Restoration or Fulfillment?

[BrotherLarry]

Shlama to all,

I was noticing that the Greek text of Acts 3:21 speaks of "restoration" while the Peshitta Text speaks of "fulfillment".
The American Standard Version reads thus: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been from of old. The King James Version and some others have "restitution" but Webster's Dictionary puts "restoration" on a par with "restitution" -- RESTITU'TION, n. [L. restitutio.]

1. The act of returning or restoring to a person some thing or right of which he has been unjustly deprived; as the restitution of ancient rights to the crown.

Restitution is made by restoring a specific thing taken away or lost.

2. The act of making good, or of giving an equivalent for any loss, damage or injury; indemnification.

He restitution to the value makes.

3. The act of recovering a former state or posture. [Unusual.]

Restitution of all things, the putting the world in a holy and happy state. Acts 3.

To top it all off, we have this from Thayer's Greek Lexicon -- the restoration not only of the true theocracy but also of that more perfect state of (even physical) things which existed before the fall, Acts iii.21

This would be great material for a top-notch sermon. The idea of everything being restored to its pristine state before the fall is a cause for great joy. BUT....is this really what the text is saying? The Peshitta emphasizes "fullness of the times of all (these) things that God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets of old" (Paul Younan's translation). Payne-Smith's Compendious Dictionary backs up Paul's translation by connecting "fulness" with "times" instead of "restoration" with "things" as the Greek does.

By the way, this gibes with Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, having come into being out of a woman, having come under Law,......

And also with Eph 1:10 -- for the administration of the fullness of the times to head up all things in Christ, both the things in the heavens, and the things on earth, in Him,

It looks like two different worlds from where I'm sitting -- "restoration of all things" from the Greek camp versus "fulness of the times" from Aramaic.

If you need sermon material regarding how beautiful everything is going to be in the New Heavens and the New Earth, PLEASE use Isaiah 65:17 & 66:22 as well as 2nd Peter 3:13 and Rev. 21:1. <!-- s:biggrin: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/biggrin.gif" alt=":biggrin:" title="Big Grin" /><!-- s:biggrin: -->

Shlama w'Burkate, Brother Larry

[BrotherLarry]

Shlama l'Khulkhon,

The Greek text of this verse deals more with "Universal Renovation" while the Peshitta utilizes the perspective of "Prophetic Fulfillment"!! Pretty different, huh? <!-- s:whatthat: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/whatsthat.gif" alt=":whatthat:" title="Whats That" /><!-- s:whatthat: --> <!-- shocked: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/shocked.gif" alt="hocked:" title="Shocked" /><!-- shocked: --> <!-- s:eh: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/eh.gif" alt=":eh:" title="Eh" /><!-- s:eh: -->

[rramlow]

Thanks for the comments. One of the groups with which I regularly deal leans pretty heavily on this line, "restoration of all things"... they went all sorts of strange places with that. I never was comfortable with how they stretched the sense right out of that snippet.

So imagine my satisfaction when, in the course of learning about the Peshitta, I discovered the contrast you have also highlighted here. Any time I find a way to narrow the routes available to theological nuttiness I am pleased. <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/happy.gif" alt="" title="Happy" /><!-- s -->

[distazo]

Hi,

When I did some research on this issue, I found the same issue in Romans 11:12. Lamsa has 'restoration' while Etheridge and Murduc have 'fullness/completeness'.

Payne Smith does not list 'restoration' as a possible translation. Could it be that this word 'shulaylanhun' simply can be misread?

[BrotherLarry]

Hi distazo,

Didn't you mean Acts 3:21 instead of Romans 3:21? Lamsa has "fulfilled" and not "restoration" for this verse.

"Whom heaven must receive until all the things which God has spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets since the world began should be fulfilled." [Lamsa]

Brother Larry

[distazo]

I meant Romans 11:12 <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->

[BrotherLarry]

I meant Romans 11:12 <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->

Shlama distazo,

"Fullness" or "completeness" seems to be the idea carried over in the Aramaic word. Being "restored" to their original preeminence is implied somewhat but goes even further in the sense that the "fulness" of blessing is yet to come when the Jewish people accept Yeshua as the promised Messiah.

Bro. Larry

[BrotherLarry]

Thanks for the comments. One of the groups with which I regularly deal leans pretty heavily on this line, "restoration of all things"... they went all sorts of strange places with that. I never was comfortable with how they stretched the sense right out of that snippet.

So imagine my satisfaction when, in the course of learning about the Peshitta, I discovered the contrast you have also highlighted here. Any time I find a way to narrow the routes available to theological nuttiness I am pleased. <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/happy.gif" alt="" title="Happy" /><!-- s -->

Shlama "rramlow",

I'm very impressed with the restorational movements overall. Bishop Bill Hamon's Network of Prophetic Churches being a case in point. I've heard of the five-fold ministry of Ephesians 4:11 being treated as the "hand ministry" because the hands minister to the whole body (e. g. when we eat, clothe ourselves, etc.). The human body being compared to "the Body of Christ" (the worldwide Church). I'm wondering if Bill Hamon's views on a future "Mighty Saints Movement" are well-founded. That would bring us not only to "restoration" but way beyond to a "fulness" expressed by the Prophet Joel who told us "your sons and daughters will prophesy". Notice that he DIDN'T SAY "IF" they were from families of prophets, apostles, evangelists, etc., or anything that would indicate prominence of any kind but that people (regardless of status) would prophesy, have visions, dreams, etc. Just "thinking out loud" brother. <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->

Peace and Blessings, Bro. Larry

[Jerry]

Grammatically, (Muw:LoYo-) would be a noun derived from the pael verb (MaLiY), which is commonly translated as "fulfill". So the logical derivation for the noun would be "fulfillment". If so, in Acts 3:21, it would read as "... until to-the-fulfillment of-the-times ..."

Which I think is consistent with the "fullness" or "completeness" aspects expressed previously.

[visionary]

Restoration is the moment when things come full circle and back to original position. Fulfillment is the arrival at the intended goal and not necessarily a restoration as in a straight line of going from point A to point B. If it is fulfillment and restoration then it is a point of arrival back at the beginning. If that is the conclusion of this discussion, then everything needs to be aligned with the Garden of Eden view point in mind, rather than a Mount Sinai moment.

[Paul Younan]

Very good post Akhan Visionary. The viewpoint of the restoration to the garden of Eden is, in fact, a central theme in CoE patristics. Especially in the writings of Mar Ephrem. He saw the culmination of God's plan of salvation as the restoration of our human nature to its former glory and purpose.

[Thirdwoe]

:

Brothers,

I came across this comment by Barnes...which deals with this verse in the Greek version. Look at the 2nd paragraph.

"The times of the restitution of all things - The noun rendered "restitution", does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. The verb from which it is derived occurs eight times. It means properly "to restore a thing to its former situation," as restoring a "strained" or "dislocated" limb to its former soundness. Hence, it is used to restore, or to heal, in the New Testament: Matthew 12:13, "And it (the hand) was restored whole as the other"; Mark 3:5; Luke 6:10. And hence, it is applied to the preparation or fitness for the coming of the Messiah which was to attend the preaching of John in the character of Elias, Matthew 17:11; Mark 9:12. Thus, in Josephus (Antiq., Mark 2:3, Mark 2:8), the word is used to denote the return of the Jews from the captivity of Babylon, and their restoration to their former state and privileges.

The word has also the idea of "consummation, completion, or filling up." Thus, it is used in Philo, Hesychius, Phavorinus, and by the Greek Classics. (See Lightfoot and Kuinoel.) Thus, it is used here by the Syriac: "Until the complement or filling up of the times"; that is, of all the events foretold by the prophets, etc. Thus, the Arabic: "Until the times which shall establish the perfection or completion of all the predictions of the prophets," etc. In this sense the passage means that the heavens must receive the Lord Jesus until all things spoken by the prophets in relation to his work, his reign, the spread of the gospel, the triumph of religion, etc., shall have been fulfilled. It also conveys the idea of the predicted recovery of the world from sin, and the restoration of peace and order; the consummation of the work of the Messiah, now begun, but not yet complete; slow it may be in its advances, but triumphant and certain in its progress and its close."

Shlama,
Chuck