A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind: Study 12

The Gospel Age part 2: “The Promise of the Restitution of All Things”

Acts 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Acts 3:21 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.

In our last study, we considered the topic of justification by faith as a new concept made valid at the beginning of the Gospel Age. However, as we touched on in our last study, one of the requirements for obtaining this type of righteousness in view of God’s justice, this justification by faith, is, by very definition of the term, faith. We discussed how those seeking this type of righteousness will display faith enough in Jesus to obey his commands; chief of which is to love God with all our hearts as well as to love others as ourselves. We discussed that this faith, if truly felt, causes, in some at least, a desire to follow Jesus’s example of serving God and serving others at the expense of worldly respect, wealth and ambition. Lastly, we discussed how God’s justice is unchanging; God’s justice demanded perfect obedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God’s justice demanded perfect obedience of the nation of Israel to the law He gave them; God’s justice demands perfect obedience to us today. We discussed how an aspect of justification by faith is having faith enough in Jesus’s promise to act as an advocate on our behalf, in front of God’s requirement of perfect obedience when, try as we might, we fail to perfectly execute our commitment.

Taking a step back and considering the concept of justification by faith in relationship to the entirety of mankind, a fairly significant observation may be made. It seems as if, for justification by faith to be applicable as we have outlined, a knowledge of, and faith in, Jesus is essential. This may seem, at first, to be out of harmony with the understanding that God’s plan is a plan for all of mankind; beginning with Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and continuing down through all the ages and centuries to the present day and beyond. Those who have had an opportunity to know of Jesus’s role in God’s plan, and further, those who understand and appreciate that role to the point of having faith enough in that plan to commit their lives to it, seems to be a very small percentage of the whole of mankind. What of all the people who lived prior to Jesus’s time who neither knew God Himself, let alone his son, living, as they did, in a time prior to Jesus’s time on earth? What of all the people of the nation of Israel who had an opportunity for justification – righteousness – which would in turn lead to life, by keeping God’s law, but due to their human imperfections were unable to do so? What of all the people today who worship different gods, or even the one true God, but do not recognize His son? What of all the people in the past and today who know of God and his son, but do not follow the example of His son to the point of developing sufficient faith to follow the example left by Jesus? If justification means righteousness, and righteousness in terms of God’s justice is the only means to attain and maintain continued life, does this mean there is no hope for this majority of mankind?

These very questions have been the cause of many disagreements among Christians over the centuries, who perhaps genuinely want to believe in God but have difficulty reconciling some of the implications of these questions. They have also been used by non-Christians and non-believers in God as an attempt to discredit the Bible as contradictory. Over the course of the studies in God’s plan for mankind, we have attempted to demonstrate the exact opposite; that the entirety of the scriptural record is in complete and beautiful harmony, and is a brilliant testimony to God’s love for us, His creation that He created in His image. Throughout the course of the studies pertaining to the Gospel Age, we will endeavor to show that, through scriptural witness, the answers to these seemingly difficult questions are surprisingly and wonderfully clear.

Let us begin by considering one of the fundamental themes in the above questions – if “justification by faith” is not a concept that applies to the whole of the human race, do the scriptures offer any insight or hope as to the ultimate fate of the humanity as a whole? To begin our examination of this question, let us examine again the scriptures quoted at the beginning of this study:

Acts 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Acts 3:21 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.

These words, spoken by the Apostle Peter (we will examine the context in which Peter said these words later in the study), seem to carry with them four main thoughts: first, there will be a “time of restitution”; second, this “time of restitution” will apply to “all things”; third, Jesus has a connection to these “times of restitution”; and fourth, God has been straightforward in communicating the concepts of both Jesus and these “times of restitution” in His prophecies given to mankind. Since Peter’s words seem applicable to a wider range of recipients than just those who are seeking “justification by faith”, these scriptures seem to be an applicable entry point for our study.

The word “restitution” in verse 21 is a very interesting word. It is Strong’s Greek word 605, and is derived from Strong’s Greek word 600, which has the meaning of “to reconstitute (in health, home or organization) – restore (again)”. In the definition for Greek word 600, Strong’s Concordance also makes a very interesting note – that word 600 is in turn derived from two other Greek words – word 575, which carries the definition of “away…it usually denotes separation, departure, cessation, completion, reversal”, and word 2525, which carries the meaning of “appoint, be, conduct, make, ordain, set”. From all of these definitions, the term “restitution” as used in this verse seems to carry with it the thought of a reversal of something that was once ordained or set; and in addition, carries the thought that the reversal includes the positive thought of restoration; something that was once possessed and lost is regained, and that regaining has a positive effect upon the recipient.

A cursory glance at Strong’s entry for “restitution” reveals that it is only used six times in the whole Bible – five times in the Old Testament, and only once in the New Testament, as part of the Acts 3:21 verse under examination. Four of the Old Testament occurrences are found in the book of Exodus, and deal with specifications in God’s law to the descendants of Israel regarding individuals making “restitution” to others that have been wronged. The fifth occurrence is from the book of Job, and again carries the thought of recompense for a loss as opposed to a positive restoration. The one occurrence of Strong’s Greek word 605 in Acts 3:21 is in fact the only occurrence of word 605 in the New Testament.

In order to gain a little more insight into this word that is only used once in the New Testament, it may be helpful to consider occurrences of Strong’s Greek word 600, from which 605 is derived. Word 600 has a total of eight occurrences in the New Testament:

In this passage, we see word 600 translated as “restored”. Note the context – in this account Jesus is healing a man’s hand. “Restored” is used to refer to a return to a previous state of healthiness.

Here, word 600 is translated as the word “restore”. Note the similarity between verse 11 and Acts 3:21. These words in Matthew were spoken by Jesus himself to the disciples, after they witnessed Jesus talking to a vision of Moses and Elias (or, Elijah); both prophets and follower of God from the Old Testament. Although nothing in this account implies a return to, or restoration of, health or a better human condition, verse 11 does refer to the concept of “restore all things”, just as Acts 3:21 refers to the “restitution of all things”. Although the visions of Moses and Elijah are mostly thought to have a specific meaning, note that in the Matthew account, two of the Old Testament prophets are mentioned, and in Acts 3:21 a specific mention of “the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began” is made.

This is a recounting of Jesus’s healing of the man’s withered hand that we previously examined in Matthew 12. As such, word 600 is again translated as “restored”, and refers to a return to a previous period of health and vitality that was lost.

In this account, Jesus heals the eyes of a blind man, and word 600 is translated as “restored”. The word “restored” again refers to the restoration of health, in this case, the man’s eyes. Even though we are not told how the man lost his sight, or even if he was blind since birth, the word “restore” refers to the man’s eyes returning to a state of health such that he could see “every man clearly”.

This account is Mark’s telling of the same events previously examined in Matthew 17. Remember that in these accounts, some of Jesus’s disciples witness a vision of Jesus talking to visions of Moses and Elijah. In addition to the comments previously made on Matthew 17, notice the additional detail that Mark adds regarding a discussion that the apostles had among themselves. The apostles picked up on Jesus’s words about “the Son of man were risen from the dead”, and began discussing what that might actually mean. Note that this adds the idea of “rising from the dead” in the same discussion and context in which Jesus refers to “restoreth all things”.

In these scriptures, Luke recounts the same event where Jesus healed the man’s withered hand. Thus we see word 600 again translated as “restored”, referring to a return of the man’s hand to a healthy condition.

This encounter sees the apostles asking questions of Jesus, after his resurrection and shortly before his ascension to a glorified spiritual state. Here, word 600 is translated as “restore” and refers to a return to a vital and positive state for the kingdom of Israel, as opposed to a return to a state of health for an individual. However, keep in mind the idea of restoration of Israel; we will refer back to this concept soon. Something prompted the apostles to have an expectation of Israel’s “restoration”, to the point that they spent some of their precious little time with their returned master asking this question.

In these verses, Paul asks the recipients of his letter to pray for him, that he might be “restored” to them. Paul was evidently separated by his brethren who were to receive his letter, perhaps even in prison, and wanted to be returned to a previous state of being with them. Although word 600, translated as “restored” in this occurrence does not carry the thought of a return to health, or a return of a previous, greater state to the nation of Israel, it is interesting, though, that in the very next verse, Paul refers to Jesus bringing brought forth from the dead.

In these scriptures and accounts, three common themes seem to emerge. First, the concept of “restoration” seems to be connected with an idea of a return to a state of health or betterment of being that was once possessed, but lost. Second, in many of these verses, there seems to be some connection with the Old Testament prophets and their prophecies. Third, there seems to be a theme of this “restoration” being more than just applying to a single individual; sometimes the “restoration” refers to the entire nation of Israel, and sometimes more globally to “all things.”

The word “things” in Acts 3:21 is unfortunately not a very descriptive term. Even Strong’s Concordance reveals little about the intended meaning of the word; Strong’s Greek word 5023, here translated “things” seems to be as generic a term in Greek as it is in English. Given this, is there any way to determine what “the restitution of all things” may actually mean?

In order to answer this question, let us first examine the context of Acts 3:20-21. Acts chapter 3 opens with the apostles Peter and John traveling to the temple to pray. During their visit, they encounter a man who, in verse two, is described as “lame” since birth. As they enter the temple, the man asks Peter and John for “an alms.” Something about the man obviously touched both Peter and John because they both give the main their attention. Verses 6-8 then describe Peter responding to the man that he cannot give the man alms of silver or gold, but can offer a gift of health. He then proceeds to heal the man “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth”. The man, now healed, not only walks, but leaps and loudly proclaims praises to God. The entire event catches the attention of the surrounding people, who begin to question Peter and John. Peter then begins to outline God’s sending of his son, who, as Peter describes in verses 14 and 15 that the nation of Israel as a whole, did not accept and even facilitated his death. Peter criticizes the listeners for this, especially in light of the miracle that was just performed in Jesus’s name, and urges them to reconsider their nonacceptance of Jesus. In verse 19, Peter refers to a “time of refreshing” that “shall come from the presence of the Lord”, and then again, in verse 21, Peter speaks of “the times of restitution.”

The context, then, of Acts 3:21 portrays a restoring, or restitution of health, in this case, the restoration of the ability to walk to a man born without that ability, through the name of Jesus. Given this context, as well as, as we have seen, so many uses of the Greek words translated “restitution” in verse 21 also refer to, or are surrounded by, instances of people regaining a state of physical health, is there a scriptural basis for relating the idea of “the times of restitution of all things” to an idea that “all things” refers “all mankind” and that “restitution” refers to a time of people regaining a state of health from all sicknesses and afflictions, including the most dramatic and final of afflictions, death?

In our very first study in God’s plan for mankind, we examined God’s creation of mankind. This account, outlined in the very first chapter of Genesis, specifies that God created mankind in His image:

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Notice that although Genesis outlines the creation of “all things” by God, from the entirety of the universe to our own planet Earth, down to the plants and animals of that also populate the planet, the scriptures do not refer to any other creation as having been made in “the image” or “the likeness” of God. We proposed in that first study that this does not mean that God looks like us; as a spiritual being, indeed, as the greatest of all beings, it is really unknowable to any of the physical creation, including us what God may “look” like. Instead, the thought of being created in “the image” of God brings with it the thought of perfection. Mankind, as begun with the first man and woman Adam and Eve, was created perfect, because the image of perfection is surely perfection. Being created perfect, mankind, at that point, was free of all sickness, including the ultimate sickness of death.

Although created perfect, God also created mankind with the reasoning ability of free will. As such, it was possible for mankind to disobey God. Genesis chapter two outlines a commandment given to God, as well as outlining the simple outcome for disobedience:

Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

As the Genesis account continues, we see both Adam and Eve choosing to disobey God’s commandment and eat from the forbidden tree. Chapter three outlines God confronting Adam and Eve regarding their disobedience, followed by their removal from the garden that God had provided for them.

Since that time, each descendant of Adam and Eve, each member of mankind, has experienced sickness, physical and mental imperfections, and eventually the ultimate outcome of imperfection, which is death. Where once a perfect man and a perfect woman enjoyed a state of perfection, including perfect health and perfect life, that state was now lost. This introduction of imperfection due to disobedience is sometimes referred to as “the fall of man”, or simply “the fall”. From this perspective, there is, then, a certain symmetry from considering the condition of mental and physical illnesses, including the ultimate illness, death, as being countered or healed by a “restitution of all things.” Especially considering how many times the term restitution is used, either directly or as Greek word 600, as a description of a restoration of health and even in relationship to a recovery from death, it becomes, perhaps, easier to see the relationship between the two concepts.

What an incredible concept! The restoration, or restitution of the entire body of mankind; back to a state of perfect mental and physical health. Applying the concept of “all things” as including not only all manor of illnesses and imperfections, but to all mankind as well, applies the concept tracing back to all descendants of Adam and Eve, all the way back to its original two progenitors. Surely, though, if this was the thought, there would be mentions of is elsewhere in the Bible; and in fact, we do find such mentions in prophecy. Let us consider two such prophecies that have an applicability to the “restitution of all things.” The first of these prophecies is in the book of Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 47:1 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.
Ezekiel 47:2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
Ezekiel 47:3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
Ezekiel 47:4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
Ezekiel 47:5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
Ezekiel 47:6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.
Ezekiel 47:7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
Ezekiel 47:8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
Ezekiel 47:9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
Ezekiel 47:10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
Ezekiel 47:11 But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.
Ezekiel 47:12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

The book of Ezekiel contains many prophecies, many of which relate to the future of the nation of Israel. However, many of these prophecies also have a dual application to the whole of mankind in general. Although different branches of Christianity may interpret this prophecy differently let us consider a line of thought that may be applicable to the concept of “restitution of all things.”

Not surprisingly, considering it is one of the most abundant substances on the earth, water is used frequently throughout the Bible, both literally and symbolically. When used symbolically, it can be used with both positive and negative connotations, depending on the nature of the prophecy and the context of the usage of the water in question. One of the most significant positive symbolic uses of water is to represent truth; specifically the truth about God’s plan for mankind and His nature and character. Water can also be used to represent the blessings of life and health that are related to God’s goodness and blessings. When considering how health and life were lost to the human race as a result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, it is easy to connect the thought of water, as a symbol of life and health as a result of God’s truth and favor, with the thought of a “restitution of all things.”

Before moving on, let us consider some scriptures where water does seem to be connected, symbolically, with the thought of restitution and blessings:

Psalms 46:4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Almost startling, though, is the similarity between our quote from Ezekiel 47 and a prophecy given many years later and recorded in Revelation 22:

Revelation 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Revelation 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

Here, in Revelation 22, a future time of restitution is clearly being referred to. Note especially the line in verse three: “there shall be no more curse”. As we look around us today and see so many in the world still falling sick and all eventually falling victim to the ultimate sickness of death, clearly the “curse”, the punishment rendered against the human race for Adam and Eve’s original disobedience, is still operating in full force. However, Revelation 22, like the prophecy in Ezekiel 47, refers to a “river of life” proceeding out of “the throne of God and of the Lamb”. Notice that in Ezekiel 47:8, a reference is made to the river running into the sea, and that the sea is “healed” as a result of the waters that flow into it. If taken as a picture of blessings, truth and restored favor flowing as a river into a dead sea of humanity, some of which may have long passed into a state of death, how beautiful a picture of “the restitution of all things” can be envisioned. The harmony between the two prophecies in Ezekiel and in Revelation adds strength to the thought that, although there may be other valid interpretations of Ezekiel 47 as well, this interpretation, as it relates to “the restitution of all things” also has merit and is worthy of our consideration and faith.

A second extremely poignant and beautiful Old Testament prophecy regarding the “restitution of all things” is given by Isaiah:

Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Isaiah 35:2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.
Isaiah 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Isaiah 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Isaiah 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Isaiah 35:7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
Isaiah 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Isaiah 35:9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

We will return to this exact prophecy in future studies, and examine it in more detail; particularly the phrase in verse 10 which reads “the ransomed of the LORD shall return”, and still later, we will examine in greater detail the significance of the phrase in verse 8 that refers to “a highway” and “the way of holiness”; however, for the purposes of this study, it can be easily seen that the words in the prophecy are related to some future time of returned health. The description given here certainly does seem to echo the descriptions of the wonderful garden that God allowed Adam and Eve to live in, as well as echoing the thoughts of the perfect mental and physical health that they, created in the image of God, enjoyed. Truly, it is straightforward to see the connection of this prophecy in Isaiah to the concept of “the restitution of all things”.

Before closing, then, let us return to the questions asked at the beginning of this study; mainly by asking again the central question: if “justification by faith” is only applicable to a subsection of mankind, do the scriptures offer any hope for the vast majority of mankind, who, for whatever reason, are not, or were not, eligible for “justification by faith”? We have endeavored, in this study, to offer a brief overview of the harmonious answer that the scriptural record sings – a resounding and emphatic “yes”. God’s wonderful plan for mankind does indeed cover the whole of the human race, and gloriously promises a “restitution of all things”.

In this study, we examined the concept of “the restitution of all things”, a promise that may have been hinted at throughout the Old Testament, but which was brought truly into focus after Jesus’s death and throughout the Gospel Age in general. We reviewed, in depth, the Apostle Peter’s statement in Acts 3:19-21 concerning this promise. We considered how the use of the term “restitution” throughout the New Testament is generally associated with the concept of a return to a better condition of health or being. Further, we examined scriptural references that suggest that the term “all things” has a special applicability to mankind in general, and drew a relationship between the concept that God created mankind to be perfect, but to also have free will, and how that perfect state was lost as a result of the exercise of that free will in an act of disobedience to God’s commandments. This act, and loss of health and life, facilitates in mankind the need for a recovery to a previous state; a “restitution”. Lastly, we reviewed prophecies granted by God to some of the Old Testament prophets concerning restitution, and drew a conclusion that there was grounds to consider an applicability of these prophecies to the thought of “the restitution of all things”.

Due to the length of these considerations, we did not have an opportunity to consider one very important point – what changed at the beginning of the Gospel Age to facilitate a “restitution of all things?” Although we have briefly touched on the concept that the opportunity for this restitution was related to Jesus’s willing sacrifice of his own perfect life, we will examine this idea in full in the next study in this series. Following that study, we will propose a fourth study on the Gospel Age, in which we attempt to bring into focus the relationship between the implications of “justification by faith”, which we covered in our previous study, and the concept of “the restitution of all mankind”, which we covered in this study. We will propose a line of reasoning that shows that the scriptures are in complete harmony with respect to “justification by faith” seeming to refer to only a small number of the whole of mankind while “the restitution of all things” applies to all mankind. We will attempt to bring into sharp focus, as well, the implications of “justification by faith” to that small segment of mankind who finds it, and what the scriptures tell us about the wonderful and joyous outcome of those who achieve justification by faith. Lastly, we will consider how the rewards to those who have been justified by faith in no way nullify or invalidate the future “restitution of all things” to those who have not; which serves as a beautiful testimony to the love and wisdom of our God, who has all things and all people well in his loving hand.

Psalms 96:11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
Psalms 96:12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

Posts in the “God’s Plan for Mankind” Study

• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 1: In the Beginning
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 2: The World That Was
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 3: The Patriarchal Age part 1
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 4: The Patriarchal Age part 2
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 4a: Jacob’s Hip
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 5: The Jewish Age part 1: The Children of Israel
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 6: The Jewish Age part 2: Typical Justification and Life
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 7: The Jewish Age part 3: Judges, Kings and Prophecies
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 8 – The Jewish Age Harvest part 1: Prophecies Fulfilled
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 9 – The Jewish Age Harvest part 2: The Four Phases of Jesus’s Human and Post-Resurrection Existence
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 10 – Beginnings, Endings and Overlaps
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 11 – The Gospel Age part 1: Justification by Faith
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 12 – The Gospel Age part 2: The Promise of the Restitution of All Things
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 13 – The Gospel Age part 3: The Cost of Mankind’s Ransom
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 13a – The Gospel Age part 3a: Faith: The Work of a Lifetime
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 14 – The Gospel Age part 4: The High Calling
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 15 – The Gospel Age part 5: God’s Plan and the Permission of Evil
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 16 – The Gospel Age part 6: The Great Company
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 17 – The Gospel Age part 7: The Gospel Age in Summary
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 18 – The Gospel Age Harvest part 1: An Introduction to the Concept of the Harvest at the End of the Gospel Age
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 19 – The Gospel Age Harvest part 2: The Lord’s Return and Presence in the Gospel Age Harvest
• A Study in God’s Plan for Mankind – Study 20 – The Gospel Age Harvest part 3: The Completion of the Church Class

Further Readings and References

• Pastor Charles Russell offers a short reflection on the meaning of the phrase “all things” from Acts 3:21 in the article The Fall and the Restitution (R1240). This article also offers a very simple, yet strong suggestion that may help to strengthen the faith of those who may be struggling with reconciling the scientific record of the earth’s age with Biblical chronology. This article is highly recommended.
• Continuing on with recommendations from Pastor Russell, the article The River of Salvation (R2507-2508) provides several thought provoking observations on Ezekiel 47:1-12, which was briefly examined in this study. Further the short article Salvation Unto the End of the Earth (R541-542) outlines observations about Isaiah 35, also briefly examined in this study, as well as other scriptures dealing with the topic of the restitution of all mankind. Lastly, the simply named article Restitution (R541) offers several more scriptural references regarding the theme of restitution that add to many of the thoughts proposed in this study (Note: when following the links, scrolling down to find the beginning of each article referenced may be necessary)
• The booklet What is this World Coming To? examines many of the themes outlined in this and other studies, including the concepts of justification by faith and its implications to those who find it, the restitution of all mankind, and many more topics. This booklet is small enough that it can be used to give to others who may be interested in these topics, or in need of comfort or reassurance that God truly does have all things well in hand.
• The booklet God’s Grand Plan of the Ages provides a concise overview of God’s plan for mankind as put forth by the scriptures. The reader will find many references to the concepts covered in these studies, including justification by faith and the promise of the restitution of all things
• For a more scholarly overview of God’s plan for mankind, The Divine Plan of the Ages covers each section of God’s plan in great detail. Those interested in the concept of the restitution of all things may be particularly interested in study VI – “Our Lord’s Return – Its Object, The Restitution of All Things” and in study IX – “Ransom and Restitution”
• (Please note that although some of these links will take you to the Chicago Bible Students online bookstore, where physical copies of these books may be purchased, each of the books may also be downloaded from the store, free of charge, with no obligation to provide any personal information. Simply click under the description of each item to find the download link)