`Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that

is worshipped' (2 Thess. 2:4).

If the reader would read consecutively Daniel 9, 10, 11 and 12, 1

Thessalonians 4 and 5, 2 Thessalonians 1 and 2, and Revelation 13, the

testimony of the truth itself would be so strong as to need no human advocate.

Our space is limited, and we therefore earnestly ask all who value the teaching

of the Scriptures regarding `that blessed hope' to read and compare these

portions most carefully and prayerfully.  When this is done, let the question

be answered: `what have all these Scriptures to do with the church of the

dispensation of the Mystery, a church called into being consequent upon

Israel's removal and the suspension of Israel's hope?'  The answer can only be

that, while the close association of the hope of the Thessalonians with the

hope of Israel was consistent with the character of the dispensation then in

force, the attempt to link the `one hope of our calling' with prophetic times

is a dispensational anachronism and a failure to distinguish things that

The coming of the Lord referred to in 1 Corinthians 11:26 must be the

same hope as was entertained by the Thessalonians, and by the church at Rome

(Rom. 15:12,13, see p. 147).  The apostle himself summarizes this hope in Acts

28:20 as the `hope of Israel'.  The Corinthian epistle deals with a variety of

subjects, and is addressed to different sections of the church.  Some called

themselves by the name of Paul, others by the name of Cephas. Some were

troubled with regard to the question of marriage, and others with regard to

moral questions.  The section in which the words `till He come' occur is

addressed to those whose `fathers' were `baptized unto Moses' (1  Cor. 10:1,2);

whereas the section that immediately follows is addressed to Gentiles (1 Cor.

Concerning the question of marriage, the apostle writes:

`I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress ....  The

time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though

they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not ... and they

that buy, as though they possessed not' (1 Cor. 7:26 -30).

Shall we fall into the error of teaching, as some have taught, that

marriage is wrong because of what Paul says in this chapter?  If we do, what

shall we say of his wonderful words concerning husband and wife in Ephesians 5?

Or of his advice that the younger women should not only marry, but marry again

if left as widows? (1 Tim. 5:9 -14).  The right interpretation is clearly that

Paul's advice in 1 Corinthians 7 was true at the time, because the Second

Coming of Christ was expected to take place during the lifetime of some of his

hearers.  He speaks as he does, `because of the present necessity', and because

`the time is short'.  When writing to the Thessalonians, he rightly identifies

himself with the imminent hope of the Lord's coming by saying: `We which are

alive' (1 Thess. 4:15).

The `present necessity' of 1 Corinthians 7 is no longer applicable on

account of the failure of Israel and the suspension of their hope.  So in 1

Corinthians 7, the teaching of the chapter was only true while the hope of that