Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 3:21

"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." — Acts 3:21 (ASV)

Whom the heaven must receive. The common belief of the Jews was that the Messiah would reign on the earth forever (John 12:34). On this account, they would object that Jesus could not be the Messiah, and therefore it became so important for the apostles to establish the fact that he had ascended to heaven. The evidence which they presented was the fact that they saw him ascend (Acts 1:9).

The meaning of the expression, "whom the heaven MUST receive," is that it was fit or proper—dei—that he should ascend. One reason for that fitness or propriety he himself stated in John 16:7 . It was also fit or expedient that he should do it, to direct the affairs of the universe for the welfare of the church (Ephesians 1:20–22), and that he should exercise there his office as a Priest in interceding for his people (1 John 2:1–2; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34 and following).

It is remarkable that Peter did not cite any passage of Scripture on this subject; but it was one of the points on which there was no clear revelation. Obscure intimations of it might be found in a psalm and Psalm 16 and following, but the fact that he should ascend to heaven was not made prominent in the Old Testament. The words, "whom the heaven must receive," also convey the idea of exaltation and power; and Peter doubtless intended to say that he was clothed with power, and exalted to honour in the presence of God. See Psalm 115:3; compare to 1 Peter 3:22, Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. .

Until. This word implies that he would then return to the earth, but it does not imply that he would not again ascend to heaven.

The times of restitution of all things. The noun translated restitution—apokatastaseōs—does not occur elsewhere 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, such as restoring a sprained or dislocated limb to its former soundness.

Therefore, it is used to restore, or to heal, in the New Testament. For example, in Matthew 12:13: And it (the hand) was restored whole, like as the other. (Luke 6:10). It is also applied to the preparation or fitness for the coming of the Messiah, which was to accompany the preaching of John in the character of Elijah (Matthew 17:11; Mark 9:12).

Thus in Josephus (Antiquities II.3.8), the word is used to denote the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity and their restoration to their former state and privileges. The word also has the idea of consummation, completion, or filling up. It is used in this way by Philo, Hesychius, Phavorinus, and the Greek classical writers.

(See Lightfoot and Kuinoel.) It is used in this sense here by the Syriac version: "Until the complement or filling up of the times;" that is, of all the events foretold by the prophets, etc. Similarly, the Arabic version states: "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 concerning his work, his reign, the spread of the gospel, the triumph of religion, etc., will 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 though it may be in its advances, it is triumphant and certain in its progress and its close.

All things. This refers to all things which have been foretold by the prophets. The expression is limited by the context to this; and, of course, it does not mean that all people will be saved, or that all the evils of sin can be repaired or remedied. This can never be, for the mischief is done and cannot be undone; but everything which the prophets have foretold will receive its completion and fulfillment.

Which God has spoken. This refers to what has been revealed and is recorded in the Old Testament.

Of all his holy prophets. This does not mean that each one of the prophets had spoken of these things, but that all that had been spoken by them would be fulfilled.

Since the world began. This expression means the same as from the beginning, affirming with emphasis that all the prophecies would be fulfilled. The apostles were eager to show that they, like the Jews, held entirely to the prophets and taught no doctrine that the prophets had not taught before them.