This trend will continue and will not abate. However, at the end of this age the Lord will sovereignly use Antichrist, the evil incarnation of Satan, to terminate all religions. At the beginning of the last seven years of this age, Antichrist will make a firm covenant of peace with the Jews, but in the middle of the seven years he will break the covenant, persecute the Jews, and terminate all the Jewish religious practices. He will cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and he will set up his image in the temple, sitting in the temple of God to say that he is God (Dan. 9:27; 8:9-11; 12:11; Matt. 24:15; Rev. 13:14-15; 2 Thes. 2:3-4). This will be the termination of Judaism. At the same time Antichrist and the ten kings under him will hate Babylon the Great, that is, the Roman Catholic Church. Because the Catholic Church has exercised its power over the nations, the ten kings will be disgusted with her, turn their back on her, and agree with Antichrist to burn her with fire and destroy her to the uttermost. In this way they will accomplish God’s will, which He has put into their hearts (Rev. 17:12-13, 16-18). Moreover, Antichrist will terminate all religion in his kingdom around the Mediterranean Sea in those three and a half years (Dan. 11:36-37). After sovereignly using Antichrist to do this work, the Lord Jesus will come to destroy him (2 Thes. 2:8; Rev. 19:11-21).
After Revelation 17 and 18 there is chapter 19, in which the wife has made herself ready (vv. 7-8). We desire to be in the bride, not in religion. Therefore, we must be careful not to bring any kind of religious concept into the church. We need to read Revelation 17, 18, and 19 as one section. Chapter 17 speaks of the fall of religious Babylon, and chapter 18, of the fall of material Babylon. After the fall of these two Babylons, there will be loud praises in heaven (19:1-4), and amidst the praises will be the prepared bride. This means that the judgments on religious Babylon and material Babylon will bring in the bride. All religions will be terminated, and the one bride will remain.
The Lord must fulfill His prophecy and promise in Matthew 16:18: “I will build My church.” There is no way for the Lord to do this in religion. In religion people can be saved, love the Lord, and seek Him, but the Lord cannot truly build His church there. This is why we believe that at the end time there is the need for the Lord’s recovery. The Lord must recover the church life. In His recovery the Lord will have the way to build His church. We are seeing the Lord’s work of building today. I am happy to see the young people drink Christ, pray in their spirit, be one, and follow the Body. This produces the building.
In the Lord’s recovery there is much opportunity for the Lord to build His church. Moreover, the Lord is releasing His word in His recovery. Throughout history the Lord’s word has never been released as clearly and richly as it is today, and all the messages that are being released match the current situation. As we have pointed out, people use our messages in spite of the fact that they oppose us. This proves that whether or not they take this way, some of them, at least certain leading ones, are reading the messages. By this they can know the Lord’s speaking concerning the bride, the firstfruits, the different kinds of overcomers, the tribulation, and the way Antichrist will terminate all religion. The Lord is building the church, the messages are going out, and people are reading them, whether or not they will turn to take this way.
The Lord has made the prophecy very clear to us. Antichrist will sign a contract with the Jews for seven years, but in the middle of the seven years, he will turn his back on them. Then he will terminate Judaism, burn Catholicism, and persecute every kind of religion. Before this time, however, near the middle of the seven years, the overcomers in the churches throughout the earth will be raptured, and people will realize what has happened. What will someone who is still in the denominations but has read our messages think at that time? Many who are not among us, and some who are, will be left on the earth. Those who are left will say, “O Lord, forgive me! I am late.” At that time there may be a worldwide revival. Those from the local churches will take the lead, and many others will come this way. During the tribulation those who are in the local churches will help all the Christians to be the late overcomers.
I would encourage you to bring this to the Lord and pray about it. Do you want to be among the firstfruits (Rev. 14:1-5), or do you want to be left on the earth at that time? We are happy that the Lord has His recovery, that the living word is being released, and that many others are reading the messages in order to be prepared for the coming time, which may not be long from now.
What the Lord is doing today is meaningful and up to date. Fifty years ago I did not have this view of the world situation, but since then I have been studying the prophecies in the Bible and watching the world situation. Now I am in the United States ministering the Lord’s living word to the living churches in the Lord’s recovery. This is not a small matter. Some may warn me to be careful and not to stir up opposition. However, because we have been willing to “stir the water” of religion, the Lord has His recovery, He is releasing His word, many others are reading our messages, and the firstfruits are being ripened. When the ripened firstfruits are raptured and Antichrist begins his persecution, there will be a great revival on the earth to produce many late overcomers. I do believe that this will happen. We need to sound the trumpet to wake the sleeping believers. Hallelujah for the Lord’s recovery and for His living word!
In the church life the young saints need to be trained to be one and to follow the church. Then they need to pray and fellowship with the churches in order to seek the Lord’s leading concerning which university campuses they should go to. The older ones should not do the campus work for them; the young ones must rise up to do it. However, they must not do anything in a loose, light, or confused way. We may need thirty to fifty to care for a large campus. After the young ones pray and fellowship, and the Lord shows them where to go, they should go out.
According to our experience, the best way is to go to the first- and second-year students. After their second year, it is more difficult to contact these students, because many have settled into their interests and do not change easily. When they first enter college from high school, they are not settled, and they do not know the direction they will pursue. This is the time when it is easiest to contact them. The young ones must do everything that they can each semester to catch the freshmen, learning the proper way and spending everything that they have for them. The older saints can help the young ones if they make themselves young, tender, and approachable to the freshmen.
For the work on the universities, we also need married couples with homes. Out of the number that go to work on a campus, there should be some who have homes. The younger saints can take the lead to contact people, and the couples can open their homes to keep the ones who are contacted. We need both functions. In this way, all the saints will be useful.