God’s work of judgment in the last days is to separate all according to their kind, to conclude the entire age, and to finally achieve the realization of the kingdom of Christ on earth.

　　Classic Words of God:

　“The last days have already arrived. All things will be classed according to their kind, and will be divided into different categories based on their nature. This is the time when God reveals people’s outcome and their destination. If people do not undergo chastisement and judgment, then there will be no way of revealing their disobedience and unrighteousness. Only through chastisement and judgment can the end of all things be revealed. Man only shows his true colors when he is chastised and judged. Evil shall return to evil, good shall return to good, and people shall be classified according to their kind. Through chastisement and judgment, the end of all things will be revealed, so that the evil will be punished and the good will be rewarded, and all people will become subject under the dominion of God. All the work must be achieved through righteous chastisement and judgment. Because man’s corruption has reached its peak and his disobedience has been too serious, only God’s righteous disposition, which is principally one of chastisement and judgment and is revealed during the last days, can fully transform and complete man. Only this disposition can expose evil and thus severely punish all the unrighteous.”

from “The Vision of God’s Work (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

God’s Judgment Work in the Last Days Realizes and Fulfills the Prophecies of the Bible

God’s Judgment Work in the Last Days Realizes and Fulfills the Prophecies of the Bible

　　
　　Bible Verses for Reference:

　　“For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son” (Jhn 5:22).

　　“And has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man” (Jhn 5:27).

　　“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17).

　　“He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (Jhn 12:48).

　　“But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things” (Rom 2:2).

Question 15: Some people ask: After believing in the Lord, we practice humility and patience, love our enemies, bear our crosses, abandon worldly things and we work and preach for the Lord and so on. We have achieved a little change. So why must we accept God’s work of judgment in the last days before being able to be cleansed and saved?

　　Answers:

　　We can love our enemy, bear the cross, overcome our body, and spread the gospel of the Lord. These are positive behaviors coming from our belief in the Lord. Our exhibition of such good behaviors signifies that our faith in the Lord is true. These good behaviors may appear correct to people, as if these are in line with the word of God, but it does not mean that we are practicing God’s word and following the will of the heavenly Father, it doesn’t mean that we have quit our sinful nature and become sanctified. There is a reason why we cannot just look at people’s good behaviors by appearance. We also need to look at their intentions and ultimate purposes. If our intention is to obey God, love God, and satisfy God, this kind of good behavior is practicing the truth and obeying the will of the heavenly Father. On the other hand, if our good behavior is solely for the solicitation of blessing and reward, for the reward of a crown, but not from a loving heart for God, then this kind of good behavior is the hypocritical behavior of the Pharisees instead of doing the heavenly Father’s will. If the mere exhibition of good behavior signifies that we are following the will of the heavenly Father, signifies that we have become sanctified, then why do we often commit sins and resist God? Why do we still lead the lifestyle of sinning during the day and confessing at night? This adequately shows that the mere exhibition of good behaviors does not mean that we are practicing the truth and living out the reality of God’s word. Nor does it mean that we have an understanding or a fearful heart to God, much less the ability to love and obey God. As Almighty God says: “Changes in nothing more than behavior are unsustainable. If there is no alteration in people’s life disposition, then sooner or later their wicked side will show itself. Because the source of the changes in their behavior is fervor, coupled with some work by the Holy Spirit at the time, it is extremely easy for them to become fervent, or to be good for a time. As the unbelievers say, ‘Doing one good deed is easy, what’s hard is doing a lifetime of good deeds.’ People are incapable of doing good deeds their whole life. Their behavior is directed by the life; whatever their life is, so is their behavior, and only that which is revealed naturally represents the life, and one’s nature. Things that are fake cannot last. … Behaving well is not the same as obeying God, much less does it equal being compatible with Christ. Changes in behavior are based on doctrine, and born of fervor—they are not based on the true knowledge of God, or upon the truth, much less do they rest on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Even though there are times when some of what people do is directed by the Holy Spirit, this is not the expression of the life, much less is it the same as knowing God; no matter how good a person’s behavior, it does not prove that they obey God, or that they put the truth into practice” (“The Difference Between External Changes and Changes in Disposition” in Records of Christ’s Talks). Almighty God’s word clearly explains to us about the essence and source of good behavior. The good behavior of man comes from enthusiasm, which is the practices based on his notions of rules and regulations, not from comprehension of the practicing principles after understanding many truths, or the desire to love and satisfy God from understanding the intention of God. Good behavior stems from man’s conceptions and imaginations. Man’s conceptions and imaginations come from man’s own opinions and his corrupt nature. Therefore no matter what we do, whatever pain we suffer or the price we pay, it is not practice of the truth. It does not mean obedience of God or the outcome of the Holy Spirit’s work. Even when we exhibit good behavior and the ability to follow the rules while we appear to be very pious and spiritual, we are still prone to committing sin and resisting God because of our inveterate corrupt disposition of Satan, our unresolved sinful nature, and lack of true understanding of God. As we can see, many well behaving people still frequently commit sins and confess their sins after believing in God. This is an undeniable fact. When they show good behaviors while sinning and resisting God at the same time, it adequately proves that they are not following the will of the heavenly Father. They do not readily deserve the praise of God. The Jewish Pharisees were law-abiding people with impeccable behaviors cosmetically. But when the Lord Jesus came to work, why did they frantically resist, condemn, scheme, and crucify the Lord Jesus? This was enough to explain that the nature of resisting God was innate in them. Regardless of how well they were behaving overtly, it did not mean that they understood, obeyed and were compatible with God, much less followed God’s will and became sanctified. If we want to resolve our sinful nature and become sanctified, we must experience God’s work of judgment in the last days, understand the ample truths therein and gain real knowledge of God, thus begetting true obedience and fear of God. Otherwise the deep-rooted corrupt disposition of Satan in us will never be cleansed and altered, and we will never be after God’s heart and admitted to the kingdom of God.

I know that Eastern Lightning is the true way, but if I accept Almighty God’s work of the last days I shall be subjected to rejection and slander by the brothers and sisters belonging to my previous denomination. I really don’t have the courage to face that, so what should I do?

　　

　　Bible Verses for Reference:

　　Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour (1Pe 5:8).

　　Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it (Mat 7:13-14).

　　Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (Jhn 12:42-43).

Question 6: I acknowledge the words expressed by Almighty God as the truth, but my family have been confused by rumors disseminated by the CCP and by pastors, and they do all they can to obstruct me getting in touch with Christians from the Church of Almighty God. I don’t dare to investigate Almighty God’s work of the last days, but neither do I want to lose the chance to be raptured and saved by God. How should I solve this problem?

　Bible Verses for Reference:

　Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour (1Pe 5:8).

　A man’s enemies are the men of his own house (Mic 7:6).

　And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me (Mat 10:38).

　Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven(Mat 5:10).

　But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone (Rev 21:8).

　Relevant Words of God:

　Because God has become flesh, Satan has employed all sorts of methods of accusation, wanting to attack God this way. However, God does not retreat because of this—He just speaks and works among mankind and allows people to know Him through His incarnate flesh. Satan is red-eyed with fury and has put forth a great deal of effort on God’s people to make them negative, retreat, and even lose their way.

from “Interpretation of the Thirteenth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

We believe in the Lord and we spread the gospel as the Lord requires. We frequently give financial aid to deprived areas or to help the disabled, we donate money and items to the church, we do well at our jobs and with our children’s education and we conduct ourselves well. This way, we have glorified the Lord and been approved by Him, and when the Lord returns we will be raptured up into the kingdom of heaven. Why then do we also have to experience God’s work of judgment in the last days?

Question 3: We believe in the Lord and we spread the gospel as the Lord requires. We frequently give financial aid to deprived areas or to help the disabled, we donate money and items to the church, we do well at our jobs and with our children’s education and we conduct ourselves well. This way, we have glorified the Lord and been approved by Him, and when the Lord returns we will be raptured up into the kingdom of heaven. Why then do we also have to experience God’s work of judgment in the last days?

　　

　　Bible Verses for Reference:

　　Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity (Mat 7:21-23).

I don’t think believing in God is that complicated and that one doesn’t need to be too focused or too invested in it. So long as I keep going to church every week, do my devotions and give alms, and in the normal course of events also attend some activities organized by the church, then this is believing in God and I can be saved. I’d like to ask whether this conception I have is correct or not?

　　Question 2: I don’t think believing in God is that complicated and that one doesn’t need to be too focused or too invested in it. So long as I keep going to church every week, do my devotions and give alms, and in the normal course of events also attend some activities organized by the church, then this is believing in God and I can be saved. I’d like to ask whether this conception I have is correct or not?

　　Bible Verses for Reference:

　　The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Mat 11:12).

　　Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven (Mat 7:21).

God's untterance | The Significance of God’s Work of Judgment and Chastisement.

Eastern lightning | God's untterance | The Significance of God’s Work of Judgment and Chastisement.

Relevant Words of God:

　　The work of the last days is to separate all according to their kind, to conclude the management plan of God, for the time is near and the day of God has come. God brings all who have entered His kingdom, that is, all those who have been loyal to Him to the end, into the age of God Himself. However, until the coming of the age of God Himself, the work that God shall do is not to observe the deeds of man or to inquire into the life of man, but to judge his rebellion, for God shall purify all those who come before His throne. All those who have followed the footsteps of God to this day are those who have come before the throne of God, and this being so, every single person who accepts God’s work in its final phase is the object of God’s purification. In other words, everyone who accepts God’s work in its final phase is the object of God’s judgment.

from “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

God's will | The Significance of God’s Work of Conquest.

The Church of Almighty God | God's will | The Significance of God’s Work of Conquest.

Relevant Words of God:

　　Today’s conquering work is to get back all the testimony and all the glory, and to have all men worship God, so that there is testimony among the created. This is what needs to be done in this stage of work. How exactly is mankind to be conquered? It will be done by using this work of words to fully convince man; by using disclosure, judgment, chastisement, and merciless curse to thoroughly subdue him; and by disclosing man’s rebelliousness and judging his resistance so he can know mankind’s unrighteousness and filth, which will be used to highlight God’s righteous disposition. Mainly, it will be the use of these words that conquers man and fully convinces him. Words are the means to the ultimate conquering of mankind, and all who accept conquering must accept the smiting and judgment of the words. The current process of speaking is the process of conquering. How exactly should people cooperate? By eating and drinking these words effectively and understanding them. People cannot become conquered by themselves. They must, from eating and drinking these words, come to know their corruption and filth, their rebelliousness and unrighteousness, and fall down before God. If you can understand God’s will and then put it into practice and, further, have the vision, and if you can completely obey these words and not exercise any of your own choices, then you will have been conquered. And it will be these words that have conquered you. Why did mankind lose the testimony? Because no one has faith in God or holds God in his heart at all anymore. Conquering mankind means having people restore this faith. People always tend toward the world, harboring too many hopes, wanting too much for their future, and having too many extravagant demands. They are always thinking about and planning for their flesh and never interested in seeking the way of belief in God. Their hearts have been captured by Satan, they have lost their reverence for God, and they are devoting their heart to Satan. But man was created by God. Thus, man has lost the testimony, meaning he has lost the glory of God. The purpose of conquering mankind is to seize back the glory of man’s reverence for God.

from “The Inside Truth of the Conquering Work (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

 

God's word | What Attitude Do You Hold Toward the Thirteen Epistles

Eastern Lightning | God's word | What Attitude Do You Hold Toward the Thirteen Epistles

　　The New Testament of the Bible contains the thirteen epistles of Paul. These thirteen letters were all written by Paul to the churches that believed in Jesus Christ during the period of his work. That is, he wrote the letters after Jesus ascended to heaven and he was raised up. His letters are testimonies of the Lord Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven after His death, and are preaching the way for people to repent and bear the cross. Of course, these ways and testimonies were all for teaching the brothers and sisters in various places of Judea at that time, because at the time Paul was the Lord Jesus’ servant, and he had been raised up to bear witness to the Lord Jesus. Different people are raised up to perform His different work during each period of the Holy Spirit’s work, that is, to do the work of the apostles in order to continue the work God completes Himself. If the Holy Spirit did it directly and no people were raised up, then it would be difficult for the work to be carried out. As such, Paul became one who was struck down on the road to Damascus and then was raised up to be a witness of the Lord Jesus. He was the apostle outside of the twelve disciples of Jesus. Apart from spreading the gospel, he also undertook the work of shepherding the churches in various places, which is looking after the brothers and sisters of the churches, that is, leading the brothers and sisters in the Lord. His testimony is to make known the fact of the Lord Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven, and to teach people to repent and confess and walk the way of the cross. He was one of the witnesses of Jesus Christ at the time.

God's will | How Can Man Who Has Defined God in His Conceptions Receive the Revelations of God?

Eastern lightning | God's will | How Can Man Who Has Defined God in His Conceptions Receive the Revelations of God?

The work of God continues to advance, and though the purpose of His work remains unchanging, the means by which He works are constantly changing, and thereby so are those who follow God. The more work of God, the more thoroughly man comes to know God, and the disposition of man changes accordingly along with His work. However, it is because the work of God is ever-changing that those who do not know the work of the Holy Spirit and those absurd men who do not know the truth become opponents of God. Not ever does the work of God conform to the conceptions of man, for His work is always new and never old. Not ever does He repeat work of old but rather forges ahead with work never before done. As God does not repeat His work and man invariably judges the work of God today based on His work of the past, it is exceedingly difficult for God to carry out each stage of work of the new age. Man presents far too many hindrances! The thinking of man is too hidebound! No man knows the work of God, yet they all define such work. Away from God, man loses life, truth, and the blessings of God, yet neither does man accept life nor truth, much less the greater blessings God bestows upon mankind. All men wish to gain God yet are unable to tolerate any changes in God’s work. Those who do not accept the new work of God believe that the work of God is changeless, and that the work of God forever remains at a standstill. In their belief, all that is needed to gain eternal salvation from God is to keep the law, and as long as they repent and confess their sins, the heart of God will be forever satisfied. They are of the opinion that God can only be the God under the law and the God who was nailed on the cross for man; it is their opinion too that God should not and cannot exceed the Bible. It is precisely these opinions that have shackled them firmly to the law of old and kept them fettered by rigid regulations. Even more believe that whatever the new work of God, it must be substantiated by prophecies, and that in each stage of such work, all those who follow Him with a true heart must also be shown revelations, else that work could not be that of God. It is already no easy task for man to come to know God. Taken in addition to man’s absurd heart and his rebellious nature of self-importance and conceit, then it is all the more difficult for man to accept the new work of God. Man neither studies the new work of God with care nor accepts it with humility; rather, man adopts an attitude of contempt, waiting for the revelations and guidance of God. Is this not the behavior of a man who rebels against and opposes God? How can such men gain the approval of God?

God's Word | Interpretation of the Fifth Utterance

Eastern Lightning | God's word | Interpretation of the Fifth Utterance

When God makes demands of humanity that are difficult for them to explain, and when His words strike directly into the human heart and people offer up their sincere hearts for Him to enjoy, then God gives people the chance to ponder, make a resolution, and seek out a path for practice. In this way, all those who are His people will once again, with fists clenched in determination, offer their whole being up to God. Some, perhaps, might draw up a plan and set up a daily schedule, as they prepare to stir themselves and get to work, dedicating their portion of energy to God’s plan of management, in order to bring glory upon this plan and speed up its conclusion. And, just as people are caught up in this psychological state, holding these things closely in their minds as they go about their chores, as they talk, and as they work, God, quickly following up on this, begins to speak again: “When My Spirit gives voice, it expresses the whole of My disposition. Are you clear on this?” The more determined a human being is, the more desperately he will yearn to grasp God’s will and the more earnestly he will yearn for God to make demands of him; and so God will give people what they want, taking advantage of this opportunity to impart His words, long held in readiness, to the innermost recesses of their being. Although these words may seem a bit harsh or gruff, to humanity they are sweet beyond compare. Straight away, the heart blossoms with joy, as if humanity were in heaven, or had been transported to another realm, a veritable paradise of the imagination, where the affairs of the outside world no longer impinge upon humanity. In order that people will not, as they were in the habit of doing in the past, speak from the outside and act from the outside, and so fail to lay down proper roots: in order to circumvent this eventuality, when what people desire in their hearts has been achieved, and moreover when they prepare to go to work with passionate enthusiasm, God still adapts His way of speaking to their psychological state, and, summarily and without holding back, confutes all the ardor and religious ceremony within their hearts. As God has said: “Have you truly seen the importance that lies herein?” Whether before or after a human being sets his resolve upon something, he does not put great importance upon knowing God in His actions or in His words, but rather keeps on pondering the question: “What can I do for God? That’s the key issue!” This is why God says: “And you have the nerve to call yourselves My people to My face—you have no sense of shame, still less any reason!” As soon as God has spoken these words, people immediately come to their realization, and as though sustaining an electric shock, they hasten to withdraw their hands into the safety of their bosoms, fearful of provoking God’s wrath a second time. In addition to this, God has also said: “Sooner or later, people like this will be expelled from My house. Don’t you come the old soldier with Me, thinking that you have stood for My testimony!” Hearing words like these, people are even more afraid, as they would be if they had sighted a lion. They know full well in their hearts. They are, on the one hand, concerned not to be eaten by the lion while on the other feeling at a loss where to escape. At this moment, the plan inside the human heart vanishes without a trace, utterly and completely. Through God’s words, I feel as if I can see every single aspect of humanity’s shamefulness: Drooping head and hangdog demeanor, like a candidate who’s failed the college entrance exam, his lofty ideals, happy family, bright future, and so on and so forth, all turned—along with the Four Modernizations by the Year 2000—into empty talk, creating an imaginary scenario in a science fiction film. This is to exchange passive for active elements, making people, in the midst of their passivity, stand up in the place God has assigned them. Exceptionally important is the fact that human beings are deeply afraid of losing this appellation, and so they cling for dear life to their own badges of office, fearful that someone might wrest them away. When humanity is in this frame of mind, God does not worry that they will become passive, and so He accordingly changes His words of judgment to words of interrogation. Not only does He give people a chance to catch their breath, but He also gives them a chance to take the aspirations they have had before now and sort them out for future reference: What is unsuitable can be modified. This is because God has not yet begun His work—this is a piece of good fortune in the midst of great misfortune—and, moreover, does not condemn them. So let me continue to give Him all my devotion!

God's voice | Only the Perfected Can Live a Meaningful Life

Eastern Lightning | God's voice | Only the Perfected Can Live a Meaningful Life

In truth, the work being done now is to have people forsake Satan, forsake their old ancestor. All judgments by the word aim to expose humanity’s corrupt disposition and to enable people to understand the essence of life. These repeated judgments all pierce people’s hearts. Every judgment directly impacts their fate and is meant to wound their hearts so that they can let go of all those things and thereby come to know life, know this filthy world, and also know God’s wisdom and almightiness and know this Satan-corrupted mankind. The more of this kind of chastisement and judgment, the more man’s heart can be wounded and the more his spirit can be awakened. Awakening the spirits of these extremely corrupted and most deeply deceived of people is the goal of this kind of judgment. Man has no spirit, that is, his spirit died long ago and he knows not that there is a heaven, knows not that there is a God, and certainly knows not that he is struggling in the abyss of death; how would he possibly be able to know that he is living in this evil hell on earth? How would he possibly be able to know that this putrid corpse of his has, through Satan’s corruption, fallen into Hades of death? How would he possibly be able to know that everything on earth has long been ruined beyond repair by mankind? And how would he possibly be able to know that the Creator has come to the earth today and is searching for a group of corrupt people whom He can save? Even after man experiences every possible refinement and judgment, his dull consciousness still barely stirs and is virtually unresponsive. Humanity is so degenerate! Although this kind of judgment is like the cruel hail that falls from the sky, it is of the greatest benefit to man. If not for judging people like this, there would be no result and it would be absolutely impossible to save people from the abyss of misery. If not for this work, it would be very difficult for people to emerge from Hades because their hearts have long ago died and their spirits long ago trampled by Satan. Saving you who have sunk to the deepest depths of degeneration requires calling out to you strenuously, judging you strenuously, and only then will that ice-cold heart of yours be awakened. Your flesh, your extravagant desires, your greed, and your lust are too deeply rooted in you. These things are so constantly controlling your hearts that you are powerless to cast off the yoke of those feudal and degenerate thoughts. You neither yearn to change your present situation, nor to escape the influence of darkness. You are simply bound by those things. Even if you know that such a life is too painful and such a world too dark, still, utterly not a single one of you has the courage to change a life of this sort. You only long to escape this kind of real life, release your souls from purgatory, and live in a peaceful, happy, heaven-like environment. You are unwilling to endure hardships to change your current life; neither are you willing to search within this judgment and chastisement for the life that you should enter into. Rather, you dream entirely unrealistic dreams about that beautiful world beyond the flesh. The life you long for is one you can effortlessly obtain without suffering any pain. That is completely unrealistic! Because what you hope for is not to live out a meaningful lifetime in the flesh and to gain the truth in the course of a lifetime, that is, to live for the truth and to stand up for justice. This is not what you would consider a radiant, dazzling life. You feel that this would not be a glamorous or meaningful life. To you, living such a life would truly be selling yourselves short! Even though you accept this chastisement today, nonetheless what you are pursuing is not to gain the truth or to live the truth in the present, but rather to be able to enter a happy life beyond the flesh later. You are not seeking for the truth, neither are you standing up for the truth, and you certainly are not existing for the truth. You are not pursuing entry today, but are constantly thinking there will come a day when you look at the blue sky and shed bitter tears, expecting to be taken to heaven. Do you not know such thinking of yours is already out of touch with reality? You keep thinking that the Savior of infinite kindness and compassion will no doubt come one day to take you with Him, you who have endured hardship and suffering in this world, and that He will no doubt exact revenge for you who have been victimized and oppressed. Are you not full of sin? Are you the only one who has suffered in this world? You have fallen into Satan’s domain yourself and suffered, and yet you still need God to avenge you? Those who are unable to satisfy God’s demands—are they not all God’s enemies? Those who do not believe in God incarnate—are they not the antichrist? What do your good deeds count for? Can they take the place of a heart that worships God? You cannot receive God’s blessing simply by doing some good deeds, and God will not avenge the wrongs against you just because you have been victimized and oppressed. Those who believe in God yet do not know God, but who do good deeds—are they all not also chastised? You merely believe in God, merely want God to redress and revenge the wrongs against you, and want God to provide you an escape from your misery. But you refuse to pay attention to the truth; nor do you thirst to live out the truth. Much less are you able to escape this hard, empty life. Instead, while living your life in the flesh and your life of sin, you look expectantly to God to right your grievances and part the fog of your existence. How is this possible? If you possess the truth, you can follow God. If you have living out, you can be a manifestation of God’s word. If you have the life, you can enjoy God’s blessing. Those who possess the truth can enjoy God’s blessing. God ensures redress for those who love Him wholeheartedly as well as enduring hardships and sufferings, not for those who only love themselves and have fallen prey to Satan’s deceptions. How can there be goodness in those who do not love the truth? How can there be righteousness in those who only love the flesh? Are not righteousness and goodness all in reference to the truth? Are they not reserved for those who wholeheartedly love God? Those who do not love the truth and who are but putrid corpses—do not all these people harbor evil? Those unable to live the truth—are they not all enemies of the truth? And what about you?

God's voice | Interpretation of the First Utterance

Eastern lightning | God's voice | Interpretation of the First Utterance

Just as God said, “None can grasp the root of My words, or the purpose behind them.” If it weren’t for the guidance of the Spirit of God, if it weren’t for the advent of His words, all would perish under His chastisement. Why does God test man for so long? And for as long as five months? This is the focal point of our fellowship as well as a central point in God’s wisdom. We can assume this: Were it not for this trial, and without God attacking, killing, and hacking away at the corrupt humanity, if the building of the church continued until today, then what would that accomplish? So in the first line of His speech, God gets straight to the point and explains the desired effect of these months’ work, and it is painfully accurate! It goes to show the wisdom of God’s deeds over this period of time: teaching the people to learn submission and sincere dedication through the trial, as well as how to better understand God through painful refinement. The more despair people experience, the more they are able to understand themselves. And to tell the truth, the more painful refinement they face, the more they can understand their own corruption, and in doing so they even learn that they are not worthy of being a service-doer for God, and rendering this kind of service is being elevated by Him. And so once this is achieved, once man has depleted himself, God utters the words of mercy, not hidden but in plain sight. It is clear that after several months, God’s new[a] approach of work starts today; this is plain for all to see. In the past, God often said “it is not easy to earn the right to be called My people,” so as He has fulfilled these words in the people who are referred to as service-doers, all may see God can be trusted without any error. All of what God says will come true to varying degrees, and His words are not in the least bit empty.

God's word | You Should Know How the Whole of Humanity Has Developed to the Present Day

Eastern lightning | God's word | You Should Know How the Whole of Humanity Has Developed to the Present Day

The entirety of the work over the 6,000 years has gradually changed along with the times. The shifts in this work have occurred according to the entire world’s circumstances. God’s management work has only gradually transformed according to the developmental trends of humanity as a whole; it was not already planned at the beginning of creation. Before the world was created, or right after it was created, Jehovah had not yet planned the first stage of work, that of law; the second stage of work, that of grace; or the third stage of work, that of conquering, in which He would first work among a group of people—some of the descendants of Moab, and from this He would conquer the entire universe. He did not speak these words after creating the world; He did not speak these words after Moab, let alone before Lot. All of His work was done spontaneously. This is exactly how His entire six-thousand-year management work has developed; by no means had He written out such a plan as Summary Chart for Humanity’s Development before creating the world. In God’s work, He directly expresses what He is; He does not rack His brains to formulate a plan. Of course, many prophets have spoken many prophecies, but it still cannot be said that God’s work has always been one of precise plan-making; the prophecies were made according to God’s actual work. All of His work is the most actual work. He carries out His work according to the development of the times, and He carries out His most actual work according to the changes of things. For Him, carrying out work is akin to administering medicine to an illness; He observes while doing His work; He works according to His observations. In every stage of His work, He is capable of expressing His ample wisdom and expressing His ample ability; He reveals His ample wisdom and ample authority according to the work of that particular age and allows any of those people brought back by Him during those ages to see His entire disposition. He supplies people’s needs and carries out the work He should do according to the work that must be done in each age; He supplies people’s needs according to the degree to which Satan has corrupted them. It was this way when Jehovah initially created Adam and Eve in order to allow them to manifest God upon the earth and to have God’s witnesses among the creation, but Eve sinned after being tempted by the snake; Adam did the same, and together in the garden they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And thus, Jehovah had additional work to perform among them. He saw their nakedness and covered their bodies with clothing made from animal hides. Following this, He said unto Adam, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it: cursed is the ground for your sake … till you return to the ground; for out of it were you taken: for dust you are, and to dust shall you return.” To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.” From then on He banished them from the Garden of Eden and made them live outside the garden, as modern man now does upon the earth. When God created man in the very beginning, He did not plan to let man be tempted by the snake after he had been created and then curse man and the snake. He did not actually have this kind of plan; it was simply the development of things that gave Him new work among His creation. After Jehovah carried out this work among Adam and Eve upon the earth, humanity continued to develop for several thousand years, until “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. … But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” At this time Jehovah had more new work, for the humanity He created had become too sinful after being tempted by the snake. Given these circumstances, Jehovah selected Noah’s family from among these people and spared them, and carried out His work of destroying the world with a flood. Humanity has continued to develop in this manner to this very day, becoming increasingly corrupt, and when humanity’s development reaches its peak, it will also be humanity’s end. From the very beginning to the end of the world, the inside truth of His work has always been this way. It is the same as how man will be classed according to their kind; far from each and every person being predestined to the category they belong to at the very beginning, people are gradually categorized only after undergoing a process of development. In the end, anyone who cannot be saved entirely will be returned to his or her ancestors. None of God’s work among humanity was already prepared at the creation of the world; rather, it was the development of things that allowed God to perform His work step by step more realistically and practically among humanity. This is just like how Jehovah God did not create the snake in order to tempt the woman. It was not His specific plan, nor was it something that He had intentionally predestined; one could say that this was unexpected. It was thus because of this that Jehovah expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and vowed to never again create man. But God’s wisdom is only discovered by people upon this foundation, just like the point that I mentioned earlier: “My wisdom is exercised based on Satan’s plots.” No matter how corrupt humanity grew or how the snake tempted them, Jehovah still had His wisdom; therefore, He has been engaged in new work ever since He created the world, and none of the steps of this work have ever repeated. Satan has continuously carried out plots; humanity has been continuously corrupted by Satan, and Jehovah God has also continuously carried out His wise work. He has never failed, and He has never ceased His work from the creation of the world through now. After humanity was corrupted by Satan, He continuously worked among people to defeat His enemy who corrupts humanity. This battle will continue from the beginning until the world’s end. In doing all this work, He has not only allowed humanity, who has been corrupted by Satan, to receive His great salvation, but also allowed them to see His wisdom, almightiness and authority, and in the end He will let humanity see His righteous disposition—punishing the wicked and rewarding the good. He has battled Satan to this very day and has never been defeated, for He is a wise God, and His wisdom is exercised based on Satan’s plots. And so He not only makes everything in heaven submit to His authority; He also makes everything upon earth rest below His footstool, and not last of all, He makes those evildoers who invade and harass humanity fall within His chastisement. All the results of the work are brought about because of His wisdom. He had never revealed His wisdom before the existence of humanity, for He had no enemies in heaven, upon earth, or in the entire universe, and there were no dark forces that invaded anything among nature. After the archangel betrayed Him, He created humanity upon the earth, and it was because of humanity that He formally began His millennia-long war with Satan, the archangel, a war that grows more heated with every successive stage. His almightiness and wisdom are present in each of these stages. Only at this time can everything in heaven and earth see God’s wisdom, almightiness, and particularly God’s realness. He still carries out His work in this same realistic manner today; in addition, as He carries out His work He also reveals His wisdom and almightiness; He allows you to see the inside truth of each stage of work, to see exactly how to explain God’s almightiness, and particularly exactly how to explain God’s realness.

In God’s work of the last days, why does He issue forth so many words of judgment and chastisement?

Eastern lightning | In God’s work of the last days, why does He issue forth so many words of judgment and chastisement?

The Answer from God’s Word:

The sins of man were forgiven because of the work of God’s crucifixion, but man continued to live in the old, corrupt satanic disposition. As such, man must be completely saved from the corrupt satanic disposition so that the sinful nature of man is completely cast away and never again develops, thus allowing the disposition of man to be changed. This requires man to understand the path of growth in life, the way of life, and the way to change his disposition. It also needs man to act in accordance with this path so that the disposition of man can gradually be changed and he can live under the shining of the light, and that he can do all things in accord with the will of God, cast away the corrupt satanic disposition, and break free from Satan’s influence of darkness, thereby emerging fully from sin. Only then will man receive complete salvation. When Jesus was doing His work, man’s knowledge of Him was still vague and unclear. Man always believed that He was the son of David and proclaimed Him to be a great prophet and the benevolent Lord who redeemed man’s sins. Some, based on faith, became healed just by touching the edge of His garment; the blind could see and even the dead could be restored to life. However, man could not discover the corrupt satanic disposition deeply rooted within him and neither did man know how to cast it away. Man received much grace, such as the peace and happiness of the flesh, the blessing of the entire family upon the faith of one, and the healing of sicknesses, and so on. The rest were the good deeds of man and their godly appearance; if man could live based on such, he was considered a good believer. Only such believers could enter heaven after death, which means that they were saved. But, in their lifetime, they did not understand at all the way of life. They merely committed sins, then made confession in a constant cycle without any path toward a changed disposition; such was the condition of man in the Age of Grace. Has man received complete salvation? No! Therefore, after that stage was complete, there is still the work of judgment and chastisement. This stage makes man pure through the word so as to give man a path to follow. This stage would not be fruitful or meaningful if it continued with the casting out of demons, for the sinful nature of man would not be cast away and man would only stop upon the forgiveness of sins. Through the sin offering, man has been forgiven his sins, for the work of the crucifixion has already come to an end and God has prevailed over Satan. But the corrupt disposition of man still remains within them and man can still sin and resist God; God has not gained mankind. That is why in this stage of work God uses the word to reveal the corrupt disposition of man and asks man to practice in accordance with the right path. This stage is more meaningful than the previous one and more fruitful as well, for now it is the word that directly supplies man’s life and enables the disposition of man to be completely renewed; it is a stage of work more thorough. Therefore, the incarnation in the last days has completed the significance of God’s incarnation and completely finished God’s management plan for the salvation of man.

from “The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

God's untterance | The True Story Behind Work in the Age of Redemption

God's untterance | The True Story Behind Work in the Age of Redemption | Eastern Lightning

My entire management plan, a plan that spans six thousand years, consists of three stages, or three ages: the Age of Law in the beginning; the Age of Grace (which is also the Age of Redemption); and the Age of Kingdom in the last days. My work in these three ages differs in content according to the nature of each age, but at each stage it accords with man’s needs—or, to be more precise, it is done according to the tricks that Satan employs in the war that I wage against it. The purpose of My work is to defeat Satan, to make manifest My wisdom and omnipotence, to expose all of Satan’s tricks, and thereby to save the entire human race, which lives under its domain. It is to show My wisdom and omnipotence while at the same time revealing the unbearable hideousness of Satan. Even more, it is to teach My creations to discriminate between good and evil, to know that I am the Ruler of all things, to see clearly that Satan is humanity’s foe, the lowest of the low, the evil one, and to tell, with absolute certainty, the difference between good and evil, truth and falsehood, holiness and filth, and what is great and what is ignoble. This way, ignorant humanity will become able to bear witness to Me that it is not I who corrupt humanity, and only I—the Lord of creation—can save humanity, can bestow upon man things for their enjoyment; and they will come to know that I am the Ruler of all things and Satan is merely one of the beings that I created and that later turned against Me. My six-thousand-year management plan is divided into three stages so as to achieve the following effect: to enable My creations to become My witnesses, to comprehend My will, and to know that I am the truth. Thus, during the initial phase of work in My six-thousand-year management plan, I did the work of the law, which was the work in which Jehovah led His people. The second stage initiated the work of the Age of Grace in the villages of Judea. Jesus represents all the work of the Age of Grace; He was incarnated in the flesh and crucified on the cross, and He also inaugurated the Age of Grace. He was crucified in order to complete the work of redemption, to end the Age of Law and begin the Age of Grace, and so He was called the “Supreme Commander,” the “Sin Offering,” the “Redeemer.” Thus the work of Jesus differed in content from the work of Jehovah, although they were the same in principle. Jehovah began the Age of Law, established the home base, that is, the point of origin, of His work on earth, and issued the commandments; these were two of His accomplishments, which represent the Age of Law. The work Jesus did in the Age of Grace was not to issue commandments but to fulfill the Commandments, thereby ushering in the Age of Grace and concluding the Age of Law that had lasted two thousand years. He was the trailblazer, who came in order to begin the Age of Grace, yet the main part of His work lay in redemption. And so His accomplishments were also twofold: opening up a new age, and completing the work of redemption through His crucifixion. Then He departed. At this point, the Age of Law came to an end and mankind entered into the Age of Grace.

How should believers distinguish God’s voice to confirm that it is the true way?

How should believers distinguish God’s voice to confirm that it is the true way? | Eastern Lightning

The Answer from God’s Word:

The words of God incarnate initiate a new age, guide the whole of mankind, reveal mysteries, and show man the direction ahead in a new age. The enlightenment obtained by man is but simple practice or knowledge. It cannot guide the whole of mankind into a new age or reveal the mystery of God Himself. God, after all, is God, and man is man. God has the substance of God, and man has the substance of man.

from Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh

In God’s appearing in the flesh, why doesn’t He appear as a great or imposing image?

Eastern Lightning | In God’s appearing in the flesh, why doesn’t He appear as a great or imposing image?

The Answer from God’s Word:

He is merely working in the flesh, not intentionally asking for man to exalt the greatness and holiness of His flesh. He is simply showing man the wisdom of His work and all the authority He wields. Therefore, even though He has an outstanding humanity, He makes no announcements, and focuses only on the work that He should do. You should know why it is that God became flesh yet does not boast of or testify to His normal humanity, and instead simply carries out the work that He wishes to do. This is why you see only the being of divinity in God become flesh, simply because He never proclaims His being of humanity for man to emulate. … God conquers man through His work alone (that is, work unattainable to man). He does not impress man or make all mankind adore Him, but simply instills in man a feeling of reverence for Him or makes man aware of His inscrutability. There is no need for God to impress man. All He needs is for you to revere Him once you have witnessed His disposition.

from “The Mystery of the Incarnation (2)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

God redeemed mankind in the Age of Grace, so why does He still need to do His work of judgment in the last days?

Eastern Lightning | God redeemed mankind in the Age of Grace, so why does He still need to do His work of judgment in the last days?

Bible Verses for Reference:

“You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy”(Lev 11:45).

“Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb 12:14).

“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (Jhn 12:47-48).

Relevant Words of God:

At the time Jesus’ work was the redemption of all mankind. The sins of all who believed in Him were forgiven; as long as you believed in Him, He would redeem you; if you believed in Him, you were no longer a sinner, you were relieved of your sins. This is what it meant to be saved, and to be justified by faith. Yet in those who believed, there remained that which was rebellious and opposed God, and which still had to be slowly removed. Salvation did not mean man had been completely gained by Jesus, but that man was no longer of sin, that he had been forgiven his sins: Provided you believed, you would never more be of sin.

from “The Vision of God’s Work (2)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh