PROBLEMS OF THE SPIRITUAL. PART II.II.

II. I contend that the passage in Acts Hi. 21 v.—"The Times of the Restitution (or Restoration) of all things," will not bear the construction you put upon it. The "all" only means a limited "all." Thus, "Whom (Christ) the Heaven must, indeed, receive until the Times of the Restoration of all things of which things God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old." The "all" is limited by the words "of which." The passage then reads— "The Times of the Restoration of all things of which God spoke," i.e. not of a UNIVERSAL "all." Consequently, this passage does not support your view that Evil will not be everlasting.

I will pass over, in this place, the consideration of the impossibility of reconciling the thought of the everlasting continuance of Evil with the thought that God is loving, merciful, opposed to sin, and almighty. The idea is as inconsistent as would be the idea that the light of the sun is powerless to dispel the shadows of night, or that the waters of the ocean could not extinguish a blazing fire.

We are shut up to one of two conclusions; either that there will be a Restoration of all things to God (which excludes the idea of perpetuated Evil); or that Evil will be everlasting, in spite of God hating it, and being almighty.

The Questioner's point is, that the passage quoted above implies that not all, but only some, will be finally restored. "The 'all' is limited by the words 'of which,' " he states. But why may not the words "of which" refer to "the Times"? The passage would then read—"The Times of the Restoration of all, of which (Times) God spake, etc." If the statement was only intended to convey the meaning that the Restoration will include some, why, unnecessarily and misleadingly, use the word "all"?

The Questioner's interpretation reduces the significance of the verse to this—the Restoration of certain particular things of which God spake.

The Greek Of the passage

has been rendered in the Revised Version, as, "The Times of Restoration of all things, whereof God spake." The question, however, of what is the true meaning is set at rest by other Biblical statements, which define what shall be the character of that "Restoration" of those Times to which the Apostle referred.

Isaiah writes—"By Myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear" (Is. xlv. 23 v.).

Our Lord said—"Elijah indeed cometh, and shall restore all things" (Matt. xvii. 11 v.).

St. Paul wrote—"The creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God" (Rom. viii. 21 v.). In the next verse, he defines what he means by "creation"; he uses the phrase "the whole creation."

If the contention of the Questioner be right, these statements of Isaiah, our Lord and St. Paul must be labelled as extravagant and untrue. None can remain finally unrestored, if every knee is to bow to God, and every tongue is to swear to Him, and the whole creation is to be delivered from the bondage of Corruption.