Introduction

My friends, let us proceed to examine Chapter 11 of the Book of Revelation. This is a chapter of supreme hope, themed "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ." Christians often pray: "Lord, Thy kingdom come." But what does the coming of God’s kingdom actually look like?

In this chapter, we read of the arrival of God’s kingdom, when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. Yet, upon reading it, one is struck by an unbelievable reality: it is a coming fraught with catastrophe. The coming of God’s kingdom is marked by the wrath of God and the plagues He unleashes.

The Seventh Angel Sounds the Trumpet, and the Church is Raptured

This chapter tells us that when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, the Church will be raptured. Under what circumstances will this trumpet sound? Within me, there is a deep hope—a hope not of this world, but to depart from this world and be with the Lord, which is far better! If you share this hope, then many things become simple. You will escape much of God’s wrath.

The rapture of the Church occurs after the seventh angel sounds his trumpet. Following this, the wrath of God falls upon the people of this earth, bringing unbearable disasters. If people are still on earth at that time, those plagues are prepared specifically for them.

Do not be surprised that disasters in this world are multiplying. Today, we greet one another saying, "Peace to you, brother; peace to you, sister." But when the seventh trumpet actually sounds, the ensuing disasters will be fatal.

In truth, the manifestation of God’s wrath upon mankind is a common phenomenon. Do not deceive yourself into thinking that contracting cancer is merely a test from God. It is not; it is the wrath of God! Going blind is also the wrath of God! The root cause of all this is the love of the world. When a person suffers pain from head to toe, it is agonizing. As the saying goes, "A toothache is no disease, but it hurts like hell." There is truly nothing in this world worth hoping for.

If you observe closely, you will see that people live only to die. You do not need to wait for the seventh trumpet to witness tragedies on this earth. In the past, when I loved the world, I wanted to do business and open a nursing home. Later, I discovered that nursing homes in Singapore are very different from those in China—it is a grim reality.

In China, the elderly in nursing homes play mahjong and watch television. But in Singapore, the elderly in nursing homes are simply waiting to die, many hooked up to tubes, much like hospice care centers. It is a depressing sight, so I decided to abandon the venture. Seeing the suffering people endure on this earth, I cut off all my earthly hopes.

Where is there hope on this earth? People talk of "the joy of family life," but when the kingdom of God comes, no such joy will remain. Look closely, and you may find that God’s judgment is already right beside you. Therefore, when the seventh angel sounds, the Church will be raptured into the air. But the critical question is: will you be among those raptured?

Those Who Worship are Measured

"Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, 'Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.'" (Revelation 11:1-2)

Before the seventh trumpet sounds, the Apostle John is commanded to measure those who worship in the temple. This is an evaluation. When the seventh trumpet sounds, those who fail the evaluation will be left behind, while those who pass will be raptured.

What exactly is John measuring? First, he measures the temple of God and the altar. The temple and the altar are the standards of measurement. Is your hope built upon the glorious church of God? Your hope must be that when the seventh angel sounds, you will be raptured; otherwise, to be left on this earth is to be destroyed.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, we must understand that God has an evaluation system. He does not simply rapture anyone who claims to believe. He measures the love for God within you versus your love for the world, because the mindsets of many are not aligned with the standard of God’s Word.

How many Christians in our church love God, and how many love the world? You need only examine yourself; do not look at others. I say this with deep feeling: for one who loves God, no good thing will be lacking! We must not think that we must work ourselves to the bone just to secure our jobs. That is not true; many who work themselves to the bone still lose their jobs.

Therefore, we must be measured against the temple of God and the altar. What exactly have you laid upon the altar? If you present yourself as a living sacrifice, completely dedicated to God, you will surely measure up. It is like selecting durians—if you open one and find it rotten and foul-smelling, it must be thrown into the rubbish bin, and another chosen.

The logical system of this world is deeply entrenched in people. I thank God that He has completely shattered every single one of my earthly dreams! It is not that I lived poorly in this world; even if I lived well, my hope is not here. My desire is to be a man who fears God!

Fearing God is of paramount importance. Otherwise, before the seventh trumpet sounds, you will be measured without even knowing it, because the measuring is done in secret. Once measured, they will not inform you, and you will go on happily loving the world.

We must truly reflect: after being measured, will we be found worthy? We must evaluate ourselves and see where our concerns and core interests lie. God has established a standard, and this standard is exemplified by our role models.

Two Powerful Preachers as Role Models

"But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. (Revelation 11:2-4)

What was the attitude of these two preachers toward the world? Their attitude was highly instructive:

"And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them." (Revelation 11:5-7)

Why did these two preachers risk their lives to preach? They possessed great power, yet they risked their lives. I surmise that at this point, after the sixth angel sounds and the Third World War has ended, the forces ascending from the bottomless pit, the demons of the earth, and the people of the world will believe they have unified the globe. The world will have become a single state—no United States, no China, no Europe or European Union—leaving behind a state of chaotic order.

This chaotic order will last for about one thousand two hundred and sixty days. You can calculate it: forty-two months is roughly one thousand two hundred and sixty days, which is three and a half years. What is to be done during these three and a half years? After the Third World War, as people begin to establish this global system of governance, these two preachers are given three and a half years to preach the Gospel.

The people of this world cannot tolerate the message they preach. Many will seek to harm them, but they will fail! Fire comes from the preachers' mouths; when they declare plagues, plagues descend. Will the people of the world not hate them intensely? They will think: "Do I not even have the right to love the world?"

Some may ask: "When the nations of the world suffer such plagues, where is God’s mercy?" In truth, God is a merciful God. Many think it a pity that so many are killed—just like the Nanjing Massacre, the three years of natural disasters where many starved, the Cultural Revolution, the anti-Chinese riots in Indonesia where Chinese were slaughtered, or the great tsunamis. Many died in these disasters, yet once the disasters passed, people returned to loving the world.

Thus, these two preachers are endowed with great power to strike the world, filling it with plagues. Even if you love one another, death will find you, and your comfortable lives will be disrupted. Eventually, these two preachers will be killed.

These two preachers serve as our role models. First, their attitude toward the world is one of absolute non-compromise! Will preaching lead to death? Yes, it will! Will spreading the Gospel lead to death? Yes, but so be it! For this world does not have the final say; God does.

Second, they possess great power, having authority from heaven to strike the earth, just as Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and struck Pharaoh of Egypt. This is how God operates. Some may say God is unreasonable! But God is the ultimate reason! Therefore, we see that the suffering of people in hospitals is a form of plague.

Do you, my brothers and sisters, still dare to love the world? If you do, go ahead, but know that loving the world is fatal! We must be careful. If you cannot accept what I say and insist on loving the world, then perhaps you should not remain in our church. My words will only make you uncomfortable, and I would have to speak to you with tiptoe caution.

Mankind will experience many disasters. The first is the Third World War, after which humanity will attempt to unify the world. Then comes the second disaster, brought about by these two preachers. After the seventh trumpet sounds, there will be seven bowls of wrath, and the plagues will become even more severe.

This is the example set for us by the preachers. What if we fall short of this standard? The key is whether you are pursuing it with all your might. In truth, it is not difficult. If a person has heavenly hope and understands the reality of life, they will no longer love this world.

The Two Preachers Rise from the Dead

Why did the two preachers not fear death? Because they had no hope in the flesh; their hope was in eternity. They understood clearly that human life is not sustained by the heart, the liver, or the internal organs, nor by organ transplants. What makes a man live is the spirit! Therefore, their death was of no consequence to them.

Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. This is their logic. Living for eternity is entirely different from living for this present life, where death is seen as the final extinguishing of the candle. These are two completely different logical systems, and they dictate entirely different ways of living.

"And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwelt on the earth.

Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up here.' And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them." (Revelation 11:8-12)

These two preachers, who caused much suffering on earth, are killed. Everyone watches, much like we watch videos today, and they rejoice. But what is there to rejoice about? They have very few days left! In the final seven years, they have only three and a half years remaining. The subsequent three and a half years will see the seven bowls of wrath poured out, and the earth will be in a wretched state.

Brothers and sisters, when you see these two preachers rise from the dead, you will know that the kingdoms of this world are about to become the kingdoms of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we will soon be raptured! Do not worry about land deeds or money; they will be useless. Game Over! Even if you are halfway through planting crops, or grinding flour, or making tofu, stop, for the rapture is at hand!

The two preachers ascended to heaven in a cloud. This serves as a warning. If this event passes and you find yourself still on earth—trying to use WeChat or other apps only to find no response, and church services have ceased—it is because the rapture has occurred! If you are left on earth, you will have only one choice: martyrdom!

The hope of these two preachers was in heaven. This is the fundamental standard by which we are measured! One day, a brother called me. When I answered, he said he thought the rapture had occurred and he was the only one left! He had forgotten the time and thought he had missed the gathering, only to find no one there. It was quite an amusing incident.

"In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven." (Revelation 11:13)

The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly!

The Seventh Angel Sounds, and the Kingdom of God Arrives

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
"The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ,
and He shall reign forever and ever!"
And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:
"We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth." (Revelation 11:15-18)

When the seventh angel sounds, rewards are given to both the small and the great. Those left on earth will live in torment. Is the Church raptured at this point? Although it is not explicitly written here, the New Testament, in 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians, mentions the sounding of the last trumpet. Although Paul did not live to see the seventh trumpet sound, he knew that when the last trumpet sounds, it would be the time revealed to John in the Book of Revelation.

When the seventh trumpet sounds, the kingdom of God arrives, meaning the rapture of the Church occurs at this very moment. For those left on earth, if you love God, you must face martyrdom. If you previously loved the world, you must repent immediately! In any case, there are not many years left. If you do not love God, you will end up colluding with the Antichrist, becoming a traitor to the kingdom of God and joining his ranks.

By then, three and a half years later, the Antichrist will have unified the world and will begin implementing electronic identification. Without his mark, you will not be able to buy or sell—not even a loaf of bread or a bottle of soy sauce from a convenience store. It will be like the PCR testing during the COVID-19 pandemic; no one will escape.

God will destroy everything on this earth; water and electricity will be cut off. At that time, you can follow my example: fast and pray, without food or water, and wait for martyrdom. Just as the two preachers were killed but did not remain dead, martyrdom is the shortcut back to God. The administration of the Antichrist will be highly advanced; the entire world will become a single state, a global community.

Remember, this is the wrath of God descending upon this world. It is the time when God judges the living and the dead, and it is also the time when the prophets and saints who fear God receive their rewards, for God has taken His power to reign. On the surface, the earth may seem to be governed by the Antichrist, but in reality, it is orchestrated by God. He will pour out His great wrath upon this earth, bringing suffering that far exceeds that of the Third World War. To live under such curses is sheer torment.

Heaven is Opened, and the Ark of His Covenant Appears

"Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail." (Revelation 11:19)

What exactly is the Ark of the Covenant? It was received by Moses face-to-face with God on Mount Sinai. The most important contents of the Ark were the stone tablets, upon which the Ten Commandments were engraved by the finger of God. What is the core message of the Ten Commandments? The central theme is that God shows mercy to thousands of generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments, but He visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Him.

Do not deceive yourself into thinking that hating God is of no consequence, or that loving the world, judging good and evil, and gratifying the flesh are acceptable. I tell you, God’s judgment will surely come. Man’s failure to love God is the root of all problems. How do we break this curse of three to four generations? Do those who love God face these issues? No, they do not! The curse is for those who hate God. To not love God is to hate Him; to mind the things of the flesh is to be at enmity with God; to sow to the flesh is to reap corruption.

The Ark of the Covenant in heaven has appeared. At this time, the Ark operates according to the established decrees of God. Do not think that the Ten Commandments have been abolished; they represent the very nature of God. Although written in the Old Testament, they are established in heaven. God will surely punish those who hate Him. What follows is the curse—covetousness, bearing false witness, murder; no one will escape.

Man’s failure to fear God is the root of all problems! People believe they need money to live, so they will do anything for money, even destroying their relationships with their parents. The curse that follows is incredibly deep!
"And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail." We are accustomed to seeing hail the size of soy beans; I have personally seen hail the size of glutinous rice balls. But when the Ark appears, the hail will be the size of footballs and basketballs.

If you live on the top floor, I doubt your roof can withstand such an impact. Today, many rooftops are fitted with solar panels. Needless to say, hail the size of table tennis balls or golf balls is enough to cause severe damage, let alone hail the size of basketballs or footballs.

Brothers and sisters, must we understand that these disasters are meant for God’s people? No! They are meant for the world. The coming of God’s kingdom is the arrival of His wrath upon this earth, and it is terrifying! Do you still have hope in this world?

I tell you, the Third World War will likely end within six months. Then, during the subsequent three and a half years, you will see powerful preachers killed and raptured into the air. Following this, the seventh trumpet will sound, and we will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord. God will then begin to judge the living and the dead, and we will receive our rewards. But the earth will be in a wretched state. All your love, hatred, judgment of good and evil, and gratification of the flesh will be rendered impossible. The earth will be uninhabitable.

However, the content from Chapter 12 onward has little to do with us; those chapters are written for the people of the world. If you are preparing to be raptured, you may choose to read those chapters or not, as they describe the nature of God’s wrath.

We will conclude our Bible study here. May God bless you all!

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