APOKATASTASIS

NOTE: There is both an audio and video expansion of this article.

One word, one time, for one great purpose has caused much consternation in the Body of Christ.

This is a Greek word which is found only one time in the NT and is never used in the LXX translation of the OT. Its root comes from a word meaning to restore, which is only used eight times in the NT, but is found 32 times in the LXX.

Apokatastasis is used in the translation of Peter’s sermon which he gave after the healing of the lame man at the temple gate.

(Jesus) whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things
about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
Act 3:21

This word, though found only this once in all of the Bible, enjoyed great popularity until about the middle of the 6^th century and the decree of the Synod of Constantinople. This synod met in order to condemn the teachings of Origen as heresy.

Sounds awful, doesn’t it?

How do you think the great theologian Origen felt? Actually, he had no idea because he died in 253—300 years before he was condemned. It’s kind of strange to condemn someone’s teachings without them having the opportunity to defend themselves. Nonetheless, the condemnation took hold and has held majority opinion for almost 1500 years.

However, it was never completely dead and is enjoying a resurgence of popularity in the Western Church today.

Rob Bell’s book, “Love Wins” has stirred a great controversy among believers. He was pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in America until 2012 when his book was published and he had to resign as pastor of Mars Hill because of some of the things he wrote.

Something we should be aware of is the old proverb that states where there is smoke, there is fire. That translates to “the mob is generally wrong.”

The Eastern Church has for the most part maintained a belief in the teachings associated with apokatastasis, or the restoration of all things. The teachings are known by a variety of monikers such as Ultimate Reconciliation or Universalism.

I am not going to try to outline the concepts contained in the doctrine, because that would take too much time. If you want to know more about it, you can get my book titled “A Grace Primer” from Amazon.

Peter said there is coming a time in God’s economy when all will be restored. Our English translations say that all THINGS will be restored, but the word for “things” is not in the text. It is simply the word ‘all.’

ALL will be restored.

I would suggest what we will see is an unlimited restoration of all that has been degraded in the world. Can you agree with me that would be the entirety of creation since the Fall of Adam & Eve? Ever since their sin which brought disease, death and destruction into God’s creation, things have been declining from God’s original creation as good. Before their fall from grace, the world was in a state of pristine purity.

Paul tells us that will once again be the case for all of creation.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly,
but because of him who subjected it,
in hopethat the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption
and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
Rom 8:20-21

Peter’s statement also indicates that Jesus’ return will cause a restoration of all things to this pure condition. Could this be what John was seeing when he wrote—

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.
Rev 21:1

This verse seems to indicate something more than a mere restoration. It appears to be a complete replacement of the old with the new. However, since we are reading from a completely symbolic book, it is possible to see the idea of restoration contained within the idea of replacement.

The first indication of a coming restoration in the Bible is found in the Book of Genesis and the Garden of Eden.

He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim
and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
Gen 3:24

This has been an exciting verse for me for more than 30 years when I first discovered the meaning of “guard” as used here. The KJV uses the word ‘keep,’ which is more in line with the complete thought.

What I hear most often from people is that the flaming sword is meant to keep us out of the garden, but that is not what it says. The flaming sword is in the hands of the cherubim to make sure the way to the tree of life is preserved.

The way to the tree of life has not been lost due to Adam’s sin. It has been preserved.

The tree of life should be a familiar concept to most of us. It is a common phrase in the OT in Genesis and the Proverbs.

In the NT it is found only in the Book of Revelation in four verses, and only one of those refers to the tree in the garden.

To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life,
which is in the paradise of God.’
Rev 2:7b

This was written to the church at Ephesus. For those in that church who were able to overcome the problems associated with that church, they are promised to have access to the tree of life.

So, in the idea of restoration of all things, it appears that there is coming a time when mankind will once again have access to the tree of life which was his original position at creation.

There are other aspects of restoration which are mentioned or implied in the Bible, but I will only bring up one more. In the same way that there will be a new heavens and a new earth, there will also be a new covenant which God makes with us. It will have no similarity to the covenant the Jewish people became accustomed to through the perversion brought on by their leaders.

not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day
when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt,
my covenant that they broke,
though I was their husband, declares the LORD.
Jer 31:32

The new covenant will be different from the old in that it is no longer a contractual arrangement between two parties. The old covenant was built on the basis of “if you do this then I will do that.”

In order to facilitate the keeping of our end of the contract, we were told—Deut 6:6-9 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. Deut. 6:6 And then they are told HOW to make sure this happens.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deut. 6:7-9

Consider from this how much was required on the part of the people. It was up to them to ensure that the words of God were a part of their life. They had to talk about them, read them, study them, memorize the words of God in the covenant.

But the times of restoration is changing that. Understanding was being changed and brought to its true meaning when Jesus walked the earth. How often did He say,

“You have heard it said; but I say…”

Although Jesus brought about a greater clarity of understanding, it would seem that it is still up to the individual to learn these distinctions. The restoration of the covenant, though, renders that unnecessary.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,
declares the LORD:
I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.
And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jer 31:33

We have seen recently how it is impossible for us to measure up in our own strength to any aspect of God’s requirements. Without Him and His grace, we are completely undone and without hope. However, the result of the restoration, the glory of God returning everything to its original condition, will be that all of creation will once again know the Lord in a salvific way.

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying,
‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,
declares the LORD.
For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Jer 31:34

Are we there yet?

No.

Is it coming?

Yes, and that is more than an empty promise.

It is something we are witnessing around the world today as people are being restored to a right relationship to the Father free of all the rules, rigor and regulations that most of us have had to endure.

There is much to say about what the complete restoration will look like, but this verse sums it up for me and, hopefully, for you also.

When all things are subjected to him,
then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
1Co 15:28