Why the Pharisees Could Not Recognize the Lord Jesus Was the Messiah

By Liu Fang

Two thousand years ago, the Israelites desperately longed for the coming of the Messiah, but when the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, finally arrived, the Pharisees actually nailed Him to the cross, and as a result, the Israelites were subject to God’s punishment—the destruction of Israel. This bitter failure really calls for our reflection: How come the Pharisees who had believed in God for generations resisted God? Now it is already the last days, and the prophecies of the Lord’s return have basically been fulfilled. At this critical time of welcoming the Lord, how can we avoid following in the footsteps of the Pharisees?

As we all know, at the end of the Age of Law the Israelites, according to the prophecies in the Scripture, all longed for the Messiah to come and save them. At that time, the Pharisees, after hearing the prophecies about the coming Messiah, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6), and “But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2), began to fancy what He would be like based on the literal meaning of these prophecies. In their mind, the One who was to come must be called Messiah. Since He would come to rule, He must be someone who would be born into a royal palace with a heroic bearing and commanding presence, who would grow into a great warrior like David and lead His people to drive the Romans out of Israel, rescuing them from the oppression of the Romans.

However, the fulfillments of the prophecies were not as the Pharisees had imagined. When the Lord Jesus came, He was neither called the Messiah nor born into a royal palace. Instead, He was born in a manger and grew up in a poor carpenter’s home. His external appearance was not as majestic and extraordinary as they had fancied, but was very ordinary and normal. He didn’t lead the Israelites to overthrow the rule of the Romans, but walked among the people preaching the way of repentance, and taught them to practice forgiveness and tolerance and to love others as themselves. Seeing the Lord Jesus, who was ordinary and normal, not like the Messiah they imagined, the Pharisees stubbornly held on to their own notions and imaginings, concluding that He couldn’t be the coming Messiah, and seized upon every chance to condemn and resist Him. Even though the Lord Jesus performed many miracles and expressed many truths, from which many people recognized that He was Christ, the Pharisees didn’t have the slightest intention to seek. Regardless of how profound the Lord Jesus’ preaching was or how many miracles He performed, they obstinately rejected His work and even incited the people of Israel to resist and condemn Him. Later, they went so far as to collude with the Roman government to crucify the Lord Jesus—the Messiah who had come, committing a heinous sin and offending God’s righteous disposition, and ultimately were subject to God’s punishment—the destruction of Israel.

The failure of the Pharisees is really worthy of our self-reflection. They treated the prophecies about the Messiah based on their own conceptions and imaginations, which led to them becoming the ones who bitterly longed for the arrival of the Messiah but nailed Him to the cross. We all know that the prophecies in the Bible are about the things that God will accomplish in the future, which cannot be fathomed by us humans. So how should we treat them in a way that is after God’s heart? The Bible says, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto you do well that you take heed, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19-21), and “Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). These verses tell us that the prophecies are all from God, which cannot be commented on at will by us. We cannot interpret them literally, or rely on our own notions to speculate on them or determine their meaning, because they will only be fulfilled according to God’s own plan. God’s work is wondrous and full of His wisdom, which cannot be fathomed by us humans. If we define God’s work based on the literal meaning of the prophecies, we are liable to resist God and ultimately be destroyed by our own conceptions and imagination.

Compared to the Pharisees, there was a group of people who approached the prophecies of the Messiah in a different way. When seeing the Lord Jesus, who was ordinary and normal in appearance and not in accord with their fantasies about the Messiah, they didn’t hold on to their conceptions and imaginings but focused on listening to His words, and finally recognized through His words and work that He was the coming Messiah. Just like Simon Peter—he once said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Why could he say these words and recognize the Lord’s identity as Christ? This is because he found that what the Lord did was totally beyond what humans can do, that what He said contained the truth, and that He possessed the essence of God and “the words of eternal life.” The woman of Samaria is another example. When she first saw the Lord Jesus she thought He was no more than a common Jew. But when she heard Him say “For you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband” (John 4:18), she concluded that He was the coming Messiah and believed in Him, for she knew that only God observes the deepest parts of man’s heart and knows man’s innermost secrets. There were also many people who, from the Lord’s acts of healing and exorcism, His working miracles and wonders, recognized that He was from God and thus followed Him. It can be seen that it was from the Lord’s work and words that all those who believed in and followed Him recognized that He was the Messiah.

This reminds me of a passage I once read, “Since we are searching for the footprints of God, we must search for God’s will, for the words of God, for the utterances of God—for where there are the new words of God, there is the voice of God, and where there are the footsteps of God, there are the deeds of God. Where there is the expression of God, there is the appearance of God, and where there is the appearance of God, there exists the truth, the way, and the life. While seeking the footprints of God, you ignored the words that ‘God is the truth, the way, and the life.’ So when many people receive the truth, they do not believe that they have found the footprints of God and much less acknowledge the appearance of God. What a serious error that is!” These words make it more clear that in seeking the true way, we should focus on seeking God’s words and work, for as long as a way has the expression of the truth and the utterances of God, then it is the true way.

Brothers and sisters, we all know that the Lord will come again in the last days, as it has long ago been prophesied in the Bible, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20), “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (John 16:12-13). And in the Book of Revelation, there are also several mentions that “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (See Revelation 2-3). From these prophecies, we can clearly see that when the Lord returns, He will speak and utter His words. God’s sheep are able to hear God’s voice. Those who can go out to welcome God once hearing His voice will be raptured before His throne. Now it is the last days. The prophecies about the Lord’s return have basically been fulfilled and many people are openly testifying online that the Lord Jesus has returned. In treating the matter of the Lord’s coming, we should learn from the failure of the Pharisees, let go of our notions and imaginings, and be the wise virgins by seeking and listening to God’s voice. This is the only way that we can welcome the Lord’s return.

True-life testimonies of accepting God’s work of judgment in the last days, being raptured before God’s throne, and attending the feast with the Lord

Bible Verses for Reference:

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunder, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev 19:6–8).

Classic Words of God:

Today man sees that with the grace, love, and mercy of God alone, he is incapable of truly knowing himself, much less is he able to know the essence of man. Only through both the refinement and judgment of God, only during such refinement can you know your deficiencies, and know that you have nothing. Thus, man’s love of God is built upon the foundation of the refinement and judgment of God. If you only enjoy the grace of God, with a peaceful family life or material blessings, then you have not gained God, and your belief in God has failed. God has already carried out one stage of the work of grace in the flesh, and has already bestowed material blessings upon man—but man cannot be made perfect with grace, love, and mercy alone. In man’s experiences he encounters some of God’s love, and sees the love and mercy of God, yet having experienced for a period of time, he sees that God’s grace and His love and mercy are incapable of making man perfect, and incapable of revealing that which is corrupt within man, nor are they able to rid man of his corrupt disposition, or make perfect his love and faith. God’s work of grace was the work of one period, and man cannot rely on enjoying the grace of God in order to know God.

Experience of My Child Being Twice Critically Ill and Finally Out of Danger

By Li Ai, Italy

In early 2003, my baby that I had carried for over nine months suddenly died in the womb. This terrible event caused our entire family a lot of pain. I really wanted to have another child, but I was afraid I would lose it again, and so I developed postpartum depression.

In 2006, seeing me living in such pain, my mom and elder sister testified to me of God’s kingdom gospel. Unexpectedly, my illness got better without me being aware of it and, a year later, despite not having had a child in years, by chance I bore a son. The birth of my son brought our family so much happiness …

Are You Still Upholding the God-man Theory?

Dear Sister Xiuli,

How is everything going? After we explored the topic “God became man that man may become God” last time, I was confused about whether man could really become God. So I brought my confusion before the Lord and kept praying and seeking for His enlightenment. Thank the Lord for His guidance. At a co-workers meeting, through discussing with my co-workers, I gained great light, which I am eager to share with you. That’s why I am writing this letter.

Here is the thing: At a meeting, Co-worker Liu happened to bring up the question I was confused about. He said, “Co-workers, we have believed in the Lord in the Local Church for a long time. And we’ve held tight to the view ‘God became man that man may become God’ as our highest vision. All of us who belong to the Local Church have tried to live to be God and Christ. We want to reign side by side with God. But having pursued in this way for many years, we have nothing to show for it. We’re not transformed at all. We’ve become arrogant. We’re more self-conceited than ever. So I have some doubts. Does pursuing this path really accord with God’s will?”

2 Reasons Why Most Jewish People Condemn Jesus Christ

By Li Qingming

A couple of days ago, I saw the following scriptures: “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus” (Matthew 27:20), and “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see you to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas to them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified” (Matthew 27:24–26). From these words, I learned that most Jewish people followed the Pharisees in resisting and condemning the Lord Jesus and nailing the innocent Lord Jesus to the cross, thereby suffering the curses and punishment of God and bringing about 2000 years of destruction to Israel. This made me sigh with regret. At the same time, I wondered: What was it that caused most Jewish people to follow the Pharisees in resisting and condemning the Lord Jesus? Thanks to God’s guidance. Through my seeking, I found the answer to that in a book.

Lessons From the Lord Jesus’ Appearance to Thomas the Apostle

By Li Bian, China

The Bible records, “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the middle, and said, Peace be to you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach here your finger, and behold my hands; and reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, My LORD and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:26–29).

These passages talk about the Lord Jesus’ appearing to His disciples after He was resurrected. But what made me confused was why the Lord Jesus only allowed Thomas to touch His hands with nail marks and even the wound in His side among His many disciples. I believed there must be a mystery here for God does not get involved with matters that do not have meaning. Thereupon, I began to consult the Bible, and saw that when Thomas heard the news that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead, he did not believe it at all, and said, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). When Thomas said this, the Lord was not near. However, the Lord is omnipotent and scrutinizes all, and He knew what Thomas said, so He fulfilled his requirements and eliminated his doubts toward Him. Later, I inadvertently read a passage on a gospel website, which gave me a deeper understanding about the Lord’s appearing to Thomas and allowing him to touch His hands and rib.

Understanding the grace of God: The Great Fear and Greater Grace Found When My Children Became Ill

By Dan Chun, Malaysia

I stood at the door of the hospital, for a long moment not daring to go in. Scenes of the past came into my mind: It was at this hospital that my parents and husband entered and never came out! I hesitated for a long time at the hospital entrance, and I was very scared. I didn’t have the courage to walk in. In case my son … I dared not think about it anymore …

Happily Welcoming the Lord’s Return

I am a single mother, and a Christian. In June of 2017, a sister told me about God’s gospel of kingdom. Through reading God’s words, I learned about the root of mankind’s corruption by Satan and God’s six-thousand-year management plan to save mankind, and I also learned that only by accepting God’s work of judgment in the last days can we escape our corrupt satanic dispositions and gain a perfect destination, so I gladly accepted God’s work of the last days. Afterward, I yearned for God’s word, and in my daily life and at work, whenever I had faced a problem I didn’t know how to resolve, I prayed to God and found a path to practice in God’s word, which allowed me to realize that God’s word is the lamp to my feet, and the light to my path. But just when I had developed a degree of faith in God, Satan’s temptation came to me …

What Is Faith and How to Have True Confidence in God

 By Shen Mingxin

What is faith? Many brothers and sisters in the Lord think that as long as they acknowledge God’s name, persist in reading the Bible, meeting and praying, and furthermore are able to sacrifice everything and labor, they are believers who have faith in God. But, this understanding is one-sided. In fact, true faith means that when our mind and body endure great suffering during refinement or adversity, we still don’t misunderstand or complain about God, but instead can obey God and persevere in believing in and following God.

From Biblical records we see: When Job was tempted by Satan, his livestock was robbed from him by bandits, his servants were killed, calamity befell his children, he got sore boils all over his body, and his wife laughed at him and asked him to forsake the name of God. Facing these sudden misfortunes, he endured pain in both his body and spirit. However, he didn’t complain about Jehovah God’s taking away from him, but said, “Jehovah gave, and Jehovah has taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah” (Job 1:21). He bore a strong and resounding testimony for God, which shamed and defeated Satan. Seeing Job’s faith in Him, God blessed Job doubly, bestowing upon him more cattle, sheep, and beautiful children. And finally Job died, full of days. Job is the model of faith and he is worthy of emulation by each of us believers in the Lord.

From the testimony of Job, we can see that when God blessed him, he believed that everything man has is due to God’s blessings, so he thanked God and worshiped God; when God’s trials befell him, though he didn’t understand and felt pain inside, he still obeyed God and didn’t have any complaints. Only this is true faith in God, and is also the sincere heart of man toward God. Just as God’s words say, “What does faith refer to? Faith is the genuine belief and the sincere heart that humans should possess when they cannot see or touch something, when God’s work is not in line with human notions, when it is beyond human reach. This is the faith that I speak of. People are in need of faith during times of hardship and refinement, and along with faith comes refinement. These are inextricable.”

Then, how can we develop true faith in God? This needs us to practically experience and appreciate God’s work in our daily life. When we are able to see God’s mastery, orchestrations and arrangements for our life and God’s authority and deeds, and have a genuine understanding of God through them, then no matter how God’s work doesn’t conform to our conceptions, we will still be able to maintain our faith in God. Just like Job: He only heard of God but he had never seen God. However, he could know God’s sovereignty and see God’s righteousness among all things. For example: Man’s fortune and misfortune, how much money one would possess, and how many children one would have in life—he knew all these were under God’s sovereignty, despite man’s own plans and calculations. He saw who were evil and punished by God, who were kindhearted and received God’s grace and blessings, and so on. Because of these understandings of God, he developed true faith in God. So when Satan’s temptations came upon him, although he was miserable, he knew all the things he enjoyed had come from God and had not been earned through his own hard work, and that if God wanted to take them back, he shouldn’t complain about or misunderstand God but should obey God. Thus, he made no demands of God, and accepted and obeyed God’s orchestrations and arrangements, giving a resounding testimony to God before Satan and being accepted by God. Another example is Moses. He stayed in the wilderness for forty years. There was nobody there, and his only companions were sheep during the day and stars at night. At last, he survived the forty difficult years by relying on God. Through his experiences, he truly appreciated that everything is orchestrated by the hand of God, and that there is nothing God cannot do. Such understanding of God helped him develop true faith in God. Thus, when God asked him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he prostrated before God and accepted His commission without hesitation. He didn’t worry about how to defeat the Egyptian army singled-handed but simply obeyed, because he believed that all things are in God’s hands and are orchestrated by God. In the end, by relying on his true faith in God, he succeeded in leading the Israelites out of Egypt.

Therefore, if we want to develop true faith in God as Job and Moses did, we must practically experience God’s work in our daily life. Especially when some hardships and distressing situations befall us, we should first intentionally obey, and then look to God, pray to God and seek God’s will. When we, through this, achieve true obedience to God, we will surely see His wondrous deeds and develop true faith in Him. At this point, I am reminded of a new sister’s experience. Not long after she accepted God’s new work, an illness befell her. Later, it got worse and worse, and she was even in danger of getting bell’s palsy. At that time she was very weak and in great pain. However, through praying and reading God’s words, she came to understand that Satan was using the illness to disturb her. That illness was Satan’s temptation and was also God’s test. After understanding God’s intention, she prayed to God, saying that she was willing to give herself to God and was determined to stand witness. After that, amazingly she recovered very quickly. Thus, she not only didn’t leave God because of that illness, but she actually strengthened her resolution of following God even more after seeing God’s marvelous deeds. There’s also a brother. When he first started believing in God, he was very passionate. However, later he was hunted by the CCP because of his faith in God, so he had to leave home and lead the life of vagabonds, of the homeless. That was extremely hard, so he became weak. Afterward, only through reading God’s words did he realize his own impurities in believing in God, and that his faith in God was in order to receive God’s blessings and grace. So, he turned his incorrect views on faith in God around. After that, because he, in harsh environments, relied on God at every moment to fulfill his duty spreading the gospel, so many times he managed to escape from under the CCP’s nose. From this, he personally experienced God’s marvelous protection and also saw God’s almightiness and wisdom. Hence, he had more and more faith in God.

These practical experiences allow us to see that in our real environment, as long as we carefully experience God’s guidance, support, help, or chastening and discipline, we will understand that what God does in us is all His love and salvation for us. Then we will have true understanding of Him, appreciate His almightiness and wisdom, and even more know that His righteous disposition is inviolable by man. When that time comes, we will have a heart of reverence for God and subsequently we will develop true faith in God.

Q&A About the Way of Eternal Life-Question 3

Question 3: You say only those who obey the will of the Father in heaven receive the way of everlasting life. Since we believed in the Lord, we’ve suffered much and paid much to spread the Lord’s gospel. We’ve shepherded the Lord’s flock, taken up the cross and followed the Lord, practiced humbleness, patience, and tolerance. Are you saying we haven’t been following God’s will? We know that if we continue, we will become holy and be raptured to the kingdom of heaven. Do you mean our understanding and practice of God’s word is wrong?

Q&A About Why the True Way Is Persecuted-Question 5

Question 5: I used to think that the CCP’s days were numbered and that it should collapse soon, so wouldn’t it save a lot of trouble if I waited for it to collapse before I believed? But now I see that the purpose of the CCP persecuting and arresting us is so that we will be sent to hell! If we wait until the CCP perishes before we believe in Almighty God, would we still be able to receive God’s salvation in the last days and enter God’s kingdom? Would we miss our chance at salvation?

Answer: Today, because we believe in God, seek the truth and walk the right path of life, we face the CCP’s furious oppression and persecution. This is a meaningful thing! This is because God is using the CCP satanic regime to do service for perfecting a group of overcomers, while at the same time revealing and eliminating those who don’t sincerely believe in God and don’t love the truth. The true overcomers are those who, living under the authoritarian regime of the CCP, can experience God’s word with true faith, and through experiencing the CCP’s wild suppression and cruel persecution, thoroughly see the true colors of the devil Satan, and can then hate Satan, forsake Satan, and sincerely turn to God, achieving salvation and being perfected! Overcomers are made in the special environment of the CCP satanic regime’s resistance against God and persecution of God’s chosen people. Without the harsh environment created by the evil CCP’s oppression and persecution, true overcomers cannot be created. For those who sincerely want God, no matter how the CCP persecutes, or how harsh the environment gets, they will still follow God, perform their duty, risk everything to pursue the truth, and have more and more faith in God! They see through the CCP’s crackdown of justice, support of evil, and its lawless, perverse and evil, reactionary essence. They see clearly that the CCP is Satan, the demon that corrupts, afflicts, and devours mankind, thus they hate the great red dragon even more, rebel against it, and genuinely turn to God. Through the contrast brought out by the CCP satanic regime, people have also gotten to know God’s righteousness and holiness, His beauty and goodness. All God does is love and salvation to mankind! The faith and love people have in God have grown greater, and their hearts have become even closer to God. These people have thoroughly broken through the CCP satanic regime’s dark influence and have borne overcoming testimony. They are the overcomers made by God amid the great tribulation, and also the group of people who have a part in Christ’s “tribulation, kingdom, and patience.” They are Christ’s true witnesses, the 144,000 overcomers stated in the Book of Revelation, the ones who will enter God’s kingdom and receive eternal life! That is why our experiencing the CCP’s persecution for belief and pursuit of truth is so meaningful! As the Lord Jesus said: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (Matthew 5:10-11). Almighty God says, “Perhaps you all remember these words: ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.’ In the past, you have all heard this saying, yet none understood the true meaning of the words. Today, you know well the real significance they hold. These words are what God will accomplish in the last days. And they will be accomplished upon those cruelly afflicted by the great red dragon in the land where it lies. The great red dragon persecutes God and is the enemy of God, so in this land, those who believe in God are subjected to humiliation and persecution. That is why these words will become reality in you group of people” (“Is the Work of God So Simple as Man Imagines?” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Now is the golden time for God to perfect the overcomers. When the CCP collapses, these overcomers will rise up among the masses to bear witness to God’s victory! When their witness to God reaches the peak, the kingdom of God will officially be realized on earth! God’s work of saving mankind will be concluded by then. Those who will be saved and be perfected will already be set. If we wait until then to believe, we will miss out on the opportunity to be made overcomers by God. Such people will not have borne the overcoming testimony and cannot enter God’s kingdom. Even if they survive, they merely count as a “service-doer,” and cannot be a member of God’s kingdom.

God is almighty and God’s wisdom is always exercised based on Satan’s scheming. Almighty God’s work in the last days cannot be stopped by any hostile forces. Though religious leaders collude with the devilish CCP to frenziedly resist and condemn God’s work in the last days, God’s kingdom gospel has still spread through all of Mainland China, reaching an unprecedented extent with tens of thousands of churches being established all over the country and millions of people coming under Almighty God’s name. Almighty God has gained a group of people who are of the same mind with Him. The gospel website of Almighty God has already been opened to various nations and places around the world. The words of Almighty God are being accepted and spread by more and more people. The expanding of the kingdom gospel completely reveals God’s almightiness and wisdom!

Almighty God says, “Today, God has returned to the world to do His work. His first stop is the grand assemblage of dictatorial rulers: China, the staunch bastion of atheism. God has gained a group of people by His wisdom and power. During the period, He is hunted by China’s ruling party in every means and subjected to great suffering, with no place to rest His head and unable to find a shelter. Despite this, God still continues the work He intends to do: He utters His voice and spreads the gospel. None can fathom the almightiness of God. In China, a country that regards God as an enemy, God has never ceased His work. Instead, more people have accepted His work and word, for God does all He can to save each and every member of mankind. We trust that no country or power can stand in the way of what God wishes to achieve. Those that obstruct God’s work, resist the word of God, disturb and impair the plan of God shall ultimately be punished by God” (“God Presides Over the Fate of All Mankind” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

“The kingdom is expanding in humanity’s midst, it is forming in humanity’s midst, it is standing up in humanity’s midst; there is no force that can destroy My kingdom. … I am now walking abroad in the midst of My people, I live in the midst of My people. Today, those who bear genuine love toward Me, people like these are blessed; blessed are those who submit to Me, they will surely stay in My kingdom; blessed are those who know Me, they will surely wield power in My kingdom; blessed are those who seek after Me, they will surely escape from Satan’s bonds and enjoy blessing in Me; blessed are those who are able to forsake themselves, they will surely enter into My possession, and inherit My kingdom’s bounty. Those who run around for My sake I will commemorate, those who go to expense for My sake I will joyfully embrace, those who make offering to Me I will give enjoyments. Those who find enjoyment in My words I will bless; they will surely be the pillars that hold up the ridgepole in My kingdom, they will surely have matchless bounty in My house, and no one can compare with them. Have you ever accepted the blessings that you were given? Have you ever sought the promises that you were made? You will surely, under the guidance of My light, break through the stranglehold of the forces of darkness. You will surely not, in the midst of darkness, lose the light guiding you. You will surely be the master of all creation. You will surely be an overcomer before Satan. You will surely, at the downfall of the kingdom of the great red dragon, stand up amid the myriad throngs to bear witness to My victory. You will surely be resolute and unwavering in the land of Sinim. Through the sufferings you endure, you will inherit the blessing that comes from Me, and will surely irradiate all within the universe with My glory” (“The Nineteenth Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

Q&A About Dissections of the Pharisees’ Substance-Question 10

Question 10: Our Pastor Yuan often expounds on the Bible, teaching us to be humble, patient, and obedient. He speaks very convincingly, and seems quite godly from the outside. He also listened to your testimony of God’s work in the last days with us and admits Almighty God’s word is the truth, but why does he not accept it? Why is he even spreading rumors everywhere, condemning and resisting God’s work in the last days, and blocking people from turning to Almighty God?

Answer: Religious leaders resisting and condemning the work of Almighty God is not something unusual. When the Lord Jesus came to do His work, didn’t those Jewish leaders also condemn and persecute Him? In the end they even nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross. That’s a historical fact. Almighty God of the last days comes, and the words He expresses are all the truth and make people utterly convinced. Anyone who sincerely believes in God and hungers for the truth, once reading Almighty God’s word, will turn toward Almighty God. Religious leaders fear that if all believers turn to Almighty God, there won’t be anyone to listen to them. Then their status and livelihood would be at risk. That’s why they must resist and condemn Almighty God like crazy. Let’s take a look at a passage from Almighty God’s word. Almighty God says, “Any who do not understand the purpose of God’s work are those who stand against God, and even more so are those who are aware of the purpose of God’s work yet do not seek to satisfy God. Those who read the Bible in grand churches recite the Bible every day, yet not one understands the purpose of God’s work. Not one is able to know God; moreover, not one is in accord with the heart of God. They are all worthless, vile men, each standing on high to teach God. Though they brandish the name of God, they willfully oppose Him. Though they label themselves believers of God, they are ones who eat the flesh and drink the blood of man. All such men are devils who devour the soul of man, demons who purposefully disturb those who try to step onto the right path, and stumbling blocks that impede the path of those who seek God. Though they are of ‘robust flesh,’ how are their followers to know that they are antichrists who lead man in opposition to God? How are they to know that they are living devils who specially seek souls to devour?” (“All Who Do Not Know God Are Those Who Oppose God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). No one believed that the religious world would resist God, but the coming of the Lord Jesus revealed the antichrists in religious circles. Religious leaders persecuted and condemned the Lord Jesus, and in the end they crucified Him. This fact proves that religious leaders are all resisting God while serving Him. When pastors and religious leaders of the last days explain the Bible, they often use words and doctrines to flaunt themselves, but they don’t carry out the Lord Jesus’ words. Especially when Almighty God’s work arrives upon them in the last days, their truth-hating, satanic nature is fully exposed. To protect their positions and livelihoods, they make up all sorts of rumors and furiously resist and condemn Almighty God, deceiving and controlling believers. They even seal off the church under the guise of “protecting the sheep flock and defending the true way,” obstructing people from investigating the work and words of Almighty God. What’s more detestable is that some pastors and leaders shamelessly steal Almighty God’s words and preach them to believers in order to build and maintain their own prestige, trying to achieve their despicable purpose of caging and controlling people. This completely exposes their wild ambitions to compete with God for status. These pastors and religious leaders are just the same as the Jewish Pharisees who condemned and resisted the Lord Jesus back then. They all hate the truth and are antichrists who see God as the enemy. They are devils who trample people and swallow their souls. They have seriously offended God’s disposition and are bound to receive God’s righteous punishment.

Q&A About God’s Work of Judgment in the Last Days-Question 5

Question 5: You testified that God has returned and does His work of judgment beginning at the house of God. This completely conforms with the Bible’s prophecy. But I don’t understand: Is this the same as the great white throne judgment in the Book of Revelation? What we think is that when the Lord comes, the believers will be taken up into heaven, and then He will send disaster to destroy the non-believers. That’s the judgment before the great white throne. You testify to the start of God’s judgment in the last days, but we haven’t seen God bring disaster to destroy the non-believers. Then how could it be the great white throne judgment? What is God’s judgment in the last days exactly?

Answer: All those who truly understand the Bible know that the great white throne judgment prophesied in the Book of Revelation is a vision of God’s judgment work in the last days. The incarnate Almighty God came to express the truth and do His judgment work in the last days, starting to cleanse and save corrupt mankind. This means the great white throne judgment has already begun. Judgment must start from the house of God. God will first make a group of overcomers before the disaster.

Q&A About the Name of God

Question 2: God’s name in each age doesn’t represent God in His entirety, then what does God’s name in each age mean?

Answer: This question is very important. Today Almighty God has given us the answer to this question. Almighty God says, “‘Jehovah’ is the name that I took during My work in Israel, and it means the God of the Israelites (God’s chosen people) who can take pity on man, curse man, and guide the life of man. It means the God who possesses great power and is full of wisdom. ‘Jesus’ is Emmanuel, and it means the sin offering that is full of love, full of compassion, and redeems man. He did the work of the Age of Grace, and represents the Age of Grace, and can only represent one part of the management plan. That is to say, only Jehovah is the God of the chosen people of Israel, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Moses, and the God of all the people of Israel. And so in the current age, all the Israelites apart from the tribe of Judah worship Jehovah. They make sacrifices to Him on the altar, and serve Him wearing priests’ robes in the temple. What they hope for is the reappearance of Jehovah. Only Jesus is the Redeemer of mankind. He is the sin offering that redeemed mankind from sin. Which is to say, the name of Jesus came from the Age of Grace, and existed because of the work of redemption in the Age of Grace. The name of Jesus existed to allow the people of the Age of Grace to be reborn and saved, and is a particular name for the redemption of the whole of mankind. And so the name Jesus represents the work of redemption, and denotes the Age of Grace. The name Jehovah is a particular name for the people of Israel who lived under the law. In each age and each stage of work, My name is not baseless, but holds representative significance: Each name represents one age. ‘Jehovah’ represents the Age of Law, and is the honorific for the God worshiped by the people of Israel. ‘Jesus’ represents the Age of Grace, and is the name of the God of all those who were redeemed during the Age of Grace. If man still longs for the arrival of Jesus the Savior during the last days, and still expects Him to arrive in the image He bore in Judea, then the entire six-thousand-year management plan would stop in the Age of Redemption, and would be incapable of progressing any further. The last days, furthermore, would never arrive, and the age would never be brought to an end. That is because ‘Jesus the Savior’ is only for the redemption and salvation of mankind. I took the name of Jesus for the sake of all the sinners in the Age of Grace, and it is not the name by which I shall bring the whole of mankind to an end” (“The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a ‘White Cloud’” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).