Page 75 - The Divine Unfolding of God's Plan of Redemption

Gentiles, James, the chairman of the original Jerusalem council, summed up as
follows: “Brethren, hearken unto me: Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited
the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name. And to this agree the words of

the prophets: as it is written, After these things I will return and I will build again the
tabernacle of David, which is fallen; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will
set it up: that the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon
whom my name is called, saith the Lord Who maketh these things known from of

old”(Acts 15:13-18, A.R.V.).

Scripture does not mention any tabernacle, or throne, of David that was in the
heavens or that has fallen down, but the throne and house of David that was once

located in the city of Jerusalem has been thrown down and this plain statement of
James, the brother of Christ, shows that the prophet Amos was predicting a literal
restoration of “the tabernacle of David” when the work of calling out a people from
the Gentiles unto His name should have been accomplished. Then indeed the

relatively small residue of men who survive the purging judgments of the Great
Tribulation and are allowed to enter His earthly kingdom, will “seek after the Lord.”
What audacity of Scriptural exegesis is that which tries to explain away and
“spiritualize” Scriptures of such volume and such crystal clarity! It comes perilously

near the place of the curse as set forth in Rev. 22:19.

The disciples after the resurrection were a much chastened and consequently a
much wiser set of men, and it is certain that after the forty days of instruction the

reason for the death of Christ had become apparent to them. By that time they had
grasped the fact that sufferings must precede glory, that the last Adam must redeem a
world that had been delivered unto Satan by the First Adam before He could have a
legal right to rule it.

The thoughts behind Acts 1:6 could be paraphrased thus: “Lord, we now understand
the need of the death and redemption accomplished on Calvary. We now know that the
power of death was broken at the resurrection and sentence of destruction passed on

him that had the power of death. We realize that the earth has returned to its original
status of being the legal property of the Lord Jehovah. What is to prevent you from
immediately restoring the kingdom to Israel and occupying that which you have

purchased?” The sequence of thought is logical and correct and the question
propounded is reasonable. The crux of the question was in the time element, “Wilt
thou at this time, etc.?” The fact is established; the time alone needs to be set forth.

The answer came back from the Lord, based upon the time element: “It is not for

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