Does Acts 3:17-26 teach that if the people of Israel repented Christ would have returned and established the Kingdom?

Question

Acts 2 Dispensationalists claim that the birth of the body of Christ happens in Acts 2 with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, because God was no longer dealing with Israel on a national level due to their crucifixion of Christ. But here it clearly seems to teach that Christ's return is dependent upon Israel's repentance to receive their covenanted promises. And we know that Christ's return is not dependent on the church's repentance, so here in Acts it seems God is still dealing with Israel.

¹⁷ And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹ Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, ²⁰ so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, ²¹ who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets. ²² Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. ²³ And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.’ ²⁴ And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days. ²⁵ You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ ²⁶ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Answer 1

I'm not a dispensationalist but you ask about Acts 3:17-26. If you want dispensationalists to comment on Acts chapter 2, that would require a separate question.

The Acts 3:17-26 statements were made by Peter to a crowd of Jews gathered in Jerusalem's temple. They had just witnessed the miracle of the man lame from his mother's womb having his feet and ankle bones strengthened, so that he could get up, walk, and leap. Peter expressed surprise to the crowd that they should marvel, because the miracle was not done in their power, but done by Jesus Christ who was now resurrected from the dead and sitting at God's right hand in heaven.

From there, God would send Christ (not the first sending, but for Christ's return - vs. 20-21). When the time comes for "the restitution of all things", heaven will no longer retain the risen Christ. Although the Jewish people needed to repent (not least for having crucified the Messiah), this assurance was given to them:

"Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, 'And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.' Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." (Acts 3:25-26 KJV)

Peter preached Christ crucified, resurrected to heavenly glory, from where he would return in the future to deal with both Jews and Gentiles. Peter was urging them to repent now, before Christ returned in glory to "rule the nations with a rod of iron" (Psalm 2).

Peter was not speaking of the need for Israel to have repented at Christ's first coming. Christ had come and gone. Peter was pointing them to their need to repent now, prior to Christ's second coming. About 3,000 Jews were saved by the end of Acts chapter 2, and by the start of chapter 4, about 5,000 men had been saved - mainly Jews. Chapter 3 (which is what you ask about) gives the gospel message Peter explained (which the prophets had previously pointed to) and all these converted Jews were added to the Church, post-Pentecost.