by Bi Rong

Currently, the world is experiencing an increase in various disasters such as wars, pandemics, earthquakes, and famines. The prophecies about the return of the Lord Jesus have been largely fulfilled, and many who long for the Lord’s appearance are hoping to welcome the Lord soon and be protected by God in times of disaster. So, how can we prepare ourselves to welcome the Lord? Let us gain insights from the story of Nathanael accepting Jesus and find the right path to welcoming the Lord’s second coming.

The Bible records, “Philip finds Nathanael, and said to him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said to him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael said to him, From where know you me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before that Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. Nathanael answered and said to him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:45–49). Nathanael devoutly served Jehovah God and eagerly awaited the advent of the Messiah. When Jesus appeared to perform His ministry, Philip testified to Nathanael that Jesus was the Messiah prophesied by the prophets. However, why did Nathanael respond with the disparaging remark, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” During that time, the Jewish people, including the high priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Jewish believers, held various notions and imaginations about the Messiah. They interpreted the prophetic prophecies in a literal sense, believing that the Messiah would be called the Messiah, born in Bethlehem, from a royal or wealthy family, born of a virgin, possessing a distinguished social status. They also believed that the Messiah would be a king like David, leading them to break free from the rule of the Roman government. (See Isaiah 9:6 and Micah 5:2). This was the prevalent belief among most Jews, and Nathanael was no exception. However, when Jesus arrived, He was born to Mary, who had a husband, came from a poor carpenter’s family, and grew up in Nazareth, without any prestigious status. This stark contrast to the expected Messiah led Nathanael to make that comment full of notions. Nonetheless, when Philip took him to meet Jesus, Nathanael did not cling to his notions and imagination but went to see Jesus. In the end, through the words of the Lord Jesus, Nathaniel saw that Jesus had the ability to look into the depths of people’s hearts, and to see through his thoughts and desires. He recognized that Jesus was indeed the prophesied Messiah, the Son of the living God, so he accepted and followed the Lord Jesus.

The story of Nathanael provides us with inspiration. Today, just like Nathanael, we eagerly await the return of the Lord Jesus to save us from disasters and free us from the bondage of sin. So, what can we learn from Nathanael? There are two main points.

1. To welcome the Lord, it is important to let go of notions and imaginations, and seek with humility.

Initially, Nathanael was filled with preconceived notions about the Messiah, but what’s commendable is that he was able to set aside those notions, remain humble, and seek the truth. Eventually, he welcomed the Messiah. Today, as we await the return of the Lord Jesus, it’s important for us to let go of our notions and approach with a humble and seeking heart. Many people are eagerly awaiting the return of the Lord Jesus, but they interpret the prophecies literally, forming imaginative ideas about His return. For instance, they may expect Jesus to descend from the sky on a cloud, or to be still called Jesus, appearing with the physical form of a Jewish man, or to manifest as the spiritual body after His resurrection, or to meet people halfway in the air. If Jesus’ return doesn’t conform to their preconceived notions, they refuse to believe or accept His coming. Let’s consider this: Does God’s work unfold according to His management plan or human notions and imaginations? The answer is clear. As the Bible says, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:33–34). Evidently, human imagination cannot replace the reality of God’s work. Just as the arrival of the Messiah did not align with people’s expectations of being born into a palace or a wealthy family with the title “Messiah,” He was instead born into a humble family and appeared and worked under the name of “Jesus.” From this, we can observe that God’s work goes beyond human imagination and is unfathomable to people. Therefore, when welcoming the Lord, we should follow Nathanael’s example and set aside our imaginative notions and humbly seek. Jesus once said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). Jesus’ words tell us that to welcome the Lord, we need to have a seeking heart. When we hear someone cry out, “Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him”—in other words, when we hear someone testify that the Lord has returned—we should actively seek and investigate, just like the wise virgins. Only in this way can we have the opportunity to welcome the Lord’s second coming. When Philip told Nathanael that Jesus was the Messiah, if Nathanael hadn’t set aside his preconceptions and humbly sought, but instead turned away, he would have missed the opportunity to welcome the Messiah. However, Nathanael was able to let go of his preconceptions, and humbly listen to Jesus’ words, so he was able to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and follow Him to receive salvation. Therefore, in welcoming the Lord, letting go of notions and imaginations, and humbly seeking are crucial! God’s word says, “The appearance of God cannot be reconciled with man’s notions, still less can God appear at the behest of man. God makes His own choices and His own plans when He does His work; moreover, He has His own objectives and His own methods. Whatever work He does, He has no need to discuss it with man or seek his advice, much less to notify each and every person of His work. This is the disposition of God, which should, moreover, be recognized by everyone. If you desire to witness the appearance of God, to follow God’s footsteps, then you must first walk away from your own notions. You must not demand that God do this or that, much less should you place Him within your own confines and limit Him to your own notions. Instead, you should demand of yourselves how you ought to seek God’s footprints, how you ought to accept God’s appearance, and how you ought to submit to the new work of God: This is what man should do. Since man is not the truth, and is not possessed of the truth, he should seek, accept, and obey” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 1: The Appearance of God Has Ushered in a New Age). This passage reminds us that God has His own plans and ways for how He appears and works. God’s work is filled with wisdom that surpasses our comprehension and cannot be fully understood by human intellect or reasoning. If people rely on their own notions and imaginations to measure God’s work or define how God should appear, they may easily resist and condemn God’s words and work. In doing so, they not only fail to welcome the Lord’s return but also oppose His work. Just like the Pharisees of that time, they displayed arrogance and stubbornly clung to their own notions and preconceived ideas, unwilling to humbly seek and investigate the work and words of the Lord Jesus. They made every effort to resist and condemn Him, and ultimately had Him crucified. As a consequence, they incurred God’s curse upon themselves, which resulted in the downfall of Israel for nearly two thousand years. Therefore, when God appears and works, reasonable people will set aside their notions, actively seek God’s intentions, and humbly accept and obey God’s words and work. Only in this way can we have the opportunity to welcome the Lord. This is what the Lord Jesus referred to as the wise virgins. As the Scripture says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

2. The most important thing in welcoming the Lord is to pay attention and listen to God’s voice.

Nathanael was able to welcome the Messiah not only because he humbly sought, but also, more importantly, because he was willing to listen to the voice of God. “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael said to him, From where know you me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before that Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. Nathanael answered and said to him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:47–49). Nathanael was amazed when he heard these two statements from the Lord Jesus. He understood that only God could observe the human heart and see through hidden matters. Yet, Jesus revealed something about him that no one else could have known. This indicated that the words of Jesus were the words of God, the voice from God. Therefore, from the words of Jesus, Nathanael recognized His identity as the Son of God and the King of Israel. Similarly, in the last days, the most crucial aspect in welcoming the Lord’s return is listening to God’s voice. When we hear God’s voice, we should welcome the Lord. 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: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (John 16:12–13). “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). “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7). “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). These scriptures make it clear that in the last days, when the Lord returns, He will speak to the churches and express more truths, guiding people to understand and enter into all truths. Hence, Jesus repeatedly emphasizes that the crucial aspect in welcoming the Lord is to listen to God’s voice. When we hear someone testify that the Lord has returned and is speaking, we should pay attention and listen to the words of the returned Lord. Once we recognize God’s voice, we should accept and obey, and then we will have welcomed the Lord and joined Him at the feast. Let’s look at a passage of God’s words to gain further clarity. God says, “Since we are searching for the footprints of God, it behooves us to search for God’s will, for the words of God, for His utterances—because wherever there are new words spoken by God, the voice of God is there, and wherever there are the footsteps of God, God’s deeds are there. Wherever there is the expression of God, there God appears, and wherever God appears, there the truth, the way, and the life exist. In seeking God’s footprints, you have ignored the words ‘God is the truth, the way, and the life.’ And so, many people, even when they receive the truth, do not believe that they have found God’s footprints, and still less do they acknowledge the appearance of God. What a grave mistake!” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 1: The Appearance of God Has Ushered in a New Age). From this, we see that the key to welcoming the Lord’s return is listening to God’s voice. In the past, Nathanael, Peter, John, the Samaritan woman, and others discovered the truth through the words of the Lord Jesus. They heard the voice of God and recognized that Jesus was the long-awaited One. As a result, they chose to follow Him. Take the example of the Samaritan woman. When Jesus revealed to her the hidden truth that she had five husbands, she realized that only God could truly know the depths of a person’s heart and expose their hidden secrets. As a result, she recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Therefore, listening to God’s voice is the most accurate way for us to welcome the Lord’s return. Let’s take another look at how the Pharisees failed in welcoming the Messiah. Where did they go wrong? They only judged Jesus based on their own preconceived notions, focusing solely on His outward appearance. They failed to pay attention to His voice. No matter how authoritative or powerful Jesus’ words were, they didn’t seek or investigate them. Instead, they stubbornly resisted and opposed His teachings, becoming people who professed faith in God but resisted Him. As a result, Jesus pronounced woes upon them multiple times. Therefore, when it comes to welcoming the Lord’s return, we should learn from the failures of the Pharisees and follow the example of Nathanael, Peter, and the Samaritan woman by placing great emphasis on listening to God’s voice. This is of utmost importance as it determines whether we can truly welcome the Lord and ultimately determines our fate and outcome. We must not overlook it.

We all acknowledge that the prophecies concerning the Lord’s return have been fulfilled, and now we are in the most crucial moment to welcome His second coming. When we hear someone testifying that the Lord Jesus has returned, we should follow the example of Nathanael by putting aside our preconceived notions and humbly seeking and investigating. It is vital that we pay close attention to listening to God’s voice. Only then will we have the opportunity to welcome the Lord’s arrival and partake in the glorious feast with Him.