Verse 17: “And now brethren I know that according to ignorance you performed, just as also your rulers.”

According to ignorance you performed (acted): Twice earlier (v13 and v14) we were told that they rejected Yeshua – with the implication that they had known what they were doing. However, they had been ignorant of how wrong they were, and what the full implications of their actions entailed.

Verse 18: “But God foretold through the mouths of all of His prophets that Messiah suffered to fulfil this.”

God…foretold: This is why it is so important that we have prophetic understanding. If we understand prophecy we can discern Yeshua and understand the implications (to the world and to the individual) of Him being the suffering servant.

Messiah suffered to fulfil this: Yeshua suffered in order to fulfil what all of the prophets had spoken about – a suffering Messiah.

Verse 19: “Therefore repent, and turn for the blotting out of your sins, so that the times of refreshing shall come from the face of the L-rd.”

Turn: This means that they need to turn to God, to receive the gospel so that their sins could be blotted out.

Refreshing: Literally means ‘so that your souls can be brought up’ (into a higher, more appropriate spiritual condition).

From the face of the L-rd: Receive blessings from the L-rd. True blessings, from God, enable us to bring about His will in our lives according to His purposes and plans.

Verse 20: “Also He should send the One appointed to you – Messiah Yeshua.”

He should send the One: This ties together those times of refreshing with the coming of Messiah at the end of the age. Although miracles can and do occur now they were more plentiful nearly 2,000 years ago, and they are going to become more plentiful again in the last days.

Appointed: Designated

Verse 21: “Whom it is necessary for the heaven to have received Him up to the time of the restoration of all things. Which God has spoken through the mouth of all His Holy prophets from eons.”

Necessary for the heaven to have received Him: He is there for now. 

The restoration of all things: The going back of everything to its proper condition – when Messiah returns He will bring it all back into order during the Millennial Kingdom.

From eons: From ages ago

Verse 22: “For Moses said to the fathers: ‘A prophet the L-rd, your God, shall rise up from your brethren as me. Him you shall hear (obey) according to all which He shall speak to you.’”

This is a quotation taken from Deuteronomy 18v15. A prophet… God shall rise up from your brethren: Moses prophesied this, and Peter is identifying Yeshua as the One who had been raised up in order to bring about this restoration.

Verse 23: “It shall come about that every soul who does not hear of that Prophet (Yeshua) is going to be cut off.”

Cut off: In the Old Testament some would say this person will be cut off from his people, excommunicated. In the New Testament it means that each person, who does not listen to this Prophet, will be brought to total destruction or annihilation.

Verse 24: “And all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days.”

Have foretold these days: We do not have any excuse; it has been clearly told to us.

Verse 25: “You are sons of the prophets and of the Covenant which God appointed to our fathers. Saying to Abraham: ‘To your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed’.”

You are sons (heirs) of the prophets and of the Covenant: Peter is speaking to Jewish people, to Israel.

Verse 26: “Unto you, first, God raised up His Son Yeshua and sent Him to bless you in order that you might turn, each of you, from your evilness.”

His Son Yeshua: In the natural a son is younger than his father, but this is not the case between the Heavenly Father and His Son. There was never a time that the Father existed and the Son did not. Like an earthly son should, though, Yeshua submits to the authority of His Father and, ultimately, Yeshua will inherit all things from His Father.

Your evilness: God sent His Son in order to transform our lives so that we do not have to live in a way which God considers evil.