Where will Jesus Return and Appear?
Editor’s Note:
Where will the Lord appear when He returns in the last days? Many people think that the Lord will appear in Israel. However, the facts strike back at people’s notions. Celeste got the news that God has appeared and worked in China. After seeking, he understood the significance of God’s appearance and work in China.
I was very surprised at the news online that God has appeared and worked in China, for the pastors and elders said that the Israelites were chosen by God, and they were God’s chosen people, so God should work in Israel when He returns. I wondered: China is a nation that doesn’t worship God, and the Chinese government has a bad reputation in the world, so why does God choose to work in China instead of Israel or any other nation that worships God when He returns? Therefore, I sought the answer to this issue from Sister Anna.
The Fact That God’s Name Shall Be Great Among the Gentiles Is Accomplished
Sister Anna said, “Where God will appear to perform His work in the last days was long ago prophesied in the Bible. Jehovah God said, ‘For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same My name shall be great among the Gentiles’ (Malachi 1:11). The Lord Jesus said, ‘For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be’ (Matthew 24:27). From these verses, we know that when God returns, He will be born into the East of the world, and His name will be spread from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, and that finally He shall make men all over the earth praise His name. China is in the East of the world, and is a Gentile nation; it is a nation that least believes in the existence of God. After God appears among the Chinese people and does the conquest work, He will extend His work to the West. This is how God will accomplish in the last days the fact that ‘My name shall be great among the Gentiles’ and ‘For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west.’ Therefore, God’s appearance and work in China in the last days totally accord with the biblical prophecies.
“With regard to this issue, let’s read another passage of God’s words. ‘He created the whole world, and He has carried out His six-thousand-year management plan not only in Israel, but upon every person in the universe. Regardless of whether they live in China, the United States, the United Kingdom or Russia, every person is a descendant of Adam; they are all made by God. Not one of them can escape the bounds of creation, and not one of them can separate themselves from the label of ‘descendant of Adam.’ They are all God’s creatures, they are all the offspring of Adam, and they are also all the corrupted descendants of Adam and Eve. It is not only the Israelites who are God’s creation, but all people; it is just that some have been cursed, and some have been blessed. There are many agreeable things about the Israelites; God worked upon them in the beginning because they were the least corrupt. The Chinese do not bear comparison to them; they are far inferior. So, God initially worked among the people of Israel, and the second stage of His work was only carried out in Judea — which has led to a lot of notions and rules among man. In fact, if God were to act according to human notions, He would only be the God of the Israelites, and would thus be incapable of extending His work to the Gentile nations, for He would only be the God of the Israelites, and not the God of all creation. The prophecies said that Jehovah’s name would be magnified among the Gentile nations, that it would spread to the Gentile nations. Why was this prophesied? If God were only the God of the Israelites, then He would only work in Israel. Moreover, He would not spread this work, and He would not make such a prophecy. Since He did make this prophecy, He will surely extend His work among the Gentile nations, among every nation and all lands. Since He said this, He must do it; this is His plan, for He is the Lord who created the heavens and earth and all things, and the God of all creation. Regardless of whether He works among the Israelites, or throughout the whole of Judea, the work He does is the work of the entire universe, and the work of all humanity. The work He does today in the nation of the great red dragon — in a Gentile nation — is still the work of all humanity. Israel could be the base for His work on earth; likewise, China can also be the base for His work among the Gentile nations. Has He not now fulfilled the prophecy that “the name of Jehovah shall be magnified among the Gentile nations”?’
“In the beginning, God created our earliest ancestors, Adam and Eve, and after Satan enticed and corrupted them, they were driven from the Garden of Eden by God. They have now multiplied and developed into all nations and all peoples, which means that, no matter which nation or people we belong to, we are all descendants of Adam and Eve. We are all God’s creatures, and so God has the right to do His work in any nation or among any group of people. However, because God chose to work in Israel in the Age of Law and in the Age of Grace, almost everyone has such a misconception: God will only work in Israel instead of Gentile nations, and He cannot be the God of the Gentiles. If we only acknowledge that God is the God of a proportion of humankind, are we not denying God as our Creator? And how will the prophecy that ‘the name of Jehovah shall be magnified among the Gentile nations’ be fulfilled? So, God’s aim in choosing to work in China in the last days is to break apart all human notions, and to let all people know that God is not the God of the people in some nation or region, but He is the God that will save not only the Israelites but also the Gentiles, and that God is the God of all mankind.”
Conquering the People in the Most Filthy of All Places Has an Extraordinary Significance
Sister Anna continued, “There is a great significance in God doing His work in China. Let’s read a passage of God’s words. ‘At the start, God’s work was carried out among the chosen ones of Israel, and it was the dawn of a new epoch in the most holy of all places. The last stage of work is carried out in the most impure of all countries, to judge the world and bring the age to an end. In the first stage, God’s work was done in the brightest of all places, and the last stage is carried out in the darkest of all places, and this darkness will be driven out, the light brought forth, and all the people conquered. When the people of this most impure and darkest of all places have been conquered, and the entire population has acknowledged that there is a God, who is the true God, and every person has been utterly convinced, then this fact will be used to carry out the work of conquest throughout the entire universe. This stage of work is symbolic: Once the work of this age has been finished, the work of six thousand years of management will come to a complete end. Once those in the darkest of all places have been conquered, it goes without saying that it will also be so everywhere else. As such, only the work of conquest in China carries meaningful symbolism. China embodies all forces of darkness, and the people of China represent all those who are of the flesh, of Satan, and of flesh and blood. It is the Chinese people who have been most corrupted by the great red dragon, who have the strongest opposition to God, whose humanity is most base and impure, and so they are the archetype of all corrupt humanity. This is not to say that other countries have no problems at all; the notions of man are all the same, and although the people of these countries may be of good caliber, if they do not know God, then it must be that they oppose Him. Why did the Jews also oppose and defy God? Why did the Pharisees also oppose Him? Why did Judas betray Jesus? At the time, many of the disciples did not know Jesus. Why, after Jesus was crucified and rose again, did people still not believe in Him? Is man’s disobedience not all the same? It is merely that the people of China are made an example of, and when they are conquered they will become models and specimens, and will serve as references for others. Why have I always said that you are an adjunct to My management plan? It is in the people of China that corruption, impurity, unrighteousness, opposition, and rebelliousness are manifested most completely and revealed in all their varied forms. On the one hand, they are of poor caliber, and on the other, their lives and mindset are backward, and their habits, social environment, family of birth — all are poor and the most backward. Their status, too, is low. The work in this place is symbolic, and after this test work has been carried out in its entirety, God’s subsequent work will be much easier. If this step of work can be completed, then the subsequent work goes without saying. Once this step of work has been accomplished, great success will have been fully achieved, and the work of conquest throughout the entire universe will have come to a complete end. In fact, once the work among you has been successful, this will be equivalent to the success throughout the entire universe. This is the significance of why I have you act as a model and a specimen. Rebelliousness, opposition, impurity, unrighteousness — all are found in these people, and in them is represented all the rebelliousness of mankind. They are really something. Thus, they are held up as the epitome of conquest, and once they have been conquered they will naturally become specimens and models for others.’
“God’s words are very clear. God choosing where to perform His work is based on the needs of His work, and it is the most meaningful. In the Age of Law, the work God did was mainly to guide people’s life and had nothing to do with changes in people’s life dispositions, so God chose to do His work in Israel, the most holy of all places. God first accomplished His work among those who were least corrupted, then spread His work to other nations, so that the whole of mankind would abide by the laws, lead a normal life and worship God. In the Age of Grace, the work the Lord Jesus did was to redeem mankind through His crucifixion, and save the whole of mankind from Satan’s domain, so God chose to work among the least corrupt people in Judea, a nation that believes in and worships God. Even the least corrupt people needed God’s redemption, so were the other people who were corrupted deeply not more in need of God’s salvation? Therefore, the Lord Jesus’ aim in choosing to work in Judea was to better carry out His work of saving mankind and spread His gospel. Now in the last days, mankind has been corrupted more deeply; God will bring this age to an end, and do the work of conquering and judging man. If God chose to work among the Israelites who are the least corrupt or the people in any other nation that worships God, then they would be conquered easily. If that were the case, God’s work of conquest would lose its meaning. Only by choosing to work in a country that is the darkest, the most resistant to God, and by first conquering the most filthy, corrupt people and making them complete, which is tantamount to conquering the whole of mankind, will God truly gain His glory, and Satan will be thoroughly ashamed and defeated. Throughout the universe, the Chinese people are the ones who have been most deeply corrupted by Satan and they are the ones who most resist God. As everybody knows, China is an atheistic country, and advocates atheistic education; it indoctrinates the Chinese people with such satanic poisons and life axioms as ‘There has never been any Savior,’ ‘Man can conquer nature,’ ‘One’s destiny is in his own hand,’ ‘Everyone for himself and the devil take the hindmost,’ ‘A man dies for money; a bird dies for food,’ ‘Those who submit will prosper; those who resist shall perish,’ ‘I am my own Lord throughout heaven and earth,’ and ‘Seize the day for pleasure, for life is short.’ After accepting these satanic axioms, the Chinese people deny God. They don’t believe in God’s existence, nor do they worship the true God; instead, they worship idols and believe in sorcery. They are very selfish and base, crafty and cunning, arrogant and conceited, and evil and malicious; they especially advocate money, status, and influence. For the sake of money and benefits, they can do any bad things, and they are like animals, without conscience and reason, and without dignity and integrity. And eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, smoking, swindling, and thieving are all becoming more and more prevalent in China. The corruption of their morality has reached its peak. Especially since the Chinese Communist Party came to power, it has cruelly oppressed and persecuted Christianity and Catholicism, tore down churches and crosses, destroyed copies of the Holy Bible, and demolished large numbers of mosques, Buddhist and Taoist temples. In recent years, the Chinese government has systematically oppressed religious beliefs, becoming insane to the extent that they publicly arrest and persecute Christians; hundreds of thousands of Christians are unable to return to their homes, fleeing in all directions in order to avoid its arrests. These facts show that China is indeed a country that is the darkest, the most resistant to God. So, God’s work of conquest and judgment in China carries meaningful symbolism; when God conquers and makes complete those who are corrupted most deeply and controlled most seriously by Satan, it goes without saying that God could accomplish this with people in other places who are less corrupt. From this we can see that God choosing to do the work of conquest and judgment in China has a great significance, and it best demonstrates God’s omnipotence and wisdom, and shames Satan.”
Putting Aside Notions and Seeking the Appearance of God
Sister Anna went on with her fellowship: “Let’s read two more passages of God’s words. ‘The appearance of God cannot be reconciled with man’s notions, still less can God appear at the behest of man. God makes His own choices and His own plans when He does His work; moreover, He has His own objectives and His own methods. Whatever work He does, He has no need to discuss it with man or seek his advice, much less to notify each and every person of His work. This is the disposition of God, which should, moreover, be recognized by everyone. If you desire to witness the appearance of God, to follow God’s footsteps, then you must first walk away from your own notions. You must not demand that God do this or that, much less should you place Him within your own confines and limit Him to your own notions. Instead, you should demand of yourselves how you ought to seek God’s footprints, how you ought to accept God’s appearance, and how you ought to submit to the new work of God: This is what man should do. Since man is not the truth, and is not possessed of the truth, he should seek, accept, and obey.’
“‘Regardless of whether you are American, British, or any other nationality, you should step outside the confines of your own nationality, transcending your own self, and view the work of God from the station of a created being. In this way, you will not place limitations on the footprints of God. This is because, nowadays, many people conceive it to be impossible that God will appear in a particular nation or among a certain people. How profound is the significance of God’s work, and how important is the appearance of God! How can man’s notions and thinking possibly take their measure? And so I say, you should break through notions of nationality and ethnicity in order to seek the appearance of God. Only thus will you not be constrained by your own notions; only thus will you be qualified to welcome the appearance of God. Otherwise, you will remain in eternal darkness, and never gain the approval of God.’
“It can be seen from those words of God that we cannot delimit where God will appear to do His work within our own notions and imaginings. We humans are created beings, and are smaller than ants in the eyes of God, but we give pointers on God’s work, demanding what God should do or where God should appear. We simply are too irrational. In Isaiah 55:8–9 it says, ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, said Jehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’ God is wise, and His thoughts are unfathomable to any creature. God has the final say on His work; He doesn’t have to notify any person of His work, much less will He do His work according to our imaginings. So, as a part of corrupt humanity, no matter which nation or people we belong to, if we want to obtain God’s salvation of the last days, we should not place limitations on God’s work, but instead we should put aside our notions and imaginings and actively seek and submit to His work, for only in this way can we see the appearance of God and welcome the return of the Lord. Otherwise, by relying on our notions and imaginings to delimit God’s work, we are very likely to resist God and lose His salvation of the last days. Just like when the Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would come — the Pharisees relied on their notions and imagining, believing that when God came, He would surely be born in a palace, and that it would be a very magnificent event, and He would be known to all. When knowing that the Lord Jesus was born into an ordinary household and seeing that the Lord Jesus was normal-looking, however, they denied the Lord Jesus as the coming Messiah, and even though they saw that the Lord Jesus’ miracles had authority and power, they still held on to their notions and imaginings, condemning, blaspheming and resisting the Lord Jesus. In the end, they crucified the Lord Jesus, committing a heinous sin, offending God’s disposition, and being punished by God. From this, we can see that it is too dangerous for us to use our notions and imaginings to measure God’s work.
“Now, God has carried out His work of the last days in China for nearly 30 years. God has been subject to the CCP government’s mad resistance, but His work is not disturbed or destroyed by any force, for God’s wisdom is ever exercised based on the deceitful schemes of Satan. Instead, the CCP government’s arrests and persecutions have rendered a service to God perfecting His chosen people. God has already made a group of overcomers; this group of people have become an example and a model for God’s work. Nowadays, all kinds of films, videos, hymns, music videos, short sketches, comic crosstalk and so on, which are used to testify God, and God’s words have all been published online. God’s kingdom gospel is spreading to the West like lightning, and has spread to over 20 countries and regions, such as the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy. More and more people have recognized God’s voice and turned to God. God’s work of conquest of the last days has achieved results, His six-thousand-year management plan is drawing to a close, and all kinds of disasters are falling one by another; God’s work of rewarding the good and punishing the wicked is imminent, and those evil forces or individuals that resist God’s work will suffer God’s punishment. This is why it is so important for us to put aside our notions and seek and accept God’s work of the last days.
Gains
After listening to Sister Anna’s fellowship, I saw that God choosing to work in China in the last days is possessed of great significance and God is too wise: In one regard, God has accomplished the fact that God’s name shall be great among the Gentiles, so that everyone knows that God is not merely the God of the people of Israel, but the God of all creatures; in another regard, God choosing to work in China is necessary for God’s work of conquest in the last days, and when God conquers the Chinese people who are the most filthy, and resist God the most, then it will be easier for Him to do this with people of other nations. At the same time, I understood that we created beings should have reason, not delimiting God, but instead we should put aside our notions and imaginings, and open-mindedly seek God’s appearance and work, for only in this way can we welcome the return of the Lord.
Source: Walk in the Light
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