What did Peter know about Daniel's 70th week and Christ's return?
Peter understood Daniel's 70th week as part of the prophetic program: calamities would fall, and then Christ would return. It all hinged on Israel's repentance. The times of refreshing, the Kingdom, could not come until the restitution of all things, or the Tribulation, had run its course.
Les explains that Peter knew Daniel's 70th week was part of the prophetic program. The calamities would fall, and then Christ would return, but it was all hinging on Israel's repentance. In verse 19 Peter therefore says, 'repent ye therefore, and be converted,' meaning true salvation, 'that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.' The times of refreshing are the Kingdom. But the Kingdom could not come in until the restitution of all things, or the Tribulation. Les sees the same format in Psalms chapter 2: they would reject the Messiah, put Him to death, God would call Him back to Heaven, set Him at His right hand until His enemies were made His footstool; then would come His wrath, vexation, and tribulation, and then, 'yet have I set my King upon the holy hill of Zion.' All was to flow one right after the other, but God in His wisdom interrupted it. When the first Advent Israel rejected Him, God called Him back to glory; Israel continued to reject, and He sends into the dispersion that has lasted until our own time, and He goes to the Gentiles with salvation by grace, with no connection to Israel's Law.