Why was a portion of responsibility given to human beings? God granted us the authority to take part in the work of creation and thereby bestowed upon us the value of becoming His object partners. This is an amazing fact. (109-65, 1980.10.4)
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1306
Then, who are the 72 Couples and 120 couples? The 36 Couples are representative couples of history, so they represent all that has happened in the past. Based on these couples, the 72 and 120 couples were set up as the representatives of the present. If the 36 Couples are the couples who can fulfill the conditions of family-level indemnity inherited from the past, the 72 Couples and 120 couples can fulfill this condition in the present. The 72 Couples represent the tribe and people, and the 120 Couples represent the world. That is how it is. (28-60, 1970.1.3)
Original Substance of the Divine Principle
The Principle of Restoration
Introduction
Since Adam fell, God has been working His providence of restoration to restore fallen human beings. The essence of this work is to have human beings (i.e. “me”) make conditions to restore themselves back to the level where they can receive the Messiah. This is the very reason Jesus came on this earth, and why True Father, Rev. Moon came on this earth. This process can be seen through the lens of human responsibility, resurrection, the word and other aspects of God’s providential work (see slide 16 below). The Messiah comes and teaches and shows us this path of restoration. It is up to me to as the Fruit of History, Last Runner in the Heavenly Stadium, and Creator of a New History to go this path to build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. See slides 17 and 18 below.
The answer to the questions, “Why does God need human beings?” and “Why does He need human beings in realizing His ideal?” is: God needs human beings to perfect His love. What is God’s love? We can say that God’s love involves human beings liking each other eternally, but more importantly, it involves God liking human beings eternally. In this way, human beings are God’s eternal objects of love. From the day God created Adam and Eve, God desired to love Adam and Eve as the object partners whom He would look at over and over again, and would wish to look at forever, to be with over and over again, and to live with over and over again. Having such object partners is God’s ideal of creation. (Blessed Family – 302)
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1273
The path of restoration begins from the era of the servant of the servant and passes through the eras of the servant, adopted son, and true son. Then, if you were to pass through the eras of servant of servant, servant and adopted son could you then form a relationship with the era of the true son? You cannot form a relationship with the era of the true son just like that. You must establish the foundation of faith, the foundation of substance, and finally the foundation for the Messiah, as laid down in the Divine Principle. What that means is that you need to receive the Messiah. The Messiah is the true Son of God. The adopted son and the true son are of different lineages. That is why conversion of the lineage is necessary. (55-192, 1972.5.9)
Eschatology and Messianic Hope
The Kingdom of Heaven
2. A New World of Peace and Joy
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
God had a purpose when He created human beings, and if that purpose had been fulfilled, this world would be one great human family, unified in love, where all humanity would live in peace as brothers and sisters attending God as their Parent…
In the ideal world, each individual’s mind and body would be one, families would be one with each other, all ethnic groups would be one with each other, all nations would be one, the Orient and the Occident would be one, and God and humanity would be one. That is to say, the unified world is a world that fulfills God’s purpose of creation. (81:158) “I exist for my family, my family exists for my community, my community exists for my nation, my nation exists for the world, and the world exists for God”: This is the principle of Heaven’s sovereignty. The whole world is God’s, but since you are living for God, the world is yours as well. What is God’s—the whole world—becomes yours. Isn’t it wonderful? When you offer what is yours for your family, your family offers itself for your nation, your nation for the world, and the world for God, then God gives everything to you. The whole world is yours; the entire universe is yours. God’s ultimate desire is for humanity to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. There God and human beings will be totally united, from the True Parents at the center expanding to true children, true tribes and true peoples. God will be our Father and we will be His children in a consecrated relationship that is free from sin, according to the holy Will of God that does not allow for sin. The Kingdom of Heaven on earth will be established only when we make a world where everyone lives for the sake of others. (69:89, October 20, 1973)
In the future there will be no more wars. Wars until now were useless fights for selfish ends. People fought simply to take from others. However, in the unified world established under God’s Kingship, everyone will live for the sake of others; therefore war will no longer be necessary. People will no longer want to take from their neighbors; instead your neighbors will try to give you so much that you will have to run away from them… Laws will disappear. In a world where people govern themselves with love, they will automatically fulfill the law. When people live for the sake of each other, there will be no problems requiring recourse to the law. Higher and lower will become one, front and back will become one, left and right will become one—all will become one. (224:173, November 24, 1991)
The age is coming when God and humankind will live as one in the ideal world of creation, the world of heart. The age is coming when everyone will realize that living for the sake of others holds greater eternal value than living for the self. The blind age of selfish life will pass away as we build an altruistic world of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universally shared values. For this purpose, all should have correct knowledge about God and the spirit world and testify to the world about the heavenly path; then we can lead humanity appropriately to establish the universal family. Therefore, let us work to establish God’s fatherland and hometown, the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven, by investing ourselves for the sake of others with absolute love, unchanging love and eternal true love, looking to the day when we can offer all heavenly sovereignty to God. (December 27, 2002)
In the ideal society or nation, all people, transcending nationality and skin color, will cooperate with one another to live in harmony and happiness. With the awareness that they are all children of the one God, stemming from the one True Parents, they will relate as brothers and sisters in one global family. Blessed central families, who have restored their lineage, the realms of ownership and heart, and who are united with the True Parents’ language and culture, will take the lead in establishing a world of freedom, peace and unity. There, all people will live in interdependence, promote mutual prosperity and share universal values, immersed in the culture of God’s heart. Therefore, this world will have nothing to do with corruption, injustice, war or crime. Humankind will eliminate the sources of pollution in the global environment, and love and protect nature as its true owner. People will labor and perform their daily tasks joyfully and with a loving heart, always aiming to serve and benefit others. This will gradually equalize people’s standards of living. Education will include highly developed technological and scientific material; but before knowledge, sports or technology, priority will be given to education of the heart and norms of blessed family life, in order to raise the chosen people who can follow the way of Heaven. (269:156-57, April 3, 1995, New Hope Farm Declaration)
Where can we find clean water? The ocean water is completely polluted. However, the North Pole has snow eight hundred meters deep. That is fresh water that was accumulated thousands of years ago. It is not polluted, but clean, even after ten thousand years. It is the same with the South Pole. What if we were to build a cultural city like New York below the ice, do you think many people will come to see it or not? This could actually be done. Don’t you feel excited just thinking about it? If you build a tunnel in the ice, it will not collapse, but last for ten thousand years. By spraying cold water on the inside surface once a year, the ice will stay frozen and eventually become solid. (302-99, 1999.6.1)
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1254
Marriage is a very serious thing. Marriage is the coming together of heaven and earth, east and west, north and south, and high and low. Then, where does love go? When the two become one, where does love go? Why should we seek love? By seeking love, we automatically go to the central place of the environment. If people do not have a family, they are imperfect in this society. No one will ever trust them. That is because they fall short of the standard of the principle in sustaining the universe and so people do not acknowledge their value. That is only logical. (139-64, 1986.1.26)
Eschatology and Messianic Hope
The Kingdom of Heaven
2. A New World of Peace and Joy
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment. He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son.”…
And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light shall all the nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, and its gates shall never be shut by day—and there shall be no night there; they shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 21.1-27
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; And all the nations shall flow to it; and many peoples shall come, saying, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord , to the house of the God of Jacob; That he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Isaiah 2.2-4
In the City Joyful dwell the saints of God; Neither suffering nor sorrow is found therein; Neither anxiety to pay tribute nor any imposts; Neither fear of retribution nor of fall from eminence. In this happy land where my dwelling is, Abides unending well-being. All who therein dwell are blessed with eternal kingship; None is there reckoned inferior to any. That city knows no decline; Its citizens are rich and fulfilled. Unlimited their freedom— None are alien there; All in true liberty abide. Says Ravidas, the emancipated cobbler, Only a citizen of that City reckon I my friend. Adi Granth, Gauri, Ravidas, p. 345 (Sikhism)
On the day when We shall roll up heaven as a scroll is rolled for the writings; as We originated the first creation, so We shall bring it back again—a promise binding on Us; so We shall do. For We have written in the Psalms, after the Remembrance, “The earth shall be the inheritance of My righteous servants.”
We are headed for a certain destination whether we know it or not, even as we move and even as we rest. Not just you, but this nation, this world and even heaven and earth are headed there as well. This is an undeniable fact.
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1110
When God created human beings, He created both the realms of direct and indirect dominion. Then, why did He create a realm of indirect dominion? When would the realms of direct and indirect dominion connect? When Adam and Eve, the original ancestors of humankind, matured and were ready to unite in love based on the horizontal, God would have descended and dwelt with them. Their marriage would have enabled them to join together in horizontal love based on the vertical love of God. In this way, heaven and earth would have unified. (135-306, 1985.12.15)
Eschatology and Messianic Hope
The Messiah
6. Prophecies of the Messiah’s Advent in the East
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
The Korean people have long cherished a messianic hope, nurtured by the clear testimonies of their prophets. The First Israel believed in the testimonies of its prophets that the Messiah would come as their king, establish the Kingdom and bring them salvation. The Second Israel was able to endure an arduous path of faith due in part to their hope in the return of Christ. Similarly, the Korean people, the Third Israel, have believed in the prophecy that the Righteous King will appear and found a glorious and everlasting kingdom in their land. Clinging to this hope, they found the strength to endure their afflictions. This messianic idea among the Korean people was revealed through the Cheong Gam Nok, a book of prophecy written in the fourteenth century at the beginning of the Yi dynasty.
Because this prophecy foretold that a new king would emerge, the ruling class tried to suppress it. The Japanese colonial regime tried to stamp out this notion by burning the book and oppressing its believers. After Christianity became widely accepted, the idea was ridiculed as superstition. Nevertheless, this messianic hope still lives on, deeply ingrained in the soul of the Korean people. The hoped-for Righteous King foretold in the Cheong Gam Nok has the appellation Cheong Do Ryeong [The One Who Comes with the True Word of God]. In fact, this is a Korean prophecy of the Christ who is to return to Korea. Even before the introduction of Christianity to Korea, God had revealed through the Cheong Gam Nok that the Messiah would come to that land. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Second Advent 3.3.4)
Just as the French prophet Nostradamus prophesied, and as is clearly recorded in one of the Orient’s greatest books of prophesies, Kyeok Am Yu Rok, Reverend Moon has come as the one who has received Heaven’s appointment. He is fulfilling the responsibilities of humanity’s True Parent and the King of Peace. (May 1, 2004)
The surprising fact is that in the spirit world, the Founders of the five major religions gathered and declared that God is the Parent of humankind. They declared that Reverend Moon is the Savior and Messiah, the Second Coming of the Lord, and the True Parent. They also affirmed that the Unification Principle is a message of peace for the salvation of humanity. They declared that its core teaching, that we live for the sake of others with love, transcends religion, nationality, and race, and that practicing its teaching of true love will complete the peaceful unification of the cosmos. They further resolved that they would attend the True Parents and unite with one accord, devoting themselves for the sake of God’s Kingdom and world peace. (July 11, 2003)
We should have the same parents and become bonded with our broth-ers and sisters. Then, we should inherit the daily life, habits, and traditions of those parents just as they are. We should form a family that heaven can rejoice in. Only then will there be family members. (155-209, 1965.10.30)
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1381
Why did I set the number at 360,000 couples? Of all the Blessed Couples in our church, the most central of them all are the 36 Couples. They signify Adam’s, Noah’s, and Jacob’s families, and thus together form the vertical foundation. These three types of couples had to be united. Once they accomplished that, they could make good the number twelve. When you apply the three stages to this number, you arrive at the number 36. In this way, the 36 Couples become the ancestors who represent all previous ancestors in history and all human-kind. In terms of the human body, they are like the backbone. We are talking about the vertical standard that is like the backbone of a human body. The cells in the flesh can stay alive only when the flesh is united with the bones.
Eschatology and Messianic Hope
The Messiah
6. Prophecies of the Messiah’s Advent in the East
No matter how long we wait there is no chance that he will come from Europe. It is Asia from whence he is to come. A great union will be born out of Hermes. He will surpass all the kings of the Orient. The country of the sun will main-tain a great messianic law. A new leader of the spirit will come in the East.
Nostradamus, Quatrains 10.75
After three years of war, when the land of Korea is devastated, there will begin to dawn the heavenly nation in the East. In the West, voices will cry out, “Cheong Do Ryeong, Cheong Do Ryeong!” and “Messiah, Messiah!” However, when that time comes, one must find the double bow and the double ul [the white cross], before one can partake of the great benefit.
This is the time when humankind meets the central fortune of Heaven. The eldest son of the East [Korea] meets and marries the eldest daughter of the Southeast [Japan].24 Everyone covets and waits for the True Man, but who is he? He is the one who judges all good and evil.
The one who comes with the full power to administer Heaven and earth does not come from the mountains, nor from the fields, but from the place of the white cross. Verily, he comes with the heavenly law.
The number of the heavenly law is 21,600—the number denoting Heaven, and 14,400—the number denoting the earth. Their sum is 36,000 [the sum of yin and yang, Heaven and earth]. When good men and women in matrimony reach this number, the holy man will come.
Yin and yang in harmony bring the fortune of the heavenly way. The united fortune of the East and the West is the Fortune of the Ten Victories.
This number changes the predisposition of nature. The religions of the East and the West come into good accord, and all the people of the world become as close as brothers and sisters. This is the manifest white cross, according to the principles of yin and yang, Heaven and earth.
The Great Way of the Ten Victories appears from the East. A thunderous voice calls out, offering the blessing. If you scorn this and go against it, your act will be as that of a praying mantis or cricket trying to stop a rolling wheel, and the holy man will only laugh.
Matching good men and women, the holy man will live comfortably. Receiving his matching and returning gratitude to God in prayer, they will receive precious children. Then the whole world will be united, such as has never happened from the dawn of creation.
In the East where the sun rises there will appear a white cross, and it will shine upon all corners of the world. The Cheong Do Ryeong is the Great King of the Ten Victories. Remember! He is the king of all kings!
Cheong Gam Nok
For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man.
Matthew 24.27
Do not doubt that the heavenly Holy One will descend from Heaven in the East. If the East fails to recognize him, he will come to be known through newly educated Western people. If both East and West are unable to discern the One who is to come, both East and West will be discarded and new humankind will emerge. What can we do?
He returns from the West after receiving such regretful treatment, and looks down from the high mountain upon the world far away. In the latter half of the twentieth century, come to the East and undo all regrets…
Two holy men appear. The first one is not the real one, but the one who comes the second time is the Savior. When Heaven sends him to the earth secretively, his family name is Moon. When the message gets to the unwanted ones, they will cause problems for the Messiah because no human being wants to be defeated. Thus the Messiah appears amidst difficulties.
Kyeok Am Yu Rok
Richard: You can see from the above readings that Rev. Sun Myung Moon has successfully fulfilled the role of the savior and returning Lord. Most importantly, he has successfully fulfilled the role of the True Parent, along with his wife, Mrs. Moon.
