Acts 3:21
New International Version
Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

New Living Translation
For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets.

Berean Literal Bible
whom indeed it behooves heaven to receive until the times of restoration of all things, of which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from the age.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

New American Standard Bible
whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things, about which God spoke by the mouths of His holy prophets from ancient times.

NASB 1995
whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

NASB 1977
whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

Legacy Standard Bible
whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

Amplified Bible
whom heaven must keep until the time for the [complete] restoration of all things about which God promised through the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

Christian Standard Bible
Heaven must receive him until the time of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about through his holy prophets from the beginning.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Heaven must welcome Him until the times of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about by the mouth of His holy prophets from the beginning.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
But Jesus must stay in heaven until God makes all things new, just as his holy prophets promised long ago.

English Revised Version
whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world began.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Heaven must receive Jesus until the time when everything will be restored as God promised through his holy prophets long ago.

Good News Translation
He must remain in heaven until the time comes for all things to be made new, as God announced through his holy prophets of long ago.

International Standard Version
He must remain in heaven until the time of universal restitution, which God announced long ago through the voice of his holy prophets.

Majority Standard Bible
Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through all His holy prophets.

NET Bible
This one heaven must receive until the time all things are restored, which God declared from times long ago through his holy prophets.

New Heart English Bible
whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Weymouth New Testament
Heaven must receive Him until those times of which God has spoken from the earliest ages through the lips of His holy Prophets--the times of the reconstitution of all things.

World English Bible
whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
whom Heaven required, indeed, to receive until times of a restitution of all things, of which God spoke through the mouth of all His holy prophets from the age.

Berean Literal Bible
whom indeed it behooves heaven to receive until the times of restoration of all things, of which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from the age.

Young's Literal Translation
whom it behoveth heaven, indeed, to receive till times of a restitution of all things, of which God spake through the mouth of all His holy prophets from the age.

Smith's Literal Translation
Whom heaven must truly receive till time of restoration of all which God spake by the mouth of all his holy prophets from forever.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Whom heaven indeed must receive, until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets, from the beginning of the world.

Catholic Public Domain Version
whom heaven certainly must take up, until the time of the restoration of all things, which God has spoken of by the mouth of his holy prophets, from ages past.

New American Bible
whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.

New Revised Standard Version
who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Whom the heaven must receive until all the things which God has spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets, since the world began should be fulfilled.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Whom Heaven must receive until the end times of all those things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his Holy Prophets, who were from ancient times.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
whom heaven must retain, till the time for restoring all things that God has spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets of ancient times.

Godbey New Testament
whom it behooves heaven indeed to receive until the times of the restitution of all things which God spoke through the mouth of all his prophets from the beginning.

Haweis New Testament
whom the heaven indeed must receive, until the times of restoration of all things, which God hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy prophets from the beginning of the world.

Mace New Testament
but must reside in heaven, till the time of the restitution of all things, of which God has spoken from the beginning by the mouth of his holy prophets.

Weymouth New Testament
Heaven must receive Him until those times of which God has spoken from the earliest ages through the lips of His holy Prophets--the times of the reconstitution of all things.

Worrell New Testament
Whom Heaven must retain, until the times of restoration of all things of which God spake through the mouth of all His holy prophets from the beginning.

Worsley New Testament
whom heaven must indeed receive till the times of settling all things, of which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets from the beginning.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Peter Speaks in Solomon's Colonnade
20that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you. 21Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets. 22For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you.…

Cross References
Matthew 17:11
Jesus replied, “Elijah does indeed come, and he will restore all things.

Romans 8:21-23
that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. / We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. / Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Ephesians 1:9-10
And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ / as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.

Colossians 1:19-20
For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, / and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

Revelation 21:1-5
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. / I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. / And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ...

Isaiah 65:17
For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

Isaiah 66:22
“For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so your descendants and your name will endure.

2 Peter 3:13
But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

Revelation 11:15
Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

1 Corinthians 15:24-28
Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. / For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. / The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ...

Hebrews 9:28
so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.

1 Peter 1:10-12
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who foretold the grace to come to you searched and investigated carefully, / trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. / It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Daniel 7:13-14
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. / And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Isaiah 11:6-9
The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them. / The cow will graze with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. / The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest. ...

Isaiah 9:6-7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. / Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.


Treasury of Scripture

Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

the heaven.

Acts 1:11
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

the times.

Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Isaiah 1:26
And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellers as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

Malachi 3:3,4
And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness…

holy.

Acts 10:43
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Luke 1:70
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

2 Peter 1:21
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Jump to Previous
Ages Ago Ancient Earliest Establishing Heaven Holy Indeed Kept Mouth Period Prophets Receive Restitution Restoration Restore Restoring Right Time Times Whereof Word World
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Ages Ago Ancient Earliest Establishing Heaven Holy Indeed Kept Mouth Period Prophets Receive Restitution Restoration Restore Restoring Right Time Times Whereof Word World
Acts 3
1. Peter preaching to the people that came to see a lame man restored to his feet,
12. professes the cure to have been wrought by God, and his son Jesus;
13. withal reprehending them for crucifying Jesus;
17. which because they did it through ignorance,
18. and that thereby were fulfilled God's determinate counsel, and the Scriptures,
19. he exhorts them by repentance and faith to seek remission of their sins through Jesus.














Heaven must take Him in
This phrase refers to the ascension of Jesus Christ, where "Heaven" is understood as the dwelling place of God. The Greek word for "heaven" is "ouranos," which can mean the sky or the abode of God. Theologically, this signifies Jesus' exaltation and His current reign at the right hand of the Father. The phrase "must take Him in" implies a divine necessity, indicating that Jesus' ascension was part of God's sovereign plan. This reflects the belief that Jesus' physical presence is currently in heaven, affirming His divine nature and the completion of His earthly mission.

until the time comes
The word "until" (Greek: "achri") suggests a temporary state, indicating that Jesus' stay in heaven is not permanent but will last until a specific time. This points to the eschatological hope in Christian theology, where believers anticipate a future event. The "time" (Greek: "chronos") refers to a divinely appointed period, emphasizing God's control over history and His unfolding plan for humanity.

for the restoration of all things
The term "restoration" (Greek: "apokatastasis") means to restore to a former state or to bring back to a condition of perfection. This phrase encapsulates the Christian hope for the renewal of creation, where all things will be made right. It reflects the biblical narrative of redemption, where the effects of sin and the fall will be reversed. This restoration is comprehensive, affecting all of creation, and is a central theme in prophetic literature.

which God announced long ago
This phrase underscores the continuity of God's plan throughout history. The Greek word for "announced" (Greek: "laleo") means to speak or proclaim. It highlights the prophetic tradition in the Old Testament, where God revealed His redemptive purposes through His prophets. This continuity assures believers of the reliability and faithfulness of God's promises.

through His holy prophets
The "holy prophets" refer to the Old Testament prophets who were set apart (Greek: "hagios" meaning holy or consecrated) to deliver God's messages. This phrase emphasizes the sacred role of the prophets as God's mouthpieces. The prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, foretold the coming of the Messiah and the ultimate restoration of creation. This prophetic witness provides a foundation for the New Testament understanding of Jesus' mission and the future hope of restoration.

(21) Whom the heaven must receive.--The words have a pregnant force: "must receive and keep."

Until the times of restitution of all things.--The "times" seem distinguished from the "seasons" as more permanent. This is the only passage in which the word translated "restitution" is found in the New Testament; nor is it found in the LXX. version of the Old. Etymologically, it conveys the thought of restoration to an earlier and better state, rather than that of simple consummation or completion, which the immediate context seems, in some measure, to suggest. It finds an interesting parallel in the "new heavens and new earth"--involving, as they do, a restoration of all things to their true order--of 2Peter 3:13. It does not necessarily involve, as some have thought, the final salvation of all men, but it does express the idea of a state in which "righteousness," and not "sin," shall have dominion over a redeemed and new created world; and that idea suggests a wider hope as to the possibilities of growth in wisdom and holiness, or even of repentance and conversion, in the unseen world than that with which Christendom has too often been content. The corresponding verb is found in the words, "Elias truly shall come first, and restore all things" (see Note on Matthew 17:11); and St. Peter's words may well be looked on as an echo of that teaching, and so as an undesigned coincidence testifying to the truth of St. Matthew's record.

Which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets.--The relative, if we take the meaning given above, must be referred to the "times," not to "things." The words, compared with 2Peter 1:21, are, as it were, the utterance of a profound dogmatic truth. The prophets spake as "they were moved by the Holy Ghost"; but He who spake by them was nothing less than God.

Since the world began.--Literally, from the age--i.e., from its earliest point. The words take in the promises to Adam (Genesis 3:15) and Abraham (Genesis 22:18). See Note on Luke 1:70, of which St. Peter's words are as an echo. . . .

Verse 21. - Restoration for restitution, A.V.; whereof for which, A.V.; spake for hath spoken, A.V.; his for all his, A.V. and T.R. Whom the heaven must receive. This is clearly right, not as some render it, who must occupy heaven. The aorist δέξασθαι seems to point to the moment when, at the Ascension, he was carried up into heaven (Luke 24:51). The restoration of all things (ἀποκαταστάσεως πάντων). This must be the same operation as our Lord speaks of in Matthew 17:11: "Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things (ἀποκαταστήσει πάντα) ;" and from the words of Malachi (Malachi 4:5, 6) it would seem to be a moral or spiritual restoration preparatory to the coming of the Lord. If so, the time of restoration is not exactly synchronous with the times of refreshing, but preparatory to them; preparatory, too, to that restoration of the kingdom to Israel of which the apostles spake to the Lord (Acts 1:6). Probably, however, St. Peter includes in his view the immediately following times of" the presence of the Lord," just as in St. Mark (Mark 1:1) the preparatory mission of John the Baptist is included in the phrase, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ." Whereof God spake. The antecedent to "whereof" is "the times" (ver. 24).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Heaven
οὐρανὸν (ouranon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel.

must
δεῖ (dei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1163: Third person singular active present of deo; also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is Necessary.

take Him in
δέξασθαι (dexasthai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle
Strong's 1209: To take, receive, accept, welcome. Middle voice of a primary verb; to receive.

until
ἄχρι (achri)
Preposition
Strong's 891: As far as, up to, until, during. Or achris akh'-rece; akin to akron; until or up to.

[the] time [comes]
χρόνων (chronōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 5550: A space of time or interval; by extension, an individual opportunity; by implication, delay.

for [the] restoration
ἀποκαταστάσεως (apokatastaseōs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 605: Restitution, reestablishment, restoration. From apokathistemi; reconstitution.

of all things,
πάντων (pantōn)
Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

which
ὧν (hōn)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

God
Θεὸς (Theos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

announced
ἐλάλησεν (elalēsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

long ago
αἰῶνος (aiōnos)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 165: From the same as aei; properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity; by implication, the world; specially a Messianic period.

through
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

holy
ἁγίων (hagiōn)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.

prophets.
προφητῶν (prophētōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 4396: From a compound of pro and phemi; a foreteller; by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet.


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NT Apostles: Acts 3:21 Whom heaven must receive until the times (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 3:20
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