Excursus Four: Summarizing the Character of Antichrists and Their Disposition Essence (Part One)

We concluded our fellowship of the fifteenth item concerning the various manifestations of antichrists at the last gathering. After fellowshipping about these fifteen items, have you summarized the various manifestations and essences of antichrists? Do you have a basic concept and understanding of them? Can you discern individuals who possess the essence of antichrists? (I can discern relatively obvious cases, but I still struggle to discern relatively cunning and insidious ones.) Today, let’s summarize the various manifestations of antichrists from two aspects: first, the character of antichrists, and second, their disposition essence. Is it easier to discern antichrists from these two aspects? (Yes.) If we fellowship less and don’t give many examples, you may not be able to discern them; if we fellowship more, you might understand, but you may still struggle to compare these to antichrists when you see them doing evil. Summarizing the nature essence of antichrists and discerning them from these two aspects can make this clearer for you.

I. The Character of Antichrists

The first aspect is the character of antichrists. Specifically, this aspect has to do with what kind of humanity antichrists possess. What does humanity include? It includes conscience, reason, integrity, dignity, and human goodness and evil. Discerning the character of antichrists involves various aspects of their humanity. Let’s first discuss the usual manifestations present in normal humanity, or traits that normal humanity should possess. Tell Me, what specific content falls into this category? (Honesty and kindness.) What else? (A sense of honor.) Possessing uprightness and a sense of honor are both essential. (Also, showing others love, tolerance, consideration, and forgiveness.) That too. Let’s sum it all up. First and foremost, normal humanity possesses the trait of honesty—is this positive? (Yes.) Additionally, it possesses kindness and sincerity, and there is a difference between sincerity and honesty in terms of degree. Do you think that compassion is something that should be included in one’s character? (Yes.) Can compassion be categorized under kindness? (Yes.) A person with a kind heart will certainly have compassion. Then there is simplicity and a sense of honor. A sense of honor includes dignity, self-knowledge, and reason. Next is uprightness. What are the manifestations of uprightness? These include a sense of justice, the abhorrence of evil, a hatred for wickedness, and a fondness for positive things. If one only has uprightness then that is insufficient; if they lack tolerance and patience, speaking bluntly without considering people’s states or the circumstances, that is not okay, and their character is deficient in a few things. There is also tolerance and patience, which are both specific manifestations of kindness and can of course be counted as one trait. These are the traits that normal humanity should possess: honesty, kindness, sincerity, simplicity, a sense of honor, uprightness, and tolerance and patience—seven altogether. These traits that normal humanity possesses can be used to gauge whether a person has normal humanity. However, today’s topic of fellowship is not about the specific manifestations of the traits that normal humanity should have or which individuals possess these traits. Instead, we are going to fellowship on the topic of “what exactly is the character of antichrists.” Compared to the various aspects of normal character just mentioned, do antichrists possess any of these traits, or which ones do they possess? (They do not possess any.) Since you have such an impression of antichrists, let’s sum up what elements in the character of antichrists make people classify them as antichrists, and show that these individuals have bad humanity, that they lack normal humanity, and possess the humanity of antichrists. If someone possesses one or two of the several manifestations of normal humanity summarized earlier, they might have some normal humanity. If they possess all of them, then they have the most normal humanity. But antichrists do not possess any of these traits, so what exactly does their humanity contain? Let’s fellowship on this aspect first.

A. Habitual Lying

The first trait contained in a normal character is honesty. Does the character of antichrists include honesty? Obviously, antichrists lack an honest humanity; their humanity is certainly in opposition to honesty. So, what elements of abnormal humanity, in opposition to honesty, do antichrists possess in their humanity? (They frequently tell lies and trick people.) Can we say that frequently telling lies is the same as habitually lying? Isn’t this summary more specific? If we say that this person always lies or isn’t too truthful, it’s lacking in degree. If we use expressions like “full of lies” to describe their character, it isn’t formal enough. So, using “habitually lying” to describe them and to express that the humanity of antichrists is not honest is more fitting. “Habitual lying” is the first trait—something that is frequently manifested and revealed in the humanity of antichrists. It should be the most common, easily observable, and readily discernible trait that people may come across. Now, is it worth it to fellowship about the specific manifestations of habitual lying? (Yes.)

The humanity of antichrists is dishonest, which means they are not truthful in the least. Everything they say and do is adulterated and contains their own intentions and goals, and hidden in it all are their unmentionable and unspeakable tricks and schemes. So the words and actions of antichrists are too contaminated and too full of falsity. No matter how much they speak, it’s impossible to know which of their words are true, which are false, which are right, and which are wrong. This is because they are dishonest, and their minds are extremely complicated, full of treacherous schemes and rife with tricks. None of what they say is straightforward. They do not say one is one, two is two, yes is yes, and no is no. Instead, in all matters, they beat around the bush and think things through several times in their minds, working out the consequences, weighing the merits and drawbacks from every angle. Then, they alter what they want to say using language so that everything they say sounds quite unwieldy. Honest people never understand what they say and are easily deceived and tricked by them, and whoever speaks and communicates with such people finds the experience tiring and laborious. They never say one is one and two is two, they never say what they are thinking, and they never describe things as they are. Everything they say is unfathomable, and the goals and intentions of their actions are very complicated. If the truth gets out—if other people see through them, and catch on to them—they quickly concoct another lie to get around it. This kind of person often lies, and after lying, they have to tell more lies to sustain the lie. They deceive others to hide their intentions, and fabricate all kinds of pretexts and excuses in aid of their lies, so that it is very difficult for people to tell what’s true and what’s not, and people don’t know when they are being truthful, much less when they’re telling a lie. When they lie, they do not blush or flinch, just as if they were telling the truth. Does this not mean they are habitually lying? For example, sometimes antichrists seem on the surface to be good to others, to be considerate of them, and to speak in a warm-hearted way that sounds kind and moving. Yet even when they speak like this, no one can tell whether they are being sincere, and it always requires waiting until things happen a few days later to reveal whether they were being sincere. Antichrists always speak with certain intentions and goals, and no one can work out what it is, exactly, that they are after. Such people habitually lie and give no thought to the consequences of any of their lies. As long as their lie benefits them and is capable of hoodwinking others, as long as it can achieve their goals, they don’t care what the consequences are. As soon as they are exposed, they will continue to conceal, to lie, to trick. The principle and method by which these people comport themselves and deal with the world is tricking people with lies. They are two-faced and speak to suit their audience; they perform whatever role the situation demands. They are smooth and slick, their mouths are filled with lies, and they are untrustworthy. Whoever is in contact with them for a while is misled or disturbed and cannot receive provision, help, or edification. No matter if the words from such people’s mouths are nasty or nice, or reasonable or absurd, or in accord or disaccord with humanity, or coarse or civilized, they are essentially all falsehoods, adulterated words, and lies.

Among that class of people who are antichrists, habitual lying is one of their chief attributes. Through their language, through the way they speak, their manner of expression, the meaning in their words and the intention behind them, one sees that these people lack normal humanity, that they do not possess the standards for humanity of honest people. Antichrists habitually lie. Their lies and deceit are much more serious than in most people; this is not a run-of-the-mill corrupt disposition, but has already become the loss of conscience and reason and the total absence of humanity. In essence, these people are demons; demons often lie and deceive people in this way, nothing they say is true. When most people lie, they have to fabricate the lie, they have to give it careful thought; but an antichrist doesn’t have to fabricate anything, or give it any thought: They open their mouths and out it comes—and before you know it, you’ve been taken in. Their lies and deception are such that it may take people who are slow to react two or three days to figure things out; only then do they realize what this person meant. People who do not understand the truth are incapable of discernment. Antichrists habitually lie: What do you think of this character of theirs? Clearly, it is not something that is part of normal humanity. Is there not something demonic to this? To be precise, it is a demonic nature. Habitually lying, telling lies, and deceiving people: are these ways of doing things learned in school, or the result of the influence of their family? Neither. These things are their inherent nature, they were born with these things. When parents educate their children, no one teaches their child to lie and deceive from a young age, nor does anyone force them to lie or deceive, yet there are still children who tell nothing but lies when they grow up, who keep a straight face no matter what lies they tell, and never feel regretful, tormented, or ill at ease in their conscience about the lies they have told; these children, instead, think themselves very clever, highly intelligent, they feel happy, proud, and secretly gleeful that they are able to fool and deceive others using lies and other tactics. This is their inherent nature. This is how antichrists naturally are. It is their nature essence to habitually lie. Although they often take part in gatherings, and listen to sermons and fellowships, antichrists never reflect on or try to know themselves, and no matter how many lies they’ve told to trick others, they feel no reproach from their conscience, much less do they actively try to seek out the truth for a solution—which proves that in essence, antichrists are disbelievers. No matter how many doctrines they are able to lecture people with, they never apply these doctrines to themselves, they never dissect themselves, and no matter how many lies they tell or people they trick, they never open up about it, but instead pretend, and put up a front, and never have the courage to admit in front of others that they are deceitful people. Apart from this, they keep lying and deceiving people as and when they feel the need to. Is this not their nature? It is, and there is no way to change it. This nature is not the expression of normal humanity; properly speaking, it is a demonic nature, it is the disposition of Satan, such people are devils, they are demons incarnate.

The first manifestation of the character of antichrists is habitual lying, which we’ll categorize as a demonic nature. The manifestation of this demonic nature is that regardless of when or where, no matter the occasion or with whom they interact, the words that such people say are akin to what the serpent and demons say—unworthy of trust. One must be especially cautious and discerning with such people, not hastily believing the words of demons. The specific manifestation of their habitual lying is that lies just roll off their tongues; the words they speak cannot withstand deliberation, analysis, or discernment. They can lie at any time, and they believe that in all matters they cannot say anything truthful, that everything they say must be a lie. Even if you ask them about their age, they consider this, thinking, “What do they mean asking about my age? If I say I’m old, will they look down on me and not cultivate me? If I say I’m young, will they look down on me, saying I lack experience? How should I respond?” Even with such a simple matter, they can still lie and refuse to tell you the truth, even turning the question back on you and asking, “What do you think?” You say, “Fifty years old?” “Close.” “Forty-five?” “Getting warmer.” Do they provide you with an accurate answer? Through their responses, do you know how old they are? (No.) That is habitual lying.

There is another manifestation of antichrists habitually lying, that is, they even lie while bearing witness. Bearing false witness is a cursed act that offends God’s disposition. Even in the matter of bearing witness, they dare to engage in fabrication, lies, and trickery, which really shows their reckless disregard for consequences and their unchanging nature! When they see that others bear witness based on experience and understanding while they can’t, they copy them, saying whatever other people say and fabricating the same experiences that others have had. If they don’t understand something as others do, they claim they do. If they lack such experiences, understanding, and enlightenment, they insist that they possess them. Even if God hasn’t disciplined them, they insist that He has. Even in this matter they can lie and counterfeit, showing no concern or interest regardless of how severe the consequences may be. Isn’t this habitual lying? Furthermore, people like this will trick anyone. Some may wonder, “In any case, antichrists are still people: Wouldn’t they refrain from tricking those closest to them, those who have helped them, or those who have shared hardships with them? Wouldn’t they avoid tricking family members?” Saying that they habitually lie implies that they can trick anyone, even their parents, children, and, of course, their brothers and sisters. In matters both great and small they can trick people, even in matters where they should speak truthfully, where doing so wouldn’t carry any consequences or affect them in any way, and where there isn’t any need to apply wisdom. They also trick people and use lies to resolve small matters that to outsiders do not warrant lying, where it would be simple, no trouble at all, for them to speak straightforwardly. Isn’t this habitual lying? Habitual lying can be said to be one of the primary manifestations of devils and Satan. From this perspective, can’t we say that the humanity of antichrists is not only dishonest, but also marked by habitually lying, making it unreliable? (Yes, we can.) If such individuals commit a wrongdoing, then shed tears after being pruned and criticized by the brothers and sisters, claiming on the surface to be indebted to God, and promising future repentance, do you dare believe them? (No.) Why not? The most compelling evidence is that they habitually lie! Even if they outwardly repent, weep bitterly, beat their chests, and swear, do not believe them, because they are shedding crocodile tears, tears to trick people. The sad and remorseful words they utter are not heartfelt; they are expedient tactics designed to gain people’s trust through fraudulent means. In front of people, they weep bitterly, admit fault, swear, and make their position known. However, those who have a good relationship with them in private, those whom they relatively trust, report a different story. While publicly admitting fault and swearing to change their ways may seem genuine on the surface, what they say behind the scenes proves that what they said before was not true but false, designed to pull the wool over more people’s eyes. What will they say behind the scenes? Will they acknowledge that what they said before was false? No, they won’t. They will spread negativity, present arguments, and justify themselves. This justification and arguing confirms that their admissions, repentance, and oaths were all false, meant to trick people. Can such individuals be trusted? Isn’t this habitual lying? They can even fabricate confessions, falsely shed tears and pledge to change their ways, and even their swearing is a lie. Isn’t this a demonic nature? Even if they were to say, “I only understand this much; the rest I do not know, and I seek God’s enlightenment and hope for the help of the brothers and sisters in order to gradually gain understanding,” this would be an honest attitude and statement. However, antichrists absolutely cannot utter such truthful words. They feel that, “Speaking truthfully would make people look down on me: I would lose face and would feel degraded—wouldn’t my prestige be completely forfeited? Who am I? Can I admit defeat? Even if I don’t understand, I must pretend to understand very well; I must trick people and solidify my position in their hearts first.” Isn’t this a manifestation of antichrists? From the source and way in which antichrists speak, as well as the words that they utter, it is clear that such people will never be honest; it is beyond them. Because habitual lying is inherent to their character, they want to trick people and conceal matters in everything, not wanting anyone to know or see the true facts or actual situation. Their innermost being is terribly dark. This aspect of antichrists’ character can be reliably defined as lacking humanity and possessing a demonic nature. Lies slide effortlessly off their tongues, without thought, to the extent that they don’t even say anything true when they talk in their sleep—it is all trickery, all lies. This is habitual lying.

The character of antichrists is devoid of honesty. Even when they are not speaking, in their hearts they are contemplating how to trick, hoodwink, and mislead people—whom to mislead, what to say when they want to mislead them, what methods to use to start the conversation, and which examples to use to make people believe. Regardless of what they say or think, they do not harbor an honest attitude, honest opinions, or honest thoughts in their hearts. Every moment of their lives, every second, is spent in a state of wanting to trick and play with people. Every second and moment they are thinking about how to trick, how to mislead, and how to hoodwink others, with these thoughts occupying all of their minds and innermost hearts. Isn’t this their nature? Can people like this understand the truth when they hear sermons or read the words of God? Even if they understand, can they put it into practice? (No.) Judging from their innermost hearts and character, such individuals are definitely not recipients of salvation, because everything they love and think about in their minds and inner worlds is infused with a demonic nature, going against the truth and positive things, without a single part that is commendable. So, is the trait of habitual lying in the humanity of antichrists certain? (Yes.) People who habitually lie do not practice any truth. What are the consequences of this? What are the specific manifestations of someone who does not practice any truth? Can they act recklessly? Can they be arbitrary and a law unto themselves? Can they establish independent kingdoms? Can they squander offerings? Can they mislead people? Can they win over people’s hearts? They can do all of these. This is a typical antichrist—they habitually lie. When the facts are exposed, no matter how many pairs of eyes are watching them, no matter how many people collectively testify and expose them, they refuse to admit it. In the end, they resort to one tactic to deal with you, claiming that they have forgotten and feigning ignorance. At this point, in this situation, they cannot speak a single truthful word, nor can they nod and admit it, saying, “It was me, I was wrong, I will change next time, and will definitely not commit the same mistake again.” This is an antichrist, never admitting guilt, never speaking a truthful word at any time. Can they be saved with such humanity? Can they attain the truth? Absolutely not. Even if they understand the truth, they cannot attain it because they reject, resist, and oppose the truth. At the most basic level of speaking honestly and admitting one’s mistakes, they cannot even practice this most simple truth or put it into action. How can they be expected to let go of their status, let go of their prospects and destiny, and let go of their own intentions? Can they let go of them and rebel against them? They are even less able to do so. If they cannot even say one true thing, then expecting them to do something more difficult than this is even more unrealistic.

Do you have people who habitually lie around you? Some might say, “I haven’t encountered someone who habitually lies yet, but I feel like I might be one myself.” Let Me tell you the truth; you are in a dangerous situation. Do people who habitually lie retain any trace of humanity? Are they any different from demons? Do any of you habitually lie? Suppose that, regardless of the environment or background, no matter what happens, lies come so naturally to a person, without their face reddening or their heart beating faster, and they can handle and resolve it all with lies. When comporting themselves and dealing with the world, and in every aspect of life, as long as there is an opportunity to speak, everything they say is a lie, not a single sentence is true. All of it carries intentions and purposes and is accompanied by the schemes of Satan. This is not someone who is honest. Being able to lie in any situation, even with one’s head on the chopping block—isn’t this someone who is beyond hope? Judging by the various manifestations of habitual lying in antichrists, their lies are just too numerous. The purpose of their speech is to trick, mislead, and hoodwink people. All their words are filled with the schemes and intentions of Satan, lacking any manifestation of honesty belonging to normal humanity. It can be said that antichrists completely lack the trait of honesty that is a part of normal humanity. People who lack honesty and are capable of habitually lying are categorized as having a demonic nature—they are demons. Such people are not easily saved, because they do not accept the truth and find it challenging to accept it.

B. Insidious and Ruthless

Apart from habitual lying, what other manifestations do antichrists have? We just fellowshipped about the essential qualities of kindness and sincerity in normal humanity, and it’s quite evident that antichrists lack these qualities entirely. Whatever is inherent in normal humanity is definitely absent in antichrists; all that they possess are things contrary to normal humanity, negative things. So, what is contrary to kindness and sincerity? (Insidiousness and ruthlessness.) Exactly, you’ve spoken very accurately—it’s insidiousness and ruthlessness. Antichrists lack traits like kindness and sincerity, and instead, they possess insidious and ruthless elements contrary to kindness and sincerity. Is there a connection between being insidious and ruthless and habitually lying we discussed earlier? (Yes.) There is a certain connection. How do antichrists manifest their insidiousness and ruthlessness? (In their ability to fabricate lies and frame others.) Fabricating lies and framing others involve both habitually lying and being insidious and ruthless; these two traits are closely linked. For example, if they commit a misdeed and don’t want to take responsibility, they create an illusory appearance, tell lies, and make people believe it was someone else’s doing, not their own. They shift the blame onto someone else, making them bear the consequences. This is not only wicked and vile, but it is even more insidious and ruthless. What are some other manifestations of antichrists’ insidiousness and ruthlessness? (They can torment, attack, and retaliate against people.) Being able to torment people is ruthless. Anyone who poses a threat to their status, reputation, or prestige, or anyone who is unfavorable to them, they will go to great lengths to attack and retaliate against them. Sometimes, they may even use others to harm people—this is insidiousness and ruthlessness. In short, the phrase “insidious and ruthless” indicates that antichrists are particularly malicious. The way they treat and interact with people is not based on conscience, and they don’t live in harmony on equal standing with them; instead, at every turn they seek to exploit, control, and manipulate others for their own use. Their approach to interacting with others is not normal or straightforward; instead, they use certain means and methods to mislead people, exploit them, and weaponize them subtly, without their awareness. In their treatment of anyone, regardless of whether it appears good or bad on the surface, there is no sincerity whatsoever. They draw near to those whom they find useful and distance themselves from those they deem useless, not paying any attention to them. Even toward relatively guileless or vulnerable individuals, they think up ways to use various means and methods to mislead and ensnare them, making them useful to themselves. But when people are weak, in difficulty, or in need of assistance, antichrists simply turn a blind eye and are indifferent to them. They never show love or offer help to such people; on the contrary, they tend to bully, mislead, and even think of ways to exploit them all the more. If they are unable to exploit them, they cast them aside, and show no love or sympathy for them—is there any trace of kindness in this? Is this not a manifestation of malice? The method and philosophy with which antichrists interact with people is to use schemes and strategies to exploit and trick people, making people unable to see through them, yet willing to slave away for them and be always at their beck and call. They can bully and torment those who discern them and can no longer be exploited by them. They can even casually assign blame to those people, causing the brothers and sisters to abandon them, and then they expel those people or clear them out. In short, antichrists are insidious and ruthless, utterly devoid of kindness and sincerity. They never genuinely help others, displaying no sympathy or love when others face difficulties. In their interactions, they scheme for their own benefit and advantage. Regardless of who approaches them or seeks help in difficulty, they are always making calculations about that person, thinking in their hearts: “If I help this person, what use can I derive from them in the future? Can they help me? Can they be of use to me? What can I gain from them?” Isn’t it selfish and vile for them to always be thinking about these matters? (Yes, it is.) In church elections, what methods will antichrists employ? (They will disparage others and elevate themselves, bringing down those better than them.) Disparaging others and elevating themselves is also insidious and ruthless. Antichrists may also use small favors to draw people in and boast about their contributions in order to garner esteem and secure votes. What else? (They cannot impartially and objectively evaluate candidates; they will inject their own bias and their own prejudice.) This involves fabricating lies to slander others. Quite a few specific manifestations of antichrists being insidious and ruthless have been fellowshipped previously. Insidious means having a wealth of schemes, and their principle for comporting themselves, dealing with the world, and doing anything is to rely on strategy—devoid of sincerity, with falseness and trickery. Ruthlessness mainly pertains to the ruthlessness and cruelty in their methods of action, showing no mercy, lacking human feeling, causing harm to others, and they are willing to achieve their aims at the cost of hurting anyone—this is ruthlessness, and it is in direct opposition to human kindness. If a person possesses kindness in their humanity, then when faced with ordinary matters, they will be lenient toward others wherever they can, and they will forgive people. A person like this is tolerant of other people’s issues and faults, not nitpicky, and gets by when they can. Additionally, they are compassionate and, whenever they see others going through difficulties, they are willing to help, finding joy in helping others and considering the edification of others as a personal responsibility—this is kindness. Do antichrists possess this trait? (No.) They believe, “If you’re in difficulty and I help you, there’s a price to pay. If I give you benefits, what’s in it for me? If I sympathize with you, who will sympathize with me? If I help you, will you remember my goodness? If you’re asking me to sacrifice myself in order to help you, you must be dreaming! What’s the relationship between us? What benefit can you give me? Have you ever helped me before? Who are you? Are you worth helping? If you were the king’s daughter or a wealthy person’s son, then maybe helping you would bring me some glory or profit. But you are none of that. Why should I help you? What benefits do I get from helping you?” This is how they think when they see someone in difficulty, someone weak, or someone in need of help. Is this kind? When these people see someone in a weak state, not only do they mock and ridicule them, but they also make calculations in their hearts. Some even see this as an opportunity to showcase themselves or win over that person’s heart. None of this is kind. Antichrists often take advantage of such opportunities to showcase themselves. They won’t act unless there is profit involved, unless they have an aim and a motivation. If they help someone out, they want to gain them as an ally. If they help and sympathize with two people, they want to gain a pair of allies, to gain two right-hand men. Otherwise, they won’t lift a finger, and they certainly won’t show love to those in need of assistance.

The primary manifestation of the antichrists’ insidiousness and ruthlessness is that there is a particularly clear aim to everything they do. The first thing they think about is their own interests; and their methods are despicable, crude, sordid, base, and shady. There is no sincerity in the way they do things, and in the way they treat people and the principles by which they treat them. The way they treat people is to take advantage of them and toy with them, and when people are no longer of useful value to them, they toss them away. If you have useful value to them, they pretend to care about you: “How have you been? Have you had any difficulties? I can help you solve your difficulties. Tell me if you have any problems. I’m here for you. How lucky we are to have such a good relationship!” They seem so attentive. Yet if a day comes when you no longer have any useful value to them, they will abandon you, they will toss you to one side and ignore you, as if they’d never even met you before. When you really do have a problem and go looking for them for help, their attitude suddenly changes, their words are no longer as nice-sounding as when they first promised to help you—and why is this? It is because you have no useful value to them. Consequently, they stop paying any attention to you. And that’s not all: If they find out you have done something wrong or find something they can use as leverage, they become coldly cynical toward you, and may even condemn you. What do you think of this method? Is it a manifestation of kindness and sincerity? When antichrists manifest this kind of insidiousness and ruthlessness in their behavior toward others, is there any trace of humanity involved? Do they have the slightest sincerity toward people? Absolutely not. Everything they do is for their own profit, pride, and reputation, to give themselves status and renown among others. Of everyone they meet, if they can take advantage of them, they will. Those they can’t take advantage of, they disdain and pay no heed to; even if you take it upon yourself to approach them, they ignore you, and don’t even look at you. But if a day comes when they need you, their attitude toward you suddenly changes, and they become very attentive and amiable, which baffles you. Why has their attitude toward you changed? (Because you now have useful value to them.) That’s right: When they see that you have useful value, their attitude changes. Do you have such people around you? When these people interact with others, it’s not readily apparent that they are doing anything obviously bad. From their daily expressions, speech, and behavior, there also doesn’t seem to be any obvious issues. However, if you carefully observe how they interact with people, especially how they interact with those closest to them and those dearest to them, if you see how they exploit others and how they treat them afterward, then through this you can observe the intentions, attitudes, and methods of antichrists in their interactions with others. They are all seeking personal gain alone, living by the philosophy of Satan, and devoid of any normal humanity.

Antichrists possess traits such as insidiousness and ruthlessness in their humanity. Can they get along with those who are honest, kind, and sincere in their dealings with people and things? Are they willing to draw near to such people? (No, they aren’t.) How do they view these people? They say, “These people are all big fools, and their speech is so direct. You should think carefully before speaking—why do you speak so truthfully? Why is your speech always so plain?” These people are pitifully foolish to antichrists, and antichrists look down on them. When these people see someone who is kind and who treats people sincerely, these people genuinely help that person when they experience difficulties and are in need of assistance, and these people hope for that person’s well-being and wish to provide that person with benefits, assistance, and edification—antichrists consider these people foolish and stupid. Antichrists do not believe that these positive elements of humanity are good or beautiful things that people should possess. Instead, in their hearts, they feel loathing, repulsion, and disdain toward these traits essential to normal humanity. They call honest people foolish; they say the same for kind people, and even more so for sincere people. Those who believe in God with relative honesty, and who do their duties with relative honesty, who have a kind heart and never hurt or harm other people, who love and sympathize with others, who can forsake their own profits and conquer their own difficulties to help others, who feel burdened and responsible when they see those who are weak and in need of assistance—antichrists harbor even more disdain for these people deep down. Concerning those who are relatively sincere in their faith in God, who have a God-fearing heart, who accept God’s scrutiny in all things, who are capable of doing their duties with sincerity, loyalty, and responsibility, and those who approach their duties with a sincere attitude—antichrists disdain and hate such individuals deep down, noticeably avoiding them and distancing themselves from them on the outside. In the eyes of antichrists, all these positive elements that are essential to normal humanity are not anything positive: They are not worthy of praise or promotion. Instead, antichrists believe that their own schemes, strategies, inner ways of dealing with people, and cruelty are commendable. At all times, no matter what they do, they are contemplating and refining their methods and schemes in their minds. Regardless of the scale of the matter, they believe it is worthwhile and necessary to act in this way; otherwise, it would result in losses and damage to their reputation. Given that these elements exist in the humanity of antichrists, can they accept the truth? Can they practice the truth? Absolutely not. No matter how you emphasize honesty, kindness, and other positive things, requiring people to possess these aspects and treat people, treat their duties, and deal with various matters in accordance with this positive humanity, deep within the hearts of antichrists, there is rejection, disdain, and hostility toward these things. Why? Because antichrists are completely devoid of these positive things; what they possess in their essence is a character of insidiousness and ruthlessness that belongs to a demonic nature. Is there distance between this character and being honest, kind, and sincere, as God requires? Not only is there distance between the two, but they are precisely the opposite of each other—two characters distinct in nature. Does any of the manifestations and revelations of antichrists’ insidiousness and ruthlessness align with normal humanity? Does it align with the truth? Certainly not; it is all the plots and schemes of Satan. The nature that is manifested by Satan’s plots and schemes is precisely insidious and ruthless, elements that should not exist in normal humanity as required by God. Based on the various manifestations of insidiousness and ruthlessness that have been fellowshipped about, consider whether there are people around you who possess such humanity. Antichrists, with this insidious and ruthless character, would undoubtedly be able to take action. Their actions would be visible, audible, and accessible to others. If they are accessible, people should have a sense of them and be able to recognize and discern such individuals. The insidious and ruthless character of antichrists should be a pretty common and obvious manifestation. It is not a hidden idea, thought, or intention, but rather their revealed humanity and the methods, means, and strategies of their actions. People should be able to perceive this aspect.

C. Without a Sense of Honor and Heedless of Shame

There is simplicity in normal humanity, but are antichrists simple people? Obviously not. The insidiousness, ruthlessness, and habitual lying we just fellowshipped about run counter to simplicity. Simplicity is easy to understand, so we won’t fellowship on it. Let’s fellowship about having a sense of honor. Having a sense of honor is something that should be present in normal humanity; it means having reason. What is the opposite term to having a sense of honor? (Heedless of shame.) The meaning of being heedless of shame is to be unabashed. In other words, it can be summarized as lacking a sense of honor. What actions do antichrists take, and what specific manifestations or practices show that they lack a sense of honor and are heedless of shame? Antichrists openly vie with God for status, which lacks a sense of honor and is heedless of shame. Only antichrists can openly contend with God for status and His chosen people. Regardless of whether people are willing or not, antichrists want to control them. Regardless of whether they have the capability, antichrists want to strive for status, and after obtaining it, they live off the church, and eat and drink from God’s chosen people, letting God’s chosen people support them without doing anything themselves. They do not provide life for God’s chosen people at all, and yet want to bring them under their power, making them listen to, serve, and slave away for them, and they want to establish their own position in people’s hearts. If you speak well of others, if you praise God’s great kindness, grace, blessings, and almightiness, they feel unhappy and displeased. They always want you to speak highly of them, to have a place for them in your heart, to revere and look up to them, and it must be unadulterated. Everything you do must be for them and in consideration of them. You must place them at the forefront at every turn, in everything you say and do, taking their thoughts and feelings into account. Isn’t this lacking a sense of honor and being heedless of shame? Don’t antichrists act like this? (Yes, they do.) What other manifestations are there? They steal and squander offerings, appropriating God’s offerings for themselves. This also lacks a sense of honor and is heedless of shame—it’s too obvious!

Speaking of stealing offerings, there happened one particular incident. Some brothers and sisters offered items which were passed on to a certain church, and the person in charge of safeguarding the offerings noticed that there were two bottles without labels saying they were intended for the Above, and with no specific instructions. Not knowing what they were, this person kept them without permission and didn’t pass them on to the Above. Later, when I asked if he had those items, he said he had two bottles. I asked how come he had them ready made, and he explained the situation, “Because these two bottles came without labels indicating what they were or that they were for the above, we kept them here. If they were labeled as something we had a use for, we would keep and use them. If they could be sold, we would sell them.” What do you think the issue is here? Some valuable goods are transferred here from various places, some with instructions and many without instructions or labels. Under normal circumstances, if you use rational analysis, to whom should these items be given? (They should be given to God as offerings.) People with normal rationality should think this way. However, someone said, “These things haven’t been labeled that they are for the above.” Implicitly, that person meant to say, “They’re not for you. What do they have to do with you? Since they aren’t labeled for you, I have the right to handle them. I won’t give them to you. If I want to sell them, I’ll sell them. If I want to use them, I’ll use them. If I don’t want to use them or sell them, I’ll just leave them there and waste them!” This was the viewpoint of the person in charge. What do you think of this viewpoint? Are there people who bring these valuable items from afar to the church or give them to individuals without specifying to whom? (No.) Who would exhibit such a great store of love to give valuable items to the church, to the house of God, or to the brothers and sisters? To this day, I haven’t seen anyone with such great love, or anyone who gives such an offering or charity. Even for ordinary and inexpensive items, you have to pay for them. So, regarding these valuable goods, is there anyone who casually gives them away for free? (No.) Although the people who sent these items didn’t specify who they were for, people should know who is meant to receive them; this is a rationality that should be present in humanity. How should the person in charge handle this matter? How should he deal with these items? At the very least, he should ask the Above, “Do You want these items? If not, how should we handle them?” Just with these two questions, the issue could have been resolved; these two questions would indicate that a person’s character possessed normal rationality. But the person in charge of safeguarding offerings couldn’t even ask these two simple questions, nor did he possess the most essential rationality that a person should. How come he believed that these things were for the church? He even added another statement: “They aren’t labeled for the above.” Isn’t this a problem? What does “They aren’t labeled for the above” imply? Why did he add this statement? (To find a reason for his casually squandering God’s offerings.) That’s exactly it. Can a person who does such things really possess a sense of honor in their humanity? Clearly not. What kind of humanity does a person devoid of this character possess? Isn’t this lacking a sense of honor? Did he really not know that these were offerings? He knew that these were offerings, but because he lacked a sense of honor in his humanity, he could utter such words heedless of shame, and afterward, he could naturally and casually enjoy, seize, and squander the offerings, claiming them as his own. Only people with the humanity of antichrists display such manifestations.

Antichrists lack conscience and reason; how else do they manifest that they have no sense of honor and are heedless of shame? When they do something wrong, they do not know to feel remorse, and they harbor no guilt in their hearts. They do not contemplate how to make amends or repent, and they even believe their actions are justified. When faced with pruning or being replaced, they feel unjustly treated. They incessantly argue and engage in sophistry—this is lacking a sense of honor. They don’t do any real work; at every turn, they lecture others, and mislead people with empty theories, making others think they are spiritual and understand the truth. They also boast frequently about how much they’ve worked and suffered, saying they deserve to enjoy God’s grace and the reception and care of the brothers and sisters, thereby living off the church as a matter of course, and they also want to eat and drink delicious things and enjoy special treatment. This is being without a sense of honor and heedless of shame. Furthermore, despite clearly having poor caliber, not understanding the truth, and being unable to find the principles of practice, as well as being incapable of doing any work, they boast about being capable and good at everything. Isn’t this heedless of shame? Despite clearly being nothing, they pretend to know everything so that people esteem and look up to them. If anyone has issues but doesn’t solicit their advice, and asks other people instead, they become angry, jealous, and resentful, looking for whatever way possible to torment that person. Isn’t this being heedless of shame? It’s obvious that they often lie, have various corrupt dispositions, but they pretend that they don’t have corrupt dispositions, that they are favored and loved by God; at every turn, they pretend that they are very capable of enduring suffering, that they can submit, that they can accept the truth and pruning, that they are not afraid of hard work or criticism, and that they never complain—but in reality, they are full of resentment. Despite their obvious inability to fellowship any understanding, or to talk about any truths clearly, and their lack of experiential testimony, they engage in pretense and imposture, speaking in an empty way about their self-knowledge in order to make people view them as being very spiritual and as having a great deal of understanding. Isn’t this being heedless of shame? They clearly have numerous issues and bad humanity, they do their duty without any loyalty, and they rely solely on their own intellect and cleverness in whatever work they do, not seeking the truth at all, yet they still believe that they bear a burden, that they are very spiritual and have caliber, and that they are superior to most people. Isn’t this being heedless of shame? Aren’t these manifestations of the lack of humanity of antichrists? Don’t they frequently reveal such things? Clearly, they lack an understanding of the truth principles, and no matter what work they do, they cannot find any principles of practice, but they refuse to seek or fellowship; they rely on their own cleverness, experience, and intellect to get work done. They even wish to be a leader, to direct others, and to get everyone to listen to them, and they get angry and mad when anyone doesn’t. Isn’t this being heedless of shame? Because they have ambitions, gifts, and a bit of cleverness, they always want to stand out in the house of God, and to get God’s house to put them in important positions and cultivate them. If they are not being cultivated, they feel upset and resentful, complaining that the house of God is unfair, that it cannot recognize talented people, and that there’s no good judge of talent in God’s house to discover their exceptional abilities. If they are not being cultivated, they don’t want to work hard to do their duties, endure hardships, or pay the price; instead, they just want to employ their cunning to get out of work. In their hearts, they hope that someone in the house of God will esteem and elevate them, allowing them to surpass others and carry out their grand plans here. Aren’t these ambitions and desires? Isn’t this being heedless of shame? Isn’t this the most common manifestation of antichrists? If you truly have abilities, you should pursue the truth, focus on doing your duties well, and the chosen people of God will naturally esteem you. If you possess none of the truth and are still always wanting to stand out, that is too lacking in reason! If you also have ambitions and desires, and are always wanting to go all out, you are bound to fall. Having once possessed a certain status and prestige in society, some people want to throw their weight around, have the final say, and make everyone heed their commands after they come to believe in God and enter His house. They want to lay out their qualifications and credentials, they consider everyone to be beneath them and think they should all be subject to their power. Isn’t this being heedless of shame? It is. When some people get some results and make some contributions while doing their duties in God’s house, they always want the brothers and sisters to treat them with great respect, as elders, high-ranking individuals, and special figures. They even want people to look up to them, follow them, and listen to them. They aspire to become the leading figure in the church; they want to decide everything, to render judgment and have the final say on all matters. If no one listens to or adopts what they say, they want to abandon their post, and undermine and laugh at everybody else. Isn’t this being heedless of shame? In addition to being heedless of shame, they are particularly malicious—these are antichrists.

This manifestation of being heedless of shame in the character of antichrists is too prevalent. Most people display it to some degree, but not only do antichrists have this manifestation, they also never recognize how severe it is in nature, nor do they repent, try to know it, or rebel against it. Instead, they consider it natural, which is them refusing to accept the truth. Regardless of how heedless of shame, lacking in reason, disgusting, and detestable their behavior is, they still believe it is natural and justified. They think it reasonable, and that they deserve to lead because of their gifts and abilities, and that they ought to assert their seniority, and others ought to listen to them, because of their contributions, and they don’t see this as something that is heedless of shame. Aren’t they beyond hope? This is not normal humanity; this is the character of antichrists. Ordinary corrupt people may possess these manifestations and thoughts to a greater or lesser extent, and to varying degrees of severity, but through reading God’s words, and accepting and understanding the truth, they recognize that such things are not what normal humanity should possess. They also recognize that when such ideas, thoughts, plans, or irrational demands arise, they should rebel against them, let go of them, reverse them, learn to repent, accept the truth, and practice in accordance with the truth. What is the difference between antichrists and ordinary corrupt individuals? It lies in the fact that antichrists will never believe that their ideas, thoughts, and desires are wrong, condemned, and abhorred by God, or that they are negative things that belong to Satan. Consequently, they never let go of these thoughts or beliefs. Instead, they persist in them, they do not rebel against them, and they certainly do not accept what is right and positive, and let this become the practice they should have and the principles they should adhere to. This is the distinction between antichrists and ordinary corrupt individuals. Look around: Anyone who is this heedless of shame, but never recognizes or even has any awareness of it, is a typical antichrist.

Antichrists have another typical characteristic that is very easy for people to discern: They lack a sense of shame. Just as it is written in the Bible, “An evil man hardens his face” (Proverbs 21:29)—only antichrists are genuinely evil people. Antichrists are shameless; no matter how many things they do that are heedless of shame, insensitive to people’s feelings, and at odds with the truth, they are not aware of this, nor do they recognize it. They do not accept what is right or positive and they do not let go of their wrong viewpoints and practices; instead, they persist in them until the end. This is what antichrists are like. Which situation are you in? When you have these unreasonable demands, shameless thoughts, and intentions and ideas that God loathes, are you aware that these are detested by God and therefore able to rebel against them and let them go? Or, after hearing the truth, do you refuse to let them go, persist in them, and think that you are right? (When I am aware of them I can link them to God’s words, and feel that these thoughts are rather despicable and heedless of shame, and I am able to pray and rebel against them.) Those who can consciously pray and rebel against them are not antichrists; those who never pray or rebel against them, but follow their own thoughts, oppose God in their hearts, and refuse to accept the truth are typical antichrists. No matter how shameless the things they’ve done are, they refuse to admit or acknowledge them. Isn’t it obvious that these are people who do not accept positive things but love negative and wicked things? Are you unable to distinguish which category you fall into, or have you never had these thoughts that are heedless of shame? (I have had these thoughts, and after becoming aware of them, I have been able to pray to God and rebel against them. Sometimes I have not been aware of them, I have acted or spoken without sensing that they were heedless of shame, and only realized it later when I was exposed, then I was able to pray and rebel against them.) If you are unaware that these things are shameless, that isn’t an issue; if you are aware yet do not accept the truth or rebel against yourself, then this is a serious problem. Most of the time, you are numb, unable to make connections between this and God’s word, and unaware of what your problem is. But if you immediately feel guilty and rebuked in your heart when you become aware of it, and feel too ashamed to see anyone, and think of yourself as despicable, lowly, and of poor integrity, and so you hate and feel disgusted by yourself, then contemplate how to change and let go of these things, this is a normal situation. If you can rebel against yourself once you become aware, then you have hope of salvation. If you become aware and still don’t rebel against yourself, you have no hope of salvation. Whether a person can be saved depends on whether they can accept the truth. Some may say, “I am numb and dull-witted, with poor caliber, but as long as I understand a little of what I hear, I can practice according to God’s words and rebel against myself.” Such people can be saved. Regardless of how good one’s caliber is or how much of the truth they understand, if they do not rebel against themselves, if they insist upon not practicing or accepting the truth, and resist and oppose it in their heart, then it’s over—they are beyond hope. Being heedless of shame is also a typical feature of the character of antichrists. Look to see if there are such people around you, and then examine yourself to determine if you fall into this category—if you constantly feel that you are perfect and great, if you always consider yourself a savior, if you always aspire to be placed high above everyone else, if you are eager to compare yourself with others in any group to see how high you stand, and regardless of whether or not you can ultimately surpass other people, you desire to be outstanding, and want to be highly regarded by others, to stand out from the crowd, and become a special member of the group. What makes you special? Do you have horns growing on your head, or three eyes, or three heads and six arms? There’s nothing special about you, so why do you always feel like you stand out and that you are unique? This is being heedless of shame. In one respect, there’s nothing particularly special about your physical innate abilities, and in another respect, there’s nothing particularly special about your caliber. More importantly, you, like everyone else, are filled with corrupt dispositions, lack an understanding of the truth, and are the ilk of Satan who resists God. What is there for you to boast about? There’s clearly nothing to boast about. The bit of skills, abilities, gifts, and talents that you possess are not worth mentioning, because they do not represent normal humanity and are unrelated to positive things. Yet, you insist on bringing to the forefront things that aren’t worth mentioning, treating them as your own medals of honor, flaunting them everywhere as your glory and capital, in order to gain esteem and reverence from people, even using them as capital to get other people to provide for you, and enjoy the esteem and favorable treatment of others. Isn’t this being heedless of shame? These irrational demands, thoughts, intentions, ideas, and other such things produced by abnormal humanity and reason are all manifestations of being heedless of shame. If these manifestations of being heedless of shame dominate someone’s humanity, and become a major characteristic of theirs that prevents them from accepting and understanding the truth, this is a typical characteristic of antichrists.

Some people spend offerings to buy delicious, high-quality, and fashionable things for the brothers and sisters, claiming that they do this out of consideration for them, so that they can live happily and carefree in the house of God, and then be thankful for God’s love. What do you think of this idea? Is it quite humane? (No, it’s not. They treat God’s offerings as their own money, spending them however they want, rather than using the offerings normally and reasonably according to the principles of the house of God.) What problem of humanity is this? (Being heedless of shame.) Such individuals become typical antichrists as soon as they attain status. They use offerings to ingratiate themselves with others, saying, “The brothers and sisters lack clothing and live hard lives. They have many difficulties, and no one cares about this. I’ve noticed it, and I’ll take responsibility for it. To make things convenient for the brothers and sisters, to enable them to experience god’s warmth, god’s great love, and god’s grace while they live in his house, the house of god needs to spend some money to satisfy every aspect of their lives. Therefore, I need to put some more thought into it, and consider carefully what the brothers and sisters lack or need. Insulated cups need to be purchased so that it’s convenient for the brothers and sisters to drink water and to carry them when they go out. Chairs should be bought for the brothers and sisters: The chairs need to have soft backrests so that sitting for a long time won’t hurt their backs. Sitting in these chairs should be convenient, and they should be of the appropriate height, angle, and softness. Regardless of the cost, we should spare no expense for the brothers and sisters, as they are the pillars of the house of god and the capital and mainstay for the expansion of the work of god’s house. Therefore, taking good care of the brothers and sisters improves the work of god’s house.” The majority of brothers and sisters, upon hearing this, burst into tears, are overwhelmed with gratitude and keep on shouting that this is God’s great love. Those who handled this matter feel warm inside when they hear this, thinking, “Finally, there are people who understand my heart.” What is this? (Being heedless of shame.) How can providing such great benefits to the brothers and sisters be considered heedless of shame? Is this slander? (No, it’s not.) They are using the money of God’s house to show this generosity in order to win over people’s hearts, and pretending to show consideration and loving care for the brothers and sisters. What is their real aim? To put it lightly, it’s to enjoy these benefits along with the brothers and sisters. To put it severely, it’s to ingratiate themselves with people, ensuring that people will always remember them, have a place for them in their hearts, and recall how good they were. If they were spending their own money, would they treat the brothers and sisters the same way? (Certainly not.) Their true colors would be revealed, and they wouldn’t treat people this way. Judging by them recklessly using God’s offerings according to their own wishes, they are people who lack integrity and moral standards, they are vile and shameless people. Could they genuinely treat other people with kindness? What kind of person are they? (They are antichrists who are heedless of shame.) There is also something insidious and ruthless in this heedlessness of shame that antichrists possess and manifest in their humanity—they employ lies to achieve their personal goals. Which of the words that come from their mouths are true? While they seem to be very considerate of people, to really love them, and to spare thought for them quite a lot, behind the scenes, they are actually harboring malicious intents. They pay no prices themselves; they spend offerings, and in the end, it is the house of God that suffers losses while they themselves benefit. This is what antichrists do—not only are they heedless of shame, they are also insidious and ruthless. They are habitually lying, they lie to and trick people wherever they go, uttering not a single truthful word. This alone is disgusting, yet they further boast about being guileless, kind, good to others, loving, sympathetic, incapable of being hard-hearted toward anyone or of bringing themselves to retaliate against those who bully them. They even boast that they are perfect and decent individuals, wishing to make an image for themselves and occupy a place in people’s hearts. Is this not heedless of shame? This is the nature of antichrists; their humanity is full of such things.

Regarding those who run amok doing bad things and are heedless of shame, people can discern them somewhat, but it’s not easy to discern that antichrists are heedless of shame. I’ve seen a special manifestation of an antichrist being heedless of shame: He often acted wild and presumptuous, he lied habitually, and he had a systematic way of speaking, which was organized and well-arranged. However, when it came to handling tasks, he couldn’t finish what he started, he ran amok doing bad things, and he was bankrupt of any principles. After doing his duties in the house of God for some time, everything he did went wrong, and whatever he did was no good. The most crucial problem was that he still wanted to mislead people, to leave a good impression in their hearts, and at every turn inquired about what others thought of him and whether he was held in high regard. Eventually, when it became clear that he was consistently making mistakes in his duties and couldn’t do anything well, the house of God sent him away. He not only failed to recognize these evident manifestations, but also put up a particularly innocent front when he was sent away. What does this innocent front mean? It means that he never acknowledged his past evil actions—his lies, trickery, and his misleading of other people, as well as how he created an independent kingdom and brought the church under the control of his own family, ran amok doing bad things and acted without principles, never sought the truth, and even did as he pleased, among other evil deeds—and that he wasn’t able to recognize these evil actions of his at all. On the contrary, he believed that he had done his duty in God’s house for so many years, that he’d suffered so much, paid such a high price, spent such a long time, and given so much of his energy, and yet, in the end, he’d reached the point where he had a bad reputation and everybody looked down on him, where no one pitied him or sympathized with him, and nobody would speak up for him. Isn’t this an innocent front? What kind of humanity is this innocent front a manifestation of? (Lacking reason and being heedless of shame.) Exactly. He considered the things he did and the duties he ought to perform as his own merits. He completely denied anything he had done that wasn’t in accord with the truth principles or that was disturbing or disruptive, and, in the end, he put up an innocent front. This is being heedless of shame, and he is a typical antichrist. Have you ever encountered such individuals? Regardless of what you put them in charge of or the tasks you give them, they seek to recruit forces, establish an independent kingdom, and keep others out of the spotlight so that they can be in it. They want to surpass everyone, nothing they say to anyone is truthful, they leave those listening to them unsure which of their statements are true and which are false. When they are eventually sent away, they even perceive themselves as particularly innocent and hope someone will defend them. Do you think anyone would defend them? (No, they wouldn’t.) If someone did, they would have to be ignorant of the true facts, a dimwit, a person who was misled by them, or an individual of the same ilk as them.

D. Selfish and Vile

Antichrists have no conscience, reason, or humanity. Not only are they heedless of shame, but they have another hallmark, too: They are uncommonly selfish and vile. The literal sense of their “selfishness and vileness” is not hard to grasp: They are blind to anything but their own interests. Anything concerning their own interests gets their full attention, and they will suffer for it, pay a price, engross themselves in it, and devote themselves to it. Anything not related to their own interests they will turn a blind eye to and take no notice of; others can do as they please—antichrists don’t care if anyone is being disruptive or disturbing, and to them, this has nothing to do with them. Put tactfully, they mind their own business. But it is more accurate to say that this kind of person is vile, base, and sordid; we define them as “selfish and vile.” How does the selfishness and vileness of the antichrists manifest itself? In anything that benefits their status or reputation, they make efforts to do or say whatever is necessary, and they willingly endure any suffering. But where work arranged by God’s house is concerned, or where work that benefits the life growth of God’s chosen people is concerned, they utterly ignore it. Even when evil people disrupt, disturb, and commit all kinds of evil, thereby seriously affecting the work of the church, they remain impassive and unconcerned, as if this has nothing to do with them. And if someone discovers and reports the evil deeds of an evil person, they say they saw nothing and feign ignorance. But if someone reports them and exposes that they don’t do real work and only pursue fame, gain, and status, they see red. Meetings are hurriedly convened to discuss how to respond, investigations are held to find out who went behind their back, who the ringleader was, and who was involved. They will not eat or sleep until they have gotten to the bottom of it and the matter has been completely put to rest—they will even only feel happy once they’ve taken down everyone who was involved in reporting them. This is the manifestation of selfishness and vileness, is it not? Are they doing church work? They are acting for the sake of their own power and status, pure and simple. They are running their own operation. Regardless of what work they undertake, antichrists never give any thought to the interests of the house of God. They only consider whether their own interests will be affected, only think about the little bit of work in front of them that benefits them. For them, the primary work of the church is just something they do in their spare time. They don’t take it seriously at all. They only move when they’re prodded into action, only do what they like to do, and only do work that is for the sake of maintaining their own status and power. In their eyes, any work arranged by God’s house, the work of spreading the gospel, and the life entry of God’s chosen people are not important. No matter what difficulties other people have in their work, what issues they have identified and reported to them, how sincere their words are, the antichrists pay no heed, they do not get involved, it’s as if this has nothing to do with them. No matter how major the problems emerging in the church’s work are, they are utterly indifferent. Even when a problem is right in front of them, they only address it perfunctorily. Only when they are directly pruned by the Above and ordered to sort out a problem will they grudgingly do a little real work and give the Above something to see; soon after, they will continue with their own business. When it comes to the work of the church, to the important things of the wider context, they are disinterested in and disregard these things. They even ignore the problems they discover, and they give perfunctory answers or hem and haw when asked about problems, only addressing them with great reluctance. This is the manifestation of selfishness and vileness, is it not? What’s more, no matter what duty antichrists are doing, all they think about is whether it will allow them to step into the limelight; as long as it will boost their reputation, they rack their brains to come up with a way to learn how to do it, to carry it out; all they care about is whether it will set them apart. No matter what they do or think, they are only concerned with their own fame, gain, and status. No matter what duty they are doing, they only compete over who is higher or lower, who wins and who loses, who has the bigger reputation. They only care about how many people worship and look up to them, how many people obey them, and how many followers they have. They never fellowship the truth or solve real problems. They never consider how to do things according to principle when doing their duty, nor do they reflect on whether they have been loyal, have fulfilled their responsibilities, whether there have been deviations or oversights in their work, or if any problems exist, much less do they give thought to what God asks, and what God’s intentions are. They pay not the slightest attention to all these things. They only put their head down and do things for the sake of fame, gain, and status, to satisfy their own ambitions and desires. This is the manifestation of selfishness and vileness, is it not? This fully exposes how their hearts brim with their own ambitions, desires, and senseless demands; everything they do is governed by their ambitions and desires. No matter what they do, the motivation and source is their own ambitions, desires, and senseless demands. This is the archetypal manifestation of selfishness and vileness.

Some leaders don’t do any real work; in order to report to the Above, and in order to avoid pruning and dismissal, and to secure their own status, they go to great lengths with the brothers and sisters, making them render service for them. In their work, they speak only words and doctrines, not fellowshipping on the truth principles, resolving actual issues, helping others with a loving heart, or considering other people’s difficulties, and never addressing the real difficulties people face while doing their duties and in their life entry. They do not support anyone who is negative. Besides suppression and rebuke, they only speak doctrines and shout their slogans. What is their aim? They are not considerate of God’s burden, but they wish instead to exploit the outcome of the duties that the brothers and sisters perform, in order to embellish themselves and secure their status. If the brothers and sisters show good results in the performance of duty, they are pleased. They take credit in front of the Above, inwardly praising their own virtue and thinking they have done their duties quite well. Additionally, they report to the Above about the many difficulties they encountered while doing this work, how God opened a way out for them, how they led the brothers and sisters to work hard together and overcome these difficulties, how they helped them complete this work, how they adhered to the principles, and how they cleared out evil people. They also make a point to highlight the price they paid and the contributions they made in their work, letting the Above know that it was due to their own efforts that the job was done well. Implicitly, they are telling the Above, “My leadership lives up to its name, and you made the right choice in selecting me as leader.” Isn’t this a manifestation of being selfish and vile? People who manifest a humanity of being selfish and vile often have a few catchphrases. For instance, after it is arranged for them to lead a church, they always say, “At my church, our church life is so good, so wonderful. My brothers and sisters have had a wonderful and deep life entry, all with life experiences. Look at how they love god, and at how well our work is done.” These are the catchphrases of antichrists. Judging by their catchphrases, it’s apparent that they treat the brothers and sisters in the church they are responsible for as their own sheep, considering everything in the church they control as their private property. Isn’t this heedless of shame? Why is it heedless of shame? Any manifestation of selfishness and vileness arises from being heedless of shame. Therefore, being selfish and vile is being heedless of shame. These people who exhibit manifestations of selfishness and vileness are definitely heedless of shame. When entrusted with leadership and being responsible over a church, leading God’s chosen people to perform their duties, and doing specific work, they treat these things as their own private property. No one can intervene; they have the final say in everything. Antichrists consider God’s chosen people, the church’s work, and the church’s facilities and property as their own private property. This, in itself, is problematic: They aim to seize the assets of God’s house and dominate God’s chosen people. Moreover, they view these things as capital for competing with others, not even balking at selling out the interests of God’s house and harming God’s chosen people. Do you think antichrists possess conscience and reason? Do they have a place for God in their hearts? Do they have a heart of fearing and submitting to God? Not at all. Therefore, calling antichrists Satan’s lackeys or demons on earth is by no means an exaggeration. There is no God or church in the heart of an antichrist, and they certainly have no regard for God’s chosen people. Tell Me, where the brothers and sisters exist, and where God works, how can such places not be called God’s house? In what way are they not churches? But antichrists only think about things within their own sphere of influence. They don’t care about or concern themselves with other places. Even if they discover a problem, they don’t pay attention to it. What’s worse is that when something goes wrong in a certain place and causes losses to the work of the church, they don’t pay attention to it. When asked why they ignore it, they offer up absurd fallacies, saying, “Do not comment on what is not your concern.” Their words sound rational, they seem to understand boundaries in what they do, and they seem to have no outward problems, but what is the essence? It is their selfishness and vileness made manifest. They only do things for themselves, only for their own fame, gain, and status. They are not doing their duties at all. This is another archetypal characteristic of antichrists—they are selfish and vile.

The essence of the antichrists’ selfishness and vileness is obvious; their manifestations of this kind are particularly prominent. The church entrusts them with a piece of work, and if it brings renown and benefits, and lets them show their face, they are very interested, and willing to accept it. If it is work that is thankless or involves offending people, or won’t allow them to show their face or it is of no benefit to their fame, gain, or status, they have no interest, and will not accept it, as if this work has nothing to do with them, and is not the work they ought to be doing. When they encounter difficulties, there is no chance that they will seek the truth to solve them, much less try to see the bigger picture and give any consideration to the work of the church. For example, within the scope of the work of God’s house, based on overall work needs, there may be some personnel transfers. If a few people are transferred from a church, what would be the sensible way for that church’s leaders to treat the issue? What is the problem if they are concerned only with their own church’s interests, rather than the overall interests, and if they are absolutely unwilling to transfer those people? Why, as a church leader, are they unable to submit to the centralized arrangements of God’s house? Is such a person considerate of God’s intentions? Are they attentive to the work’s big picture? If they do not think of the work of God’s house as a whole, but only of their own church’s interests, are they not very selfish and vile? Church leaders should unconditionally submit to the sovereignty and arrangements of God, and to the centralized arrangements and coordination of God’s house. This is what accords with the truth principles. When required by the work of God’s house, no matter who they are, everyone should submit to the coordination and arrangements of God’s house, and absolutely should not be controlled by any individual leader or worker as if they belong to them or are subject to their decisions. The obedience of God’s chosen people to the centralized arrangements of the house of God is perfectly natural and justified, and these arrangements may not be defied by anyone, unless an individual leader or worker makes an arbitrary transfer that is not in accordance with principle, in which case this arrangement may be disobeyed. If a normal transfer is made in accordance with the principles, then all of God’s chosen people should obey, and no leader or worker has the right or any reason to try to control anyone. Would you say there is any work that is not the work of the house of God? Is there any work that does not involve the expansion of God’s kingdom gospel? It is all the work of God’s house, each work is equal, and there is no “yours” and “mine.” If the transfer is in line with principle and based on the requirements of church work, then these people should go where they are needed most. And yet, what is the antichrists’ response when faced with this kind of situation? They find various pretexts and excuses to keep these suitable people by their side, and they only offer two ordinary people, and then find some pretext to turn the screws on you, either saying how work is so busy, or that they’re short-handed, people are hard to find, and if these two are transferred, work will take a hit. And they ask you what they are supposed to do, and make you feel that having people transferred would mean you owe them. Is this not the way devils operate? This is how the nonbelievers do things. People who always try and protect their own interests in the church—are they good people? Are they people who act according to principle? Absolutely not. They are nonbelievers and disbelievers. And is this not selfish and vile? If someone of good caliber is transferred from under an antichrist to do another duty, in their heart the antichrist doggedly resists and rejects it—they want to call it quits, and have no enthusiasm for being a leader or group head. What problem is this? Why do they have no obedience toward the arrangements of the church? They think the transfer of their “right-hand man” will impact the results and progress of their work, and that their status and reputation will be consequently affected, which will force them to work harder and suffer more to guarantee results—which is the last thing they want to do. They have grown used to comfort, and don’t want to work harder or suffer more, so they don’t want to let the person go. If the house of God insists on the transfer, they complain a lot and even want to throw up their own work. Is this not selfish and vile? God’s chosen people should be centrally allocated by the house of God. This has nothing to do with any leader, group head, or individual. Everyone must act according to principle; this is the rule of God’s house. Antichrists do not act according to the principles of God’s house, they constantly scheme for the sake of their own status and interests, and make brothers and sisters of good caliber serve them in order to consolidate their power and status. Is this not selfish and vile? Outwardly, keeping people of good caliber by their side and not allowing them to be transferred by the house of God appears as if they are thinking of church work, but in fact they are only thinking of their own power and status, and not about the work of the church at all. They are afraid that they will do the church work poorly, be replaced, and lose their status. Antichrists give no thought to the wider work of God’s house, think only of their own status, protect their own status with no compunction for the cost to the interests of the house of God, and defend their own status and interests to the detriment of the church’s work. This is selfish and vile. When faced with such a situation, at the very least one must think with their conscience: “These people are all of the house of God, they are not my personal property. I, too, am a member of the house of God. What right do I have to stop the house of God from transferring people? I should consider the overall interests of the house of God, instead of just concentrating on the work within the scope of my own responsibilities.” Such are the thoughts that should be found in people who are possessed of conscience and reason, and the reason that should be possessed by those who believe in God. God’s house engages in the work of the whole and the churches are engaged in the work of parts. Therefore, when God’s house has a special need from the church, what’s most important for leaders and workers is to obey the arrangements of God’s house. False leaders and antichrists are not possessed of such conscience and reason. They are all quite selfish, they only think of themselves, and they do not think of the work of the church. They only consider the benefits before their very eyes, they do not consider the wider work of God’s house, and so they are absolutely incapable of obeying the arrangements of God’s house. They are extremely selfish and vile! In the house of God, they are even bold enough to be obstructive, and even dare to dig their heels in; these are the people most lacking in humanity, they are evil people. That is the kind of people the antichrists are. They always treat the church’s work, and the brothers and sisters, and even all the assets of God’s house that fall within their scope of responsibility, as their own private property. They believe that it is up to them how these things are distributed, transferred, and used, and that the house of God is not allowed to intervene. Once they are in their hands, it is as if they are in the possession of Satan, no one is allowed to touch them. They’re the big shots, the head honchos, and whoever goes to their territory has to obey their orders and arrangements in a well-behaved and pliant manner, and take cues from their expressions. This is the manifestation of the selfishness and vileness within antichrists’ character. They give no consideration to the work of the house of God, they do not follow principle in the slightest, and only think of their own interests and status—which are all hallmarks of the selfishness and vileness of antichrists.

There is another situation. Whether it’s money or items offered by the brothers and sisters, under normal circumstances, regardless of the amount, it should all be handed over to the house of God. However, some antichrists mistakenly believe that “The money offered by the brothers and sisters in our church belongs to our church, and it is for our church to keep and use. No one has the right to interfere with how we use or distribute it, and they certainly don’t have the qualifications to take it away.” So, if you ask them how much the church has received in offerings, they’ll be afraid you might take it away, and they won’t tell you the actual amount. Some people might wonder, “What does it mean that they’re afraid of it being taken away? Do they want to spend it themselves?” Not necessarily. They think, “Our church also needs money. If that’s taken away, how can we carry out our work?” The Above has principles for these matters, so why don’t you follow the principles when you handle them? They set aside enough to use for your work, and the rest is arranged uniformly by the house of God. These resources are not the private property of the church leadership; they belong to the house of God. However, in order to satisfy their ambitions and desires and for the sake of their own work and to guarantee the resources within their sphere of influence, some antichrists withhold these things and appropriate them as their own, and they don’t allow anyone else to use them. Isn’t this a manifestation of selfishness and vileness? This is also a typical and specific manifestation of the character of antichrists.

These antichrists are bad and evil, ugly, wicked, base, and vile. Just talking about them is disgusting and infuriating. They may look like human beings on the outside and speak pleasantly, seemingly understanding all sorts of doctrine and mastering it, but as soon as they act, their ugly and evil humanity is exposed, offensive to the eye. Because each antichrist possesses these ugly and evil qualities in their character, they are capable of committing such evil deeds. That’s why they are called antichrists. Does this logic make sense? (Yes.) In other words, it is the presence of those vicious and wicked dispositions in their character that allows them to commit the evil deeds of antichrists, thereby classifying them as such. That’s how it is. If a person is an antichrist, would it be accurate to describe their humanity as kind, upright, honest, and sincere? Certainly not. If a person habitually lies, they have the quality of an antichrist. If someone is insidious and ruthless, they also bear the quality of an antichrist. If an individual is selfish, vile, driven by personal gain alone, running amok doing bad things, and heedless of shame, then they are an evil person. If such an evil person comes to power, then they become an antichrist.

E. Latching Onto the Powerful and Oppressing the Weak

The humanity of antichrists also possesses something that is both disgusting and loathsome—that is, they latch onto the powerful and oppress the weak. If there are certain celebrities or people with power or status in the church or in the world, no matter who they are, antichrists harbor infinite envy and admiration in their hearts for them, even currying favor with them. When they believe in Christianity, they claim that certain political heads are believers, and when they accept this stage of God’s work in the last days, they assert that certain pastors from prominent denominations have also accepted it. Whatever they do, they always give it an impressive title, they always revere and emulate celebrities, and they feel satisfied only when they have at least managed to latch onto a celebrity or someone with status. When it comes to people with status, regardless of whether they are good or bad, antichrists tirelessly ingratiate themselves and flatter and fawn over them. They are even willing to serve tea and take out the chamber pot for them. On the other hand, when dealing with those without status, no matter how upright, honest, and kind these individuals may be, antichrists bully and trample them whenever possible. They often boast about how So-and-so is a business executive in society, how wealthy So-and-so’s father is, how much money So-and-so has, and how huge So-and-so’s family or company is, emphasizing their prominence in society. Regarding false leaders and antichrists in the church, no matter what evil deeds they commit, antichrists never report, expose, or discern them. Instead, they follow closely after them, doing whatever they are told. They become the followers, foot soldiers, and slaves of whichever level leader they follow. When dealing with those with power, influence, wealth, and status, they appear exceptionally subservient, humble, and inept. They are extremely obedient and submissive, nodding and complying with everything those people say. However, when dealing with ordinary people without status, they put on a different air, using an imposing manner when they speak to overpower people, wanting to be superior, as though they were unbeatable, stronger and higher than anyone else, making it hard to discern any problems, flaws, or weaknesses in them. What kind of character is this? Is there some connection between this and being insidious, ruthless, and heedless of shame? (Yes, there is.) Latching onto the powerful and oppressing the weak—isn’t this the ugly and evil side of the humanity of antichrists? Do you think people with such humanity are upright? (No.) Are the things they say to those with status and the powerful truthful? Are the things they say to the weak truthful? (None of it is truthful.) Therefore, this item has some connection to habitual lying. Judging by this item, the character of antichrists is abominable to the extreme, and they possess two entirely different faces. This kind of person has a nickname—“chameleon.” They never treat people based on the truth principles, humanity, or whether those people are pursuing the truth within the house of God. Instead, they treat people differently based solely on their status and influence. When dealing with those who have status and abilities, they go to great lengths to ingratiate themselves, flatter them, and get close to them. Even if they are beaten or scolded by these people, they willingly endure it without any complaints. They even continuously admit their own uselessness and become servile, though what they truly think inside is entirely different from their outward behavior. If someone with status and prestige speaks, even if it’s a fallacy and heresy of Satan that is completely unrelated to the truth, they will listen to it, nod in agreement, and superficially accept it. On the other hand, if someone lacks capability or status, no matter how correct their words are, antichrists will ignore them and look down on them. Even if what they say aligns with principles and the truth, they won’t listen to it, but will instead refute, mock, and ridicule them. This is another feature found in the character of antichrists. Judging by their ways and principles of comporting themselves and dealing with the world, these individuals can be definitively classified as unequivocal disbelievers. The manifestations of their character are lowly, sordid, and base.

Latching onto the powerful and oppressing the weak is a typical method of social interaction for people like antichrists. They engage in lively conversations and cozy up to nonbelievers, but when they turn and see the brothers and sisters, they have nothing to say and no common language. These are antichrists. When discussing matters related to faith in God, doing duties, life entry, or changes in disposition, they have nothing to say and no interest. However, when talking about nonbelievers, especially those with wealth and influence, political figures, social elites, celebrities in music and film, social trends, and matters related to dining and entertainment, they become extremely talkative and can’t be stopped. It seems that they particularly yearn for such a life and social status. Although such individuals believe in God, it’s only because of their own difficulties and hidden intentions and goals. They believe in God solely for blessings, and even after believing in God, they can’t let go of such things. Therefore, when discussing matters of dining and entertainment, they grow enthusiastic. When speaking to brothers and sisters, it’s a different story. From the depths of their hearts and souls, they look down on those who believe in God, those who pursue the truth, and those who are honest and upright. They discriminate against and scorn such individuals. When antichrists see leaders in the church, they think, “They don’t look like leaders; they don’t resemble officials at all. Compared to worldly officials, they are far inferior, lacking in demeanor and style!” If they learn that some leaders don’t have a high level of education, they discriminate against them in their hearts. What do you think they feel when they see Me? At a glance, they think, “Christ, the incarnate god, is a nobody with no higher education, who isn’t that tall, whose appearance isn’t prepossessing, who lacks demeanor, and whose dress is common. Everyone says that he has the truth; this is the only thing worth paying attention to, and there’s nothing else impressive about him. Look at what those powerful people wear in society! What brands are your clothes and shoes? What is your hairstyle? Did you get your haircut at a famous salon? How much did it cost for one haircut?” I say, “I don’t spend a penny on haircuts; I cut it Myself at home.” They say, “Do you go for beauty treatments? Do you stay in hotels? What star rating? Have you ever been on a luxury cruise?” I say, “I don’t know about these things.” They say, “Then you’re really quite ignorant. With your noble identity and status, why don’t you have knowledge or an understanding of these luxurious and high-end things in the world? With your circumstances, you should go experience it for yourself a little. At the very least, you have to go to a high-end beauty salon, stay in a five-star hotel, and go on a luxury cruise. At the very least, you should sit in first class when you fly.” When they see Me, they think little of Me, but they have to acknowledge one thing, that is, “I’ve never heard any of the things that you said during gatherings before: I must listen to what you say.” But after the gatherings, they don’t recognize Me anymore. Just like a wolf: After you feed it, it turns around and bites you. That is the wolf’s nature. When antichrists see the ordinary brothers and sisters without money or influence, who simply love the truth and are able to pursue it, and who willingly do their duties, they disdain and exclude them. When they look at Christ and see an ordinary person, someone who in every aspect, in look, appearance, and demeanor, is a plain and ordinary person, can they immediately change their inner disposition and viewpoint? (No, they cannot.) Their attitude toward things is based on their character. Lacking normal humanity, their attitude toward Christ is undoubtedly the same as their attitude toward an ordinary person. There is not even the slightest bit of respect; this is determined by their essence and character. The manifestation of this aspect of an antichrist’s humanity is as disgusting and loathsome as in other aspects.

The various features we just fellowshipped about in an antichrist’s character can individually reveal the goodness or badness, the superiority or inferiority of their character. Is the character of a person who habitually lies superior or inferior? (Inferior.) Is the humanity of a selfish and vile person good or bad? (Bad.) Is the humanity of a person who is heedless of shame good or bad? (Bad.) Is the character of an insidious and ruthless person superior or inferior? (Inferior.) How is the character of a person who only knows how to latch onto the powerful and oppress the weak, who only abides by such principles? (Abominable.) Such individuals are abominable to the extreme, not only lacking normal humanity but one might accurately say that they are not human—they are scum, they are devils. Anyone devoid of the slightest conscience and reason is a devil, not a human being.

F. More Desirous Than Normal People of Material Things

There is another manifestation in the humanity of antichrists: They are more desirous than normal people of material things. That is to say, their desire and demand for material things is particularly large—it is limitless. They are filled with aspirations for an extravagant lifestyle, and are insatiably greedy. Some may say: “The majority of antichrists don’t possess this manifestation.” Not possessing it doesn’t mean it’s absent from their humanity. Once such people attain status, what are their principles for what they eat, how they dress, and how they look? As soon as they have status, they’ve got to have their way, they find opportunities, they have certain conditions, and their life is different. They become particular about what they eat, emphasizing ostentation and luxury. They insist on wearing and using brand-name items, and the homes they reside in and the cars they drive must be high-end and luxurious. Even when they purchase a utility vehicle, it must be outfitted with luxurious accessories. Some may ask: “If they don’t have money, why do they place such an emphasis on these things?” Just because they don’t have money, that doesn’t mean they don’t pursue such things or that this desire is absent from their humanity. Therefore, once antichrists gain a hold on the offerings in God’s house, they squander them recklessly. They want to buy and enjoy everything, to the point of shamelessness and to an extent that is difficult to keep in check. They’ve got to drink high-quality tea served in gold-plated cups, their meals must be sumptuous banquets, they insist on consuming special-grade ginseng, and they only use computers and phones from world-class brands that are always the latest models. They wear eyeglasses costing thousands of yuan, spend hundreds on hairstyling, and pay a thousand or more for massage and sauna sessions. In short, they demand everything to be top-notch and brand-name, wanting to enjoy whatever celebrities and powerful people enjoy. Once antichrists have status, all these ugly things become evident. During gatherings, if only three to five people listen to their preaching, they find it insufficient and insist on having three to five hundred people. When others say that there are adverse external circumstances, so a gathering of three to five people is already pretty good, they retort: “This won’t do—why are there so few people listening to my sermon? This isn’t worth my time. We should buy a large church building that can hold tens of thousands of people for a more dignified sermon.” Aren’t they courting death? This is the kind of thing that antichrists do. Aren’t they also being heedless of shame? They have an extremely uncontrollable desire for and interest in a luxurious life and material things, which is another feature in the character of antichrists. As soon as someone mentions gourmet food, luxury cars, brand-name clothing, and high-end and expensive items, their eyes light up and turn green with greed, and their desire surfaces. How does this desire come about? It is unmistakably a revelation of their demonic nature. Some antichrists may be short on money, and when they see someone wearing high-end jewelry or a two or three-carat diamond ring, their eyes light up, and they think, “If I didn’t believe in god, I could wear a five-carat one.” They consider the fact that they don’t even own a one-carat ring, and they feel upset and start thinking that believing in God isn’t worth it. Yet, upon further consideration, they think, “I will receive great blessings in the future due to putting my faith in god. I could have a five-hundred-carat diamond and wear it on my head.” Do they not have desires? Seeing wealthy individuals on TV wearing designer clothes and floating on luxurious cruise ships at sea, they feel that it’s incredibly blissful, romantic, noble, and enviable. They drool over it, saying, “When can I become that kind of person, a titan among men? When can I enjoy such a life?” They watch it over and over again until they think that believing in God is truly uninteresting. But then they reflect once again, thinking “I can’t think this way. Why do I believe in god? ‘One must endure the greatest hardships in order to become the greatest of men.’ In the future, my life will be much better than theirs. They go on a luxury cruise, but I will fly on a luxury plane or a luxury flying saucer—I’ll go to the moon!” Are these thoughts even a little bit sensible? Do they align with normal humanity? (No, they don’t.) This is another element in the humanity of antichrists—an extremely uncontrollable desire for material things and a luxurious lifestyle. Once they obtain these, they become insatiably greedy, with a ravenous gaze and nature, wanting to possess these things forever. In the humanity of antichrists, it’s not just about envying the powerful; they also desire material things and a high-quality life. Normal humanity has a reasonable range of needs for life and material things: They have their daily necessities, the needs of work and living environments, and also their physical needs. It’s enough that these needs are met, and it is considered relatively normal to moderate them based on one’s capacity and economic conditions. However, antichrists’ need for and indulgence in material things is abnormal and insatiable. Some antichrists pursue a high quality of life in particular—when they live in a host family where the food is all simple meals, they feel a bit irritated. Moreover, if the people in this family are pursuing the truth, are fairly honest, and won’t flatter them, fawn over them or say what they want to hear, they become even more disgusted, thinking, “Where can I get some good food and stay in a big house? Who has good living conditions? Who has a car and can drive me places and pick me up so that I don’t have to walk?” They are always concerning themselves with such matters. Do you have these kinds of people around you? Are you this kind of person? (These things are also present in our humanity.) Then can you keep them in check? Indulging in comfort is not the same as insatiable greed; it should be kept in moderation without holding up the performance of one’s duty. This is the humanity possessed by normal corrupt people. However, antichrists do not practice moderation; they are insatiable and habitually rapacious. Regarding this manifestation, do you have anything else to add? (God, I’ve seen an antichrist before. At the time, a sister had bought her more than ten down jackets, all from famous brands, and this antichrist wore them one by one, changing into a new one each time she went out. Later, she became a leader, and she used God’s offerings to buy a sedan. Someone even bought a nice house specifically to host her, and when she went out shopping, this host sister followed closely behind. If she liked a piece of clothing, she would simply point to it, and her host sister would hurry to purchase it for her. When she returned home, she would call the host family in advance and say that she wanted to eat dumplings. The timing for boiling dumplings had to be calculated precisely—not too early, or they would cool down, and not too late, or she would have to wait in hunger when she got home. She was like an empress dowager; her lifestyle was extremely luxurious. Later, this antichrist was expelled.) Look at how ignorant and foolish these people were, buying a house and sedan for an antichrist! Antichrists believe that people come into this world to enjoy things, that if one doesn’t indulge in these things, then their life is lived in vain. This is their principle and theory. Is this theory correct? It is purely the view of nonbelievers, beasts, and dead people without spirits. People who believe in God and still have such viewpoints are out-and-out disbelievers and nonbelievers. Once these sorts of people gain status, they become antichrists through and through, and without status, they are evil people.

Habitual lying, insidiousness and ruthlessness, lacking a sense of honor and being heedless of shame, being selfish and vile, latching onto the powerful and oppressing the weak, and being more desirous than normal people of material things—these features of the character of antichrists are typical, highly representative, and obvious. While some of these manifestations may appear in ordinary people to some extent, their manifestations are simply a corrupt disposition or manifestations of abnormal humanity or a lack of humanity that arise from the corruption of Satan. Through reading God’s words, these people develop the awareness of conscience and the ability to let go of and rebel against these things, and repent. These characteristics do not serve a dominant role in them, and they will not affect their pursuit of the truth or the performance of their duties. Only antichrists refuse to accept the truth regardless of how many sermons they hear. The traits and features inherent in their humanity will not change, and that’s why such people are condemned in the house of God and can never be saved. Why can’t they be saved? People with such character cannot be saved because they refuse to accept the truth, and because they are hostile to the truth, to God, and to all positive things. They lack the conditions and the humanity for salvation, and therefore, these individuals are destined to be eliminated and cast into hell.

December 12, 2020

Previous: Item Fifteen: They Do Not Believe in the Existence of God, and They Deny the Essence of Christ (Part Two)

Next: Excursus Five: Summarizing the Character of Antichrists and Their Disposition Essence (Part Two)

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