They Kept Mocking the Messengers of God

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Essentially, what have we been trying to do during the Old Testament, New Testament, and Completed Testament Ages? We have been trying to bring God inside us. Who is the root? God is. God is the root of humankind. Originally, True Parents were not the root. True Parents also came from God, who is the root. Before Adam and Eve fell, they were in the position of God’s son and daughter. But after their Fall, all things of creation came to be in a higher position than Adam and Eve. This happened because Adam and Eve fell. Through the Fall, they sunk lower than all things. Since all things became higher than people, they have given their lives for humankind. They have shed blood in our place and through this, have worked to reverse the positions. This is why, in the Old Testament Age, offerings were sacrificed to pave the pathway for the sons and daughters to travel on.

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You should offer all your devotion in witnessing to your parents. There is no greater happiness than receiving heaven’s blessings with them, in the presence of God’s will, and creating a protective fence as a Blessed Family. (16-329, 1966.7.31)

Founders, Prophets and Saints

2. Every Prophet and Saint Endured Hardships and Rejection

A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
    Mark 6.4
 
As an elephant in the battlefield withstands the arrows shot from a bow, even so will I endure abuse.
    Dhammapada 320 (Buddhism)
 
A scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.”
    Matthew 8.19-20
 
The Messenger says, “O my Lord, behold, my people have taken this Qur’an as a thing to be shunned.” Even so We have appointed to every Prophet an enemy from among the sinners; but your Lord suffices as a guide and as a helper.
    Qur’an 25.30-31
 
To what land shall I flee? Where bend my steps?I am thrust out from family and tribe;I have no favor from the village to which I would belong,
Nor from the wicked rulers of the country:How then, O Lord, shall I obtain Thy favor?
    Avesta, Yasna 46.1 (Zoroastrianism)
 
While Confucius stood alone at the east gate of the outer city the natives reported to Tsekung, “There is a man at the east gate… He looks crest-fallen like a homeless, wandering dog.” Tsekung told Confucius this story, and Confucius smiled and said, “I don’t know about the descriptions of my figure, but as for resembling a homeless, wandering dog, he is quite right, he is quite right!”
    Ssu-ma Ch’ien, Shih Chi 47 (Confucianism)
 
The lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place; but they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophets, till the wrath of the lord rose against his people, till there was no remedy.
    2 Chronicles 36.15-16
 
They say only, “Lo! We found our fathers following a religion, and we are guided by their footprints.” And even so We sent not a warner before you [Muhammad] into any township, but its luxurious ones said, “Lo! We found our fathers following a religion, and we are following their footprints.” And the warner said, “What! Even though I bring you better guidance than that you found your fathers following?” They answered, “Lo! In what you bring we are disbelievers.” We have requited them; see what was the consequence for the deniers.
    Qur’an 43.22-25
 
You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered.
    Acts 7.51-52
 
 
 

Do Saints Live as They Wish?

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Acts 7

39 But our ancestors refused to obey Moses. They rejected him and wanted to go back to Egypt.

40 The people said to Aaron, “Make some gods to lead us! Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don’t know what’s happened to him now.” 41 Then they made an idol in the shape of a calf. They offered sacrifices to the idol and were pleased with what they had done.

1 Kings 14

14 The Lord will soon choose a new king of Israel, who will destroy Jeroboam’s family. And I mean very soon.15 The people of Israel have made the Lord angry by setting up sacred poles for worshiping the goddess Asherah. So the Lord will punish them until they shake like grass in a stream. He will take them out of the land he gave to their ancestors, then scatter them as far away as the Euphrates River. 16 Jeroboam sinned and caused the Israelites to sin. Now the Lord will desert Israel.

17 Jeroboam’s wife left and went back home to the town of Tirzah. As soon as she set foot in her house, her son died. 18 Everyone in Israel came and mourned at his funeral, just as the Lord’s servant Ahijah had said.

Richard: Sacred poles: Or “trees,” were used as symbols of Asherah, the goddess of fertility. The people here are committing sexual sins.

Founders, Prophets and Saints

1. God’s Champions and Messengers

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

When God assigns a responsibility within His providential Will to human beings, He raises up for them a central figure. He raises each central figure to be the leading light of the people of his age and link them to the thought of Heaven. In other words, at key moments in history God seeks out a single individual who can represent his age, his culture, and the whole world. God calls on His chosen one to declare His teaching to Heaven and earth. (4:192, April 20, 1958)

Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha and Confucius are called the great saints of history. They left their traditions to posterity, which became organized as the time-honored religions and gave birth to the great civilizations of humankind.
    Did these saints live as they wished, enjoying themselves every day? No, from an earthly point of view they lived miserable lives, far more difficult than the lives of ordinary people.
    Why did they live that kind of life? The saints did not live according to their own desires, but instead lived obedient to the divine Will and for the sake of the world God desired to build through them.
    Although they had individual desires, the saints lived always thinking about God and how they could inherit His tradition. They were concerned to train their character and to conform their life to God’s Will. When they looked at their families, they thought about what would be the authentic family in the sight of God. They thought about how their society could be acceptable to God. They sought to understand what traditions their nation should have in the sight of God. (95:271, December 11, 1977)

What did these founders of religion teach? They taught centered on God. They taught according to God’s teachings and guided their people to do God’s Will. They did not teach their own will. They did not boast of their greatness. They passed away while proclaiming a God-centered worldview, a God-centered way of life, and a God-centered understanding of the universe. (41:329-30, February 18, 1971)

God is the Source of the principle that governs the universe. While creating the universe, God invested Himself totally for the sake of His creation. Throughout history, God has continually sacrificed Himself to save fallen human beings, who have been living just as they desire.
    The prophets, saints, and sages who knew God’s Will followed God’s principle in their own lives. Furthermore, they were not content to keep the truth to themselves, but walked the way of sacrifice to teach others. Moses, Confucius, Buddha, Mohammed, Socrates and Jesus suffered hardships and persecution for their efforts to teach the people. They dedicated their lives to enlighten and liberate humanity. (234:222, August 20, 1992)

The Chinese character for “saint” (聖) has three parts, representing ears (耳), mouth (口), and king (王). The combination of these three elements signifies a saint. If you link the meanings, a saint is the “king of the mouth” and “king of the ears.” What does this mean? As the king of the ears, he comprehends and interprets what he hears like a king. He does not simply repeat what he hears, for if he did it could cause many troubles. As a king of the mouth, he is careful about the words he speaks. He knows that whatever he says could become the law; it could sway the destiny of his nation. (118:44, May 2, 1982)

What is the definition of a saint? A saint is someone who transcends national boundaries. The saints of history did not live merely for their own people or for their own tribe. They transcended national boundaries to live for the sake of all humanity. They could say, “I will die for the sake of all humanity. I transcend all the boundaries that separate the thousands of ethnic groups and nations. I am beyond nations, beyond religions, and beyond races.” Before they went to their deaths, these saints forged a connection to all humanity on a worldwide level. (38:350, January 8, 1971)

The Great Work of the Conversion of Lineage Is Absolutely Necessary

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From what point will God’s ideal nation be realized? Where will the restoration of the homeland take place? It starts from the individuals who live by the philosophy to love their enemies. Therefore, as long as God exists, there is no way Christianity can avoid becoming a global religion, because Christianity offers a movement to break down national borders with love, to transcend all environments and cultural barriers, and to embrace even one’s enemies. If you plant beans, you get beans, because kidney beans come from kidney bean seeds, and red flowers bloom from red flower seeds. In the same way, if you plant a satanic seed, a seed of taking revenge on your enemies, you will get a tree of evil – a tree of vengeance. But if you plant the seeds of goodness, the seeds of loving your enemies, you will get a tree of goodness, a tree of love for enemies. This is just a natural principle.

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In order to enter God’s realm of heart, your lineage has to be the same. You can only join that realm of heart after changing your lineage, which originated from a different root. The stems are different. The roots, stems and sprouts need to be identical. For that to be so, the great work of the conversion of lineage is absolutely necessary. This cannot be carried out alone. You need True Parents for this task. (172-55, 1988.1.7)

Richard: This is a very core part of the Unfication teaching: you must change your lineage through the Blessing (of marriage).

Chapter 9

History of God’s Providence

Founders, Prophets and Saints

God operates His Providence to save humankind through establishing religions; the religions in turn elevate human morality and ethics, leading to the creation of civilizations. Each of the major religions begins with its founder. Father Moon terms these founders “saints,” and gives pride of place to Jesus, Buddha, Confucius and Muhammad as the four representative saints of humankind.
Each founder is unique, proclaiming the core truth for the religion he spawned. For the Christian, it is the saving work of Christ alone that saves, notwithstanding the accomplishments of other founders, great as they may be. Likewise, the Muslim’s faith is defined uniquely by the message of Muhammad, the “seal” of the prophets—that is, the last and final prophet. The committed believer is confronted with one individual as the standard of truth, the exemplar and revealer who defines the true way. the declaration, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me” (John 14.6) is comparable to, “outside the Buddha’s dispensation there is no saint” (Dhammapada 254); “Muhammad is the seal of the prophets” (Qur’an 33.40) and so on. For Father Moon, however, all the founders were sent by the one God. All bear witness to the one truth of God. All stand within a single providence of God that seeks to elevate people of every culture and every nation and prepare them to enter his universal Kingdom.
Thus, Father Moon adds Buddha, Confucius and Muhammad to that more familiar roster of God’s chosen ones in providential history, which in the Western tradition begins with able and Noah and continues with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon and the prophets, up to Jesus. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all regard themselves as heirs to this illustrious lineage. Judaism omits Jesus of course, but adds a succession of great rabbis; Islam includes Jesus and adds a few Arabian prophets to its list such as Ishmael and Idris. Meanwhile, in the east, Hinduism recognizes a succession of avatars who arise from age to age to defeat the powers of evil and return the world to righteousness. Confucianism has its own lineage of saints: King you, Wen and Wu and the Duke of Chou. Confucius saw himself as recovering their ancient wisdom and tradition.
This section treats the common characteristics of a saint: pursuit of the truth regardless of the cost; desire to elevate society and all humankind to a higher ideal; a universal outlook that does not discriminate by nationality, wealth or social status; faith in God or heaven or some higher power; and willingness to bear with persecution and ostracism from ignorant society. Subsequent sections will treat these saints and prophets individually, with special attention on the Western biblical tradition.

1. God’s Champions and Messengers

Whenever the Law declines and the purpose of life is forgotten, I manifest myself on earth. I am born in every age to protect the good, to destroy evil, and to re-establish the Law.
    Bhagavad-Gita 4.7-8 (Hinduism)
 
Lo! We inspired you [O Muhammad] as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as
We imparted unto David the Psalms; and messengers We have mentioned to you before and messengers We have not mentioned to you… messengers of good cheer and of warning, in order that mankind might have no argument against God after the messengers. God was ever Mighty, Wise.
    Qur’an 4.163-65
 
Inasmuch as these Birds of the Celestial Throne are all sent down from the heaven of the Will of God, and as they all arise to proclaim His irresistible Faith, they therefore are regarded as one soul and the same person. For they all drink from the one Cup of the love of God, and all partake of the fruit of the same Tree of Oneness. These Manifestations of God have each a twofold station. One is the station of pure abstraction and essential unity. In this respect, if you call them all by one name, and ascribe to them the same attribute, you have not erred from the truth. Even as He has revealed, “No distinction do We make between any of His Messengers!” For they one and all summon the people of the earth to acknowledge the Unity of God…
    The other is the station of distinction, and pertains to the world of creation and to its limitations. In this respect, each Manifestation of God has a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined Revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is characterized by a special attribute, fulfills a definite Mission, and is entrusted with a particular Revelation.
    Book of Certitude, 152, 176 (Baha’i Faith)
 
To be unsnared by vulgar ways, to make no vain show of material things, to bring no hardship on others, to avoid offending the mob, to seek peace and security for the world, preservation of the people’s lives, full provender for others as well as oneself, and to rest content when these aims are fulfilled, in this way bringing purity to the heart—there were those in ancient times who believed that the “art of the Way” lay in these things… They preached liberality of mind, hoping thereby to bring men together in the joy of harmony, to insure concord within the four seas. Their chief task lay, they felt, in the effort to establish these ideals. They regarded it as no shame to suffer insult, but sought to put an end to strife among the people, to outlaw aggression, to abolish the use of arms, and to rescue the world from warfare. With these aims they walked the whole world over, trying to persuade those above them and to teach those below, and though the world refused to listen, they clamored all the louder and would not give up, until men said, “High and low are sick at the sight of them, and still they demand to be seen!”
    Chuang Tzu 33 (Taoism)
 
Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword, they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
    Hebrews 11.32-38
 
Let us now praise famous men,
and our fathers in their generations.
The Lord apportioned to them great glory,
his majesty from the beginning.
There were those who ruled in their kingdoms,
and were men renowned for their power,
giving counsel by their understanding
and proclaiming prophecies…
And there are some who have no memorial,
who have perished as though they had not lived…
but these were men of mercy,
whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten.
    Ecclesiasticus 44.1-10 (Christianity)
 
 
 
 
 
 

Gods Intention Was to Unite the Arab People and the Jewish People

Hebrews 8

All of them will know me,
    no matter who they are.
12 I will treat them with kindness,
even though they are wicked.
    I will forget their sins.”

13 When the Lord talks about a new agreement, he means that the first one is out of date. And anything that is old and useless will soon disappear.

2 Chronicles 36

36 After the death of Josiah, the people of Judah crowned his son Jehoahaz their new king. 2 He was twenty-three years old at the time, and he ruled only three months from Jerusalem. 3 King Neco of Egypt captured Jehoahaz and forced Judah to pay almost four tons of silver and seventy-five pounds of gold as taxes. 4 Then Neco appointed Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king of Judah and changed his name to Jehoiakim. He led Jehoahaz away to Egypt as his prisoner.

Islam

2. A Rival Religion, Correcting the Religions that Preceded It

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Had John the Baptist and the people of Israel accepted Jesus, they were destined to struggle against the Roman Empire, just as Jacob wrestled against the angel at the Ford of Jabbok.
    At that time, Roman sovereignty was weak, and there was an opportunity for the smaller surrounding countries to win their independence. Therefore, with Jesus Christ as the commander-in-chief, the movement could have unified the Arab world in revolt against Rome.
    By fighting a common enemy, God’s intention was to unite the Arab people and the Jewish people. It was an opportunity for these peoples under the Roman yoke to unite as one. But first, Jesus, Judaism and John the Baptist’s movement had to become one. That was the precondition to defeat Rome. However, instead John the Baptist went his own way, Jesus acted alone, and the Jews eventually revolted on their own [and were crushed]. As a result, there came to be lasting division between the Arabs and Jews. (111:151, February 10, 1981)
 
In the seventh century, the religion of Islam emerged in the Middle East. It was because Jesus was unable to establish his own nation that Islam appeared and took the position of a rival to Christianity. It is for Islam and Christianity to resolve this Cain-Abel relationship, and when they do they both will be perfected. Thus, you should understand that it was out of providential necessity that God raised up Islam as a rival religion. What do conventional theologians say is the reason and purpose of Islam?
 
    The Jews had received much blessing from God after the Exodus from Egypt. Nevertheless, [after the crucifixion] Islam emerged from the central people—the descendants of Abraham—and became the Jews’ adversaries. Nevertheless, the Jews should learn to live with their Muslim adversaries.
    These days, Islam is expanding more rapidly than Christianity. They are strong! Their values are strong and their faith is firm! They do not sway back and forth, compromising like Christians do.
    Ishmael and Isaac are brothers, both sons of Abraham. Yet their descendants became adversaries and fought throughout history. After the Jews lost Jerusalem, Christians and Muslims fought over the city at the time of the Crusades. The land of Israel should be restored for all these brother religions. However, this must not be accomplished by fighting and bloodshed.
    That is why Reverend Moon, representing Christianity and as founder of the Unification Church, gave his hand to Minister Farrakhan; and also to President Wahid of Indonesia. I wanted to join President Wahid and Minister Farrakhan as brothers. I also helped Minister Farrakhan at the Million Family March. White people opened their eyes in alarm, saying that I should by no means ever help him. But I said to those people, “You oppose me now, but wait and see who is right. Just follow me as I guide you, and something good will definitely happen, something that pleases God. Close your eyes and pray. Don’t open your mouth.”40 (June 21, 2001)
 
Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Minister Farrakhan may be an enemy to Christianity… but since we are taught to love our enemies, I am loving him. Does China love America? Does the Soviet Union love China? Between these enemies there is no love, but taking God’s standpoint I love them all. That is why I have no enemies—neither Christians nor Muslims, neither blacks nor whites. (339:156, December 10, 2000)

 
 
 

There is No God Save Him

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The Completed Testament Age signifies that the entire world can receive grace from the True Parents equally. For that to happen, cause, lineage, right of ownership and realm of heart need to be converted. That is the responsibility of the tribal messiahs. Indeed, this has been made possible because we have entered the era of women. (251-286, 1993.11.1)

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Who is God? He is your friend! He is your best friend. He is your elder brother, Father, King and Creator. So when you enter the vast world of heaven in the spirit world, even if you ask God for something greater than anything there, He will make it for you. That will not be a problem. How proud you will be! That is the position representing God. Do you think God would dislike people who reach that position? No! He will welcome them saying, “My son, my number one son!” This is the greatest wish of a parent. (293-161, 1998.5.26)

Islam

2. A Rival Religion, Correcting the Religions that Preceded It

Surely the true religion with God is Islam. And those who were (formerly) given the Book differed only after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves. Whoever disbelieves the messages of God, God is Quick at the reckoning.
    Qur’an 3.19
 
And the Jews say the Christians follow nothing true, and the Christians say the Jews follow nothing true; yet both are readers of the same Scripture. Even thus speak those who know not. God will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they differ.
    Qur’an 2.113
 
[The children of Israel] alter the words from their contexts and neglect a portion of that whereof they were reminded. And you will always discover treachery in them excepting a few of them—so pardon them and forgive.  Surely Allah loves those who do good to others. 
    And with those who say, “We are Christians,” We made a covenant, but they neglected a portion of that whereof they were reminded, so We stirred up enmity and hatred among them to the Day of Resurrection. And Allah will soon inform them of what they did.
    O People of the Book, indeed Our Messenger has come to you, making clear to you much of what you concealed of the Book and passing over much. Indeed, there has come to you from Allah a Light and a clear Book.
    Qur’an 5.13-15
 
And when Allah says, “O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to mankind, ‘Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah?’” He says, “Be glorified! It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right. If I used to say it, then Thou wouldst know it. Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy mind. Surely Thou art the Knower of Things Hidden.
    Qur’an 5.116
 
Fight those who believe not in God nor in the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has been forbidden by God and His Apostle, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth, even if they are of the People of the Book, until they pay the tribute39 with willing submission and acknowledge their subjection.
    The Jews say, “Ezra is the son of God,” and the Christians say, “Christ is the Son of God.” That is a saying from their mouth; they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. God’s curse be upon them: how they are deluded away from the truth!
    They have taken as lords besides God their rabbis and their monks and Christ the son of Mary, when they were bid to worship only one God. There is no God save Him…
    It is He who hath sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religion, however much the idolaters may be averse.
    Qur’an 9.29-33