`The appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Tim. 6:14).

`The appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ' (2 Tim. 1:10).

`Who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing'

(2 Tim. 4:1).

`A crown ... to all them ... that love His appearing' (2 Tim. 4:8).

`Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing (appearing

of the glory) of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ' (Titus

It is fitting that the hope of the church whose sphere of blessing is

in `heavenly places' epouraniois `far above all' huperano, should also use

the word epi `upon' in the word that speaks of its hope.

It is an axiom that `faith is the substance of things hoped for', which

is but another way of saying that when hope is realized it will be the

entering into that which has already been anticipated and enjoyed by faith.

By faith and potentially, the church of the One Body is already seated

in the heavenlies; it would not be a realization of this faith to find itself

in the New Jerusalem or at the marriage supper of the Lamb, or in the

Paradise of God.  If hope is not to be ashamed, or make the believer ashamed,

the church of the Mystery must find itself in glory at the right hand of God

far above all principalities and powers, and if so, no phase of hope

expressed in any other Scripture will satisfy the necessities of the case.

As we ponder the wording of this third item of the Unity of the Spirit

we feel inclined to say `O the depth of the wisdom and knowledge of God!'

For He has safeguarded the blessed hope of this dispensation by placing it in

between the words `Even as' which links it to the One Body and the One Spirit

already announced, and the `calling wherewith we have been called' on the

This `calling' looks back `before age times' (2 Tim. 1:9), is

associated with `one Body' (Col. 3:15); is a `high calling' (Phil. 3:14), and

the hope of such calling must correspond.  It, too, must be associated with

that phase of the Lord's coming that is linked with `heavenly places' and

with that part of God's purpose that goes back `before the overthrow of the

world'.  Believers of other callings will meet the Bridegroom and go in with

Him to the wedding feast.  Some of other callings will see Him descend upon

the Mount of Olives.  Others will meet Him in the air, and some, the members

of the One Body, will `be manifested with Him In Glory'.  This manifestation

must take place before the descent to the air or to the earth.  They whose

blessed hope this is, are said to be in a state of `prior hope' proelpizo

(Eph. 1:12).  First in time of realization, as first in dignity because far

above all, this `One Hope' of our calling is a sacred trust which we should

`make it our business' to keep, to hold, to love and to look for.

We now arrive at the central feature of the sevenfold Unity of the

Spirit, `One Lord'.  Just as the six branches of the candlestick were held

together by the central shaft, so the Unity of the Spirit is held together,

not by faith or hope or baptism or membership of the One Body or of the

family of faith, but because of all that is involved in the title `One Lord'.

We remember that when the apostle refers to himself as `the prisoner' in the