Act 3:21 | KingComments | STEP | The accusations are fixed. The judgment of God is deserved. Then Peter points to a way out. Led by the Holy Spirit, he can tell the people that they have done their terrible deed “in ignorance” (cf. ) and therefore he can call them to repentance and return. Peter can say this based on the intercession of the Lord Jesus on the cross: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” ( ). On this basis mercy was also shown to Paul ( ). Their sin is seen as manslayer, not murder. Someone guilty of manslayer under the law could be killed by the avenger of blood. If the manslayer managed to reach a city of refuge in time, he was safe there ( ). In this way, the people could still take refuge in the Lord Jesus and thus escape judgment. Instead of judgment, they will receive the promised blessing, as Peter will say in a moment. First he speaks about God’s counsel. What they have done with Christ in their wickedness has been used by God to fulfill what He has spoken about through all the prophets. All the prophets have spoken about His Christ suffering. Here again we see both sides that we also saw in the previous chapter ( ). On the one hand, we see how man reveals his utter depravity by rejecting God’s goodness revealed in Christ. On the other hand, we discover that God has known this in advance and included it in His plans and even used it to fulfill His plans. We, creatures, cannot bring those two sides together, but that is what God is God for, while we are and remain creatures with the limitations that come with it, as in our comprehension. Through their sinful act, God has fulfilled His purpose regarding the suffering of Christ. That they are fully guilty of their sins is also shown by Peter’s call to the people to repent and return. He has made it clear to them of what they are guilty. This should lead them to repentance, to the acknowledgment that they have sinned. Return or conversion is inextricably linked to this acknowledgment and confession. Conversion is a change of thinking about God and the Lord Jesus. Repentance is an inner conviction of one’s own guilt, insight and recognition that I have sinned. Conversion is a turning around in my judgment of what God has said. First there was rejection of what He said in His Word and of what He gave in Christ. Those who have come to repentance, to acknowledgment and confession of their sins, will believe God on His Word and accept His gift in Christ. He who repents and returns can know that his sins have been erased. Everything that stood between him and God has been wiped away. The barrier has been removed. This has cleared the way for a life of refreshment that comes “from the presence of the Lord”. What can be applied to the individual applies here first and foremost to the whole people, for it is to them that Peter speaks. By “times of refreshing” he therefore means the time of the millennial realm of peace where all the blessings of God on earth will be enjoyed by His people. Then the face of the Lord will no longer be turned against them in wrath ( ), but His face will shine like the sun ( ). His people will be able to bask in the warmth of His rays and enjoy the full blessing of life according to His promise in the realm of peace ( ). The return of Christ Jesus to fulfill this depends – and still depends – on the conversion of the Jews. Peter makes it clear that God desires to send His Christ, of Whom he says He is “the Christ appointed” for them. Here we are made aware of God’s great love for His people. The first sending of Christ to His people has not been a mistake. God is once again offering this Christ appointed for them, Who is none other than the “Jesus” rejected by them. What a persistent grace of God, Who does so in spite of their rejection of His Christ! He can do so, once again, based on the intercession of the Lord Jesus on the cross. We see how God does everything possible to bring the nation to repentance in order to be able to give them the promised blessings. Only when they also reject a glorified Lord, just as they rejected Him in His humiliation, does God’s judgment come on the people. In order to prevent this, God is still looking, as it were, also still at this moment for a possibility to send His Son to bring about the period of the restoration of all things. Christ has been taken up into heaven. Rejected by the earth, heaven had to receive Him. Heaven did not do so reluctantly, but – seen from the purpose for which He had come to earth, namely, to establish the kingdom of God there – did so prematurely. The original goal, however, will be reached. The moment of the restoration of all things points to the millennial realm of peace. During the kingdom of peace, everything in creation will be restored to the situation God had in mind when He created heaven and earth. God has always spoken about that situation through the mouth of His prophets. He has been pointing forward to that. When His Son came, that time could have come if Israel would have accepted Him. But He was rejected. That does not mean, however, that God’s plan is cancelled now. Through the mouth of Peter, God offers to fulfill His plan. That will happen when the people as a nation repent. We know that the people did not do this. Yet even that does not mean that God can no longer fulfill His plan. It has been postponed once more and will be fulfilled in the end time.

‏ Acts 3:21

Call to Repentance and Return

The accusations are fixed. The judgment of God is deserved. Then Peter points to a way out. Led by the Holy Spirit, he can tell the people that they have done their terrible deed “in ignorance” (cf. 1Cor 2:8) and therefore he can call them to repentance and return. Peter can say this based on the intercession of the Lord Jesus on the cross: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34a). On this basis mercy was also shown to Paul (1Tim 1:13).

Their sin is seen as manslayer, not murder. Someone guilty of manslayer under the law could be killed by the avenger of blood. If the manslayer managed to reach a city of refuge in time, he was safe there (Num 35:9-34). In this way, the people could still take refuge in the Lord Jesus and thus escape judgment. Instead of judgment, they will receive the promised blessing, as Peter will say in a moment. First he speaks about God’s counsel. What they have done with Christ in their wickedness has been used by God to fulfill what He has spoken about through all the prophets. All the prophets have spoken about His Christ suffering.

Here again we see both sides that we also saw in the previous chapter (Acts 2:22-23). On the one hand, we see how man reveals his utter depravity by rejecting God’s goodness revealed in Christ. On the other hand, we discover that God has known this in advance and included it in His plans and even used it to fulfill His plans. We, creatures, cannot bring those two sides together, but that is what God is God for, while we are and remain creatures with the limitations that come with it, as in our comprehension. Through their sinful act, God has fulfilled His purpose regarding the suffering of Christ.

That they are fully guilty of their sins is also shown by Peter’s call to the people to repent and return. He has made it clear to them of what they are guilty. This should lead them to repentance, to the acknowledgment that they have sinned. Return or conversion is inextricably linked to this acknowledgment and confession. Conversion is a change of thinking about God and the Lord Jesus. Repentance is an inner conviction of one’s own guilt, insight and recognition that I have sinned.

Conversion is a turning around in my judgment of what God has said. First there was rejection of what He said in His Word and of what He gave in Christ. Those who have come to repentance, to acknowledgment and confession of their sins, will believe God on His Word and accept His gift in Christ. He who repents and returns can know that his sins have been erased. Everything that stood between him and God has been wiped away. The barrier has been removed. This has cleared the way for a life of refreshment that comes “from the presence of the Lord”.

What can be applied to the individual applies here first and foremost to the whole people, for it is to them that Peter speaks. By “times of refreshing” he therefore means the time of the millennial realm of peace where all the blessings of God on earth will be enjoyed by His people. Then the face of the Lord will no longer be turned against them in wrath (Psa 34:16), but His face will shine like the sun (Mt 17:2). His people will be able to bask in the warmth of His rays and enjoy the full blessing of life according to His promise in the realm of peace (Pro 16:15).

The return of Christ Jesus to fulfill this depends – and still depends – on the conversion of the Jews. Peter makes it clear that God desires to send His Christ, of Whom he says He is “the Christ appointed” for them. Here we are made aware of God’s great love for His people.

The first sending of Christ to His people has not been a mistake. God is once again offering this Christ appointed for them, Who is none other than the “Jesus” rejected by them. What a persistent grace of God, Who does so in spite of their rejection of His Christ! He can do so, once again, based on the intercession of the Lord Jesus on the cross.

We see how God does everything possible to bring the nation to repentance in order to be able to give them the promised blessings. Only when they also reject a glorified Lord, just as they rejected Him in His humiliation, does God’s judgment come on the people. In order to prevent this, God is still looking, as it were, also still at this moment for a possibility to send His Son to bring about the period of the restoration of all things.

Christ has been taken up into heaven. Rejected by the earth, heaven had to receive Him. Heaven did not do so reluctantly, but – seen from the purpose for which He had come to earth, namely, to establish the kingdom of God there – did so prematurely.

The original goal, however, will be reached. The moment of the restoration of all things points to the millennial realm of peace. During the kingdom of peace, everything in creation will be restored to the situation God had in mind when He created heaven and earth. God has always spoken about that situation through the mouth of His prophets. He has been pointing forward to that.

When His Son came, that time could have come if Israel would have accepted Him. But He was rejected. That does not mean, however, that God’s plan is cancelled now. Through the mouth of Peter, God offers to fulfill His plan. That will happen when the people as a nation repent. We know that the people did not do this. Yet even that does not mean that God can no longer fulfill His plan. It has been postponed once more and will be fulfilled in the end time.