When are the “times of restoration” spoken of by the prophets, the Apostle Peter, and Jesus Christ? What is going to be restored? And when will it be restored?

After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples of “the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” and instructed them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:3–4). The disciples asked Jesus if He would at that time restore the kingdom to Israel (v. 5). Jesus told them it was not for them to know when (v. 7).

U.S. News and World Report recently published this year’s list ranking nations according to their citizens’ quality of life (CNBC, September 26, 2024).

A reporter recently observed, “The European Union brought peace and prosperity to a troubled region in the decades following World War Two. But it may lack energy and become impotent in the decades ahead” (Reuters, September 16, 2024).

The daily news bubbles over with carnage and shocking acts of violence. In September 2024 in central England, an 80-year-old man was allegedly killed by a boy of 14 (BBC, September 5, 2024). Brutal rapes and murders continue in India (MSN, October 6, 2024).