Daily Inspiration: A Community for Daily Scripture Study

A New Life is Born through the Love of Parents

James 1

¹⁹My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

1 Kings 10

King Hiram’s ships brought gold, juniper wood, and jewels from the country of Ophir. Solomon used the wood to make steps^[b] for the temple and palace, and harps and other stringed instruments for the musicians. It was the best juniper wood anyone in Israel had ever seen.

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

REBIRTH AND TRINITY

The doctrine of the Trinity has remained one of the most mysterious topics in Christian theology. Moreover, the related doctrine of rebirth, though seemingly evident to all, also needs deeper elucidation. We will examine these doctrines in this section.

4.1 REBIRTH

4.1.1 JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THEIR MISSION TO GIVE REBIRTH

Jesus told Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”31 Rebirth means to be born a second time. Why must fallen people be born anew?

Had Adam and Eve realized the ideal of creation and become the True Parents of humanity, they would have borne good children without original sin and formed the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. However, Adam and Eve fell and became evil parents, multiplying evil children who created this hell on earth. Hence, as Jesus told Nicodemus, fallen people cannot see the Kingdom of God unless they are first born anew—as children without original sin. Parents who have original sin cannot give birth to good children who do not have original sin. Certainly, it is impossible to find sinless parents among fallen humankind. These parents must descend from Heaven. Jesus was the Parent who came from Heaven. He came as the True Father in order to give rebirth to fallen people, transforming them into good children, thoroughly cleansed of original sin and fit to build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

However, a father alone cannot give birth to children. There must be a True Mother, as well as a True Father, for fallen children to be reborn as good children. The Holy Spirit came as the True Mother.

4.1.2 JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE DUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LOGOS

Logos is Greek for “rational principle” or “the Word.” Adam and Eve, the embodied object partners of God in image, were created separately out of the dual characteristics of the Logos. Because they fell, this world became an earthly hell. Therefore, to give rebirth to fallen people, Jesus came as the second Adam, the True Father of humankind, with the mission symbolized by the tree of life. This being the case, should not there also have come the True Mother of humankind, the second Eve with the mission symbolized by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? The one who has come as the True Mother to give rebirth to fallen people is the Holy Spirit.

4.1.3 SPIRITUAL REBIRTH THROUGH JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

A new life is born through the love of parents. When we believe in Jesus as the Savior through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we receive the love of the spiritual True Parents, which is generated through the give and take between Jesus, the spiritual True Father, and the Holy Spirit, the spiritual True Mother. Through this love, new life is infused into us, and our spirits are reborn as new selves. This is spiritual rebirth.

4.2 THE TRINITY

God’s purpose of creation is completed based upon the four position foundation, which is established by fulfilling the three object purpose through origin-divisionunion action. To fulfill the purpose of creation, Jesus and the Holy Spirit stand before God as object partners who separately manifest the dual characteristics of God. They unite through give and take with each other with God as the center and form the four position foundation. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit thus become one, and this oneness constitutes the Trinity. If Adam and Eve had not fallen, but had formed this trinity with God and become the True Parents who could multiply good children, their descendants would have also become good husbands and wives with God as the center of their lives. Each couple would thus have formed a trinity with God.

Instead, when Adam and Eve fell, they formed a four position foundation with Satan as their center; in other words, they formed a fallen trinity with Satan. The resurrected Jesus and the Holy Spirit in oneness with God could form only a spiritual trinity. They could fulfill only the mission of spiritual True Parents.

Christ must return in the flesh and find his Bride. They will form on the earth a perfect trinity with God and become True Parents both spiritually and physically. They will give fallen people rebirth both spiritually and physically, removing their original sin and enabling them to build trinities on earth with God as the center.

View slides 23 to 51 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p1-CHAPT-7-Christology_revised-4-28-2014

Jesus is God’s Second Self, but he is Not God

Cheon Seong Gyeong 758

For what reason are we born? What
should be the focus of our life, and for
what purpose do we pass on? We can
never answer these questions without
God. Without God, we cannot find the
real motive in our life. The one who is
without a motive can neither reap the
fruit of his work nor have his value
recognized. A building is constructed
according to the designer’s blueprint. A
building that is built without reference
to the original blueprint cannot be what
the designer originally intended. (21-100,
1968.11.17)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1176

I am accomplishing restoration
through indemnity by myself. The
world is not aware of this. By this meth-
od, restoring the individual, restoring
the family… I have been continuing.
The satanic world bears fruit according
to the seeds it has sown. If the Messiah
does not come to this world to save it,
there is no way to for it to be saved. Had
only people become one with me right
after the liberation of Korea, all Cains
on the levels of the individual, fam-
ily, tribe, ethnic people, nation and the
world could have been restored through
indemnity over a seven-year course.
Because of their disbelief, however, this
course was prolonged for forty years.
(138-216, 1986.1.21)

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

JESUS AND THE PERSON WHO HAS REALIZED THE PURPOSE OF CREATION

2.1 PERFECTED ADAM, JESUS AND THE RESTORATION OF THE TREE OF LIFE

Human history is the history of the providence of restoration. Its goal is the realization of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth when, at the end of history, the tree of life which was lost in the Garden of Eden will be regained. We can understand the relation between perfect Adam and Jesus by comparing the tree of life in the Garden of Eden with the tree of life to be restored in the Last Days.

Adam, had he realized the ideal of perfection symbolized by the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, and Jesus, symbolized by the tree of life in the Book of Revelation, would be identical in the sense of having realized the goal of creation. As such, they would have equal value.

2.2 JESUS, HUMAN BEINGS AND THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PURPOSE OF CREATION

Let us compare the value of Jesus with that of a person of perfect individual character. A fully mature person is perfect as God is perfect.11 Having the same divine nature as God. A fully mature person is unique in all the cosmos. Furthermore, since he is the lord of the entire natural world, which cannot realize its full value without him, he possesses the value of the cosmos. There is no greater value than that of a person who has realized the ideal of creation. This is the value of Jesus, who surely attained the highest imaginable value.

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. —I Tim. 2:5

2.3 IS JESUS GOD HIMSELF?

When Philip asked Jesus to show him God, Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me?” Based on these biblical verses, many Christians have believed that Jesus is God, the Creator. Since Jesus is one with God and the incarnation of God, he may be understood to be God’s second self; but he is not God.

JESUS AND FALLEN PEOPLE A fallen person has nothing of the value of a true person who has completed the purpose of creation. Rather, he has fallen to such a lowly status that he looks up to the angels, who were created to be his subordinates. On the other hand, because Jesus came with the full value of a true person who has completed the purpose of creation, “All things are put in subjection under him.”23 A fallen person with original sin is stained with the condition through which Satan can attack him. On the other hand, Jesus, having no original sin, had no condition in himself for Satan to invade him. A fallen person cannot fathom the Will and Heart of God. At most, he can catch only a glimpse of them. In contrast, Jesus not only understood the Will and Heart of God thoroughly, he also experienced God’s Heart as his own reality in his daily life.

View slides 13 to 22 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p1-CHAPT-7-Christology_revised-4-28-2014

You Are the Only One Who Can Stimulate God Distinctively

Acts 4

4 The apostles were still talking to the people, when some priests, the captain of the temple guard, and some Sadducees arrived. ²These men were angry because the apostles were teaching the people that the dead would be raised from death, just as Jesus had been raised from death. ³It was already late in the afternoon, and they arrested Peter and John and put them in jail for the night. ⁴But a lot of people who had heard the message believed it. So by now there were about five thousand followers of the Lord.

Isaiah 29

¹⁶You have it all backwards.
A clay dish doesn’t say
to the potter,
“You didn’t make me.
You don’t even know how.”

Richard: Every person is wonderful and uniquely made by God. Who are you to say that God has made a mistake in creating you the way you are?

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

Chapter 7
Christology

The most important questions which fall within its scope include the Trinity, which deals with the relationship between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, as well as rebirth and the relationship between Jesus, the Holy Spirit and fallen people.

THE VALUE OF A PERSON WHO HAS REALIZED THE PURPOSE OF CREATION

Let us discuss the value of a person who has realized the purpose of creation; that is, the value of Adam or Eve in perfection. We can understand such a person’s value from several perspectives. First, the relationship between God and a fully mature person resembles the relationship between the dual characteristics. Similarly, the relationship between God and a person who has attained perfection of individual character may be compared to that between the dual characteristics of a person, that is, between mind and body. Jesus spoke of this state of perfection, saying “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Thus, we see that a person who has realized the purpose of creation assumes a divine value, comparable to God.

Second, let us consider the value of a human being from the perspective of the purpose for which he was created. Each person is God’s substantial object partner who manifests a distinctive aspect of God’s dual characteristics. Hence, that person is the only one in the entire universe who can stimulate that distinctive aspect of God’s nature to bring Him joy. Every person who has completed the purpose of creation is thus a unique existence in the cosmos. Third, let us consider the value of a human being based on his relationship with the universe.

We have learned through the Principle of Creation that the universe is the substantial unfolding of the dual characteristics of a human being. A person’s spirit encapsulates all elements of the spirit world while his flesh encapsulates all elements of the physical world. A person who has completed the purpose of creation thus encapsulates all the essences of everything in the cosmos. This is why a human being is called a microcosm of the universe. For these reasons, a human being has the value of the entire cosmos.

View slides 1 to 12 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p1-CHAPT-7-Christology_revised-4-28-2014

Calvin Wrongly Believed that the Accomplishment of God’s Will depends solely on the Power and Work of God

Cheon Seong Gyeong 579

One day we will go to the spirit world.
There is no doubt about that. People vis-
iting Korea land at Gimpo Airport, but
that does not mean they have traveled in
Korea. From Gimpo Airport, where do
we go? Do we go to South Jeolla Prov-
ince or South Gyeongsang Province or
Pyeong-an Province? From Pyeong-an
Province, where do we go? To a coun-
ty. From there, where next? A township.
What is next? A village. From there, we
must go to a neighborhood. This is not
easy. If people cannot determine their
dwelling place, what is the value of suc-
cess in social life? That is a problem.
If God orders me to come, even
tomorrow night, no matter how great
I may be today, I have no choice but to
go. However loudly I might protest, I
would have to go. I will go while pro-
testing loudly, but only after speaking
the right words. I must present the way
that the nation and the world must go.
It will be my death if I fail to do so. (177-
41, 1988.5.15)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1231

Until now, who has completed the
payment of indemnity for the portion of
responsibility? Can you pay that indem-
nity with money? Can you pay it by sell-
ing your house and your country? Then
what should you do? There is nothing
you can do. You can only be absolutely
obedient. You must be absolutely obe-
dient until you are in your twenties.
Adam and Eve insisted on their own
way. They had a sexual encounter, thus
falling before they reached the age of
twenty. Until you reach your twenties,
you must be absolutely obedient. Before
you reach twenty, you must obey. There-
fore children are absolutely obedient.
They are, even if you do not teach them
to be like that. They know that if they
do not become one with their parents,
they will go to ruin. You will go to ruin
if you do not become one with God. (133-
136, 1984.7.10)

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

THE PREDESTINATION OF HUMAN BEINGS

Adam and Eve were to become the good ancestors of humanity, conditional upon fulfilling their responsibility to obey God’s commandment not to eat of the fruit. Accordingly, God did not absolutely predestine that Adam and Eve would become our good ancestors. The same holds for all fallen people. Even though God predestines someone for a particular mission, God’s ninety-five percent responsibility and the person’s five percent responsibility must be accomplished together before the person can complete his given mission and fulfill God’s Will. If the person does not complete his responsibility, he cannot become the person God has purposed him to be.

Let us next examine God’s predestination of central figures in the providence of restoration. Yet, as was the case with God’s creation, His providence of salvation—a work of recreation—cannot be completed in an instant. It begins from one point and gradually expands to cover the whole. Therefore, in the providence of salvation, God first predestines one person to be the central figure and then calls him to a mission. What qualifications should the person possess to merit such a calling? First, the central figure must be born into the chosen people. Next, even among the chosen people, he must come from an ancestral line with many good accomplishments. Among the descendants of this outstanding lineage, he must be endowed with the requisite character. Among those with the requisite character, he must develop the necessary qualities during his early life. Finally, among those who have acquired these qualities, God selects first the individual who lives in a time and place most fitting to His need.

ELUCIDATION OF BIBLICAL VERSES WHICH SUPPORT THE DOCTRINE OF ABSOLUTE PREDESTINATION

For those whom He foreknew He also predestined . . . those whom He predestined He also called; and those whom He called He also justified; and those whom He justified He also glorified. —Rom. 8:29-30

Then He calls upon them to fulfill the purpose of the providence. Calling a person is God’s responsibility, but that alone does not entitle the person to be justified before God and given glory. Only when the person completes his responsibility after being called by God is he justified and then glorified. God’s predestination concerning an individual’s glorification is thus contingent upon the completion of his portion of responsibility. Because the biblical verse does not mention the human portion of responsibility, people may misinterpret it to mean that all affairs are determined solely by God’s absolute predestination.

People such as John Calvin have propounded the doctrine of absolute and complete predestination, which is widely believed even in our present day. They have held to such a doctrine because they wrongly believed that the accomplishment of God’s Will depends solely on the power and work of God. They were ignorant of the true relationship between God’s portion of responsibility and the human portion of responsibility in the fulfillment of the purpose of the providence of restoration.

View slides 17 to 36 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p1-CHAPT-6-Predestination_revised-4-28-2014

God Predestines the Accomplishment of His Will Conditionally

Matthew 12

²²Some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and could not talk because he had a demon in him. Jesus healed the man, and then he was able to talk and see. ²³The crowds were so amazed that they asked, “Could Jesus be the Son of David?”

Jeremiah 22

If you obey me, the kings from David’s family will continue to rule Judah from this palace. They and their officials will ride in and out on their horses or in their chariots. ⁵But if you ignore me, I promise in my own name that this palace will lie in ruins. ⁶Listen to what I think about it:

The palace of Judah’s king
is as glorious as Gilead
    or Lebanon’s highest peaks.
But it will be as empty
as a ghost-town
    when I’m through with it.
⁷I’ll send troops to tear it apart,
and its beautiful cedar beams
    will be used for firewood.

⁸People from different nations will pass by and ask, “Why did the Lord do this to such a great city as Jerusalem?” ⁹Others will answer, “It’s because the people worshiped foreign gods and broke the agreement that the Lord their God had made with them.”

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

Predestination

Theological controversy over predestination has caused great confusion in the religious lives of many people. Let us begin by examining the source of this controversy. In the Bible, we find many passages which are often interpreted to mean that everything in an individual’s life—prosperity and decline, happiness and misery, salvation and damnation, as well as the rise and fall of nations—comes to pass exactly as predestined by God.

Yet we can also find sufficient evidence in the Bible to refute the doctrine of absolute predestination. Since there are ample grounds in the Bible to justify either of these two contrasting doctrines, controversy over the issue of predestination has been inevitable. How can the Principle solve this problem?

THE PREDESTINATION OF GOD’S WILL

Before discussing the predestination of God’s Will, let us first examine what is being willed. Let us remember: God could not accomplish His purpose of creation due to the human Fall. Accordingly, God’s Will in carrying out His providence for fallen humanity is still to accomplish the purpose of creation. In this sense, God’s Will is that restoration be accomplished.

To what extent does God predestine His Will—the ultimate accomplishment of the purpose of creation? God is the absolute Being, unique, eternal and unchanging; therefore, the purpose of His creation must also be absolute, unique, eternal and unchanging. Likewise, His Will for the providence of restoration, the goal of which is the accomplishment of the purpose of creation, must also be absolute, unique and unchanging. It follows that God’s predestination of His Will—that the purpose of creation one day be fulfilled—must also be absolute, as it is written, “I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.”

THE PREDESTINATION OF THE WAY IN WHICH GOD’S WILL IS FULFILLED

According to the Principle of Creation, God’s purpose of creation can be realized only when human beings complete their portion of responsibility. Although God’s Will to realize this purpose through the providence of restoration is absolute and beyond human influence, its fulfillment necessarily requires the accomplishment of the human portion of responsibility.

To what extent does God predestine the unfolding of the events in the providence? Although God’s Will to realize the purpose of the providence of restoration is absolute, God predestines the process of its accomplishment conditionally, contingent upon the five percent responsibility of the central figure, which must be completed in addition to the ninety-five percent responsibility of God. The proportion of five percent is used to indicate that the human portion of responsibility is extremely small when compared to God’s portion of responsibility. Yet for human beings, this five percent is equivalent to one hundred percent of our effort.

View slides 1 to 16 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p1-CHAPT-6-Predestination_revised-4-28-2014

Spirits Who Could Not Complete Their Mission Must Return to People on Earth

Cheon Seong Gyeong 255

Since we have transcended the world,
white people and black people should be
brothers and sisters. This is to realize the
brotherhood realm of humankind, the
realm of Adam and Eve, which has noth-
ing to do with the Fall. Then, what is the
basic philosophy to establish that tradi-
tion? Everything will work out if we live
for the sake of others. From here, your
sons and daughters will grow up without
suffering in this kind of environment.
They will become descendants who can
go straight to the heavenly nation with
actual accomplishments that surpass the
satanic world and can directly connect
with heaven. Next, these brothers and
sisters will marry one another. For us,
marriage transcends nations. We have
the mind-set that we can marry a black
person if told to do so, marry a white
person if recommended to do so, and
marry a yellow person if recommend-
ed to do so. Such a tradition should be
established from now. This has not yet
been established. We should create one-
ness from now on. So you must guide
your descendants and the world with
this. The two must become one. When
you become one you should not bear evil
children. To bear children of goodness,
the husband and wife should be com-
pletely one. Without becoming one, no
children of goodness will come out. Thus,
they should become completely one cen-
tering on God’s will. (71-19, 1974.3.24)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 136

The parent of humankind came,
but the people could not attend him as
their parent. Could there be such a par-
ent who came to shed blood and die for
them? That parent came to host a festival
of love at which he could say, “My son!
My daughter! My family! My nation!”
and the entire universe could reconcile.
That parent who was to receive praise
for that day of peace and glory should
have met his lost children. Yet instead
he was killed with the thrust of a blade
from those children. Think about how
miserable Jesus was. How grieved God
was to be choked in circumstances that
prevented Him from teaching ignorant
human beings! (145-152, 1986.5.1)

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

Chapter 6
Resurrection

2.4 THE THEORY OF REINCARNATION EXAMINED IN LIGHT OF THE PRINCIPLE OF RETURNING RESURRECTION

Spirits who could not complete their missions during their earthly life must return to people on earth who share the same type of mission as they had during their lifetime. When a spirit assists an earthly person to fulfill God’s Will, the person will fulfill not only his own mission, but also the mission of the spirit who has helped him. Hence, from the standpoint of mission, the physical self of the person concurrently serves as the physical self of the spirit. In a sense, he is the second coming of the spirit; hence he may sometimes be called by the spirit’s name and appear to be the reincarnation of that spirit.

THE UNIFICATION OF RELIGIONS THROUGH RETURNING RESURRECTION

3.1 THE UNIFICATION OF CHRISTIANITY THROUGH RETURNING RESURRECTION

All the spirits will descend from Paradise in that day and assist the believers on the earth. sooner or later each believer will be guided by the spirits from Paradise to go before Christ at the Second Advent and devote their lives for the sake of God’s Will. For this reason, Christianity is destined to be united.

3.2 THE UNIFICATION OF ALL OTHER RELIGIONS THROUGH RETURNING RESURRECTION

At the Second Coming of Christ, all spirits who believed in religions other than Christianity during their lifetime will, like the spirits in Paradise, also return to earth to be resurrected, even though the timing of their return will vary depending upon their spiritual position. These spirits must guide the earthly believers of their respective religions to Christ at the Second Advent and assist them to believe in him and attend him in his work to fulfill God’s Will.

3.3 THE UNIFICATION OF NON-RELIGIOUS PEOPLE THROUGH RETURNING RESURRECTION

Spirits who, in their lifetime, led a conscientious life but did not believe in any religion will also return to earth at the granted time to receive the benefit of returning resurrection. They will guide conscientious earthly people to seek out Christ at the Second Advent, attend him, and assist him in fulfilling God’s Will.

View slides 45 to 57 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p1-CHAPT-5-Resurrection_revised-4-28-2014

Heaven Allows Evil Spirits to Torment Us as Punishment for Sin

1 Corinthians 16

¹³Keep alert. Be firm in your faith. Stay brave and strong. ¹⁴Show love in everything you do.

Jeremiah 34

^-10King Zedekiah, his officials, and everyone else in Jerusalem made an agreement to free all Hebrew men and women who were slaves. No Jew would keep another as a slave. And so, all the Jewish slaves were given their freedom.

¹¹But those slave owners changed their minds and forced their former slaves back into slavery.

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

Chapter 6
Resurrection

THE PROVIDENCE OF RESURRECTION

2.1 HOW DOES GOD CARRY OUT HIS WORK OF RESURRECTION?

Resurrection means the process through which a fallen person is restored to the original state as intended by God. The providence of resurrection thus means the providence of restoration. Since the providence of restoration is God’s work of re-creation, resurrection is a work of re-creation. Thus, the providence of resurrection is carried out in accordance with the Principle of Creation, in the following manner.

The merit of the age in the providence of restoration has increased in proportion to the foundation of heart laid by the prophets, sages and righteous people who came before us. Therefore, resurrection is carried out based on the merit of the age. Second, according to the Principle of Creation, in conducting the providence of resurrection, God’s responsibility is to give us His Word and guidance, and our responsibility is to believe and practice it in order to fulfill the providence. Third, according to the Principle of Creation, the resurrection of a spirit can be achieved only through earthly life. Fourth, according to the Principle of Creation, the providence of resurrection for fallen people is also to be completed through three ordered stages, manifested as three ages in the providence of restoration.

2.2 THE PROVIDENCE OF RESURRECTION FOR PEOPLE ON EARTH

2.2.1 THE PROVIDENCE TO LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR RESURRECTION

The two thousand years from Adam to Abraham resulted in the establishment of the foundation upon which God could begin His providence of resurrection in the following age. For this reason, we may call this period the age of the providence to lay the foundation for resurrection.

2.2.2 THE PROVIDENCE OF FORMATION-STAGE RESURRECTION

During the two thousand years from Abraham to Jesus, God worked to raise people to the formation stage of resurrection. Hence, this era may be called the age of the providence of formation-stage resurrection. This era has been called the age of justification by works. The people of this era who practiced the Law in their daily life were resurrected in spirit to the formation stage and became form spirits.

2.2.3 THE PROVIDENCE OF GROWTH-STAGE RESURRECTION

Due to the crucifixion of Jesus, resurrection was left incomplete, and its completion has been delayed until the time of his return. The two thousand years since then have been a time of prolongation, during which God has worked the providence to resurrect people to the growth stage through spiritual salvation. Hence, this era may be called the age of the providence of growth-stage resurrection. This era has been called the age of justification by faith. Upon their death, those who became life spirits while on earth enter and abide in Paradise, the life-spirit level of the spirit world.

2.2.4 THE PROVIDENCE OF COMPLETION-STAGE RESURRECTION

The era when people are to be resurrected both spiritually and physically through the returning Christ and complete the providence of resurrection is called the age of the providence of completion-stage resurrection. Christ at the Second Advent brings the new truth. This era is called the age of justification by attendance. When they shed their physical bodies, as spirits they will enter and abide in the Kingdom of Heaven in heaven, which is the divine-spirit level of the spirit world.

2.3 THE PROVIDENCE OF RESURRECTION FOR SPIRITS

2.3.1 THE PURPOSE AND THE WAY OF RETURNING RESURRECTION

The spirits of people who died before they could reach perfection during their earthly life can be resurrected only by returning to earth and completing their unaccomplished responsibility through cooperation with earthly people. By assisting people of faith living on the earth to fulfill their missions, the spirits may complete their missions at the same time.

2.3.2 THE RETURNING RESURRECTION OF THE SPIRITS OF ISRAELITES AND CHRISTIANS

2.3.2.1 GROWTH-STAGE RETURNING RESURRECTION Spirits of those who kept the Mosaic Law and worshipped God sincerely while living on earth during the Old Testament Age came to abide at the form-spirit level of the spirit world. After the advent of Jesus, these spirits all returned to earth and assisted faithful people on earth to accomplish the Will of God. By thus helping the people to attain the level of life spirit, they too received the same benefit: namely, they became life spirits and entered Paradise. We call this dispensation growth-stage returning resurrection.

2.3.2.2 COMPLETION-STAGE RETURNING RESURRECTION

The spirits of people who believed in Jesus while they lived on earth during the New Testament Age became life spirits and entered Paradise after death. After the Second Advent, these spirits will all return to the earth to help faithful people believe in and attend the returning Christ. By thus helping people on earth to attain the level of divine spirit, they too will receive the same benefit and become divine spirits. When the earthly saints pass over to the next world and enter the Kingdom of Heaven in heaven, the returning spirits will also enter the Kingdom. This dispensation is called completion-stage returning resurrection.

2.3.3 THE RETURNING RESURRECTION OF SPIRITS WHO ABIDE OUTSIDE PARADISE

First, let us examine the returning resurrection of spirits who believed in religions other than Christianity during their lifetime. A spirit who returns to the earth for his resurrection seeks a counterpart among the earthly people of the religion in which he believed during his earthly life. A spirit descends to the person of his choice and guides him. When he helps that person fulfill the purpose of the providence of restoration, they both receive the same benefit. Second, let us examine the returning resurrection of spirits who lived a conscientious life even though they did not believe in a religion. These good spirits descend to good people on earth and cooperate with them in order to help them fulfill the purpose of God’s providence of restoration. In the process, the spirits receive the same benefits as the people they have helped. Third, let us examine the returning resurrection of evil spirits.

The works of evil spirits do not always bear fruit and result in their receiving the benefit of returning resurrection. To receive such benefit, their works must have the effect of punishing earthly people, thereby enlisting their help in making indemnity conditions in accordance with God’s plan to cleanse evil spirits through punishment. [Blue Part] How, then, can the works of evil spirits result in casting judgment on behalf of Heaven? Let us take an example. Suppose there is a person living on earth who, based on the merit of the age, is about to graduate from his current sphere of benefit to a higher sphere of benefit. He cannot graduate to the new sphere of benefit unless he first makes some condition of indemnity to remove the sins of the past. In the case of graduating from the family sphere to the clan sphere, a person must pay the debt of sin both for himself and for the ancestors of his clan. Heaven allows evil spirits to torment him as punishment for this sin. If he willingly endures the suffering given by the evil spirits and overcomes it, he will have successfully paid the indemnity through this condition and thus be entitled to enter the higher sphere of benefit at the clan level. The evil spirits who have tormented him receive a corresponding benefit [End Blue Part]

View slides 22 to 44 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p1-CHAPT-5-Resurrection_revised-4-28-2014

Resurrection Occurs through Repentance on Earth

Cheon Seong Gyeong 678

On February 1, 1985 at 3 a.m., Moth-
er and I established this condition
through special prayer. Thenceforth, all
the barriers of hell crumbled, so whoev-
er makes effort on that foundation can
rise up to the heavenly world. Also, if
there are good spirits among your rela-
tives in the spirit world, they will come
to you, educate you and even take you
with them to the heavenly world. Their
role as the Savior in the spirit world has
begun. The mission of the Savior lay not
in the spirit world, but has been limit-
ed to the earth, yet now, by paving this
way, the good spirits in the other world
can educate the evil spirits in hell. While
the good ancestors play the role of the
Savior, a way has been opened allowing
them to develop and ascend to the heav-
enly world. (136-183, 1985.12.22)

Richard: Your good ancestors can guide you, if you are willing to listen and be open to God’s guidance.

Cheong Seong Gyeong 1350

Just as the Israelites set out from
Egypt for Canaan, the 430 Couples sig-
nify that we too have set out to restore
the world, which is our Canaan. Where-
as they set out in the 430th year of their
captivity in Egypt, we have settled on
the number 43, representing 4,300 years.
We are moving forward from this point.
In doing so, we are not working individ-
ually but in family units. We must move
forward with our families. You should
understand this. The unit is no longer
the individual; it is the family. Thus, you
should not abandon your families and
move forward alone. Furthermore, the
central person in the position of Moses
should not abandon the Israelites. He
must lead them all out of Egypt into
Canaan. If one of them happens to be in
prison, he should help that person to get
out so he can come with the others.

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

Chapter 6
Resurrection

If we are to believe literally the prophecies of Scripture, we should expect that when Jesus comes again, the saints will come back to life in the flesh. Their bodies, buried in the earth and completely decomposed, will be reconstituted to their original state. Given the modern state of our knowledge, they do not make rational sense. This brings great confusion to the Christian faith. Therefore, it is important that we elucidate the true meaning of resurrection.

RESURRECTION

Resurrection means to come back to life. To come back to life implies that we have been dead. To fathom the meaning of resurrection, we must clarify the biblical concepts of life and death.

1.1 THE BIBLICAL CONCEPTS OF LIFE AND DEATH

When a follower asked Jesus if he could go home to bury his deceased father, Jesus said, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead.”2 From these words of Jesus, it is clear that the Bible contains two different concepts of life and death. The first concept of life and death concerns physical life. Here, “death” means the end of physical life, as was the case of the disciple’s deceased father who was to be buried. “Life” in that sense means the state in which the physical self maintains its physiological functions. The second concept of life and death concerns those living people who had gathered to bury the deceased man, those whom Jesus called “the dead.” This second concept of death does not refer to the expiration of physical life. It means leaving the bosom of God’s love and falling under the dominion of Satan. The corresponding concept of life refers to the state of living in accordance with God’s Will, within the dominion of God’s infinite love.

1.2 THE DEATH CAUSED BY THE HUMAN FALL

We have learned that there are two different biblical concepts of death. Which of the two refers to the death brought about by the Fall of the first human ancestors? God created human beings to grow old and return to dust. According to the Principle of Creation, the flesh is the clothing of the spirit. Just as one discards worn-out clothes, the flesh is to be discarded when it has grown old and weak. Only the unclothed spirit self then enters the spirit world and lives there eternally. We can conclude that the death caused by the Fall does not mean the end of physical life, but rather the descent from the good dominion of God into the evil dominion of Satan.

1.3 THE MEANING OF RESURRECTION

Resurrection may be defined as the process of being restored from the death caused by the Fall to life, from the realm of Satan’s dominion to the realm of God’s direct dominion, through the providence of restoration. Accordingly, whenever we repent of our sins and rise to a higher state of goodness, we are resurrected to that degree.

1.4 WHAT CHANGES DOES RESURRECTION CAUSE IN HUMAN BEINGS?

According to God’s Word, Adam and Eve died when they ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Nevertheless, no significant external change took place in them. At most there were momentary changes in their countenances due to the anxiety and fear they felt over having fallen. Likewise, no significant external changes should be expected to take place in fallen people when they are resurrected to the state prior to the Fall.

The changes a person experiences when he is resurrected and enters the governance of God take place in his heart and spirit. Having been liberated from Satan’s dominion, a resurrected person can unite with God in heart and acquire a divine nature. These internal changes also purify his body, transforming it from a haunt of Satan into a temple of God.

View slides 1 to 21 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p1-CHAPT-5-Resurrection_revised-4-28-2014

The Main Reason Jesus Had to Die on the Cross Was the Failure of John the Baptist

Matthew 23

²³The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So that same day some of the Sadducees came to Jesus and said:

²⁴Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother.

Richard: Having children (when you are married!) is very important.

Psalm 115

¹²The Lord will not forget
    to give us his blessing;
    he will bless all of Israel
    and the family of Aaron.
¹³All who worship the Lord,
no matter who they are,
    will receive his blessing.

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

THE SECOND COMING OF ELIJAH AND JOHN THE BAPTIST

The prophet Malachi foretold that Elijah would come again: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.” Jesus testified that the prophesied coming of Elijah was realized in none other than John the Baptist: “I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. . . .” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. —Matt. 17:12-13

2.1 THE JEWISH BELIEF IN THE RETURN OF ELIJAH

Since the disciples already believed that Jesus was the Messiah, they willingly accepted his testimony that John the Baptist was Elijah. Yet how could others who did not know Jesus accept this controversial claim?

2.2 THE DIRECTION THE JEWISH PEOPLE WOULD CHOOSE

Jesus made it plain that John the Baptist was the very Elijah whom the people were so anxiously awaiting, while on the contrary, John the Baptist himself flatly negated this claim. Whose words were the Jewish people to believe? This matter obviously depended on which of the two, Jesus or John, appeared more credible and respectable in the eyes of the people of that time.

When the Jewish people of Jesus’ day compared Jesus and John the Baptist, who appeared more credible to them? Without a doubt, John’s words had more credibility. Therefore, they naturally believed John the Baptist when he denied being Elijah more than they believed Jesus’ testimony that John was Elijah. Since the people believed John, they considered Jesus’ words to be a fabrication concocted to support his dubious claim to be the Messiah. Consequently, Jesus was condemned as an impostor.

2.3 THE FAITHLESSNESS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Many among the Jewish leadership and people of Jesus’ day had the highest respect for John the Baptist; some even thought of him as the Messiah. Had John the Baptist announced that he was Elijah, as Jesus had testified, those who were eagerly waiting for the Messiah would have readily believed John’s testimony and flocked to Jesus. Instead, John’s ignorance of God’s providence, which led him to insist that he was not Elijah, became the principal reason why the Jewish people did not come to Jesus. Here we have come to understand that the main reason why Jesus had to die on the cross was the failure of John the Baptist.

2.4 THE SENSE IN WHICH JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS ELIJAH

We have stated previously that John the Baptist was to inherit and complete the mission which Elijah had left unfinished on earth. As recorded in the Bible, he was born with the mission to go before the Lord, “in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” Hence, in terms of his mission, John was the second coming of Elijah.

2.5 OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE BIBLE

We have been reading the Bible based on the unquestioned belief that John the Baptist was a great prophet. Our new insight into John the Baptist teaches us that we should dispense with the conservative attitude of faith which makes us afraid to question conventional beliefs and traditional doctrines.

View slides 33 to 53 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p1-CHAPT-4-The-Messiah-_revised-4-28-2014

What Would Have Happened if Jesus Had Not Been Crucified?

Cheon Seong Gyeong 311

A life lived for love is a productive
and fruitful one, and a life lived with-
out knowing love leads to exhaustion
and destruction. God, humankind, and
even the universe desire to live for the
sake of love. This is the original way of
life. (Blessed Family – 1062)

Cheong Seong Gyeong 1165

In the first chapter of the Gospel of
Matthew, four great women who had
illicit relationships: Tamar, Bathsheba,
Rahab and Ruth, are listed in the gene-
alogy of Jesus. This gospel is the equiva-
lent of Genesis, but the question is, why
do the first pages of the New Testament
focus on these women, who are stained
and impure? Without understanding
the Principle view of the Fall, there is no
way to understand this. It has remained
a mystery. By searching throughout my
life, however, I have been able to answer
these questions for the first time. (211-137,
1990.12.30)

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

1.4 THE LIMIT OF SALVATION THROUGH REDEMPTION BY THE CROSS AND THE PURPOSE OF JESUS’ SECOND ADVENT

What would have happened if Jesus had not been crucified? Jesus would have accomplished both the spiritual and physical aspects of salvation. He surely would have established the everlasting and indestructible Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Yet the people did not believe in Jesus; instead they led him to the cross. Jesus’ body was exposed to Satan’s assault, and he was killed. Therefore, even when faithful Christians are united with Jesus, their bodies remain exposed to Satan’s attack, just as was Jesus’ body. Consequently, no matter how devout a believer may be, he cannot attain physical salvation through redemption by the cross of Jesus.

However, Jesus laid the basis for spiritual salvation by securing the victorious foundation for his resurrection through the redemption by his blood on the cross. As a result, all believers since his resurrection have received the benefit of spiritual salvation, but not physical salvation. Therefore, to uproot the original sin, which he could not remove through the crucifixion, and to complete the work of physical salvation, Christ must come again on earth. Only then will the purpose of God’s work of salvation be fulfilled both spiritually and physically.

1.5 TWO KINDS OF PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE CROSS

If Jesus’ death on the cross were not predestined as necessary for the complete accomplishment of his purpose as the Messiah, why was it prophesied in Isaiah that he would suffer the ordeal of the cross? As Isaiah prophesied24 and as the angel announced to Mary, it was foretold that Jesus would become the king of the Jews in his lifetime and establish an everlasting kingdom on the earth. Let us investigate why God gave two contrasting kinds of prophecies concerning Jesus.

Human beings have their own portion of responsibility. The nature of the fruits they bear depends upon whether or not they fulfill their portion of responsibility. For this reason, God gave two kinds of prophecies concerning the accomplishment of His Will.

1.6 GOSPEL PASSAGES IN WHICH JESUS SPOKE OF HIS CRUCIFIXION AS IF IT WERE NECESSARY

There are several passages in the Gospels in which Jesus spoke of his suffering on the cross as if it were necessary for salvation. For example, when Peter heard Jesus’ prediction of his imminent crucifixion and tried to dissuade him, Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me.” Peter’s dissuasion could have hindered Jesus from paving the way for spiritual salvation through the cross. For this reason, Jesus rebuked him.

A second example is Jesus’ last words on the cross, “It is finished.”33 Jesus did not utter these words to mean that through the crucifixion he had completely accomplished the providence of salvation. Hence, by the words, “It is finished,” Jesus meant that he had finished laying the foundation for spiritual salvation. By this time, it had become the alternative goal of the providence.

View slides 18 to 32 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p1-CHAPT-4-The-Messiah-_revised-4-28-2014