Category: Ecclesiastes

In the Image of God He Created Him; Male and Female He Created Them

Deuteronomy 26

26 The Lord is giving you the land, and soon you will conquer it, settle down, 2 and plant crops. And when you begin harvesting each of your crops, the very first things you pick must be put in a basket. Take them to the place where the Lord your God chooses to be worshiped, 3 and tell the priest, “Long ago the Lord our God promised our ancestors that he would give us this land. And today, I thank him for keeping his promise and giving me a share of the land.”

Ecclesiastes 11

7 Nothing on earth is more beautiful than the morning sun. 8 Even if you live to a ripe old age, you should try to enjoy each day, because darkness will come and will last a long time. Nothing makes sense.[c]

9 Be cheerful and enjoy life while you are young! Do what you want and find pleasure in what you see. But don’t forget that God will judge you for everything you do.

10 Rid yourself of all worry and pain, because the wonderful moments of youth quickly disappear.

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 2

Truth and Universal Law

Duality

Duality is a consistent theme throughout the cosmos. All existing beings display duality or polarity: male and female, light and dark, heaven and earth, mind and body, subject and object, the self and the whole, being and non-being. The dynamic interactions between these poles are a source of generative and creative power. This is seen in the regular cycles of nature, the alternation of day and night, and the changing seasons. Duality is portrayed mythically by the cosmic union of god and goddess, and recognized by science in the electromagnetic interactions that construct atoms and molecules. Some religions, notably Confucianism and Taoism, regard the polarity of yang (masculine) and yin (feminine) as a governing principle of nature, one that can instruct human beings on the proper way of life. Father Moon devotes considerable attention to duality, which he develops into a systematic relational ontology. He observes the interactions in nature and sees in them the basis for the principle of altruism; as giving precedes receiving in all successful relationships. Even the forces of repulsion in nature have the effect of reducing threesomes to twosomes, thus protecting the realm of creative and loving relationships that duality provides. On that basis, he also critiques the Marxist dialectic for teaching a flawed conception of reality, rooted in conflict.

  1. The Duality of Masculine and Feminine

And all things We have created by pairs, that
you may receive instruction.
Qur’an 51.49

All things are twofold, one opposite the other,
and He has made nothing incomplete.
One confirms the good things of the other,
and who can have enough of beholding His glory?
Ecclesiasticus 42.24-25 (Christianity)

The Originator of the heavens and the earth;
He has appointed for you of yourselves spouses,
and pairs also of the cattle, by means of which
He multiplies you.
Qur’an 42.11

The Great Primal Beginning generates the two pri-
mary forces [yang and yin]. The two primary forces
generate the four images. The four images generate
the eight trigrams. The eight trigrams determine
good fortune and misfortune. Good fortune and
misfortune create the great field of action.
I Ching, Great Commentary 1.11.5-6 (Confucianism)

The Creator, out of desire to procreate, devoted
Himself to concentrated ardor (tapas). Whilst thus
devoted to concentrated ardor, He produced a
couple, Matter and Life (prana), saying to Himself,
“these two will produce all manner of creatures for
me.” Now Life is the Sun; Matter is the Moon.
Prasna Upanishad 1.4-5 (Hinduism)

By the transformation of Yang and its union
with Yin, the five agents arise: water, fire, wood,
metal and earth. When these five forces are dis-
tributed in harmonious order, the four seasons
run their course. The five agents constitute the
system of Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang con-
stitute one Great Ultimate.

Chou Tun-i, Explanation of the Diagram of the
Great Ultimate (Confucianism)

Mujahid said, “God has created all things in
pairs: He created man and woman, heaven and
earth, sun and moon, night and day, light and
dark, mankind and jinn, good and evil, morning
and evening, also all different kinds of foods and
winds and sounds. God has made all these as
signs of His greatness.”
Al-Qurtubi, Al-Thuriat Surat 17 (Islam)

So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created him; male and female
he created them.
Genesis 1.27

“Male and female He created them.” From this
we learn that every figure that does not com-
prise male and female elements is not a true
and proper figure… Observe this: God does not
place His abode in any place where male and
female are not found together, nor are blessings
found save in such a place.
Zohar 1.55b (Judaism)

All life, all pulsation in creation throbs with the
mighty declaration of the truth of Shiva-Shakti,
the eternal He and the eternal She at play in
manifestation. 11
Kularnava Tantra 3 (Hinduism)

When the upper world was filled and became
pregnant, it brought forth two children together,
a male and a female, these being heaven and
earth after the supernal pattern. The earth is
fed from the waters of heaven which are poured
into it. These upper waters, however, are male,
whereas the lower are female, and the lower are
fed from the male and the lower waters call to
the upper, like a female that receives the male,
and pour out water to meet the water of the
male to produce seed.
Zohar 1.29b (Judaism)

The Innate is twofold, for Wisdom is the woman
and Means is the man. Thereafter these both
become twofold, distinguished as relative and
absolute. In man there is this twofold nature:
the thought of enlightenment [relative] and the
bliss arising from it [absolute]; in woman too it
is the same, the thought of enlightenment and
the bliss arising from it.
Hevajra Tantra 8.26-29 (Buddhism)

To God Belong all Creatures in the Heavens and On the Earth

We are now in a state of spiritual emergency. Join me until Good Friday for a daily video on the current Covid-19 situation, also available on podcast.
Latest Richard Urban Show: The Great Fraud-The COVID-19 Agenda-Part 8-Defeating Godless Globalism.
Podcast: https://www.visionroot.org/podcast/
Podcast feed for podcast players: https://www.visionroot.org/feed/podcast/

Acts 13

13 Paul and the others left Paphos and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. But John[d] left them and went back to Jerusalem. 14 The rest of them went on from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia. Then on the Sabbath they went to the Jewish meeting place and sat down.

15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets,[e] the leaders sent someone over to tell Paul and Barnabas, “Friends, if you have anything to say that will help the people, please say it.”

Richard: Yes! I have something to say! Listen to my latest podcast and video: The Great Fraud-The COVID-19 Agenda-Part 8-Defeating Godless Globalism.

Ecclesiastes 3

15 Everything that happens
    has happened before,
and all that will be
    has already been—
God does everything
    over and over again.

Richard: The author is talking about Providential Time Identity:

Part 1
God and Creation

Chapter 1
God
Knowledge of God

The One God

The unity and uniqueness of God comprise the theme of the passages collected in this section. They come from every religion, the avowedly monotheistic Abrahamic faiths and Eastern religions also. The divine unity may be hidden under a multiplicity of appearances; nevertheless there is a single Source and a single Principle that brings order and meaning to the phenomenal world. In particular, many of these texts affirm that the various concepts of Ultimate Reality in the world’s religions are manifestations of the same one God. The readings from Father Moon affirm the one God at the root of all true religion. In addition, they point to the ethical teachings implicit in this truth.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Deuteronomy 6.4: The Shema

Say: He is God, the One! God, the eternally Besought of all! He neither begets nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him.
Qur’an 112

He is the Sole Supreme Being; of eternal manifestation; Creator, Immanent Reality; Without Fear, Without Rancor; Timeless Form; Unincarnate; Self-existent; Realized by the grace of the Holy Preceptor.
Japuji p. 1, The Mul Mantra (Sikhism)

He is the one God, hidden in all beings, all-pervading, the Self within all beings, watching over all works, dwelling in all beings, the witness, the perceiver, the only one, free from qualities.
Svetasvatara Upanishad 6.11 (Hinduism)

They have called him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, and the divine fine-winged Garuda; They speak of Indra, Yama, Matrarisvan: the One Being sages call by many names.
Rig Veda 1.164.46 (Hinduism)

To God belong all creatures in the heavens and on the earth: even those who are in His very Presence are not too proud to serve Him, nor are they ever weary. They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever flag or intermit. Or have they taken gods from the earth who can raise the dead? If there were, in the heavens or in the earth, other gods besides God, there would have been confusion in both! But glory to God, the Lord of the Throne; high is He above what they attribute to Him!
Qur’an 21.19-22

There is everywhere not disorder but order, proportion and not disproportion, not disarray but arrangement in an order perfectly harmonious. Therefore we must infer and be led to perceive the Master that put together and compacted all things, and produced harmony in them. For though He be not seen with the eyes, yet from the order and harmony of things contrary it is possible to perceive their Ruler, Arranger and King… In the order and harmony of the Universe we perceive God the governor of it all, and that He is one and not many. Athanasius (Christianity)

The sage clasps the Primal Unity, Testing by it everything under heaven.
Tao Te Ching 22 (Taoism)

Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscrip­tion, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. And he made from one every nation of men to live on the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ ”
Acts 17.22-28

When appearances and names are put away and all discrimination ceases, that which remains is the true and essential nature of things and, as nothing can be predicated as to the nature of essence, is called the “Suchness” of Reality. This universal, undifferentiated, inscrutable Suchness is the only Reality, but it is variously characterized as Truth, Mind-essence, Transcendental Intelligence, Perfection of Wisdom, etc. This teaching of the imagelessness of the Essence-nature of Ultimate Reality is the teaching which has been proclaimed by all the Buddhas, and when all things are understood in full agreement with it, one is in possession of Perfect Knowledge.
Lankavatara Sutra (Buddhism)

God said to Israel, “Because you have seen Me in many likenesses, there are not therefore many gods. But it is ever the same God: I am the Lord your God.” Rabbi Levi said, “God appeared to them like a mirror, in which many faces can be reflected; a thousand people look at it; it looks at all of them.” So when God spoke to the Israelites, each one thought that God spoke individually to him.
Pesikta Kahana 109b-110a (Judaism)

The Hindus and the Muslims have but one and the same God. Adi Granth, Bhairo, p. 1158 (Sikhism)

There can be no doubt that whatever the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. All of them, except for a few which are the outcomes of human perversity, were ordained of God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose.
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah 111 (Baha’i Faith)

The Third Try Must Be Victorious

John 16

21 When a woman is about to give birth, she is in great pain. But after it is all over, she forgets the pain and is happy, because she has brought a child into the world. 22 You are now very sad. But later I will see you, and you will be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel. 23 When that time comes, you won’t have to ask me about anything. I tell you for certain that the Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. 24 You have not asked for anything in this way before, but now you must ask in my name.[b] Then it will be given to you, so that you will be completely happy.

Eccliastes 5

18 What is the best thing to do in the short life that God has given us? I think we should enjoy eating, drinking, and working hard. This is what God intends for us to do. 19 Suppose you are very rich and able to enjoy everything you own. Then go ahead and enjoy working hard—this is God’s gift to you. 20 God will keep you so happy that you won’t have time to worry about each day.

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

3.1.2.2 ABRAHAM’S OFFERING OF ISAAC

 After Abraham failed in the symbolic offering, God commanded him to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a burnt offering. In this way, God began a new dispensation for the purpose of restoring through indemnity Abraham’s failure. Why, then, did God work with Abraham again when he had him offer Isaac?

 We can advance three reasons. First, the number three represents completion. God’s Principle requires that when the providence to lay the foundation for the Messiah takes place for the third time, it must be brought to completion. Therefore, God’s providence to lay the foundation for the Messiah, which began in Adam’s family as the first dispensation and continued in Noah’s family as the second dispensation, had to conclude in Abraham’s family, which was the third dispensation.

 Second, as was explained earlier, when Abraham was making his sacrifice, he was in the position of Adam. Satan had attacked both Adam and his son Cain, defiling the family over the course of two generations. Hence, according to the principle of restoration through indemnity, God could work to take back Abraham and his son Isaac over the course of two generations.

Third when Abraham was called by God, he stood on the merit of both Abel, who succeeded in the symbolic offering at the formation stage, and Noah, who succeeded in the symbolic offering at the growth stage. Upon this double foundation, Abraham was to make the symbolic offering at the completion stage. Accordingly, even though Abraham failed, God could raise him up and give him another chance to make an offering based on the accumulated merit of Abel’s and Noah’s faithful hearts.

How did Abraham offer Isaac?

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” —Gen. 22:9-12

Abraham’s faith was absolute. In obedience to God’s command, he was about to kill Isaac, his only son, intending to offer him as a burnt offering. God intervened at that moment and told Abraham not to kill the boy. Abraham’s zeal to do God’s Will and his resolute actions, carried out with absolute faith, obedience and loyalty, lifted him up to the position of already having killed Isaac. Therefore, he completely separated Satan from Isaac. Because Abraham succeeded in his offering of Isaac, the providence of restoration in Abraham’s family could be carried on by Isaac.

3.1.2.3 ISAAC’S POSITION AND HIS SYMBOLIC OFFERING IN THE SIGHT OF GOD

When God saved Isaac from death, Abraham was also resurrected to life, now loosed from all the ties with which Satan had bound him when his symbolic offering was defiled. Furthermore, Abraham and Isaac attained inseparable oneness in their fidelity to God’s Will.

 In making the offering, Isaac and Abraham underwent a process of death and resurrection. As a result, two things were accomplished. First, Abraham succeeded in the separation of Satan, who had invaded him because of his mistake in the symbolic offering. He restored through indemnity the position he had occupied before he had made the mistake and transferred his providential mission to Isaac from this restored position. Second, by faithfully obeying God’s Will, Isaac inherited the divine mission from Abraham and demonstrated the faith which qualified him to make the symbolic offering. After the divine mission had passed from Abraham to Isaac, Abraham offered the ram provided by God as the substitute for Isaac. In fact, this was the symbolic offering by which Isaac restored the foundation of faith. Isaac, having inherited Abraham’s mission, made the symbolic offering and restored through indemnity the foundation of faith.

View slides 81 to 94 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p2-CHAPT-1-Adams-Family_revised-4-28-2014

Jesus Overcame His Own Sorrow to Save Sorrowful Humanity

Registration for the Urban Family Life Success and Happiness Training Seminar (July 5th to July 7th, 2019) has closed. Call for availability of any remaining spaces: 202-544-5081.

Hebrews 2

10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[g] 12 He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the assembly I will sing your praises.”[h]

13 And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”[i]

And again he says,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”[j]

Ecclesiastes 9

9 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,[a] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

As it is with the good,
    so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
    so with those who are afraid to take them.

3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope[b]—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

5 For the living know that they will die,
    but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward,
    and even their name is forgotten.
6 Their love, their hate
    and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
    in anything that happens under the sun.

7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife,whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Richard: This is a little bit of a skeptical view by the author. However, none the less, it is timeless wisdom. However, our days don’t have to be days of “meaningless life’. In the Urban Family Life Success and Happiness Seminar we will discuss God’s plan for life and how to live a successful, happy and fulfilled life.

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
July 12, 1959

John 14: 1-19

Jesus knew God as his father, but what kind of father did he know Him to be? When Jesus wore the crown of thorns, he felt that God was wearing a crown of thorns that was a thousand times more painful than his. When he was being nailed to the cross, he realized that God was experiencing his pain thousands of times over. Even when the spear pierced his side, he accepted it as if it were deserved since he knew that Heavenly Father had continued to struggle for His children in spite of pain much greater than his.

That is why he could not hold a grudge and sorrow in his heart. He was determined not to leave a grudge and sorrow in his heart in front of humanity in spite of his pain. Although he was in a position to hold unimaginable rage and vengeance toward his enemy, he could not do so when thinking about what Heavenly Father had endured. Jesus had to overcome his own sorrow because he had come to save sorrowful humanity. He had to overcome his own pain and death because he had come to resolve the pain and death of mankind. Because he was like this, Jesus was the Savior. Because mankind had already lost its life, he had to be in a position never to condemn God even if he lost his life or had to give up all desires. We should realize that Jesus was able to become the savior of life who had taken on God’s heart because he accepted this.

Satan was unable to accuse Jesus because he had no heart of vengeance, no indignation, and was not dominated by the historical sorrow. What kind of being is Satan? He accuses you by putting forth the historical sorrow and blocks you when you are caught up in private matters. Yet Satan still could not accuse Jesus because Jesus had nothing to do with the sorrows of this fallen world and the universe. Satan, who even accused God, threw up both hands and gave up.

It was not empty talk when Jesus said to love your enemy. Satan cannot accuse the one who cries and worries about the eternal death of humanity more than about his own death. If he does, Satan’s own being will be destroyed. Satan cannot have dominion over such a person. Only God can have dominion over such a person. Although Satan may at any time accuse within the realm of faith and hope, he cannot touch one iota of the realm of an unchanging, sincere heart. Because the Kingdom of Heaven transcends everything connected with Satan, it has nothing to do with him.

We call God our Father and Lord upon Jesus’ merit. We are unworthy to do so. Even now we are struggling within the realm of sin, and we cry over the small sorrows in our life. When we look at today’s society and this world, the trends bear out the historical sorrow and are surrounded by fear. What controls my emotions in such a world? Fear. What overwhelms my life? It is justice that is in tatters. God wants to establish the new world and uphold true justice, yet there is no one to accomplish this. We have to realize that God, as always, is still searching for such a person.

God Has Brought New Truth in This Age

Save the dates:July 5th  to July 7th, as we will hold an Urban Family Life Training seminar for couples and singles seeking a godly spouse.  You will learn how to set up a ministry to guide youth and young adults toward godly marriage.  It will be held at the Peace Kingdom Center in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Romans 16

25 Praise God! He can make you strong by means of my good news, which is the message about[g] Jesus Christ. For ages and ages this message was kept secret, 26 but now at last it has been told. The eternal God commanded his prophets to write about the good news, so that all nations would obey and have faith. 27 And now, because of Jesus Christ, we can praise the only wise God forever! Amen.[h]

Richard: God has brought new truth in this age:
http://visionroot.org/resources/the-eight-books-of-holy-scripture/ .

Ecclesiastes 1

12 I said these things when I lived in Jerusalem as king of Israel. 13 With all my wisdom I tried to understand everything that happens here on earth. And God has made this so hard for us humans to do. 14 I have seen it all, and everything is just as senseless as chasing the wind.[c]

15 If something is crooked,
    it can’t be made straight;
if something isn’t there,
    it can’t be counted.

16 I said to myself, “You are by far the wisest person who has ever lived in Jerusalem. You are eager to learn, and you have learned a lot.” 17 Then I decided to find out all I could about wisdom and foolishness. Soon I realized that this too was as senseless as chasing the wind. [d]

18 The more you know,
    the more you hurt;
the more you understand,
    the more you suffer.

Longing for Eden

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
June 28, 1959

Genesis 2: 1-25

Prayer

We feel in our bones that the history of toil by which humanity must regain the land of Zion remains with us. This land has not become a place where true people with original hearts live. You could not establish the remnants of the original heart on this earth. Father, please allow us to be Your children who can comfort Your sorrowful heart of lonely battling on, as You longed for the original world. Father! We cannot help having a fearful mind as we recall the course of Your sorrowful history. We cannot help being overwhelmed every time we face Your suffering, holy presence. Father, please raise these as Your children who can offer their minds and bodies to You, who can lighten the burden from Your shoulder and stop Your suffering.

You have been longing for the victorious day when You could rejoice and sing the song of liberation from a state of happiness. We realize, however, that You are not the one who must bring about the liberation. We must do it, humanity, struggling in the realm of death.

Continue reading “God Has Brought New Truth in This Age”