Last Days | Daily Inspiration

True People of Faith Accept Persecution and Trials

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Yet, as God is eternal, unchanging, absolute, and unique, so also is His will; therefore, through the true individual, family, society, nation, world, and sovereignty, He will surely build the world in which He can freely operate both in heaven and on earth. Then, what is the original world which He seeks? It is one centered on true parents; yet, due to the Fall, we lost the true parents of humanity and the true world from the very beginning of history. That being the case, nothing in the world – whether our country of residence, human ideology, or anything else – can connect us directly to true parents; therefore, we ourselves should first restore trueness.
Thereby, the day when true parents, spouses, children, citizens, creation, sovereignty, and the true universe can move and settle in unison with God’s true heart on earth will signify the final days of the evil world. The time when such an ideal will be realized is the Last Days, the Second Advent. As such, when the Lord returns, there will be no cataclysmic phenomena such as judgment by fire, the destruction of Earth, or believers levitating into the air. Instead, it is a time when history entangled with tragedies will be untangled through indemnity paid to establish the individual, family, society, nation, and world, which were lost in the vertical course of history and will be restored horizontally in the present day. We have been longing for such a day, and that is the final destination at which we all should arrive.
However, individuals, families, and nations have lost their way. All kinds of problems such as air pollution, famine, religious conflict, and racial antagonism are constantly arising throughout the world, causing all manner of disputes. Who is going to take responsibility for this world? This is a serious matter. Communist countries in the past could not transcend nationalism, nor can today’s superpower, the USA, transcend Pan-Americanism. When a nation places its self-interest first, it will not be able to lead the world. We need a people or a religion that is willing to sacrifice its interests for a higher purpose and strive to build an ideal nation that embraces all humankind. With this view, in response to God’s command, I came here to America and poured all my energy to educate its young people, reawaken it from its moral crisis, and revive its declining Christianity. The Path for America and Humanity in the Last Days

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In the Bible you read the story of Jacob, who plotted with his mother and tricked his father into giving him the blessing. You also read about Tamar, who committed immoral acts. Yet, it states in the Bible that Jesus will come to the earth through the tribe of Judah. What does all this mean? It is because the problem of conversion of the lineage remained and had to be resolved. The bloodline must be purified. Of all the religions, only Christianity has placed importance on the lineage, and laid down the conversion of lineage as its main ideology. You cannot find this in any other religion, and that is why you can safely conclude that we must follow this teaching.

Persecution

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

You have to pass through hell in order to reach the Kingdom of Heaven. (Way of God’s Will 1.8)

Persecution is God’s strategic expedient to recover the ownership of the satanic world. If you understand this principle, it becomes self-evident why true religions prosper under persecution. The founders of the major religions of the world—Jesus, Buddha, Confucius, and Mohammed—all were persecuted. Yet, because of this principle, these persecuted people became saints. History progresses following this principle; therefore, with the flow of time they were naturally destined to become the victors. (189:205-06, April 6, 1989) Continue reading “True People of Faith Accept Persecution and Trials”

But First He Must Suffer Many Things and Be Rejected by this Generation

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Deuteronomy 7

¹⁷You may be thinking, “How can we destroy these nations? They are more powerful than we are.” ¹⁸But stop worrying! Just remember what the Lord your God did to Egypt and its king. ¹⁹You saw how the Lord used his tremendous power to work great miracles and bring you out of Egypt. And he will again work miracles for you when you face these enemies you fear so much. ²⁰Some of them may try to survive by hiding from you, but the Lord will make them panic, and soon they will be dead.^[a]21So don’t be frightened when you meet them in battle. The Lord your God is great and fearsome, and he will fight at your side.

Ezekiel 18

¹⁴But suppose this evil man has a son who sees his father do these things and refuses to act like him. ¹⁵He doesn’t eat meat at local shrines or worship Israel’s idols, and he doesn’t have sex with someone else’s wife. ¹⁶He never cheats or robs anyone and doesn’t even demand security for a loan. He gives food and clothes to the poor ¹⁷and refuses to do anything evil^[a] or to charge interest. And he obeys all my laws and teachings. Such a man will live. His own father sinned, but this good man will not be put to death for the sins of his father. ¹⁸It is his father who will die for cheating and robbing and doing evil.

Richard: We will discontinue the Rheamas from the Bible after today. We will be using the Completed Testament scriptures of Rev. Sun Myung Moon exclusively for our Rheamas (daily inspirational verses that we post at the beginning of the Daily Inspiration each day).

Eschatology and Messianic Hope

The Messiah

4. The Messiah’s Suffering Course

But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Luke 17.25

In the time to come… the Patriarchs will say, “Ephraim, our righteous Messiah, though we are your ancestors, you are greater than we. For you have borne the sins of our children, and you have borne heavy punishments, such as nei-ther the former nor the latter generations have endured, and you became the laughter and the mocking of all the nations for Israel’s sake, and you sat in darkness, and your eyes saw no light. And your skin shrank upon your bones, and your body withered like a tree, and your eyes grew dark from fasting, and your strength dried up like a potsherd, and all this befell you because of the sins of our children. Is it your will that your children should enjoy the felicity which God has destined to give them in abundance? Perhaps because of the pains which you have endured in overflowing measure for their sakes, and because thou hast lain fettered in prison, your mind is not at rest because of them?” The Messiah will reply, “Patriarchs, all that I have done, I have done only for your sakes and for your children, and for your honor and theirs, so that they may enjoy the felicity which God has destined for them in abundance.” Then they reply, “May your mind be appeased, for you have appeased the mind of your Creator and our mind.”
Pesikta Rabbati 162b-63a (Judaism)

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Since Christ at the Second Advent must restore through indemnity the course of the providence of restoration left unfinished at Jesus’ coming, he may have to follow a similar course. Jesus encountered disbelief among the Jewish people and had to walk a course of bitter suffering. Likewise, if Christians, the Second Israel, reject Christ at the Second Advent, he will have to go through tribulations comparable to those Jesus suffered. He will have to repeat Jesus’ painful course and restore it through indemnity, but this time during his earthly life. For this reason, Jesus said, “But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” (Luke 17.25) (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Moses and Jesus 3.3.2)

Christian leaders today, like the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day, will probably be the first to persecute Christ at the Second Advent. Jesus came to found a new era which would fulfill the words of the Old Testament proclaimed by the prophets. He did not limit himself to repeating the words of the Old Testament, but gave new words of truth fit for the new era. The Jewish priests and scribes criticized Jesus’ words and deeds based on their narrow understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures. Their mistaken judgment led them to deliver Jesus to the cross.
Similarly, the purpose of Christ at the Second Advent is to build a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21.1-4) upon the foundation of the spiritual salvation which had been laid by Christianity in the New Testament Age. When he returns, he will not merely repeat the words of the New Testament given two thousand years ago, but will surely add new words of truth necessary for the founding of a new heaven and a new earth. However, those Christians of today whose minds are narrowly attached to the letter of the New Testament will criticize the words and deeds of Christ at his return based on their narrow understanding of the Scriptures. Therefore, it can be expected that they will brand the Lord a heretic and persecute him. This is why Jesus foretold that at the Second Advent, Christ would first suffer many things and be rejected by his generation. (Luke 17.25) (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Second Advent 4)

I, Reverend Moon, stood between God and Satan, always fighting to eliminate Satan. How could I proceed in this work without confronting Satan’s accusation? I took the burden of restitution on myself, taking the required indemnity as my portion of responsibility. This is the human portion of responsibility [to defeat Satan], which people were not able to fulfill until now. Satan knows that is the responsibility of the Messiah; therefore he mobilized all of his forces to attack me. By enduring and overcoming these attacks, I could destroy Satan’s wall in the individual, the family, the tribe, the people, the nation, the world and the spirit world. It is the Messiah’s responsibility to go through the entire course of indemnity. (131:70-71, April 16, 1984)

From His Mouth Issues a Sharp Sword with which to Smite the Nations

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The Rheama’s (scripture readings) for Saturday were missing. Here they are.

Luke 20

²³Jesus knew that they were trying to trick him. So he told them, ²⁴“Show me a coin.” Then he asked, “Whose picture and name are on it?”

“The Emperor’s,” they answered.

²⁵Then he told them, “Give the Emperor what belongs to him and give God what belongs to God.” ²⁶Jesus’ enemies could not catch him saying anything wrong there in front of the people. They were amazed at his answer and kept quiet.

Amos 1

⁵I will break through
    the gates of Damascus.
I will destroy the people^[i]
of Wicked Valley^[j]
    and the ruler of Beth-Eden.^[k]
Then the Syrians will be dragged
    as prisoners to Kir.^[l]
I, the Lord, have spoken!

Eschatology and Messianic Hope

The Messiah

2. The Mission of the Messiah— to Vanquish Evil and Establish God’s Kingdom

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself. He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on white horses. From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Revelation 19.11-16

For to us a child is born,to us a son is given,and the government shall be upon his shoulder,and his name shall be called“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”Of the increase of his government and of peacethere will be no end,upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom,to establish it, and to uphold itwith justice and with righteousness, from this time forth and for ever more.The zeal of the lord of hosts will do this.

Isaiah 9.6-7

The Imam [Mahdi] who will create a world state will make the ruling nations pay for their crimes against society. He will bring succor to humanity. He will take out the hidden wealth from the breast of the earth and will distribute it equitably amongst the needy deserving. He will teach you simple living and high thinking.

Nahjul Balagha, Khutba 141, 187 (Shiite Islam)

Then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Matthew 24.30-31

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

The Lord and Savior is coming! What will the Lord do when he comes? He is to rule the nation and the world. Will he rule arbitrarily, governing any way he pleases? No, he will rule with truth. Wherever in the world the Lord travels, he will govern with truth.

The Savior wants to make a world that is pleasing to God. More than that, he wants to make a world that rejoices the conscience. After all, since the human conscience originates from God, it knows what is pleasing to God and desires what God desires. In that world, there will be no racism or wars between nations. There will be no discrimination based on religion, ethnic background or cultural tradition. Instead, there will be universal agreement about what goodness is, and it will be in accord with God’s view.

The day when we can march forward to such a world is coming; it is the time of the Savior’s advent on earth. Christians call it the day of Christ’s Second Coming. (160:345, June 15, 1969)

The mission of the Messiah is to complete the will of God. He comes to destroy Satan’s evil sovereignty over this world. He comes to repair broken humanity and restore them to their original state of goodness and perfection. God sends him as the sovereign who will rule over the entire universe. (73:204, September 18, 1974)

Because the work of God is realistic and physical, the Messiah’s coming on the clouds does not make sense. Yet interpreting the Bible literally, many Christians think, “Jesus will descend on the clouds! It will be done by God’s power!” If that were true, if God could use supernatural power to do anything, then why did He need to send Jesus? Why would He call people to faith? In that case, God could simply create the Kingdom by Himself, without waiting for human beings to respond in faith… Yet, we know that even the omniscient and omnipotent God has been laboring for six thousand years and even longer to advance His providence of salvation without being able to send the [returning] Messiah until today…

Many Christians think that the Messiah will solve all the world’s problems in an instant. They do not understand that when the Christ returns he will have to plough the ground and sow the seeds again. (90:141, December 25, 1976)

Richard: Find out more by reading the section on the Last Days in the Exposition of the Divine Principle, the teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon.

Also, I prophecy the following timeline for the unfolding of this Providence in the current era: D-Day Was on January 13th, 2020 – VisionRoot.

One Global Cultural Sphere Will Emerge Based on One Religion

LIsten to the Richard Urban Show # 8: The Great Fraud-Part 5-The COVID-19 Agenda- Learning from Measles Fear Mongering

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This is why God raised up many different religions. They are training grounds through which He has been directing all people along that path, whatever their race, cultural background, customs and traditions. Religions are the training grounds for training people to become eligible to return to the original homeland. Taking into account the diverse cultural backgrounds ranging across the four corners of the earth, God is leading humanity toward a unified world of religion that can progress upward onto higher ground.What does religion which guides people to the original homeland, centrally teach? It is to live for the sake of others. As highly developed religions tend to emphasize this principle, they teach us to be gentle and meek, to stand in a position to elevate others and live for their sake, and to serve them sacrificially. All this serves to instill discipline in us to abide by the laws of the Kingdom of Heaven. (78-115, 1975.5.6)

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Being served nice meals or living in a nice environment makes me the enemy of this nation. The Lincoln Continental sent from the United States has arrived at the port of Busan. I received it as a gift at the time of the 777 Couples Blessing, but I am still considering whether I should go around in it. It would be nice if I could sell the car, but it was sent to me in the name of the holy tears of history and the honor of God, and so the day I sell it, I would not be able to maintain the dignity of having blessed the 777 Couples. As such, I will have to keep it. (43-85, 1971.4.18)

Eschatology and Messianic Hope

Recognizing the Day of the Lord

4. Sings of the Times

This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.
Matthew 24.14

From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
Matthew 24.32-33

For behold, days are coming, says the lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the lord, and I will bring them back to the land which I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.
Jeremiah 30.3

And Jesus shall be a Sign of the Hour; therefore have no doubt about it, but follow Me: this is a straight way.
Qur’an 43.61

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Through the benefit of the providence, the living God has now drawn near to us. From now on, people will have many spiritual experiences that they could not have earlier. They will communicate with the transcendent world. Through these frequent spiritual experiences, directly and indirectly, the transcendent world will influence people on earth. Especially people who are moved and inspired by God and the works of good spirits will develop their spiritual senses to center on God. Their character will go through a major transformation. People whose character is thus transformed to fit the heavenly way are the true people whom God has longed to see. (February 6, 2003)

As the time of the True Parents’ advent draws near, all the nations in the world are inspired to join in brotherhood. Hence, after the Second World War the victorious countries liberated the defeated nations. They felt towards them like elder brothers. In a family, when the elder brother beats up his younger brother, afterwards he feels sorry for him and wants to deal kindly with him lest his father punish him. That is why the end of the Second World War saw events unprecedented in history. History unfolded in this way with the hope and goal of meeting the True Parents… and to prepare their way. (51:354, December 5, 1971)

The world’s cultural spheres are converging toward one global cultural sphere based on one religion. Concurrently, nations are moving toward forming an apparatus for international governance, having progressed from the League of Nations to the United Nations. Today, people are envisioning plans for a world government. In the sphere of economics, the world is moving in the direction of establishing one international market. Highly developed transportation and communication technology have overcome the separation of time and space. People today can travel and communicate with each other almost as if they were all living in the same village. People of all races, from East and West, can meet with one another as easily as if they were members of a large family. People on all six continents are crossing the oceans seeking friendship and brotherly love. However, a family can be formed only when there is a father and a mother; only then can true brotherly love arise. Only when Christ comes again as the Parent of humanity will all people join together in one great family and live harmoniously in the global village.
As these events unfold, we may know that today is surely the Last Days. There is yet one final gift that history must present to humanity: it is the universal teaching which can bind together all the strangers of the global village into one family through the love and guidance of the same parents. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 4.3)

Nevertheless, When the Son of Man Comes, Will He Find Faith on Earth?

Important Note: One Daily Inspiration reader brought to my attention that there are problems with Paul’s viewpoint on marriage.
On August 7, there was a scripture reading from 1 Corinthians 7:15-16.
There, Paul says you can divorce your husband or wife if they are not a follower of the Lord and they ask for a divorce. This scripture was chosen “randomly” by opening the Bible, which is always how Stacey and I receive the daily scriptures. I took it as meaning don’t let dysfunctional, or co-dependent relationships of any kind, not just marital relationships pull you away from your conscience, or God.
I do not recommend divorce as a solution for marital problems. Marriage is a commitment in front of God, and possibly barring violence or infidelity, that commitment should not be broken.

Listen to my third Podcast: The Godless Agenda of those Promoting the COVID-19 Crisis, published March 28, 2020. Still very relevant.

Job 24

¹⁸Those sinners are filthy foam
    on the surface of the water.
And so, their fields and vineyards
will fall under a curse
    and won’t produce.
¹⁹Just as the heat of summer
    swallows the snow,
the world of the dead
    swallows those who sin.
²⁰Forgotten here on earth,
and with their power broken,
    they taste sweet to worms.

²¹Sinners take advantage of widows
    and other helpless women.
²²But God’s mighty strength
    destroys those in power.
Even if they seem successful,
    they are doomed to fail.
²³God may let them feel secure,
but they are never
    out of his sight.
²⁴Great for a while; gone forever!
Sinners are mowed down
    like weeds,
    then they wither and die.
²⁵If I haven’t spoken the truth,
    then prove me wrong.

Job 39

¹³An ostrich proudly
    flaps her wings,
but not because
    she loves her young.
¹⁴She abandons her eggs
and lets the dusty ground
    keep them warm.
¹⁵And she doesn’t seem to worry
that the feet of an animal
    could crush them all.
¹⁶She treats her eggs as though
    they were not her own,
unconcerned that her work
    might be for nothing.
¹⁷I myself made her foolish
    and without common sense.
¹⁸But once she starts running,
she laughs at a rider
    on the fastest horse.

Eschatology and Messianic Hope

New Revelation

2. The Truth of the New Revelation Eclipses the Truths of Former Dispensations

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

People need religion in order to seek the Ultimate Reality and realize goodness in accordance with the inclination of the original mind. Thus, the purpose of every religion is identical. However, religions have appeared in different forms according to their various missions, the cultures in which they took root, and their particular historical periods. Their scriptures have taken different forms for similar reasons. All scriptures have the same purpose: to illuminate their surroundings with the light of truth. Yet when a brighter lamp is lit, the old lamp is outshone and its mission fades. Because religions lack the power to guide modern people out of the dark valley of death into the full radiance of life, there must emerge a new expression of truth that can radiate a new and brighter light. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Introduction)

In the Last Days, Jesus said, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven.” (Matt. 24.29) How are we to understand this verse? It is written that Joseph, the eleventh of the twelve sons of Jacob, had a dream:

Then he dreamed another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream; and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” (Gen. 37.9-10)

When Joseph later became the prime minister of Egypt, his parents and brothers bowed down before him, as the dream had foretold. In his dream, the sun and moon symbolized the parents, while the stars symbolized their children. As will be explained, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the True Parents who came to give rebirth to humanity in place of Adam and Eve. Therefore, in this prophecy from Matthew, the sun and moon represent Jesus and the Holy Spirit, while the stars represent the faithful believers who are their children. Elsewhere, Jesus is likened to the true light because he came as the incarnation of the Word and shone forth the light of truth. (John 1.9, 14) Here, the sunlight means the light of the words of Jesus, and the moonlight means the light of the Holy Spirit, who came as the Spirit of truth. (John 16.13)

For the sun to be darkened and the moon to lose its light means that the New Testament Word given by Jesus and the Holy Spirit will lose its luster. How can the Word as revealed in the New Testament possibly lose its light? The Old Testament Word was eclipsed when Jesus and the Holy Spirit came and gave us the New Testament Word, which fulfilled the Old Testament Word. (2 Cor. 3.7-11) Likewise, when Christ returns and gives the new truth in order to fulfill the New Testament Word and build a new heaven and new earth, (Rev. 21.1) the Word which he gave at his first coming will lose its light. It is said that the Word will lose its light because, with the coming of a new era, the period of the mission of the old truth will have lapsed.

The prophecy that the stars will fall from heaven signifies that in the Last Days many faithful Christian believers will make a misstep and fall from God’s grace. At the time of Jesus, the leaders of the Jewish people were all yearning for the coming of the Messiah, but they met their downfall when they did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah and opposed him. Likewise, Christians who have been anxiously awaiting the return of Jesus are likely to make the same misjudgment and fall when he actually returns.

Jesus asked, “Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18.8) On another occasion he said he would declare to devout believers, “I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.” (Matt. 7.23) Jesus gave these warnings to the Christians of the Last Days because he foresaw that they would be likely to disbelieve and trespass against him at his Second Advent. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 3.2.5)