated is useful, especially if we are considering that it and a different word in separate texts might describe the same thing.

Admittedly, the same would apply for a comparison of "create" to "restore," if they also have inconclusive meanings apart from context.

bryan
tampa, fl
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Do you think then that He is going to create a Jerusalem that didn't exist before, and earth that didn't exist before, heavens that didn't exist before? And when He says "Behold, I'm making all thing new" is He saying that He is going to create all things that didn't exist before?

Someone earlier explained their "no" vote by saying Peter (Acts 3) was preaching to them in hopes they would escape the horrible destruction of Jerusalem that would come in their lifetime. The conclusion then was that the verses were essentially a comparison of apples to oranges. If Peter, in Acts 3, is speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem then I can see the logic. Yet, I am not sure that those who repented and were converted at Peter's urging experienced times of refreshing or restoration due to the "presence of the Lord," during the destruction of Jerusalem. Perhaps it was the Romans who felt refreshed, especially when they finally eradicated those survivors who had fled from Jerusalem to Masada.

Consider that Peter made mention of Christ being in heaven in order to bolster the argument that those who repented would experience times of refreshing, especially at the period of restoration when Christ came again to rule in the midst of His enemies. Conversely, those who refused to repent would be in big trouble at His return. Peter had spoken earlier of Christ who was "at the right hand of God" (Acts 2:34) to remind them of the prophecy of Christ's return, making reference to Ps 110, and by implication Ps 2. He again made reference to Psalm 110 in Acts 3. Christ would be sent from Zion with a rod to rule in the midst of His enemies (Ps. 110:2), striking through kings in the day of His wrath (Ps. 110:5), ruling them with a rod of iron, dashing them in pieces like a potter's vessel (Ps. 2:9), with the heathen for His inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for His possession (Ps. 2:8). The unrepentant and unconverted were in big trouble. On the other hand, those who "kissed the Son", who repented, and were converted, would be blessed because they put their trust in Him (Ps. 2:12). They would receive refreshing and restoration at the return of Christ (Acts 3:19-21), if they repented and were converted.

Following the reference to Ps 110, I think Peter's mention of "the prophet like unto Moses" further shows he was speaking of the return of Christ (Acts 3:22). He showed Christ was the prophet Moses spoke of, saying, "A Prophet like unto me shall the Lord your God raise up from among your brethren." A prophet like unto Moses who had been rejected by the Lord's people the first time but who returned at the Lord's appointed time to rule over them anyway. Moses was the one they refused the first time, saying "Who made thee a ruler and a judge?". This same Moses did God send a second time to be a deliverer and a ruler. Of the Prophet like unto himself, Moses said, "Him shall you hear in all things.." or "be destroyed from among the people" (v. 23). And in Him shall "all the kindreds of the earth be blessed" (v. 25). His certain return would be woe for some and blessing for others. Thus the command to repent and be converted.

Some of Peter's audience in Acts 2 & 3 had familiarity with the hope of what the return would mean. Some may have even heard Christ Himself promise that those who followed Him would inherit eternal life and sit on thrones and judge, in the regeneration when Christ sat upon His throne of glory (Mtt 19:28, Lk 22:30). Some would know or soon remember additional references to Christ's people ruling and judging when Christ returned (Dan 7:22, Rev 1:6, 3:21, 2:27, 5:10).

The question of the restoration of the kingdom was not new. The early converts gathered in Jerusalem together with Christ after His resurrection and inquired of Him, "Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). He did not deny it would be restored to them, but He said it wasn't for them to know the times or seasons. He explained they soon would receive power to be witnesses in Jerusalem, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. (Power to be witnesses in the earth, but not yet to be rulers and judges). When this conversation concluded, He was raised up into heaven. It was in this context (that Peter's audience were not yet judges and rulers) that Peter spoke twice of Christ, at the hand of God, making reference to Ps. 110. And in the same context Stephen preached (Acts 7) to an unbelieving crowd that hated him, lied about him, and dragged him before the high priest. Stephen witnessed boldly about Christ at the hand of God. Stephen's audience heard the witness and understood it full well---they were the enemies that Christ would come to destroy. Stephen, and witnesses like him, would be the ones blessed. Those who stoned Stephen were enraged that Christ whom they hated would return to rule over them. But for those who followed Christ, they were promised that in the regeneration, when He returned and sat upon His throne, they also would sit on thrones, ruling/judging (Matt 19:28, Lk 22:30, Rev 2:27, 20:4, Dan 7:22). Those who hated Stephen's witness plugged their ears, rushed him, and stoned him. I suppose the idea of today's "fairness doctrine" seems civil in comparison.

It seems in Act 3, "the times of the restoration of all things" is spoken by Peter as a witness to induce them to repent and be converted. Peter's audience, and their rulers, "killed the Prince of Life" at His first coming. Peter was a witness that this same Christ, being at the hand of God, would return. Peter declared the warning and hope of a period after Christ's return when He will rule in the midst of His enemies with an iron rod. For He must rule until all His enemies are defeated, the last enemy being death (1 Corr 15:25-26, Rev 20:14?).

Will Christ be ruling in the midst of His enemies (and His saints with Him, ruling the nations with an iron rod, breaking them to shivers), in the "new earth" and "new Jerusalem"?

bryan
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Christ will not rule in the midst of His enemies after His return, Christ's enemies will be destroyed at His return. Christ will return when all his enemies are put under His feet and the last enemy to be destroyed will be death. This will happen at his return.

1Co 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
1Co 15:24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

See, after Christ's return comes the end when "the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed."

Christ's enemies will be destroyed at His return

2Th 1:7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels
2Th 1:8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
2Th 1:9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
2Th 1:10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

And again

Mat 13:40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.
Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,
Mat 13:42 and throw them into the fiery furnace.

And again

Mat 13:49 So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous
Mat 13:50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


And again

Mat 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

Mat 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.


The last enemy to be destroyed will be death, this will happen at His return

1Co 15:26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

when will this happen?

1Co 15:54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

As you can see, the last enemy, Death, will be conquered at the moment of His coming when we receive our glorified bodies, "when the perishable puts on the imperishable", then there will be death no more, but the second death for the unbelievers.

Rev 20:14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Rev 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Christ must be in Heaven until the time of the restoration of all things, and as we saw before, His coming will be followed by the destruction of the world and His enemies and the Great judgment. After that all things will be restored, it's the time of His kingdom, He will make new all things (restore), this creation now groans with pain awaiting for the manifestation of Christ, but when He comes he will restore it in the New Heavens and the New Earth,

THIS IS OUR BLESSED HOPE

2Pe 3:13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

The believers to whom Peter was writing also had the same hope:

2Pe 3:14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

Look at the promises, no more pain, no more tears, no more death, everything will be restored to God's original plan:

Rev 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

All the promises in the Bible to those who persevere point to this time

Rev 21:7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

What a blessed hope we have in the New Heavens and the New Earth, the time of the restoration of all things.

-----Added 6/6/2009 at 08:04:09 EST-----

I understand Israel to be His church, those who by faith accept Christ as Savior and Lord. I'm not talking about genealogies, a piece of land in the middle east, or ethnic Jews, I'm talking about the true Israel: The elect.

I believe that the restoration to the Kingdom to Israel (the church) will be in the New Heavens and the New Earth. Not a temporal kingdom like the unbelieving Jews entertain in their minds, it won't be a kingdom with sinners and death and ending with Satan's deception of the nations and a great war after they have been told: "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore".

The kingdom of God will be an eternal kingdom

Rev 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."

I suppose then the logical question would be, When does He reign in the midst of His enemies? When do Christ's followers also sit on thrones to judge (Mt 19:28, Dan 7:22), or when do the overcomers receive power over the nations to rule over them with an iron rod (Rev 2:27)? If they do.

The reference to Isaiah 25:8 about death being swallowed up in victory appears to be the resurrection of the just (as 1 Corr 15 points out). Is. 25:8 is followed by expounding that He returns to save His people and sends out His hand against the enemies, spreading forth "His hand in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim"--"to take away the rebuke of His people from off all of the earth." I can't picture being "in the midst" more vividly than a swimmer spreading his hands in the water.

It is interesting to consider that Moses was rejected the first time. But the second time he came with the rod of God to be a deliverer and and a ruler, to defeat all their enemies and then put them in the promised land.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. If it is the last, surely there are enemies before it. 1 Corr 15:22-26 speaks about the order of resurrection, "all shall be made alive, each man in his order. Christ the first fruits, then those that are His at His coming, and then... what about the unjust? If the unjust are still held by death is death defeated? But it says He shall reign until He has put all enemies under His feet, and death is the last defeated. It appears 1 Corr doesn't leave out the resurrection of the unjust, but includes it in the end after He has defeated all the other enemies. cf. "The sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them (Rev 20:13).

When does He reign in the midst of His enemies, if it is not when He returns?

bryan
tampa, fl
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1Cor 15 is not about the resurrection in general but resurrection to life (glorification) he doesn't deal with the resurrection of the unjust because it's not in the scope of that discourse. These are the key verses that explain that

1Co 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
1Co 15:43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

As you can see the whole chapter of 1 cor 15 is to deal with the resurrection of the just because the unjust won't be raised in glory, power, and honor, and glorified bodies; the resurrection of the unjust does not belong in that passage, don't try to see it there, he didn't address it.

That the just and the unjust will be raised at the same time in one single event known as the Day of the Lord it is clearly explained by Paul in Romans

Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

On the same day, the day of His wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, He will pay TO EVERY MAN (just and unjust) according to their deeds.

Another key passage is 2Thes 1:8-10

2Th 1:8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
2Th 1:9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
2Th 1:10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

It can't be any clearer, the unjust will be raised, judged, and cast into the lake of fire "when he comes on that day".

I will address your other questions in a future post.

Christ reigns in the midst of His enemies now

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
Dan 7:14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Christ's followers will sit on thrones "in the regeneration", meaning the New World at His coming

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, You who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Mat 25:31 But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

This will happen after the unrighteous ones have been cast in the lake of fire

Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,
Mat 13:42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear

Notice in thislast passage in Mat 13 that first the Lord talks about "His" kingdom: when He comes He will send His angels and they will gather out of HIS KINGDOM... it is already His kingdom at the time of His coming. But in verse 43 it says that the righteous, after the judgment, will shine like the sun in the kingdom of THEIR FATHER. This is the same teaching of Paul in 1 Cor15

1Co 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
1Co 15:24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

1Co 15:28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

See, it's exactly the same teaching, Christ reigns now, at His coming He will destroy all of His enemies, and then He will deliver the kingdom to God the Father. Revelation teaches esactly the same thing

Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

At the sound of the seventh angel the mystery of God will be fulfilled and the Lord will come and there will be a judgment and those "who destroy the earth" will be destroyed, and the servants of the Lord will be rewarded, and all the kingdoms of the earth will become the kingdoms of "our Lord" (the Father), and "of His Christ" (the lord Jesus). It is exactly the same picture.

Stephen expected his hearers to observe a parallel similarity between Moses and Jesus (Acts 7). Moses was rejected by his people and left the region but in God's appointed time he returned to rule over them anyway. Pharaoh especially knew what it meant to have Moses return with a rod, into the midst of Egypt to deliver God's people.

Stephen expected his audience to place themselves in the shoes of those who rejected Moses the first time, and to observe the rod of God that Moses carried back into the midst of Egypt to defeat the enemies. They were to see that in killing Christ they in like manner had rejected God's appointed ruler the first time. They were to observe what would be their own lot when He returns the second time with a rod of iron to rule in the midst of His enemies. The fact that they stoned Stephen is the evidence---the shoe fit.

It is the same message Jesus gave by a parable to those who asked Him if the Kingdom of God was going to immediately appear as He drew near to Jerusalem (Luke 19:11). He spoke of a nobleman who departed to a far country to receive a kingdom. The nobleman was rejected by the citizens and when he returned to rule in the midst of them, his enemies were slain.

bryan
tampa, fl
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