Chapter 10
The Age of Kingdom is, after all, different from times past. It does not concern how humanity acts; rather, I have descended upon the earth to personally carry out My work, which is something that human beings can neither conceive of nor accomplish. For so many years, ever since the creation of the world, the work has only been about building the church, but one never hears of building the kingdom. Even though I speak of this with My own mouth, is there anyone who knows the substance of it? I once descended into the world of humans and experienced and observed their suffering, but did so without fulfilling the purpose of My incarnation. Once the building of the kingdom got under way, My incarnate flesh formally began to perform My ministry; that is, the King of the kingdom formally took up His sovereign power. From this it is evident that the descent of the kingdom into the human world—far from being merely a literal manifestation—is one of actual reality; this is one aspect of the meaning of “the reality of practice.” Humans have never seen a single one of My acts, nor have they ever heard a single one of My utterances. Even if they had seen My acts, what would they have discovered? And should they have heard Me speak, what would they have comprehended? Throughout the world, everyone exists within My mercy and lovingkindness, but so does all humanity lie under My judgment, and likewise is subject to My trials. I have been merciful and loving to people, even when they had all been corrupted to a certain degree; I have meted out chastisement to them, even when they all had surrendered before My throne. However, is there any human being who is not in the midst of the suffering and refinement that I have dispatched? So many people are groping through the darkness for the light, and so many are struggling bitterly through their trials. Job had faith, but was he not seeking a way out for himself? Although My people can stand firm in the face of trials, is there anyone who, without uttering it aloud, deep down also has faith? Is it not rather that people voice their beliefs while still harboring doubts in their hearts? There are no human beings who have stood fast in trial or who genuinely submit when being tried. If I did not cover My face to avoid looking at this world, the entire human race would topple under My burning gaze, for I ask nothing of humanity.
When the salute to the kingdom rings out—which is also when the seven thunders peal—this sound convulses heaven and earth, shaking up the empyrean and causing the heartstrings of every human being to vibrate. The anthem to the kingdom ceremoniously rises up in the land of the great red dragon, proving that I have destroyed that nation and established My kingdom. Even more importantly, My kingdom is established upon the earth. At this moment, I begin sending My angels out to every one of the world’s nations so that they may shepherd My sons, My people; this is also to meet the requirements of the next step of My work. However, I personally come to the place where the great red dragon lies coiled, and compete with it. Once all of humanity comes to know Me in the flesh and is able to see My deeds in the flesh, the great red dragon’s lair will turn to ashes and vanish without a trace. As the people of My kingdom, since you hate the great red dragon to the bone, you must satisfy My heart with your actions, and in this way bring shame upon the dragon. Do you genuinely sense that the great red dragon is hateful? Do you truly feel that it is the enemy of the kingdom’s King? Do you really have faith that you can bear wonderful testimony for Me? Are you actually confident that you can defeat the great red dragon? This is what I ask of you; all I need is for you to be able to reach this step. Will you be able to do this? Do you have faith that you can achieve this? What exactly are humans capable of doing? Is it not rather that I do it Myself? Why do I say that I personally descend upon the location in which the battle is joined? What I want is your faith, not your deeds. Human beings are all incapable of comprehending My words in a straightforward manner, and instead just give a sideways glance at them. Has this helped you to achieve your goals? Have you come to know Me in this way? To be honest, of the humans on earth, not one is capable of looking Me straight in the face, and not one is able to comprehend the pure and unadulterated meaning of My words. I therefore have set in motion an unprecedented project upon the earth, in order to attain My goals and establish the true image of Myself in people’s hearts. In this way, I will bring to an end the era in which notions wield power over people.
Today, not only am I descending upon the nation of the great red dragon, I am also turning to face the entire universe, causing the entire empyrean to quake. Is there a single place anywhere that is not subject to My judgment? Is there a single place that does not exist under calamities that I rain down upon it? Everywhere I go, I have scattered all sorts of “seeds of disaster.” This is one of the ways in which I work, and is without doubt an act of salvation for humanity, and what I extend to them is still a kind of love. I wish to allow even more people to get to know Me and be able to see Me, and in this way, come to fear a God whom they could not see for so many years but who, right now, is practical. For what reason did I create the world? Why, after humans had become corrupt, did I not completely annihilate them? For what reason does the whole of the human race live amidst disasters? What was My purpose in donning the flesh? When I am performing My work, humanity learns the taste not only of the bitter, but also of the sweet. Of all the people in the world, who does not live within My grace? If I had not endowed human beings with material blessings, who in the world would be able to enjoy plenty? Could it be that allowing you to take up your place as My people is a blessing? Were you not My people, but rather service-doers, would you not be existing within My blessings? Not one among you is capable of fathoming the origin of My words. Humanity—far from treasuring the titles that I have conferred upon them, so many of them, on account of the title “service-doer,” nurse resentment in their hearts, and so many, on account of the title “My people,” breed love for Me in their hearts. No one should try to fool Me; My eyes are all-seeing! Who among you receives willingly, who among you gives complete submission? If the salute to the kingdom did not ring out, would you truly be able to submit to the end? What humans are capable of doing and thinking, and how far they are able to go—all these things I predetermined long ago.
The vast majority of people accept My burning in the light of My countenance. The vast majority of people, inspired by My encouragement, stir themselves to forge ahead in seeking. When the forces of Satan attack My people, I am there to fend them off; when Satan’s plots wreak havoc in their lives, I send it scampering away in a rout, once gone never to return. On earth, all manner of evil spirits are forever on the prowl for a place to rest, and are endlessly searching for human corpses that can be consumed. My people! You must remain within My care and protection. Never be dissolute! Never behave recklessly! You should offer up your loyalty in My house, and only with loyalty can you mount a countercharge against the trickery of devils. Under no circumstances should you behave as you did in the past, doing one thing in front of Me and another behind My back; if you act this way, then you are already beyond redemption. Have I not uttered more than enough words such as these? It is precisely because humanity’s old nature is incorrigible that I have had to give people repeated reminders. Do not get bored! All that I say is for the sake of ensuring your destiny! A foul and filthy place is precisely what Satan needs; the more hopelessly irredeemable and the more dissolute you are, refusing to submit to restraint, then the more those unclean spirits will avail themselves of any opportunity to infiltrate you. If you have gotten to this point, then your loyalty will be nothing but idle chatter, without any reality to it whatsoever, and the unclean spirits will gulp down your resolution and transform it into rebellion and satanic plots to be used to disrupt My work. From there, you could be smitten by Me at any time. No one understands the gravity of this situation; people all simply turn a deaf ear to what they hear, and are not the least bit cautious. I remember not what was done in the past; are you actually still waiting for Me to be lenient toward you by “forgetting” once more? Though humans have opposed Me, I will not hold it against them, for they are too small of stature, and so I have not made overly high demands of them. All I require is that they not be dissolute, and that they submit to restraint. Surely it is not beyond your capacity to meet this one stipulation, is it? Most people are waiting for Me to reveal even more mysteries for them to feast their eyes upon. However, even if you came to understand all the mysteries of heaven, exactly what could you do with that knowledge? Would it increase your love for Me? Would it arouse your love for Me? I do not underestimate humans, nor do I arrive at a verdict about them lightly. If these were not the actual circumstances of humans, I would never crown them with such labels so casually. Think back upon the past: How many times have I slandered you? How many times have I underestimated you? How many times have I looked upon you without regard for your actual circumstances? How many times have My utterances failed to win you over wholeheartedly? How many times have I spoken without striking a deeply resonant chord within you? Who among you has read My words without fear and trembling, deeply afraid that I will strike you down into the bottomless pit? Who does not endure trials from My words? Within My utterances resides authority, but this is not for passing casual judgment on humans; rather, mindful of their actual circumstances, I constantly manifest to them the meaning inherent in My words. In point of fact, is there anyone who is capable of recognizing My omnipotent might in My words? Is there anyone who can comprehend the purest gold in My words? Just how many words have I spoken? Has anyone ever treasured them?
March 3, 1992