Chapter 6 - Restoration
Introduction
I think most of us is aware of the concept of restoration, be it an old car, a house, or even a form of art. To restore means to bring an object back to its original (or near original) condition. Sometimes that means just a paint job while other efforts require more painstaking efforts. However, the concept rarely applies to a human being, sure one could pursue a healthier body, but we probably wouldn’t call it restoration. Only God is able to restore something or someone to absolute original condition. That is especially true when restoring to pre-sin and pre-fall conditions as He alone knows what true perfection is.
It is interesting to note that in the Bible the concept of restoration is presented with several verbs and only a few nouns. I like to think that the reason is that our final and complete restoration is still yet future (a work in progress, an action item, just as a verb depicts). In the Hebrew we find twelve verbs: šûḅ (to return, to turn back); ḥāḏaš (to renew, to restore); šālam (to be safe, to be completed); ḥāyāh (to be alive again); āmaḏ (to rise, to stand); kûn (to set up, to stand); ḥāzaq (to strengthen, to be strong, to be courageous); tûḇ (to return, to answer); āzaḇ (to restore or repair); hāpaḵ (to turn around, to change); ḥalam (to dream, restore health); and ālāh (to go up, to ascend). And one primary noun: šeḇûṯ (restore). In the Greek we find five verbs in the New Testament: apokathistēmi (back again, restore); apodidōmi (to give, to do something out of obligation); anorthoō (to make straight or upright again); katartizō (to complete, to finish); and anakainizō (to renew). The nouns are: katartisis (to make fully, to complete) and apokatastasis (to restore, a restitution). Sorry for dumping all these words on you, but you can see that restoration is a key theme in the Bible.
The Final Action
In the book of Revelation we are told that God will create a new earth and a new heaven (see Revelation 21:1-27) which goes beyond the classic definition of restoration. God is indeed restoring things back to the original creation status (perfection), but He’s not going to pull weeds, mow the lawns, and spruce up the planet with some paint, it’s all going in the trash and He is starting over with everything new with one big exception. No more sin! And along with that means we will no longer feel pain. We will have our glorified bodies!