Moses was a Prophet; did he speak of it?
Yes! He not only foretold that Israel
would fail to keep their Covenant and
would be scattered among the nations of
the earth and be severely punished for
their sins, but he also prophesied that God would gather them again out of all
nations and restore them to their own land; that they would again he accepted
as God’s people; and that they, with all the other families of the earth, would
be blessed during Christ’s reign. (Point.) Moses also spoke of restitution and of
Restitution Times, in the institution of the “Jubilee” system, In the year of Ju-
bilee all the debts of the people were forgiven. If a man had lost his property
and was compelled by reason of additional debts to become the servant of an-
other, his term of service could not extend beyond the year of Jubilee: and if a
man sold a house it could not be for a longer period than until the next Jubilee
year. Every fiftieth year was a Jubilee or “restitution” year. Thus the Lord
symbolized His purpose that all the earth shall return to its former estate, lost
in Eden and redeemed on Calvary.
Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel also spoke of the return of Israel, that they would
never more be “plucked up” or “thrown down.” David and Isaiah speak of the
“wilderness that shall blossom as a rose,” ofthe blind eyes that shall be opened
(not merely physical but mental blind eyes), and how all the “solitary places”
shall be “glad” because of the Lord’s blessing upon the earth, instead of the
curse. Then the lame man shall leap as a hart-all the lame, not only the physi-
cally lame. but those with any kind of a weakness, physical, mental or moral. It
is in the latter sense that the Apostle uses the word “lame”when he says,
“Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the
way.” So all the weaknesses that are the result of inheritance will be healed in
that Day for all who will submit themselves obediently to the Great Physician.
All the holy Prophets spoke of these “Times of Restitution,” though we have
quoted only a few. The Apostle’s intimation is that if any spoke not of these
Times, he was not a Prophet-not a holy Prophet.
During the past ages, Patriarchal
and Jewish, and during this Gospel
Age, everything has been getting
ready and in the next Age (point)
‘ the “Seed of Abraham” will bless
all the families of the earth with an opportunity for Restitution to all that was
lost in Adam.
This Restitution will not come ro mankind UNCONDITIONALLY! There are
conditions –the conditions of the New Covenant. “He that hath the Son hath
life; and he that hath not the Son of God shall not see life.” We will not now
consider these conditions. They may prove interesting at a future time. The
principal thing lost in Adam was life. As a consequence of sin came death.