Most people think the Lord will return by descending with the clouds.
Is our understanding correct or not?
How could it possibly be wrong to wait in accordance with the Bible?
You only hold the one where He descends with the clouds,
and don't investigate the other prophecies spoken by the Lord.
If the Lord returns,
and He works among mankind just as the Lord Jesus in the flesh had done,
and we don't recognize Him,
then would we also judge and condemn Him as the Pharisees had done,
and so crucify Him again?
Hello, brother!
Hi, everyone!
Thanks be to the Lord!
Take a seat.
If I may introduce everyone.
The Church of Almighty God's Brother Li, Brother Chen, and Sister Zhang.
Here's our church's Elder Fu.
Thanks be to God!
We welcome you to our church!
Welcome to our church! (Thanks be to God!)
Here. Please sit!
Welcome!
Thanks be to the Lord!
We invited you here to help us study Almighty God's work in the last days.
Praise God!
We have long heard the Church of Almighty God
has testified to the return of the Lord Jesus who is Almighty God! (Yes.)
He has begun His judgment work of the last days, (Yes.)
but most people think the Lord will return by descending with the clouds.
This is because the Lord Jesus clearly said,
Amen.
The Book of Revelation prophesied,
Amen.
I too think He'll return by descending with the clouds
to take us to the kingdom of heaven.
We refuse to accept the Lord Jesus who doesn't thus descend.
That is why we've never investigated the Eastern Lightning. (Yes.)
You say His return is returning to flesh and descending in secret.
But none know about this.
But the Lord descending with the clouds is absolute! (Amen.)
That's why we wait for the Lord to descend with the clouds
and take us up directly to the kingdom of heaven. (Amen! Indeed.)
Is our understanding correct or not?
Please speak to us on this. (Yes. Sure.)
Thanks be to God!
How could we be wrong?
Praise the Lord!
Everyone, our view cannot be wrong. (Yes! That's right!)
The Lord is faithful.
I believe He will descend with the clouds to take us to the kingdom of heaven.
Amen!
The Bible also prophesies He'll come as a thief,
and someone will yell "the bridegroom comes" at midnight,
of this, we cannot seek or investigate.
That's right! That's true.
False Christs will appear in the last days.
We are afraid of being deceived.
So I only believe in the Lord Jesus who descends with the clouds.
This cannot be wrong. (Amen!)
I will not accept unless the Lord descends with the clouds,
taking believers to the kingdom of heaven!
Yes, we cannot accept it.
That's my view. (Amen!)
Brother Jia's right! That's what I think too. (Amen!)
Everyone, when it comes to waiting for the Lord to descend with the clouds,
we can't trust our notions! (That's right.)
The Pharisees made a huge mistake in waiting for the Messiah's arrival.
True.
They used man's notions against the Lord Jesus who had already arrived.
In the end, they nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross.
Is this not a fact?
Yeah.
Is awaiting the Lord's arrival as simple as we think?
If the Lord returns,
and He works among mankind just as the Lord Jesus in the flesh had done,
and we don't recognize Him,
then would we also judge and condemn Him as the Pharisees had done,
and so crucify Him again?
Is this a possibility?
That's something we never thought of before. (That's true.)
The Lord Jesus said many words about His return,
but you only hold the one where He descends with the clouds,
and don't investigate the other prophecies spoken by the Lord.
This makes it easy to walk down the wrong path and be abandoned by the Lord!
The "descend with the clouds" prophecy is not the only one in the Bible.
There's others like He'll come as a thief and descend secretly. (Yeah!)
As in Revelation 16:15,
Matthew 25:6,
And Revelation 3:20,
All these prophecies refer to God becoming flesh as the Son of man
and descending in secret.
"As a thief" means coming quietly, secretly. (Right.)
None will know He's God even if they hear or see Him,
just as it was when the Lord Jesus first appeared.
The Lord Jesus looked like a Son of man, and no one knew He is God.
The Lord Jesus used "as a thief" analogously for the Son of man's appearance.
This is quite befitting!
Those who do not love the truth,
regardless of how God incarnate speaks or works,
do not accept.
Instead, they treat God incarnate as if He were a normal person
and condemn and abandon Him.
That's why the Lord Jesus prophesied that when He returns:
Amen.
So His return shall be "the coming of the Son of man."
As we know, "Son of man" refers to God in the flesh,
not the resurrected spiritual body of the Lord Jesus
descending with the clouds to appear before all.
Why is that the case?
Let's think about it.
If the spiritual body of the resurrected Lord Jesus descended,
then the world would be shocked.
All would drop right to the ground; none would resist. (Yes!)
If so, would the returned Lord Jesus still be rejected by this generation?
Of His return,
the Lord Jesus said "the coming of the Son of man" and "as a thief."
In reality,
it's referring to God incarnated as the Son of man arriving in secret.
It's true. The Lord Jesus' words are clear.
The returned Lord must first endure suffering
and be rejected by this generation.
Is this not God in the flesh?
We've seen such scriptures before, why haven't we been able to be enlightened?
Their communication's been so enlightening.
We must listen carefully! (Yeah.)
How is the Son of man descending in secret
related to God openly appearing with the clouds?
What is involved?
Let's communicate about that. (OK. Thanks be to the Lord!)
Thanks be to God!
In the last days, God is incarnated and descends secretly to speak among men,
and begin the judgment from the house of God,
purifying all who hear His voice and return before His throne,
and making them into a group of overcomers.
Then God goes to Zion and brings the great disaster,
refining and chastising all those
who don't accept God's judgment of the last days.
Then God shall descend with the clouds to openly appear to all.
The prophecy in Revelation 1:7 would then be fulfilled:
Amen.
Everybody asks why,
when the Lord descends with the clouds,
those who pierced the Lord can still see Him?
Just who are the people who pierced Him?
Humph! Do I need to say it?
The ones who crucified the Lord Jesus in the first place! (Yes!)
Some would say it's those who nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross.
Is that really the case?
Weren't those who crucified the Lord destroyed by God long ago? (That's right.)
Yes, that's right. Yes, that is indeed correct! Right.
In reality, those who pierced Him
are those who when God incarnate descends secretly in the last days,
do not seek God's voice and condemn and resist Almighty God. (That's right!)
At that time,
they will see Almighty God that they've resisted and condemned
is in fact the Savior Jesus they've been waiting for.
They shall weep, beat their chests, and gnash their teeth;
their outcome can only be punishment.
The Book of Revelation does not say whether such people will live or die;
so we cannot know.
Only God knows.
It's true.
Up to this point, we all should be clear.
Only the wise virgins who hear God's voice can welcome the Lord's return,
be brought before God's throne to attend the marriage supper of the Lamb,
and be perfected by God into an overcomer.
This fulfills the prophecy in Revelation 14:4,
Amen!
Thank God! Thanks be to God.
Those who cling to the notion that the Lord will descend with the clouds
but don't seek God's work in the last days,
are in fact foolish virgins.
Oh, yes.
In particular, those who resist and condemn Almighty God
are the Pharisees and antichrists exposed by God's work in the last days.
They all have re-crucified God.
And they shall endure great disasters and be punished.
The mistake,
those who only welcome the Lord that descends with the clouds have made,
what type of people they are, and what their outcome will be,
I trust we're now clear on.
It's clearer now.
Praise the Lord!
What they have said is right.
Key to receiving the Lord's return is listening to God's voice. (Yeah!)
That's utterly correct. (Yes.)
We have neglected this point. (It's true.)
We really are foolish! (Yes, it's true.)
It seems we must look into the work of Almighty God in the last days. (Yeah!)
Once the disasters come, it will be unimaginable. (It's true!)
No one can know who will live or die! (Yeah!)
I think their communication is quite good. We better hurry and look into it.
If we still do not listen to God's voice, then we will fall into the disaster.
Indeed, we better listen carefully!
You say the Lord will return secretly in the flesh in the last days,
make a group of overcomers, and then descend with the clouds before all.
This indeed makes sense.
But for 2,000 years,
most believers wait for the Lord to descend with the clouds. (Yes. Amen!)
Our pastors and elders often say this. (Yes.)
How could it possibly be wrong to wait in accordance with the Bible?
That's right! How could this be wrong?
Our pastors and elders are people who serve the Lord. (Yes.)
They wait for Him to return, thus.
I don't believe the returned Lord would abandon all these pastors and elders!
That's impossible! No way!
Utterly impossible!
How could that be possible?
Yes! We must listen to the pastors and elders!
Nothing wrong. Amen!
They've believed longer and better grasped the Bible. (That's right.)
We have to listen to them. (Amen!)
We should obey what the pastors and elders say
as long as it is based on the Bible.
That's right! Amen!
Obeying them is obeying the Lord! (Amen!)
It's enough to follow pastors and elders
and wait for the Lord to descend with the clouds.
The Lord is merciful.
He would not abandon us, and moreover would not punish us.
Amen!
He would not abandon us.
What's your basis for saying something like that?
Is what you have said in line with the words of the Lord Jesus?
Are they based on God's words?
If what you say is based on man's notions and imaginations,
it would be resisting the Lord!
Think of how the Pharisees waited for the arrival of the Messiah,
and why it was that they nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross.
Initially, the Pharisees were replete with notions when it came to the Messiah.
They saw the biblical prophecy,
Amen!
Based on the words of the prophecies in the Bible
and various long-held assumptions concerning the arrival of the Messiah,
the Pharisees felt sure the Lord would be called Messiah
and be born into wealth.
And furthermore, like David, he would become the King of Israel
and lead them to break free from the Roman government.
Many Israelites probably thought this.
Yes.
But God did not fulfill these prophecies
according to their notions and imaginations.
Therefore, the Pharisees made accusations and condemned the Lord Jesus.
Although at the time the Lord Jesus expressed many truths
and performed many miracles
fully demonstrating God's authority and power,
the Pharisees did not care how profound the Lord Jesus' words were,
nor even how great was His authority.
As long as it did not conform with their notions,
as long as He was not born into a wealthy and noble family,
as long as His name was not Messiah, they would condemn and resist.
Yeah!
Indeed. That's all true!
Due to their truth-hating nature,
they ultimately nailed the Lord Jesus,
who expressed truths and performed redemption work to the cross!
That's all true!
Brothers and sisters, are the Pharisees detestable?
Too detestable! Yes.
Should they not be cursed?
They should be cursed!
The Pharisees' sins in condemning the Lord Jesus
thoroughly exposed their truth-loathing, truth-hating satanic nature.
This clearly shows that their hearts
were not genuinely looking forward to the Messiah saving them from sin.
So instead looking forward to what?
They were looking forward to the King of the Jews
helping them break from Roman rule,
so they'd no longer have to suffer like slaves!
They believed in God and awaited the Messiah's arrival
to satisfy their own personal desires.
Let's think about it.
What mistake did the Pharisees make in waiting for the coming of the Messiah?
Why is it that they were cursed and punished by God?
This is really thought-provoking!
Yes, we should think about it. (Yeah!)
Why did the Pharisees resist and condemn the Lord Jesus
when He appeared to perform His work?
What nature of the Pharisees was demonstrated here?
These are problems people who long for God's appearance should understand!
This is indeed worthy of deep thought!
If we can't see through these problems,
then as for receiving the returned Lord Jesus,
we might be on the same God-resisting path as the Pharisees!
Do you not agree with this?
Yes.
Frightening!
We must not walk the Pharisees' path! (She's right.)
Yeah!
How did the Pharisees wait for the Messiah to arrive?
Why is it that they crucified the Lord Jesus?
Just what is the source of these questions?
Let's look at what was said by Almighty God!
OK!
Amen!
Yes.
Thank the Lord!
Yes, thank the Lord.
Almighty God's words
show the essence, source of the Pharisees' resistance of the Lord Jesus
in waiting for the Messiah.
Yes!
So in regard to receiving the Lord's return,
if man relies on their notions waiting for the Lord to descend with the clouds,
rather than listening to God's voice,
then won't they be walking the same God-resisting path of the Pharisees?
Yeah!
Then just what will their outcome be?
They'll be cursed and punished just like the Pharisees!
You are right! It seems we're clear on this.
What you have said is all true.
Those Pharisees relied on their imaginations in longing for the Messiah.
They condemned the Lord Jesus and so they were cursed by God!
We're also relying on our imaginations
when it comes to receiving the returned Lord,
thinking that when He returns in the last days,
He'll descend with the clouds and take us to the kingdom of heaven.
We even think if the Lord Jesus does not so descend, He must be fake.
We blindly follow pastors and elders in condemning the Eastern Lightning.
In this way,
aren't we like the Pharisees resisting and even condemning the Lord?
That's right.
It's terrifying thinking of it now!
Sister Wei, though what they say conforms with the Bible,
I maintain that the Lord will descend with the clouds. (Amen!)
The Lord will descend with the clouds to take us to the kingdom of heaven.
Amen!
The Lord said those who wait for Him shall not be ashamed! (Yes.)
It's true! I agree with Brother Jia.
Amen!
Brother Jia, we used to think the same;
we believed the returned Lord would descend with the clouds
to take us to the kingdom of heaven.
From the look of things, it now seems we might be wrong!
Yeah!
What they've said based on the Lord's prophecies in the Bible is clear.
The Lord Jesus will return in the last days secretly as the Son of man,
perform judgment beginning from the house of God,
and create a group of overcomers before the disaster,
then He appears publicly descending with the clouds.
I think this conforms with the Bible and the words of the Lord.
Now the coming of the Bridegroom's been testified.
Have we looked into it?
What is it then that we have been doing?
We've been following religious leaders in condemning the Eastern Lightning.
Is this right?
Is this in line with the Lord's intentions?
Even though we cannot be sure if Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus,
we should at least seek and investigate!
Yes, we must investigate!
Let's listen to Almighty God's word to see if it is the Lord's voice!
Yeah!
Otherwise,
if we're not perfected into overcomers by the Lord who arrives in secret,
we'll fall into the disaster and be punished.
Then we would really lose!
Oh, yes. Yeah, we can't miss the chance.
Sister Fu is right!
The suffering we've endured for believing in the Lord would be in vain.
Yeah! Yes!
Then we would be such foolish virgins!
Yes. Wouldn't our faith come to nothing?
We better ask the preachers from the Church of Almighty God
to communicate with us more!
OK!
Oh, brothers, please try to communicate with us some more.
Thanks be to God!
Brothers and sisters,
now Almighty God's kingdom gospel
has been spreading through China for more than 20 years.
It's spread to many denominations.
That's right.
During this period, due to the CCP government's furious suppression,
coupled with the CCP's propaganda,
Almighty God is already a household name everyone knows.
That's right!
And now, all truths expressed by Almighty God
and the films produced by the Church of Almighty God have been released online,
spreading across the world. (That's right.)
Completely beyond my expectation!
I trust people in religious circles
have all heard about the Church of Almighty God's testimony methods.
Yes, we have indeed heard of them.
Many people testified God has come, fulfilling the Lord Jesus' prophecy:
Then why do religious pastors and elders
still furiously resist the work of Almighty God in the last days?
There are many prophecies of the Lord's return in the Bible,
so why are they fixated on the prophecy of the Lord descending with the clouds?
Why don't they investigate when they hear testimonies of the Lord's coming?
Yeah!
Why, when they know that Almighty God has expressed many truths
and they've seen the reality of God's work,
do they stubbornly hold to their notions
and resist and condemn the work of God of the last days?
These are good questions!
Do these people love the truth
and look forward in earnest to the Lord's arrival or not?
Are they wise virgins or foolish virgins?
If they're wise virgins and earnestly look forward to the Lord's return,
then why, when they hear God's voice and see how the kingdom gospel flourishes,
do they stubbornly condemn and resist?
Could this be their sincerity in longing for and hoping for the Lord to appear?
Could this be their true expression in rejoicing the return of the Lord?
It could not.
Let's be truly honest.
Their longing for the return of the Lord Jesus is fake,
but their longing for the kingdom of heaven is real!
Yes! Yeah!
They believe in the Lord not to pursue the truth and gain life,
not to gain the truth and cast off sin.
What do they care about the most?
It's when the Lord will descend to take them to the kingdom of heaven,
and they'll escape suffering of the flesh and enjoy the kingdom of heaven.
That's their true purpose of belief in God!
Well said!
Tell me, apart from this,
what reason do they have to reject Almighty God
who expresses truths to save mankind?
Please think about it.
If someone loves the truth and truly longs for God to appear,
how will they act when they hear that the Lord has come?
Would they not listen, look nor seek? (No.)
Would they blindly deny, condemn, and resist?
They would not. (No way.)
That's right, there's no way.
People who long for God's appearance and welcome Him
look forward to true light appearing, truth ruling within their heart.
They look forward to God coming to help mankind escape sin, become holy,
and be gained by God.
Amen!
Isn't that right, everyone?
Yeah! That's indeed right! I agree.
But those who just wait for the Lord to descend with the clouds,
yet deny Almighty God,
especially those religious leaders
who resist Almighty God to protect their status—
these are all people who hate and despise the truth.
They are all antichrists, unbelievers exposed by God's work of the last days.
After God in the flesh completes His work of salvation,
they will fall into the once-in-a-million-year disaster,
weeping and gnashing teeth.
Then the prophecy of the Lord publicly descending with the clouds
will be completely fulfilled:
Amen.
Thanks be to the Lord!
We would not have known this had we not listened to them today.
Their communication is enlightening!
Everyone, let's take a look at the words of Almighty God. (OK!)
Thanks be to the Lord!