We’re seeing one disaster after another, and pandemics are sweeping the globe. Believers have been urgently waiting for the Lord to return on a cloud and take them up into the sky, to save them from this dark world and from the disasters, and to take them into the kingdom of heaven. They’ve been gazing up at the sky and praying nonstop, waiting to see the Lord on a cloud, not daring to look away, afraid the Lord will come and they’ll be cast aside into disaster. But it’s been devastating for them to see that the disasters have come, but they still haven’t welcomed the Lord Jesus down from the sky. Many are wondering if the Lord Jesus is really coming at all. Some are feeling uneasy, thinking that maybe they’ve been cast into the disasters by the Lord. Feeling helpless, many pastors are changing their stories, saying that the Lord will come in the middle of or after the disasters. Some even dare claim that the Lord will be coming in the year 2028 or the year 2030. These interpretations of Scripture could end up sending believers into the disasters, but with a sense of assurance that everything’s fine. But no matter how long they’ve had faith or how hard they’ve worked, they haven’t welcomed the Lord. We can imagine how hard this must be. People of faith all know what the Bible says, and that falling into disaster weeping and gnashing your teeth is a mark of shame, while success or failure in your faith is determined by welcoming the Lord before the disasters. Then why is it that those in the religious world haven’t welcomed the Lord, but have fallen into the disasters? Could it be that the Lord is unfaithful, which is why He still hasn’t appeared? Absolutely not. The religious world failing to welcome the Lord doesn’t mean He hasn’t returned. In fact, He long ago returned to the flesh, appearing and working as the Son of man. Many people of all denominations have heard the voice of God and welcomed the Lord. But those people in religion who cling to the idea of Him coming on a cloud have yet to welcome the Lord. Back in 1991, Eastern Lightning began bearing witness to Almighty God’s appearance and work. That’s been their testimony for three whole decades. Almighty God has expressed millions of words and people from all denominations who love the truth have read His words, recognized them as pure truth, realized they’re hearing God’s voice, and come before Almighty God, welcoming the Lord. The truths expressed by Almighty God have been online for a long time, shining from East to West like a great light, illuminating the entire world, which entirely fulfills the Lord Jesus’ words: “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27). Almighty God’s appearance and work have rocked the entire world, while the religious world’s antichrist forces have been judging, condemning, and opposing Eastern Lightning without even looking into God’s appearance and work. Their only basis is that any Lord Jesus who doesn’t come on a cloud is false, and the Lord coming incarnate would be a false Christ. We can all see that the religious world hasn’t welcomed the Lord, but has fallen into disaster entirely because they haven’t followed the Lord Jesus’ prophecies to welcome Him, but have gone by their own notions, arbitrarily deciding that the Lord must return upon a cloud. They are longing for the Lord to come and take them straight up into the heavenly kingdom without putting the Lord’s own words into practice. Making such a terrible mistake in a matter as important as welcoming the Lord means losing their chance to be raptured, and they’ll end up falling into the disasters, weeping and gnashing their teeth. This fulfills God’s words: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).

To know if the Lord Jesus comes on a cloud or if He appears to work as the Son of man incarnate, first we have to take a deep breath and give serious thought to some of the Lord Jesus’ prophecies about His second coming, and we may find ourselves seriously enlightened. Let’s look at some verses. “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27). “For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in His day. But first must He suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation” (Luke 17:24–25). “Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes” (Matthew 24:44). “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37). “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). “If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come on you” (Revelation 3:3). “Behold, I come as a thief” (Revelation 16:15). “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” (Revelation 3:20). If we seriously consider these, it’s easy to see that the Lord’s prophecies of His return always mention “the Son of man,” “the coming of the Son of man,” “the Son of man comes,” “the Son of man in His day,” “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” The Lord Jesus said “the coming of the Son of man” so many times, which is so important for us welcoming the Lord in the last days. So what does “the Son of man” refer to? Without a doubt, this refers to God’s Spirit clothed in flesh as the Son of man. This can only be about God’s incarnation. The Lord also said many times He’d return “as a thief.” So what does this “as a thief” mean? It means the Lord comes quietly, secretly—when people don’t know, God becomes flesh as the Son of man, secretly descending to speak and work. We can be certain that the Lord’s return in the last days is as the Son of man, and it takes place before the disasters, that is, when the world is at its darkest point. “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). Eastern Lightning has been bearing witness to Almighty God since 1991, until now in 2021, and through these 30 years, they have undergone the CCP’s crazed oppression, arrests, and harm. The CCP has even used its nationwide propaganda machines, spreading the name “Almighty God” that Eastern Lightning bears witness to throughout the world, making it a household name that everyone is familiar with. This fulfills the Lord Jesus’ prophecy: “For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in His day. But first must He suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation” (Luke 17:24–25). After Eastern Lightning had borne witness to Almighty God for years, people from all denominations who loved the truth read Almighty God’s words and recognized them as the truth, as the Holy Spirit’s words to the churches. They heard the voice of God, and joyfully accepted Almighty God. They’re the wise virgins who have been lifted up before God’s throne and are attending the Lord’s feast. There are even plenty of people who used to judge and condemn Almighty God, who read His words later and ended up hearing God’s voice and coming before God. They are then overcome with regret for having resisted and condemned Almighty God. These wise virgins who are attending the Lamb’s wedding feast are bearing witness that Almighty God is the appearance, the descent of the Son of man in the last days. But those who cling to the literal Scripture, refusing to accept any other than the Lord coming on a cloud are the foolish virgins who are falling into disaster. They can only wait to see the Lord Jesus appearing on a cloud after the great disasters. The main reason these people won’t welcome the Lord is they only believe biblical prophecies from humans, but not prophecies from the Lord Jesus’ own mouth. They will only accept the Lord coming on a cloud, but they reject the fact of God in the flesh appearing and working as the Son of man. They are incredibly misguided and foolish! The Lord mentioned “the Son of man” many times when speaking of His return, but so many “intelligent” and “wise” pastors and Bible scholars have made a mess of the idea of the Son of man, committing a grievous error. They’re victims of their own intelligence! Almighty God has expressed so many truths, but they still refuse to see Him as the Son of man. Isn’t that just blindness? If He weren’t God incarnate, how could He express so many truths? They still cling to the idea that they can only accept the Lord Jesus coming down on a cloud, and that’s why they’re losing their chance at being raptured, but are falling into disaster. It will be an eternal regret.

We can all see that the Lord has returned as the Son of man incarnate to work. This is an indisputable fact that no one can possibly deny. But many people ask about “Behold, He comes with clouds” in Revelation 1:7, thinking it has to mean the Lord will come down on a cloud. And isn’t saying He’ll come with the clouds, and saying He’ll come as the Son of man contradictory? It may seem that way, but in fact there’s no conflict here. It’s just a challenge for human understanding. Any biblical prophecies absolutely will be fulfilled, but there is a certain process, and there are steps. There is also an order for the Son of man’s appearance and the Lord’s coming on a cloud. The Lord first incarnates and comes in secret to work, and then He openly appears on a cloud. Why does that happen in two steps? What happens in the meantime? There are mysteries within this. First let’s see what the Lord Jesus prophesied. The Lord Jesus said, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:12–13). “Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth” (John 17:17). “And if any man hears My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects Me, and receives not My words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47–48). “For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son. … And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man” (John 5:22, 27). “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). The Lord Jesus’ prophecies have been entirely fulfilled. The Son of man came in secret when mankind least expected it and has expressed so many truths, doing the judgment work of the last days. He’s the Spirit of truth who is guiding God’s chosen people into all truths and has completed a group of overcomers before the disasters. Almighty God’s kingdom gospel has also spread to every country in the world. This shows that Almighty God has defeated Satan and gained all glory. Now that the great disasters have begun, God has completed a group of overcomers and His great work is being completed. After the disasters, God will openly appear on a cloud to all peoples and all nations. At that point, the prophecies of the Son of man appearing and the Lord’s coming on a cloud will be entirely fulfilled. Since Almighty God appeared and began His judgment starting with the house of God, those who’ve accepted Almighty God are eating and drinking God’s words every day, and by accepting God’s judgment and cleansing, they’re gradually escaping sin and Satan’s forces. God has made them overcomers before the disasters, and they are the first fruits. This entirely fulfills Revelation’s prophecies: “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” (Revelation 3:20). “These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb” (Revelation 14:4). It has been three whole decades since Almighty God came in secret to do His work of judgment in the last days. He’s expressed so many truths, revealing all the mysteries of the Bible and of God’s 6,000-year management plan. He’s said so much to judge and expose man’s corrupt essence, and these words are the way of truth allowing us to cast off sin and Satan’s forces, and be fully saved. God’s chosen people are judged, chastised, pruned, dealt with, tested, and refined by Almighty God, clearly see their own corruption, feel ashamed with nowhere to hide, and bow down before God, full of regret, hating and despising themselves. They also see that God’s righteous disposition will tolerate no offense and develop reverence for God, gradually coming to fear God and shun evil, truly repenting and changing. Almighty God has completed a group of overcomers before the disasters, gaining the first fruits. These overcomers’ testimonies have been made into videos and movies that are available online, that are utterly convincing for all who see them. It couldn’t be clearer that this is God’s appearance and work in the last days! Almighty God has expressed so many truths and done such great work, not only rocking the whole world, but the entire universe. Almighty God has changed the world, bringing an end to the old age, beginning the new age. The Age of Kingdom has commenced. This proves that Almighty God is the appearance of the Son of man, the Lord Jesus returned. Our Savior has appeared and is working! The work of judgment beginning with the house of God is already mostly done and with that the great disasters have befallen. We can say that the disasters are already beginning and they will only grow. All evildoers and evil forces who resist God will be punished and destroyed in the disasters, while those who are cleansed through God’s judgment and chastisement of the last days will be protected and kept by God through the disasters. When the disasters end, this evil world of Satan will be annihilated, and then God will appear to all people openly on a cloud. This will be the fulfillment of the prophecy in Revelation 1:7: “Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” Why is it that all kindreds will be wailing? Because Almighty God has expressed so many truths and done such great work, and not only did they refuse to look into it, but they condemned, judged, and blasphemed Him along with the religious world’s antichrist forces. They’ve offended God’s disposition and have fallen into the disasters. They will only end up beating their breasts, weeping and gnashing their teeth, which will be the fulfillment of Revelation’s sad prophecy that “all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” Those who have been cleansed and perfected by accepting Almighty God’s judgment and chastisement will see God appear openly and will be dancing with unrestrained joy, praising God’s almightiness, wisdom, and righteousness. As Almighty God says: “My mercy is expressed toward those who love Me and deny themselves. The punishment visited upon the wicked, meanwhile, is precisely proof of My righteous disposition and, even more, testimony to My wrath. When disaster comes, all who oppose Me will weep as they fall victim to famine and plague. Those who have committed all manner of wickedness, but who have followed Me for many years, will not escape paying for their sins; they too, will be plunged into disaster, the like of which has seldom been seen throughout millions of years, and they will live in a constant state of panic and fear. And those of My followers who have shown loyalty to Me will rejoice and applaud My might. They will experience ineffable contentment and live amid joy such as I have never before bestowed upon mankind. For I treasure the good deeds of man and abhor their evil deeds. Since I first began to lead mankind, I have been eagerly hoping to gain a group of people who are of the same mind with Me. Those who are not of the same mind with Me, meanwhile, I never forget; I always loathe them in My heart, awaiting the chance to bring retribution upon them, which I shall relish to see. Now My day has finally come, and I need no longer wait!” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Prepare Sufficient Good Deeds for Your Destination).

Almighty God expresses truths for His judgment work in the last days to fully cleanse and save mankind. This is mankind’s one and only chance to be saved and enter God’s kingdom, and the opportunity of a lifetime. The great disasters are beginning. Those who wake up and look into Almighty God’s work without delay will be in time, because Almighty God says, “When I chastise the many peoples, those in the religious world will, to varying extents, return to My kingdom, conquered by My works, because they will have seen the advent of the Holy One riding on a white cloud” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God’s Words to the Entire Universe, Chapter 26). We can see that some people will hear God’s voice and see His deeds, come before God, and gain His salvation in the midst of the disasters. This is being raptured in the disasters and it is their very last chance, as well as God’s great mercy for mankind. The intelligent ones will know what choice to make. Those who wishfully wait for the Lord to come on a cloud will have an ending that is self-evident. Let’s look at one last passage of Almighty God’s words today. “Many people may not care what I say, but I still want to tell every so-called saint who follows Jesus that, when you see Jesus descend from the heaven upon a white cloud with your own eyes, this will be the public appearance of the Sun of righteousness. Perhaps that will be a time of great excitement for you, yet you should know that the time when you witness Jesus descend from the heaven is also the time when you go down to hell to be punished. That will be the time of the end of God’s management plan and it will be when God rewards the good and punishes the wicked. For the judgment of God will have ended before man sees signs, when there is only the expression of truth. Those who accept the truth and do not seek signs, and thus have been purified, shall have returned before the throne of God and entered the Creator’s embrace. Only those who persist in the belief that ‘The Jesus who does not ride upon a white cloud is a false Christ’ shall be subjected to everlasting punishment, for they only believe in the Jesus who exhibits signs, but do not acknowledge the Jesus who proclaims severe judgment and releases the true way and life. And so it can only be that Jesus deals with them when He openly returns upon a white cloud. They are too stubborn, too confident in themselves, too arrogant. How could such degenerates be rewarded by Jesus? The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. By the Time You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus, God Will Have Made Heaven and Earth Anew).