pursued the blasphemy, incontinence and treachery of the last days with all

their harrowing effects upon heart and mind.  We believe, however, that the

judicious will realize that the time and space occupied by the preceding

exposition of the fundamental character of love is more than justified, for

it is just there that we are most vulnerable and where the best of us break

However many the hindrances and the countermoves of the Enemy, the last

days will come, and their shadows already are visible on the horizon.  We

however rejoice in spite of all the dark prospect that looms ahead, for

'Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning' (Psa.

The fact that the church of the One Body is called under the

dispensation of the Mystery; the fact that this Mystery is in the nature of a

parenthesis in the revealed outworking of the purpose of the ages; the fact

that this parenthesis is but an alternative to saying that Israel as a nation

is set aside and become for the time being lo -ammi ('not My people'); the

fact that while Israel as a nation is lo -ammi, prophetic times are not

computable, prove that it is utterly unscriptural, as it is futile, to

attempt to forecast 'the time of the end', to envisage the year of the Lord's

return, or to introduce into the present time the signs of the end referred

to in Matthew 24, such as 'wars and rumours of wars'.

While all this is true, it is nevertheless equally true that the great

world goes on around us.  Nations are pursuing their policies; changes that

plainly herald a crisis are everywhere apparent, and therefore it seems that

some notes upon the present aspect of things with a brief summary of what

'must shortly come to pass' may be of service.

In the first place we must turn to those epistles which contain the

revelation of the Mystery, and note anything that is said concerning the

trend of affairs that mark the apostasy and the character of the days at the

close of the dispensation of the Mystery.  Though found in the epistles of

the Mystery, this apostasy is antagonistic to it, and will run on and develop

into the great prophetic era known as 'the last days', when the church of the

One Body is complete.

Turning first to the epistle to the Ephesians, we naturally find that

its contents are devoted mostly to making known the basic truth of the new

dispensation.  It contains, nevertheless, the germ of apostasy with which

this dispensation closes.

Firstly, this church was 'chosen in Him before the overthrow of the

world' (Eph. 1:4), and this fact shows that the antagonism which brought

about that 'overthrow', and which is associated with the fall of the

principalities and powers, together with one originally called 'the anointed

cherub' (Ezek. 28:14) must of necessity be at the root of the spiritual

opposition that is expressed in the pages of Scripture, and in the experience

of all who have stood for the truth of the Mystery.

Secondly, Ephesians 2:2 makes it very clear that there is a mighty

spiritual antagonist whose energy ('the spirit that now worketh in the

children of disobedience') is so great that it is placed in contrast with the