Introduction

Let us turn to the Book of Joel, Chapter 1. This chapter may seem a bit perplexing. The Prophet Joel wrote down what he saw, and it truly requires our contemplation to understand what he actually wrote. Whether it is the prophets of the Old Testament or the prophets of the New Testament, what they wrote tells us how God has ordained things. The theme of this chapter is Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as a destruction from the Almighty it shall come, and whether this is the case remains for everyone to ponder.

Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. (Joel 1:15)

What the Old Testament Prophets Saw

What the prophets of the Old Testament saw is very worthy of our contemplation. Joel saw at a glance the end times described in the Book of Revelation. This is very important! Because it reveals how God has ordained things. If we have a skewed understanding of God, it is difficult for us to understand what the prophets wrote. Joel saw at a glance the final days of Revelation, even surpassing the first coming of Jesus Christ. If you ask me, did Joel really know what he was seeing? Which era was he referring to? We do not know. Joel did not know how many years after his time it would be; only when we live to see that day will we know that this is how God has ordained it.

In Chapters 8 to 12 of Revelation, old John speaks of God's arrangements. He saw that the destruction brought about by the second coming of Jesus Christ is terrifying. This lets us know what will happen in the future, and that this is how our God has ordained things. Remember, God is not going to change this world, but to destroy it! The reason is simple: God is going to bring His people into His kingdom, and the others are to be cast away. This process is brutal! We are not far from the end times. God is going to select treasures from this world. Besides many treasures belonging to God in this world, there is also much rubbish. Whether God considers us treasures or rubbish is crucial.

The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. (Joel 1:1-3)

What is the meaning of these opening words of the Book of Joel? These things that God speaks of have never happened before, but they must be passed down to future generations so that we may know God's goal: the day of the Lord is like destruction from the Almighty. There are many peculiar views in the church today, such as transforming the world, but there is no such statement in the Bible. The Bible speaks of the last days, like destruction from the Almighty. We have seen God's arrangements, and now it becomes very important what kind of person you choose to be.

Let's do some calculations. From Adam and Eve to Noah is about 1,600 years, from Adam and Eve to Abraham about 2,000 years, from Abraham to David about 1,000 years, from David to Jesus Christ about 2,000 years, and then from Jesus Christ to us it has been more than 2,000 years, adding up to six or seven thousand years. I have a bold speculation: God sees a thousand years as one day, and one day as a thousand years. God created the universe and all things and man in six days and rested on the seventh day, foreshadowing that six thousand years is a miraculous creation, creating all things to be united in Jesus Christ. The seventh one thousand years is the millennium, which is God's arrangement.

Whether you love the world or not, you do not have to wait for the end of the world to come; once your life comes to an end, it is almost like the end of the world has come. When we carefully consider this matter, we need to contemplate our actions. Some describe some of the contents of our Chinese Mingding Destiny theology as quite extreme, but that is how it is revealed in the Bible, and we must not talk nonsense. How many churches are busy running marriage agencies, doing charity, or pyramid schemes? As for me and the brothers and sisters I lead, we only do one thing: build a glorious church of God, paving the way for the second coming of Jesus Christ, because this is the end-time arrangement! When we clearly know how God's plan is arranged, we can prepare ourselves for it; otherwise, we will not know how to prepare ourselves, fearing this and fearing that, but not fearing God, which is a tragedy.

Joel Saw the Day of the Lord

For a nation has come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion. He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white. (Joel 1:6-7)

What Joel saw was the fierce persecution of God's church and God's people.

That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten. (Joel 1:4)

When we see these things described, we find that they are very similar to what is described in Chapters 8 to 10 of Revelation. Joel saw that far, but he may not have known it himself. Both the first and second coming of Jesus are written about, and the order in which they are written is not necessarily in chronological order. Revelation speaks of the situation facing the church. If you want to walk this path, you may have to lay down your life; if you cannot, it does not matter, then live a few more years. The Revelation we are studying is very precise; it says that when the seventh and final trumpet is blown, God's people will be caught up into the air to meet the Lord, and the kingdoms of earth will become the kingdoms of our Lord Jesus.

The sixth trumpet before that is very tragic. If World War III happens, it will definitely be a nuclear war. Think about it, what would it be like if the brothers and sisters of the church were still on earth and had not been raptured when World War III broke out? The fire would spread all over the world, with huge fireballs everywhere. It would really be deadly. It depends on who is the victorious people. My guess is that God is going to seal His people with a mark. After people are sealed, these people belonging to God will not be affected by the disasters of World War III. Maybe they will just lack water to drink and lack food to eat, but they will not be harmed. As for those people in the world who experience nuclear war, it will not be so simple. They will wish for death but not find it. The locusts mentioned in the scriptures refer to modern weapons.

This is a sieve to sift out the people of God, those whom God has called. God is going to seal His people with a mark in this generation. As for whether you and I are among those sealed, it depends on our fate. God will protect those who belong to Him from disaster, because the disasters in the world are not prepared by God for His people, but for this world. No one can escape. After Chapter 12 of Revelation, when the last trumpet, the seventh trumpet, is blown, God's people will be raptured.

Those who have not been raptured after the seventh trumpet is blown probably have only one choice: martyrdom. At that time, you will not be able to do business unless you have the mark of the devil on your forehead or hand. You will not even be able to go downstairs to buy a bag of bread. You will not be able to scan with WeChat or Alipay if you have money in them; you must have the mark of the devil on your body. When people are marked with the mark of the devil, they must worship the devil, and then they will probably live for another three and a half years. After World War III is over and the world is unified into one country, two preachers will be killed. Everyone must not think that they can be victorious casually; they must go through the test of fire, which is the big sieve mentioned earlier. What the swarming locust has not devoured, will the locust devour; what the locust has not devoured, will the cankerworm devour; what the cankerworm has not devoured depends on whether it is devoured by the caterpillar.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. (Joel 2:32)

Since death is inevitable, why not live with a heart ready to die for God? How can we not be victorious? A person who fears everything but God is harming himself. This world and its desires pass away, but the word of God endures forever. Whether to believe or not is your own choice; no one is forcing you. That is to say, a person who is not afraid of death can barely be a victorious person; otherwise, anyone can manipulate you, and you do not know when you will be killed by some bug. This matter must be passed on to future generations. Nothing like this has ever happened before. These are all things that will happen before the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus Christ. We should long to die with Jesus Christ and be resurrected with Him, as Paul said.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

In fact, I have no concerns in this world other than building a glorious church of God. What the world lacks is people like this. The scripture says that there will be those whom the Lord calls, referring to those who are victorious. How can those who trust in God not be victorious? What God wants are treasures like this. If a person has the faith to die, then he will surely be victorious and everything will be trampled under his feet. If we always carry the death of Jesus Christ on our bodies, we will surely see the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead. This must be passed on to future generations.

This is an age of victory for God's people, and God's people will see the glorious day of God with their own eyes. At this time, we must see more clearly than the Prophet Joel, because not only do we have the Book of Joel, but also the Book of Revelation and the words spoken by Jesus Christ, as well as the powerful declarations that the Apostle Paul gave us. Is it not just death? There is nothing great about it. People are deceived because they always think about living well, and as a result, they are rubbed on the ground by the devil.

Among the Remnant Are Those Whom God Calls

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. (Joel 2:32)

After this series of disasters, those who trust in God will not be put to shame. They can be victorious in any difficult environment in this world, and they can also rub the devil and enemies on the ground. Locusts, swarming locusts, or those strong and countless locusts with teeth like lion's teeth, these must be the army from the devil's hell, the worms of hell. At this time, we must ask ourselves whether we are people who are eaten by worms or people who kill worms.

In this generation, God is going to do a miracle. Do you understand God's actions? If you believe in the Lord just to live well, I think you should forget it! In the end, you will not live well either. It is difficult to go on with the idea of living well. Death is not difficult; you just kick your legs and close your eyes and it is over. If a person is afraid of death when he is alive, he will be afraid of everything and will be eaten by these worms. That feeling is similar to being cut into pieces. Look at what your state of mind is, and you will know what kind of situation you are in. Not being victorious is an extremely sad thing. In the Old Testament, Moses could not lead the Israelites into the land of Canaan because they were not victorious and were all afraid of death. The Israelites were not good at casting out demons, but they were very good at casting out Moses. They were not good at fighting wars or giants, but they were one against two against Moses and David. They wanted to kill David and Moses with stones.

Let each of us examine ourselves. The scriptures mention that those who remain are those who have gone through battles time and again. The state our church is in today is the result of one battle after another. I forsook all that I had to follow God, and therefore I triumphed. It is as simple as that. I have no expectations or attachments to this world, and for that, I thank God. My hope is only in Jesus Christ, and that is why God is with me. Because I am determined to be a son of God, determined to obtain this glorious crown. God did not spare His own son, Jesus Christ, so why would He care about you? He crucified His own son, Jesus Christ, to accomplish a great salvation. He will not care if you die. Never think of God as Santa Claus. God is not the Medicine Buddha, nor is He merely compassionate. God is determined to accomplish His plan in this world. If you are not in God's plan, but outside of it, then you are a Christian who dies in the wilderness.

Can our brothers and sisters make up their minds, to either be devoured by demons or to destroy them? Those who fear death are useless. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, has paved a path for us where we do not fear death. Just as Jesus walked to the cross, so too must we, which is infinitely better. If there is an opportunity to die for God like Paul, I will thank those who kill me, for they have finally fulfilled my dream. I earnestly desire that all brothers and sisters enter into God's promise, trusting in God with faith. Worms, locusts, caterpillars, and grasshoppers cannot devour you, even if their mouths have teeth like lions. Because we imitate the path of Jesus Christ, with the faith to die if necessary. A person can live without anything, but they cannot live without God. We fear nothing, except for our God. Unlike some who cannot live without anything, except for God; nor like others who fear everything, except for God.

If you are among the remnant, are you called by God? If so, you must be like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. God calls those who have seen through life, seeking a better homeland, walking this path by faith. Whether you like it or not, people must die sooner or later. I am not cursing you, but simply telling you a well-known fact. Living a year more or a year less is not a big deal, living a day more or a day less makes no difference. Of course, this is my logic. Joyfully welcoming the day of the Lord Jesus' return is imitating Jesus in walking this path. I am among the remnant, those called by God. We who desire to triumph, who desire to obtain this glorious crown, need not fear anything. Now we are getting closer and closer to the things spoken of in this chapter and what is revealed in Revelation.

Fire Discovers and Tests Personal Works

Has not the food been cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seed shrivels under the clods; the storehouses are desolate, the granaries are torn down, because the grain has dried up. How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer. To you, O LORD, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flame has burned all the trees of the field. Even the beasts of the field pant to you, for the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness. (Joel 1:16-20)

This describes a great fire. Are you someone protected by God, or someone burned dry by this fire? We must truly know that God will surely test the works we have done, and our works simply cannot withstand the test of this fire. This test of fire is spoken of in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Some build God's temple with wood, hay, and straw, others with precious stones, and still others with their own lives. After the test of fire, some works stand, others do not, and he himself is saved as though through fire.

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

This passage is difficult to explain, so let me add one more sentence: Many people build the glorious church of God with wood, hay, and straw. They do not bring out treasures, but instead, bring garbage into the body of Jesus Christ. Is that not wood, hay, and straw? Let us only choose treasures in God's eyes, to build a work that can withstand the test of fire. Every brother and sister will experience a fire-like test, but we, relying on faith and trusting in God, will never be put to shame, because we will stand firm and be able to come before the Lord Jesus in the future.

The field is ruined, the ground mourns, for the grain is destroyed, the new wine dries up, the oil fails. Be ashamed, O tillers of the soil; wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. The vine dries up; the fig tree withers. Pomegranate, palm, and apple tree, all the trees of the field are dried up, and gladness fails from among the sons of men. (Joel 1:10-12)

There is no grain, no joy, the vine dries up, the fig tree withers. These do not matter, because God is our joy. Among these pastors, my personality is somewhat like Paul's. As time goes on, the increase in the knowledge of God's truth makes me more and more like Paul. Although my temper is a bit bad, I serve with super sacrifice and I also hate those who use the precious blood of the Lord Jesus as a rag. If you have Mingding Destiny, walk with me. If you do not have Mingding Destiny, go as far as you want. After I said this last time, some people really left. If you can listen to what I say, in the end, you will receive a crown of glory.

You Must Call Upon God

We only have one choice when things happen, and that is to call upon God! We can have nothing, we can shed blood, sweat, or tears, but we must not be without God. What we rely on is our God. In this era, God wants to seal His people with a mark. If you are God's people, then nothing can get close to you, because after being sealed, you are a victorious people, which is such a wonderful thing. We must call upon God, and those who trust in Him will never be put to shame. We can have nothing, but we cannot be without God!

Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. (Joel 1:13-14)

This is calling upon God! If you trust in money or power, it is difficult for those with power to know the mysteries of God. Some brothers and sisters say that this world is so beautiful, why does God want to destroy it? I do not want to know why God wants to destroy this world. You may think it is good, but I think it is bad, because this world is full of violence, fraud, extortion, and fornication, full of all kinds of unrighteousness. I only wait for Jesus Christ to return. Having the presence of Jesus Christ is infinitely better.

Conclusion: Knowing What Kind of God God Is

If you do not know what kind of God God is, you should know after reading the Book of Joel. Around 850 BC, about 2800 years ago, when the Zhou Dynasty of China was just established, Joel told us that the end of the world would be like this, and the mysteries of God, as well as God's future arrangements, would be like this. Especially living in our generation, more than 2800 years have passed since Joel's time, and we are even closer to the end of the world.

Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it will come! (Joel 1:15)

I guess God probably likes renovation too. Remember, if you buy a dilapidated house, do not repair it there. It is best to tear it down to a bare shell and then renovate it, that kind of work will be easier. When we know how the future is arranged, we have a goal, and we know what will happen in the future. What are we concerned about? In fact, I am often sad because many people are concerned about things that, if I am not concerned about them, it is also inappropriate. I can only serve with God's mercy. But some of our brothers and sisters, either repeatedly care about their work, and their work becomes their god; or they care about their children. No one has ever asked me to pray for them so that they can serve God well. If there is, congratulations, you are a person who pleases God!

Look at what we are seeking inside, why can we only see the things in front of us? Because the things in front of us are very real, and there is a lack of long-term goals. If a Christian does not know how God's last days are arranged, he will be completely ruined and will definitely die in the wilderness. If you are a Christian but you become a Christian who dies in the wilderness, then I will move you to Streams in the Desert. This side is God's victorious people, and the other side slowly grinds in the wilderness.

Our brothers and sisters must re-recognize God's plan and God's actions. Remember, God is not Santa Claus, nor is He a philanthropist! God just wants to bring His people into His kingdom. God does not care at all about those who are destroyed. Out of more than 600,000 Israelites, only Joshua and Caleb remained, and the rest were all rejected by God in the wilderness, wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. They set up camp and began to dismantle tents, and they set up camp and began to set up tents. A wave of people died every few years. Joshua and Caleb just spent the entire generation to death. Why should we be people who die in the wilderness?

Our brothers and sisters must rethink what kind of people we are. In fact, victory is not difficult. You must know that the sky will not fall and the earth will not sink. God's people will stand strong. Nothing will collapse. Even if this world collapses, our God and His people will stand strong. We are like Joshua and Caleb, spending that generation to death, and then we come before God, which is so wonderful, a smart choice, Amen!

May God bless everyone!