God’s Words to the Entire Universe | Chapter 10    

    The Age of Kingdom is, after all, different from times past. It does not concern what man does. Instead, I personally carry out My work after descending upon the earth—work that human beings can neither conceive nor accomplish. From the creation of the world until today, all these years it has always been about building the church, but one never hears of building the kingdom. Even though I speak of this with My own mouth, is there anyone who knows its essence? I once descended into the world of men and experienced and observed their suffering, but without fulfilling the purpose of My incarnation. When the building of the kingdom gets under way, My incarnate flesh formally begins to perform the ministry; that is, the King of the kingdom formally takes up His sovereign power. From this it is evident that the descent of the kingdom into the human world, far from being merely a matter of words and appearances, is one of actual reality; this is one aspect of the meaning of “the reality of practice.” Man has never seen a single one of My acts, has never heard a single one of My utterances. Even if he had seen, what would he have discovered? And should he have heard Me speak, what would he have understood? Throughout the world, all humanity lies within My love, My compassion, but so does all humanity lie under My judgment, and likewise under My trial. I have been merciful and loving to mankind, even when all men had been corrupted to a certain degree; I have meted out chastisement to mankind, even when all men had bowed down in submission before My throne. But is there any human being who is not in the midst of the suffering and refinement that I have sent? How many people are groping through the darkness for the light, how many are struggling bitterly through their trial? Job had faith, and yet, for all that, was he not seeking a way out for himself? Although My people can stand firm in trial, is there anyone who, without saying it aloud, believes it in his heart? Is it not rather that he mouths his belief while doubting in his heart? There are no human beings who have stood fast in trial, who give true obedience in trial. Did I not cover My face to avoid looking at this world, the entire human race would topple under My burning gaze, for I do not ask anything of humanity.

    When the salute to the kingdom rings out—which is also when the seven thunders peal—this sound convulses heaven and earth, shaking up the empyrean and causing the heartstrings of every human being to vibrate. An anthem to the kingdom ceremoniously rises up in the nation of the great red dragon, proving that I have destroyed the great red dragon’s nation and then established My kingdom. Even more important, My kingdom is established on the earth. At this moment, I begin sending My angels out to every one of the world’s nations so that they may shepherd My sons, My people; this is also to meet the needs of the next step of My work. But I personally go to the place where the great red dragon lies coiled, to do battle with it. And when all of humanity comes to know Me from within the flesh, and is able to see My deeds from within the flesh, then the great red dragon’s lair will turn to ashes and vanish without a trace. As the people of My kingdom, since you abominate the great red dragon in your bones, you must satisfy My heart with your actions and in this way bring shame upon the dragon. Do you really feel that the great red dragon is hateful? Do you really feel that it is the enemy of the King of the kingdom? Do you really have faith that you can bear wonderful testimony to Me? Do you really have faith to defeat the great red dragon? This is what I ask of you. All I need is for you to be able to go as far as this step; will you be able to do this? Do you have faith that you can attain this? What is man capable of doing? Is it not rather that I do it Myself? Why do I say that I personally descend upon the place where battle is joined? What I want is your faith, not your deeds. Human beings are incapable of receiving My words in a straightforward way, but just peer from the side. And have you attained the goal in this way? Have you come to know Me in this way? To tell the truth, of the men on the earth, not one is able to look Me straight in the face, not one is able to receive the pure and unadulterated meaning of My words. And so I have set in motion an unprecedented project upon the earth, in order to attain My goal and set up the true image of Myself in men’s hearts, and in this way bring to an end the period when notions wield power over men.

    Today, not only am I descending upon the nation of the great red dragon, I am also turning My face toward the entire universe, so that the whole empyrean is quaking. Is there a single place that does not undergo My judgment? Is there a single place that does not exist under the scourges that I hurl down? Everywhere I go I have scattered seeds of disaster of all kinds. This is one of the ways in which I work, and is without doubt an act of salvation for man, and what I extend to him is still a kind of love. I wish to make even more people come to know Me, be able to see Me, and in this way come to revere God whom they have not seen for so many years but who, today, is real. For what reason did I create the world? For what reason, when mankind became corrupt, did I not completely destroy them? For what reason does the whole human race live under scourges? For what reason did I Myself put on the flesh? When I am performing My work, humanity knows the taste not only of the bitter but also of the sweet. Of the people in the world, who but lives within My grace? If I did not endow human beings with material blessings, who would be able to enjoy sufficiency in the world? Surely, allowing you to take up your place as My people is not the only blessing, is it? Supposing that you were not My people but rather service-doers, would you not be living within My blessing? Not one among you is capable of fathoming the origin of My words. Humanity—far from treasuring the titles that I have conferred upon you, so many of you, at the title “service-doers,” nurse resentment in your hearts, and so many, at the title “My people,” breed love in your hearts. Do not try to fool Me—My eyes see and penetrate all! Who among you receives willingly, who among you gives complete obedience? If the salute to the kingdom did not ring out, would you truly be able to obey to the end? What man is capable of doing, of thinking, how far he is able to go—all these I have predetermined since long ago.

    The great majority of people accept My burning in the light of My countenance. The great majority of people, inspired by My encouragement, stir themselves to forge ahead in pursuit. When the forces of Satan attack My people, I am there to fend them off; when Satan’s plots wreak havoc in the lives of My people, I send it fleeing in a rout, once gone never to return. On earth, all manner of evil spirits are endlessly on the prowl for a place to rest, are ceaselessly searching for the corpses of men to eat up. My people! You must remain inside My care and protection. Never behave dissolutely! Never behave recklessly! Rather, offer up your loyalty in My house, and only with loyalty can you mount a countercharge against the devil’s cunning. Under no circumstances must you behave as in the past, doing one thing before My face and another behind My back—that way you are already beyond redemption. Surely I have uttered more than enough of words like these, have I not? It is precisely because man’s old nature is incorrigible that I have repeatedly reminded him. Do not get bored! All that I say is for the sake of ensuring your destiny! What Satan needs is precisely a foul and filthy place; the more hopelessly irredeemable, and the more debauched you are, refusing to submit to restraint, the more will unclean spirits avail themselves of any opportunity to infiltrate. Once you have arrived at this pass, your loyalty will be but idle chatter, without any reality, and your resolution will be eaten up by unclean spirits, to be turned into disobedience or Satan’s wiles, and used to disrupt My work. Thereat I will smite you to death whenever and wherever I please. No one knows the gravity of this situation; all regard what they hear to be so much hot air and do not take caution in the least. I remember not what was done in the past. Do you still wait for Me to be lenient toward you by forgetting once more? Though humanity has opposed Me, I will not hold it against him, for man’s stature is too short, and so I do not make high demands of him. All I require is that he should not dissipate himself, and submit to restraint. Surely it is not beyond your capacity to meet this one stipulation? The majority of people are waiting for Me to reveal even more mysteries for them to feast their eyes upon. And yet, should you come to understand all the mysteries of heaven, what could you do with that knowledge? Would it increase your love for Me? Would it inflame your love for Me? I do not underestimate man, nor do I lightly arrive at a verdict about him. If these weren’t man’s actual circumstances, I would never casually crown people with these labels. Think back upon the past: Have there been any times when I slandered you? Any times when I underestimated you? Any times when I have looked upon you without regard for your actual circumstances? Any times when what I say has failed to fill your hearts and your mouths with conviction? Any times when I have spoken without sounding a deeply resonant chord within you? Who among you has read My words without fear and trembling, deeply afraid that I will strike him down into the bottomless pit? Who does not endure trial within My words? Inside My words resides authority, but this is not for passing casual judgment on man; rather, mindful of man’s actual circumstances, I constantly manifest to man the meaning that inheres in My words. In point of fact, is there anyone who is capable of recognizing My omnipotent might in My words? Is there anyone who can receive into himself the purest gold of which My words are made up? How many words have I spoken, but has anyone ever treasured them?

March 3, 1992

from The Word Appears in the Flesh

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