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Subject 18 : GENESIS
[Chapter 5-5] Ancestors of Faith Who Knew the Time of Destruction Set by God (Genesis 5:25-32)
(Genesis 5:25-32)
“Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lamech. After he begot Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died. Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had a son. And he called his name Noah, saying, ‘This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.’ After he begot Noah, Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died. And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”
If we look at the Scripture passage we read today, we can see that there were ancestors of faith who knew the end of the first world. They were none other than Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. Methuselah was Noah’s grandfather, and Lamech was his father. Methuselah had Lamech at the age of 187, and Lamech had Noah at the age of 182. So, Methuselah was 369 years old when Noah was born. Noah’s grandfather, Methuselah lived for 969 years, and his father Lamech lived for 777 years. When Noah was 500 years old, he had Shem, Ham, and Japheth. At the time, Methuselah was 869 years old and Lamech was 682 years old. Thus, what this means is that Noah’s grandfather and father were alive at the time when Noah had his sons. In other words, Methuselah had lived until Shem, Ham, and Japheth were about 100 years old.
Lamech, the son of Methuselah, had a child, and he named the child Noah. ‘Noah’ means ‘rest.’ If we look at today’s Scripture passage, it is said, “Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had a son. And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed” (Genesis 5:28-29). And it meant that Lamech named the newly born child ‘Noah’ with the meaning that he would save those people who are in agony and hopeless due to sins.
In today’s scripture passage, Enoch, the father of Methuselah, also appears. Enoch, having walked with God, entered the Kingdom of God without having experienced death. That is why the Bible says, “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5). Other ancestors of faith are described as having lived so and so years “and he died,” but Enoch is said to have walked with God for 300 years and to have been taken away by God. This foreshadows the fact that the Lord will come again in the future and raise us the righteous.
If it is the case that God had revealed the rapture through Enoch, then through his son Methuselah, his grandson Lamech, and his great-grandson Noah, God had revealed the end of this world. They knew the fact that God will destroy this world in the future. Thus, Methuselah and Lamech prophesied that Noah, having grown up in faith, would comfort them and have them rest in peace, so they named the child like this. Not only Noah but also all the ancestors of faith knew that this world would be destroyed. This is what chapter 5 of the Book of Genesis is telling us.
How old was Noah when Lamech died? As it is said that Lamech had Noah at the age of 182 and that after he begot Noah, Lamech lived for 595 years, having had sons and daughters, Lamech must have gone before God when Noah was 595 years old. Since it is said that Methuselah had lived until Noah was 600 years old, he must have lived 5 more years after his son Lamech’s death.
Although Methuselah had lived the longest among all human beings, he died right before the Deluge and taught the fact that the Deluge will come. The ancestors of faith throughout the lineage had been saying that God would destroy the world. Then, when Noah’s time came, Noah started to hear the voice of God. Methuselah had lived until Noah was 600 years old, and since the Deluge occurred when Noah was 600 years old, Methuselah had died the year when the Deluge occurred. That is, Noah’s grandfather Methuselah and his father Lamech prophesied that God would destroy the first world, and it actually occurred at the time of Noah. And Methuselah had died the year when the Deluge occurred.
The name, Methuselah, means ‘a man of the dart.’ That is, he was the one who prophesied the time set by God. So, Lamech was surely aware of the time of distraction, too. Thus, when Lamech had a child, he named him Noah, that is, ‘the one who comforts.’ It meant that Noah was the one who would deliver them from the judgment of God. Because he had the faith that this world would face the judgment, he had his son named so.
What can we learn from this? We can learn that through the ancestors of faith, God has been speaking about the fact that He will destroy the world. God warned of the destruction of world during Noah’s times, but also warns of the destruction of this world in this day and age. And, we believe also, just as our ancestors of faith had. When we look at the Word of God with faith, this world will surely be destroyed. The Bible tells us how this second world will be destroyed; this world will burn up by fire due to war, famine, earthquakes and God’s terrifying judgment. What is more, it tells us that a new heavens and a new earth will come (2 Peter 3:10-13).
We have heard numerous times that this second world will also be destroyed, but people neither believe it well nor think about it much. However, God did plan it, and He will surely realize His plans. What would it be like if we were Noah, Lamech, or Methuselah? And, if we were Enoch, Noah’s great-grandfather, how would we have accepted the Word of God, which says that He will destroy the world? It is said that Enoch had always walked with God, and God had taken him for He was pleased with him. The fact that God had taken him reveals rapture, and the fact that he had walked with God means that he had lived a life of faith, believing in God. And, Methuselah, Enoch’s son, knew that God had taken his father. If you had seen your father taken up into the sky leaving no corpse, wouldn’t you remember it? And, wouldn’t you talk about it? Methuselah also believed that God would be destroying this world and told his children about it.
Thus, the faith that believes in the last days is mentioned in chapter 5 of the Book of Genesis, and in Genesis chapter 6, the background as to why God could not but pass judgment on this world is mentioned. Because our ancestors of faith knew about it and because all the people of faith who had become righteous before us knew about the destruction of the world, we must know and believe the same.
What kind of world are we living in now, and also, what kind of plan does God have? As we look at this world before God, this world is the same as it was during the days of Noah. I can tell you that it is almost the time when God will be destroying this world. We are small versions of Noah. It means that we are the ones who spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit and board souls into the ark of salvation so that when the destruction comes to this world, they would not go to hell.
During the last days of this world, it is said, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6), and what is happening in this day and age? Wars where strong nations are obliterating the weak are occurring ceaselessly, and dangers of war are lurking everywhere. Currently, there isn’t even a place to hide when a war should occur. Even at dark nights, because the infrared vision will find everything, we cannot hide even in the dark. Also, with the development of missiles with a very precise guidance system, they are said to be able to hit a target from a distance hundreds of kilometers away. We are living in this sort of age. As the wars continue and famine deepens in this world, I hope for you to realize that the day when God will come is not far away. When circumstances become one that has no lack for God to pass judgment on the sins of humankind, God will pour out bowls of great calamities on this earth and come again, as He promised. Then, people will be judged for their sins for they did not believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. And also, as for those who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, God will build new heavens and a new earth and have them live there. The Lord promised us that He would give us the Millennial Kingdom as well as new heavens and a new earth. God will realize what He had promised us.
Besides us, there are many people in this world who say that the destruction of this world is coming. And even the Apostle Paul and Peter said so, too. The Apostle Paul, our predecessor of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, was a man about two thousand years ago. He also spoke of the end of the earth and other predecessors of faith spoke of it. And now, we too know and believe the same. This is why we are diligently spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Just as Noah had saved people from destruction by having them escape the Deluge by boarding them in the ark, we are having people receive salvation from all the judgment by spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit to this world upon which God will pass the judgment. Before this world falls into the bottomless pit of destruction, we must have people believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and board them on the ark of salvation by diligently spreading the gospel.
It is written in the Bible that this current day and age is like the days of Noah. How much sin does this world overflows with? As I leave the house in the morning, I find a sports newspaper left in front of my house as an advertising promotion, and as I see a few of its pages, the content is so lascivious that it fills my head and the Word of God do not come inside my heart. On a few occasions, I had skimmed that free newspaper, but I found out that as its content was so stimulating, it made me fall into lustful senses and had a negative effect on my faith. Thus, if I were to read a worldly newspaper just as I wake up, I am left spiritually staled all day long. In newspapers and on the Internet, there are many adult advertisements. Long ago, going to a stream in a mountain valley and stealing a glance at women taking a bath was all that men could do. However, these days, one can see all sorts of unimaginable things by turning on a computer and clicking. Thus, people are just living deep inside the world of sensual pleasures, not knowing whether or not God even exists and unaware that they will go to hell some day.
In this day and age, the Lord will realize everything according to the promises He made in the Bible. Put differently, God will carry out all He had promised us. All things promised in the Book of Revelations will be realized in this day and age. Starting from Adam, all the ancestors of faith who appear in the chapter 5 of the Book of Genesis knew that when humankind gets tainted by sin in its fullness, God will destroy them.
The Judgment Surely Comes Down When the World Becomes Full of Sin
The ancestors of faith knew and spread the fact that God would surely destroy this world overflowing with sin. However, people who had accepted and believed it were just a small few. Whether people believe it or not, the promise will be fulfilled thoroughly. And, you and I will actually experience this last of the days.
Just as Noah and his family entered the ark and banged the door shut, and the sound of the rain was heard all of a sudden. And few moments later, the ark rocked a bit and then started to move floating on water. Then, Noah and his family experienced the sound of animals dying and people screaming. You and I will experience the same. You will see the destruction of this world with your own eyes and experience martyrdom, too. At the time of the destruction of this world, when we experience hail falling from the sky, water turning to blood, coming of earthquakes splitting the ground, fire coming down, and the world crumbling down completely, those of us who are born-again will no longer wish to live any more and thus wait for the Lord to come, saying, “Lord Jesus, please come.” New heavens and a new earth will be waiting for us. When the days of tribulation come, the righteous will embrace martyrdom because they will no longer want to live in this world. When the followers of anti-Christ appear before us and tells us, “Are you going to accept the mark or not? If you don’t receive the mark, you will not get food. Receive the mark quickly so as to receive food,” and you say, “Hey, eat well yourself, and as you go, get struck by hail and die with your head split open,” and spit on those people’s faces, wouldn’t they kill us at once? During those days, many people will die, and we will also suffer death. When such a world comes, it is better to keep our faith and suffer death as soon as possible. I don’t even want to live in such a world. People all over the world will become mentally ill. If you are sane, how could you be able to live in such a world?
These days, many people hear that the Lord will soon come, but almost none of them actually believe it. However, I believe that I will experience such events in my lifetime. And, people who have received the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit that we are spreading will receive salvation from destruction of this world, curse in hell, and condemnation of sin. Also, God will make this earth new and have us live there a thousand years. Jesus Christ will come to this earth and reign as the King, and at that time, we will also act as kings commanding angels made by God.
The Word of God becomes real quickly. God did not want to destroy people. God wanted to make people His own children and to live with them forever. Noah also was well aware of such a will of God. Therefore, while living in the new world, Noah also spread the Word of faith. From Noah, Abraham came. From Abraham came David; and from David, Jesus Christ came. And from Jesus Christ, came you and I. And people who have received salvation from sin through you and I came; this will continue on and on. We are receiving everyday many letters of thanks from people all over the world who have received the remission of sins through our books. Our faith is handed over like so.
The Lord will come during our generation. When wars arise, destruction will fall upon this world. This day and age is on the brink of the emergence of the anti-Christ. God is all ready to destroy this world. Someone who we see even now could emerge as the anti-Christ. In other words, someone who will control and manage the world in chaos due to wars and natural disasters by having received powers from Satan the Devil might exist somewhere in this day and age.
Just as the world enters chaos, chaos will amplify very fast. If some strong nation, in order to protect its welfare and interest, were to attack some defiant small nations, at first the weak countries would just suffer, but countries that would struggle to their very end will appear. And if that happens, the whole world will fall into a spiral of unimaginable wars. Currently, due to the development of science and technology, weaker nations could also make nuclear weapons and biochemical weapons if they just wish to do so. Thus, when such weaker nations get cornered, they will use such weapons of mass destruction in a do or die manner and create terror. And then, in a chained reaction, relevant nations will be dragged into the tragedies of war. When a worldwide war should occur all of a sudden, the whole world will become chaotic, and the leader of each and every nation will try to resolve the situation.
Let us say that some leader, at a time when the world was in such turmoil, was able to wisely settle the situation with the support of a strong force of his nation. Then, because people would receive strong sanctions if they were to not adhere to that leader, they will all obey the leader’s words. Then, Satan the Devil will enter him and do his work, and thus, this world will come to an end. At such time, anti-Christ will claim himself to be God and establish idols of him. And, he will threaten to kill people if they do not receive the mark of 666, which represents his name. Then, finally, he will integrate and then eliminate all religion, and he will become a god himself. Such events will be realized in a short period of time. We do believe so.
The ancestors of faith believed in the Word of God just as we do. Lamech had a son and named him Noah, as it is written, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed” (Genesis 5:29). Lamech believed that through this child, many people will receive salvation. Noah is not the savior, but Noah’s eight family members received salvation by believing in Noah’s words, for he had believed in and followed the Word spoken by God. Methuselah and Lamech had named the child Noah because they were able to foresee this.
I wish you to have the wisdom to look into the future and prepare for it by believing in the Word of God. The fact that this world will be destroyed may seem merely fictional and this world may continue for thousands and millions of years, but this world will surely face destruction sooner or later. God had destroyed the first world with water and then made the second world. And as He said when this world come to an end He will build the Millennial Kingdom and after that He will burn away this earth so as to bring those of us who are the righteous into a newly created heavens and earth, I hope you will go on living by having faith in these words. I also believe so.
It is said that when we complete spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit throughout the world, the Lord will come again. Therefore, we must go on living day after day with the faith of believing in the righteousness of God in our hearts. Even today, we must go on living for the spreading of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and before God, we must live out our faith by believing in the righteousness of God. We must go on living keeping the faith of the righteousness of the Lord in our hearts. I mean we must go on living with the faith of believing in the righteousness of God in our hearts until the day when the Lord will come. When the time for the end of this world comes, everything will be realized rapidly. We must know as such and live out our faith with our hearts placed in God.
Therefore, while proclaiming that the days of tribulation are near, the Apostle Paul said, “But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:29-31). The Apostle Paul had lived being aware of the last of the days. That is why he was saying that we must realize that material things of this world will be burned away. And he was saying that people without wealth should live with the faith that when the Lord renews this earth and builds the Millennial Kingdom, He will give them everything along with that land. That is, Paul’s faith was fundamentally different from the faith of the fleshly people. People who have the same faith as that of Paul neither attach themselves to the things of the earth nor be bound by them. You and I must go on living with the faith held by the ancestors of faith. Perhaps, if our hearts should go in a wrong direction, let us straighten up our hearts with the Word mentioned here and go on living spiritually.
Let Us Do the Lord’s Work Knowing That We Are the Last Runners among the Spreaders of the Gospel
After Enoch had Methuselah, God took him away. Then, Methuselah, the ‘man of the dart,’ begot Lamech who begot Noah. After Lamech had a son and called his name Noah, he said, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed” (Genesis 5:29). People of faith like Methuselah and Lamech knew that God would destroy the world. In other words, they knew that the last of the days would be coming. Truly, just like the faith of Methuselah and Lamech, God’s judgment fell on the first world during the times of Noah.
Lamech had a son at the age of one hundred eighty, and he named his son Noah. Didn’t the first world get destroyed during the days of Noah? If we were to calculate the age of Methuselah and Lamech, we can see that they had lived right up until the Deluge. Therefore, the fact that Lamech said, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands,” and named Noah as such tells us that he could foresee the work God was going to do. In other words, Lamech already knew that this world would receive God’s judgment and be destroyed. And he was facing the fact that God would save this world through Noah.
I have meditated on the Word that people of faith like Methuselah and Lamech had thought about the last of the days and had believed in the fact that God would pass judgment on this world. These people went on living with the faith of foreseeing the future and thus, after having had a son and naming him Noah, they were able to say, “This one will comfort us.” How were they able to see for straight the fact that the world would come to an end during the days of this child Noah? Of course, God had made it known to them just as it is said He reveals it to the servants of God, that is, the sons of the Light while He hid that fact from people of the world. We know very well and believe in our hearts that God has given you and me the eyes capable of seeing that “this world will come to an end soon.” Just as Lamech foresaw, after having had Noah, the fact that this son will protect, save, and comfort them, we also see clearly and anticipate in what will happen to this world in the future. We foresee with our eyes of faith the fact hat Jesus Christ is coming again to this earth and a new world will begin.
These days, cholera is said to be rampant in Africa. In the past, anyone who had cholera suffered death. When I was young, there was a time when cholera was raging in Korea. When a person catches that disease, he or she vomits, cannot eat food, and suffers high fever. And eventually dehydration occurs and most people would eventually die. I was living in a neighborhood of refugees in Busan at the time, and people who were living next door were carried off dead due to cholera. Epidemic prevention officials came, placed a barricade line, disinfected the house where people who had cholera had lived, and did not let anyone in. However, no one in our family died at the time. I was at a young age then, but thinking that I should not die, I received inoculation earnestly.
When changes start to occur in the world, I think that the end of this world will be coming soon. Right now, a war is starting in the Middle East. In the future, it is said that this world will be destroyed due to wars and diseases. We are spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit, but when we are finished spreading it, such destruction will come. And we have the faith to foresee the future like that of Lamech who is one of our ancestors of faith. Even these ancestors of faith back then foresaw ahead of time that the world would be destroyed. Thus, we are able to see that Lamech had believed in the fact that it would be realized during the days of his child, and also, we can find in the Bible that everything came to be just as he believed. How much longer do you think we can live in these times? Wouldn’t it be just a few decades or so, at maximum? Therefore, we must spread this gospel with all our might for we believe that we are living in an era when the end is near.
In the Book of Genesis chapter 5, descendants of Adam are listed. Lamech had a son, and he foresaw the destruction would come during the days of his son Noah. And, just as he foresaw, everything came to be. People of faith, like Lamech and Methuselah died right before Noah’s flood. They believe that God will pass judgment on the world, and passed away having been spreading such faith. But, isn’t it true that so many people did not believe in that truth? At the time, an absolute majority of the people was of no faith, while people of faith were so rare. The Bible says, “Who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water” (1 Peter 3:20). Even though people of faith had shouted so loudly about the imminent judgment of God, for those who were indulged in the pleasures of the world, it was like trying to make a cow to understand the Scriptures. Thus, God had judged them for their sins with water because there was neither hope nor prospect in His view. To those who are in agony due to sin, the gospel of the water and the Spirit that we preach is something precious, but to those who are not like that, it is just a story of no interest. It is just a useless gospel.
I believe that when the gospel of the water and the Spirit that we now believe and preach gets spread in each and every country, the Lord will surely come. The Lord will come to this world, and He will curse and judge those who are under the sin. Long ago, He had washed away the world with water, but now, I know it is only fitting for Him to do the work of cleaning this world with fire. The Lord said that such work would be realized on this earth quickly. He said, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelations 22:7). I have faith in these Words.
Thus, we must quickly spread the gospel all over the world. We must translate our books into every language and distribute them. Whether or not people will believe depends on their hearts. Because you and I believe that there isn’t much time left in this era, we must spread this gospel of the water and the Spirit quickly. We must diligently sow the seeds of the gospel of salvation, so that when the tribulation does come on the last day, we would have something to harvest. Even those who haven’t yet become the born-again people among our family members must receive salvation quickly. Although your family members might not listen to you when you preach them the gospel of the water and the Spirit, when that time comes, they will believe in the true gospel. When the tribulation comes to them, they will realize and believe, saying, “Things are really becoming so according to the Word of God as they preached.”
People of faith like Methuselah and Lamech believed in the Word of God and waited for a very long period time. Even Noah waited for the promise of God for 100 years, preparing the ark. All the ancestors of faith believed and waited, being faithful to their duties. Like them, we must endure with faith and then leave this world after having spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit all throughout the world. If we do not do this work, the Lord cannot come and He cannot pass judgment on this earth. That is why we who have been born again by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit must spread the righteousness of God. Compared to the beginning of our literature ministry, as of current, there has been a great progress in the spreading of the gospel. However, even now, there are many people who are in need of hearing the gospel. If just one person from each country were to receive the remission of sins and become a worker of the gospel, the gospel would spread at a great speed for we can distribute our ministry books through them.
I believe that we will be able to spread the gospel all over the world very soon if we were to work more diligently from now on. We must all pray together for the spreading of the gospel, and you and I must carry out the task by having faith in the righteousness of God. And we must fully serve the gospel of the Lord. Let us first spread the gospel to our family members all the while placing our efforts in the spreading of the gospel all throughout the world. When the Lord should come as we do so, let us face the rapture. And, let us enjoy glory in the Millennial Kingdom, and then let us enter the new heavens and the new earth.
In the new world, we will act as kings for a thousand years along with the Lord. Let us have faith in it and live with the hope. Just as Lamech and Methuselah had foreseen and believed in God’s Word, we must also believe that the day will come soon and wait. We must have faith in and wait for the things that haven’t occurred yet. We must believe the fact that the tribulation will come to this earth, that the Lord will come again and have us partake in rapture, and that when the Millennial Kingdom is created, we will act as kings in that Kingdom. We must believe that all such works will be realized once the spreading of the gospel of the water and the Spirit all over this earth is accomplished. Now, we can have hope and go on living with faith. If we could neither foresee nor believe it, we will perish due to having no faith when the tribulation should come unexpectedly like a thief. Do you think this world will always be at peace? No, that is not so.
In today’s Scripture passage, Noah’s lineage is shown, and we also are included in this lineage of faith. After Noah, there come Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and in the New Testament, the disciples of Jesus like the Apostle Paul and Peter continued to be listed in this genealogy. And then, your name and mine also appear. For God has taken the descendants of Adam as His people, those who have received His love are placed in the lineage of faith by having become His children. By us, the lineage of faith continues.
Dear fellow believers, do you believe in all the Words written in this Bible? Do you believe that 7 years of great tribulation will come to this earth? When the gospel of the water and the Spirit is spread completely, the seven-year tribulation will occur. And thus, anti-Christ will appear, Satan the Devil will seize people by his hand, and he will kill them if they do not serve him as a god. Such things will be realized according to the Word of prophecy. When this world almost comes to an end, the rapture will occur, and the Lord will have us be like kings for a thousand years by making all things new. We must have complete faith in such Words of God. This Word of prophecy is not of some novel or of a fairytale. It is real, a reality. And that is why the Lord warns us, “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelations 22:18-19).
Just as Lamech foresaw by faith what sort of world would come, we must also believe in the Word of the Lord. When the Lord comes and things like these are all realized, predecessors of faith will resurrect first, and then those among us who have survived, avoiding martyrdom, will all suddenly be changed and then be in rapture. Then, we will be acting as kings for a thousand years along with the Lord. When that happens, ancestors of faith like Methuselah and Lamech will also receive the glories at that time. If we look at the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is said that all things should not be made perfect apart from us.
We are the last runners of the gospel. When God has finished the work of spreading the gospel through us in the last of the days, He will resurrect those who are sleeping in their grave first and then, He will resurrect us, too. For all those who look toward and believed in the Word of God, it will actually be realized. It is something that will be fulfilled for those who believe in the promises of God. Our predecessors of faith followed the Word of God first. And, we who have taken over their faith must serve the gospel with all our best as the last runners in the long relay race of faith. So, if the world should suffer destruction, then all things will be realized according to the Word of God. Along with us, people will see the completion of the Word of God. And like this, the first resurrection will come to be realized.
People who have been born again by having faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit will participate in the first resurrection, but as for those who are not the born-again, they will participate in the second resurrection which will occur one thousand years later. The first resurrection is the awakening and the resurrecting of those who were asleep in the Lord so as to make them live in the everlasting kingdom of the Lord. The second resurrection occurs in order to place people who have been living intoxicated by the world without having faith in the Word of God into the fire of hell. You must completely believe in this fact.
Let us all go on living spreading the gospel by having faith of believing in the righteousness of God and by placing our hopes in Heaven. There hasn’t been an era that is any easier to spread the gospel than the current era. God has made it easy to spread the gospel. Even though you may not be able to do a great work, as long as you keep your faith and provide some material support, the gospel will spread much more quickly. Communist states all over the world have now toppled, and they are all in the process of accepting the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Currently, street ministry is not allowed in the Muslim states, but literature ministry is possible. Leaving books there is not a problem at all. So long as we don’t do it fully exposed, it is possible to spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit even in Muslim countries. We can spread it through the Internet, too. Currently, even readers from Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia are downloading quite a lot of our electronic books. The doorway to the gospel of the water and the Spirit has opened up wide. Isn’t it the case that even North Korea is opening up?
You must believe all the Words written in this Bible. I have the faith that when the Lord comes, we will go through the rapture, surely act as kings for a thousand years in the new heavens and the new earth along with the Lord, and then enter the everlasting kingdom after the completion of one more judgment. We must look into the future with a far-sighted faith like Lamech. We now must look toward future with faith and labor in love with hope.
We who are living in this last of the days are the small versions of Noah. We are the last runners of faith in this last of the days. Let us also meet the Lord after having worked with a faith like that of Noah, who had lived the last of the days with unwavering faith. Though there is nothing to see actually, let’s pray with faith, believe, wait, and adhere to the command of the Lord like Noah.
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