III. Antichrists’ Disposition Essence

The emphasis of today’s fellowship is still primarily to sum up what exactly is the disposition essence of antichrists. Among the six corrupt dispositions of humans we just discussed, which three are more accurately used to classify people with the disposition essence of antichrists? (Being averse to the truth, viciousness, and wickedness.) Since we’ve reduced the scope to these three, the first three won’t be a part of this fellowship. Then, do people with the disposition essence of antichrists lack the corrupt dispositions of intransigence, arrogance, and deceitfulness? (No.) Then why not use the first three to classify the disposition essence of antichrists? (Because ordinary corrupt humans also possess the first three, and they do not represent a person’s essence.) This is a very accurate summary. Concerning the topic of disposition essence, the first three corrupt dispositions are relatively lighter in degree, while the ones that can truly summarize the disposition essence of antichrists are the latter three—being averse to the truth, viciousness, and wickedness. These three corrupt dispositions can more accurately classify the disposition essence of antichrists. Although the first three are not used to classify the essence of antichrists, every one of those three corrupt dispositions is present in an antichrist, and they are more severe than in common people. Being averse to the truth, viciousness, and wickedness can all be used to summarize and characterize their intransigence, and to describe the degree of their intransigence. Also, the latter three dispositions can similarly be used to summarize and characterize their arrogance and deceitfulness. It is evident that the main characteristics of the disposition essence of antichrists are being averse to the truth, viciousness, and wickedness.

A. Wickedness

Among these three corrupt dispositions—being averse to the truth, viciousness, and wickedness—wickedness is the most comprehensive summary of a disposition in an antichrist’s disposition essence, and it is the most common one in the disposition essence of an antichrist. Why is wickedness used to describe the disposition essence of an antichrist? If it is said that antichrists are quite wicked, then judging by their thoughts, what do they think, say, and do every day that proves they are people with a wicked essence? Isn’t this a question that should be pondered? (Yes.) Then we should begin our analysis and observation from what they think, their speech and manner, and how they conduct themselves and deal with the world, in order to judge whether a wicked essence really exists in these people. Let’s first take a look at what antichrists think about every day. Some people think in their hearts: “Among this group of people, I’m not considered the most capable, nor do I have the highest gifts, so how can I gain more popularity, win everyone’s esteem, bring glory to my ancestors, and have a halo over my head? How can I persuade others and make them listen to me and admire me? It seems that having status is a good thing. Some people really do speak with prestige, and when other people have issues, they go to them—why doesn’t anyone come to me? Why doesn’t anyone notice me? I have brains, ideas, a methodical approach to my actions, and I am capable of using judgment in matters—why does no one pay attention to me or think highly of me? When will I stand out above the others? When will everyone come to me for help and endorse me?” What are these people thinking about? Are they thinking about positive or negative things? (Negative things.) When some people see that others have a good relationship with each other, they think: “How come their relationship is so good? I need to find a way to sow discord and make their relationship turn sour; this way I won’t be isolated and I’ll have a companion.” What are these people doing? Regardless of what method they use, it all boils down to sowing discord. When they see someone doing their duty enthusiastically and spiritedly, and gaining light no matter what they do while performing their duty, they become jealous and contemplate how to undermine that person, how to throw cold water on them and make them feel negative. These thoughts, whether acted upon or not, are negative thoughts. There are also those who think: “How does the newly elected leader view me? I need to get close to this leader. Our relationship isn’t great, and we aren’t too close, so how can I curry favor with them? I have some money on hand, so I’ll find out what they need and then buy it for them. But if they need a computer, I’m not willing to spend that kind of money; if they were to stop being a leader in the future, wouldn’t that money be wasted? If they need something like gloves or clothes, I can afford that, and it’s worth the expense. Money should be spent on the right things, not wastefully. I also have to flatter and please the leader not just with empty words but with real actions—I need to be on the lookout for what this leader likes. Additionally, I’ll help plate up the leader’s food when it’s time to eat every day and wash their dishes when they’re through eating. If the leader criticizes someone, I’ll follow along and echo them; if the leader praises someone, I’ll quickly recommend that person and praise their virtues.” What are these people thinking about? (Pleasing the leader and fawning over them.) There are also those who, while working in the house of God, think: “Others work hard and earnestly; I have to be clever, I can’t be foolish, and I can’t work myself too hard. If the house of god doesn’t need me in the future, then won’t this effort be in vain? Won’t I be working hard for nothing? But if I don’t work at all, I’ll be sent away by the house of god. What should I do? When the leader is present, I’ll work my hardest, break a sweat, and let the leader see; when they’re not around, I’ll go to the restroom, drink water, go out for a stroll, or find a corner to relax in. If others dig three shovelfuls of earth, I’ll dig half a shovelful; if others go back and forth carrying things three or five times, I’ll just do it once. I’ll rest and slack off whenever I can. I shouldn’t be so earnest; if I get sick or exhausted from working too hard, who will feel sorry for me? Who will attend to my illness? Will the leader take care of it? Will god take care of it? Will god be responsible for these things? Therefore, while working, I have to figure out where I can work most conspicuously. When I want to slack off, I have to find out where I’m least likely to get discovered, where I’m least likely to attract attention.” What are these people thinking about? (Slacking off and acting sly.)

1. What Antichrists Do Toward People

What is the character of people who have wicked thoughts all day long? It is one of low integrity and insidiousness. Judging by their disposition, what is this? (Wickedness.) Is there anything upright in the nature of these things that they think about? Is there anything that sounds noble, open, and aboveboard? Is there anything good? (No, nothing.) So, in summary, the first thing manifested in the wicked disposition of people with an antichrist’s essence is that all they think about all day long is evil. Regardless of whether they face a major or a minor issue, their thoughts are filled with evil. Specifically, they do certain things toward people, and they also have different manifestations and practices toward God. So, what things do they do toward people? What kinds of practices do they develop in their thoughts? In the several examples mentioned just now, can you see how this kind of person is constantly plotting against others? They are incessantly plotting, and anyone they have dealings or contact with becomes the object of their schemes. Secondly, although sometimes they don’t speak when doing things, the ways, methods, and sources of their actions are not genuine, and they are not practicing the truth—it is just an illusory appearance. What is the nature of this, and what is this practice? It is trickery and pretense, and they are also tempting others. Since they can put on a pretense and cheat people, can they also lure and mislead people? (Yes, they can.) Additionally, this kind of person is engaged in constant struggle with others over status, reputation, face, and their own interests. They fight for fame, for who has the final say, for who has more ideas, for whose opinions are wiser and more reasonable, for who is endorsed more by everyone, and for who can gain more benefits—this is what they vie for. Even without status, they still plot against people like this, so what about when they have status? Then, the people under their domination are constantly being tormented; they draw in and win over those who do not love the truth, and they attack and exclude those who can accept the truth, with the aim of making everyone listen to them and obey them; they are always forming cliques and sowing discord in groups, and in the end they make everyone belong to them. These things all fall within the scope of their tormenting. Antichrists are thinking about evil all day long, and every disposition they reveal is evil. So, is it accurate to say that the disposition of such people is wicked? (Yes, it is.) In a group where everyone knows their place, sticks to their own work, and does what they ought to do, as soon as an antichrist appears, they sow discord from within, speaking ill of person A in front of person B and vice versa, putting the two at loggerheads. Isn’t this the result of sowing discord? So, what are some manifestations of an antichrist’s plotting? For example, when there is an election in the church, ordinary people without ambition might think, “Whoever is elected, I will submit to it; I will endorse whoever God allows to be leader, and I won’t be a nuisance or cause trouble.” But those with ill intentions don’t think this way. If they see that they have no hope of winning in this election, they start calculating in their hearts: “I need to buy everyone some good things. What is lacking in the church these days? I’ll buy an air purifier and place it in the gathering space so that when everyone breathes in the fresh air, they’ll think of me. This way, when it comes time for the election, won’t I be the first candidate they think of? Therefore, I won’t be acting or spending money in vain.” Thinking of this, they quickly buy the cheapest and most visually appealing air purifier. Additionally, they think: “During this time, I need to be careful. I mustn’t say the wrong things, and I mustn’t say things that are negative and don’t edify people; I’ve got to speak flattering words whenever I meet people and frequently praise others with things like, ‘You look really good! You’re really pursuing the truth! Although you haven’t believed in God for as long as I have, you’ve pursued the truth more than me. Your humanity is good, and people with good humanity like you can be saved—unlike me.’ I ought to appear humble and praise others as better than myself in all aspects, making others feel that they have received sufficient respect.” Isn’t this plotting? Antichrists do such things effortlessly; ordinary people can’t out-plot them. What is the saying among nonbelievers? (You’ve been sold by someone and still help them count the money.) Antichrists perpetrate such things, and most people are the objects of their betrayal and their plotting.

Tell Me, do antichrists accept being pruned? Do they admit that they have a corrupt disposition? (No, they don’t admit it.) They don’t admit to having a corrupt disposition, but after they are pruned, they still pretend like they know themselves. They say they are a devil and Satan, devoid of humanity and with poor caliber, and that they are unable to consider things thoroughly, they are unfit for the tasks arranged by the church, and they have not done their duties properly. Then, in front of a majority of people, they admit to their corrupt disposition, they admit that they are a devil, and finally, they also say that this is God refining and saving them, showing people how able they are to accept pruning and how submissive they are to the truth. They don’t mention why they are being pruned or the harm and losses their actions have caused to the church’s work. They avoid these issues and speak hollow words, doctrines, sophistries, and explanatory remarks to make people misinterpret the pruning they receive from God’s house as being undeserved and unfair, as if they have suffered some great injustice. After being pruned, they remain unyielding in their hearts, not acknowledging any of their various evil deeds in the slightest. So, what are all these words that they fellowshipped about admitting to their corrupt disposition, being willing to accept the truth, and being able to submit to pruning? Are these their true feelings? Absolutely not. They are all lies, pretense, and devilish words meant to mislead people and lure them in. What is the aim of their misleading people? (To make people worship and follow them.) Exactly, it is to mislead and lure people into following and listening to them, making everyone think that they are right and good. This way, no one sees through them or opposes them. On the contrary, people believe that they are someone who accepts the truth, accepts pruning, and is repentant. So, why don’t they admit to their evil deeds or acknowledge the losses they have brought to the work of God’s house? Why don’t they bring these matters out in the open for fellowship? (If they were to say these things, people would discern them.) If people discerned them, saw through them, and saw through their humanity and their disposition essence, they would forsake them. Would they still fall for their tricks and be misled by them? Would they still hold them in high esteem? Would they still praise them to the skies? Would they still worship them? They wouldn’t do any of this. Antichrists pretend to know themselves, but in reality, it is all sophistry and self-explanations, all to mislead people and make people stand up for them, which is their ulterior motive. They evade important matters and talk lightly about knowing themselves and accepting pruning to mislead people and lure them in, to make people esteem and worship them. Isn’t this method quite wicked? Some people truly fall for it, and after being misled by the antichrists, they say, “They speak so well—I was very inspired. I cried several times!” At the time, these people highly worship and esteem them, but in the end they turn out to be antichrists; this is the consequence of antichrists misleading others and luring them in. Antichrists can mislead people like this, and there’s certainly no shortage of those who fall for it and are cheated. If one can discern antichrists in this matter, then they are someone who understands the truth and has discernment.

Antichrists torment people often. They have a famous saying, that is: “Little dears, since you don’t yield to me, I’ll make you fall on your hands and knees and worship me in only a couple moves—if you don’t yield then I’ll put you on death row!” What do antichrists want to do? They want to torment people. What kind of person do they want to torment? If you obey them, fawn over them, and worship them, will they torment you? If you are docile and obedient with them, if they see you as non-threatening, that you are just a pushover or a slave, they won’t bother tormenting you. If they do something bad or commit evil deeds, if they find someone who discerns them, who will expose and uncover them, who will pull them down from their position, who will ruin their reputation and undermine their actions, they will think about how to torment that person. Antichrists do not torment people on a whim; rather, they are constantly observing and testing people, seeing who is talking bad about them behind their backs, who doesn’t yield to them, who discerns their actions, who doesn’t pay attention to them, and who refuses to cozy up to them. After observing for a while and finding two or three such individuals, they start to fellowship about these people’s issues during gatherings. Although what they say seems correct on the surface, in reality it is targeted, with a reason and a purpose. What is the reason? They have already investigated thoroughly; these individuals aren’t yielding to them, and they discern them, always trying to expose and uncover them, to get them out of office. They say these things in order to sound a warning to those individuals, to caution them. If these people back off and don’t dare to keep going, and everything goes according to the antichrists’ wishes, then the antichrists ignore them. But if these individuals continue as before, refusing to cozy up to them and still intending to uncover them, report them to the Above, and get them out of office, then they become the antichrists’ next targets for torment. They think of other approaches, and adopt more forceful and severe methods, trying to think of ways to get leverage on them and find opportunities to torment them, not stopping until they get them expelled from the church. Antichrists treat dissenters to this type of torment, and they will not rest until they achieve their goal. The methods antichrists use to torment people are ruthless. They start by finding a pretext and labeling people, and then begin to torment them, not stopping until people obey and yield to them completely—otherwise, it’s not over. In the church, antichrists consistently sow discord and form cliques, aiming to create a faction and take control over the church. Isn’t this a common occurrence? Antichrists form cliques, sow discord, draw in forces, conspire with those profitable to them, who can speak up for them, cover up their evil deeds, and defend them at key moments. They get these people to do things for them, to even report on others and act as their messengers. If they have status, this group becomes their independent kingdom. If they lack status, they and their group form a force within the church, disturbing and interfering with the normal order of the church, and disturbing normal church life and work.

The most common manifestation of the wicked essence of antichrists is that they are particularly good at pretense and hypocrisy. Despite their particularly vicious, insidious, ruthless, and arrogant disposition, they present themselves externally as especially humble and benign. Isn’t this pretense? These people contemplate daily in their hearts, thinking, “What kind of clothing should I wear to make me look more Christian, more upstanding, more spiritual, more burdened, and more like a leader? How should I eat in order to make people feel that I am refined, graceful, dignified, and noble enough? What walking posture should I adopt to give an air of leadership and charisma, to appear like an extraordinary person and not an ordinary one? In my conversations with others, what tone, vocabulary, looks, and facial expressions can make people feel that I am high class, like a social elite or a high-ranking intellectual? How can my attire, style, speech, and behavior make people hold me in high regard, leave an indelible impression on them, and ensure that I remain forever in their hearts? What should I say to win over and warm people’s hearts, and to make a lasting impression? I must do more to help others and speak well of them, frequently talk about god’s words and use some spiritual terminology in front of people, read more of god’s words to others, pray more for them, speak in a low voice to make people perk up their ears and listen to me, and make them feel that I’m gentle, caring, loving, magnanimous, and forgiving.” Isn’t this pretense? These are the thoughts that occupy the hearts of antichrists. That which fills their thoughts is nothing but the trends of nonbelievers, wholly indicating that their thoughts and viewpoints belong to the world and Satan. Some people may dress like a prostitute or even a loose woman in secret; their clothing caters specifically to evil trends and is especially fashionable. However, when they come to the church, among the brothers and sisters they wear a completely different costume and demeanor. Aren’t they extremely adept at pretense? (Yes.) What antichrists contemplate in their hearts, what they do, their various manifestations, and the dispositions they reveal all illustrate that their disposition essence is wicked. Antichrists do not contemplate the truth, positive things, the right path, or God’s requirements. Their thoughts, and the approaches, methods, and goals they choose are all wicked—they all deviate from the right path and are incompatible with the truth. They even go against the truth, and in general, they can be summarized as evil; it’s just that the nature of this evil is wicked—therefore, it is collectively referred to as wickedness. They don’t contemplate being an honest person, being pure and open, or being sincere and loyal; instead, they think about wicked methods. Take, for example, a person who can open up about themselves in a pure manner, which is a positive thing and is practicing the truth. Do antichrists do this? (No.) What do they do? They are constantly pretending, and once they do something bad and start to give themselves away, they furiously hide it, justify and defend themselves, and conceal the facts—then they finally provide their reasons. Do any of these practices measure up to practicing the truth? (No.) Are any of them in accordance with the truth principles? Even less so.

Just now, we fellowshipped and dissected the first aspect of the disposition essence of antichrists—wickedness. We started with a dissection of what antichrists think about all day, using their thoughts, viewpoints, and the ways and methods with which they respond to various matters to dissect the wicked disposition of antichrists. We also dissected the nature of the various things antichrists do, based on that which exists in their thoughts. We also provided some examples to dissect their disposition essence revealed through these instances. Regarding these examples, have you seen anyone with relatively good humanity among those who exhibit these behaviors and reveal these dispositions? When it comes to a person who has such revelations and manifestations, does their character possess honesty, kindness, simplicity, sincerity, uprightness, and so on? (It does not.) Clearly, they lack these qualities. On the contrary, their character is insidious, ruthless, prone to lying habitually, selfish, vile, and lacking a sense of honor. These features of their character are quite evident. It can be accurately stated that those who have wicked thoughts all day long, and who can do various wicked things, all have very poor character. To what extent is it poor? It lacks conscience, integrity, and especially normal rationality. Can people devoid of these things be considered human? It can be definitively stated that people who lack these things are not human; they are merely wearing the outer shell of a human. Some may ask, “Isn’t that like a wolf in sheep’s clothing?” That is just a metaphor. What are wolves in sheep’s clothing? They are essentially wolves. Is there an essential distinction between wolves and devils or antichrists? Wolves hunt and eat cattle and sheep, not out of greed but as part of their God-ordained nature. However, there is one thing that wolves possess which antichrists do not. If someone adopts and raises a wolf or has saved its life, the wolf will never harm that person and will show gratitude. In contrast, antichrists enjoy God’s grace, leading, and the provision of God’s words, but they plot against God in everything, always in opposition and enmity with Him. They cannot submit to anything God does; they cannot say amen to it—they want to stand opposed. Is it appropriate to say that antichrists are wolves in sheep’s clothing? Is this metaphor accurate? (No, it isn’t.) In the past, in religion, whoever was labeled an antichrist or evil person was considered a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This was just a metaphor employed by people when they did not understand the truth and the humanity essence and disposition of various individuals. However, when the truth is fellowshipped at this level, using this metaphor becomes less fitting. Devils are devils, and antichrists are equivalent to devils, and they are not worthy of being compared to all the living things God created. Have any of the things God created, like wolves or other carnivores, ever resisted or rebelled against God? Would they clamor against God or oppose Him? Would they pass judgment on, condemn, or attack anything God says? They don’t do such things; they live only in accordance with the instincts and living environment that God appointed them. Whatever God created them to be, that is what they are—without any pretense. But antichrists are different: They have the nature of Satan, and they specialize in acting against positive things and the truth. They are just like the great red dragon: They specialize in committing acts of resistance against God.