happening or prophetic of what would take place in the future. The opening chapters then of this book are not the

beginning of an entirely new purpose as is so often taught, but a continuing of what had already been revealed of the

divine plan of the kingdom in the Old Testament and declared to be `at hand' in the ministry of the Lord Jesus to

Israel. The history of the Acts continues further what the Lord began to do and teach (Heb. 2:3) regarding this

kingdom. Israel and Israel's hope, as described in the third chapter dominate the Acts. It is such a pity that there are

expositors of this most important part of the New Testament who turn a blind eye to this and seek to minimise or

explain away Israel's position here. In doing this they throw away a divine key to its interpretation and no wonder

they get enmeshed in contradictions with the epistles written during this period and afterwards.

The fact remains that the amazing offer of forgiveness and the sending back of the Messiah recorded in chapter 3

is stressed in all the epistles written during the Acts. It surely should be obvious that the doctrine of the epistles

written at this time must go hand in hand with the doctrine of the Acts and any interpretation that does not

harmonize with this must be suspect.

As the Second Advent of Christ was a possibility during the Acts, (and it must have been if the third chapter is

true, for God does not trifle with His promises) then the epistles written during this period will reflect this teaching.

In 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10 we are told that the Thessalonian saints were `waiting for His Son from heaven' and Paul

does not hesitate to include himself among those who are `alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord' (1 Thess.

The second epistle was written to the same Christians to correct false impressions concerning His second

coming, but it was still described as `their gathering together unto Him' (2 Thess. 2:1), a time when they would be

able to `rest' from their acute suffering and trials, and this was not to be at death, but at the revelation of Christ from

heaven (1:7).

How anyone can make this refer to the Second Advent yet future to us passes comprehension. How could an

event which would not take place for more than 1900 years later release them from their present severe testing! But

if this coming was then really near and possible of fulfilment, then this promise had real meaning and gave them real

hope to endure.

Coming to 1 Corinthians we read in 1:6,7 `so that you come behind in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord

Jesus Christ', and in 7:29 `... the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had

none'. Why? because `Maran-atha', `the Lord cometh' (1 Cor. 16:22), yet after the Acts, the Apostle urges widows

to get married (1 Tim. 5:14). To the Roman believers Paul wrote, `the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your

feet shortly' (16:20) for `the night is far spent, the day is at hand' (13:12). In Hebrews 10:37 we read `for yet a little

while and He that shall come will come and will not tarry'. Again in 1 Corinthians 10:11 Paul writes `now these

things ... were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come' (R.S.V.).

To these references we must add the testimony of Peter, James and John. Peter declares that `the end of all

things is at hand' (1 Pet. 4:7). James asserts that `the coming of the Lord draweth nigh ... the Judge standeth before

the door' (James 5:7-9). John, in his first epistle states `it is the last time (literally the last hour), even now there are

many antichrists whereby we know that it is the last hour' (time, 1 John 2:18).

With all these Scripture references, there should be no doubt in the minds of those who believe the Word of God

that the promise of the return of Christ in Acts 3 to bring in the kingdom, which all the prophets had foretold, was a

glorious reality, and was held tenaciously by those who had been saved by grace at this time.

The only alternatives seem to be that Christ did not return because of the indifference and unreadiness of

believers or that they made a mistake and it was nothing more than wishful thinking on their part. The former is not

true, as it has not the support of Scripture, and the latter is just the opinion of modernism which does not hesitate to

say that Christ also made a mistake with regard to His Second Coming.