`I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto

him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand

of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven' (Matt. 26:63,64).

The Roman Governor said:

`Art Thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest' (Matt. 27:11).

The actions and words of the Roman soldiers gave evidence that the Lord's claim to kingship was widely known

and steadily maintained:

`And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they

bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!' (Matt. 27:29).

The accusation set over the Lord's head on the cross was: `This is Jesus the King of the Jews' (Matt. 27:37).

The chief priests mocked Him with taunting words:

`If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him' (Matt. 27:42).

The dying malefactor said unto Jesus:

`Lord, remember me when Thou comest into THY KINGDOM' (Luke 23:42).

When the Lord answered the apostle's question it is surely significant that He said no word to reprove them for

their slowness of heart: neither did He say that they were fools. All that He did was to take up that part of their

question which related to the `time', saying: `It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father

hath put in His own power' (Acts 1:7). Yet in Luke 24, before His exposition of Moses and all the Prophets, they

had merited these rebukes.

The kingdom shall be restored to Israel, and upon the fulfilment of conditions already laid down, but it was

impossible to reveal to the apostles the foreknown failure of Israel to repent, and the consequent postponement of

the hope of Israel. That is understandable and true, but it does not in any way invalidate their question as to the

restoration of the kingdom. It gives no warrant for substituting the church in the place of Israel.

If, while Israel were still a people, and while prophetic times were still running their course (Dan. 9:24), the

apostles were not permitted to know `times and seasons', how much less, during this period of Israel's blindness -

this parenthetical period during which the clock of prophecy has been stopped - how much less warrant is there for

attempting to fix dates concerning the end of the age or the coming of the Lord. We have not a list of names of all

those who from time to time have turned prophets and announced the date of the second coming, nor do we wish to

be cumbered with such sad evidences of error, but the reader should be warned against all such attempts, by

whatever method - all are un-scriptural and doomed to failure. Captain Crossby announced that in 1925 this

dispensation would close, and that the most conspicuous figure in Europe at that date would be Antichrist. We

neither saw Antichrist in 1925, nor did the age end seven years later, namely, 1932, with Israel restored to their land.

Baxter toured the country lecturing upon the forty coming wonders that should be seen during 1896-1908: Not one

came to pass. Dimbleby computed by astronomical reckoning that the end would come in 1898. During the year in

which we write these words claims have been made to divine illumination, that, if resisted, would mean resistance of

the Holy Ghost. These claims were that the teaching of the Scriptures had been made plain, and that about the 12th

of June 1933, the coming of the Lord, according to 1 Thessalonians 4, would be fulfilled. Newspapers ridiculed the

prophet in advance: unstable believers were moved to all sorts of extravagancies by it - and nothing happened.

Nothing, we say; yet, is it nothing, that the Word of God should be thus held up to scorn? Is it nothing that the faith

of many has been so rudely shaken? What difference should it make, if we positively knew the date of the Lord's

return? He said, `occupy' till I come, and if, did we know the exact date of His appearing, we would give up our

business, change our mode of life, alter our address, or make any other change, does not that indicate that we should

make these changes now, out of love of His appearing, without knowing the times or the seasons?