33. What is the rapture before the disaster? What is an overcomer who is made complete before the disaster?

Relevant Words of God:

“Being caught up” is not being taken from a low place to a high place as people imagine. This is a huge mistake. Being caught up is referring to My predetermining and selecting.
It is targeted at all those I have preordained and chosen. Those who have gained the status of firstborn sons, the status of My sons, or My people, are all people who have been caught up. This is most incompatible with people’s notions. Those who have a share in My house in the future are all people who have been caught up before Me. This is absolutely true, never-changing, and cannot be refuted by anybody. This is the counterattack against Satan. Anyone I preordained shall be caught up before Me.

from “The One Hundred and Fourth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

The Philadelphia church has taken shape, and this has been entirely due to the grace and mercy of God. The saints have brought forth their love for God and never wavered from their spiritual path. Be firm in the belief that the one true God has become flesh, that He is the Head of the universe who commands all things—this is confirmed by the Holy Spirit and is ironclad proof! It can never change!

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Today You have made complete all churches—the Philadelphia church—which is the realization of Your 6,000-year management plan. The saints can now humbly be obedient in front of You; they are connected to each other in spirit and accompany each other in love. They are connected to the source of the fountain. The living water of life runs ceaselessly and it washes away and purges all the filth and sludge in the church, once again purifying Your temple. We have known the practical true God, walked within His words, recognized our own functions and duties, and done everything that we can to expend ourselves for the church. We should take every moment to be quiet in front of You and heed the work of the Holy Spirit so that Your will is not blocked in us. Among saints there is mutual love, and the strengths of some will compensate for the failings of others. Walk in the spirit at every moment and gain the enlightenment and illumination of the Holy Spirit; understand the truth and put it into practice immediately; keep up with new light and follow God’s footsteps.

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Actively cooperate with God, serve in coordination and become one, satisfy Almighty God’s will, hasten to become a holy spiritual body, trample on Satan, and end its destiny. The Philadelphia church has been raptured in front of God and manifests itself in the glory of God.

from “The Second Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Those who are made complete before the disaster are obedient to God, reliant on Christ, witnesses to Christ, and they exalt Him; they are the victorious male child and the good soldiers of Christ.

from “The Thirteenth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Those who God refers to as overcomers are those who are still able to stand witness, maintain their confidence, and their devotion to God when under the influence of Satan and under siege by Satan, that is, when within the forces of darkness. If you are still able to maintain a heart of purity and your genuine love for God no matter what, you stand witness in front of God, and this is what God refers to as being an overcomer.

from “You Ought to Maintain Your Devotion to God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

As one who believes in God, you should understand that, today, in receiving the work of God in the last days and all the work of God’s plan in you, you have really received great exaltation and salvation from God. All of God’s work in the entire universe has focused on this group of people. He has devoted all His efforts to you and sacrificed all for you; He has reclaimed and given to you all the work of the Spirit throughout the universe. That is why I say, you are the fortunate. Moreover, He has shifted His glory from Israel, His chosen people, to you, in order to make the purpose of His plan fully manifest through you group of people. Therefore, you are those who will receive the inheritance of God, and even more the heirs of God’s glory. Perhaps you all remember these words: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” In the past, you have all heard this saying, yet none understood the true meaning of the words. Today, you know well the real significance they hold. These words are what God will accomplish in the last days. And they will be accomplished upon those cruelly afflicted by the great red dragon in the land where it lies. The great red dragon persecutes God and is the enemy of God, so in this land, those who believe in God are subjected to humiliation and persecution. That is why these words will become reality in you group of people. As the work is carried out in a land that opposes God, all of His work is met with inordinate hindrance, and many of His words cannot be accomplished in good time; hence, people are refined because of the words of God. This too is an element of suffering. It is greatly arduous for God to carry out His work in the land of the great red dragon, but it is through such difficulty that God does a stage of His work to make manifest His wisdom and wondrous deeds. God takes this opportunity to make this group of people complete. Because of people’s suffering, their caliber, and all the satanic disposition of people in this unclean land, God does His work of purification and conquest so that, from this, He may gain glory and gain those who stand witness to His deeds. This is the full significance of all the sacrifices that God has made for this group of people.

from “Is the Work of God So Simple as Man Imagines?” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Man will be fully made complete in the Age of Kingdom. After the work of conquest, man will be subjected to refinement and tribulation. Those who can overcome and stand testimony during this tribulation are the ones who will ultimately be made complete; they are the overcomers. During this tribulation, man is required to accept this refinement, and this refinement is the last instance of God’s work. It is the last time that man will be refined prior to the conclusion of all the work of God’s management, and all those who follow God must accept this final test, must accept this last refinement. Those who are beset by tribulation are without the work of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of God, but those who have been truly conquered and truly seek after God will ultimately stand fast; they are the ones who are possessed of humanity, and who truly love God. No matter what God does, these victorious ones will not be bereft of the visions, and will still put the truth into practice without failing in their testimony. They are the ones who will finally emerge from the great tribulation.

from “God’s Work and Man’s Practice” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

I have previously said that a group of overcomers are gained from the East, overcomers who come from amid the great tribulation. What is the meaning of such words? They mean that these people who have been gained only truly obeyed after undergoing judgment and chastisement, and dealing and pruning, and all kinds of refinement. The belief of such people is not vague and abstract, but real. They have not seen any signs and wonders, or any miracles; they do not speak of abstruse letters and doctrines, or profound insights; instead they have reality, and the words of God, and a true knowledge of the reality of God.

from “All Is Achieved by the Word of God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

The Man’s Fellowship:

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.

from Classic Questions and Answers on the Gospel of the Kingdom

We have just said “Why must you believe in Almighty God, what is the meaning in believing in Almighty God?” It is very important to understand this matter. Some people ponder: “I originally believed in the Lord Jesus. Now that I have heard a thorough witnessing of the Bible’s truth from the preachers of The Church of Almighty God, in particular, I have heard Almighty God’s utterances, which are all truth and are apparently God’s voice, and it has fulfilled what Revelation has said ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ (Rev 2:7). Once I have heard all the words of Almighty God, I have confirmed one thing: The Lord has returned, the Lord Jesus has returned, He is Almighty God.” In this way, are we not the people raptured by the Lord because we believe in Almighty God? (Yes, we are.) We belong to the people raptured by the Lord. Which prophecies from the Bible have this fulfilled? The Lord Jesus said: “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Mat 25:6), and, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20). “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame” (Rev 16:15). These prophecies have been fulfilled. Since the Lord’s prophecies have been fulfilled, we are now with the Lord, and the Lord is having supper with us. What is the name of this “supper”? There is one place in the Bible, where the Lord Jesus called it “the marriage supper of the Lamb.” What is the meaning of “the marriage supper of the Lamb”? Why is it called “the marriage supper of the Lamb”? “The Lamb” is Christ, and the marriage of the Lamb means that Christ comes to make complete a group of people, to gain people. He will make complete His sheep, those predestined to be overcomers, He will make these people into overcomers before the disaster, therefore this is called “attending the supper.” “The marriage supper of the Lamb,” “marriage” is to acquire, and what happens after having acquired? We become a family. Therefore, when explaining this scripture, some places say that the Christ is the Bridegroom, the church is the bride. This is called a marriage, and something must be acquired. Speaking of acquiring, this relates to God’s work in the last days, the work of judgment and chastisement, the work of judgment starting from the house of God. People first experience the conquest of God, then they will be cleansed, perfected, gained and made complete; the work of judgment starting from the house of God is such a stage. After men have experienced God’s work in the last days and become compatible with Christ, the work of judgment starting from the house of God thus comes to an end. What are the people in the kingdom of God who have been perfected after all of this has concluded? They are the group of overcomers who have been perfected before the disaster, these are the overcomers. What is the position of the overcomers in the kingdom of God? They are called the “pillars of the kingdom of Christ,” pillars of God’s kingdom. God will make complete a group of people, a group of overcomers, before the disaster, and these overcomers will become the pillars of the kingdom of Christ. Don’t you think it is a tremendous blessing? (Yes, it is.) This blessing is tremendous.

from Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (Series 130)

Those that God wishes to save are separated into groups to be brought back. The first group are those from mainland China. The second group are those who are overseas. Right now, those that are overseas are beginning to return to God. The third group are those that, after the great disaster arrives, in the midst of the disaster, come to their senses and return to God. Those that are called back to God prior to the disaster are many. There are many in this group! Right now, the work of being called back that needs to be done before the great disaster is quickly coming to an end. Why would I say this? What is “quickly coming to an end” referring to? The great disaster is arriving soon. If the great disaster arrives in two years, those that return to God in the two years will also be considered in the group that is raptured before the disaster. There will also be those that do not return to God during these two years. Other people spread the gospel to them and bear witness to Almighty God’s work in the last days, yet they say, “This is incorrect! This is not it! I have not seen it with my own eyes, I will not believe.” No matter how others explain it, they still deny it. God will place these people right in the middle of the disaster. He will use the disaster to refine and punish them. They will be in the middle of the disaster, in the darkness, weeping and gnashing their teeth.

from Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (Series 133)

In the past, in religious circles exegetical scholars said in relation to the final rapture, “The church will be taken up before the disaster,” and now the four blood moons have come, the great disaster is about to fall, they say, “It can’t be taken up before the disaster, but may be taken up during the disaster,” and some say, “The church may be taken up after the disaster.” Exegetical scholars in their wisdom see that rapture before the disaster has not been verified, and then they change their view to say that the rapture would take place in the midst of the disaster. In fact, some are taken up before the disaster and some are taken up during the disaster, both are true. Now are we people taken up before the disaster, or in the midst of the disaster? (Before the disaster.) We have been taken up before the disaster. We accepted the gospel before the great disaster. Some of these people have been made complete: They are the overcomers, that is, the overcomers made before the disaster, and now they have borne testimony. What of some religious people who will be taken up in the middle of the disaster? They haven’t heard of the work of Almighty God, or they fail to investigate even when they know about it; they are muddle-headed. They will accept the gospel in the middle of the disaster. God says, “When I chastise the many peoples, those in the religious world will, in differing degrees, return to My kingdom.” “In differing degrees” means a number or a small proportion of them that will be taken up in the middle of the disaster. Those taken up in the middle of the disaster are a small number. Those that are not taken up? Their careers of believing in the Lord will have concluded, they will be eliminated, they are foolish virgins. They hear God’s voice but do not recognize it, not accept it, and they will be eliminated. It is like this.

from Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (Series 131)