God's Will and the World |
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by Rev. Sun Myung Moon |
Chapter 7
The Way of Restoration
April 1972--Paris, France
Through the fall, we have inherited the blood lineage of Satan. If there had been no fall, Adam and Eve, as our first parents, would have-been sinless children of God, but they became Satan's children through the fall. Originally dominion should have come only from God, and God alone should be our Lord. However, because man and Satan had an illicit relationship, Satan became illicit lord over man. As the Principle tells us, love has controlling power. Even though it was through illicit love, Satan came to have power or authority through which he could claim ownership of man: Yet according to the principle of creation, God is still the original Lord. Therefore, both God and Satan claim their ownership of man.
However, it is physically impossible to cut Adam into two and divide him between God and Satan. Therefore, God had to set up a certain rule in accordance with the Principle in order to separate man into two. God is the internal being and creation is the external being, and they are in the relationship of subject and object. From this standpoint God could separate fallen Adam and Eve into two through the two children who were born from them. He set up the second son, Abel, in the internal position, representing sinless Adam. Symbolically, Abel is the fruit of the second illicit love, between Adam and Eve, in the course of the fall; being close to the relatively less evil relationship between Adam and Eve than to the purely unprincipled relationship between Eve and the archangel and holding fewer evil elements than did Cain, Abel could be taken to God's side.
On the other hand, God found Cain in the external position, representing Satan. Symbolically, Cain is the fruit of the first illicit love between Eve and the archangel in the course of the fall, and inherits the satanic elements within that love.
The original order of love
The original order of love begins with God, goes to Adam, and then to the archangel. For this order to be restored, love must flow first from God to Abel representing Adam, and from Abel to Cain representing the archangel. God could restore His lost Principle by accomplishing this formula first. Actually the blood lineage was crossed by the act of the fall. In other words, the human race came to be in Satan's blood lineage instead of God's. Therefore, restoration must be done by tracing back to the origin.
For this purpose, the second son, Abel, was to restore the birthright from the first son, who could hold the birthright illicitly in Satan's unprincipled dominion.
Cain had to go down to the position of the second son, and Abel had to go up to the position of the first son where he could inherit the birthright. However, Cain killed Abel. This act was a repetition of the act of the fall at the time of Adam and Eve. Contrary to the intended course of restoration, it signified again that the archangel stood in the position to dominate Adam.
Cain and Abel received evil elements when they were within Eve's womb. If God were to use two brothers who were very different in age, their distance from each other would be too far; so God sought closer brothers. In other words, God had to carry out this dispensation of restoration on a level closer to the cause. The best way would be to bring the lives of Cain and Abel back into the mother's womb, but that is physically impossible. So, God's dispensation came to appear through twin brothers-Esau and Jacob. Jacob had to be restored to the position of elder brother, while Esau had to go down to the position of younger brother. It is the same principle that was applied in the case of Cain and Abel.
The mother of these twin brothers was Rebecca. While she was pregnant, the two children struggled with each other in her womb. When she inquired of the Lord about this, the Lord replied,
'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples, born of you, shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger' (Gen. 25:23)
This is what God Himself spoke.
Once Jacob had set conditions whereby he could avoid accusation, he could buy the birthright from Esau with lentil stew. Even though Jacob took the birthright from Esau, Satan could not accuse him. Thus, the birthright was restored to God's side. The blessing from their father, Isaac, was also given to Jacob. However, Esau became so angry that he tried to kill Jacob, just as Cain had killed Abel. For this reason, Jacob had to escape to the land of Haran for 21 years.
In the Garden of Eden, Eve initiated the act of the fall, becoming the mother of Adam who completed it. Mother and son cooperated with each other to bring about the fall of man. Therefore, in restoration, this process must be reversed. At the time of Jacob, therefore, the mother Rebecca and her second son Jacob cooperated with each other for the accomplishment of God's will.
Also, during the process of the fall, Eve lied to her father, God, and to her brother, Adam. Therefore, in restoration Rebecca lied to her husband, Isaac, and to the first son, Esau, in order to allow Jacob to gain the blessing. Isaac was in God's position, and his son Esau was in Cain's position. In this way a foundation was laid.
However, substantial restoration had not been accomplished yet. By that time Jacob's mother had already fulfilled her mission, and next it was Jacob's turn. Jacob's mission was first to restore the position of Adam, which had been invaded by the archangel, and then to restore the position of Abel, who had been killed by Cain.
Struggle at the ford of Jabbok
To understand the mission of Jacob in restoring Adam, it is important to understand how Adam was lost. By whom was Adam dominated? He was dominated by the angel. Therefore, in order to restore that position, Jacob had to fight with an angel. This is what happened at the ford of Jabbok. Jacob fought with the angel all night. As a result, the angel admitted Jacob's victory and blessed him. Thus, the original positions of Adam and the archangel were restored to their proper order.
Why did the angel strike Jacob's thigh before he blessed him? The fall of man was brought about through the misuse of the lower parts. The law of indemnity was fulfilled by striking the part that had become sinful. It was carried out by the angel according to the law of the Old Testament: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." Because Jacob endured, the angel could bless him.
When Jacob won over the angel, he gained the internal victory and Adam's position could be restored. With this condition Jacob was then in the position to restore Abel's position. After 21 years Jacob returned from Haran and gave all his property and wealth as a gift to his brother Esau in order to soften his heart. Jacob asked only for a blessing from his elder brother, and Esau accepted and welcomed him.
Thus, Esau went down to the position of younger brother, and Jacob went up to the position of elder brother. Later, when Jacob blessed his grandchildren, the children of Joseph, he crossed his hands and put his left hand--signifying the archangel's position and blessing--on the first son, Manasseh, and his right hand--signifying- God's position and blessing-on the second son, Ephraim. Jacob could do so because he had taken the position of the elder brother on the side of God.
According to the Bible, Jacob's character seems to be very cunning. Many people wonder why God used and even gave His grace and blessing to such a cunning man. The Principle gives the answer: in this way, Jacob stood in the position where he fulfilled his mission given by God. These events took place thousands of years ago, but until the Principle was revealed no one had ever known their true meaning.
Suppose God's dispensation had ended with Jacob. If that had been the case, only people at or above the age of Jacob at the time of his victory could be restored by this condition, but people under that age, from the newly born to the middle aged, could not have been. Therefore, a more thoroughgoing dispensation had to begin, centering on the mother's womb itself.
Thus, God's third dispensation again began within the mother's womb. The first mother, Eve, fell, abandoning God the Father through disbelief, and instead she welcomed Satan as her father and put him in the position of God. Therefore, Tamar, who had to restore the position of Eve, had to demonstrate absolute faith in God. In a reverse way, Tamar had to walk with God the Father. She had to forget about her pride and honor, even being ready to give her life. Originally, Eve could not became one with her Father. Judah was Tamar's father-in-law, having the role of father. In Chapter 38 of Genesis it is recorded that Judah had three sons and Tamar was the wife of his first son. However, the first son died, and according to the custom of levirate marriage in Judea, she had to have a child through the second son. But the second son also died, and the third son was withheld as too young. Tamar-intuited how important it was to inherit the blood lineage restored by God, so she threw away her pride and risked her life to become pregnant by Judah, her father-in-law. She pretended to be a prostitute sitting by the side of the road where her father-in-law was passing, and tempted him into a relationship. Judah did not realize that this prostitute was his daughter-in-law. But Tamar was wise, and she requested three articles--Judah's seal, his staff and a cord--as a pledge for payment, which she could use later as proof. Why did she have to do so? Because, according to the Jewish law at that time, a widow who became pregnant without having-a husband could be stoned to death.
After some months, Tamar's pregnancy became noticeable. Rumor spread and it reached Judah's ears as well. Judah got very angry and took his daughter-in-law to be burned to death. At this critical moment, Tamar presented the articles of proof to the people and Judah realized that her motivation to continue God's lineage was righteous, so he released her. Tamar risked her life in order to fulfill her mission. She had no purpose other than to fulfill God's will. In this way, Tamar set the condition to restore fallen Eve's position by reversing the process of Eve's fall. For thousands of years up until now, no one has ever known the secret of this story except God. Yet now, you can understand this hidden mystery clearly.
The struggle within the womb
Like Rebecca, Tamar became pregnant with twins who fought within her womb. When Tamar prayed, the Lord must have appeared and said the same thing he had said to Rebecca, "Two nations are in your womb, and two people within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the elder will serve the younger For 2,000 biblical years God had been waiting for that very moment. The time of birth came and the first son, Zerah, pushed out his hand. The midwife tied a scarlet thread around his wrist. This was a symbolical prediction that in the time of the Last Days communism, a satanic ideology, represented by the-color red, would appear first before God's kingdom is established. After 7,000 biblical years--6,000 years of restoration history plus the millennium, the time of completion--communism will fall in its 70th year. Here is the meaning of the year 1978. Communism, begun in 1917, could maintain itself approximately 60 years and reach its peak. So 1978 is the border line and afterward communism will decline; in the 70th year it will be altogether ruined. This is true. Therefore, now is the time for people who are studying communism to abandon it.
Finally, during the struggle in Tamar's womb, the second son, Perez, pushed Zerah back and came out first. This reversal of the brothers' positions took place in the mother's womb. At this time the principle that Jesus would be born from the lineage of Judah was established. From this time Cain was overcome and Abel was exalted, and restoration history could progress to increasingly larger spheres, from family to clan, from clan to race, from race to nation. However, the satanic world had already expanded in parallel fashion--from the family level to the clan and racial levels, and finally to the national level. Satan had already formed one nation, but God had to wait 2,000 years before the chosen people of Israel could be formed into one nation. Thus, both God's and Satan's camps advanced to the national level, but now God's nation had to become superior to Satan's nation. However, the people of Israel had made many mistakes in the course of history from the family level to the levels of clan, race and nation.
John the Baptist came with the mission to restore all the failures made by the people of Israel, so that the Messiah could come on a perfected foundation. The chosen people of Israel who became one with John the Baptist became a plus (+) force as Abel, and Jesus came as Messiah upon this foundation. John the Baptist was in Cain's position relative to Jesus in Abel's position. Once the people of Israel became completely one with Jesus Christ himself, he could have formed an absolute plus (+) Then the people would stand in the position of absolute minus (-), and together with Jesus would have become one indestructible body.
God's dispensation reaches its peak of completion at the point of True Parents, who are the absolute plus (+) and absolute minus (-). Jesus was crucified, so that he was unable to become a True Parent in his physical body. Although God's blood lineage had been established with Jesus, the position of True Parents in spirit and in flesh could not emerge. The work of Christianity is limited to the spiritual realm alone; it brought only spiritual salvation. Physical salvation, namely the salvation of the physical life, has not been realized.
Up until today, Christianity had only a spiritual father and a spiritual mother. Therefore, True Parents had to come on earth, and we must walk the course of physical, as well as spiritual, rebirth through them. Conditionally, or symbolically, we must re-enter the mother's womb in order to be born anew. In Christianity up until today, the Holy Spirit has been taking the role of mother. We are born again on the spiritual level through the mother, the Holy Spirit, and the father's spirit, Jesus' spirit.
Of course, we were born from our mother's womb. However, even beyond the womb, our life originated from our father's seed. Before the fall, the life of a son or daughter would certainly have started from within Adam's body, as one seed. The seed which becomes a son or a daughter exists within the father's body itself. By tracing back to mother's womb, the blood lineage could be changed and restored, but we have not reached father yet. Therefore, up until today, Christians have been longing to go again to their Father, the Lord of the Second Coming, who is the origin of new life.
Reborn in both spirit and flesh
We cannot be satisfied with spiritual rebirth only. We must be reborn both in spirit and in flesh. In order to restart in spirit and in flesh, we must go back to the position of the seed. To accomplish this dispensation, Jesus promised that a bride and a bridegroom would appear who could become True Parents, so that we could become the seed sown again through them, to be born again as a new life in this world. From what I have said, you will naturally understand whether or not it is necessary for the Lord of the Second Coming to come on earth as Messiah.
At the time of Jesus, this physical world was not restored, yet it has expanded up to the world level. Accordingly, in the Last Days, the whole world is divided into two, one side representing Satan and the other God; nothing other than these two camps exists. There is confusion and chaos. The Messiah on earth must inherit the foundation from Christians. Christians have not been born completely yet; therefore, we can say that they are just like a seed in Jesus' body. They have only spiritual elements of life. Therefore, a father must appear on earth and create a substantial, physical foundation.
For this reason, everybody has a seven-year course in which he or she has to unite with True Father before receiving Mother. You must go back to the position of a seed in the body of unfallen, perfected Adam who was not yet married. You must go back to the source itself. This seed is the genuine one. A seed that starts from Adam's body must be sown in the womb of restored Eve. This very work is being done by the Unification Church.
Jesus was rejected by the nation of Israel. Therefore, the very difficult task of restoring the position of Jesus was left for the Lord of the Second Coming. We have already been born with flesh and have grown up, so we cannot literally go back to the position of a seed. Therefore, we must set conditions for rebirth by uniting with the True Children, who were born from True Parents. The Principle teaches that both Cain and Abel can be restored when Cain completely follows Abel. We are in the position of Cain and must unite with the sinless True Children, who are in Abel position. By uniting with them, we can become restored children and receive the same grace. Accordingly, when sinless children are born from True Parents, we should offer food and things of creation in order to set the condition by which True Parents can share the same elements with us. In this way we must pass through the course where we participate in the position of the True Children.
Through whom are you going to set conditions to become one with True Children and become newly born? Father alone is not enough. You must go through both of the True Parents. However important Father may be, you must also pass through True Mother and unite with the True Children. True Parents have both male and female children. A woman should become one with True Father, True Mother, and their female children; a man should become one with True Parents and their male children.
Because a woman fell first, the restoration of woman is done first. Afterward, the: restoration of man is completed. Who is actually in the position of the first restored woman? The first female child born from True Parents is in that position. The first male child is the second child of True Parents. This is only an outline and a very brief explanation; there are very deep and complicated processes behind it.
The birth of sinless children
The heavenly four position foundation was restored for the first time in history by the birth of sinless true children. Nothing in the satanic world can touch this foundation. Since a chosen nation has not yet been restored, we must start from the heavenly four position foundation, and develop from this point to the clan, racial, and national levels. The central core of this process of development is the heavenly family in the form of the four position foundation. The nation that will be established on the foundation of the true family will be the strongest and most invincible. This is the nation that Judaism could not gain 2,000 years ago.
This nation will become the center of the external world by overcoming all satanic sovereignties. Once one heavenly nation is restored, it will expand to two, then three, four, and finally it will cover the entire world. People who belong to those heavenly nations will naturally restore everything together. In order to restore this unified sovereignty of God, we must pass through an incredible course. Unless we restore one national sovereignty, however much restoration work we may have done, it is possible that our earthly foundation might be destroyed by a satanic head of government of our nation. Therefore, to restore the sovereignty of one nation is a most urgent task. For this purpose we must absolutely become one with True Parents, and we must become completely one with members of the Unification Church in Korea, Japan, and all over the world. Through this course, you will realize how difficult the path of restoration has been. Jesus said to Nicodemus, ". . . Unless one is born anew, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God." Nicodemus replied, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Then Jesus asked, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?" At that time Jesus was talking about this very principle.
The words 'resurrection' and 'rebirth' in Christianity both actually refer to this same principle. Through the womb of a mother the stained blood lineage was restored to the heavenly blood lineage. However, it is only through True Father's body that we can ultimately be recreated and reborn fundamentally as a pure new life. From that point of new creation on, then, our salvation is perfected by redemption of both spirit and flesh. This way, our children will be able to attain heaven without going through the process of salvation.
You must understand how difficult the course of restoration is. I have not only found out the truth, but have had to accomplish all the truth in substance. Now I am teaching it to you for nothing. You are like college students who receive diplomas without doing anything. Therefore, you must understand what a precious, valuable position you have.
This year's motto for the Unification Church is "The Defense of the Unified Front." This means that we must defend and protect this heavenly foundation. Wherever you are, you must become one with the members of the Unification Church in Korea, and go forward to defend the unified front there. Looking at the situation of the entire world, Korea is a country where the strongest foundation is laid in our activities. If we had to start a new dispensation in some other country, we would have to repeat the entire course once again from the very beginning. The period until 1974, when the second seven-year course ends, is a period corresponding to Jacob's second seven-year course. After this period we will create the foundation of the world level, and we will have enough economic power for the restoration of the Heavenly Kingdom. Once one nation is restored, all nations can be restored.