Two Lines of Thought in the Prophetic Books

One is God's judgment upon those who are of the world; the other is God's reward for those who are spiritual. We must begin to recognize and make a decision: if we live loving the world, we directly enter into a curse; if we live as spiritual people, we live in God's grace and love. Spiritual people and worldly people will have completely different lives, with love shown to those who love Him and keep His commandments, but for those who are worldly, those who seek satisfaction in this life, God will repay them with anger and wrath. Therefore, we must come out of worldly concepts. A worldly person is one who loves banquets, indulges the flesh, and pursues pleasure. We must all begin to build a godly logical system, to be spiritual people who not only see through life and death but also live very practically.

God Will Overturn This Earth

If disasters occur on earth, we must pray for peace on earth, because disasters are certainly not in accordance with God's will. Jesus Himself said, I did not come to bring peace to the earth, but a sword. Why a sword? Because in the kingdom of the devil, if one wants to establish the kingdom of God, it is a kind of overthrow. The kingdom of God being occupied by the devil is also a kind of overthrow. Originally, Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden set up by God, but they were overthrown by a lie from the devil. Therefore, we must be sober, recognize the devil's lies, and God will never build upon this foundation when He comes into this world. God will destroy this world and rebuild a new world.

See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants—it will be the same for priest as for people, for owner as for servant, for mistress as for maid, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor. The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The Lord has spoken this word. The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left. (Isaiah 24:1-6)

This is the beginning of spiritual revival. Any economic crisis, disaster, or famine is the beginning of spiritual revival, because God wants to break the concepts within people. If people do not encounter hardship, it is difficult for them to believe in the Lord. God allows disasters to come, allowing people to enter into emptiness and chaos, and then seek God. If a person does not shatter their hope in this world, it is difficult to rely on God. Once, I attended a prayer meeting and met a pastor who called on people to pray for the economy of Singapore. In fact, we cannot pray like this, because this is actually an opportunity that has come. When the crisis of this world is about to come, it is the time for the church to be revived; when the economy is revived, it is the time when the church is desolate. This is an eternal law, and it is also the work of God.

No matter who it is, they need to seek God in a state of emptiness and desolation. It is difficult for people to seek God when they live in a very comfortable state. Worldly people must encounter overthrow in order to dismantle worldly concepts. Most people's worldly logical concepts are dismantled only after intense shocks. Because these concepts are truly extremely logical, they make people focus only on the things of life. Thus, they only know to eat, drink, and be merry, and do not care about what happens after death. If someone were to say they would die tomorrow, they would hurry to eat today, because people are particularly of the world.

If people love the world and only pursue the honor and enjoyment of this life, they will defile the world. Worldly people directly bring sinful behavior. People are cursed for the sake of their stomachs in this life. The behavior patterns of those who indulge the flesh are actually the same as those of beasts. If you accidentally touch it, it will bite you; once its survival is threatened, it will fight you desperately. This is the psychology of animals.

The Pain Brought by Pleasure

When people fall into sin, there is no joy on earth. In the days of Noah, the earth was filled with violence, so God washed them away with a flood. When Jesus comes again, the earth will be like the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, with people only caring about worldly and carnal things. Then, God will greatly judge this world on earth. A church with a large number of people is not necessarily God's church. The Lord said, Preach the gospel to all nations, making them our disciples. Many are called, but few are chosen, and even fewer remain.

The vast majority of people live in the flesh, and even when they are struck, they do not wake up. But thank God, some of our brothers and sisters have awakened without being struck. These are the good fruits that remain. The righteous are actually just a few. God does not strike His people, but strikes the world, causing the people to wake up and turn back to God. Therefore, those who return to Him shall shout for joy. They lift up their voices from the sea for the majesty of the Lord. We must strive to enter the kingdom of God and build a church of elite soldiers. We are a church of elite soldiers.

Open the Heavenly Gates

To build a church is to establish one filled with God's glory, glorifying Jehovah our God in the East! Our church is in Singapore, so we glorify God's kingdom in the islands. Islands are, in fact, very spiritual places: a pair of our brothers and sisters went on a trip to the islands and suffered great demonic attacks upon their return; the Southeast Asian tsunami also claimed many lives. Maritime peoples often hold superstitious views, not because their superstitions are wrong, but because they truly experience many spiritual things. If we cannot deal with spiritual realities pragmatically, it becomes superstition, but what has been repeatedly proven is not. In fact, there are many spiritual events near the sea and mountains.

Therefore, in the east give glory to the Lord; exalt the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea. From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.” But I said, “I waste away! I waste away! Woe to me! The treacherous betray! With treachery the treacherous betray!” Terror and pit and snare await you, people of the earth. Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. The floodgates of the heavens are opened, and the foundations of the earth shake. (Isaiah 24:15-18)

Those who are of the flesh will inevitably act deceitfully, as this is an inescapable outcome for those of the world. But if we choose to believe in God with resolute and enduring faith, we will escape every snare. If we dismantle the worldly value system, the windows of heaven will surely open for us. When the windows of heaven open, everything on earth becomes very heavy. If you choose to be a worldly person, then the sins of the earth will make you heavier and heavier. We must know that only one thing can allow us to escape the judgment and collapse of the earth: to be a person who glorifies God!

God's Punishment Will Come

In that day the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. (Isaiah 24:21)

God will punish the powers in the heavens above and the fallen angels, because these angels collude with the kings on the earth, turning the earth into a world filled with violence. When God comes, He will judge the world, so will we be punished or rewarded?

The moon will be dismayed, the sun ashamed; for the Lord Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders—with great glory. (Isaiah 24:23)

God's glory will be given to those who fear Him. The worldly and the spiritual are distinctly different lives. If the Lord is God, and the Lord reigns, then we should trust in Him! For those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Since we clearly see God's glory, then we should no longer pursue worldly things.

God's Glory Will Descend

The wise are those who seek God, who choose to come out of the worldly logical system, and they will surely see God's glory. What grace this is! How foolish and ridiculous are those who only place their life's hope in doctors. In fact, many people see the essence of life clearly, and many know at the end of their lives that even the most expensive medicine cannot prolong their lives. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be shrewd, be spiritual, and be those who glorify God. We have a part in the day of God's judgment, as evidenced in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. God is a stern God; He only chooses those who trust in Him. Let us not wait until the desolate days come, but from now on, live in the glory of God!