Tim Hodge - The Gospel of The Restoration of All Things

I then realised that the words ‘eternal’ and ‘forever’, and the phrase ‘forever and ever’, were in many instances mistranslations from the Greek word ‘aion’, meaning ‘age’, ‘aions’ meaning ‘ages’ and ‘the aions of the aions’ meaning ‘the ages of the ages’. I found that even in English the words ‘eternal’ and ‘forever’ were used in the Bible for things that clearly come to an end. Why not judgement?

I then realised that the word ‘things’ in scripture is used of people or ‘beings’ both human and angelic and not just of inanimate objects, and that ultimately ‘all things’ would be reconciled to God through the work of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

I also discovered that:

‘In the dispensation of the fullness of time he would gather together in one all things in Christ. Whether it be things in heaven or things on earth even in him.’

(Eph 1 v 10)

There are many other areas and doctrines within Christianity that I’ve come to realise are false as the Lord has been opening up the scriptures to me, and that God’s love is much more universal than traditional Christianity would have us believe.

In the chapters that follow, I outline what I’ve discovered and commend to you the Gospel that was once delivered to the Saints - ‘The Gospel of the Restoration of all Things!’

Sometimes in this book I will use the word ‘Universalism’ instead of ‘the Restoration of all Things’. The word Universalism is not in the Bible, but nevertheless it perfectly conveys the same meaning, so I will be using the words interchangeably.

I firmly believe that the Gospel of the Restoration of All Things, the teaching that ultimately every human being that has ever lived, is living or will live in the future will be saved and re-united with God, is the original Gospel (or Good News) taught in the Bible.

We have to understand that there are different versions of Universalism out there, with many liberal Christians saying that all people will obviously be saved because God is love and would not judge anyone, but in this book I base the teaching on a literal interpretation of scripture.

I have also used many Bible quotes because I want the scriptures to speak for themselves on these issues.

My aim in writing this book is to persuade Evangelical Christians, who are firm Bible believers, that the Bible doesn’t teach everything they have been taught about the destiny of unbelievers and to see that the work of Christ is much more universal than they’ve realised and to encourage them to question traditional orthodox teaching.

I also want to appeal to liberal Christians, many of whom have rejected much of the Bible because of the Orthodox teachings on hell and judgement, and non-Christians to show them that the Bible reveals a God who loves the world so much that he sent his only begotten Son to be the saviour of the entire world and that God’s judgement and his love work together in a beautiful harmony.

Many Christians will disagree with what I’ve written and many will call it ‘heresy’ but no matter.

‘What I have written, I have written.’

(John 19 v 22)

I hope that readers will be like the Bereans in Acts 17 who searched the scriptures to see if what I’ve written conforms with the Bible.

I hope and pray that this book will encourage Evangelical Christians, inspire liberal Christians to return to the Bible and bring non-Christians to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the saviour of all men (especially those who believe) and has a good plan for them and his whole creation.

CHAPTER 1

THE GOSPEL OF THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS

As we saw at the beginning of the book, this Gospel was preached by the apostle Peter in the book of Acts Ch 3 v 19-21.

‘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 and retain until the time comes of the restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.’

(Acts 3 v 19-21)

It is important to realise that the word ‘restoration’ has the prefix ‘re’ at the beginning, meaning a ‘restoring back’ to an original condition that we had before we were separated from God, before we were lost and needed saving. But it is the last section of this passage I want to concentrate on in this chapter, that this Gospel of the restoration of all things was spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. I will be doing an overview, going right back to the book of Genesis, through the old testament, through the new testament, and showing that this Gospel has always been taught and believed despite the Jews and the Church trying to shut it down.

It is important to begin with, for us to understand the little word ‘things’ as it is used in scripture, Peter talks about the restoration of all ‘things’.

The word ‘things’ in scripture means ‘beings’, human and angelic. We in modern English tend to use the word ‘things’ to mean inanimate objects such as rocks and trees, and feel it’s somehow insulting to call people ‘things’, but that is what the Bible does. For example, Jesus is called a ‘thing’ in Luke 1 v 35 when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and tells her of her impending pregnancy by the Holy Spirit:

‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you, therefore that ‘holy thing’ who is to be born will be called the son of God.’

(Luke 1 v 35 KJV)

The Apostles are called ‘things’ in 1 Cor 3 v 21-22

‘For all things are yours whether Paul, Apollos or Cephas’

(1 Cor 3 v 21-22)

All human beings are called ‘things’ in Philippians chapter 2:

‘At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, of things on earth and things under the earth and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.’

(Phil 2 v 10-11 KJV)

Can we see that ‘things’ in this passage have knees and tongues and a will to confess Jesus is Lord, so are clearly ‘beings’.

Angels are called ‘things’ in Colossians chapter 1:

‘For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers’.

The phrase ‘principalities and powers’ is also used in Ephesians 6 when speaking of evil angels.

So the word ‘things’ clearly means ‘beings’, human and angelic, and Peter says that there will come a time when ‘all things’ will be restored to God.

All humans and all angels will be restored to their original place in God because of the work of Jesus Christ, the saviour of the world.

Jesus said:

‘All things have been delivered to me by the Father.’

(Math 11 v 27)

And ‘ the Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands .’

(John 3 v 35)

All humans and all angels have been given to Jesus Christ by God the Father. Jesus promises that:

‘All that the Father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out, for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of the Father who sent me that all he has given me I should lose nothing no-thing) but raise it up at the last day.’

(John 6 v 37-39)

Jesus says ‘all have been given, all will come to him, none will be cast out and all will be raised up on the last day.’ His job is not to lose any that the Father has given him.