Times of Restitution by Eld. R. F. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 27, 1882

Times of Restitution.

By Eld. R. F. Cottrell

BY ELD. R. F. COTTRELL.

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

God has promised by his prophets a restitution or restoration of certain things. Some loss has been sustained; otherwise a restitution would not be necessary. Nothing can be restored that has not been impaired or suffered loss. When sin entered the world a curse came upon man, and also upon the earth.

I do not speak of man's moral loss—the loss of innocence; and how that loss is to be restored—his state of innocence regained. That is not the subject of the text. The text speaks of the restitution of things to take place when Jesus returns from Heaven, where he now is; and if we do not obtain pardon before that event, no restoration is promised us. Holiness is not then to be conferred; for it is said, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:11, 12.

Thus the doctrine of a future "universal restoration" of all men to a state of holiness falls to the ground. It is not only not included among the "things which God has spoken" by his prophets, but prophecy positively informs us that no such change will take place after the advent; that as men are morally when the advent is at hand, so they must remain by the unchanging decree of the Omnipotent; and that Christ comes to give rewards according to men's works. The day of their labor is past, and the time is come for each to receive reward for what he has done.

What then is the future restitution which God has promised? It is a restitution from the effects of the curse; and the justified alone have the promise of sharing in its blessings.

In respect to man, the curse brought upon him wearisome labor, sorrow, pain, and death. It resulted in the loss of all things, even life itself. The restitution which God has promised will restore him to life—a life free from pain and sorrow. It will give him back all that was lost through sin, as its penalty or punishment. But, as we said, he must, before the restitution, be made free from sin itself, through the efficacy of the redemption by Jesus Christ, or he has no promise of the restitution.

In respect to the earth, its beauty was marred, its fertility decreased, barrenness in some places, and thorns and briars in others, have taken the place of its rich and luxuriant productions, and the garden of God and the tree of life have been removed from it. The restitution will bring back all these things, so that man, redeemed, will again be brought into possession of all that he lost.

I need not refer to the particular passages of Scripture which promise these things. Suffice it to say, all those passages which promise the resurrection of the righteous, the beauty, fertility, and loveliness of the renovated earth, when the "desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose," and the Paradise of God on the earth with the river and tree of life, constitute what God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began.

We learn from the text that the times of restitution commence when Jesus leaves the Heaven; for he is received or retained there until those times come.

When the Lord Jesus himself descends from Heaven to earth, the dead in Christ shall rise. The "first resurrection" will restore man to life and joy forever. The restitution having commenced by the resurrection of the "blessed and holy," they will reign with Christ a thousand years. Then will be fulfilled the promise of Christ to the twelve apostles: "Ye, which have followed me, in the regeneration (at the renovation, Campbell,) when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matt. 19:28. Says the Revelation, "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; . . . . and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Chap. 20:4.

When will the earth be restored? Not before the burning day—the day in which its elements shall melt with fervent heat. This will not take place till the wicked are raised from the dead to receive their punishment in the lake of fire; for the earth is "reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men," 2 Pet. 3:7. The wicked are not raised and punished till a thousand years after the resurrection of the saints. "The rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished." Rev. 20:5.

Thus the earth, groaning under the curse, is broken down and desolated of its wicked inhabitants at the end of six thousand years, and, at the end of the seventh thousand, it passes through the fire which devours the wicked. Then comes the closing work of the restitution. The new heavens and earth appear, the city of God, the New Jerusalem, comes down to earth, the fountain and tree of life are there, and then it is said, "There shall be no more curse." The restitution is completed. Not only has man been redeemed from death, but the earth also, his inheritance, is redeemed from the sad effects of the curse, and its possession restored to man—to all the family of the second Adam, "and they shall reign forever and ever."

Welcome, then, thrice welcome, the times of the glorious restitution! when our glorious Redeemer shall leave his place in Heaven, where he now pleads before the throne of mercy, and enter upon the work foretold by all the holy prophets. The time is near. Who will share in the restitution? Hasten to prepare.