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The Words of True Parents from 1980 |
Total Self Reevaluation Reverend Sun Myung Moon,
September 14, 1980
Belvedere
Translator - Bo Hi Pak
There are many different types of religion in the dispensational work of God, some in an external role, others in an internal role, and together they create the history of religion. The religions which have played the central role have been Judaism, succeeded by Christianity, which in turn must be succeeded by some other religion. What kind of religion will culminate the tradition of the central religion?
That religion must come out of the background of history. Furthermore, it must encompass the scope of the dispensation in the entire world and universe. Also, it should gather the purposes of all religions in one final consummation. Coming for such an important purpose, it will endure unhappiness and hardship from its first day. Why? That religion is born to finish the war against Satan. Also, it works according to the principle of restoration through indemnity, so that religion is bound to encounter tremendous tribulation.
That religion has to liquidate all the debts of history, indemnifying the failure of all the central religions and all the external religions. Thus, difficulty is inevitable. All of the past must be consummated and all debts paid in full, so before this religion can develop its own accomplishment it must clear away the past. There are great debts to pay from the past, but all of it must be done in one generation; it cannot be dragged out for hundreds of years.
All the tragedies of history have their beginning in the failure of one man, Adam. One man brought misery to mankind, so in restoration one God-sent man will restore, in his lifetime, the entanglements of human history. Before that one man comes to complete history, religion is prepared to pave the way so that his job can be accomplished. After the fall of Adam the Cain-and-Abel struggle began, representing the division of Adam, so the Cain and Abel lines of history must come together to prepare the way for the coming of Adam; that is the purpose of Abel-type history-to piece together one Adam.
History has progressed from the individual to the family, tribe, and nation. Who shall be responsible for paying all the indemnity? The religion which is responsible for the central role of history, creating the external base for the coming of the ultimate one, must pay the debt of sin in history. That religion was meant to be Christianity. Therefore, Christianity had to become a universal, worldwide religion, for that is the scope of God's dispensational work.
What kind of nation would take initiative in advancing such work? There must be one such central nation in the Christian world, and today the nation summoned for that role is the United States of America. America today is like an assemblage of all historical Abels, from all races and parts of the world, coming together to create one Abel force. You cannot find any other country like America, therefore. This country had to be founded in the spirit of Christianity, and it has progressed for 200 years in that spirit. From the dispensational point of view, America is in the position of champion of Abels, with the mission of resisting all the worldwide Cain forces. As you know, once the USA participated in World War 1, the final showdown came. Victory in World War 11 was also expedited by American participation. God has assisted this nation, knowing that it was founded on the Christian principles of justice and freedom for all.
A nation can only fulfill that role in an external way, however; one religion in that nation must fulfill the internal dispensation of God. Like that nation, that religion must encompass the universal principle that will unite all people, all races, all cultures, taking God's central role in thrusting forward the dispensation. There must be a meeting ground for the central nation and central religion, where they will either totally unite, or will stand in opposition. We can foresee one of the two consequences. This religion will try first to unite with Christianity because the central nation is founded upon Christianity; if Christianity can unite with it then the central nation will also easily unite with it. But if Christianity opposes it then the formidable consequence will be that Christianity stands in the role of Satan; if the central nation opposes that religion' then that nation is also in the role of Satan.
Ultimately one external force will work to divide and hamper these central forces of the dispensation, and that force is communism, in the position of the worldwide Cain. Where can we find the new central religion? That is the Unification Church. The man who brings the central religion, Reverend Moon, does not come as the enemy of Christianity, but as the friend of Christianity and of America, and even of the communists. He brings the ideology that can liberate the communists from their bondage. The new religion is born in the world of Cain, but in that hostile world it is forming the ultimate world of Abel, which is centered upon God.
When we evaluate the world situation in its historical background, we conclude that the Unification Church is the universal religion which comes to complete the final universal purpose of the dispensation of God. Since the 2,000 year old Christian religion has been failing, and the 200 year old American nation has been failing, double indemnity needs to be paid. That was done by the Unification Church in the first 20 years of the three seven-year courses, from 1960 to 1980.
In that 20 year period the Unification Church went through a confrontation on the worldwide scale, in confrontation with all the Cain forces. In preparation for those 20 years God worked during the previous 20 years, making a total of forty years, and those years have been the forty most chaotic years in history. More indemnity through sacrifice and suffering was paid in those forty years than in any other period. Human society has come to the point of self-destruction in terms of immorality and drug use, and satanic influence is rampant. These forty years then, have been a period of self-destruction by Christianity and the whole free world.
During that time communism was victoriously marching forward around the world. Communism has been successful due to the total failure of Christianity and America. All those people in the central dispensational roles have become prey of Satan. The precious young people of America have been victimized by Satan, influenced by communism and separated from their families. The churches are leftist-leaning.
I have no personal animosity toward President Carter. Why should 1? Yet the people smiling the most are the communists; with America falling back, they couldn't find any better conditions for taking over the world than during the Carter administration. God in heaven and Reverend Moon on earth are the only ones worrying about the shape of the world today, and they abhor what is happening.
Mine is a lonely crusade against the ungodly forces. Since I am a lone figure crying out for the side of God, I have inevitably become controversial in the Christian world, in America and with the communists, who all see me as their adversary. If I am helpless before opposition then the world is definitely doomed, but if I never give in one inch then that is the last remaining hope for the world today.
The evil forces give the world the impression that I am the worst enemy of God, of America and Christianity, but people are realizing that is not true. The dispensation will move forward as they know that the only man fighting the ungodly forces is Reverend Moon. The time has come when people will conclude there is no hope except in God in heaven, and Reverend Moon on earth.
As you know, the Korean government has persecuted me more than any other in the world, even trying to kill me. Japan has done the same. and right now the American government is doing exactly the same. They have found that peaceful methods won't work, so they are even contemplating resorting to violence. The communists are desperate to destroy me. Who shall remain ultimately, my adversaries or me? America and Christianity are destined to doom, and the only man who can save them is Reverend Moon. God cannot afford to see Christianity and America go down the drain, so even though they oppose me. I am trying to awaken them to live.
You cannot imagine the situation that is unfolding I have silently paid the debts of history: otherwise, the world would not have any hope. I receive criticism even from leaders in our movement, but that is not warranted. Such criticism is a historical sin in God's sight, and those critics cannot be loved by God. They are in the Cain position to me. I know the day is soon coming when on their own they will surrender. The day will come when I will be totally supported by the Unification Church members and will be raised up, and then I will return to Korea with great honor.
These forty years are comparable to the forty years of the Exodus, in which I am a lonely voice crying out in the wilderness. We must learn from history about the first generation with Moses which perished in the wilderness. Only the second generation entered Canaan, with Joshua and Caleb. The existing established religion is like the first generation, and only the second generation has joined with me.
When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the ten commandments, he beheld the incredible sight of the people indulging in immorality and making an idol to worship. In his anger Moses threw down the stone tablets and broke them. Today's situation is like what Moses saw when he came down from the mountain and beheld the sin of the world. Today young people are experimenting with free sex, immorality and drugs, and no one is even bothered by it.
I am watching this whole situation, being patient and hanging on. not throwing down the stone tablets. My tactic is that of perseverance, of educating the young people one by one and remaking them, then sending them out to the world. Parents say they take their children from the Unification Church in the name of love, but actually they are murdering their children spiritually through deprogramming. Ultimately that will pass away, however. By the end of this year the wave of deprogramming will be gone. One by one, the negative forces that are trying to weaken our movement will be gone.
Soon accusation will be shifted from me to you. the members. People will say that I am a righteous man, and demand to know why you Moonies didn't speak out louder. In the days of hardship the members may try to be clever and hide the fact that they are Moonies in order to make friends, but that tactic will not work. Those "clever" people are truly my enemies and enemies of the Church itself. If you ever thought about disguising your Church membership then you have to repent right now.
Do you think my words are logical, or whimsical? This path is the only way we can find a solution for the present world; if you are looking for excuses and compromise then you won't find the solution. All the fields of social and scientific studies have become deadlocked, but in twenty minutes you have heard the essential truth that will make the breakthrough in them all.
This is why I pushed you almost ruthlessly out to suffer in the forty days campaign. Anyone who willingly accepted that call will receive a heightened spiritual awakening, but those who complained will not get anywhere, and will even slip back. The forty days are equivalent to the forty years in the wilderness, with one day indemnifying one year. Whoever tearfully appealed to the people, being thankful to God for this mission of testifying, shall never die, even though he falters. You must follow the voices of Joshua and Caleb crying in the wilderness and be obedient to them. Today those two voices are succeeded by Father and Mother, and our destiny is the land of Canaan.
The 21 year dispensation has been fulfilled in twenty years. Now the second three seven-year courses have begun. The first three seven-year courses were for the sake of Christianity and the free world. This is the period during which people tried to murder me in cold blood, but during this period of incredible cruelty I paid indemnity for the debts of Christianity and the free world. Now that debt is paid, and I have announced the conclusion of that period.
Now the first seven years of the second three seven-year courses have begun, and we can begin to build substantially. These years will be most crucial. Now young people will come to the end of their wandering journey. First they knocked on the door of communism in their search for utopia, but found nothing. Then they tried all kinds of lifestyles in America and the free world, but found nothing. Ultimately they must try the last possibility, Reverend Moon's door. There is nothing left for them to try in their search for purpose.
Six months have gone by since the True Parents' birthday in February, half a year ago. We are going to march forward, without hesitation or wavering. What are our walls of Jericho? They are actually the White House and State Department. Our ultimate Jericho is Moscow. If I have the true dispensational view, should I be silent? I must wage the struggle. I must put the problem before all 220 million people of America. If they were hearing my sermon this morning, would their blood boil in their urgency to come out of the darkness?
But no one is talking to all America today. They are still in darkness, and this country will be doomed as a result. There are many powerful people in America, rich in wealth, in knowledge, influential in politics, but they are in darkness. Their inevitable destination would be hell in that case. Who shall be the voice crying out to the 220 mill ion people? That is you, who are almost like the outcasts of society. But you are the only hope, the only link of communication between God and all those people.
If you realize that kind of responsibility, what shall you do? Would you think this way is too difficult and lonely, and want to return to your old life? No, you are God's only hope. If you turn away from God, His heart shall be shattered and your life will be shattered. There is no way out. We are present at the dawn of the new age. Young people must rise up, with their hearts bursting with the pain of God. Take that pain as your own and let your heart explode.
When you fail your responsibility, everyone fails. Your parents will see you die from the communist bullets. There will be no hope for anyone. The white race in particular will shed the most blood if we fail. Much blood has already been shed in Russia, China, Korea and Vietnam, but if we fail then the white people will shed that much blood as well. Events in Asia are an example of what is going to come if we fail the mission. The only way for white people to survive is to become champions of God and wage war against communism, liberating the communists and being saviors of the world. That's the only way they will be respected and admired. You will soon find whether my words are prophetic or not. I am pushing you out so much that you cannot imagine failing the mission. This is the way to be victorious.
I will not stay in America too much longer. I did not come to enjoy life at East Garden or anywhere else. I did not come to catch tuna; my purpose is to wage war against Satan and international communism. When the time comes, I will leave. You may think you have been working a great deal, but by my standard you have been relaxing too much. When I was out fishing all day, not for one moment was I relaxing or napping. Every moment my mind was busy. When I watch the vast horizon on the ocean, I see a peaceful new world dawning and the whole responsibility is on my shoulders. How could I spend one idle moment?
I have been hurt in my heart many times by the sweet words and tactics of Americans and Church leaders. But always I am confident that I will prevail in the end because my tactic is perseverance. I come back and speak to you with even greater fervor today. You have to go over the hill and cross the ocean. What can you do? Unless you take up the mission completely, we will be demolished.
What have I been doing all this time? Until now God has not found even one man or woman who was totally on His side, and certainly not one family. I am the first one to realize. how lonely God is and to comfort Him. There is no history or tradition or nation on God's side. I want to create all that and by doing so comfort God. I know what God's standard is, that He needs one man who will persevere to the end, and He has never found one in all history. I determined I would be that one man.
From the very beginning I was ready for the fight; I knew I could not prove myself worthy in God's sight without going through a battle. I invited the battle-my family and people could come against me, and even the whole world could come against me, but I would never stop my march, even if I died. I broke through and won every stage of that battle, not conceding even one condition to Satan. Now I have come to the stage where no one is even willing to fight me anymore.
God lost one man in the garden of Eden, and ever since He has been looking fervently for one victorious man. God placed His hope in Christianity, but it has lost the material and spiritual blessings it earned over its 2,000 years. Now I am rebuilding the honor of Christianity.
As you know, there were ten generations between Adam and Abraham, then between Abraham and Noah. The Cain-Abel struggle began between Adam's two sons, and continued between Shem and Ham, Noah's sons. Counting these two brothers, there were twelve generations between Adam and Noah. Isaac and Jacob plus ten generations comprise twelve generations from Noah through Abraham.
Jacob was the first to lay the victorious base, and he had twelve children. Those twelve, plus the preceding 24 generations make 36, a very important number. Before Jacob, restoration was vertical, but from Jacob's time on it became horizontal, with his tribe expanding into a nation. Then the historical role of Judaism was succeeded to by Christianity with Jesus' twelve disciples. In Unification Church the first thing we did was restore tribal history, represented by the 36 blessed couples, or three generations of twelve. In no other religion is the family called the building block of the Kingdom of Heaven; the Unification Church alone teaches that. Until now religions have focused on individual restoration, but now through the blessing men and women can be united in God's sight.
Tribal restoration represents the condition to restore all mankind. Mankind can be divided into three areas-married couples, engaged couples, and people still waiting for engagement. We have to restore the couples who married without God's approval, so I had to make some provision for them. They are represented by twelve of the 36 couples. Jesus came as a bridegroom but was never able to have his marriage supper, and this is the position of people who are waiting to be married; these people are represented by another twelve couples. The other level is that of virgin boys and girls, who belong to Jacob's generation. Ultimately they will be the spearhead of God's dispensation, and this is why I so strongly support CARP and HARP. They are the center of the future, and they have the power to rejuvenate America and save the world.
The 36 couples, therefore, represent each level of mankind, making an indemnity condition so that I can reach out to all people of the world. We pay in microcosm for the entire universal dispensation. By doing this I fulfilled the number twelve. Jesus had twelve apostles, and I will initiate twelve tribes. Adam, Noah and Jacob can be united through the number twelve; through the number twelve everyone can come in. Three generations are needed to restore the family. Also, the whole dispensation is divided into three stages, the Old Testament, New Testament, Completed Testament eras. First is the Adam generation, then the Jesus generation, and finally the Moon generation.
Always the second stage is the most crucial and is attacked most severely. That's why it was possible that Jesus, as the second, could be crucified. The second generation always faces a severe test; that is why it was Abel, the second son, who was murdered instead of Cain, and also why Ham, the second son, received the most crucial test. At the time of Abraham, Isaac, the second generation, was almost made a burnt offering.
Christianity had the mission of preparation for the fulfillment of the number twelve, the base for the coming of the Lord. Why can the Unification Church talk about the Kingdom of Heaven on earth? Jacob was victorious and established the twelve tribes on earth; in the same way, the Moon generation is in the dispensational position to pay the debts of the past, and do everything on the horizontal level on earth. Jacob worked 21 years in his uncle's home in a foreign land, but the Unification Church walked the 21 year path in twenty years, and shortened the indemnity period. Just as Jacob was married to Leah in the period in the wilderness, so I found Mother and established her as the universal mother in the first seven of the 21 years. Jacob's first marriage represented the Cain-type marriage, and then Rachel, his Abel-side wife, became the mother of Israel. So now Mother is in the Abel position.
Jacob had twelve children, and now Mother is having twelve children. It is an incredible task. Jacob's children were born of four mothers, but it is God's will that humanity be organized through one mother. So Mother is obedient to God's will and is fulfilling that task now. We have eleven children now, and I think our twelfth child is on its way. Everything derives from the historical pattern. I don't want to go into too much detail here.
Today is a special day, Hyung Jin's one year birthday. That is why today I am explaining more deeply about the dispensation. The twelve tribes of Israel failed to stand on God's side, and also Jesus' twelve disciples lost their lord, but the time has come when those lost tasks have been restored. I have established the number twelve in the 36 couples and major leaders of the Unification Church. It is to my credit, not theirs, because it could happen through my outpouring of love to them; that is the reason they have stayed.
Another element that helped our unity was the persecution coming from the world, so that they united to surround me like a rock. I know there is some resentment toward the Korean leaders, even though it may be unconscious and not on the surface. But whatever they may be, they have the virtue of absolute obedience; the 36 couples want to be ahead of me and prepare for my arrival. Without that heart and attitude I have no base to stand on. Actually the 36 couple men are sometimes Cain, and sometimes ridiculous Cains, but they are of a different type-they know who I am and are trying to give themselves totally. They are of the sinful, but restored, Adam race. They know the true Adam is coming, so they are preparing for him.
They are at least entitled to attend true Adam's welcoming banquet. Furthermore, they are given the right to admit more people to the banquet, so you have to have a good relationship with one of those couples in order to get in. That is their privilege. What kind of relationship do you have with them? Simply said, they are the ancestral chiefs of the heavenly tribes. But unlike your physical ancestors, they are here walking and talking with you. They are your living ancestors, so they watch over you, and sometimes even criticize you, telling you how to change. They have much to tell about what they have done and gone through. They have that right.
Are your ancestors all saints and righteous men'' Are they all Ph.D.s? Some of your ancestors have only one eye, or are even crippled, but still you have to respect them. Perhaps your great-great-grandfather was a simple farmer, but when you come to greet him he will speak as thought he were an important person and ask why you aren't doing more. He has a right to speak like that, but you don't have the right to criticize him in return.
Westerners are not fond of this tradition, but God operates through it, so if you reject it you are rejecting God. Christianity began from the twelve disciples, even though it is divided into 400 denominations today. Today Simon Peter is revered as a great saint, but originally he was only a simple fisherman who never went to school. He caught fish and ate them raw, never even bothering to cook them. He never bothered about washing his hands, or using a fork or knife. Do you imagine in those days there were men's and women's restrooms everywhere, with running water and nice towels? People like Peter never worried about formalities in these things. What would your ancestors say at seeing such a scene? Undoubtedly they would exclaim, "You barbarians!" But no one can deny that such simple people were your ancestors, and you will never have their position.
You may think the 36 couples are enshrined or privileged, but actually they put up with more from me than anyone else. I gave them more hardship and criticism than anyone else in the Church. I knew that ultimately all the blessing would How through them to mankind, so I wanted to set the right tradition. I had to discipline them cruelly into becoming God-centered people and leaving their selfishness behind.
Even though they are living with you now, they are your ancestors. Will you accept that? Why are American brothers and sisters asking for Korean husbands and wives? It is because you know that spiritually you are closer to Koreans than any other race, and there is a magnetism drawing you to them. It is the Korean 36 couples who will sign for you to enter heaven.
God has to set the tradition, and to do that He first needs True Parents, then a tribe and ancestors. How can there be descendants without ancestors? Someone has to have that position. God wanted that tradition established with Adam, and all mankind would have been organized into these tribes under him. But that providence was demolished, and now someone has to come as father to restore that tradition here on earth. The spirit world values tradition and heavenly organization, much more than university degrees and titles. Which tribe you belong to and who your ancestors are what mean the most in spirit world. Whether the 3,6 couples are crippled or ugly, they are still your ancestors.
Now evaluate yourself again. If you have had some resentment toward one of the 36 couples, the best thing would be for you to be aggressive in fixing that relationship. You could buy that person, not a gorgeous lunch, but a McDonald's hamburger, and then share with him about your heart. I recently sent Rev. Byung Ho Kim to England to oversee the entire European mission, and I know that there are many members there who are anxious to see Rev. Kim leave! As long as there are such people, he will not go. But when people ask me to leave him there, saying they need him, then I will take him away.
There and fifteen or sixteen European leaders here now, and many of them think they are the bosses of their countries. They think they are mature enough to be independent and not be under someone else. But I don't think that is the right attitude; that is not how blessing will flow to that country. I am speaking honestly to them now, and if they open their minds it will be good for them. I have fulfilled my role; now it is their responsibility.
I definitely take no notice of nationality; being Korean means nothing in itself to me. But the 36 couples happen to be the first crop and that fact cannot be disregarded. Jesus' disciples were fishermen and tax collectors, unlearned people, but they happened to be the first crop. Even if there were priests and educated, learned people in Jesus' time, in God's eyes they had no stature. I was not scornful toward the Christian leaders and church hierarchies; on the contrary, I was ready to welcome them with open arms as the first crop, but they rejected the invitation. That is why these unlearned people became the first crop instead.
Korea's history is very special. When North Korean troops invaded the South in 1950, the UN Security Council met and voted to send troops to defend Korea. Troops came from sixteen countries, and support came from a total of thirty countries. Never in history has such a cooperative mobilization by many countries occurred. Furthermore, the Russian representative, who could have vetoed the action, was absent from that particular meeting. Who could do all that except God? If people had been inspired and moved by such events, they should have studied the reasons why these things happened, and they would have discovered the Unification Church. But the soldiers just came and shed blood, and then left Korea. They did not fulfill their true role; God sent the world's forces to Korea to discover one fact: the central dispensation was unfolding there.
The major criticism Christians have is their contention that I pose as the Lord of the Second Advent. But I never said that. They created rumors like that. Christians have been waiting all these years for the Second Coming, so they should have had the courtesy to come and find out for themselves whether our members have valid reason to spread such a rumor. If they had earnestly done that, Christianity today would be entirely different.
You discovered something in the Unification Church and decided to stay, and now I declare that the 36 couples are the ancestors of the Unification Church. Do you have any objection? No one can say there is any favoritism here, because God has given everyone a chance.
The leaders must be here every Sunday to hear me; that is more important than anything else.
You think the 36 couples feel very proud today, don't you? There are many episodes and incredible stories that the 36 couples can tell, but we will not go into detail. But one thing is sure: they know who I am and respect me, and they know how insignificant they are compared to what I am. At least they have that kind of realization. When I give them a command, they move ahead right away. But when I give you directions, sometimes you drag your feet and want to think about it first. The 36 couples have their thinking too, but they think while they are moving forward. But you retreat and turn around and think, and then try to move forward, and by then everything is gone.
If you have some complaint at having to follow these leaders, you can only complain to your ancestors about why they didn't do better as Christians so that I could have been born here in America instead of Korea. Korea didn't find out about Christianity until much later than the West. Most of the controversy in America began because I am a Korean, but if I had been an American then I could have done much more by now. The President would have already asked for my support. But the fact is that I speak Korean and have to use an interpreter.
I told Americans that I came to save this country, like a firefighter and a physician who must come from outside the family to cure a problem. I deliberately said that so that America's dignity would be hurt. When they hear such a startling thing then Americans have to look at the facts and repent, whether they like it or not. Who of you started applauding first just then? It would make sense if it was a black or yellow person, but actually it was a white person. He must be crazy!
Now do you understand the position of the 36 couples? When I am away from America, who shall be my representative? One of the 36 couples will speak for me, not Dr. Durst. It is your great blessing that you have someone to follow who can show you my tradition, who has followed in my footsteps. The 36 couples may look trivial, but they are in that position. It is really good for you because through them the blessing and power of God will flow.
The root of the Unification Church tradition begins in the fundamental concept of God's creation of the Kingdom of Heaven, and that begins from Adam, Noah, Abraham and Jacob. From this analogy you can see that I am in a position truly to initiate the Kingdom of Heaven on earth on the horizontal level.
No one in history could proclaim that, but now you know why I can. The ancestors in history have accumulated a record of failure, but the 36 couples I assembled shall restore those failures and succeed those people as the ancestors of mankind. The number one is represented by 36. 36 husbands plus 36 wives altogether make 72 people in this system. The next blessing was of 72 couples, representing the expansion of the 36 couples. There is always Cain and Abel in restoration, and without unity between them the heavenly dispensation cannot be consummated. In creation one is divided into two, and then the three of them should come into harmony.
Out of twelve there will come 72, another horizontal expansion. Twelve and 72 together make 84, the total unit of the ancestry of mankind. That represents the vertical and horizontal unity of the Cain and Abel families coming together; 84 represents them all. In every dispensation there were Cain and Abel, such as Shem and Ham, Jacob and Esau. The pattern of history is the struggle of Cain and Abel. The number 72 is really the condition for unity of Cain and Abel.
If Jesus had been able to accomplish the perfection of the number 84, he never would have been crucified. This number is the rock, the foundation which cannot be shaken, upon which Jesus could never have been killed. The number 72 is also the manifestation of Jacob's journey to exile in Egypt, leading a tribe of 70 people. Based on this principle, you restore the 7,000 year biblical history of God; that is represented by fulfilling this number 84 in seven years. If you become the spiritual parent of 84 people in seven years, you are restoring your ancestral tree and also your tribe, both the vertical and horizontal.
If Jesus had fulfilled this and John the Baptist had fulfilled his mission, no one would have had to testify very much about Jesus because that foundation would have had a magnetic pulling power. Jesus needed to establish the tribe first, and then go from there, multiplying through the children. Because that foundation was not laid in Jesus' time, it had to be laid in this contemporary dispensation. Jesus left on earth the concept of the ideal of the bride and bridegroom, but that has to be fulfilled in the family. So the family is the basis for the modern dispensation.
Do you have your own 12 and 72 disciples, totaling 84? In the realm of the Unification Church do we have it? The number twelve is represented by the 36 blessed couples, and 72 by the 72 blessed couples, so we do have that foundation. Now the Unification Church can grow and expand, children will multiply and the tribe will get bigger.
Twelve represents the family and 72 represents the tribe. In ancient times there were twelve tribes and 72 elders among the tribes. 72 divided by 12 equals 6, or 6 parts of 12 each. Six plus one makes seven. The Bible mentions that Jesus had 70 apostles, but the true number must be 72. This seven is crucial. When seven families are united into one, every door will open as they move forward in the kingdom. There will be no wall they cannot break through.
You must realize that unless I knew all these dispensational secrets and restored each number one by one, on each level, the Unification Church today would have no foundation. When I blessed the 36 couples there was incredible opposition in Korea; the press, the ministers and the politicians were all saying that I had stolen children from their parents and performed their marriages. That was intolerable according to Korean custom. If there had been no fall, the true parents would have matched their children in matrimony, but because of the fall there were no true parents who could do that. For the first time in history I am doing this in the capacity of True Parents. In heaven's sight it is most logical.
How could the True Parents discuss the marriage of children with fallen parents? It could not be done in God's sight. That's why I never told the parents ahead of time. From the time of that wedding the term True Parents came into being in history. The world is like an orphanage, with no one to bring the children together into a heavenly wedding; only True Parents can do that, and now the true tradition of eternal weddings has been set.
Without letting anyone know, I matched and engaged the 36 couples. Then one week before the wedding I notified the parents about the coming wedding and invited them to observe, on the condition that they wear a white ceremonial gown. All the parents were enraged! Rev. Kwak's father-in-law was totally outraged and protested loudly that no one else could oversee his daughter's engagement. He came to the wedding ceremony, but was stopped at the door because he didn't have a gown. In a rage he borrowed a gown and got inside. Being a courteous man, he wouldn't shout out his feelings, but he was just boiling. I just smiled at him, knowing very well what he was thinking!
But after less than twenty years Rev. Kwak's in-laws have bowed down to me in thanks for receiving such a wonderful son-in-law. I understand that in the worldly sense what those parents were saying was correct, so unless I had guts I couldn't have withstood their opposition. God gave me the guts to withstand the invective of the press, the parents, the Christians, and the threat of violence. I just thought of the uproar as dogs barking outside the door, and concentrated on doing God's will. One day I asked the parents of the 36 couples whether they thought I did the right thing in 1961 when their children were married. All of them enthusiastically agreed that I had. Those days twenty years ago are like primitive times compared to the time in America, almost like the time of Adam and Eve.
Here in America you have many government leaders, but none of them have the special relationship with God that I have described. Would you criticize me for going only the Oriental way? Many American Unification Church leaders think that I do things in the Korean way, but were Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Koreans? Do you think I am going the Korean way or the heavenly way? I dislike certain Korean ways most of all, and I am crucifying many Korean customs.
God's dispensation progresses through the family, tribe, nation, world and universal level of tradition. The Israelites were in the position of chosen nation, to set tradition on the national level. All these dispensations are described in the numbers twelve and 72, equaling 84. Thus, the whole dispensation to the national level is included in the number 84. Forty days after his crucifixion, Jesus ascended into heaven, and later at Pentecost 120 disciples were reborn, which brought the number 120 into significance in history. Through the resurrection Jesus was restoring spiritually the shattered pieces of the dispensation. In spirit, Jesus brought Christianity together, through 12, 72, and 120. 72 represents the national level, and 120 represents the world level. It is at this point that world evangelization began.
The end of the world actually comes when there are 12, then 72, and then 120 nations on the heavenly side. First Jesus had three major disciples, then twelve apostles, then 72 disciples, then 120, and that represented the entire worldwide dispensation. Gathering the first three nations is the biggest problem. Even Jesus' three major disciples struggled among themselves in that position.
Today we talk about World War I, World War II and World War III. We also hear about the free world, the communist world, and now the Third World. An Abel-type Third World will come into being-a united religious world which will take charge and lead the rest of the world. The Unification Church is organizing a heavenly, Abel-type third world now. We have all nationalities, cultures and languages coming together here. Three is included in twelve, twelve is included in 72, and 72 is included in 120, which means that the dispensation has one central line, or chain of command. Because 120 represents the world and the universe, it includes everything.
Therefore, the chain of command will start out with three, then when they perish, twelve will take over; when they perish, 72 will take over; when 72 perish, 120 will take over. This is how history is developing. This is why the traditions begun with the original three are so important-they must continue all the way down the line. When tradition is disregarded, the people, nation and world will be shattered, and finally the dispensation will be shattered. Where can we find that tradition? You must find it first in my course, then the True Parents' course, my family's course, and finally in the 36 couples.
Today you represent the future; you are champions preparing for the future. You cannot go forward until you know the past, so you must feel the already established traditions to your bones. Only on that foundation can you look to the future. After the 36 couples are gone, where will you go? Tradition runs in seven stages of leadership: from me, to three, twelve, 72, 124, 430, and 777, which is the seventh stage. Each stage represents restoration of something lost in the past, expanding the stage God could work on. It begins with True Parents, then three principle disciples and couples, 12, 36, 72, 124, 430, and 777. Now everything is complete.
When the 124 couples were blessed, the United Nations membership grew to 124 nations; that totally matched externally the internal development of the dispensation. The 430 couples represent the restoration of all Korean history, which has continued for 4,300 years. They were blessed in the year 4,300 of Korean history. Four plus three makes seven, and four times three makes twelve. The blessing of the 430 couples represents not only restoration of Christianity, but of the whole world population, which includes many different beliefs and faith, and even non-belief. All the clans are included in the 430 blessing, whether they have religion or not. This blessing disregards racial differences and transcends racial barriers.
After the 430 couple blessing in Korea, the blessing became worldwide; in 1969 I went to Japan, Europe and America and blessed a total of 43 couples, expanding the victorious base out from Korea. Next came the 777 blessing in 1970, including people of all races coming from all over the world. Finally the door was opened fully for everyone to come into heaven. On that base I ordered all the couples to suffer for the sake of the world. All the couples went out, leaving their husband or wife and their children to go on an evangelical mission of three years. That was the base on which I could come out of Korea to the world level.
You know what I have done here in America since 1972. Initially America welcomed me. l went to all 50 states in the Day of Hope crusade and received a total of 850 proclamations and keys to cities, including one given by Jimmy Carter, governor of Georgia. Then I brought that victory back to the Orient, first by organizing the IOWC which went to Japan. They conducted a crusade throughout Japan and I spoke in Tokyo, and then I brought them to Korea to conduct a crusade.
Had President Nixon received what I told him at our meeting in 1973, worldwide acceptance of the Unification Church would have come, and this ideology would have become the main theme of Christianity. But Nixon failed. There was a cunning conspiracy working behind Nixon which did not want to see America win the Vietnam war. By knocking Nixon down, they gained victory in Indochina. Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are all in chaos now. Only the communists were victorious there. The communists now know that the greatest menace they face is the Unification Church; they know that our next target is communism so they want to knock us down before we get too big. That was the meaning behind the Korea gate episode.
You have to give Satan credit-he is not dumb. He knew that first American leadership had to be weakened and discredited. Now Satan's goal is to destroy my effectiveness. I talked straight to Nixon about what needed to be done, and if he had had the courage to follow through then world history would have been different. Communism is often lurking in the disguise of liberalism; that is really the forefront of communism in this country. The leading figure of that movement is Donald Fraser. He championed the so-called liberal cause, which was actually the communist cause, of trying to knock out the Unification Church. That's why I had to be victorious on the battleground of the US Congress.
Reagan is the better of the two presidential candidates because America needs a new champion; otherwise, the history of God cannot be restored and America cannot assume the leadership role I have described. Reagan is ultraconservative, what people call hard-line. Usually an extremist from either the right or left cannot become a presidential candidate because Americans are basically middle-of-the-road. But when I defeated Fraser, liberalism in this country began to decline and a new conservatism, which is patriotic and anticommunist, began to ascend.
In 1977 I proclaimed that communism had reached its peak and would start to decline. That is apparent through the emergence of what they call the new conservatism in this country. The mere fact that a man like Reagan is a strong candidate in this country is clearly the work of God.
In this election America will select its fortieth president. This is the most crucial position in American and world history. If the President cannot fulfill God's will in this time, America will be doomed. How can I stand still then? The state of the world will be determined by the fortieth through the forty third American Presidents
On October 26 Korea was thrown into turmoil, beginning with the assassination of President Park. In Japan, Premier Ohira, a strong candidate for reelection, suddenly died. Now the thunderstorm will hit America. I am now a major figure in Korea, affecting that nation's destiny with this ideology. Japan knows it cannot stop the encroachment of communism without this ideology. Now the American presidential campaign is in its hectic final stage. If the pattern is working consistently, you already know the outcome.
You can see the panorama of God's dispensation unfolding. We are talking about today's situation realistically. My three seven-year courses were consummated several months ago, and it is significant that the second three seven-year courses have begun. In the first 21 years, history was indemnified and a new foundation laid, and now this is the major thrust of human history.
Everything is working under the plan of God. We are moving into one sovereignty, for God needs one sovereignty He can command on earth. You individuals are not just Moonies. If you represented a nation' as prime minister, king or president, and you heard about this awesome panorama of God's dispensation, would you try desperately to change your nation? If heads of state felt that way then each nation would be one home church.
Are we talking about 1,000 years in the future, or the present time? I have reached the most logical conclusion that we must have a showdown with the world in the next seven years. We are now walking into a most crucial time. I can say that all is done and finished; all the foundations I needed to accomplish have been laid. Even the physical foundation, such as fishing, boat building, and various industries, has been laid.
I can go anywhere in the world, and even if I died right now I would not be a failure. No one can overshadow my accomplishments: no cloud can hide them, whether I live or die. Now the time has come for the major role to shift from me to you. You are going to build the kingdom. I paid the debts of sin of the past and laid the groundwork. This whole dispensation will now be consummated for you in your home church of 360 homes. That is your world, the microcosm of the globe.
In these homes you are a servant of servant, then adopted son, true son, and parent to your people. That is exactly the path I walked from the very beginning; this is what my life has been all about. Now you are doing what I did, but in microcosm. This is your key to open the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Unless you are victorious in your 5% responsibility, you cannot be united with me. Do you understand''
Why 360 homes? As husband and wife, you will take care of 720 homes; again, the significant number of 72 is included here. 720 represents the world: 12 represents the family, 72 the tribe; 720 is an expansion of the tribe, so it represents the world. In these 360 or 720 homes, all the dispensational numbers are included.
America in particular is a mixture, a melting pot of many cultures. So in your home church area you will find everything in the world. You have to keep treading in your home church area, whether the people listen to you or not. The Israelites had to circle the walls of Jericho seven times before they fell down, so you shouldn't stop after seven times, but after 7,000 times. If the people don't listen, then cry as you walk.
You have been gone for forty days and now are back to your home church. You should do more now in home church than you did during your forty days. That is the standard. You have to fulfill your 84 within home church; without that you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus could not open the ultimate heaven because he did not have the foundation of 84 on earth. I came to lay that foundation, and in the same way you must unlock the number 84.
If Adam and Eve had not fallen, they would have been the first tribal leaders and entered spirit world in that role. In the same way, you will become a tribal messiah as the beginning point. You men are the messianic tribal chiefs; you women are the queens of the tribe. None of the religious leaders and saints of the past realized the scope of God's dispensation, so no one took responsibility to accomplish it. For the first time in history one man has fulfilled not only the path of restoration, but has laid the foundation of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. You have witnessed it yourself, and in addition you are part of it.
Where is the Kingdom of Heaven? When Jesus was asked that question, he said that the Kingdom is in the midst of you, in your heart. That is why the Kingdom of Heaven is in home church; you must unlock it there. Jesus left the key to the Kingdom to Peter, to unlock the kingdom on earth. What you leave untied in home church will be left untied in heaven; as many doors as you open in home church will be opened in heaven. What you do in home church will be to your credit in spirit world.
Jesus said that he who would find his life would lose it, but he who would lose his life for Jesus' sake would find it. It sounds contradictory, but that is what home church is all about. Your own family in particular will talk about how you love home church more than your own husband or wife and children, and more than your parents. That's why the Bible said that your own household would be your enemy. That's true You should not worry about that, however, because when your day of victory comes your own family will repent and ask your forgiveness, wanting to follow you.
The foundation for the restoration of your tribe is home church. If Jesus had accomplished home church on earth and ascended into heaven, then he would not have had to come back. But he could not do that on earth. If you have no foundation on earth, you have to be resurrected and come back here to start over. Some of you sisters think you are old maids, but that is not actually the real problem. Your problem is home church. The worst punishment that could be passed on you by the Unification Church would be depriving you of the right to do home church. I have been doing home church on all six continents. Your area can be walked through within sixty minutes, while mine is a little bigger.
I accomplished home church on the worldwide scale, and now that tradition has been freely granted to you. In sixty years I erected this tradition, setting the victorious standard. I give it to you free of charge; everything I have done is given to you. When the home church system is consummated, no leaders will be necessary in areas, states, and so forth, because each of you will communicate with God directly.
It is immaterial whether I have worldly power or not; that is not the goal at all. The important thing is whether I am indeed the God-given tribe leader here on earth. Now it has been accomplished and that tribe is spreading all over the world building the Kingdom of Heaven. It transcends the nations. as John the Baptist in national form all over the world. Home church is being done even in the communist world and nothing can stop it. The communists are trying to tear it apart, but to no avail. Eventually the communists will capitulate voluntarily as they are won over by the spirit of truth and love given by you.
Today you are reevaluating yourselves from the dispensational standpoint, checking whether you have been a success or failure. You are on your way to success, right? I want you to feel you can do better than I can; you are young, this is your country and you speak the language, so certainly you can do better than I have.
I want you to set a record of wearing out shoes from walking so much. I don't want you to ride too much to your area, but walk and sweat more. When you wear your shoes out, they are your museum pieces. When your clothes are torn and worn out, they belong in your museum. If you are attacked physically and your blood stains your clothes, don't wash it out; that is your museum piece. If you are stabbed, save the bandages. The number of museum pieces you have will determine your place in heaven.
I am not the one who decides whether you go to heaven or hell; you alone decide. I cannot say a word unless you have won on your own merit. I think Bo Hi Pak has an advantage over you; his face is well-known from the battles he has fought with me, so even if he starts home church three years after you, I think he will overtake you.
There are no exceptions; Bo Hi Pak, or not, everyone has to do home church to get into heaven. Even if he goes to the gates of heaven and says he is qualified to enter because he was my interpreter, if he cannot show the key then he can't get in. Even if you have taught workshops and lectured all over the world, if you don't have the home church key, you won't be accepted.
Even the 36 couples have to have the home church key to enter heaven. This is why I always tell them not to think about settling down, but to be heavenly gypsies all the time, living out of suitcases. Once you settle down it is hard to get moving again. The Bible talks about the 144,000 who wear white gowns; if we have 144,000 home churches, we undoubtedly can sway the world. Do you know this is the truth?
Today is the day of total self-reevaluation. You have seen the path I walked and the indemnity I paid. You are not required to do even one hundredth of what I did. If you can't do even that then it would be far better for you to leave because you would be a hindrance to heaven instead of a help, taking up a place which someone might take who would work harder. You have to meet the standard of heaven, and inherit heaven through your 5%.
My home church mission is over. How many thousands of families have I created? If I come to the home of a blessed couple, should I ask to come in, or should I just walk in? Even if everyone is asleep I would just walk in. Would you demand to know why I didn't call ahead? Should I make an appointment to visit? We are creating a most dramatic world. I could walk into the homes of blessed couples on six continents. Only one man in history can do that-Reverend Moon. America's opposition to me doesn't make any difference because I have so many homes to live in.
You want to evaluate the past and see whether you have done right or wrong; where you have done something right, encourage yourselves to do more; where you have done wrong you will push yourselves in the right direction again. Some of you can't say whether you are right or wrong; everyone feels some pang of conscience this morning. Up until now I have told you I would forgive you, but from now on I will not forgive you. You have to be on the right side.
Do not become indebted to other people for kindness, hospitality or love. You must make them your debtors by doing more, for a person who is indebted cannot fulfill the indemnity role. Do it out of your own initiative, not passively or unwillingly. You have come to the worldwide level of foundation.
I will not be indebted to anyone, not the 36 couples or anyone else, so I receive the credit for what has been done. In the fishing industry, for example, I laid a pioneering path for seven years. You know who won our first international tuna tournament; my boat caught the most tunas. I don't want to be second even in catching tuna. In every field and competition I have been second to none.
Would you women like to have husbands like that? You won't find too many of them, so we have to create more. I have to push them into training and harden them. Do you want me to train your husbands like that? If I am to do that then you have to leave them alone; you can't write letters or call all the time. Raise your hands if you want me to do that. Do you brothers want your wives to be like Mother? Then don't write or call your fiancees all the time-only once a year swap a report card with them.
Anyone who listens and is totally obedient, without hesitation, shall receive an incredible reward. Those who try to figure out an easier way will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven, like John the Baptist. Home church has everything, for kings and queens down to the lowliest beggar. For the last three years you have had all kinds of ups and downs, and hard times with your leaders, now with Dr. Durst and before him with Rev. Kim, but it all boils down to one conclusion-you have to do home church.
This is a day of self reevaluation, to find the wrongs of the past, liquidate them, and make a new beginning. You can take off like a prop plane, a jet, or Apollo 11. Which one will you be?
Today is Hyung Jin's birthday. Jin means "march," and hyung means "everything goes well." With this birthday, everything goes well. Today, those who pledge they will be heavenly Apollos will come and join in the celebration of Hyung Jin's birthday right after this. Who of you will pledge that? Everyone is invited.
If I knock on your door at midnight and demand to know where your husband is, I don't want to hear, "I don't know Father; he isn't here yet." I want to hear, "Father, my husband is at home church." Even if all the people who come to see me at Gloucester come at 5 a.m., I am not there. No one can find me at midnight either. I am at sea, my home church, with the tuna tribe. Can you be an exception? At sea I can communicate with God and receive many inspirations, so I don't want to stay anywhere else.
Those who say, "I am not lying Father. Trust me, and I will do it," raise your hands. All right, once more I will trust you. If you fail me this time I will pack up and take off. I have done everything that needs to be done here in America. By the time Reagan becomes President I will take off.
I didn't come here to live permanently. I laid the foundation, fulfilled all the commands given to me, and now that the job is done I will go on for further mission. Whoever comes after me shall find enough foundation laid by me that they can go on without too much hardship. I know it is sad, but it is true that when I leave then Americans will realize what a precious opportunity they had. But even if they offer me invitations again and again, I will not come. If I don't come, Americans will come to see me, wherever I am. That is the course of history, and you will see it happen. The next seven years are crucial, so don't waste them.
Every day I go out to the ocean at 2 or 3 a. m. and come back at midnight. So far tuna fishing has been a pleasure sport, but when I started fighting it became a battle. Usually fishermen go out at 9 or 10 a.m., but if they want to beat me they have to go out much earlier. I am already out when they come at 5 a.m., so all they do is come in to resupply and then sleep in their boats as they go back out! When I started, the price of tuna was 10¢ a pound, but now it is $2. 50. I buy the tuna so I can raise the price, and it will eventually go to $5 a pound. This is how I will bring prosperity to tuna fishermen, who in the past only made a meager living. Those who have opposed me in the past for no reason are now realizing that I am helping the fishermen and reviving the local economy. Who is paying? I am.
The European leaders really worked hard when they came this time. I am building many boats, not only small ones, but thirty and forty-footers. Professional tuna boats are 150 feet long and carry a crew of 25 people. I will build many of those in the future. Then I will designate national leaders as captains of those boats, or even just to be fishermen. They will have no time to look left or right, but will just go.
Today is your day of self reevaluation You checked your rights and wrongs, and you promised that you would go on with added loyalty and strength like an Apollo 11. I once heard a report from a Japanese leader about a member who had worn the same T-shirts for seven years, and they looked like fishing nets, mended and mended over and over again. When I heard that, I cried out loud, feeling I was a sinner, responsible for that brother. There the members are really almost dying, yet they are steadfast and rally around me. Even knowing about such hardship I have to command them to go, and my heart is breaking in pain. Yet I do it in love because that is where Heavenly Father is waiting.
I take no comfort even now; I don't even sleep all night in bed, but just sit and doze on the couch. Mother knows so well. My own children don't know too much about this.
The will and dispensation of God are not easy, but that is why they are valuable. I have fulfilled my task, and now it is your turn to fulfill. Do you understand?
Let us pray.