When Peter finished his testimony, those attending the conference were silent. Then “they listened to Barnabas and Paul relating all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them” (v. 12). Following this, we have the fellowship given by James (vv. 14-21).
In 15:13-14 James said, after all were silent, “Men, brothers, listen to me. Simeon related how God first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.” Here the name “Simeon” denotes Simon (John 1:40, 42).
In verses 16 and 17 James quotes from the book of Amos to show that the words of the prophets agree with taking out of the Gentiles a people for God’s name: “After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen; and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will erect it again, so that the rest of mankind may seek out the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom My name has been called.” The tabernacle of David refers to the kingdom of Israel. To rebuild the tabernacle of David is to restore the kingdom of Israel.
The use of this Old Testament quotation by James uplifts the nation of Israel. In Acts 1:6 the apostles asked the Lord Jesus, saying, “Lord, are You at this time restoring the kingdom to Israel?” The kingdom of Israel, which the apostles and other devout Jews were looking for, was a material kingdom. It differed from God’s kingdom of life, which Christ is building up through the preaching of His gospel. When the apostles asked the Lord about the restoring of the kingdom of Israel, He replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father has placed in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the remotest part of the earth” (vv. 7-8). Although the Lord had spoken such a word, James, in order to take care of the situation in Acts 15, uplifted the nation of Israel once again. The words “so that” in 15:17 indicate that first the Lord will rebuild the nation of Israel and then the Gentiles, the rest of mankind, will seek out the Lord.
Actually, the portion James quotes from the Old Testament does not apply to the situation in Acts 15. Rather, it is a prophecy related to the Lord’s rebuilding the nation of Israel after His coming back. At that time, according to the prophecy, all the nations will seek after the Lord. A similar prophecy is found in Zechariah 8. According to that chapter, when the nation of Israel is restored, “many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord” (Zech. 8:22). If we study the Scriptures carefully, we shall see that such portions of the Word are not concerned with the present age of grace but with the time after the Lord’s coming back. In the coming age the Lord will rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David; that is, He will restore the nation of Israel. Then the Gentiles will come to Israel in order to seek the Lord.
When we point out that the portion used by James in Acts 15 applies to the coming age, some may say, “You should not interpret the verses used by James in this way. Instead, you should only interpret it according to principle. Here James was saying that in principle sooner or later the Lord will take in the Gentiles.” But concerning the situation in Acts 15 it is not adequate to say that sooner or later the Gentiles will come in. In this chapter James used a quotation from the Old Testament without discernment. He quoted verses that refer not to the present age but to the coming age. James, therefore, actually borrowed a quotation from the Old Testament.