Eastern Lightning | You testified that the Lord has returned and does His work of judgment beginning at the house of God in the last days. Is this the same as the great white throne judgment in the Book of Revelation?

Answer:

All those who truly understand the Bible know that the great white throne judgment prophesied in the Book of Revelation is a vision of God’s judgment work in the last days. The incarnate Almighty God came to express the truth and do His judgment work in the last days, starting to cleanse and save corrupt mankind. This means the great white throne judgment has already begun. Judgment starts from the house of God. God will first make a group of overcomers before the disaster. Then, God will bring down the great disasters and start to reward good and punish evil, until this evil era has been destroyed. God’s great white throne judgment in the last days will then be thoroughly complete. Then God will openly appear to begin a new era. We can all see it very clearly right now.

The omen of the great disasters—four consecutive blood moons—has already appeared. The great disasters are near. When the great disasters come, anyone who resists God, judges God, or opposes God, and the ilk of the devil Satan will be destroyed in the disasters. Isn’t that precisely the great white throne judgment? We can see from the Bible’s prophecies that the Lord’s return is separated into the two stages of secret arrival and open arrival. At first, the Lord comes like a thief, which means God incarnate arrives secretly to express the truth and perform His judgment work in the last days. The main purpose is to make a group of overcomers. This fulfills the “judgment must begin at the house of God” prophecy. God’s judgment work in the last days already began when God incarnate secretly arrived to express the truth and judge all of mankind. The first part of the work is to begin judgment at the house of God. With that, God cleanses and saves those who hear His voice and are brought before Him, making them into overcomers. God’s great work is thus accomplished. Then the great disasters begin. God will use disaster to punish and destroy this old world. God’s judgment work in the last days thus reaches its climax. When God appears openly on the clouds, His judgment work will have been thoroughly complete. The kingdom of God will subsequently appear. This thus fulfills the prophecy of the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. Just as Almighty God says, “One aspect of God’s work is to conquer all of mankind and gain the chosen people through His words. Another aspect is to conquer all sons of rebellion through various disasters. This is one part of God’s large-scale work. It is only this way that the kingdom on earth that God wants can be fully achieved, and this is the part of God’s work that is like fine gold” (“Interpretation of the Seventeenth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Almighty God’s words sum up His judgment work in the last days very accurately. We can understand it very easily. Almighty God’s judgment in the last days is the great white throne judgment prophesied in the Book of Revelation. According to the facts of Almighty God’s judgment work in the last days, we can also understand what the Revelation prophecy regarding the opening of books to judge the dead and the opening of the book of life is all about. Actually, the opening of books to judge the dead is God’s judgment of all unbelievers and all those who deny and resist Him. This judgment is their condemnation, their punishment, and their destruction. And opening the book of life refers to the judgment that begins at the house of God, that is, Almighty God, Christ of the last days, expressing the truth to judge and cleanse all those brought before His throne. These chosen people of God who accept Almighty God’s judgment work in the last days and are brought before Him are all objects of God’s judgment, cleansing, and salvation. The judgment that begins at the house of God is to perfect this group of people before the disaster. Only this group of people are the wise virgins, people whose names are recorded in the book of life, the 144,000 overcomers prophesied by the Book of Revelation, the people who will ultimately enter the kingdom of heaven to inherit eternal life. This fulfills what was prophesied in Revelation: “And I looked, and, see, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God” (Rev 14:1-5).

Almighty God’s judgment work in the last days completely fulfills the vision of the great white throne judgment prophesied in the Book of Revelation. The great white throne symbolizes God’s holiness as well as His authority. Then how can we get to know God’s authority? We all know that God created the heavens and earth and all things with His word. He uses His word to guide, cleanse, and save mankind, to accomplish everything. God’s word represents His authority. What God says shall come to pass, what He orders shall stand. God is as good as His word, and His word shall be accomplished, and that which is accomplished lasts forever. Almighty God’s work in the last days is the work of word. God uses His word to control the entire universe, control all of mankind. He uses His word to guide, to supply mankind, and is now using His word to judge and cleanse mankind.

Almighty God says, “I wish to bring people from all over the earth to the land of Canaan, and so I continue to issue forth utterances in the land of Canaan to control the entire universe. At this time, there is no light in all the earth apart from Canaan, and all men are imperiled by hunger and cold” (“The Seven Thunders Peal—Prophesying That the Gospel of the Kingdom Shall Spread Throughout the Universe” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

“And so, during the last days, when God becomes flesh, He principally uses the word to accomplish all and make all plain” (“All Is Achieved by the Word of God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

“All who are wicked will be chastised by the words in God’s mouth, all who are righteous will be blessed by the words in His mouth, and all will be established and made complete by the words in His mouth. Nor will He show any signs or wonders; all will be accomplished by His words, and His words will produce facts. Everyone on earth will celebrate God’s words, whether they be adults or children, male, female, old, or young, all people will submit beneath the words of God” (“The Millennial Kingdom Has Arrived” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

The expression of Almighty God’s word is like the lightning that shoots from the East straight to the West. It cleanses and perfects all those who return before God’s throne, and exposes the hypocritical Pharisees who hate the truth as well as all wicked people who deny and resist God. At the same time, it strikes down all the sons of disobedience. The judgment work of Almighty God on earth in the last days shows that God is already sitting and ruling upon His throne. Even though this old world of evil and darkness still exists for the time being, various great disasters that will destroy the world will soon befall. There is no force on earth that can destroy God’s kingdom, and no force that can abolish God’s work or block His work from proceeding. God wielding His authority to perform His judgment work on earth is the same as His throne in heaven: It’s something no one can shake and no one can change, which is a fact. Just as Almighty God says, “The kingdom is expanding in humanity’s midst, it is forming in humanity’s midst, it is standing up in humanity’s midst; there is no force that can destroy My kingdom” (“The Nineteenth Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh). This is the authority and power displayed by God’s word. God’s word wielding power on earth is Christ ruling on earth, and is God already ruling on His throne on earth. This is sufficient to show that God’s kingdom has already descended upon earth. This is a fact nobody can deny. We can see that God’s will is already fully done on earth, as it is in heaven. The Lord Jesus said, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Mat 6:10). Revelation also prophesied: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give you thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which are, and were, and are to come; because you have taken to you your great power, and have reigned” (Rev 11:15-17). These words have already become reality. These are all truths accomplished by the judgment work of Almighty God in the last days.

from Classic Questions and Answers on the Gospel of the Kingdom

“My righteousness, majesty and judgment show no mercy to Satan. But for you, they are to save you, yet you are just incapable of understanding My disposition, nor do you know the principles behind My actions” (Utterances and Testimonies of Christ in the Beginning). What does this passage of God’s words speak of? It speaks of the effect of God’s righteousness, majesty and judgment on people. What is the effect? Some people cannot comprehend. “My righteousness, majesty and judgment show no mercy to Satan.” What is the meaning of these words? Some people say: “The meaning of these words is that God’s righteousness, majesty and judgment are directed at Satan, not at people.” Is this interpretation right or wrong? (Wrong.) Some people interpret it in this way. This is an erroneous or absurd interpretation. Here it also says, “But for you, they are to save you.” What does this mean? “You” refers to God’s chosen people, all those who accept God’s work. To all God’s chosen people and those people who truly believe in God, what are God’s righteousness, majesty and judgment? They are for salvation. Some people feel this is contradictory, saying, “They show no mercy to Satan but they are to save people, so are God’s righteousness, majesty and judgment toward Satan or people?” Is this question easy to solve or not? Some people may think this way: “Amongst people, some belong to Satan, the devil, and some belong to God’s chosen people, who are the object of salvation. So, to Satan God’s righteousness, majesty and judgment are revelation, elimination or punishment. To God’s chosen people, to those who truly believe in God, they are completely for salvation, for cleansing, for perfecting.” Is this interpretation right or wrong? This interpretation is right. Such people have found the way. So tell me, is it Satan or is it God’s chosen people that should undergo God’s righteous, majestic and wrathful judgment? (They all should.) All should accept it. It is not okay for anyone to not accept it. In other words, no one can escape it; this is the truth. Some people say, “God utters His words but neither the unbelievers, nor the religious people, nor people belonging to Satan listen to or read them!” If they do not listen to or read them, then can they escape God’s judgment and chastisement? They escape the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, but can they escape God’s wrath and disasters sent by God? Can they escape the judgment and chastisement by actual facts? No one can escape. If you do not accept the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, then you have to accept the judgment and chastisement of actual facts. So what is the judgment and chastisement of actual facts? It is disaster! So, God’s great white throne judgment in the last days has already started.

The judgment of God’s words is directed at God’s chosen people. The judgment of actual facts, the judgment and punishment of disaster, is directed at the unbelievers. So in this way, there are two aspects of the judgment work, which are carried out concurrently. This cannot be ignored. Some people say, “The chosen people in God’s family are undergoing God’s judgment and chastisement, but the unbelievers are eating, drinking and enjoying themselves and they have not accepted God’s judgment and chastisement!” Their judgment and chastisement of actual facts is different to the judgment and chastisement of words. The judgment and chastisement of words is over a long time, but the judgment and chastisement of actual facts will come in a short time, in an instant. It’s like with big earthquakes, when people are eating, drinking and enjoying themselves, all of a sudden, “crack,” the ground shakes and people want to run but are unable to and have all been killed. You see, the judgment and chastisement of actual facts is fast, transient, sudden and hard to detect. The judgment and chastisement of words is different. It has a time period. People have to eat and drink God’s words. Sometimes people have not eaten nor drunk them, or they have eaten and drunk them but not taken them to heart. Some people have taken them to heart but have not experienced their judgment. Not experiencing it is not acceptable. The first time they experience it, they may not be able to obey, they have no knowledge or understanding of it. After a period of time, there is a little understanding and after experiencing a little longer, they understand a little more. After experiencing a little longer, they can understand more thoroughly and then real repentance and real change can be produced. This is the process of the pursuit of truth. From not understanding to understanding. Obedience results from understanding and knowledge results from obedience. This process takes a long time. To achieve results, it takes some people ten or twenty years and it takes some people twenty to thirty years. That’s how it is. When we experience the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, what do unbelievers do? Eat, drink, enjoy themselves, sleep and dream! When we have undergone enough judgment and chastisement and are cleansed and begin to rejoice and praise God, when God’s people are perfected by God, the disaster of the unbelievers shall come. And once the disaster comes, it shall be the time of their death! Is God’s great white throne judgment and chastisement in the last days like this? (Yes.) You have now realized, “This is what the great white throne judgment is! The judgment and chastisement of words is internal and the coming and punishment of disaster is external. Those who do not believe in God and those who resist God must all die in the disaster.” What is the time relationship between the internal judgment and chastisement of words and the external punishment of disasters? Synchronous. Unbelievers now also have disasters of all kinds, but they are not so big, nor are they classed as devastating disasters. Once God’s chosen people have been made complete, when a group of overcomers appear, “crack,” the catastrophe shall descend. Once it descends then the disaster shall be the judgment and chastisement used to settle the unbelievers. This judgment and chastisement is full of wrath and majesty!

from Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (Series 121)