ἀποκατάστασις
apokatástasis

“whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. “

 Acts 3:21

Restoration: “The verb from which it is derived occurs eight times. It means properly "to restore a thing to its former situation," as restoring a "strained" or "dislocated" limb to its former soundness. Hence, it is used to restore, or to heal, in the New Testament: Matthew 12:13, "And it (the hand) was restored whole as the other";Mark 3:5; Luke 6:10. And hence, it is applied to the preparation or fitness for the coming of the Messiah which was to attend the preaching of John in the character of Elias, Matthew 17:11; Mark 9:12. Thus, in Josephus (Antiq., Mark 2:3,Mark 2:8), the word is used to denote the return of the Jews from the captivity of Babylon, and their restoration to their former state and privileges.”

  -Notes on the Bible by Albert Barnes [1834] -

The Process

Years ago I traveled home to spend a little time with my parents.  One of my goals for the trip was to teach my dad how to restore furniture.  The dresser in the pictures was our project.  An old, blue dresser that was of no value as it was in its broken down condition.  We headed to the local hardware store and picked up the needed supplies and soon after began to work on it. 

Step 1: Clean off all the loose dirt.  This didn’t take long, but in order for step 2 to be efficient, it  was necessary.  All the excess stuff was wiped away, all the things that are visible for anyone to see. The cobwebs, hornets nests, and layers of dirt… all wiped away.

Step 2: Apply a layer of paint stripper.  It needs to sit there for a bit, up to 20 minutes in some cases.  The chemicals begin to break through the toughness of the paint.  The top layer of paint begins to bubble up, and after a set amount of time, a scraper is used to take off the loosened paint.  As you run a scraper across the surface of the wood, the paint that is loose comes off pretty easily.  Were it not for the chemicals though, the process would be much harder. 

Step 3: Repeating step 2.  Another layer of paint stripper to get through the stubborn paint.  To really focus on those areas that refuse to removed.  Wait for the chemicals to do their job in breaking down the paint and then scrap it away leaving raw wood exposed.  This can be very dangerous for wood if left at this stage. Left exposed, it becomes susceptible to warping caused by temperatures or the environment around it.  

Step 4: Sanding.  Using course sandpaper, one must smooth out the roughness of the wood and remove any leftover paint.  The scrubbing, so to say, of the wood takes away any pieces that are not in line with the what is desired.  Corners and edges are smoothed, and sides and faces are evened out.  After a wipe down, the prep portion is complete.

Step 5:  Staining.  This step brings out the natural beauty of the wood.  A wood stain soaks into the wood particles and brings it to life.  The wood is still the same wood, but the stain allows it to be seen as the masterpiece it is.  The difference is instantly noticeable.  The stain not only colors the wood and brings out the natural grains in it, but it treats the wood in order to protect it. 
Unlike paint, the stain soaks into the very fibers of the wood and
doesn't just cover it up.

Step 6:  The finishing coat.  It is at this stage where the project can be painted with a gloss, stain, or other type of finishing product depending on how you want the outcome to be.  These products seal in the wood to protect it from being harmed in anyway.  They reduce the amount of scratches to the actual wood, keep it from being harmed by water or temperature changes, and make it usable long term.  Once this dries, the project is complete and ready to be used.

How I hope you see the spiritual application in these steps.  As believers, we initially have the dirt wiped from us and those outward sins decrease.  Next comes layers of sin that we hold closer to use that He must penetrate and remove. Then He moves even further in our hearts to remove pieces that aren't of Him.  Sanding of our hearts take place as He shapes us into His image and smooth out our rough spots.  His Spirit penetrates our hearts and lives so that He brings out the beauty of grace in us.  We are sealed, protected, and preserved for Him and by Him.  A human restoration project… Salvation and sanctification. Sometimes we go through these steps in varying order in the processes of stripping and sanding through sanctification, yet the finished product is always about becoming more like Christ.  It’s painful at times.  No one enjoys having pieces of their fleshly desires scrapped away.  We don’t enjoy deeper sins being brought to the surface and then dealt with.  The finish product though, is the hope that we draw from in those painful moments of scrapping.  The verse in Acts 3, talks about a final restoration.  One in which Christ returns as the rightful King and restores all to what it was supposed to be.  The day when all will be put back in place.  What a glorious hope that we have awaiting.  As you walk through the next few days, my prayer is that we would seek restoration in your life.  Let us submit ourselves to the Master Carpenter and trust His hand in restoring us.