Restoration is an ongoing process. Every generation has the battle of finding the truth for itself as the previous one did. When people speak of the restoration they often speak of a particular movement in the U.S.A. in the 1800’s. Alexander Campbell is a famous name associated with that movement. Are we Cambellites? No. I would run into denominational preachers whilst door-knocking and I could honestly tell them that I didn’t have a single book written by Alexander Campbell in my library (contrary to Lutherans who would have the works of Luther, and Presbyterians who would have the works of Calvin, Methodists who would have the works of John Wesley etc.) Restoration was not invented by Alexander Campbell, nor is He essential to it. Restoration takes on different forms at different times depending upon the restoration that is needed.
God’s appearance on Mt. Sinai was an Awesome day – I mean awesome! (Ex.19:16-18; 20:1ff; 18-23) Moses returns and ratifies the law with the people (Ex.24) and they accept it (v.3). Moses returns to the mount with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and 70 of the elders of Israel and they “see” God and eat with Him. They return to the camp and Moses and Joshua return to the mountain to receive the stone tablets. They were gone forty days (32:1ff [v.7 – God knows what goes on – cf. Prov. 15:3; Ps. 33:13,14]). ,How soon we forget – into idolatry already! They had practised that in Egypt (Ezek. 20 [v.8]; 2 Sam. 7:23). God’s response is seen in Ex. 32:9,10. Moses intercedes, goes down with the two tablets (God had carved them and written on them what He had spoken to the people – v.16) cf. Deut. 9:10). Moses breaks the tablets of stone and destroys the calf. Apparently this does not completely stop the licentious behaviour and so in v. 26 we have the challenge – “Who is on the Lord’s side?” 3000 died and a plague broke out, but the idolatry was stopped and the nation was saved. Restoration always involves a drawing a line in the sand and a commitment to be on the Lord’s side.
Sometime later in the wilderness wanderings they come to the plains of Moab opposite Jericho (Num.22). Balaam, a gentile prophets, is hired to curse the children of Israel and he does it indirectly. The people go into licentious idolatry. Though the people were mourning the severity of the problem and its cure (those involved were slain and a plague killed 24,000 Num. 25:4,5,9) a man named Zimri, in a defiant statement, brought a Midianite woman to his tent in the sight of the people to fornicate with her. A man called Phineas sees this and is incensed, and rises up with spear in hand and goes and impales them both. Here was a man who held no office, and who acted without an official sanction nor in obedience to any command, standing for truth and purity (Num.25). God honoured him with a perpetual priesthood because he was “zealous for his God”. (Many years later the “zeal of His house” would prompt Jesus to drive out the money-changers from the temple). The nation was teetering on the edge of wholesale idolatry and fornication and they hadn’t even reached the promised land yet. Restoration of worship forms etc. will be of little value without righteous living.
We come forward to the time of the kings of Judah (2 Kings 22). Josiah was 18 when he issued a command to repair the temple. In the process of repairing the physical building they found a copy of the law. This was read in the presence of the king, and he realised that the physical building was not the only thing in need of repair. Spiritually, the nation was in a state of disrepair as well. The nation had forgotten her God and His law. The result is seen in 2 Kings 23:1-3: the king and the people made a commitment to restore obedience to the scriptures. All restoration begins with that basis. We must continually go back beyond the traditions of the day and find the Book! Without that we drift into disobedience.
When Judah was being reestablished after the Babylonian exile, the same problem arose. Not only was the temple in need of rebuilding and repair, but the people also needed restoration. One of the problems was intermarriage with the heathen (cf. Ezra 9:1,2). The response is seen in vs. 3,4; 10; 10:1. Restoration starts with godly sorrow, and godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Cor. 7:10) which we see in Ezra 10:2,3.
John the Immerser: what a man! A voice crying in the wilderness. The last verse of the Old testament stood in the balance. Would it be curse or blessing? John preached repentance and turned the people, preparing them for the Lord. The nation had drifted into formalism and hypocrisy under the influence of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The nations cursed God because of the attitude and behaviour of the Jews (Rom. 2:24). Jesus described it as a wicked and adulterous generation (Mk. 8:38). Peter described it as a wicked generation in Acts 2:40. Paul, in Rom. 11:5, described his nation as being in disobedience and only a remnant being faithful. The early disciples of Jesus had been disciples of John. John introduced Jesus at His baptism. What if Jesus had not been received? The religious leaders rejected Him (the stone which the builders rejected), but the common people heard Him gladly, in part because they believed John’s testimony about Him. As it was several hundred followed Him. From this base there sprang the movement that would shake the world. A man who was plucked from obscurity and died such an unjust death was one of the greatest men who ever lived according to the measure of Christ (Matt.11:11). This man labouring out of the limelight in the Judaean wilderness was described by Jesus as a shining light for a brief time (John 5:35). But it was a great restoration moment.
The New Testament prophesied departures from the truth (1 Tim. 4:1,2; 2 Thess. 2:3). The blight of this departure is still felt in the world. Men from different parts and times have proclaimed like voices crying in the wilderness, that we must get back to the Bible. The so-called Reformation was often more anti-catholic in concerns, than restorative in principle – hence the term “Protestant”. Some caught glimpses of the nature of Christianity. For example, Luther said, “Don’t call yourselves Lutherans, call yourselves Christians”, but his followers didn’t do it.
There was a fair unanimity about righteousness and godly living among the reformers, but there was confusion because of departures from the way of truth with respect to the plan of salvation and the nature and identity of the church. God has a plumb-line against which all things must be measured. When people used the plumb-line of God’s word and sought to align themselves with it, great restoration moments happened. One such example is the “Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery”.
This document reads in part;
The Presbytery of Springfield sitting at Caneridge, in the county of Bourbon, being, through a gracious providence, in more than ordinary bodily health, growing in strength and size daily; and in perfect soundness and composure of mind; but knowing that it is appointed for all delegated bodies once to die; and considering that the life of every such body is very uncertain, do make and ordain this our last Will and Testament, in manner and form following, viz.:
Imprimis. We will, that this body die, be dissolved, and sink into union with the Body of Christ at large; for there is but one body, and one Spirit, even as we are called in one hope of our calling.
Item. We will that our name of distinction, with its Reverend title, be forgotten, that there be but one Lord over God’s heritage, and his name one.
Item. We will, that our power of making laws for the government of the church, and executing them by delegated authority, forever cease; that the people may have free course to the Bible, and adopt the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
The will goes on for another 3 items and the next says:
Item. We will, that the people henceforth take the Bible as the only sure guide to heaven; and as many as are offended with other books, which stand in competition with it, may cast them into the fire if they choose; for it is better to enter into life having one book, than having many to be cast into hell.
After another 5 items it is signed by 6 members on June 28th, 1804. The closing statement is thus: We, the above named witnesses of the Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery, knowing that there will be many conjectures respecting the causes which have occasioned the dissolution of that body, think proper to testify, that from its first existence it was knit together in love, lived in peace and concord, and died a voluntary and happy death.
That rejection of a denominational sectarianism was surely a great restoration movement, but great restoration movements don’t always involve many people. Luke 15:10 records another great restoration movement when a prodigal son repented and was restored to the Father, and Heaven rejoices still when such happens today.