For the name of Christ, the church at Ephesus had labored without fainting. Heroic fundamentalists had exposed false apostles as liars. Yet, the Lord was about to reject them BECAUSE THEY HAD NO LOVE!
    Natural men live in malice and envy - hateful and hating one another. The Lord has called us away from such living, to speak evil of no man - to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing meekness to ALL men, (Tit. 3:1-3). To such as overcome the temptation to brawling's, the Lord promises rest and joy in the paradise of God.
    The great commandment of the law was LOVE, (Lk. 10:25-28). Jesus' disciples were to be recognizable by their mutual love, (Jn. 15:34-35). Lack of love for our brethren is a common failure. The most orthodox are often most lacking in love and utterly merciless in attacking those who vary in the slightest degree from their doctrinal dogmatism, (Matt. 18:23-35).
    Love is far more excellent the life of a Christian than the

    In an effort to vindicate their own home-spun philosophies, highly respected religious writers have often resorted to such illogical and confusing strategies as violate every commonly-accepted principle of biblical interpretation! And the second chapter of Daniel is a favorite setting for such purveyors of imaginative nonsense! With the respected John Brown, I am "impressed with the conviction that IMAGINARY EXPOSITION is one of the worst ways of ADDING TO 'the words of the prophecy of this book', and that he who thus adds to God's word, 'deceiving and being deceived', is in great danger of 'proving himself a liar'!"
    Daniel, in chapter 2 of his prophecy, reveals and interprets a dream in which King Nebuchadnezzar has seen a great image - representing four successive Gentile world empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome). But, this is not the sum-total of divine revelation

pertaining to the kingdoms of this world. In Daniel 7 he interprets a vision that came to king Darius (a vision of beasts) concerning these SAME FOUR world empires. Nor is one adequately equipped to interpret these general prophecies until he has carefully compared the totality of divine revelation on the subject - including Revelation 11:15-18; 13:1-18 and 19:11-24.
    A careful analogy of these passages will reveal that "the toes" on the image seen by Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2), and the "ten horns" in the vision that appeared to Darius, represent THE SAME THING. And the expression "in the days of these kings" is NOT a broad generalization, covering a period of 3,000 years. It is, RATHER, the designation of a SPECIFIC, and RELATIVELY BRIEF PERIOD, in which 10 kings (represented by 10 toes and horns) rule simultaneous over a restored, but vastly

weakened, Roman Empire the last days. Out of their midst will arise a "little horn" who subdues three of those kings - the others, obviously, yielding their authority to him who "shall speak great words against the Host High, and shall wear out the saints of the Host High", (Dan. 7:25; Rev. 13:7) just prior to the consummation of this age.
    This establishes the TIME ELEMENT when "the God of heaven" will "set up a kingdom, which shall NEVER be destroyed". By this kingdom shall ALL the kingdoms of the world be broken in pieces and consumed, (Dan. 2:44). The method, by which the kingdom of God is established, is that of SUPERNATURAL INTERVENTION and divine conquest!
    In the prophetic symbolism of Daniel's prophecy, Jesus, the Messiah, appears as "a stone ... cut out of the mountain without hands" which smites the image upon its FEET - destroying, in its totality, the symbol of Gentile ascendancy in the earth, but FROM THE FEET UPWARD! And THIS is of great importance! Had this been designed to represent the work of our Lord at His FIRST advent, would have necessitated the stone's striking the "legs of iron"! But, it was NOT in the days of the Roman Emperors that the God of heaven purposed to "setup His kingdom"! It is rather, in connection with "the days of THESE KINGS" - represented by the symbolic "toes" and "horns", that God will set His king "upon the holy hill of Zion" - to rule gloriously, in righteousness, and FOREVER! This "Living Stone

comes a "mountain" that fills the whole earth! His is a universal kingdom!
    This was the H0PE of the church established by our Lord during His earthly ministry. Having already established His church, Jesus taught His people to pray: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven", (Matt. 6:10). Their longing and prayer was for "the kingdom of heaven" - wherein the very atmosphere of heaven would permeate THE WHOLE EARTH! And Jesus clearly encouraged their expectancy of such coming blessedness. "Pear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to GIVE you the kingdom", (Luke 12:32).
    To DISPEL their developing expectation of the IMMINENCY OF THE KINGDOM, Jesus gave His disciples the Parable of the Pounds - likening Himself to a nobleman who must go into a far country TO RECEIVE FOR HIMSELF A KINGDOM, and to return, (Lk. 19:11-12). This DELAY in, the establishment of the kingdom, is also noted in Matthew's gospel where "after a LONG TIME the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them", (25:19). It is WHEN the Son of Man SITS, as judge, UPON THE THRONE OF HIS GLORY, that He will say to those on His right hand, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world", (Matt. 25:31-34). And Paul's final charge to Timothy was "before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall Judge the quick and the dead AT HIS APPEARING and His KINGDOM!" (2 Tim. 4:1).

As the consummation of this age draws near; while "the heathen rage, the people imagine a vain thing ... kings and rulers uniting in counsel against the Lord" - determined to loose themselves from His authority; we live in EXCITING TIMES! It is obvious to all (with eyes to see) that the church of Jesus Christ is NOT a militant institution - designed to "break in pieces, consume and destroy" the kingdoms of this world! But, we eagerly await "the days of these kings" as set forth in Daniel 2:44. Their rule will SET THE STAGE for the coming of Him Who is our Founder and Head, the Author and Finisher of our faith and our coming King! Having RECEIVED His Kingdom (Dan. 7:14), He wi1l share its rule and blessedness with those who have Lived and served Him in truth!
    "Righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 7:14) are foretastes of kingdom-life that are NOW AVAILABLE to God's people, through the appropriation of faith. Such as have truly tasted "the heavenly gift", and the powers of the coming age, will "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness". And the prayer of our hearts will be in harmony with that of the beloved John, who yearned that it might come SPEEDILY! E.G.


    Noting that we did not make our annual appeal for "letters" during the month of January this year, about six people wrote anyway to express their appreciation for this continuing ministry of the written

word. And we deeply appreciate this assurance of their love and prayer-support.
    During the same period, however, we have received about FOUR TIMES that many "returned for postage due" notices. Since the Postal Service no longer permits their carriers to collect for these we are required to drive to the Post Office and pay for each one - a cost of $3 or more for EVERY PAPER THAT CANNOT BE DELIVERED because someone has moved OR the P.O. has assigned them a NEW route or box number.
    We WANT to continue this ministry, but without the help of our readers in this matter of address changes, and constantly-increasing rates and restrictions, it may be necessary for us to DISCONTINUE - with deep regrets! E.G.

    Ability to speak in tongues or the gift of healing! (1 Cor. 12:29-31). Any other spiritual endowment is utterly worthless without love! TRUE LOVE is manifested in lives characterized by - joy, peace, long- temperedness, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, meekness and self-control, Gal. 5:22). It avoids jealousy, pride, self-seeking, suspicion and everything that is contrary to the truth, (1 Cor. 13:4-7).
    The church at Ephesus had everything BUT love; but, without love she WAS NOTHING! Without love ANY CHURCH is less than nothing, and has no right to exist!
    In the book of Ruth one may read the story of a Moabitess, who left her home and native land to share the sorrows of her poor mother-in law. Ruth had NOTHING BUT LOVE! The brilliancy of that love has shone down through 30 centuries. She was truly one of God's nobility - ancestress of our Lord.


Come, thou soul-transforming Spirit
   Bless the sower and the seed;
Let each heart thy grace inherit;
   Raise the weak, the hungry feed;
     From the gospel
   Now supply Thy people's need.
0, may all enjoy the blessing
   Which Thy word's designed to
     give;
Let us all, thy love possessing,
   Joyfully the truth receive,
     And forever
   To thy praise and glory live!