Did everyone make it through the fall feast celebrations without having to join Who's the Biggest Loser or Weight Watchers? What an incredible bit of work the Scriptures are. If you go Saturdays to Synagogue and in Hebrew Torah each week, you read the same sentences yet you don't see the lines speaking to and about Yashua. I love to go. So focused on the Law and the Land. When I read the Gospel lately shat strikes me is how much we have changed the Planet in the last 150 yrs. We are like "the Rich man".

I'm always brought back to the Wedding Feast Parable when I think we have it all figured out. That line in the Parable (Lk 14:16-24. Matt 22:2-14) where the King finally has some guests to attend. Then He approaches one guest asking My good man, apparently you forgot to stop by the Men's Warehouse to pick up a tux for the occasion is quite formal. The guest it is said has no reply, he has no excuse. As a fan of Korean Sageuk dramas of old Chosun Palace life the next line is pointed. The King looks over at His attendants’ and raises the heavenly eyebrows, meaning throw the bum out.
What gets me is when Yashua is done he tells everyone that the guest gets to visit a place where there is much gnashing of teeth. Not a pleasant place, but reminiscent of the picture of The rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. How does it go, “all are invited, only a few are chosen”. Personally I am a big skeptic when it comes to "the Easy Button" or Christian Pre-Trib Rapture. The drums are beating rather loudly though, some Messianic folks are telling their people that the tribulation will slowly begin from this year -2010.
I firmly believed when I read Future History and Yada Yahweh, we had two brothers who could write with clarity and as a whole I thought we were on to something. Now, I wonder if we have any idea what the master will do.
We are still stuck in a Galatians’ inquisition. When I want to understand Galatians, I turn to Elder Jacob Meyer's Commentary on Galatians from the Assembly of Yahweh. A book about 200 pages. Elder Meyer was a bit, how do they call it, a head of his time. He wasn't a fiery orator, but he was insightful and studious. I also like what Pastor Prince of Singapore has to say about the Law and its position to Grace. If we are so fortunate as to be at the "banquet" dressed to the nines for it I believe we are in for quite an education.

And what have your learned from taking your glasses off. Other than it might be difficult to see. Seriously, Rich the only the Torah or the law brought was death. So now we are convicted of our sin. Why did people live so long before if that they were not under the law. Once people came under the law. That seems when the death sentence was handed down. Did not Yashua say he would live under the Law yet he offered to us grace, which to me is Mercy. Why because the Torah does not give life. The life that we seek, that so called life giving water. Was it not bestowed through service and giving, through the grace and mercy given by the Almighty One. The Torah in all of its prophetic richness is all about works, yet our efforts will never do and never give what our Messiah was able to give on behalf of our Creator.
What I was trying to bring up about Matthew 22. Since I believe we are the generation and I don't think we will be whisked away, although I hold out some hope that like Noah's Ark...there will be some safety mechanism? Problem is we have close to 7 billion people today and an Ark to hold even the remnant of believers. Rapture is a band wagon that appeals to everyone. It keeps us from thinking about all those nuclear weapons we have built up. But enough about a rapture!
Mt 22 speaks to the ones that were finally invited by the King and yet they were not chosen. Like all remnants, it is a very small selection. We all like to believe that we are doing what is Christ's bidding, yet He always seems to surprise everyone. I suppose I am wondering what His surprise will be on the glorious day of His return. If I am fortunate to make it through the days of tribulation, which I may not, as this Christian soldier is not getting any younger. We will have our work cut out for us, don't you also think so Richie?

What about the harvest of Taruwah? I'm for sure going in that one if I don't die first. I think it will happen in 2023, but maybe sooner.
"And [you shall heed] (wa - and so then you shall observe the) Festival Feast (chag - celebratory gathering) of the Harvest (qatsiyr - the time of reaping what was sown, of gathering the crop) of the first fruits (bikuwrym) of your (‘atah) labors (ma’aseh - work, undertakings, pursuits, and accomplishments) which (‘asher - by way of making a connection and through relationship) you sow (zara’ - plant seeds) in the field (sadeh - the land), the celebratory Festival Feast (chag) of the Ingathering (‘aciyph - of collecting, gathering, assembling, receiving and withdrawing the harvest), at the conclusion of (yatsa’ - bringing to an end and finishing) the year (sanah - time of renewal), in which (ba - where) you are brought together, received, and removed (‘asaph - gathered in, assembled together, withdrawn, and harvested) from (min) your labors (ma’aseh - work) in the field of cultivation (sadeh)." (Exodus 23:16)

Isn't that speaking about the reaping of souls who have been born anew into His family as a result of the first four Called-Out Assemblies? The way I see it right now, I am in a relationship with Yahweh.. He has called me out of Babylon. He is fine tuning me into a useful tool, even though I still and will always have a lot to learn. Now that I'm his useful tool, what does He want me to do? For one, He wants me to expose Babylon and be ready to tell people about it in whatever way comes along. Why? Because there are people out there seeking the truth & if they find it, then they can be harvested along with me at the feast of Taruwah. Or maybe, after Taruwah comes and we're gone, some of them will find books, or posts, or websites, etc that us tools have done and they will be harvested later in the tribulation in the gleaning part.


"You shall arrive and enter (bow’ - come to and go inside) Yahuweh, your God’s (‘elohym) home, family, and household (bayith - tabernacle and dwelling place) with the first and choicest (re’shyth - the initial and most valued) of the first fruits (bikkurym) of your soil (‘adamah - earth as in the sense of ground, and also a cognate of ‘Adam, the first man created in Yahweh’s image)..." (Exodus 23:19)

"Behold (hineh - look and see), I Myself (‘anokiy - I Am will provide and) will send out and dispatch (salah - strip off an outer layer and reach out, freely giving) a supernatural messenger (mal’ak - a theophanic, or visible manifestation of God who will serve as His Spiritual Representative, as an envoy from heaven to carry His message and do His work) to (lo) appear in your presence (paneh ‘athah) to (lo) be your protector (samara - the one you should carefully observe and revere to remain safe, cared for, and protected) in (ba) the Way (darak - sent out to lead, guide, direct) and to arrive to bring you (bow’ ’athah - to come to enable you to enter and be included) into God’s (‘el - inside the Almighty’s) home (maqom - dwelling place and upright assembly, the standing place, household, and abode) which through relationship (‘asher) I have prepared and firmly established (kuwn - fashioned and formed, arranged and set in place)." (Exodus 23:20)


"Carefully observe and be secure (samar - care about, revere, and cling to Me) by means of (min) His presence (paneh - His appearance), and listen to (sama’ - receive, understand, and heed His message, His news, summons, and the call of) His voice (qowl). Do not (‘al) rebel against (marar ba - be embittered or be angry against Him, do not defy or be disobedient to His authority, or display infidelity toward) Him, for indeed (kiy - because if you do and are, if you are identified as such, and are burned by this brand) I will not lift you up or carry you away (nasa’ - respect, forgive, exalt, honor, accept, or raise you) from your rebellious transgressions (pesha’ - revolt, crimes, offences, faults, and sin), for indeed, My brand (‘ani kiy) name (shem - proper designation, renown, reputation, and glory) is in (qereb - inside His physical human body, in the midst of) Him." (Exodus 23:21)

"Thus declares and predicts (na’um - prophesy) the Upright Pillar and Foundation of the Tabernacle (‘eden), Yahuweh, who gathers and assembles (qabas - collets up together into one place) the scattered (nadah - exiled, outcast, banished, persecuted, and hunted) of Yisra’el, ‘I will also provide testimony and restoration (‘uwd/’owd - return and repeatedly bear witness and renew), gathering and collecting up (qabas - mustering) others beside those (‘alayw) already gathered.’" (Yashayahu / Isaiah 56:8)

and the best for last:
"The upright person (saddiq - innocent, guiltless, vindicated, and righteous, the judgmental and discriminating, the godly and redeemed) will disappear (‘abad - vanish, enter a state where their whereabouts are unknown), and no one (‘ayin ish) will devote any thought to it (sym leb - will take it to heart, ponder the core of the issue). Faithful and loving (hesed - devoted and favored, relationship-oriented and affectionate, merciful and favored, zealous and passionate, loyal and related) men and women (‘ish - people) will be gathered and removed, harvested and received (ne’esapym - brought together and taken away, collected and then moved from one place to another as a reward, assembled and withdrawn) while no one (‘ayin) perceives what’s happening (byn - realizes what has occurred, understands or explains accurately, is perceptive or judgmental, diligently considering or prudently discerning). For indeed (kiy - surely) from your presence (min paneh) the upright (saddiq - innocent, guiltless, and vindicated, and righteous, the judgmental and discriminating, the godly and redeemed) will be gathered together and taken (‘asap - harvested and withdrawn, reaped from the winepress and threshing floor, removed and received) away from the evil calamity (ra’a - wicked rule of man, time of perverseness, misery, crime, and destruction)." (Yashayahu / Isaiah 57:1)

Did I miss something? No rapture = no harvest, no harvest = no fulfillment of Taruwah. I am a million percent sure I will not be here for even one second of the tribulation.

In regards to quoting Luke in my above reply, let me mention that there is a reason to question the reliability of the things Luke wrote.

Because he was Paul's biographer and head cheerleader, and because Paul was one of the greatest of Yahuwah's enemies in all of history, I now consider it irresponsible to place credibilty in Luke's writings. That saddens me, because I have found his story of the birth of Yahushua to be a wonderful sledge hammer to use against the shoddy walls of Christianity's Christmas holiday and associated fables. Nevertheless, I must apologize for quoting Paul's steppenfetchit doctor friend.

Sorry, y'all.

Richard

Well, lookee here, James. There then arises the tedious chore of determining which of Luke's writings reflect accurate history and which were penned as part of his allegiance to his master, Paul. For example, Luke reports that the Master Yahushua told Ananias that He had set Paul apart for special service to Him (see Acts 9:15). Really? Did Yahushua really say that? If so, then Paul was A-OK and we should believe what he wrote. But we know that Paul was not A-OK, and that means that Luke lied. Now if Luke lied about that, why should I trust him to have been telling the truth about anything else?

Do you see my dilemma here, James?

Richard

I too have wondered what evidence Yada will find for a pre-trib rapture once he throws out all of Paul. Much of the YY sections on the rapture cite Paul...

I was debating a pre-trib rapture with a friend. I used examples of Lot, and of Noah, who were "taken out" before the destruction. She replied that they both went through those storms, they just had shelter. (Noah on a boat, Lot in a nearby city.) And then we did a word study on "indignation". It's a word Yah frequently used to describe destruction of the nations gathered against Jerusalem, pouring out his vengeance for our idols and transgressions.

Start your indignation word study HERE.

Here's one part of that, Exodus 26:...

This seems to speak of the righteous being "passed over", yet witnesses to the destruction.

Just a little more food for thought,
Shalom.

Rev.14:9,10 (amplified)



This seems to say they will witness from the comfort and safety in heaven with Yahshua.

Personally, (although I am open to the pre-trib rapture being entirely Pauline),I think there is a suggestion that we are not to be included in the actual tribulation judgments. The rationale for this is that the tribulation is the judgment of Yahuwah on a thoroughly disobedient and unbelieving world, and not for those who are included in his family.

Also the pattern of the unfulfilled feasts. The sounding of a warning prior to the reconciliation and dwelling with Yahuwah. I think that as a very final, pretty desperate last minute attempt to get people to wake up and smell the Yadaoffee, he may use some of us to pass through the odd bedroom wall in the middle of the night and tell people, who have rejected our calls to them to come out of UR, but who may well be saved eventually during the tribulation, that they still may have a couple of days to change their perspectives.

This may be pure imagination, although I would not find it surprising if we are involved in the warning process. However I am on the other hand happy to be convinced that we, like Noah would experience it, although be protected from it -which would in itself be a miracle,

I just can't imagine being protected from some of the more cosmic events like asteroids etc wiping out huge areas of the earth. Stoning (which disobedient, oxen which had pierced people with it's horns) had to suffer, is a type of cosmic stoning by asteroids on the earth . Humankind pierced the Messiah, and it too will be stoned.

If we are actually here at the time, well okay. I guess we will just have to dodge the 100 pound hailstones too.

You mean that the priest shutting up the house and leaving it is symbolic of leaving the earth for the period of the tribulation?

I don't think I had ever spotted that one before. Thanks Matthew.

I am definitely going to have to make the time to read The Owner's Manual, or TOM. I have kept putting it off because I don't like reading long PDF files or multi-page HTML documents: that much computer screen staring wreaks havoc with my aging eyes. It would be nice if I could print out the whole thing, but that doesn't seem practical either (at least, not for us). Ah, the excuses I could come up with! It's time, I reckon, to just get it done. Since Ken's book obviously contains good teaching, I would be the worst kind of brat to continue to ignore that particular gift from Dad.

Thanks, you guys, for pointing all this out.

Richard

There is also the passage in Isaiah which we all probably know, and that is

The upright person will disappear and no one will devote any thought to it.Faithful and loving men and women will be gathered and removed, harvested and received while no one perceives what is happening. For indeed from your presence the upright will be gathered together and taken (harvested and withdrawn, reaped from the winepress and threshing floor removed and received), away from the evil calamity (wicked rule of man time of perverseness misery crime and destruction).

This is Isaiah 57 1 .

n

That is one of the most generous offers I have ever received, RWY. Were it necessary, I would definitely take you up on it. However, I have an old Samsung ML-1750 black-and-white laser printer, and I finally took the time to learn how to place a printed page into the paper tray so that side 2 comes out looking right. I can print 9 pages at a time that way. The print pages field of the print window only allow for manually inputted page numbers and only as many as visibly fit into the field. So I print 9 pages (like 139, 141, 143, 145, etc.) in reverse order, then place them back into the paper tray and print the matching even pages (140, 142, 144, etc.). It's time-consuming, but it works, so I don't really need to exploit the beautiful generosity of brothers and sisters like you.

May our Father bless your socks off for the offer.

Richard