The Greek word apokatastasis – made up of apo-kata (again) and stasis (establishing) – occurs once in the Greek New Testament and does not occur in the Greek Old Testament, but is not otherwise a very unusual Greek term – coming from the common Greek verb “restore” – as for example Elijah coming first and restoring all things (Matt 17:11) or God restoring the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6) .
In the King James Version (1611) the word used is ‘restitution’ from the Latin Vulgate restitutio:
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution (Greek apokatastasis, Latin restitutio) of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:21)
The important thing to note is that this is not “all things” period, full stop, but “all things which”, and Peter then explains what things.
Among historians of orthodox theology the word apokatastasis is often used as a technical term related to the teachings of some orthodox fathers such as Gregory of Nyssa who taught – it is claimed – universal salvation – although what he actually taught may not be the same as taught by universalists today. In any case, universal salvation (called apokatastasis in some histories) was condemned as a heresy by the Synod of Constantinople of 543.
Acts 3:11-26 Peter Speaks in Solomon’s Portico
11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished. 12 When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “Fellow Israelites,[b] why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,[c] the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant[d] Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14 But you rejected the holy and righteous[e] one and asked to have a murderer given to you, 15 and you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus[f] has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
17 “And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah[g] would suffer. 19 Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send the Messiah[h] appointed for you, that is, Jesus, 21 who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. 23 And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.’ 24 And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days. 25 You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant,[i] he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
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