God is a God Who Reveals
Good morning, everyone. Today, we will look at the Book of Revelation, which is the revelation of the victorious church. If you read Revelation carefully, you will find that it is a revelation that combines human history and church history. The theme of the first chapter of Revelation is: Jesus Christ reveals the future of mankind to His servants.
The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, (Revelation 1:1)
We humans know very little about the future, but God reveals the future to his servant John, who writes it in the Book of Revelation. This is not just for John; God is a God who reveals, and He speaks to each of us. If you seek, God will surely reveal to you.
Old John wrote this Book of Revelation on the island of Patmos. After sixty or seventy years, he witnessed various phenomena in the church and was very confused: God, why is it like this? Why did the Jerusalem church become like this? Why is the church established by the Apostle Paul like that? In fact, the Apostle Paul had been dead for many years at this time. The various phenomena of the church, including what we see today, such as a good pastor dying of cancer, are very confusing.
Brothers and sisters can slowly ponder, what is the result of Old John seeking God's revelation? It is called "the victorious church." The concept of the revelation of the victorious church must be established. Building a non-victorious church and building a victorious church have completely different results. The church built on the rock of Jesus Christ and the church built on the logical system of the world have completely different endings.
God is a God who reveals. Why doesn't God reveal to those churches? It's not that God doesn't reveal, but they don't listen. Today, brothers and sisters, if you seek God, God will surely reveal to you. Don't think that seeking God is about how to make more money, how to do a better job, or how to find a rich husband. If you don't align with the future of mankind, then what you seek is a bit uncertain. If you seek to build a victorious church, God will surely reveal to you, because our God is a God who reveals. The Spirit of God guides us to know the way of God and guides us into the Word of God.
The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, (Revelation 1:1)
Do you understand? To show his servants. God is a God who reveals. How did the Chinese Mingding Doctrine come about? The Chinese Mingding Doctrine comes from the revelation of God. How does it come from the revelation of God? If you don't understand reading Genesis, what should you do? If you don't understand, then pray and seek. God reveals to us how Genesis says it and what it is all about. Including Revelation, it is also revealed to us by God. Let us know that building a church must be building a victorious church. I thank God that the revelation is so good. It is not a past revelation, but it is always revealing, depending on whether people seek it or not. If people do not seek God, but only seek themselves, it is not God's will that is accomplished, but your own will that is accomplished, wouldn't that be a tragedy?
Brothers and sisters, don't think that everything we ask for every day is in accordance with God's will. Jesus taught us to pray to seek God's will.
This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13)
The Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ
who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:2)
This sentence is very interesting, the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. I ask you, what did Jesus Christ do when He served on this earth? He did one thing, to testify to God. Then some people say: Show us the Father and the Son. Jesus said: Have you not seen me? He showed us our God through Jesus Christ becoming flesh. Let's all talk about how Jesus Christ testified to God? Through healing the sick and casting out demons, even the demons listened to Him. Wow, Jesus Christ is so powerful!
Jesus Christ did two things on earth, training disciples and telling them the truth of the kingdom of God. So in the Gospels of Matthew to John, there are many words of Jesus. The words He spoke are the Word of God. Then how did Jesus Christ testify? Through healing the sick and casting out demons, and it was discovered that the demons also listened to their disciples.
What about now? Now it seems that the testimony of Jesus Christ has been put aside. Jesus did it this way, they do it that way; Jesus did it that way, they do it this way. What Jesus did, they don't do; what Jesus didn't do, they do a lot. Why? Because they always feel that how many Jesuses are there? But the problem comes, the problem lies in what the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ are for us to do? It is for us to prove everything we have seen.
Today, every testimony of our brothers and sisters is the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, manifested in a clearly visible form. So do as Jesus Christ did, how Jesus did, we do. How Jesus testified to the Word of God, we testify to the Word of God. Jesus did not just talk about the truth, Jesus really proved the Word of God, including feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, and walking on water.
Jesus did a lot of things, just do it, why? Because the Bible clearly tells us to imitate Jesus Christ, what does it mean? It means how He did it, you do it. I tell you, we have done it this way, Jesus cast out demons, we cast out demons, Jesus did deliverance, we do deliverance. How Jesus taught, we teach. This is not something everyone can listen to. Now there is a very popular saying: Hey, I am not Jesus. I know you are not Jesus, but you have to imitate Jesus. You believe in Jesus, and then the things you believe in don't seem to be Jesus, then what are you doing? This is why many people come among us and get healed.
The last time I talked about Revelation was in 2018. In 2018, we experienced a great miracle, that is, my mother had Alzheimer's disease, and I cast out the demon. It turns out that the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ are all true.
All Can Be Proven
In fact, all can be testified to, all can be proven. If we read the words in the Bible, and then we start to speculate, it is ruined; if we read the words in the Bible and treat them as myths, it is also ruined. We read the words in the Bible, and then we go to do it, to verify the results, and see that the results are right, wow, this thing is really amazing. Jesus Christ, our Word of God, is too powerful, it can be proven.
We can no longer owe ourselves. We today are very much like those who came out of Egypt and died in the wilderness. Seeing the power of God, having just experienced the power of God, and then encountering this matter, it is not okay, it is impossible, it is all these. In the process of my ministry, I am really very emotional every time I see this. Didn't you just experience the power of God? You just experienced it, and you also wrote a testimony, but when you encounter something again, you are still unbelieving. So today we must know that we have come into this world to testify to the Word of God, to testify to the power of Jesus Christ. To testify that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, all can be proven.
The Bible says: The flesh is of no avail, it is the Spirit that gives life. Then how do you prove it? It is through healing the sick and casting out demons. Once a person does not know the spiritual realm, but only believes in a doctrine, you have twisted the gospel of Jesus Christ. Do you believe in a doctrine, or do you believe in the power of Jesus Christ rising from the dead? When the Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, he said this:
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)
Let your faith not rest on human wisdom, but on the power of God, which is to let us always carry the death of Jesus Christ, so that the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection can also be manifested in us. Okay, brothers and sisters, understand these three things. First, God is a God who reveals. Second, the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, didn't Jesus come into this world to testify to the Word of God? Through many supernatural miracles, not through telling a great truth. Third, all of this can be proven.
Jesus is the First, the Last
and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. (Revelation 1:5-7)
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Revelation 1:17-18)
Jesus is the first, the last, what is going on? Jesus is the first to rise from the dead, the first to overcome death, the first to hold the keys of death and Hades. Our Lord Jesus Christ, He is the first, there was no such thing before Him, only Jesus Christ rose from the dead, washed away our sins with His own blood, and rose first.
Then what does the last mean? The last means that all things will be united in Jesus Christ. In the future, Jesus Christ will come with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all peoples on earth will mourn because of Him. Oh, I tell you, people must know that Jesus is the first, opening up a way of eternal life for us, opening up a way of resurrection from the dead. And the future of mankind is also Jesus Christ coming with the clouds, and then all things are united in Jesus Christ through the church.
Then what does this have to do with you? This relationship is very big. If Jesus Christ comes with the clouds, oh, we see Jesus Christ, and then we mourn there. Why? Because we have never cared about this matter in this life, nor have we cared about the future when all things are united in Jesus Christ. You are not within all things, you are outside all things. Then you see, oh, Jesus Christ rose from the dead at the beginning, and later we will also rise from the dead, and then we will be united with Jesus Christ. You have to carefully go back to the words of Jesus to listen.
What did Jesus say? You have to labor for eternal life. When you get to the day of eternal life, when Jesus Christ comes, you find that it has nothing to do with you, Jesus Christ has nothing to do with you. That destruction has something to do with you, can you not gnash your teeth and mourn? All peoples on earth will mourn because of Him. So today we brothers and sisters must know that God has revealed these things to us. Then we cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ, and the demons listen to us, and we still don't take it seriously. Oh, I tell you, you will suffer a great loss.
I once discovered a very strange phenomenon. When I first started building the church, the church was not very victorious. I asked: "What do you need?" He said: "Pray for my work." Then he came next week, and I asked him again: "What do you need?" He still said: "Pray for my work." He only has his work in his mind. Then I ask you, when Jesus Christ comes, will he ask: "How is your work going?" No, Jesus doesn't care much about the little things in your mind. Why? It has nothing to do with Jesus Christ being the master of human history, He really doesn't care much.
But where is the problem? Do you care about Jesus Christ rising from the dead? He first rose from the dead and overcame death. Do you want this power to overcome death? Then you have to know what the future will be like, what the future of human history will be like, this is a matter of life and death. I can tell everyone that people care about the immediate interests and sacrifice the long-term interests. The most long-term interest is to be united in Jesus Christ, but many people don't care. Why is there no blessing? You don't care about this, do you think God will care about you?
Today I have to tell everyone that you must care about this matter. If a person does not care about eternal life, it is difficult for you to imagine that God cares about you. In fact, you experience God, experience God's healing, experience God's power, but when you turn around, your mind is still full of these little things in the world, then it is ruined. One day, Jesus Christ will come with the clouds, and we will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord, and some people will be gone, without a share, and then what? The Antichrist reigns in this world, either you are martyred, or you are with the Antichrist. Either you are against the Antichrist, you have to be martyred, anyway, it won't work. In the end, some people are afraid of martyrdom, and then they get involved with the Antichrist, and then they experience a series of pains on earth.
I tell you, we are very, very close to World War III in this generation. One moment it seems like it won't happen, the next it seems imminent. You never know when a spark will ignite it. That's how World War I started, that's how World War II started, and World War III should be right before our eyes, right before our eyes.
Following this logic, when we later study Revelation Chapter 11, when the last trumpet sounds, it will be the time when Jesus Christ descends on the clouds, and His people will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord. World War III is no joke, so all things will be united in Jesus Christ. Do you have a part in that? If you don't, what will you do outside? Suddenly seeing Jesus Christ descend, you think: "Oh, I must quickly believe in the Lord now." It doesn't seem like that's how it works; it might be too late.
When you know the revelation of Jesus Christ, when you see the testimony of Jesus Christ, when you begin to see His name through healing and casting out demons, His name carrying such power, personally witnessing the Word of God, personally witnessing the name of Jesus Christ. You must have experienced it; it's hard not to. Yet you still live for these trivial matters of the world. I ask you, won't you weep when suffering comes?
Blessed Are Those Who Hear and Obey
After writing this, what did old John say? Blessed are those who hear this prophecy and keep what is written in it. That is, you take this matter to heart, and what you care about is what God cares about. What you care about is being united with God and Jesus Christ in the end. Do you think you won't be blessed? But what's the problem? The problem is that today our minds are filled with: my job, my job, my job! I really need a job. But there is no job. Why? Because our minds lack the prophecies in this book. Blessed are those who hear and keep what is written in it.
Why do I often encourage everyone to emulate Abraham, to walk the path of Abraham's faith? Because it is blessed. Why is it blessed? Because God will bless such people. God sees: "Hey, your mind is full of rubbish." It's already a great grace that I don't send a demon to mess with you. So hear this, hear what? In the last days, all things will be united in Jesus Christ. So today you seek God's revelation, then you begin to diligently follow God's way, and then you see the testimony of what God has done in you. Then you must know that Jesus Christ is the first to rise from the dead, revealing to us the mystery of human life. And Jesus is the last. We must align with this; we must move in this direction, and people will be blessed.
So today, those among us who are not blessed, alas, have gone the way of Cain, the way of Esau. Their minds are full of the present, thinking that the future has nothing to do with them. But in fact, it will be too late when it does concern you. Brothers and sisters, we must know that blessed are those who hear and obey. Is that accurate? It is accurate.
All Peoples on Earth Will Mourn Because of Jesus Christ
When will they mourn? When He descends on the clouds, then people will mourn. "Oh, I didn't buy shares in Jesus Christ back then. Oh, the return is a thousandfold!" All earthly matters are ruined. Can you not mourn? Nuclear war, the water is undrinkable. What will you do? Everywhere is nuclear contamination. What will you do? Some people ask: "What will you do?" I tell you, God protects! I've been pondering this recently. During a nuclear war in World War III, can God protect us? I tell you, absolutely!
Today, develop a habit of praying in tongues extensively. Praying in tongues extensively can truly make you unafraid of nuclear contamination, unafraid of anything. You will discover that the Spirit of God dwells in the human body, and even if the human body is subjected to nuclear contamination, nothing will happen. Is that true? I tell you, the Book of Revelation actually has this record. What will happen to all the peoples on earth? The peoples on earth will be miserable. Those without the mark of Jesus Christ on their bodies will have those things specifically sent to poison them. If they have the mark of Jesus Christ on their bodies, those poisons cannot get close.
What old John saw when the seven trumpets were sounded is the war that can be described today. What did old John see? He saw the sky full of drones, but he didn't know what they were; he had never seen them before. So today, brothers and sisters, all peoples on earth will mourn because of Him. Are you among those peoples, or are you in the family of Jesus? So today, take God and God's revelation to heart. Some people say: "I'm still studying for a doctorate; I'm still studying for a master's; I'm still preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam; I'm still looking for a job." This doesn't affect it, does it? You take God's matters to heart, and then you are blessed. Then do you need to worry about this? No, you don't.
All peoples on earth will mourn because of Jesus Christ. What does that mean? Everything is messed up. I used to hear about Jesus Christ's descent, but now I see Jesus Christ in the air, and people are being caught up, while I am on the earth. What will you do? Then Jesus Christ will pour down the seven bowls of wrath. Those who remain on earth will suffer terribly. The seven bowls are experiencing God's wrath. Some people even want to die but don't even have the ability to commit suicide. It's just pain, just discomfort. Just weep slowly. Don't ever think that Jesus Christ is a Santa Claus. Some people think: "It can't be that harsh, right?" It's very harsh.
The Image of Jesus Christ
and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. (Revelation 1:13-16)
My goodness, does Santa Claus look like this? Can Santa Claus look like this? As soon as old John saw Him, he fell at His feet as though dead. Why? I tell you, it is difficult for a carnal person to stand before Jesus Christ. How frightening! A sharp, double-edged sword comes out of His mouth, His face is like the sun shining in all its brilliance, and the sound of His voice is like the sound of rushing waters. His feet are like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His eyes are like blazing fire. It's very frightening. You must know how awe-inspiring the appearance of Jesus Christ is. Isn't it? Do you think He will have mercy on the peoples of the earth? Can He have mercy?
God revealed all this to old John and wrote it in the Book of Revelation. Old John may not have understood when he wrote it, but can we understand when we read it today? Seeing that the day is near, we can no longer treat Jesus Christ as Santa Claus. We must know how glorious and awesome our God is.
We must fear God. We lack this in our minds. If you don't think God is great and awesome, then it's a bit dangerous. Some people say: "Teacher, I can't control myself; I can't control myself from sinning." I think, what can be done about this lack of control? I say: "God, give him a Japanese soldier." A Japanese soldier with a gun pointed at his waist, at his neck, at the back of his head, and all the problems are controlled, all the problems are solved. People just lack this. If you can't even withstand a Japanese soldier, can you withstand Jesus Christ? Can you withstand the glorious and awesome name of Jesus Christ?
Today, it's easy to command demons to leave in the name of Jesus. It's easy to say, but do you know how awesome Jesus Christ is? You seem to know, but you don't really know. Stop offending God. Today, the peoples of the earth, because they see Jesus Christ, remember the coming disaster. The coming disaster is unbearable for ordinary people. You know chemical weapons, which cause the body to rot when they are used on people. Oh, I tell you, that's not a life for humans; that's definitely not a life for humans.
The weapons that people invent now are very powerful. There is a type of bomb called a missile, another type called an atomic bomb, and another type called a dirty bomb. Do you know what a dirty bomb is? It's one with nuclear contamination. You just take a plane and scatter it everywhere. It doesn't need to explode; it's just nuclear-contaminated material. You just spray it down, and it's done. It's not a duck egg or a chicken egg; it's a dirty bomb. It's not throwing rotten eggs down; it's that nuclear-contaminated stuff that's powerful as soon as you spray it everywhere. Especially cluster bombs, each one of which is a dirty bomb. You can't withstand it. Biological weapons, chemical weapons, and releasing viruses—anyway, it's enough to make people suffer. These are all great inventions of mankind.
So the image of Jesus Christ is glorious and awesome. Those of us who fear God, you don't need to worry. The Spirit of God can definitely protect you. Today, I encourage everyone to practice praying in the spirit diligently. The image of Jesus Christ is like this, and then He said to old John:
The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:20)
So in the first chapter of Revelation, what Jesus Christ revealed to old John about the future of mankind is immediately connected to the church. So it is a revelation about the church and the angels of the church. What was old John going to do by writing letters? He was writing letters to the seven churches in Asia. Asia is the place where the gospel is most revived. Writing this to the seven churches—Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea—those seven churches.
Today, we don't have time to read those seven letters all at once, but I can tell you today that what was written to those seven churches is called the victorious church. Why is the church related to human history and the future of mankind? The relationship is very significant.
I'll give you an example so everyone can understand. Why did the British Empire become the British Empire? I tell you, at that time, the British and Europeans were spreading the gospel. So the British Empire was inseparable from the British churches of that time. It became the British Empire. Later, the Americans began to spread the gospel. Let's not talk about how they were; let's just say this. Let's just say that the strength of the British Empire, in the era of Queen Victoria, was the era when the British Empire spread the gospel, establishing churches and spreading the gospel. For example, Singapore was founded in that era by a British general named Raffles.
Raffles landed in Singapore and began to establish the port of Singapore. To this day, Singaporeans still commemorate Raffles. Why? Because Raffles laid a very good foundation for them. So the subway station in the city center is called Raffles Station. When Raffles landed in Singapore, he established a church in the very center, which is still a popular spot today. It's called St. Andrew's Cathedral, and tourists love to visit that cathedral; it's very beautiful.
In that era, the British established churches wherever they went, so they became the most powerful country in the world. Do you think these two things are related? They are related, absolutely related. Later, the Americans began to continue spreading the gospel, and as a result, after World War II, the United States became the most powerful country in the world. What about today? Today, it is Asians who are spreading the gospel. So do you see that Asia is now the era of Asia? Is it the era of us Chinese? It's very close.
So now, especially we Chinese, the Chinese church is flourishing all over the world. So does the strength of China have anything to do with this? I tell you, it definitely has something to do with it. So wherever the church flourishes, that place flourishes; wherever the church declines, that place declines. That's how it is. So today, brothers and sisters, you must know one thing: human history has an inseparable relationship with the church.
Establish a church, establish a victorious church. Why? Because Revelation speaks of the victorious church. So the history and future of mankind, the end of human history, is actually when Jesus Christ will come again. The church is the body of Jesus Christ. The church will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord, to be united with the Lord, and then to reign with Jesus Christ over the kingdoms of the earth for a thousand years.
The first chapter of Revelation writes a "cap" for the entire Book of Revelation. This "cap" summarizes what the entire Book of Revelation will write about. The entire Book of Revelation will write about the revelation of God, about how all things are united in Jesus Christ.
May God bless everyone!
null