Acts 3:21

Acts 3:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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 International Version (NIV)Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Acts 3:21

19Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 20Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 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. 22Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’ 23Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God’s people.’

Acts 3:21 word by word

ὃν δεῖ οὐρανὸν μὲν δέξασθαι ἄχρι χρόνων ἀποκαταστάσεως πάντων ὧν ἐλάλησεν ὁ θεὸς διὰ στόματος τῶν ἁγίων ἀπ᾽ αἰῶνος αὐτοῦ προφητῶν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• the heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• mustδεῖdei · be necessaryG1163
• ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
• receiveδέχομαιdechomai · to receiveG1209
• untilἄχριachri achris · untilG891
• the timesχρόνοςchronos · timeG5550
• of restitutionἀποκατάστασιςapokatastasis · restorationG605
• of all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• hath spokenλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• the mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
• prophetsπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
• sinceἀπόapo · away fromG575
• the world beganαἰώνaiōn · an age: eternityG165

Cross-references for Acts 3:21

• Acts 1:11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
• Acts 3:19Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
• Isaiah 1:26Then I will give you good judges again and wise counselors like you used to have. Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice and the Faithful City.”
• Malachi 3:3He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.
• Malachi 4:5“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives.
• Matthew 17:11Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready.
• Mark 9:11Then they asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”
• Acts 10:43He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”
• Luke 1:70just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.
• 2 Peter 1:21or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
• 2 Peter 3:2I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.
• Revelation 18:20Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.
• Revelation 22:6Then the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon.”

Commentaries on Acts 3:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Whom the heaven must receive - He has already appeared upon earth, and accomplished the end of his appearing; he has ascended unto heaven, to administer the concerns of his kingdom, and there he shall continue till he comes again to judge the quick and the dead. The times of restitution of all things - The word , from which signifies from, and , to establish or settle any thing, viz. in a good state; and, when is added to it, then this preposition implies…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Whom the heavens must receive - The common belief of the Jews was, that the Messiah would reign on the earth forever, John 12:34. On this account they would object that Jesus could not be the Messiah, and hence, it became so important for the apostles to establish the fact that he had ascended to heaven. The evidence which they adduced was the fact that they saw him ascend, Acts 1:9. The meaning of the expression “whom the heavens must receive,” is that…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-21Verses 19-21 The absolute necessity of repentance is to be solemnly charged upon the consciences of all who desire that their sins may be blotted out, and that they may share in the refreshment which nothing but a sense of Christ's pardoning love can afford. Blessed are those who have felt this. It was not needful for the Holy Spirit to make known the times and seasons of these dispensations. These subjects are still left obscure. But when sinners are…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-21The message of the good news about Jesus (the gospel) brings comfort (see Matthew 11:28–29). The second coming of Jesus will bring times of refreshing from God. He will send Jesus to his people again.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2117-21. And now, brethren--Our preacher, like his Master, "will not break the bruised reed." His heaviest charges are prompted by love, which now hastens to assuage the wounds it was necessary to inflict. I wot--"know." through ignorance ye did it--(See marginal references, Lu 23:34; Ac 13:27; 26:9).Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 3:21

• Courage
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Minister, Christian
• Restoration
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Alms
• Coming of Christ
• Convert
• Foretell
• Glorify
• Peter
• Prince
• Regeneration

Commentaries on Acts 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings