Subject 13 : The Gospel According to MATTHEW
[Chapter 24-2] Prepare for the End Times (Matthew 24:3-14)
(Matthew 24:3-14)
“Now
as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately,
saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign
of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ And Jesus answered and said
to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My
name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will
hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all
these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be
famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are
the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation
and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate
one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And
because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But
he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom
will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and
then the end will come.’”
This
evening, I would like to share with you the Lord’s teaching on the
Great Tribulation. In today’s Scripture passage, the disciples asked
Jesus, “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the
age?” Jesus then said to them, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For
many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive
many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not
troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not
yet.” In particular, Jesus said in verse 6, “You will hear of wars and
rumors of wars.” How may we then, hear of wars and rumors of wars? Let’s
consider how we may actually hear of wars and rumors of wars.
Wars and Rumors of Wars
Nowadays,
natural disasters are devastating enough to inflict war-like damage.
After all, don’t unpredictable weather, massive snowstorms, bitter cold
and earthquakes bring about war-like destruction? During last Summer’s
Discipleship Training Camp, we also suffered a natural disaster. We
built a small swimming pool next to the Discipleship Training Center for
recreation, but a sudden rainstorm caused a flash flood. This, in turn,
led to a landslide in the ravine next to the swimming pool. As the
creek flooded, the water surged into the pool and made a huge mess.
Fortunately, we were able to divert the water before it swamped the main
building. Otherwise it would have been completely flooded.
The
minor flood that we experienced was nothing compared to the natural
disasters occurring all over the world. Recently, the world has seen one
catastrophic disaster after another; from Tsunamis to hurricanes and
massive earthquakes. In the days to come, there will be even more
devastating atmospheric changes and natural disasters.
As
you know quite well, climate changes originate from the excessive use
of fossil fuels. This increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere, and, in turn, leads to rapidly rising temperatures in the
atmosphere and the seawater. When the end times come as God spoke, there
will be many disasters unleashed not only by mankind, but also by
natural disasters that are beyond our control, such as earthquakes. We
will hear of these things quite often, and sights such as these will not
be uncommon. “A snow storm dumped over 3 m of snow in a certain country
and everyone there starved to death. There were no survivors.” You will
hear this kind of news on TV quite often. When you hear of these
disasters, you will be reminded of what the Lord said about the end
times and how true His Word is. The Lord has taught us this, and when I
think about how these events may unfold in this present age, I get very
nervous; but at the same time, in certain aspects, I am also thankful
However,
the Lord continued to say, “See that you are not troubled; for all
these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” We shouldn’t
think that the end is here already. Rather, the end will have just
begun. Now is not the end. We must listen closely to the Lord’s teaching
and believe it.
What
else did the Lord say would happen in the time of the Great
Tribulation? He said, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes
in various places.”
Nation Will Rise against Nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom
Recently
Russia has seen a surge of extreme nationalism. It is calling for the
expulsion of all non-Russians and demanding that foreigners, including
the Jews, give up all their commercial and economic interests in Russia
and return home. In the years to come, Jewish people all over the world
will have to return to Israel. At the present time, Jews scattered
throughout the world have a dominant commercial presence. But nations
are now rising against nations. Nationalism is surging ahead, just as
God said it would in the end times. Because of this, when we look at
these events, we realize that everything is coming to pass exactly as
the Lord had said.
With
the end of World War II, many independent, nationalist states were
formed. More recently, when the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s, a
number of independent states were formed. The Soviet Union had been a
federal state formed by sixteen republics, tightly controlled by the
central government in Moscow. With its disintegration under President
Gorbachev, each republic became an independent nation-state. These
republics have now formed independent states. But there still are many
ethnic groups engaged in civil war, and struggling for independence.
Just like this, every nation is actively seeking to form its own social
community.
The
problem is that a struggle for independence often leads to ethnic
conflicts. The prevalence of racial supremacy is often followed by
ethnic cleansing to suppress and rout out other ethnic groups. Just as
the Lord taught us that nations would rise against nations and invade
each other, some of these events have already occurred throughout the
world. Many countries all over the world saw a surge of nationalist
movements with people gaining their independence. In the years to come,
we will continue to see nations rising against nations. Weak countries
like Korea will be swallowed up by the great powers, while the great
powers will struggle against each other for supremacy. Since God said
that this would happen, it will happen exactly as He said.
The
European Union (EU) is now moving ever closer to full integration.
European states now form a massive economic community using a single
currency called Euro. When powerful countries integrate with each other
like this, small countries are overwhelmed. When there is a clash
concerning national interest, war is inevitable. That’s how nations rise
against nations. The Lord taught us that when nations stand against
nations, when war breaks out, and when natural disasters such as famines
and earthquakes occur, then that is the beginning of sorrows. When this
happens, we all must remember clearly in our hearts that these events
will happen in the end times. The Lord said that these events will
unfold in the end times. There is nothing strange here in today’s
Scripture passage. Everything will come to pass exactly as the Lord
said. Simply put, there will be no peace in the end times. The Lord
taught us that the world will turn into an unlivable place, filled with
chaos, confusion, disorder, and madness.
“They Will Deliver You to Tribulation”
The
Lord taught us in verse 9, “Then they will deliver you up to
tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My
name’s sake.”
Do
you get scared at this passage? Don’t be too alarmed just yet, because
this will not happen right away. Before this actually happens, you will
first see climate changes, natural disasters such as earthquakes and
volcano eruptions. You will also see much war. The Great Tribulation
won’t come until after these events. That is the prophecy the Lord spoke
and the lesson He is teaching us here. All that we have to do is simply
believe in and His Word with our hearts and accept it. God has given it
to us as a lesson so that we may wake up.
What
did our Lord say? He said, “Then they will deliver you up to
tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My
name’s sake.” Jesus is saying here that people will seize us and deliver
us to tribulation. Tribulation is more painful and agonizing than any
other disaster. Disasters are naturally triggered, but tribulation is
unleashed by the wickedness of mankind. This is a cold, hard fact, but
nonetheless, all of us must face this without exception. You may escape
from other disasters, but you cannot escape the tribulation.
It
is a complete and systematic control by the servants of Satan that the
Lord said, “They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you.” And
He said, “You will be hated by nations,” meaning that people will hate
us and kill us. This is the lesson taught by our Lord. When this
happens, many of us will die when the time comes. We need to understand
and accept this. Do not be afraid, however. If you die, it is time for
you to die. The Holy Spirit in you will give you courage to stand
against your persecutors.
The
Lord said, “But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up
to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be
brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.
And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. But when they
arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate
what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that;
for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:9-11).
If
only a few people are to endure untold suffering to death, we may feel
that it’s unfair. But the Bible teaches us that at that time, every
nation will be in chaos. People will seize us and kill us in the middle
of this tribulation filled with wars, famines, and disasters. This is
what the Lord said will happen, so there is no need for us to fear now,
facing these sufferings.
When
that time comes, not only will circumstances make it unavoidable for us
to die, it will actually be our own wish to die. Although we do
everything possible to avoid death right now, when wars break out and
the tribulation overtakes us, we will want to die. We will be wondering,
“How can I die without pain?” That’s because the Bible says that when
the age of tribulation comes, many people will hate us, the born-again,
and deliver us to death. So it’s quite clear that the servants of Satan
will make it impossible for any of the born-again believers to live on
this earth. Even if we want to live, it will be impossible to live
openly. We would have to live in hiding where they would not be able to
find us.
At
that time, the entire world will be unified. The Devil will also know
that the time has come for him to be judged by God. All those who have
not been born again will unite together. This means that the born-again
will turn into antigovernment dissidents. If this world is united into a
single state, then those of us who do not agree with this move will
naturally become rebels. Even if the authorities imprison the dissidents
and sentence them to death, there is no need to complain.
The
born-again, righteous people cannot side with the Devil of this world,
and if we are put to death, we will say, “Oh! It’s happening just as the
Lord said! I don’t want to live in such a devastating world any longer.
I want to go to the Lord right away. So kill me all you want!” They
will hold trials, and the court will issue its judgment saying, “As
anti-government activists, the defendants participated in illegal
demonstrations and broke our laws. Therefore, pursuant to our statutes,
they are hereby sentenced to death.” After a row of ten righteous people
are lined up and sentenced like this, another row will be ushered into
the courtroom. The court will then issue the same verdict and sentence
them to execution. It’s not hard to imagine this happening.
My
fellow believers, if this world is a wonderful place, we would think
it’s unfair for us to die without fully enjoying our lives. However,
this world will not be the place we want to live. When the world itself
turns into the devil’s world filled with demons, where life is hard,
with people fighting each other for food, killing a human beings will be
taken more lightly than killing a fly, no human ethics or love will be
found. It will be better for us to be formally tried as anti-government
dissidents and sentenced with the verdict being, “You are completely
useless in the Devil’s nation. You are all sentenced to death.” When
this time comes, we will face death with thanksgiving. You and I have
nothing to fear. We will be able to die with joy at that time. We will
be at ease, because we will die just as the Lord said we would.
The
Book of Revelation writes that there are twelve gates that lead us into
the Kingdom of Heaven. When we are delivered up and killed, we will
promise each other to meet again, saying, “At which gate will you wait?”
I like the south gate. The region over the gate might be warmer.”
Someone who is fat may say, “I don’t want to enter the south gate then. I
prefer cooler weather to hot weather. I like the north side.” Others
may say, “I like the west side where the sun sets. If you want to be
with me, please, wait at the west gate.” We will bid a final farewell on
this earth, saying, “We will meet again later! I will see you there!”
The
Lord taught us that people will hand the born-again over to
tribulation. Since God said that people will kill us, then we will die.
However, we won’t die coward’s death. We will die boldly. At that time,
we will be hunted down for not receiving the mark of the Beast. Instead
of trying to hide, we will be captured and sentenced to death. We won’t
be alone.
We
will die together with our fellow saints. Maybe our sisters will be
even bolder at that time. “Kill me if you want!” Then those standing at
the front would praise God singing, “♬Wait for the Lord, whose day is
near. ♪Wait for the Lord: Keep watch, take heart! ♬” Those behind will
also praise God, shouting out, “Hallelujah!” When people hand us over to
death at that time, the saints will stand and march boldly in the line
of martyrs excited to meet the Lord, singing,
“♬This world is not my home,
I’m just-a-passing through♪
♬My pleasure and my hopes are placed beyond the blue
Many friends and kindred have gone on before♪
♬And
I can’t feel at home in this world anymore” We will march forth with
the fullness of the Spirit, filled with the hope of seeing the Lord.
I
am concerned, however, that I or other ministers at that time may be
tempted to ask the servants of the Antichrist, “Can’t you let me live
just a bit longer?” I should have no lingering attachment to the world,
but I am concerned that I may not be able to do this. So I don’t rely on
my own will or myself. I only accept and trust in the teaching of the
Lord. By accepting His teaching now, I want to be an honorable servant
of God who believes in His Word, no matter when such things may happen. I
encourage you to also accept this Word of God by faith. Do you accept
it?
There
is no need for us to be worried about our death. What should we be
doing now instead if worrying? Now is the time for us to preach the
gospel. When the end times come, we have to obey the Lord’s Word. Even
if it’s against our wish, if the Lord wants to take us away rather than
leaving us on this earth, then we must obey Him. I ask you to accept
this teaching into your heart.
People
who have just recently received the remission of sin may wonder, “Well,
does this mean that everyone who receives the remission of sin will
die? I was so happy to be remitted from my sins, but in the end, I will
die a cruel death. Doesn’t this mean that in the end times, the
righteous will be ostracized from this world?” As a matter of fact, the
born-again will be ostracized from this world when the time of
tribulation comes. However, as we are shunning them now, they will shun
us at that time. We are ostracizing many people now. “You haven’t even
received the remission of sin, and yet you are so pompous. I can’t have
anything to do with you. Go away.” Do you believe this? Do you accept
this teaching? Our sisters seem to listen to the Word closely, but do
our brothers accept this teaching? You must all accept it. You must
accept this because the Lord has given it to you also.
If
our death is for the sake of the Lord, and if we die alone together,
then it’s those who cannot join in that line that are to be pitied. In
this age and time when the remission of sin is freely available, many
people still will not receive it. Just as they are to be pitied, when
the time comes for the righteous to die together, it would be a tragedy
for you to live cowardly and not to be able to die.
The
bible says that these things will happen at the tribulation. Because
God has taught us that these events will happen, let us believe in this
with our hearts and prepare our faith.
Many False Prophets Will Rise
Jesus
said in verses 10-11, “And then many will be offended, will betray one
another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise
up and deceive many.” The Lord taught us that when the tribulation
comes, many will be offended, hate one another, and betray each other.
We must remember this and prepare ourselves through faith to go through
this tribulation.
First
of all, Jesus warned us not be deceived by false prophets. Many false
prophets will arise at the time of sorrow and tribulation. He said at
the time of tribulation, some people will pretend to be full of mercy
and love, and perform many wonders, signs, and miracles. They will act
like Jesus, speaking Hebrew and saying, “I am Jesus.” They will perform
various miracles and wonders, and many will be deceived by them,
thinking that the Lord has returned.
So,
when false-christs appear and claim themselves to be the Savior, many
people in this world will be deceived by them. Although we won’t be
deceived, many others will misunderstand, thinking them to be Jesus and
follow them. Even now, there are many such false prophets. The Bible
does not say that this is how our Lord would return. How did our Lord
say that He would return? He said that His return would be like the
lightning coming from the east and flashing to the west. This means that
the Lord will come majestically before everyone’s eyes.
At
this very moment, there are many people claiming, “I am the returning
Jesus.” There are also many false prophets who are actually worshipping
golden calves. For example, they extract $3 million US from their
congregation to build a church building. That kind of money is enough to
spread the gospel to a whole continent to a considerable extent. If $3
million were to be spent spreading the gospel to the African continent,
it would be enough to cover the whole region. However, these people
spend this kind of money just to build one church building. They are
false prophets. In Korea, there are so many people like this. Many false
prophets have already come and gone, but there will be many more. In
the years to come, even more people will claim, “I am Jesus Christ.”
There are many such people at this very moment.
A
religious group founded in Korea called Daesunjinrihoe, claims that its
members are gods. The adherents claim to be divine. These people make
such outlandish claims that every time I come across one of them, I get
completely overwhelmed by their ridiculous claims. They say that they
are divine beings, and so is everyone else. When asked what kind of
divinity they claim to be, they say that they are God. They argue that
every human being is God, including them and us. They are completely
mad. Considering how many such people there are now, how many more would
arise to perform wonders and claim to be God when people are struggling
in the tribulation? Jesus said that many would be deceived.
For
us, all that we need is to have the correct understanding. While
waiting for the Lord’s coming, there is so much for us to see before we
meet Him; from the acts of false prophets to earthquakes; people’s
receiving the mark of the beast, and wars. It will not be a boring time.
We will enjoy watching things come to pass exactly as Jesus said.
The
Bible also says that lawlessness will abound at that time, and the love
of many will grow cold. Under normal circumstances, people are able to
forgive each other’s mistakes and tolerate one another. But lawlessness
will prevail at that time, and some of the born-again will go astray.
Because they go completely astray, we cannot tolerate them and we will
hate them. That’s why hatred will prevail over love at the end times.
Even
now, love is almost non-existent in this world. Recently, a father cut
off his son’s finger for insurance money. Doesn’t this show that there
is no love? Love will disappear in the world. Knowing this, we must not
practice lawlessness, and if at all possible, we must discipline
ourselves and walk the right path even though we are lacking. We must
turn completely away from the wrong paths.
Those Who Endure to the End Will Be Saved
Our
Lord said that those who endure until the time of tribulation would be
saved. This means that they will be resurrected without suffering
physical death. Perhaps such people would be found among our brothers
and sisters at the time of tribulation. Someone who is really patient,
who can go hungry for a long time hiding in a cave in the mountain, may
be able to endure until the end. I am very impatient. When I think about
how someone might imprison me, I will most likely get so upset that I
will go into a seizure and die, even before anyone comes after me. But
those of you who are not as impatient as me will say, “I will survive. I
will endure until the Lord returns. I will see the Lord before this
body of mine perishes. I will never die until I hear the trumpet sound
of angels, and I will never be seized, even if I have to hide myself in
the sewer and live with the rats.” There will be people like this who
endure until the end.
These
people will be there as the Lord said this. But we don’t know who among
us would be one of them. Almost importantly, these people must not be
impatient. Impatient people will not endure the persecution to the end.
Unable to have patience to the end, they will run out and say, “Here I
am. Kill me if you wish.” Impatient people like me cannot wait for
everything to be over. Those who are patient will survive and see the
return of the Lord. They will also experience their bodies being
transformed suddenly, while they are alive. Perhaps these people would
be our sisters. Are there such sisters who think they are patient enough
to endure all kinds of hardships, no matter how anyone tries to break
their will? It’s very possible that this World could be fulfilled with
such people.
I
do not think that there are no such people in our Church. Someone who
does not attend our Church faithfully, and does not work for the gospel,
will probably not be killed by the Antichrist. I don’t know if you
would be a person who attends God’s Church, but does not clearly shout
out the Truth. Or if you would go through the enhancement of faith, and
never get angry, and be filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit,
reaching the height of joy, peace, gentleness, and self-control. But one
thing is clear. People like this won’t be put to death, and will
survive and meet the Lord alive.
Our
Lord said that at the time of tribulation, those who endure until the
end would be saved. He said this because there will be people who
endure. Otherwise He would not have said it. If everyone is to die, He
would have said that everyone will die. He said this because there will
be those still remaining. The passage that says, “Then they will deliver
you up to tribulation and kill you,” probably applies to me. I am not
sure on which side you would fall. It seems that 99.9 percent of you
would fall on one side; that is, to be delivered up to tribulation, and
0.1 percent would fall on the other side. Those who belong to 0.1
percent are worthy of respect. To these people who really remain until
the end, I ask them all to spread the gospel and do even our share.
The
Lord taught us, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Although the Lord taught that this gospel of Heaven would be preached
throughout the whole world and witnessed to every nation before the end
of the world, the work is still not finished. The gospel of the water
and the Spirit had existed in the era of the Early Church, but now, it
is not found in any nation. No one believes like we do. Just the
opposite; people think that those who believe like us are strange.
When
I went to Japan, I preached the gospel to brother Sakamoto. In order to
plant the gospel seed in Mr. and Mrs. Gawashima, I plowed the fields of
their hearts first. I gave them a copy of our Japanese edition. The
next day, after reading the book, Mr. Gawashima called deacon Soon-ok
Park, and told her that everything I believed in was wrong from
beginning to end. This means that those who believe in Jesus without
being born again are different from Christians who have been born again,
from beginning to end. You may think the faith of those who are
born-again is different from that of the worldly Christians only in the
emphasis placed on the baptism of Jesus. But we are different from them
from beginning to end.
Our
Lord said, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” In
other words, everyone will know this gospel through which God has saved
us with the Word of being born again of water and the Spirit. All these
things will happen in the end times; our death, our tribulation, our
judgment, and our martyrdom. Because we don’t have enough time or
strength, the gospel cannot make its way into the whole world now even
if we try. Even if we were to go to the United States and work there,
and even if we were to go to Japan, Europe, or Africa and work there,
it’s not enough for everyone to know the gospel.
However,
the Lord said that the end will come only when the gospel is preached
all over the world. If we are unable to preach it completely, the Lord
will preach it according to His desired method. I believe that it will
come to pass according to this Word that He taught us. For example, they
will trigger a certain event and openly televise us to make us known
all over the world. They will do this by openly explaining why we are
anti-government dissidents, and why we are now opposing the world
government even to our death and dying for our faith.
It
may result in the gospel being spread indirectly. This is similar to
the Early Church saints testifying their faith to the unbelievers while
being martyred in Rome’s coliseum. They testified that Jesus Christ, was
God, and He had washed away all their sins with His baptism and
bloodshed. They testified that their kingdom was not of this earth, but
the Kingdom of God. They embraced their martyrdom boldly.
The
Romans at that time tried to find out what it was about their faith
that made them so bold, even facing death. In the process, they came to
believe in the gospel. Likewise, in the end times, the government will
choose to televise our execution to people all over the world in an
attempt to prevent them from embracing our faith. But the gospel may be
preached even more through this vicious persecution. When this occurs,
the gospel will bear witness on that day, and everyone in the world will
know the gospel. Many people will see our public trial and death. When
they do, many will come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and
by faith, follow this gospel of the water and the Spirit that we believe
in. In other words, this gospel will bear witness, no matter what
happens. In the end, everyone all over the world will know it.
It
may seem impossible for us to make the gospel known to everyone in this
world through the literature ministry that we are engaged in. But I am
sure that it will be possible if the Lord exerts His power over this
task. If the Lord wants everyone in the world to know of His birth on
this earth, His baptism, His death on the Cross, His resurrection, and
His salvation, He will make this gospel of the water and the Spirit
known to all the people of the world through some mass media; either
through the born-again saints or some other event. If the Lord is in it,
it’s possible to let them know this gospel. If the Lord personally
controls it, it will be possible for everyone in the world to hear the
gospel. Do you also believe this? These are the events that will happen
at the time of tribulation.
The
Lord taught us, “At the time of tribulation you will hear of wars and
rumors of wars, nations will rise against nations, famine will break out
everywhere, and disasters will begin. At that time, people will deliver
you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by every
nation and the love of many will grow cold. False prophets will arise
and lawlessness will abound, but those who endure until the end will be
saved. When then gospel of Heaven is preached to every nation, the end
of tribulation will come, and only then will I return.”
You Must Accept the Lesson of the Word
You
must accept our Lord’s lesson into your heart. When Gabriel came to
Mary and relayed God’s will to her, she accepted the Word of God exactly
as it was, saying, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me
according to your word.” Whether or not we face tribulation is not up
to us. It is up to the Lord. If He said that there would be these signs
at the time of tribulation, we must believe that it will come to pass
exactly as He said.
When
natural disasters strike the world, war breaks out everywhere, and
people turn evil and confused, we must fortify our faith even more,
saying, “Now is the time of tribulation. Our Lord said that there would
be these signs at the time of tribulation and told us to believe His
Word. Now is the time.” We must, without fail, remember what we just
heard now. There won’t be another opportunity to hear this in the
future. At that time, we should remember the Word that we have heard
about tribulation and say, “So this is what’s happening.” You must also
remember, “The whole planet will be soon destroyed”; and have faith in
the Word. “The Lord said that these things would happen at the time of
tribulation, and they are happening just as He had said.”
Whatever
you do, you must do everything by faith. You must preach the gospel by
faith, you must endure to the end by faith, and you must embrace your
martyrdom by faith. Do you understand this? Don’t say at the end times,
“I don’t want to die. I don’t mind my death, but I can’t die for the
sake of my family.” If your heart turns weak, then your fellow saints
with weak hearts will follow your leading and say, “I don’t want to
die.” “Let’s receive the mark together.” Some may end up receiving the
mark collectively.
Some
may say, “I only pretended to believe. Do you think that I really
believed? Whenever you said such things, I couldn’t put up with it
inside, but I endured it patiently. You see? I actually didn’t believe.
Why should I die? Why on earth should I die? Do you worry about the
natural disasters to come? Don’t worry about them. Technology and
science will solve them. Our great leader, the great president who
ordered us to receive the mark of 666, will solve the problem and turn
this world into a utopia. So why should I die? It’s such a wonderful
world.” Some people will betray their faith and receive the mark, and
they will tempt the righteous, saying, “You should receive the mark,
too. If you just receive it, you will get bread, gasoline, and garments.
So why should you die? Why do you want to die when all you have to do
is just receive the mark?” However, hail will fall from the sky and
strike these people who crusade on behalf of the Antichrist, entice the
righteous to receive the mark and save themselves. I want none of you to
ever become such a person.
The
Bible says that eventually this world will end. When the end comes,
will you be by yourself? When our Lord returns, we will partake in the
first resurrection. The dead saints will be resurrected, and the living
saints will be transformed. When the Lord returns majestically with the
sound of the trumpet blown by angels like a military band, those who are
truly patient and endure to the end will meet the Lord while they are
still alive. Their bodies will be transformed suddenly. Our Lord said
that He would reign for a thousand years when that happens.
Those
who live in the wonderful Millennial Kingdom are set aside. If it is
not the born-again, who will live in the Millennial Kingdom? If those
who killed us are still alive at the Millennial Kingdom, they will work
hard for us. Since we the righteous can’t reign over each other, won’t
there be sinners under us who had tormented us? “Gather around here!”
They will receive orders form this master, and that master. They will be
weary from all their labors. They will be ordered to gather together
and tormented all the time. “You called me a heretic back then, didn’t
you? Come here. Give me a piggyback and run.” Even though we won’t kill
them, we will toy around with them to get our revenge by mocking and
tormenting them anyway possible, saying to them, “What did you say
before? Didn’t you spew out all kinds of things just because you had
lips?”
Let Us Prepare for That Day
Today’s
Scripture passage is the Lord’s lesson on what will happen when the
time of tribulation comes. He has taught us that what will happen at the
time of the tribulation. We must believe this Word. Does it make sense
to you now? Isn’t it wonderful that we can now understand the future? If
we were waiting for an uncertain future without a clear sense and
without faith, how uneasy would we be? You have to believe and store
faith in your heart ahead of time, because when the time comes, you
won’t have any time to read the Bible.
As
we prepare for the end times, there is one thing that I want to caution
you about: Do not practice lawlessness. Practice love instead. Jesus
said that when lawlessness abounds, love grows cold. Do you understand
this? When one practices lawlessness, he can’t love as he wants to love.
We must learn our lesson from today’s Scripture passage and prepare for
the end times. You must believe in the Word and be ready for the last
day.
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