By Richard Merrell, PO Box 107 Wentworth Falls NSW 2782 Australia

THE TRUTH OF THE (PAROUSIA;) OF 'THE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED'...JUDE 3

Salutations and may the grace of and shalom from God the Father and from our Lord Yeshua be with each of you who are the sons and daughters of the common faith...AMEN

Now, let's take a look at what the SCRIPTURES and the EARLY CHURCH taught of the return or (PAROUSIA/appearing) of our Lord Yeshua. I declare to all who read this by the truth of Messiah and his apostles that there is NO pre tribulation or secret coming of Lord Yeshua for the congregation!!!

The coming of our Lord is PRE WRATH The saints are CAUGHT UP at the END, and not before or in mid seven years.

'UNTIL THE FULNESS OF THE GENTILES BE COME IN' Romans 11:25

Romans 11:25-27 makes it perfectly clear that 'blindness in part has happened to Israel until the times of the gentiles be COME IN.' Then and only then will the 'Deliverer come out of ZION.'

The term fulness of the gentiles is to do with the wild Olive branch vss 17-24 being complete.

'UNTIL THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES ARE FULFILLED." Luke 21:24

Lord Yeshua spoke, ' And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles, until the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. Most people interpret these words of our Lord to refer to Israel's whole history of Gentile dominion coming to a close, I believe rather, that Lord Yeshua was really speaking of the prophecy of Daniel 12:7, Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times and half a time.

Later, it is recorded in the Apocalypse, And I was given a reed like a measuring rod. and the angel stood, saying, "rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the GENTILES. And they will tread down the holy city ( Jerusalem ) underfoot for forty two months" or a ( time, times and half a time) Apocalypse 11:1

At the end of this three and a half year period, the Gentiles ( wild Olive tree) will have come to fulness and ALL Gentile times of trampling down Jerusalem will have also been fulfilled. The blindness will have been removed from Israel, for 'the Deliverer will come from Zion' Romans 11; 26,27; and 'every eye shall see him, even those who pierced him.' The Apocalypse 1:7. It behoves all who are taught things to check the scripture to see if these things be so, now a right dividing of the scripture will show that....THIS IS THE TIME OF LORD YESHUA'S SECOND COMING AND THE CATCHING UP OF THE CONGREGATION !!

The chiliad period ( millenium) will commence, and the Lord Yeshua will then restore the kingdom to Israel see Acts 1:6 The erroneous teaching of a SECRET RAPTURE of the congregation is FULL OF HOLES when viewed under the LIGHT from the New Covenant, the very same way that the teaching of evolution does NOT hold up under the same LIGHT..ie: the LORD YESHUA/JESUS.

LET US BEGIN WITH THE WORDS OF OUR LORD YESHUA read Matthew 24 and Mark 13

1. False Messiahs will come. 2. As lightning comes from East and flashes unto the West, so also shall he coming of the Son of Man be. 3. Immeadiatley AFTER the TRIBULATAION (great tribulation) Matt. 24:21. 4. THEN will the sign of the Son of Man appear, Matt. 24:30. Note here must be taken of the Apocalypse 1:7. 5. THEN he shall send his angels with the sound of the SHOFAR/TRUMPET to gather the elect...Matt. 24:31

Note must also be taken here to the words of 1 COR. 15:51,52; 1 THESS. 4:15-17; regarding the SHOFAR/TRUMPET, and review the Apocalypse 10:11; 11:15-18 (the second coming) also note that the key to the Apocalypse is the little book of seals the Apocalypse chapters 5 and 6.

Now as to the SHOFAR/TRUMPET, it is the herald of the TRUE fulfillment of the feast of the Lord called Rosh HaShannah or 'FEAST OF SHOFARS' (TRUMPETS) see LEV. 23 regarding the 'feasts' also read MATT. 24: MARK 13; LUKE 21; 1 THESS. 4:13-18; APOC. 1:7; etc. There are six 'feasts' of the LORD, Passover/unleavened bread, Firstfruit, Pentecost/New Grain, Shofars/Trumpets, Atonement and Tanbernacles. The first 3 have been fulfilled, for Yeshua our PASSOVER is sacrificed for us, Yeshua is the FIRSTFRUIT from the dead,Yeshua gave and still gives the Holy Spirit, this is PENTECOST/NEW GRAIN (the church) for indeed Lord Yeshua still baptises today with the Ruach HaKodesh (Spirit Holy) those who have believed, for the GIFT is to 'all who call upon the name of the Lord' see ACTS 2:37-39

But 3 more feasts await to be fulfilled and the next will be SHOFARS/TRUMPETS when our Lord comes from heaven. We do NOT know the hour of the day in which he shall come, but WE DO KNOW at what FEAST our Lord Yeshua shall return..it is SHOFARS, the JEWISH month of Tishri, which is in the Gentile Sept/Oct. ISRAEL keeps the feasts year after year, not knowing their significance..but they do keep GOD'S CALENDAR !!

I set NO dates, but GOD HAS, for he has commanded that ISRAEL keep HIS 'feasts' and these feasts tell of and are fulfilled in our Messiah Yeshua, and tell us of the season that he will come !! Pagan Easter and Christ-mass have NOTHING whatever to do with ADONAI YESHUA, but the 'feasts of the Lord have EVERYTHING to do with HIM !!! Amen and AMEN.

THE 'CATCHING UP' IS AT THE END, IT IS PRE-WRATH OF GOD

2 Thessalonians chapter one, vss 1,2 speak of the coming of Yeshua for the congregation, and it is clear that that COMING is at the END of the times, time and half a time, or forty two months. The Apostle Paul speaks of the 'REST', that the Thessalonians will receive when Yeshua is 'revealed' from heaven with his mightry angels, 1:7; We have noted this 'revealing,' already in Matt. 24:31. He comes in 'THAT DAY', to be glorified in his saints, vs 10, what 'THAT DAY', is, is clear from 2:2,3; it is the 'DAY OF MESSIAH or CHRISTOS',

The first Epistle of Peter speaks of 'SUFFERING', right up to the 'LAST TIME,' the testing of faith until Yeshua is 'REVEALED,' also 1 John 3:1,2 tells us 'we shall be like him, when we SEE him as he is..'

It is to be noted that Noah was in the ark until the flood came, he did not go up 7 years, months, weeks or days before, the ark arose on the VERY SAME day the WRATH of GOD fell on a wicked world. We are in our ARK which is our LORD YESHUA, and when Yeshua is revealed with his mighty angels, THEN shall we be 'CAUGHT UP' above the WRATH of GOD upon this present ungodly world. Scripture teachers should note, that when the plagues fell on Egypt, that Israel was IN EGYPT, and writers mention that when the Nile became blood to the Egyptians it remained SWEET to the Israelites. In fact EXODUS records that whilst darkness was in the land of EGYPT there was LIGHT in the land of GOSHEN, Exodus 10:22,23; Goshen was the 'land' where the Israelites dwelt, see Genesis 47:6

The Israelites were covered by the blood of the PASSOVER Lamb, Messiah Yeshua is OUR PASSOVER, sacrificed for us, and we by his blood shall be saved from the WRATH OF GOD to come, Romans 5:9; however there is NO teaching that the congregation will escape the tribulation under the Antichrist, in fact the EARLY CHURCH taught exactly the opposite !! (please refer to the extracts below)

IT MUST BE NOTED THAT THE LORD SHALL NOT COME UNTIL  THE 'SUN BE DARKENED AND THE MOON NOT GIVE HER LIGHT' OCCUR. THE HEAVEN'S MUST  BE SHAKEN BEFORE THE DAY OF THE LORD BE COME !!

See. Matthew  24:29,30; Mark 13:23-26; Acts 2:20; Rev. 6:12,13,17 etc, etc.

ALL WHO TEACH OTHERWISE ARE LIARS !

SUMMARY

IMPORTANT: It must be noted that the terms 'the fulness of the Gentiles be come in,' and the 'times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,' are synonymous and therefore closely related. As are the terms ' the Day of the Lord' and 'the Day of Messiah,' the first being the Day of the wrath of God, and the second the Day of the 'catching up' of the congragation, these are I believe the SAME DAY !

WHAT THE LORD JESUS/YESHUA SAID OF HIS OWN COMING

WHAT THE APOSTLE PAUL TAUGHT

EXTRACTS FROM EARLY CONGREGATION WRITERS REGARDING THE COMING OF OUR LORD

The Early Congregation taught NOTHING of a pre tribulation rapture!!

There is NO EXCUSE for applying to the scriptures teachings which are NOT found therein

WHAT THE EARLY CONGREGATION TAUGHT IS THE TRUTH, firstly I give some scriptures followed by what the early Congregation taught.

1. ANTICHRIST...'He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of he Most High, and shall intend to change the times and the law. Then shall the SAINTS be given into his hands for a times, time and half a time.' (forty two months) Daniel 7:25

'That day will NOT COME unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is reverenced, that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.' 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4

'Little children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come.' 1 John 2:18

'They worshipped the beast saying, "Who is like the beast ? Who is able to make war with him ?" And he is given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he is given authority to continue for forty two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemey against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those that dwell in heaven.' the Apocalypse 13:4-6

THE EARLY CONGREGATION TAUGHT

The Didache

1. The Didache is an early piece of congregation literature, it contains this apocalypse, Be watchful for your life ! Let not your lamps be extinguished nor your loins ungirded but be ye ready ! for ye know not the hour in which your Lord cometh. Assemble yourselves frequently, seeking that which is fitting for your souls. For the whole time of your faith will not be profitable unto you, if you are not made perfect in the last time. For in the last days the false prophets and corrupters will be multiplied and the sheep will be turned into wolves and love shall be changed into hate. For as lawlessness increases, they shall hate one another and shall persecute and betray, and then the world deceiver shall appear as a Son of God, and shall work wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall commit such crimes as have never been since the world began. Then shall created mankind come to the fire of testing, and many shall be offended and perish, but those who have endured shall be saved by the Christ. Then shall the signs of truth appear (as opposed to the signs of lies), first the SIGN of a rift in heaven, then the SIGN of the sound of a trumpet, and thirdly, a resurrection of the dead, but not all, but as it was said, 'The Lord will come and all his saints with him.' Zech. 14:5; Enoch 1:9; Jude 14,15. Then shall the world see our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Man who is the Son of God, coming on the clouds with power and great glory, and in his holy righteousness to requite to every man according to his works before the whole of mankind and before his angels. The Didache chapter 16

2. The Epistle of Barnabas.

Therefore, children in six days - in the course of six thousand years all things shall be bought to an end. " And God rested on the seventh day" means this; when His Son returns, he will put an end to the era of the lawless one (antichrist), and judge the wicked. The Epistle of Barnabas 15:4,5

3. Justin Martyr c. 100 - 165 martyred for Christ

He (our Lord) shall come from heaven with glory, when the man of apostacy, who speaks strange things against the Most High, shall venture to do unlawful deeds on earth against us Christians, who have learned the true worship of God from the law, and the word which went forth from Jerusalem by means of the Apostles of Jesus...shall come from heaven with glory, accompanied by his angelic host, when also he shall raise the bodies and clothe those worthy with immortality. From the Dialogue with Trypho chapter CX.

4. Ireneaus c. 130 - c. 200

1. The resurrection of the just, which happens after the reign of the Antichrist.. when the Antichrist shall have devastated all things in the world,..then shall the Lord come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those with him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom. Ireneaus also mentioned the kings who "will give their kingdom to the beast, and put the congregation to flight, after which they shall be destroyed by the coming of the Lord." Ireneaus said, " In the END the congregation will be caught up suddenly."

2. By means of events that will occur in the time of he Antichrist, it is shown that he, being an apostate and a robber, is anxious to be worshipped as God, for he is with all power of he devil. He will come - not as a righteous king, nor as a legitimate king in subjection to God - but as an unholy, unjust and lawless one...he will set aside idols to persuade men that he himself is God...Daniel forsaw the end of the last kingdom (of the ten last kings), among whom the kingdom of those men shall be partitioned and upon whom the son of perdition will come.'

3. Jeremiah does not merely point out Antichrist's sudden coming, but he even indicates the TRIBE from which he will come, when he says, " We will hear the voice of his swift horses from DAN." Jeremiah 18:6

4. Once this Antichrist has devastated everything in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem. And THEN the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds.

Hyppolytus c. 200

1. The deceiver seeks to liken himself in all things to the SON OF GOD..Christ is a king, so the Antichrist is also a king. The Saviour appeared as a lamb, so he too will in like manner, will appear as a lamb, though within he is a wolf. The Saviour came into the world in the circumcision; and the Antichrist will come in he same manner. The Lord sent apostles among the nations, and he in like manner will send false apostles. The Saviour gathered together the sheep that were scattered abroad, and he in like manner will bring together a people that are scattered abroad, the Saviour raised up and showed His holy flesh like a temple, and he will raise up a temple of stone in Jerusalem.

2. He says, " DAN is a lion's welp." Deut. 33:22; and in naming the TRIBE of DAN, he clearly declared the TRIBE from which the Antichrist is destined to spring. Just as Christ comes from the TRIBE of JUDAH, so he Antichrist is to come from the TRIBE of DAN.

Note: DAN is also called 'SERPENT' this speaks of his twofold nature, as the Antichrist. He is called a, 'Lions welp' as a man of peace and worker of miracles, and then as a SERPENT who bites, Genesis 49:17.

Tertullian c. 160 - post 200

Taught that the Antichrist would rise and persecute the congregation, Christians had the habit of praying that they would, ' have part in the resurrection at the END of the world' Tertullian in his writing on the Resurrection of the flesh, chpt 22

Cyprian 200 - 258 martyred for Christ on Sept. 24th

Cyprian was a bishop and martyr, taught that Antichrist would reign, after which Christ would come, at the END of the world.

1. Even the Antichrist when he begins to come, will not be allowed to enter the congregation just because he threatens. We will NOT YIELD, even though he will declare that he will destroy us if we resist...They [ i.e., the schismatics] endevour to imitate the coming of Antichrist, who is now approaching.

2. The Antichrist will come as a man. Isaiah says, "This is the man who arouses the earth, who disturbs kings, who makes the whole earth a desert." Isaiah 14:16

3. Beloved brethren, let none of you be so terrified by the fear of FUTURE PERSECUTION or the coming of the threatening Antichrist, so as not to be found armed by the evangelical exhortations and precepts, as well as by the heavenly warnings. The Antichrist is coming, yet above him comes Christ also.

There are many more documents of the early congregation which teach that the Antichrist will come and persecute the congregation, and that at the END our Lord Yeshua will come on the clouds of heaven and take the church. YOU the reader, have a responsibiltiy before God and our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to the 'FAITH ONCE DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS' Jude 3

Passages from the Gospels and the Epistles ALL teach the congregation goes through to the END, there is NO 'secret coming' of Yeshua, there is NO pre tribulation rapture, I conclude with these words of the Apostle JOHN. BELOVED, DO NOT BELIEVE EVERY SPIRIT, BUT TEST THE SPIRITS, WHETHER THEY ARE OF GOD; BECAUSE MANY FALSE PROPHETS HAVE GONE OUT INTO THE WORLD. 1 John 4:1

You can read all the Early Congregation teachings on the return of our Lord Yeshua by CLICKING HERE EARLY CONGREGATION LINKS

God bless each of you in the name of our Lord and Saviour the Messiah Yeshua...amen.

Richard Merrell 1996

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