Acts 1:6 So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, “Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

1. Misguided?

For many commentators, the disciples’ question was misguided.  It amounted to an expectation of a political kingdom of Israel with Jesus as King.  This would be equivalent to the request of the mother of James and John in Mt 20:21.

Edersheim:

‘Such questions became them not. Theirs was to be work, not rest; suffering, not triumph. The great promise before them was of spiritual, not outward, power of the Holy Ghost-and their call not yet to reign with him, but to bear witness for him.’

Stott:

‘As Calvin commented, “there are as many errors in this question as words.” The verb, the noun and the adverb of their sentence all betray doctrinal confusion about the kingdom. For the verb “restore” shows that they were expecting a political and territorial kingdom; the noun “Israel” that they were expecting a national kingdom; and the adverbial clause “at this time” that they were expecting its immediate establishment. In his reply (vv7-8) Jesus corrected their mistaken notions of the kingdom’s nature, extent and arrival.’ (Stott)

So also F.F. Bruce.

Williams:

‘Clearly they were wedded still to the popular notion of the kingdom of God as something political—that its coming would see the gathering of the tribes, the restoration of Israel’s independence, and the triumph of Israel over its enemies. In this respect they had not progressed very far from their earlier hope of occupying the seats of power in such a kingdom (Mark 10:35ff.; Luke 22:24ff.).’

2. Not completely misguided?

For some, this supports the expectation of a (literal) kingdom for Israel:

‘After all Jesus’s teaching and instruction, the disciples still expected the Old Testament prophecies to accurately be fulfilled and a kingdom to be restored to Israel. Importantly, even after the Apostles are granted the Holy Spirit this expectation does not change.’

The same writer appeals to Peter’s sermon in Acts 3 as confirming that the disciples were correct in their expectation of a future kingdom for Israel:

‘Jesus is…described as the one “whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things.” This Messianic description is an allusion to Psalm 110:1 where David says the Messiah sits at God’s right hand until it is time for Him to conquer His enemies. When that time comes, the Messiah will come and bring about the “times of refreshing” and the “period of restoration.”

‘The “period of restoration” is a unique phrase, but clearly links to Acts 1:6 where the disciples ask, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” The verb and noun forms “restoring/restoration” in Acts 1:6/3:19 are cognates (the same word as verb and noun) indicating that the subject of restoration in both places is the kingdom for Israel.’

This demonstrates that:

‘The New Testament did not change the Old Testament expectation of a real, tangible Israelite kingdom.’

Others (such as Peterson and Kistemaker), avoid an ultra-literal interpretation, but think that the question is not completely misguided.  It is to be noted that Jesus does not deny their expectation of the ‘restoration’, dealing rather with

(a) their question about ‘when’ (“are you at this time going to…”); and

(b) the extent of the kingdom (their reference to Israel was too restrictive; the gospel is to be preached in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the world, v8).

Kistemaker is of a similar opinion.

Polhill agrees that Jesus did not ‘reject the concept of the “restoration of Israel.” Instead, he “depoliticized it” with the call to a worldwide mission. The disciples were to be the true, “restored” Israel, fulfilling its mission to be a “light for the Gentiles” so that God’s salvation might reach “to the ends of the earth” (Isa 49:6).’

Peterson:

‘He endorsed [the disciples’ question], but interpreted it in terms of the gift of the Spirit and the fulfillment of prophecies about the restoration of Israel as a servant community, called to be God’s ‘witnesses’ to the nations (Isa 43:10, 12 and 44:8). The end-time restoration would begin with the pouring out of the promised Spirit and the bringing of God’s salvation, first to Israel and then ‘to the ends of the earth’ (Isa 49:6; cf. Isa 42:6–7). It would be consummated when Jesus returned (cf. Acts 1:11; 3:20–21). Through the witness of Jesus’ apostles, ‘the kingdom’ would be restored to Israel, but not in nationalistic or political terms, nor immediately in the full and final sense outlined in biblical prophecy (cf. Acts 3:19–26).’

Wright cautions against our reacting to this question is if Jesus said, “No, I am not going to establish any earthly kingdom.  I’m off to heaven, and that’s where my kingdom is.  But I’m not going to give you a timetable of events.”  Rather, Jesus commissions his disciples to be his witnesses, his heralds, pronouncing that he is King not just in heaven but on earth, not just in the future but now.  In other words, Wright is insisting on the ‘already/not yet’ dimensions of the gospel: ‘already’, Christ has been exalted, but ‘not yet’ have all things been brought under his rule.

Milne urges that we give the disciples and their question some credit, for they had realised:-

• that God’s purposes have reached a climactic stage;
• that Jesus has power to revolutionize events;
• that God’s kingdom is about to enter a glorious new phrase;
• that Jesus as the Risen One is Lord of all; and
• that in bringing the kingdom God will also fulfil his promise to Israel;

This latter would not be

‘in the nationalistic and political terms of the disciples’ question, but in the deeper, profounder sense of a future universal reign of the one true Israelite, Jesus Messiah (John 15:1), a kingdom in which a believing remnant of Israel would find an honoured place (Rom. 11:1–12; Rev. 21:12) within a worshipping community which would embrace all the world’s nations (Isa. 56:7; Mark 11:17). God’s old covenant promise will inevitably be fulfilled in His new covenant reign.’

According to Christian Zionists such Derek White (Christian Friends of Israel),

‘Jesus by no means denies that sovereignty will in the future be restored to Israel (indeed He implies that it will be so restored)…It is clear that the disciples had in mind the future restoration of the Kingdom to Israel, as an integral part of their Messianic hope. Had they been mistaken in this expectation, it is unthinkable that Jesus would not have corrected them by some clear explanation of God’s change of purposes consequent upon the birth of the church.’.

But this is to ignore Jesus’ words about the nature and extent of the kingdom, as indicated in v8 etc.  ‘He tells them to be witnesses for Jesus in Israel, but not only in Israel. They are to be witnesses through the whole world. This is not about establishing a worldwide Jewish theocracy. It is about a spiritual kingdom.’ (Clarke Morledge, who does not, however, think that this necessarily rules out the Zionist position).