Introduction
The early chapters of Revelation speak to the history of mankind. In truth, our God is the Lord of human history. It is our God who created history, and the Lord Jesus is the Alpha and Omega of human history. The beginning and the end of human history are both under God's control. If mankind does not understand the essence of things, problems cannot be resolved. If we see a doctor, only when the doctor grasps the essence of our illness can he heal us. Therefore, when we read the Bible, we must read to the essence.
God wrote the Bible for us so that we would read it and have a good relationship with Him. A brother just raised a question: Why does the first seal have a crown, and the second seal take away peace? We must read to the essence—what seems bad may not actually be so. Some time ago, I heard a crosstalk performance by Guo Degang, which was very good, talking about people seeking peace under heaven. Recently, when Trump spoke at the one-year mark of his presidency, he said: To expand nuclear weapons. Many countries say they want peace under heaven, but in reality, the world is not peaceful at all. Revelation is actually telling us the essence of human history, so the key is how we should act after reading it.
When I was a child, my family had a copy of the Tui Bei Tu. My father mysteriously showed it to me. Specifically, it talked about two people during the Tang Dynasty, Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng, who wrote this book, predicting future history. From a young age, I thought this book was amazing, with one picture after another, like a comic book. I couldn't understand it, but eventually, it talked about the world establishing a unified world, that is, the world would be unified. Revelation also speaks of the Antichrist eventually unifying the world.
We must know the essence of human historical development, which is to know how to live in the world. The Bible tells us: Do not love the world, for this world and its desires will pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. When we read Revelation, we must be very careful; it is not unrelated to us—it is closely related. We must change our minds and thoughts, as it is closely related to our physical condition and illnesses. We must establish a Christian view of history; what man sees is what God abhors. If our views are the same as God's, then we are walking with God.
Human History is a History of War and Victory
We Chinese say, The victor is king, the loser is a thief. The victor writes history. The basic attribute of human history is a history of war and victory.
I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. (Revelation 6:1-2)
Whether it is the church or an individual, we must constantly be victorious. Victory is the key. Crowns are closely related to victory. If you want a crown, you must have a victorious mindset, not a loser's mentality. You must have a mindset of expansion and victory. We must have a bow in our hands to deal with the enemy. What the church lacks most now is the concept of warfare. God gave the land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but in the days of Joshua and Moses, they had to fight with swords and spears to obtain it. We must know that we can only obtain promises and crowns through war and victory. The crown represents our victory in battle and God's affirmation of us.
Why do we still have to fight when we have God's promise? Because we need to trust in God. Having an olive branch cannot solve all problems; our victory is given to us by God. With a mindset of war and victory, we will run with all our might and continue to expand. Don't think you can't do it, that you can't do anything. You are a child of God, and God wants us to fight and win. He is fighting for us in front of us.
Crabs and some shelled animals struggle during their growth process. On the surface, a crab looks small, but after removing the shell, its volume is twice as large. It sheds its shell every time it grows, then grows a thin shell that hardens. A large crab takes a long time to grow because it sheds its shell many times, and this process is painful. The human growth process is the same. There is a great risk in the process of a crab shedding its shell, and there are also risks in the process of human growth, so we need to trust in God.
I met a sister who felt that her salary of 3,000 yuan was very low. When she earned 10,000 yuan, she was very happy, but later she felt it was too little again, and later it rose to 20,000. People are unhappy if they don't grow. It's like staying in elementary school. If you always stay in elementary school, others will see you as a monster. So we must grow no matter what.
Human History is a History of Mutual Killing
When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword. (Revelation 6:3-4)
All authority comes from God. Why does God do this? Don't expect peace under heaven. I once attended a prayer meeting where the pastor's prayer item was for peace under heaven. I have never read in the Bible that Jesus wanted peace under heaven, but rather said he came to bring a sword:
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)
Isn't peace under heaven a good thing? You need to know a concept: human history is a history of mutual killing. God wants us to see the essence of human history clearly. Whether you like it or not, God reveals this essence to us, and God personally reigns in history. When we see that the world is not peaceful, don't think it's a bad thing.
Jesus died at the age of 33. You think it's a pity to die in your 30s, but in fact, it's the same whether you die in your 30s, 40s, or 100s. One generation passes away, and another generation comes. Everyone dies, but people die in various ways. The question is, what is the meaning of our death? Dying at 30 without God's glory, dying miserably at 80; in fact, without eternal life, it doesn't matter how a person dies. Don't expect world peace; expect to live out God's glory on the path to obtaining eternal life.
God has said that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will not be persecuted. All authority comes from God. God does not Mingding Destiny us to disaster, but rather Mingding Destiny us to salvation. How should we live in an unpeaceful world? We should trust in God.
Anyone with a little knowledge should know that the Third World War will come soon. After each World War, technology advances a lot because everyone desperately develops weapons. Perhaps after the Third World War, we will return to the Stone Age. If such a tragic thing comes, what should we do? How can you live without faith?
When we see that the world is not peaceful, don't think it's a bad thing. People with eternal life have the same end no matter how long they live in the world; people without eternal life have the same end no matter how long they live in the world. The key is not how you die or how old you die, but whether your death has God's glory.
All authority comes from God. God does not Mingding Destiny us to disaster but to salvation. In an unpeaceful world, we should choose to trust in God. The Third World War will come soon. After the Third World War, mankind will return to the Stone Age. What will you use to resist when war comes? Only trust in God. Don't think that if you don't trust in God, disaster will not come upon you.
The essence of this world is that there is no peace, so don't expect world peace. See clearly the meaning and method of living, and expect to live out victory and God's glory on the path to obtaining eternal life.
Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. (Luke 17:33)
Today, if we are willing to lay down our lives for God, we will gain life. Everyone lives this way, with three good meals a day, but when humans kill each other, what will you use to resist? What can a person without God resist? Where is God not needed?
Humanity's History: An Economic History
When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” (Revelation 6:5-6)
Human history is inextricably linked to economic development. It is a history of exchange, of economics, where incessant competition and warfare stem from economic motives. Economics is a form of warfare, a means by which to plunder the world. The United States, in its quest to uphold the dominance of the dollar, has benefited greatly, with each massive printing of US currency constituting a significant raid on the world’s resources. This world is defined by its economic history, and as the economy continues to expand, wars will escalate, and the need for money will only intensify.
How, then, should we live? Does not God wield ultimate power over this economic history? Can those of us who trust in God survive in this environment of economic plunder? If you are a victor, you will reap all the benefits. Our God is the master of economics. As children of God, we must seize every opportunity in this environment. Therefore, faith in God is paramount; we must not worship Mammon. Poverty is a result of spiritual defeat. If we aspire to live abundantly and prosperously in this world, to gain economic advantage, we must first achieve spiritual victory.
Humanity's History: A History of Swords, Famines, and Plagues
When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.(Revelation 6:7-8)
When swords, famines, and plagues descend, only those who are spiritually victorious can escape. Consider Isaac, who encountered famine yet remained unharmed. Understand that these swords, famines, and plagues represent localised conflicts. However, God does not intend these for His children. Thus, Jesus instructs us to always be watchful and pray that we may escape all that is about to happen. Therefore, we must build a victorious church.
Humanity's History: A History of Those Slain for the Word of God
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. And they called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.(Revelation 6:9-10)
The number of those slain for the word of God is predetermined. Once this number is reached, the door to the Gospel will close. If a person possesses eternal life and is killed on earth, their spirit returns to God, rendering the length of their earthly life inconsequential. Therefore, I do not cling to life, I do not fear death, I do not love the world. I am willing to pay a heavy price for this mission, to live out God’s glory. One cannot love God while loving the world; those who love the world cannot comprehend God. Must you descend to hell to understand God’s word and realise that earthly possessions are irrelevant to you?
If, while alive, one can say, “They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death,” then when the day comes to offer yourself to God, do not hesitate; agree immediately. Offering oneself for God is a supreme grace, for God will directly bestow a crown upon you. One must possess the conviction that life is meaningless without Mingding Destiny. If you have eternal life, offer your life to God while you live, and you will be freed from the fear of death. You can then live out God’s glory and receive the crown of victory. What a blessing!
Humanity's History: A History Where God Manifests Wrath
I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”(Revelation 6:12-17)
God is not Santa Claus. God will manifest His power through His wrath upon all who lack faith, upon those He deems worthless. If one continuously pursues earthly matters, becoming kings, high officials, the wealthy, the powerful, slaves, loving the world and believing that the world will pass peacefully, calamities will strike when God judges this world.
Loving the world is a tragic affair. For example, people may revel in the beauty of a beach, but when the Japanese 311 tsunami or the Southeast Asian tsunami strikes, death is exceedingly painful. If human history is such a history, would you still love the world and its affairs? If you fail to grasp the essence of human historical development, you will love the world, and love of the world will ultimately manifest God’s wrath. If you are a Christian who loves the world, with all your hopes set on this world and this life, you are more pitiable than the worldly. Today, everyone must know definitively that God will destroy this world.
We live to be victorious. Life must continuously grow, overcome, and break through, not in this life, but on our path of loving God, in spiritual victory. If we are spiritually victorious people, we will not love the world. We can be preserved in this world of mutual slaughter, we can live out God’s prosperity in this environment of economic competition and plunder, we can be protected by God in this generation of rampant swords, famines, and plagues, we can continuously build a Christian historical perspective in such an environment, even to the point of offering our lives for God without hesitation. We will then escape the coming wrath of God and the calamities that God will bring down.