Question 3: We’ve believed in the Lord Jesus for many years, always working for the Lord and suffering greatly. We have never denounced the Lord Jesus’ name or betrayed Him. Therefore, according to the Lord’s promise, He will not abandon us. If the Lord has arrived, He should have lifted us into the kingdom of heaven first. Why did you accept first while we were left behind? We are not convinced! If we do not accept Almighty God’s work in the last days, will we really be unable to be raptured into the kingdom of heaven? That is what I care about the most. How do you interpret this?

Answer: This question is actually easy to explain. Those who have believed in the Lord for many years must have read these words: “For the kingdom of heaven is like to a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said to them; Go you also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said to them, Why stand you here all the day idle? They say to him, Because no man has hired us. He said to them, Go you also into the vineyard; and whatever is right, that shall you receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last to the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the manager of the house, Saying, These last have worked but one hour, and you have made them equal to us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do you no wrong: did not you agree with me for a penny? Take that your is, and go your way: I will give to this last, even as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is your eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen” (Mat 20:1–16).

Jesus also mentioned about a parable of the wise virgins: “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go you rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answered and said, Truly I say to you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes” (Mat 25:1–13). There is a close relationship between these two prophecies, both of which are about welcoming the Lord’s return. Some people had believed in the Lord for many years, but did not meet the Lord’s return first. Other people had believed in the Lord for a very short time, but actually met the Lord’s return. Some people did not even believe in the Lord, but accepted the Lord because they felt good about it when they heard some people witness for the Lord. This fulfilled the word of the Lord: “So the last shall be first, and the first last.” Some people had believed in the Lord for many years. Since the Lord did not give them revelation, when they heard someone witness the return of the Lord, they did not accept but judged and condemned instead. Some people heard that someone witnessed the Lord. After seeking and examining, they confirmed that it was the Lord’s voice and felt resentment in their hearts: “How did I fall behind after believing in the Lord for so long? They had believed in the Lord for such a short time, how did they accept the Lord first?” They were indignant and envious. Most importantly, a few who accepted the Lord’s return received reward, but those who had believed for years received no reward. It seemed unfair to them, but the Lord said to such people, “Is your eye evil, because I am good?” The Lord’s return in the last days is to reveal all people by expressing the truth. This is the almightiness and wisdom of the Lord! Do you see it now?Some people are fully aware that the words that Almighty God expresses in His judgment work of the last days are the truth and that they can cleanse and save mankind. However, they refuse to accept. They still obstinately maintain their own conceptions and imaginations. They believe that as long as they adhere to the name of the Lord Jesus and labor and toil for the Lord, they will be able to be taken into the kingdom of heaven. What kind of people are they? It can be said that this kind of person is basically someone that does not accept the truth. Even more so, they do not obey God. They are unbelievers to the core! As believers in God, whatever path we walk on is the path that we choose for ourselves. God does not interfere with our decision. However, we must understand that with each stage of new work that God initiates, He bestows upon man the truth and the way man should walk. We must accept and obey. God does not care how much work we have done in the past, how much we have suffered and how much of a price we have paid. So long as we do not obey the current words and work of God, do not attain cleansing by experiencing the judgment work of God in the last days in order to obtain the truth and break free of sin, we will encounter God’s punishment. This has been determined by God’s righteous disposition. Just as Almighty God says, “I decide the destination of each person not on the basis of age, seniority, amount of suffering, and least of all, the degree to which they invite pity, but according to whether they possess the truth. There is no other choice but this. You must realize that all those who do not follow the will of God shall also be punished. This is an immutable fact. Therefore, all those who are punished are so punished for the righteousness of God and as retribution for their numerous evil acts” (“Prepare Sufficient Good Deeds for Your Destination” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). We all know, when the Lord Jesus did His work, the Pharisees that believed that their hard work was meritorious and they were very qualified were stuck in the Age of Law. They obstinately adhered to the Old Testament of the Bible. They condemned and resisted the Lord Jesus. They refused to accept the Lord Jesus’ salvation. In the end, they were punished by God. This is a fact that cannot be denied. Similarly, Almighty God of the last days has come and He expresses the truth and bestows the way of eternal life to mankind. If all we do is adhere to the name of the Lord Jesus while refusing and resisting the work of Almighty God in the last days, then regardless of how much work we have done in the past and how great our suffering was, we will be detested by God. We would become targets of His abandonment and in the end, we will meet with God’s punishment and extermination. This is a fact that will never change.Let’s read some passages of Almighty God’s word: “Christ of the last days brings life, and brings the enduring and everlasting way of truth. This truth is the path by which man gains life, and it is the only path by which man shall know God and be approved by God. If you do not seek the way of life provided by Christ of the last days, then you shall never gain the approval of Jesus, and shall never be qualified to enter the gate of the kingdom of heaven, for you are both a puppet and prisoner of history. Those who are controlled by regulations, by letters, and shackled by history will never be able to gain life nor gain the perpetual way of life. This is because all they have is turbid water which has been clung to for thousands of years instead of the water of life that flows from the throne. Those who are not supplied with the water of life will forever remain corpses, playthings of Satan, and sons of hell. How, then, can they behold God?” (“Only Christ of the Last Days Can Give Man the Way of Eternal Life” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

“Those who wish to gain life without relying on the truth spoken by Christ are the most ridiculous people on earth, and those who do not accept the way of life brought by Christ are lost in fantasy. And so I say that those who do not accept Christ of the last days shall forever be despised by God. Christ is man’s gateway to the kingdom during the last days, and there are none who can go around Him. None may be perfected by God except through Christ. You believe in God, and so you must accept His words and obey His way. You cannot only think of gaining blessings while being incapable of receiving the truth and incapable of accepting the provision of life. Christ comes during the last days so that all those who truly believe in Him may be provided with life. His work is for the sake of concluding the old age and entering the new one, and His work is the path that must be taken by all those who would enter the new age. If you are incapable of acknowledging Him, and instead condemn, blaspheme, or even persecute Him, then you are bound to burn for eternity and shall never enter the kingdom of God. For this Christ is Himself the expression of the Holy Spirit, the expression of God, the One whom God has entrusted to do His work on earth. And so I say that if you cannot accept all that is done by Christ of the last days, then you blaspheme the Holy Spirit. The retribution to be had by those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit is self-evident to all. I also tell you that if you resist Christ of the last days, if you spurn Christ of the last days, there will be no one else to bear the consequences on your behalf. Furthermore, from this day onward you will not have another chance to gain the approval of God; even if you try to redeem yourself, you will never again behold the face of God. For what you resist is not a man, what you spurn is not some puny being, but Christ. Do you know what the consequences of this will be? You will not have made a small mistake, but committed a heinous crime. And so I advise everyone not to bare your fangs before the truth, or make careless criticisms, for only the truth can bring you life, and nothing except the truth can allow you to be reborn and behold the face of God again” (“Only Christ of the Last Days Can Give Man the Way of Eternal Life” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

“I have already said to you all that I should say; the road that you select is your choice alone. What you should understand is this: The work of God never waits for any that cannot keep pace with Him, and the righteous disposition of God shows no mercy to any man” (“Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

Now we all understand. We’ve really seen that the Lord Jesus has returned. Almighty God is now doing the work of judgment beginning from the house of God. This is a revelation to everyone in the religious community! Now, the religious community is in an age of desolation and great exposition. Everyone will be sorted into their rightful place. Do you see? Isn’t God’s work of secret descent influential? What man could do something as great as this? The work of judgment done by Almighty God through expressing the truth in the last days will reveal everyone. God will reveal which people are wheat and which are tares; which people are wise virgins and which people are foolish virgins. Those that accept Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days are all wise virgins. They will be raised up before God’s throne and accept the judgment and cleansing of His word. They will gradually understand and obtain the truth. They will grow to truly know God. They will relieve themselves of their satanic disposition and Satan’s influence. In the end, they will be made perfect by God and become overcomers. This group of overcomers created by God will rule together with God in His future kingdom. They will be the pillars of God’s kingdom. This will fulfill the prophecy: “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God: and I will write on him My new name” (Rev 3:12). When God makes these overcomers, His work of judgment that starts from His house through incarnation, will come to an end. Then He will send the great disaster, punishing the evil and rewarding the good. All that resist and condemn Almighty God will fall in the once-in-a-millennium disaster and be punished. All that have been cleansed and made perfect by God will be protected by Him and survive the great disaster. They will enter God’s kingdom and inherit His promises and blessings. This will completely fulfill the following prophecy: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev 11:15). “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Rev 21:3–4). Let’s read more of Almighty God’s words:

“When humans have been restored to their original likeness, and when they can fulfill their respective duties, keep to their own proper places and submit to all of God’s arrangements, God will have obtained a group of people upon the earth who worship Him, and He will also have established a kingdom upon the earth that worships Him. He will have eternal victory upon the earth, and all those who are opposed to Him will perish for all eternity. This will restore His original intention in creating humanity; it will restore His intention in creating all things, and it will also restore His authority upon earth, among all things, and among His enemies. These will be the symbols of His total victory. Thenceforth, humanity will enter into rest and begin a life that is on the right track. God will also enter into eternal rest with humanity, and commence an eternal life shared by both Himself and humans. The filth and disobedience upon the earth will have disappeared, and all the wailing will have dissipated, and everything in this world that opposes God will have ceased to exist. Only God and those people to whom He has brought salvation will remain; only His creation will remain” (“God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

“As My words are consummated, the kingdom is gradually formed on earth and man is gradually returned to normality, and thus there is established on earth the kingdom in My heart. In the kingdom, all the people of God recover the life of normal man. Gone is the frosty winter, replaced by a world of cities of spring, where spring lasts all year. No longer are people faced with the gloomy, miserable world of man, and no longer do they endure the cold chill of the world of man. People do not fight with each other, countries do not go to war against each other, no longer is there carnage and the blood that flows from carnage; all lands are filled with happiness, and everywhere teems with warmth between men” (“Chapter 20” of God’s Words to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

“Such a life is man’s future life on earth, the most beautiful life on earth, the kind of life that man longs for, the kind that man has never before achieved in the history of the world. It is the final outcome of the 6,000 years of work of management; it is what mankind yearns for most, and it is also God’s promise to man. But this promise cannot come to pass immediately: Man will enter the future destination only once the work of the last days has been completed and he has been completely conquered, that is, once Satan has been utterly defeated. After man has been refined, he will be without a sinful nature, because God will have defeated Satan, meaning that there will be no encroachment by hostile forces, and no hostile forces at all that can attack the flesh of man. And so man will be free and holy—he will have entered eternity” (“Restoring the Normal Life of Man and Taking Him to a Wonderful Destination” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

Excerpted from the movie script of Awakening from the dream