THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS

If behind the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:3) is the restoration of all things (Acts 3:17-26) could it be because Adam was created as king-priest over the Garden of Eden, which served as the original temple of God? Thus, in Genesis 1:28, the divine mandate to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth"* and the corresponding duties in particular, namely, to "...subdue it and have dominion..." are kingly duties. In Genesis 2, we are told that God put Adam in the Garden to "work it and keep it." This language is later used, in the Old Testament, to describe the Levites work in tending to their temple duties.

Clearly, when Adam fell, we see the devastating loss (no longer king-priest in the garden temple). He was banished from the Garden - temple. Meaning he no longer had unfettered access to God and no longer was the creation subject to him. To the contrary, he became subject to creation, May we sense that same devastation for our own sin! For sin is the utter loss of  reality and everything that is meaningful to our existence!

But God in His great mercy, foreshadowed the restoration of all things in the Old Testament through its various institutions, such as the levitical priesthood (their work and function), including the whole sacrificial system, the observances of the various Sabbaths and feasts, etc. All these pointed to Christ, in whom the office of priest and king is finally united (Zechariah 6:12-13). It is why we can confidently claim that Christ is on every page of the Old Testament pointing to the gospel/good news.

Thus, the good news of the gospel is that what was lost in Adam has been regained (restored) in Christ. We have a better covenant by which we can serve God because it was inaugurated with the blood of Christ in order to obtain the remission of our sins (Matthew 26:28).

Consequently, those who accept Christ's finished work on the cross and die with Him in baptism to receive the merits of his shed blood (namely, to obtain the forgiveness of their sins) are raised to walk with Him in newness of life (Romans 6:3-6).

No wonder John finds great cause for rejoicing in his exile for the cause of Christ, it is because of Him who "loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom of priests (translated in some older versions as "kings and priests" instead of "kingdom of priests" in the ESV) to His God and Father, to Him  be the glory and dominion forever and ever" (Revelation 1:5-6; read also 1 Peter 2:4-5). Only in Christ does the "restoration of all things" begin. Therefore, only in Christ are we assured that the restoration of all things will end. That is, be ultimately fulfilled in Heaven. (Heaven will be, wherever God is.) "Our Lord, come!"

* to be sure, the divine mandate to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" is still our responsibility today through preaching and teaching the gospel