Does Anyone Know About the Second Coming of Jesus?

Does Anyone Know About the Second Coming of Jesus?

By Zhao Hui

During a Bible study, I spoke of the question that had confused me for a long time: “Brothers and sisters, the Lord Jesus said, ‘But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only’ (Mat 24:36). We can see in this scripture that no one will know when the Lord will return, so why do so many people testify that the Lord Jesus has come? What does this mean?” After I finished, some became immersed in contemplation, and some said, “Now that you say it, we’d better have a discussion about it.”

At that time, preacher Zhao Xun nodded his head and said, “All right, this question is worth discussing. The Lord said His coming is unknown by all. These days I have been thinking about this question, and it seems that our understanding is not pure and such reasoning does not make sense. Let’s think about it: If the Lord doesn’t let people know of His coming, how can people follow and believe in Him? How can God accomplish His work of saving people? If we hold to these words, won’t we miss the Lord’s coming?” Hearing these words, some sisters and brothers were astonished, some bowed their heads and began to contemplate, and some said, “You are totally right; it makes sense!” Zhao Xun continued, “Then, how can we get a pure understanding of this scripture? Now, let’s read this verse together with the previous verses. Matthew 24:32-36 says, ‘Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near: So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.’ These verses are talking about signs of the Lord’s return. From these words, I think perhaps the Lord will come again in the flesh, just like the Lord Jesus, but we don’t know when, on which day, or at which moment He will enter the door. This is to say, ‘no one knows about that day or hour,’ which means that no one knows about the moment when Christ will come. That is, no one knows on which day or at which moment the Lord will descend, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (the Spirit). However, after Christ comes, He will surely let men know it, because the purpose of God being incarnated and coming to the world is to save men. If He comes but doesn’t let men know it, how can we receive salvation from Him? The Lord Jesus said, ‘And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him’ (Mat 25:6). ‘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’ (Rev 3:20). From these two verses we can see that after the Lord comes, some people will know it, and they will spread His gospel to those who haven’t accepted it. Here scriptures say, when someone yells that the bridegroom, the Lord Jesus has come, we need to walk out to welcome Him. And He will sup with those who hear His voice and open the door. Thus I think it is completely wrong to interpret the word ‘of that day and hour knows no man’ in Matthew 24:36 as no one knows about it even after the Lord comes.”

After hearing the words of brother Zhao, I felt enlightened and had some understanding of the real meaning of these scriptures. However, when I pondered it over, there were still some aspects I was not clear about. I asked, “Brother Zhao, just now you said when the Lord Jesus comes as the Son of man, no one knows, but when the Lord works, He will surely let men know. How did the ones spreading the coming of the Lord Jesus know it?” Hearing that, the sisters and brothers all agreed with me, “All right, how did they know?” Zhao Xun thought about it for a while and said, “Brothers and sisters, before we answer this question, let’s first see how those followers of the Lord Jesus at that time knew that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah. We can see from the Bible, Peter, Philip, James, John, Matthew and others; when the Lord called them, they didn’t know that Jesus was the Messiah, but they followed the Lord and heard His preaching without any hesitation. There are many verses recorded in the Bible that many people followed the Lord and obeyed His teachings after hearing of Him. These instances show us that we first need to have a thirsty heart if we want to gain the true way. When we hear the message about the Lord’s coming or when God sends someone to call us, we should listen to the message and seek the verification, thus we’ll have the opportunity to receive inspiration from God and recognize that the Lord is the Messiah. As the scriptures said, ‘So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’ (Rom 10:17). That is, believing in the way is based on hearing of the way. Those who followed the Lord Jesus saw the deeds of the Lord Jesus by hearing His words, and recognized that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah who was to come. For example, when Peter followed the Lord Jesus, he received inspiration and enlightenment from the Holy Spirit, and knew that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God because he received and pondered over God’s words carefully. Therefore, he said, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God’ (John 6:68-69). Also, the woman of Samaria recognized that Jesus was the Messiah who was prophesied to come, for she knew that only God examines the innermost heart of man, only God has a thorough understanding of man. Also, Nathanael was the sheep of God, who can recognize the voice of God. Nathanael felt only God can speak his identity out before seeing him, only God is omnipotent and omniscient, and only God examines the innermost heart of man. Apart from knowing God from His words, we can also know God through His work. For example, still more people knew that Jesus was “from God” because they had seen that Jesus could make the blind see, the lame walk, leprosy be cured, and the dead be raised. As the Bible says, ‘Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did’ (John 2:23). ‘The same came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that you do, except God be with him’ (John 3:2). From these we can see when Jesus came to earth and did his work, they knew that Jesus was the coming Messiah because they heard Jesus’ preaching and saw his work. Also, after Jesus’ resurrection, He commissioned His disciples to preach the gospel of the cross to all nations. As the Bible says, ‘All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you: and, see, I am with you always, even to the end of the world’ (Mat 28:18-20). ‘But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come on you: and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). Thus, we can see that Jesus Christ’s gospel was passed down by those who first knew that Jesus was the Messiah. In this way, the Lord’s gospel of the cross is passed down from generation to generation up to this day. People believe in the Lord after hearing others preach Jesus’ gospel. Likewise, these who testify that the Lord has come must have heard the preaching of the Lord Jesus’ second coming and then they knew about it. This is just as we believed in the Lord at that time through hearing others preach the gospel of the cross, and it is completely in accordance with the word ‘faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.’”

As Zhao Xun finished speaking, brothers and sisters immediately had a discussion. I pondered over what brother Zhao Xun said, and experienced an epiphany. I thought, “But of that day and that hour knows no man” (Mat 24:36), this verse means that no one knows the moment when Christ will come. However, after Christ comes to do His work, someone will know it. Now, there are some who are witnessing that the Lord has come, if I want to know whether the Lord has come or not, I need to hear the utterances of the coming of the Lord and to verify whether it is the voice of God. Otherwise, I will probably miss the chance of being raptured by the coming Lord. So I should hear the Lord’s words they preach …

Source: Walk in the Light

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Do you know the way to find the footsteps of God?

If You Don’t Welcome the Lord After Hearing Someone Testify That the Lord Has Returned, You’ll Lose His Salvation of the Last Days

Now on Facebook, Whatsapp, and Twitter, there is a group of people who have welcomed the Lord and are testifying the Lord’s return. However, after some people hear this news, they don’t humbly seek it or immediately welcome the Lord. They, based on the verse, “But of that day and hour knows no man,” don’t believe that the Lord has returned. However, have we ever thought that we may never meet the Lord by holding on to such a view? If no one knew when the Lord comes, how could the Lord do the work of saving people? How can we gain the Lord’s end-time salvation? The Lord prophesied long ago that after He returns, some people will know.

The Lord Jesus said, “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Mat 25:6). Revelation says, “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” (Rev 3:20). From this we can see that when the Lord comes, someone will cry out that He has returned, and the Lord will knock at our door. So, when the Lord comes back, some people will know. Besides, “But of that day and hour knows no man” means that no one knows the exact time the Lord returns. But after He comes to do His work, it will certainly be known by people, because the purpose of God coming among men is to save men. If He comes and does not let men know, then His work would be meaningless and we are unable to gain salvation through Him. Thus, understanding “But of that day and hour knows no man” as no one learning of the Lord’s coming after it occurs is erroneous. By holding on to this view, we’ll surely lose God’s salvation in the last days. Do you want to welcome the Lord as soon as possible? Here there is the way to find the footsteps of God.  Please watch the follow:

• What Does “Behold, I Stand at the Door, and Knock” Truly Mean?
• What is the meaning of “no one knows the day or the hour”?

The Lord has come back. Want to know how to welcome Him and be raptured before the disasters? Chat with us online to get the answer.

How Will God Judge Us on Judgement Day? A New Discovery in a Discussion

Editor’s Note: What will happen on judgment day? How will God judge us in the last days? This is what most people are concerned about. In a Bible study meeting, through looking up the verses and fellowshiping with each other, brothers and sisters got new light. Read this article to understand how God will do His work of judgment in the last days.

By Xiaomai

It’s recorded in the Bible that there will be judgment in the last days. Then how will God judge us when judgment day comes? What is judgment day? In a Bible study meeting, several brothers and sisters turned to Revelation 20:11-15 and read together, “

Sister Dong put down the Bible in her hand and said, “In a revival meeting, I once heard the pastors speak of the scene of the Lord returning on judgment day. It will be earthshaking and majestic, and the earth and heaven will be swallowed up. At that point, the trumpets will sound, and thousands of angels riding on the winged horses will descend from heaven. It is so magnificent. All the people will awake with a start and be gathered together. Every unbeliever is trembling with fear and on their knees begging for mercy, while we believers will be raptured before the Lord’s throne. This is what will happen on judgment day.”

Sister Chen nodded a few times in succession and said, “Yes! When judgment day comes, God will set up a big table in the sky, on which a white tablecloth will be spread, with books and a book of life lying on it. The Lord will sit on the throne with a glorious golden crown on His head, and the angels will stand on either side waiting for His command. The Lord will first open the book of life to call the roll. All those whose names are called will be directly brought into the heavenly kingdom by the angels. As for those whose names are not on the book of life, the Lord will open the books and decide their destinations according to all the things they have done in the course of their life. When seeing the sins they committed, they cannot deny but only weep and gnash their teeth and beat their chests.”

Other co-workers echoed, “Yes! Such a scene must be a grand spectacular! After the judgment of the Lord, all who do good will be brought into the kingdom of heaven and feast with God; all the evildoers will be cast into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the worms don’t die, and the fire is not quenched.”

Sister Wang shook her head. Looking at Sister Dong and Sister Chen, she joked, “The more you two say, the more incredible it becomes. You simply imagine the Lord’s judgment to be supernatural. Genesis 1:8 states, ‘And God called the firmament Heaven.’ With the sky full of air and our body so heavy, how could we ascend to the heaven? The balloon will burst when rising high above the ground, not to mention us. I think it is not realistic for us to be judged in heaven by the Lord.”

Another co-worker echoed, “Yes. There is nothing but air in the sky. How could we stand? My neighbor thinks what I imagine is crazy and always laughs at me, ‘You’re looking forward to ascending to heaven every day. Aren’t you afraid of falling from it?’” Hearing this, everyone laughed.

“You two think too much of it. How could you have no faith in the Lord? The Old Testament says that Jehovah God took Elijah up to the heaven with a whirlwind. The Lord is almighty. We needn’t worry about this.” Brother Fang said confidently.

Sister Ma said, “We can’t say anything casually. 2 Peter 1:20 says, ‘Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.’ As we can see, we should not interpret the prophecy literally or rely on our imaginations to say where the Lord will judge man in the last days. This will easily lead to misinterpretation of God’s work and resistance toward Him!”

When they were in dispute, Brother Zhang said, “Brothers and sisters, please calm down. Actually, in the past, I also thought the Lord would judge man in heaven. But recently when I looked up several verses, I found it was not as simple as we thought. The book of Revelation was written by John after he received God’s revelation on the island of Patmos. The verses in it are about the work God desires to do in the last days. They are visions, prophecies, and mysteries. Revelation 14:6 says, ‘And I saw another angel fly in the middle of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.’ Psalms 96:13 also says, ‘Before Jehovah: for He comes, for He comes to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.’ Our imaginations that the Lord will commence judgment in heaven apparently contradicts what the verses say. God’s spirit is formless and amorphous. He is righteous and holy and does not tolerate man’s offense. What qualification do we sinners have to see the face of God? Therefore, I think in the last days God may carry out the work of judgment on earth, not in heaven.”

Sister Wang pondered the words said by Brother Zhang with a scowl. Suddenly something seemed to strike her and she slapped her forehead. “Alas! Why didn’t I think of that? The Lord’s Prayer says, ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven’ (Matthew 6:10). Doesn’t it mean God will lead us on earth? Revelation 11:15 also says, ‘And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.’ If God descends to earth to give His judgment, then God’s will can be done on earth. But if His judgment is carried out in heaven, these verses will fall through.”

Hearing this, Sister Lin said cheerfully, “After listening to your fellowship, I think of the words in Revelation 21:3 ‘And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.’ ‘The tabernacle of God is with men’ means in the last days, when God comes, He will dwell with man and judge man on earth. Just as 1 Peter 4:17 says, ‘For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.’”

Sister Dong said with some excitement, “Oh! Through your discussion just now, I discover that there are so many mysteries in these verses. It’s inconceivable! In the past, I believed it was in heaven that the Lord would judge man when He returns; however, now when reading these verses again, I feel that’s not realistic and it’s quite likely on earth.”

Sister Wang said, “It’s true. In John 3:13 the Lord Jesus said ‘And no man has ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.’ The Lord Jesus has already plainly told us that no one has ascended to heaven but the Son of man. How are we still daydreaming everyday—yearning for ascending up to heaven? We’re so stupid.” After her words, everyone laughed.

“If what you’re saying is true, the Lord’s judgment in the last days will probably happen on earth. But how exactly will He do the judgment work?” Brother Fang looked at everyone, bewildered.

At this moment, Brother Zhang said, “I remember Psalms 50:3-6 says, ‘Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. Gather My saints together to Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is judge Himself. Selah.’ John 12:48 says, ‘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.’ These verses suggest that the returned Lord in the last days will judge man with words, don’t they?”

Sister Lin nodded, “Yes. Listening to the fellowship of Brother Zhang, I remember in the Revelation there are seven verses saying, ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ From these verses, we can see during the last days God will speak to the churches. It is very likely that in the last days when the Lord returns, He will express words and truths to do the work of judgment. John 16:12-13 also says, ‘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.’ When the Lord Jesus worked, He said that He had lots of things to say to man, but man at that time had a small stature and couldn’t bear them. Only when the Lord comes in the last days, will He tell man many truths they don’t understand before. Combined with the verses above, I think the Lord will express words to judge man when He returns. Do you think so?”

“God will express words to judge man in the last days?” “When you put it like that, this is quite possible.” They all discussed about it.

At this moment, Sister Dong nodded and said, “Your fellowship make sense. These verses show that in the last days the Lord may express words to judge man on earth when He returns. Our understanding of prophecies based on the surface meaning of verses is from our imaginations. It is not realistic. As for how the Lord will judge man in the last days, we should treat it seriously and cannot listen only to pastors and elders. If the Lord really expresses words to judge man on earth, and we don’t seek but only draw conclusions according to our own imaginations and wait for the judgment before the great white throne in heaven, then we are prone to lose God’s salvation of the last days!”

Sister Lin also said, “Yes, our fellowships tonight are really enlightening. Revelation 3:20 says, ‘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.’ Only the wise virgins can welcome the Lord. If we, like them, pay attention to hearing the Lord’s voice and open the door when hearing His voice, we can welcome His return.”

Sister Wang said gladly, “Yes, the Lord Jesus once said, ‘My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me’ (John 10:27). Therefore, if someone preaches that the Lord has returned and expresses words to judge man, we should listen out for the voice of the Lord like wise virgins. As soon as we hear the truth, we should investigate it immediately so as not to miss the opportunity to be saved by God!”

After hearing this, everyone nodded. This Bible study meeting was concluded like this.

Source: Walk in the Light

Read more on our Preparation for the Second Coming Jesus page.

The Lord has come back. Want to know how to welcome Him and be raptured before the disasters? Chat with us online to get the answer.

How to Be Wise Virgins and Prepare Oil to Welcome Second Coming of Jesus?

How to Be Wise Virgins and Prepare Oil to Welcome Second Coming of Jesus?

By Jing Xin

Seeking Enthusiastically to Be a Wise Virgin

One night near dusk, Jia Nan sat beside a desk. Opening the Bible, he began to read, “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go you rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut” (Matthew 25:1-10). After seeing these scriptures, Jia Nan thought that the Lord Jesus gave us a vivid metaphor to show what kind of people can enter into the kingdom of heaven. Those who take oil with them can welcome the bridegroom and are the wise virgins, but for others without oil, they are the foolish virgins and will be abandoned by the Lord. Jia Nan has always been determined to be a wise virgin to welcome the return of the Lord and attend the feast with Him.

On the next day, in a co-worker meeting, Jia Nan said as usual, “Brothers and sisters, now is the late period of the last days when the Lord comes. Because the Lord Jesus said, ‘Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes’ (Matthew 24:44). What we need to do is read the Bible frequently, do more work for the Lord, pray often, and often confess and repent to the Lord. The most important thing is to watch and make preparations, like the wise virgins preparing enough oil. Only in this way can we welcome His return. In order to avoid missing the chance to be raptured, it’s not enough that we only have meetings on time, we also need to take turns to have prayer vigils.” After Jia Nan finished saying this, Brother Zhang immediately said, “Is it the action of wise virgins to prepare and wait in our own way?” Sister Dong went on saying, “If what we are doing is really preparing oil, why haven’t we welcomed the Lord’s return?” All sank into deep thinking as soon as Sister Dong finished her words.

What Are the Wise Virgins? What Are the Foolish Virgins?

At this time, Brother Liu stood up and said, “Regarding what the real wise virgins are, I have a different view. In the matter of the wise virgins welcoming the bridegroom, I think that our watching, praying and having vigils every day are only superficial, and may not meet God’s will. The real wise virgins are those who can hear the voice of God.” Everyone was surprised by his words “hearing the voice of God.” Jia Nan said puzzledly, “Those who hear the voice of God are wise virgins? This is the first time we’ve heard of this. Please tell us more.” Brother Liu smiled and said, “Yes, they are. Several days ago, my son and I talked about this topic. He thought our actions are not those of wise virgins, and then he read to me several passages of words he found on a gospel website. After hearing those words, I realized that the wise virgins indeed are not what we thought they are.” Then Brother Liu read those words for us:

“All who are able to obey the present utterances of the Holy Spirit are blessed. It does not matter how they used to be, or how the Holy Spirit used to work within them—those who have gained the latest work are the most blessed, and those who are unable to follow the latest work today are eliminated. God wants those who are able to accept the new light, and He wants those who accept and know His latest work. Why is it said that you must be a chaste virgin? A chaste virgin is able to seek the work of the Holy Spirit and understand the new things, and moreover, able to put aside old conceptions, and obey the work of God today” (“Know the Newest Work of God and Follow the Footsteps of God”). “Those who belong to Satan do not understand the words of God, and those who belong to God can hear the voice of God. All those who realize and understand the words I speak are the ones who will be saved, and bear testimony to God; all those who do not understand the words that I speak cannot bear testimony to God, and are the ones who will be eliminated” (“Knowing the Three Stages of God’s Work Is the Path to Knowing God”). “You are not devout in facing the truth, much less do you yearn for the truth. You merely study blindly and wait nonchalantly. What can you gain from studying and waiting like this? Can you receive the personal guidance of God? If you cannot discern the utterances of God, how are you qualified to witness the appearance of God? Where God appears, there is the expression of the truth, and there is the voice of God. Only those who can accept the truth can hear the voice of God, and only such people are qualified to witness the appearance of God” (“The Appearance of God Has Brought a New Age”).

After reading these words, Brother Liu continued saying, “Through these words, I know that the wise virgins come to seek the voice of the Holy Spirit with a yearning and seeking heart, and they are the people who pay attention and listen to the voice of God. They can drop their notions to humbly seek God’s voice when God’s new work comes to them, and they can accept the truth and submit to His new work when they recognize the voice of God. While the foolish virgins stubbornly hold on to their conceptions and imaginations and they don’t pay attention and listen to the voice of God. They cannot recognize God’s voice even if they hear it. Because they neither believe in Christ nor accept Him, and refuse to accept the work of God and His appearance, ultimately they’ll lose God’s salvation. However, what we are doing now, waiting, praying and having vigils, are not the actions of wise virgins but our conceptions and imaginations!”

The Wise Virgins Hear the Voice of God

At this moment sister Yan also said, “Alas, Brother Liu is right. After hearing his fellowship, I remember two verses of scriptures, ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me’ (John 10:27). ‘For the Lamb which is in the middle of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them to living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes’ (Revelation 7:17). If we want to welcome the Lord’s return, a key point is to pay attention and listen to the voice of God. Only those who hear the voice of God are the wise virgins! Just like Peter, he saw that the Lord Jesus can calm the wind and waves with one word, feed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, raise the dead, and so on. Through the word and work of the Lord, Peter confirmed that the Lord Jesus has the essence of God, and He is the Christ. Or as another example, the Samaritan woman. When she was talking with the Lord Jesus, the Lord spoke of her hidden secret, then she came to realize that only God Himself can reveal these hidden things, and that these words could never be said by man, so she confirmed the Lord Jesus was the coming Messiah, the Christ. Both Peter and the Samaritan woman recognized the Lord Jesus is God through His words, so they gained the salvation of God. They really are smart.” Everyone nodded and said that it was indeed true.

Why Will the Foolish Virgins Be Eliminated by God?

Sister Dong said, “Yes, God’s sheep hear His voice. All those who can recognize God’s voice are the wise virgins, otherwise, they are the foolish ones. Think back to the time the Lord Jesus came to do His work: The Pharisees didn’t have a yearning and seeking heart, and they didn’t investigate the truth Christ uttered to discern if it is the voice of God, but instead, they defined God’s work with their imaginations; they saw that the Lord did signs and wonders, for example, the Lord’s word raising the dead, curing the blind; but because they couldn’t recognize God’s voice, they not only treated the Lord Jesus as a normal man, but also regarded God’s utterances as man’s words, and even judged and blasphemed Him; in the end, the Pharisees nailed the Lord to the cross, and they became those who believed in God yet opposed Him, so they fell under the wrath and punishment of God. This lets us clearly see that those who don’t pay attention to listening to the voice of God are the foolish virgins and will be eliminated by God.”

The Wise Virgins Seek the Utterances of God in the Last Days

Brother Zhang said immediately, “After hearing your words, I just realized that paying attention to listening to the voice of God is crucial, especially in this important point of our welcoming the Lord’s return in the last days. The Lord Jesus once said, ‘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 at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him’ (Matthew 25:6). ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ (Revelation 2:7). From these scriptures we can see that when the Lord returns, He will speak again. So whether we can recognize God’s voice directly determines if we can welcome the return of the Lord. Now it is a matter of urgency to find the word of the Holy Spirit, after that we will see God’s appearance. But where can we find it?”

Brother Zhan said, “Alas, you are clever your entire life, but ruined by a moment of foolishness. The words Brother Liu read are what we have never heard. They contain mysteries and can’t be spoken by normal people, it seems like they’re from the Holy Spirit.”

Jia Nan said with a smile, “That’s true, these words are indeed from the Holy Spirit and not from mankind. I used to believe that as long as we wait, pray and have vigils, we are the wise virgins. But through today’s fellowship, I realize it was my conceptions and imaginations, like the actions of the foolish virgins, and that I cannot welcome the Lord’s return if I hold on to them! Thank the Lord for His guidance. The words Brother Liu read for us let me know what the wise virgins are. It’s a key point that the wise virgins can hear the voice of God, and have a seeking and yearning heart. It’s like what the Lord said, ‘For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened’ (Luke 11:10). I don’t think we need to look for the Holy Spirit’s words from other places. Didn’t Brother Liu just say his son had found these words on a gospel website? We can seek help from his son to investigate it on the Internet.”

Brother Liu said, “Thank the Lord! You can come to my house tonight.”

Jia Nan said, “OK, we’ll come.”

Source: Walk in the Light

Read more on our Preparation for the Second Coming Jesus page.

• Wise Virgins Can Recognize the Voice of God
• How Will the Second Coming of Jesus Happen?

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Now Is as in the Days of Noah: Signs of the Lord’s Return Have Appeared

Editor’s note: Nowadays, the people of the world are as corrupt and wicked as the people were in the time of Noah, and they all shun God. The Lord Jesus once said, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37). When the world becomes like it was in the days of Noah, the Son of man will come. How then can we board the ark of the last days? This article explores this issue             

By Becky, the Philippines

What Should We Infer From the Seeming Reappearance of the Time of Noah?

The whole of mankind now lives under the domain of Satan and is becoming more deeply corrupted with each passing day. Positive things are condemned, negative things are held in increasingly high esteem by the people of the world, and mankind is now a great proponent of evil. In particular, all across any big city one can see karaoke bars, restaurants, and dance clubs, each and every one brimming with wickedness and promiscuity. People revel in eating, drinking, merrymaking, indulging in physical lusts, and they have lost their dignity and integrity. There is no love between people, and everyone is incredibly selfish and despicable. For money or for profit, people vie with each other, scheme against and cheat one another, and even come to blows. Even brothers and sisters, parents and children, friends and relatives are like this, falling out with each other far too much for the sake of profit. And it is not only the unbelievers who act like this. There are many brothers and sisters who believe in the Lord who cannot keep the Lord’s teachings, who follow the trends of the world, and who pursue fashion, covet wealth, and jockey for position. Some believers simply do not attend church gatherings, and when they do, many come just to be a part of the fun, to hawk their wares, to find a romantic partner, to make contacts, and so on—the church is slowly being assimilated by the world. Now in this world which advocates evil and which turns the truth on its head, no one loves the truth or takes the initiative to seek God’s work and appearance, and no one thinks about how to be honest and to walk the right path in life in accordance with God’s words. Instead, everyone covets wickedness, they abandon themselves to vice, and they act without restraint.

As we watch this unfold, we are put in mind of the time of Noah. The people of that time cared little about whether God existed or not, nor did they revere God or follow His teachings. On the contrary, they committed all manner of God-defying evil deeds, such as murder, arson, theft and robbery. They were promiscuous by nature, they married over and over, their thoughts and actions reeked of evil and they were intolerably corrupt. They were therefore punished by God and destroyed by flood. Nowadays, the people of the world are just as corrupt and wicked as the people were in the time of Noah, more so even. Two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesus prophesied: “And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. … Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:26–30). The Lord’s words tell us something very important: When people in the last days have become as corrupt and wicked as the people in the time of Noah, that shall be the day of the coming of the Son of man, the day the Lord returns. So how can we board the ark of the last days before the great tribulation arrives?

What Are the Principles of God’s Work to Save Man?

If we wish to board the ark of the last days, we may first think back to the principles of God’s work to save man in the time of Noah. At that time, mankind had reached the height of wickedness and depravity and had aggravated God’s disposition. God did not destroy the people of that time immediately, however, but instead worked to save man. First, God called on Noah to build the ark, then He used Noah to spread the gospel to the people of that time, telling them that God would perform the work of destroying the world. Noah told them that they must repent, accept God’s gospel, and board the ark, and that only in that way would they survive. Noah preached this gospel for over a hundred years and this was the time during which God gave people the chance to repent—this was God’s love for man. But mankind at that time did not believe Noah. They mocked him, and they relied on their own notions and imaginings to delimit God’s work, believing it impossible that God would bring down floods to destroy the world. They refused to believe in anything they could not see with their own eyes, and so not one of them accepted God’s gospel. When God had finished His work to save man, He began to unleash the floods to punish all evil-doers. At that time, the door of the ark was sealed shut, and apart from the eight people of Noah’s family who survived, everyone else, all those who had defied God and committed all manner of evil, were swept away by the floods—they had missed their chance to be saved by God. From this, we can see that God’s principles in His work to save man can be divided into two stages: First He tries to save man, then He destroys them. God’s work to save man is Him giving man a chance to repent, and it is also done to expose man and to separate each according to their kind. Those who are able to heed God’s words and act as God requires, and those who do not believe God’s words, who refuse to accept God’s work of salvation, but who instead defy and rebel against God, are all entirely exposed through God’s work of salvation. Only after God separates the good from the wicked does He begin the work of determining people’s ends and of rewarding the good and punishing the wicked. People’s ends are then set and the wicked are destroyed, and God’s love and righteousness are embodied therein.

Actually, the Lord, when He returns in the last days, also works first to save man, then He appears openly to reward the good and punish the wicked. That is, if we wish to board the ark of the last days, then we must first accept the work of the secret coming of God. At this point, many brothers and sisters may be feeling skeptical, and may be wondering, “Will the Lord not come openly riding on a white cloud when He returns in the last days?” They wonder this because it says in the Bible, “Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him” (Revelation 1:7). If the Lord really were to come openly with clouds, as we believe, then no one would dare to resist God, and how then would the work of discerning good from evil come to pass? We should take a careful look at the Bible, as besides the verses which prophesy that God will come openly with clouds, there are also many verses describing how God will come in secret.

The Lord Will First Come in Secret When He Returns in the Last Days

There are many verses in the Bible which mention God coming in secret, for example: “Behold, I come as a thief” (Revelation 16:15). “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27). “Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes” (Matthew 24:44). “For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in His day. But first must He suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation” (Luke 17:24–25). These prophecies say that the coming of God will be as a thief, which means that God will come in secret in the last days. These verses also mention “the coming of the Son of man” and “the Son of man comes.” The “Son of man” refers to God incarnate. Only one born of man with a normal human body could be called the “Son of man,” whereas if He came as a spiritual body, He could not be called the “Son of man.” For example, the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus after He resurrected could pass through walls and conceal Himself in the air. Such a supernatural spiritual body could not be called the “Son of man.” This shows us that when the Lord Jesus returns in the last days, He will come among man in secret wearing normal, ordinary flesh. He will appear from the outside like a normal, ordinary person, but no one will be able to tell His true identity or position and this is kept secret from people. Only when He begins to work and speak His words to save man will those who are able to discern His voice know Him. Those who are unable to distinguish His voice will treat Him as a normal person, and they will deny Him, reject Him and even condemn Him. Just as when the Lord Jesus became flesh to perform His work, the Pharisees regarded Him as just an ordinary person, and they resisted Him, condemned Him, and crucified Him upon the cross. Ultimately, during the period in which God incarnate had come in secret, the Pharisees missed out on the Lord’s salvation and were punished by God for their wicked deeds committed in defiance of God. Moreover, only by becoming flesh in the last days can God endure much suffering. If He came openly with clouds, all people would be afraid and would prostrate themselves on the ground, and none would dare to resist Him. If that were the case, then these prophecies which tell of the secret coming of the Lord would not be fulfilled.

How the Prophecies of the Lord Coming Openly Will Be Fulfilled

When we talk about the Lord coming in secret to perform His work when He returns, some brothers and sisters fail to understand. The Bible also prophesies that, when the Lord returns, He shall appear to us coming openly with clouds, so how can these two totally different prophecies be fulfilled? Every word spoken from the mouth of God will, in fact, come to pass; it is just the order in which they will be fulfilled that differs. Furthermore, these prophecies are fulfilled one by one in line with the steps of God’s work. That is to say, in the last days, God will first come in secret to perform His work of saving man, and afterward will appear openly coming with clouds. God’s way of working in stages is directly connected to the work He will do in the last days. Let us now read some verses from the Bible: “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). “For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). “[The Father] has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man” (John 5:27). “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” (John 12:48). “Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth” (John 17:17). We can see clearly from these verses that, when the Lord returns in the last days, He will express more truths to water and provide for us. These truths are truths which we have never understood nor heard before in all the time we have believed in the Lord. Even more crucial is that, when the Lord returns, He will personally guide us to enter into these truths so that our spiritual lives may grow. Furthermore, upon the foundation of the Lord Jesus’ work, God will perform a new stage of work—the work of judgment—to purify us of our sins and to lead us to cast off the shackles of sin once and for all. This is the work God incarnate shall perform during the time in which He works in secret.

The truth is, that while we have been waiting for the Lord to come riding on a cloud, the Lord Jesus has actually returned already as the incarnated Almighty God. Almighty God began His secret work to save man back in 1991, and this time God’s work has ended the Age of Grace and begun the Age of Kingdom. He has expressed all truths so that man might attain salvation, He has performed the work of judgment beginning from the house of God, and He utterly cleanses and saves all those who come before Him. By reading the words of Almighty God and experiencing God’s work of judgment in the last days, not only do we come to a true understanding of God’s righteous disposition that brooks no offense, but we also come to know the root cause of our sins. We become able to hate ourselves and to forsake our flesh; we have the resolve to practice the truth; gradually a God-fearing heart begins to arise within us, we bear witness to changes in our dispositions, and we are then able to become overcomers who are made before the arrival of the tribulation. Today, God’s chosen people’s testimonies of experiencing His judgment and chastisement and of their dispositional change, as well as the testimonies of overcomers, have been published online. Almighty God’s utterances and work have entirely fulfilled all the prophecies in the Bible concerning God incarnate’s coming in secret, God performing the work of judgment in the last days, God opening the scroll, God making the overcomers, and more.

All who are able to hear God’s voice while Almighty God works in secret are the wise virgins. Once they have accepted God’s work of judgment, they become able to rid themselves of sin and be cleansed and perfected by God; they become the overcomers who love God, revere God and obey God, and they attain God’s salvation before the great tribulation arrives. This shows us that during the period in which God performs His work of judgment in secret, this work is nothing but salvation and love to those who sincerely believe in God and who pursue the truth. Conversely, for those foolish virgins who cling to their own notions and imaginings and who do not accept God incarnate’s secret work, as well as for all satanic forces which resist, slander and blaspheme God, God’s work exposes them, eliminates them and condemns them utterly. This is the wisdom of the work of God. When a group of overcomers is made during God’s secret work, all those who love the truth and those who are sick of the truth, the good servants and the wicked servants, the wise virgins and the foolish virgins, the sheep and the goats—all will be separated according to their kind. God will then formally begin to unleash the disasters, and He will reward the good and punish the wicked. He will also appear openly to all peoples riding on a white cloud, and when that happens, the work to save man of God incarnate’s secret coming will be completely finished, and the door of grace to the ark of the last days will be shut. At that time, those who have accepted God’s work of the last days and who have been purified and saved by God will be blessed by God and He will lead them into His kingdom. Those who refuse to accept God’s work of the last days while He works in secret, however, and who resist and condemn God incarnate, will not only lose their chance to be saved by God, but will be caught amidst the disasters and punished. This shall precisely fulfill these words from the Bible: “Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him” (Revelation 1:7). “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). The words “they also which pierced Him” refer to those who resist and condemn Christ of the last days. Because they will see that the One they have resisted and condemned is none other than the Lord Jesus returned, yet then they will have lost their chance to be saved by Christ of the last days, and they will beat upon their chests and feel great remorse and pain. Then “shall all the tribes of the earth mourn,” means those who are just like the people in the time of Noah who forever lost their chance to board the ark.

Today, Almighty God’s work of judgment of the last days is nearing its end and the door of grace is about to be shut. Christ of the last days, Almighty God says, “I tell you, those who believe in God because of the signs are surely the category that shall be destroyed. Those who are incapable of receiving the words of Jesus who has returned to flesh are surely the progeny of hell, the descendants of the archangel, the category that shall be subjected to everlasting destruction. Many people may not care what I say, but I still want to tell every so-called saint who follows Jesus that, when you see Jesus descend from the heaven upon a white cloud with your own eyes, this will be the public appearance of the Sun of righteousness. Perhaps that will be a time of great excitement for you, yet you should know that the time when you witness Jesus descend from the heaven is also the time when you go down to hell to be punished. That will be the time of the end of God’s management plan and it will be when God rewards the good and punishes the wicked. For the judgment of God will have ended before man sees signs, when there is only the expression of truth. Those who accept the truth and do not seek signs, and thus have been purified, shall have returned before the throne of God and entered the Creator’s embrace. Only those who persist in the belief that ‘The Jesus who does not ride upon a white cloud is a false Christ’ shall be subjected to everlasting punishment, for they only believe in the Jesus who exhibits signs, but do not acknowledge the Jesus who proclaims severe judgment and releases the true way of life. And so it can only be that Jesus deals with them when He openly returns upon a white cloud. They are too stubborn, too confident in themselves, too arrogant. How could such degenerates be rewarded by Jesus? The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit.” We should now understand that God coming openly with clouds is the time when He shall determine people’s ends, and when He openly punishes and destroys all who oppose Him, that shall be the final stage of God’s work. Only while God is working in secret can man be saved, and only by accepting God’s secret work will we be able to board the ark of the last days. Now that we are faced with the gospel of the Lord’s return, shall we let go of all our many notions and be the wise virgins who seek and investigate with an open mind? Or shall we be like the people in the time of Noah and choose not to believe it or take any notice, and even go so far as to reject and condemn the gospel of the Lord’s return? Each and every one of us should think long and hard on this!

Source: Walk in the Light 

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God has come secretly and made a group of overcomers before the great tribulation. Feel to contact us online to learn more.