"The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof", (Matthew 21:43).
    In reality, Israel had no kingdom when Jesus came; they were merely "heirs" to one. Three things are necessary to constitute a kingdom: a king, a citizenry, and a territory or sphere of rule. At the time of Jesus' coming Israel had no king and no territory that was actually their own.
    There had been a time when Israel WAS a kingdom. But the diadem had long been cast down, (Ezek. 2l 26-27); there had now, however, been no king to sit on David's throne for almost 500 years. The Jews were subjects of Roman tyranny and were longing for the restoration of the kingdom (Acts 1:6-7).
    Conscious of the nation's unwillingness to be RULED BY GOD, Jesus prophesied its continuing desolation, (Matt. 23:38; comp. I Kings 9:6-9; Jer. 7:4-15; 22:5; Ezek. 15). This was no after-thought, or momentary reaction on the part of God. The nation could have easily known the consequences of its rebellion. God had clearly set before them the ways of LIFE and DEATH -- urging

that they CHOOSE LIFE. He had shown the necessity of their CHOOSING between God's "curses" and His "blessings". And He had made it clear that they would choose by their RESPONSE TO HIS WORD! But the nation never showed any REAL CONCERN!
    The predicted desolation does NOT mean the cessation of divine love for Israel; rather, it involves their rejection (temporarily) as the recipients of His special covenant-favor, and as instruments for the accomplishment of His glorious purpose in the earth, (Matt. 23:39; comp. 21:9; Rom. 11:21-25).
    It was from a position of covenant-fellowship that the nation was severed, (Rom. 11:13-22; comp. Matt. 21:43). And it is possible for New Testament saints (members of the body of Christ) to be CUT OFF from covenant fellowship with God thru high mindedness and unbelief. Saints at Galatia were threatened with the possibility of being "severed from Christ" and regarded as "fallen from grace". This was NOT spoken concerning the loss of personal salvation from sin - guiltiness. Rather, it shows the possibility of losing one's covenant-standing and identity with Christ as a member of His body, the church, (Gal. 5:4;

    The book of Daniel is mostly prophetic. Even Nebuchadnezzar's dream was a preview of Gentile world governments. The days of those kings reach unto the end-time. Much of Daniel's prophecy is about the end-time.
    But Daniel was commanded to "shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end:" (12:4), and verse 9 adds: "for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end".
    Immediately after the command to "seal the book" we are told, "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall he increased. This too is prophecy which must be fulfilled before the end. In fact, these prophecies are being fulfilled in our time.
    The words "run to and fro" have been thought to refer to our increased travel and commuting. This action (running to and fro) is

expressed in one Hebrew verb. The word occurs 13 times in the Old Testament. In only 7 of the 13 are the words "to and fro" used in the translation. This word does NOT mean to wander or go about aimlessly Rather, it describes a purposeful and thorough going about to investigate. Satan said that he so traversed the earth, (Job 1:7; 2:2). A systematic going through the land to take a census is described by this word, (2 Sam. 24:2, 8). In Jeremiah 5:1 this word is used in calling for a careful search.
    II Chronicles 16:9 and Zechariah 4:10 say that "the eyes of the LORD run to and fro through the whole earth".
    In Daniel 12:4 the running to and fro leads to the increased knowledge. It is not just commuting or travelling. It is going with a purpose -- to investigate, to accumulate knowledge. Modern man has a hang-up for surveys and cataloging knowledge.
    Yes, knowledge is increased and increasing. Its volume is so vast it must be stored in computers. The world has doubled its store of knowledge in our generation. It expects to double it again in the next few years.
    But, for all the world's knowledge, the "many" are ignorant that what is now coming to pass was prophesied by Daniel 2500 years ago.
0 teach us, Lord, to count our days,
And set our hearts on wisdom's ways;
The work accomplished by our hand
Establish Thou, and make it stand!

A NEW ORDER ..... Continued
Matt. 18:17). The very POSSIBILITY of such a loss emphasizes the importance of: abiding in Christ, (John 15:1-10), and continuing in the grace of God, (Acts 13:43).
    The New Covenant was never established with the Jewish nation. It refused to meet the condition on which the Kingdom was offered; it would not repent and believe the Gospel, (John 5:39-40). Israel desired the BLESSINGS of the kingdom on her own terms. Jesus was both willing and able to establish the kingdom, but ONLY with a subject-people who were willing to be RULED BY GOD; and Israel was not ready for that.
    The hearts of a faithful few in the nation responded in faith to the Messiah -- Simeon, Anna, John the Baptist, the apostles, etc. God has never been without a faithful "remnant", (Acts 14:17). He has ever performed His most glorious work through the faithful few, (Isa. 1:9; Joel 2:32; Isa. 11:11; 37:32; Ezek. 11:13; Mic. 2:12; 4:7; 5:7-8; Zech. 8:6-12; Rom. 9:27; 11:1-5). And there will only be such a remnant of faithful people at the time of our Lord's return, (Luke 18:8).
    It was not in vain that a FEW were willing to yield their whole hearts and lives under sovereign direction. With these He established a "NEW ORDER" -- the CHURCH, which is called His "temple", "house" and "body" -- which He developed and prepared to fulfill His glorious purpose during this age. But there are strong implications that He never ceased appealing to, and dealing with, the nation until

the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. But they could NOT enjoy the blessings of the "new order" without a break with established Judaism and the acceptance of Christ's YOKE.
    This new order (the church) was in partial fulfil1ment of Jeremiah's prophecy (31:31-34) of a "New Covenant". Its original establishment was with a faithful, believing, Jewish remnant. Upon it were bestowed specific blessings: (1) A special endowment of the Spirit, (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8); and (2) The experience of true REMISSION -- involving a CONSCIOUSNESS of forgiveness and acceptance, (Heb. 10:1-2, 14-22).
    This New Covenant, inchoately established in the church, far excelled anything that God had previously bestowed upon men -- involving many "better things" as set forth in the Hebrew epistle. The blood of Christ -- shed for the remission of sins -- was COVENANT BLOOD. By it the New Covenant was sealed. It is one of the symbols used in observance of the Lords Supper whereby His waiting church "shows forth His death" until His appearing in glory, (Matt. 26:26-28; Heb. 10:29). And the MISSIONARY RESPONSIBILITY, which the nation had never taken seriously, was now laid upon this new, spiritual institution, (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15).
    It should be understood that Jesus DID NOT establish His Kingdom in establishing the church. As early as Matthew 4:18-22 Jesus had ALREADY BEGUN "calling out" disciples -- laying the foundation for

His church. In the strictest sense THEY WERE HIS CHURCH! It was some time later that He instructed them to pray that the kingdom would yet come on earth, (Matt. 6:10). And it is still proper for New Testament churches to pray for, and expect, the establishment on this earth of a kingdom of righteousness.
    The Father has never turned aside from His original purpose to rule the earth in righteousness -- through man. It is His plan for the church, in this present age, to call out from among the Gentiles a people for His Kingdom. This we do as we faithfully herald the Gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth -- calling men to repentance and faith, that they may be RECONCILED TO GOD!
    ARE YOU WALKING "ORDERLY"?

Would you point a soul to God?
Tell him of a Saviour's blood,
Once for dying sinners spilt,
To atone for all their guilt.

Tell him how the streams did glide
From His hands, His feet, His side;
How His head with thorns was crowned,
And His heart in sorrow drowned.

How He yielded up His breath;
How He agonized in death;
How He lives to intercede:
Christ, our Advocate and Head.

Tell him of that liberty
Wherewith Jesus makes us free;
Sweetly speak of sins forgiven,
Earnest of the joys of heaven.


Father, I stretch my hands to Thee;
No other help I know;
If Thou withdraw Thyself from me,
Ah, whither shall I go?

What did thine only Son endure
Before I drew my breath!
What pain, what labor, to secure
My soul from endless death!

Author of faith, to Thee I lift
My weary, longing eyes;
Oh, may I now receive that gift;
My soul, without it, dies!
    "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else", (Isa. 45:22)!
HAVE YOU ACCEPTED GOD'S INVITATION?