“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 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.”
(Acts 3:19–21)

 

Who Wrote It?

 

The book of Acts was written by Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:1–4; Acts 1:1). Luke records the continuation of God’s dealings with Israel following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, documenting events during this critical transitional period.

 

Who Was It Written To?

 

Peter is speaking directly to the nation of Israel, specifically Jewish men gathered at the temple in Jerusalem.

 

Acts 3:12 identifies the audience clearly:

 

“Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this?”

 

This is covenant Israel—not Gentiles and not the Body of Christ.

 

When Was It Spoken?

 

This occurs shortly after Pentecost, approximately A.D. 30–33, early in Acts.

 

This is still within God’s prophetic dealings with Israel and before the later revelation of the mystery given to Paul (Ephesians 3:1–9; Colossians 1:26).

 

“Retroactively forcing Paul’s gospel into Acts 3 undermines the integrity of Scripture. It ignores who Peter was speaking to, what was being offered, and the fact that the mystery of the Body of Christ had not yet been revealed.”

 

Immediate Context

 

Peter and John have just healed a lame man at the temple gate (Acts 3:1–10). This miracle 

draws a crowd of Jews in the temple.

 

Peter immediately connects the miracle to Israel’s Messiah:

 

Acts 3:13:

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob… has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied.”

 

This is covenant language, directly connecting Jesus to Israel’s promises.

 

Acts 3:19–21 is Peter’s call for national repentance in light of Israel’s rejection of their Messiah.

 

Phrase-by-Phrase Breakdown

 

“Repent therefore”

 

Repent means to change one’s mind.

 

Peter is calling Israel to change their mind about Jesus Christ, whom they rejected and crucified.

 

This is consistent with Acts 2:38 and Acts 5:31.

 

This repentance is connected to covenant restoration.

 

“and be converted”

 

Converted means to turn back or return.

 

This refers to Israel turning back to God in faith and recognizing Jesus as their Messiah.

 

This fulfills prophetic expectation:

 

Zechariah 12:10:

 

“They will look on Me whom they pierced.”

 

This is national repentance in view.

 

“that your sins may be blotted out”

 

Blotted out means completely erased.

 

This language comes directly from Old Testament covenant promises.

 

Isaiah 43:25:

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions.”

 

Jeremiah 31:34:

“I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

 

Peter is proclaiming fulfillment of these covenant promises.

 

“so that times of refreshing may come”

 

This refers to the promised kingdom.

 

This is not referring to personal spiritual refreshment, but to national restoration and kingdom blessing.

 

This connects directly to prophetic kingdom promises.

 

“from the presence of the Lord”

 

This refers to the visible, physical presence of Christ returning to establish His kingdom.

 

This aligns with prophetic expectation throughout the Old Testament.

 

“and that He may send Jesus Christ”

 

This is one of the most important phrases in Acts.

Peter is declaring that Israel’s repentance would result in Christ’s return.

This is kingdom offer language.

This is fully consistent with covenant prophecy.

 

“whom heaven must receive until”

 

Christ is currently in heaven.

His return is future and connected to prophetic fulfillment.

 

Psalm 110:1:

“Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

 

“the times of restoration of all things”

 

This refers to the restoration of Israel and the establishment of the kingdom.

 

This includes:

 

• restoration of Israel
• fulfillment of covenant promises
• Messiah’s earthly reign

 

This is prophetic kingdom language.

 

“which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began”

 

This is decisive.

Peter explicitly states that he is speaking about something:

spoken by the prophets since the world began.

This is not the mystery.

 

The mystery was:

 

“kept secret since the world began.”
(Romans 16:25)

 

Peter is proclaiming prophecy—not mystery.

 

What This Passage Clearly Teaches

 

Acts 3:19–21 clearly teaches:

 

• Peter is addressing Israel
• Israel is called to repent for rejecting their Messiah
•  National repentance is connected to kingdom restoration
• Christ’s return is linked to Israel’s prophetic restoration
• This fulfills Old Testament prophecy

 

This is covenant fulfillment being offered to Israel.

 

What This Passage Does NOT Teach

 

Acts 3:19–21 does NOT teach:

 

• the revelation of the Body of Christ
• justification by grace apart from the Law as later revealed by Paul
• the mystery hidden from previous ages
• Jew–Gentile equality in one body

 

Peter explicitly states this is prophetic, not mystery revelation.

 

Why This Passage Matters

 

Acts 3:19–21 is one of the clearest kingdom-offer passages in Scripture.

It demonstrates that early Acts remains fully grounded in Israel’s covenant program.

Peter is proclaiming the fulfillment of prophetic promises made long before.

Understanding this passage clarifies the progressive unfolding of God’s redemptive plan.

 

Doctrinal Summary

 

Acts 3:19–21 stands firmly on covenant ground. Peter is calling Israel to national repentance in fulfillment of prophetic promises concerning the restoration of the nation and the return of their Messiah. This passage belongs entirely to Israel’s prophetic kingdom program, not the later revelation of the Body of Christ given through the apostle Paul. Peter explicitly identifies this message as prophecy spoken since the world began, not the mystery kept secret until Paul.

 

Final Summary

 

Acts 3:19–21 reveals that Israel’s Messiah had come, been rejected, and now stood ready to return upon the nation’s repentance.

Peter is proclaiming covenant fulfillment, kingdom restoration, and prophetic promises made to Israel.

 

Understanding this passage in its proper context preserves the clarity and unity of Scripture and prepares the reader for the later revelation of grace through Paul.