DIVINE PRINCIPLE
PART II
CHAPTER 2
PROVIDENCE OF RESTORATION CENTERING ON MOSES AND JESUS
A Biblical passage says, "Surely the Lord God does nothing without
revealing his secret to his servants the prophets." (Amos. 3:7). The
Scriptures contain countless secrets concerning God's providence of
salvation. However, without knowing the principle of God's providence,
men have not been able to understand the secret meaning of the words
in the Bible. Even a record of the life of a prophet in the Bible is
not merely the history of the man, but is, in fact, an explanation of
the way for fallen men to take. Here, we are going to study how God
revealed the pattern of Jesus' providential course for the salvation
of mankind by having Jacob and Moses go through the providential
course of restoration.
SECTION I -
PATTERN FOR THE SUBJUGATION OF SATAN
In the providence of restoration centering on Isaac's family, the
entire course of Jacob was a pattern for Moses' course, and also was
the pattern for Jesus' eventual substantial course. This pattern also
set the course for the Israelites and the whole of mankind, who were
to subjugate Satan in order to fulfill the purpose of the providence
of restoration.
1. WHY GOD SET UP JACOB'S COURSE AND MOSES' COURSE AS THE PATTERN FOR
JESUS' COURSE
The purpose of the providence of restoration is to be fulfilled
ultimately by man's becoming able to naturally subjugate Satan and to
dominate him through the fulfillment of his own portion of
responsibility. Jesus came with the mission of the Messiah as a
perfect human ancestor, in order to pioneer the final course for the
subjugation of Satan and to have all the saints follow this course.
Satan, who had not obeyed nor surrendered even to God, would by no
means obey and surrender to Jesus as the human ancestor, much less to
the saints. Therefore, God, taking responsibility in the Principle for
His having created men, set up the symbolic course to subjugate Satan
through Jacob's pattern.
Moses could subjugate Satan by going through the "image" course with
Jacob's course as the pattern, because God foreshadowed through Jacob
the typical course to subjugate Satan. Jesus, as well, could subjugate
Satan by going through the substantial course, with the course of
Moses as the pattern, for Moses had trodden the course shown by Jacob.
All the saints, too, could subjugate and dominate Satan by going
through the same course.
When Moses said that God would raise up a prophet like himself (Acts
3:22), he meant that Jesus would have to walk the providential course
of restoring Canaan on a worldwide level, using Moses' course as the
pattern. The Bible says, "The Son can do nothing of his own accord,
but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever He does, that the
Son does likewise." (John 5:19). The Biblical meaning is that Jesus
was going through the very course God had revealed through Moses.
Thus, Moses became the model for Jesus' later actions (Acts 3:22).
2. MOSES' COURSE AND JESUS' COURSE, AFTER THE PATTERN OF JACOB'S
COURSE
Jacob's course enabled him to subjugate Satan. The course to subjugate
Satan must be followed in a way reverse to that in which Satan
invaded. Let us now study Moses' course and Jesus' course which they
went through with Jacob's course as their pattern.
(1) Man originally should have kept God's commandment not to eat of
the fruit at the risk of his life. by failing to overcome the
temptation offered by the archangel, he fell. In order for Jacob to
complete the restoration of Canaan on the family level by restoring
the foundation to receive the Messiah when he had returned to Canaan
with his family and wealth from Haran, he had to win a victory by
trial in fighting against Satan at the risk of his life. to overcome
such a trial, Jacob fought the angel at the ford of Jabbok. By
defeating the angel, he received the name of Israel (Gen. 32:25-28).
God tested Jacob by placing the angel in the position of Satan. The
purpose was not to drive Jacob into misery. God's purpose for the
trial was to set Jacob up as the lord of the restoration on the family
level, by having him establish the position of Abel with his
victory in the fight to restore dominion over the angel. The
angelic world, also, was to be restored through the act of the angel
in playing the main role in the trial.
In the case of Moses, in order for him to become the lord of the
restoration of Canaan on the national level, returning to Canaan with
the Israelites, he had to overcome a trial in which God tired to kill
him (Ex. 4:24). If man had been given the trial not by God but by
Satan, he would fall prey to Satan if he were defeated. Therefore, we
must know it is from God's love of man that He would test man from His
side. Jesus, too, had to win the fight against Satan at the risk of
his life in the 40 days of temptation in the wilderness (Matt.
4:1-11).
(2) Jacob had to set up the condition to remove the fallen nature,
because this came about due to Satan's invasion of man's flesh and
spirit. Therefore, Jacob had to restore Abel's position in setting up
the condition of indemnity to remove the fallen nature by taking the
birthright from Esau, at the cost of bread and the pottage of lentils
(Gen. 25:34), which symbolized the flesh and spirit.
For the same purpose, God intended, in Moses' course, to have the
Israelites set up the condition of indemnity on the national level to
remove the fallen nature by feeding them quail and manna (Ex. 16:13),
symbolizing the flesh and the spirit and through this giving them a
strong sense of gratitude and the consciousness of being God's elect
so that they might obey Moses.
Jesus said:
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they
died...I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of
man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. (John
6:49-53)
signifying that he, too, walked in the same course as the pattern
previously established by Jacob and Moses. This means that
fallen men cannot restore the original nature endowed at the
creation unless they serve him and minister to him as the Messiah
after they set up the condition of indemnity on the worldwide level to
remove the fallen nature by believing in and obeying Jesus, who was in
the position of John the Baptist (cf. Part II, Ch. 2, Sec. III,
2.1--347).
(3) Due to man's fall, even man's dead body was invaded by Satan.
Jacob's body, already sanctified with the blessing, was embalmed for
40 days to set up the condition for his body to also be separated from
Satan by the victory in the battle against him (Gen. 50:3). With
Moses, who walked a course after this pattern, there also was a
dispute concerning the location of his body after death (Jude 9).
After the death of Jesus, there also were problems concerning his body
(Matt. 28:12-13).
(4) Due to the fall of the first human ancestors, Satan invaded man
during his growth period. In order to restore this, through indemnity,
God has worked His providence to set up the number representing the
period as follows (cf. Part II, Ch. 3, Sec. II, 4--381): there was a
three-day period of separation from Satan when Jacob returned from
Haran into the land of Canaan (Gen. 31:22); there was also a three-day
period of the same kind when Moses returned from Egypt into Canaan
leading the Israelites (Ex. 5:3); and Joshua, too, could cross the
river Jordan only after the three-day period (Josh. 3:2). Jesus also
had the three-day period in the tomb (Luke 18:33) for the separation
from Satan in his spiritual course of the restoration of Canaan on the
worldwide level.
In order to horizontally restore through indemnity, in the generation
of Jacob, the vertical conditions of indemnity ranging over 12
generations from Noah to Jacob, that had been delivered in Satan's
hands, Jacob had to have 12 sons (Gen. 35:22). Therefore, Moses had 12
tribes (Ex. 24:4), and Jesus had 12 disciples (Matt. 10:1).
In order to set up the condition of indemnity to separate Satan, who
had invaded the 7-day period of creation, Jacob had 70 family members
(Gen. 46:27), Moses had 70 elders (Ex. 24:1) and Jesus had 70
disciples, each group respectively playing the central role in each
course (Luke 10:1).
(5) The staff, being a symbolic representation of the will to smite
injustice, to lead the way, and to support, symbolized the Messiah to
come (cf. Part II, Ch. 2, Sec. II, 2.2--301). Therefore, the fact that
Jacob entered the land of Canaan across the Jordan leaning on the
staff which had such a profound meaning (Gen. 32:10), foreshadowed
that fallen men would enter the ideal world of creation traversing the
sinful world by smiting injustice, following the example of the
Messiah, and by being led by him and by leaning on him. Therefore,
Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea with his staff (Ex.
14:16), while Jesus, too, had to lead the whole of mankind into God's
ideal world of creation across the troubled sea of this world with a
rod of iron representing himself (Rev. 2:27, 12:5).
(6) Eve's sin formed the root of all sin, and her sin became fruitful
when Cain killed Abel. According to the principle of restoration
through indemnity, a mother and a son have to effect separation from
Satan in mutual cooperation, because Satan invaded man through a
mother and a son, thus producing the fruit of sin.
Accordingly, Jacob could separate from Satan after the blessing,
because his mother cooperated with him in a positive way (Gen. 27:43).
Without his mother's cooperation, Moses, too, could not have served
God's will (Ex. 2:2). Jesus, too, had the cooperation of his mother,
who took refuge in Egypt, with her son, escaping from King Herod, who
sought to kill him (Matt. 2:13).
(7) The central figure responsible to accomplish the will for the
providence of restoration must go through the course of restoration
from the Satanic world to the Heavenly world. Therefore,
Jacob walked the course of restoration from Haran, the Satanic world,
into the land of Canaan (Gen. 31:17-21). Moses walked the course of
restoration from Egypt, the Satanic world, into the blessed land of
Canaan (Ex. 3:8). Jesus also had to take refuge in Egypt, immediately
after his birth, and then returned, in order to go through the same
course (Matt. 2:13).
(8) The ultimate purpose of the providence of restoration is to
destroy Satan. Therefore, Jacob buried the idols under the oak tree
(Gen. 35:4), while Moses burnt the idol of the golden calf with fire,
ground it to powder, scattered the powder upon the water making the
people of Israel drink it (Ex. 32:20). Jesus, too, had to destroy this
sinful world by subjugating Satan with his words and power (cf. Part
I, Ch. 3, Sec. III, 2.2--114).
SECTION II -
THE PROVIDENCE OF RESTORATION CENTERING ON MOSES
1. THE GENERAL VIEW OF THE PROVIDENCE OF RESTORATION CENTERING ON
MOSES
The providence of restoration centering on Moses was to be
accomplished on the foundation to receive the Messiah, which had
already been established in the providence of restoration centering on
Abraham. However, Moses was no exception to the principle of
restoration in that he had to build the foundation to receive the
Messiah after having restored through indemnity both the foundation of
faith and the foundation of substance. Since the central figures in
charge of the providence changed, the new persons could not fulfill
the will of the providence of restoration without carrying out their
own portions of responsibility. Besides, the scope of the providence
was broadened from the family level to the national level. However, in
the providence of restoration centering on Moses as shown by
the following records, the contents of the condition of indemnity for
the establishment of this foundation were changed greatly, compared
with the previous ones.
(1) The Foundation of Faith
(i) The Central Figure to Restore the Foundation of Faith
Moses was the central figure to restore the foundation of faith in the
course of the Israelites's returning to the blessed land of Canaan
after the 400 years of slavery in Egypt which had come about due to
Abraham's failure in the symbolic offering. Before knowing how Moses
established the foundation of faith, we must first know in what
respects Moses was different from other personages, such as Adam, Noah
or Abraham, who had been trying to restore the foundation of faith in
the providential course before Moses.
First we should know that Moses was in the place of God, substituting
for God Himself. Therefore, God told Moses that he should be as God to
Aaron, the prophet of the Israelites (Ex. 4:16). Again, God told Moses
that He would make him a God to Pharaoh (Ex. 7:1).
Second, Moses was the model for Jesus, who was to come in the future.
As discussed above, God made Moses as God before Aaron and Pharaoh.
However, since Jesus is God in the flesh, the expression that "God
made Moses as God" signifies that God set him up to walk the course
that Jesus was to later walk. In this manner, Moses was the model for
Jesus and pioneered the way for Jesus, just as John the Baptist had to
make straight the way of Jesus (John 1:23). Let us now study how Moses
walked this course.
Moses, as a descendant of Jacob, who had established the foundation to
receive the Messiah, was not only the central personage for
restoration, but also the one who walked figuratively the
model course of Jacob which Jesus was to walk later. Moses was also
standing on the foundation established by Joseph in the course of
Jacob's family's entry into Egypt.
Joseph was another model for Jesus. Joseph was the son born of Rachel,
who was Jacob's wife on the Heavenly side, and was the younger brother
to the sons of Leah. Joseph, who was in the position of Abel, barely
escaped death when his elder brothers, who were in Cain's position,
plotted to kill him. However, he was sold to a merchant; he went into
Egypt ahead of all. He became the prime minister of the country at the
age of 30. Then his brothers and his parents came to Egypt and bowed
before him (in surrender) just as heaven had instructed in his
childhood (Gen. 37:5-11). On that foundation in the providential
course, the Israelites' course of slavery in Egypt for the separation
from Satan began. This course of Joseph foreshadowed that Jesus would
come later to the Satanic world, and, after becoming the King of Kings
at the age of 30, through the way of suffering, he would subjugate the
whole of mankind, including his forefathers, and separate them from
the Satanic world, thus restoring them all to the Heavenly side. Thus
Joseph's whole life was the very model for the path of Jesus.
On the other hand, Moses' birth, growth and death were also the model
for what Jesus was to go through. Moses at birth was on the verge of
being killed by Pharaoh. After his mother raised him in concealment,
he went into Pharaoh's palace and was brought up safely among his
foes. In like manner, Jesus also was at the point of being killed by
King Herod. After his mother took him into Egypt and raised him in
concealment, he was brought back into the dominion of King Herod and
was brought up in safety even among his foes. Further, nobody knew the
whereabouts of Moses' body after his death (Deut. 34:6). This, too,
was the pattern for what was going to happen to Jesus' body.
Furthermore, Moses' course of restoration into Canaan on the national
level was the true model for the worldwide course of restoration into
Canaan, which Jesus was going to walk later. We can well understand
that Moses was thus the model for Jesus from Biblical passages, which
say:
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their
brethren...and whoever will not give heed to my words which
he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
(Deut. 18:18-19)
Again, the Bible says (John 5:19) that Jesus can do nothing of his own
accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. This also signifies
that God had already shown through Moses what Jesus was going to do in
the future.
(ii) Conditional Objects to Restore the Foundation of Faith
Moses, as discussed above, was standing in a position different from
that of the other central figures who had restored the foundation of
faith in the providential course before him. Therefore, Moses could
restore through indemnity the foundation of faith, merely by having
established the 40-day foundation of separation from Satan, centering
on God's words, even without offering the symbolic sacrifice as Abel,
Noah, or Abraham did.
First, Moses stood on the foundation of having completed the
providence through symbolic offerings established by Abel's, Noah's
and Isaac's having succeeded three times in the symbolic offerings.
Second, the offering was the conditional object which was set up in
place of the words, because fallen men became unable to receive God's
words directly. At the time of Moses, the symbolic offering for the
foundation of faith became unnecessary. Because the providential
period for the foundation of restoration (pre-Abramic age),
in which the foundation of faith was restored by setting up the
offering as the conditional object, had passed into the providential
age of restoration (Old Testament Age) in which man could receive
God's Word directly.
Third, since the providence centering on Adam's family had been
prolonged on and on, conditions had to be set up to restore through
indemnity the providential age which had been thus prolonged due to
the invasion of Satan. In order for Noah to establish the foundation
of faith through the ark, the 40-day foundation of separation from
Satan became necessary. Abraham, too, could offer the symbolic
sacrifice to establish the foundation of faith only after he had
placed himself on the 40-day foundation of separation from Satan,
having restored through indemnity the 400-year period. The Israelite
nation suffered 400 years of slavery in Egypt in order to restore
through indemnity the foundation of faith invaded by Satan due to
Abraham's failure in the offering, by restoring through indemnity the
40-day foundation of separation from Satan.
Thus, in the providential age of restoration, the foundation of faith
was supposed to be restored if one could stand, centering on God's
Word in place of offerings, on the 40-day foundation of separation
from Satan.
(2) The Foundation of Substance
In the providential age for the foundation of restoration, God
operated His providence of establishing the foundation of substance on
the family level. However, in the providential age of restoration, God
worked His providence of establishing the foundation of substance on
the national level. Meanwhile, Moses, who was to restore the
foundation of faith on the national level, was in the position of
Jesus because he was the substitute for God (Ex. 4:16, 7:1). For that
reason, Moses was in the position of parent (father) to the
Israelite nation. Moses was also in the position of child to Jesus, as
a prophet with the mission of pioneering the way of Jesus. Therefore,
he was also able to stand in the position of Abel, as the central
figure to establish the foundation of substance on the national level.
Abel could establish his own position for the substantial offering
along with the foundation of faith, which Adam should have
established, by being successful in his offering, because Abel offered
sacrifices from the position of a parent (father) in place of Adam.
According to the same principle, Moses, being in the position of both
parent and child at the same time, could establish the position of
Abel (who was to offer the substantial offering) from the position of
a child, if and when he had restored through indemnity the foundation
of faith from the position of a parent.
In this way, after Moses had established the position of Abel, if the
Israelites had set up the condition of indemnity on the national level
to remove the fallen nature, through Moses, from the position of Cain,
the foundation of substance on the national level would have been
established.
(3) The Foundation to Receive the Messiah
If and when Moses had restored through indemnity the foundation of
faith on the national level and the Israelites, centering on Moses,
had restored through indemnity the foundation of substance on the
national level, that would have become the foundation on the national
level to receive the Messiah.
If the Israelites, on that foundation, had received the Messiah,
removed the original sin through rebirth, and restored the original
nature endowed at the creation by becoming one body with God in heart
and feeling, they would have been able to become "perfected
substantial individuals".
2. THE COURSE OF RESTORATION OF CANAAN ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL CENTERING
ON MOSES
Moses' course of returning to Canaan, the land of God's promise, by
leading the chosen nation of the Israelites out of Egypt, the Satanic
world, with miracles and signs, and then leading them across the Red
Sea and detouring through the wilderness was a veritable foreshadowing
of Jesus' way. Jesus was going to restore Eden in the original form of
creation, as God promised, by leading the Christians, the Second
Israelites, out of the sinful world with miracles and signs and by
leading them across the troubled sea of the sinful world and detouring
through the desert without the water of life.
Just as the course of restoration of Canaan on the national level
centering on Moses had been prolonged three times due to the disbelief
of the Israelites, the course of the restoration of Canaan on the
worldwide level centering on Jesus was also prolonged three times due
to the disbelief of the Jewish people.
Let us avoid complicated explanations and detailed comparisons between
Moses' course and that of Jesus. Their relationship will be clarified
by comparing this section with the next.
(1) The First Course of Restoration into Canaan on the National Level
(i) The Foundation of Faith
The period of indemnity on the national level, which had been brought
about due to Abraham's failure in the symbolic offering, ended in the
Israelites suffering slavery in Egypt for 400 years. Then, in order
for Moses to become the central figure to restore the foundation of
faith, he had to establish the 40-day foundation of separation from
Satan by indemnifying again, on the individual level, the 400 years
which was the period of indemnity on the national level.
For this purpose, Moses had to spend 40 years in the palace of
Pharaoh, the center of the Satanic world, in order to restore through
indemnity the number 40, which Adam, before the fall, had to set up
for the foundation of faith (cf. Part II, Ch. 3, Sec. II, 4--381).
Moses put an end to his 400-year period in Pharaoh's palace where he
received an education from his own mother, hired in the palace as his
nurse unknown to anyone. This education encouraged his strong
consciousness of Israel as God's elect. With unchanging loyalty and
fidelity to the lineage of the chosen nation, he left the palace,
preferring to suffering with God's people rather than to enjoy the
sinful ephemeral pleasure of Pharaoh's house (Heb. 11:24-25). In this
way, Moses could restore through indemnity the foundation of faith,
having established the 40-day foundation of separation from Satan
through his 40 years of life in Pharaoh's palace.
(ii) The Foundation of Substance
Moses came to establish Abel's position in setting up the condition of
indemnity on the national level to remove the fallen nature as already
discussed above, at the same time as he established the foundation of
faith.
The Israelites, who were in Cain's position, should have obeyed with
faith and surrendered to Moses, who was in the position of Abel as
their parent and at the same time as a child. By inheriting God's will
from Moses, they should have multiplied goodness. Then, they could
have restored through indemnity the foundation of substance on the
national level, having set up the condition of indemnity on the
national level to remove the fallen nature. The period in which the
Israelites thus left Egypt, following Moses, and returned to Canaan
became also the period for them to establish the foundation of
substance.
With Moses' act of killing an Egyptian, God commenced the "providence
for the start". Moses, seeing that his brethren were ill-treated by
the Egyptian, could not restrain his fervent love for his brethren; he
killed the Egyptian (Ex. 2:12). In fact, this was the expression of
God's heartfelt resentment when He saw the misery of His people (Ex.
3:7). Whether or not the Israelites became one, centering on such a
leader as Moses, was to decide whether or not they could successfully
start the course of restoration into Canaan, traversing the desert
under Moses' leadership.
The reason that Moses, who had been chosen by God, had to kill the
Egyptian was that, through the archangel's act in causing the first
human ancestors to fall and by Cain's killing Abel, Satan had formed
the sinful history of mankind from the position of the eldest son.
Therefore, unless the Heavenly side could set up the condition to
restore through indemnity by smiting the Satanic side, which was in
the position of the eldest, it could not start the course of
restoration into Canaan. Also it was to have Moses cut off his
attachment to Pharaoh's palace and to place him in a situation in
which he was unable to return, while, at the same time, it was to make
the Israelites trust Moses by showing them his patriotism. It was for
this same reason that God smote all the first-born men and cattle of
the Egyptians in the second course of restoration into Canaan on the
national level.
If the Israelites, upon witnessing, such an act of Moses, had been
deeply touched by his patriotism with the same heart as God's, and if
they had respected him, trusted him, served him and followed him with
more ardor, they could have entered the blessed land of Canaan through
the direct route by the land of the Philistines, without having to
cross the Red Sea or to make a detour by way of the wilderness of
Sinai, centering on Moses, who led them as God. They could have
established the foundation of substance then and there.
Again, this would have become the 21-day course restoring Jacob's
21-year course in Haran. It is recorded (Ex. 13:17):
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way
of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for
God said, "Lest the people repent when they see war, and
return to Egypt.".
From this we understand that God intended to have the people go the
first course of restoration into Canaan on the national level through
the direct way of the Philistines. But due to the Israelites' distrust
of Moses, this course was annulled even before it started. At the time
of the second course of restoration into Canaan on the national level,
God led them across the Red Sea and through the wilderness, lest they
should return to Egypt on the way of restoration into Canaan due to
their disbelief.
(iii) The Failure in the First course of Restoration into Canaan on
the National Level
If the Israelites, who were in the position of Cain, had entered the
land of Canaan by obeying and surrendering to Moses, who was in the
position of Abel, they would have set up the condition of indemnity on
the national level to remove the fallen nature and establish then the
foundation of substance. However, when they saw Moses kill the
Egyptian, they misunderstood him and badly publicized the fact.
Pharaoh, hearing it, sought to kill Moses (Ex. 2:15). Then, Moses was
compelled to escape from Pharaoh and, leaving the Israelites, fled to
the wilderness of Midian. Naturally, the foundation of substance was
not established and the Israelites; course of restoration into Canaan,
centering on Moses, was prolonged to a second and eventually a third
time.
(2) The Second Course of Restoration into Canaan on the National Level
(i) The Foundation of Faith
Due to the failure of the "first course of restoration into Canaan on
the national level" caused by the disbelief of the Israelites, Moses'
40-year period in Pharaoh's palace, which he had set up as his
foundation of faith, was invaded by Satan. Therefore, in order for
Moses to start the second course of restoration into Canaan on the
national level, he had to set up again the period to restore through
indemnity his 40-year period of life in Pharaoh's palace, which had
been annulled by Satanic invasion, and then had to restore the
foundation of faith. The purpose of Moses' 40 years in the wilderness
of Midian, after he escaped from Pharaoh, lay here. During this
40-year period of the Israelite nation also led a miserable life due
to their disbelief of Moses.
Moses again established the 40-day foundation of separation from Satan
through his 40 years in the wilderness of Midian; thus, he could
restore the foundation of faith for the second course of restoration
into Canaan on the national level. Therefore, God appeared before
Moses and said:
I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt,
and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I
know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them
out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out
of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with
milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites...and now,
behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and
I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress
them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring
forth my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt (Ex.
3:7-10).
(ii) The Foundation of Substance
Moses' 40 years in the wilderness of Midian re-established the 40-day
foundation of separation from Satan and restored the foundation of
faith. At the same time, he established the position of Abel in
setting up the condition of indemnity on the national level to remove
the fallen nature. Accordingly, as in the case of the first course of
restoration into Canaan on the national level, the Israelites, who
were in the position of Cain, should have absolutely trusted and
followed Moses, who was in the position of Abel. Then they could have
entered into the land of Canaan, which flowed with milk and honey, as
God had said, and there they could finally have set up the condition
of indemnity on the national level to remove the fallen nature and
then could have established the foundation of substance.
For the same purpose as when Moses killed the Egyptian, God had Moses
smite the Egyptians by giving him the power of three great miracles
and ten calamities when he was about to start his second course of
restoration into Canaan on the national level. Through this, God
commenced the providence for the start.
The reasons that Moses had to smite those on the side of Satan were,
as already elucidated: first, to restore through indemnity the
position of the eldest son which had been invaded by Satan; second, to
have the Israelites cut off their attachment to Egypt; and third, to
let the Israelites know that Moses was sent by God (Ex. 4:1-9). Again,
there was another reason for Moses to be able to kill the Egyptian.
This was because, despite the fact that the Israelites had completed
the 400-year indemnity period of slavery in Egypt, caused by Abraham's
failure in his symbolic offering, as God had said, they were suffering
30 years more of the slavery (Ex. 12:41); hearing their lamentation,
God pitied them (Ex. 2:24-25).
What did the three great miracles foreshadow in the course of the
providence of restoration?
The first miracle, which God had ordered and showed (Ex. 4:3-9), was
that by Moses' command Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and it
became a serpent. Pharaoh, seeing this, summoned his magicians and had
them cast down their rods and their rods became serpents. However,
Aaron's serpent swallowed their serpents (Ex. 7:10-12).
What, then, did the miracle foreshadow? This showed us symbolically
that Jesus would come as the Savior and destroy the Satanic world. The
rod which performed the miracle before Moses, who was set up in place
of God Himself (Ex. 7:1), symbolized Jesus with his authority and
might, who in the future would perform such a miracle before God. At
the same time, a rod has the mission of supporter, of a protector, and
of a righteous leader always smiting unrighteousness; therefore, it
also symbolized Jesus in the aspect of his mission, because it
foreshadowed that Jesus would come before the whole of mankind in the
future with such a mission.
Besides, the fact that the rod symbolizing Jesus became a serpent
showed us that Jesus also had to play the role of a serpent. For this
very reason, Jesus likened himself to a serpent, saying, "As Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be
lifted up." (John 3:14). Again, Jesus told his disciples to be "wise
as serpents" (Matt. 10:16). By this he meant that, since the first
human ancestors in the beginning fell by the temptation of the evil
serpent, Jesus, in order to restore this through indemnity, had to
come as a good serpent of wisdom, to tempt and lead the evil men into
goodness. Therefore, his disciples also had to follow the wisdom of
Jesus, who came as a good serpent, thus leading evil men into
goodness. On the other hand, the fact that Moses' serpent swallowed up
the magicians' serpents showed us, symbolically, that Jesus would
come as a heavenly serpent to swallow up the Satanic serpent
and destroy it.
The second miracle was that, upon God's command, Moses put his hand
into his bosom and it became leprous. But, upon God's second command,
he again put his hand into his bosom and it was healed (Ex. 4:6-7).
This miracle symbolically showed us that Jesus would come in the
future as the second Adam and, with the Holy Spirit as the deity of
the second Eve (cf. Part I, Ch. 7, Sec. IV, 1--214), would perform the
work of redemption. When his hand was first put into his bosom and it
became leprous, this meant that the archangel first put Eve into his
bosom and men fell into a position incapable of salvation. Again the
fact that when he put his hand into his bosom the second time it was
healed represented that Jesus as the father spirit of mankind would
come and restore the Holy Spirit as the mother spirit of mankind (cf.
Part I, Ch. 7, Sec. IV, 1--214); then, as a hen gathers her brood
under her wings (Matt. 23:37), he would restore the whole of mankind
completely by gathering them into his bosom and giving them rebirth.
The third miracle was that Moses took some water from the Nile and
poured it upon the dry ground and it became blood (Ex. 4:9). This
represented symbolically that a lifeless thing like water would be
restored into a thing of life like blood. Water signifies the people
of the world who lost their lives due to the fall (Rev. 17:15). This
sign showed us that Jesus and Holy Spirit would come in the future and
restore fallen men deprived of life into the children of life.
God manifested these three powers in order to set up the symbolic
condition of indemnity, in the future, enabling Jesus and the Holy
Spirit to come before the Israelites as the True Parents of mankind,
and to restore the whole of mankind as their children and then restore
the original four position foundation taken by Satan.
When Moses asked God for one who could speak for him (for he was not
eloquent) God gave him Aaron his brother (Ex. 4:14), then Miriam, the
prophetess, his sister (Ex. 15:20) to assist him. This shows us
figuratively (in image) that in the future, Jesus and the Holy Spirit,
as the Word in substance, would come and restore men, deprived of the
Word due to the fall, to the substance (incarnation) of the Word.
Therefore, Aaron and Miriam exalted the will of Moses, who was in the
position of God in the course of restoration into Canaan, and carried
out their mission of leading the people in place of Moses. This showed
figuratively (in image) that in the future, Jesus and the Holy Spirit
would exalt the will of God in the worldwide course of restoration
into Canaan and carry out the mission of redemption in place of God.
When Moses was going before Pharaoh with God's command, Yahweh (the
Lord) appeared on the way and sought to kill him. At that time, Moses
was spared his life through his wife Zipporah's circumcision of his
son (Ex. 4:24-26). By Moses' having overcome the test through the
circumcision, his family survived and consequently the Israelites
could come out of Egypt. This also foreshadowed that, even when Jesus
would come in the future, God's providence of salvation would not be
fulfilled unless the Israelites went through the process of
circumcision.
Let us then study what the significance of circumcision is. The first
human ancestors, due to the blood relationship with Satan, received
the blood of death through the foreskin. Therefore, in order for
fallen men to be restored as God's children, they began to circumcise
themselves as the condition representing the draining the blood of
death by shedding the blood from the foreskin as the condition of
indemnity. The fundamental significance of the circumcision is,
firstly, the sign of shedding the blood of death; secondly, the sign
of restoring male dominion; and thirdly, the sign of promise to
restore the position of the children of original nature.
There are three kinds of circumcision: the circumcision of mind (Deut.
10:16), the circumcision of the flesh (Gen. 17:10) and the
circumcision of all things (Lev. 19:22-23).
Next, God saved the Israelites from the land of Egypt, by performing
the signs of ten calamities through Moses (Ex. 7:10-12:36). This, too,
showed that in the future Jesus would come and save God's chosen
people through miracles and signs. When Jacob suffered the drudgery of
21 years in Haran, Laban deceived Jacob ten times without giving him
the due wage (Gen. 31:7). Consequently, in the course of Moses, who
was to go through Jacob's model course, we see that Pharaoh not only
put the Israelites under more than due slavery, but also deceived them
ten times without keeping his promise of liberating them. Therefore,
as the condition of indemnity, God could smite Pharaoh by afflicting
him with ten calamities. Let us, then, study what these ten calamities
foreshadowed.
There were three days' darkness on the side of Egypt, while there were
three days' light on the side of Israel, showing that, in the future
when Jesus would come, there would be darkness on the side of Satan,
while there would be light on the Heavenly side. Next, God smote all
the first-born of the Egyptians, including the first-born of the
cattle, but the Israelites could avoid the calamity with the blood of
the lamb painted on their doorposts. This was to enable the second
son, who was in the position of Abel, to restore the position of the
first-born by God's smiting the first-born, because all the first-born
on the side of Satan were in the position of Cain. This calamity also
foreshadowed that, when Jesus would come, he would restore the
original position of the first-born, thus resulting in the decline of
the Satanic side which took initiative in the course of the
providence, and in the salvation of the Heavenly side due to the
redemption through the blood of Jesus. Moses also took great wealth
from Egypt (Ex. 12:35-36), and this, too, foreshadowed the restoration
of all things by Jesus, which was to occur in the future.
Whenever God worked miracles of calamity, He hardened Pharaoh's heart
(Ex. 10:27). The first reason was to show the people of God that God
was the God of the Israelites, by manifesting His power before Pharaoh
and the Israelites (Ex. 10:12). The second reason was to make Pharaoh
abandon his attachment to the Israelites even after they left Egypt.
God desired that Pharaoh, after having tried his very best to catch
the Israelites, realize his inability to stop them, and thus finally
let them go. A third reason was to help the Israelites cut off their
attachment to Egypt by causing them to have a feeling of hostility
against Pharaoh.
In the first course of restoration into Canaan on the national level,
God worked the "providence for the start" when Moses killed the
Egyptian. However, the people distrusted Moses, and this course ended
in a failure before it even started. But, the Israelite nation in the
second course came to believe that Moses was their true leader, sent
by God, when they saw the three signs and ten calamities which God
showed them as the "providence for the start". The Israelites, by
trusting and following Moses, who had established Abel's position on
the foundation of faith on the national level, were able to start
their second course of restoration into Canaan on the national level.
The mere fact that the Israelites obeyed and surrendered to Moses
temporarily could not make possible the establishment of the condition
of indemnity to remove the fallen nature. Since the providential
course of establishing the condition of indemnity to remove
the fallen nature had been invaded by Satan, and a long providential
period was cast into the hands of Satan, the Israelites should restore
through indemnity an equivalent period on the national level.
Therefore, the Israelites, who were in Cain's position to Moses, could
never set up the condition of indemnity on the national level to
remove the fallen nature unless they believed in and followed Moses
with complete obedience throughout the whole period of their journey
in the wilderness. Accordingly, the foundation of substance on the
national level was not to be realized before the Israelites had passed
through their course in the wilderness by obeying Moses and had
entered into Canaan.
In this manner, the "providence for the start" in the second course of
restoration into Canaan was done with greater grace than in the first
one. But, since it was due to their disbelief, the condition of
indemnity that the Israelites had to establish in the second course
was additionally heavy. In the first course, they would have been led
directly through the land of the Philistines, by being afraid of
possible war and thus falling into disbelief again as in the first
course. Therefore, God did not lead them through this path but had
them enter Canaan only after crossing the Red Sea and traversing the
wilderness, thus spending 21 months.
In this way, the Israelites, centering on Moses, started their
21-month course through the wilderness. Let us study how this could
become, as previously stated, the model course of restoration into
Canaan on the worldwide level, centering on Jesus, who was to come
later.
When Pharaoh, having surrendered to Moses, permitted the Israelites to
offer sacrifices there, Moses deceived Pharaoh and obtained three
days' permission by saying:
It would not be right to do so; for we shall sacrifice to
the Lord our God offerings abominable to the Egyptians. If
we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before
their eyes, will they not stone us? We must go three days'
journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our
God as he will command us. (Ex. 8:26-27)
Thus Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.
This three-day period was truly the period which Abraham needed for
the separation from Satan before offering the sacrifice of Isaac.
After that, this became the period of indemnity necessary for the
separation from Satan whenever anyone started any providential course.
Even when Jacob was about to start his period of restoration into
Canaan, he left Haran by deceiving Laban and had the three-day period
of separation from Satan (Gen. 31:19-22). Likewise, Moses also, before
starting his course of restoration into Canaan, had to have the
three-day period of separation from Satan by deceiving Pharaoh and
thus taking free action. This also showed us that later Jesus, too,
would have to take the three-day period of resurrection for the
separation from Satan before he could start the spiritual providence
of restoration. Thus, 600,000 Israelites, mostly young, left Ramses on
the fifteenth of January (Ex. 12:6-37, Num. 33:3).
After the Israelites had reached Succoth by acceptably setting up the
three-day period, God gave them grace and led them by a pillar of
cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21). The pillar of
cloud by day (positivity) which led the Israelites on Moses' course
represented Jesus, who would later lead the Israelites through the
course of restoration into Canaan on the worldwide level. The pillar
of fire by night (negativity) symbolized the Holy Spirit,
who was to lead them as a female spirit.
Moses, according to God's command, divided the Red Sea with his rod
and crossed it as if it were land, but the pursuing Egyptian chariots
were all drowned in the water (Ex. 14:21-28). As already discussed,
Moses, when he went before Pharaoh, symbolized God (Ex. 7:1), and the
rod in Moses' hand symbolized Jesus, who was to manifest the power of
God. Therefore, this sign shows us that later when Jesus would come,
Satan would come in pursuit of the believers in Jesus who would follow
Jesus through the course of restoration into Canaan on the worldwide
level. But Jesus, coming with the mission of a rod, would strike the
bitter sea of the world lying in front of the people with the rod of
iron (Rev. 2:27, Ps. 2:9). Then the bitter sea of the world would
become like a smooth way before the saints, and Satan, in pursuit of
the people, would perish. As already discussed in the chapter on the
"Last Days" in Part I, the rod of iron signifies God's Word. Then, in
a Biblical passage (Rev. 17:15) this sinful world is likened to water.
From this meaning we also can call the world "the bitter sea".
The people of Israel crossed the Red Sea and came to the wilderness of
Sin, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed
from Egypt (Ex. 16:1). God fed the people of Israel with manna and
quail until they came to habitable land (Ex. 16:35). This shows us
that later Jesus would feed all men, in the course of restoration into
Canaan on the worldwide level, with his flesh (manna) and blood
(quail), which were the elements of life for men. Therefore, the Bible
says:
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they
died;...I am the living bread which came down from heaven;
if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;...unless
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you
have no life in you. (John 6:49-54)
When the people of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and camped at
Rephidim, God commanded Moses to strike the rock at Horeb so that
water should come out of it for the people to drink (Ex. 17:6). Again
the Bible says, "The Rock was Christ." (I Cor. 10:4). Therefore, it
showed us that later Jesus would come and make the people alive with
the spring of the living water (John 4:14). The two tablets of stone
that Moses later received on Mount Sinai symbolized Jesus and the Holy
Spirit. Moreover, the rock, being the root of the tablets of stone,
also symbolized God. Since Moses struck the rock, the root of the
tablets of stone, to give water to the people of Israel so that they
might live, Moses, on this foundation, could receive the tablets of
stone, and could make the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle.
Joshua fought with Amalek at Rephidim, and whenever Moses help up his
hand, Israel prevailed. Whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek
prevailed. Therefore, Aaron and Hur took a stone and put under Moses,
and he sat upon it, and they held up his hands, one on one side and
the other on the other side; and Joshua defeated Amalek and his people
(Ex. 17:10-13). This also foreshadowed what would happen when Jesus
would come in the future. Joshua was the symbol of the believers in
Jesus, Amalek was that of the Satanic world, and Aaron and Hur
symbolized Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Again, the fact that Joshua
smote and defeated Amalek before Aaron and Hur, who held up Moses'
hands, foreshadowed that the believers serving the Trinity of God,
Jesus and the Holy Spirit could smite and destroy Satan.
(iii) The Providence of Restoration Centering on the Tabernacle
We must first learn the details of how the Israelites received the
tablets, the tabernacle and the ark. After having triumphed in the
fight against Amalek, they reached the wilderness of Sinai in the
beginning of the third month (Ex. 19:1). From there, Moses
went up Mount Sinai with 70 elders and met God (Ex. 24:9-10). God
called Moses to the summit of Mount Sinai, and Moses fasted for 40
days and 40 nights so that he might receive the Ten Commandments
written on the tablets of stone (Ex. 24:18). While he fasted on the
mountain, he received instructions about the ark and the tabernacle
from God (Ex. 25:31). When he had finished the 40-day fast, Moses
received from God the two tablets of stone on which were written the
Ten Commandments (Ex. 31:18).
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the tablets of stone and
went to the people of Israel, they were worshipping the golden calf,
which they had Aaron make, as the god which led them out of Egypt (Ex.
32:4). Moses' anger burned hot when he saw this, and he threw the
tablets to the ground and broke them at the foot of the mountain (Ex.
32:19). God appeared again to Moses and told him to cut two tablets of
stone like the first, that He might write upon them the Ten
Commandments that were on the first tablets which he had broken (Ex.
34:1). When Moses had finished fasting 40 days and 40 nights the
second time according to God's words, God again gave him the Ten
Commandments written on the tablets (Ex. 34:28). When Moses again
appeared before the Israelites with the tablets of stone, the people
ministered to Moses; and they, then, built the ark and the tabernacle
(Ex. 35:10-12).
a) The significance and the purpose of the tablets, the tabernacle and
the ark of the covenant
What do the tablets of stone signify? The fact that Moses received the
two tablets of stone with the words written on them means that the
providential age for the foundation of restoration, in which men, due
to the fall, contacted God only through offerings, had passed; and men
had entered the providential age of restoration, in which fallen men
could contact God through the words which they had thus
restored. As already elucidated in the "Introduction" of Part II, if
Adam and Eve, who had been created by the Word, had perfected
themselves, they would have become the "perfect incarnation of the
Word". However, due to the fall, they lost the Word. Now, the fact
that Moses received the two tablets of stone with the words written on
them through the 40-day period to separate Satan signifies that Adam
and Eve, long lost in the Satanic world, were restored as the symbolic
incarnation of the Word. Accordingly, the two tablets of stone with
the words written on them were the symbols of restored Adam and Eve,
again symbolizing Jesus and the Holy Spirit, who would later come as
the incarnation of the Word. The Bible symbolized Christ as a white
stone (Rev. 2:17) and also states that the Rock was Christ (I Cor.
10:4), for the same reason. The two tablets of stone, thus symbolizing
Jesus and the Holy Spirit symbolize heaven and earth as well.
Next, what is the significance of the tabernacle? Jesus likened the
temple of Jerusalem to his body (John 2:21). Again, the saints who
believed in him were called "God's temple" (I Cor. 3:16). Therefore,
the temple is the representation in image of Jesus himself. If the
Israelites, centering on Moses, had succeeded in their first course of
restoration into Canaan, they would have prepared to receive the
Messiah by building the temple as soon as they entered the land of
Canaan. However, due to their faithlessness, they had not even started
the first course. In their second course, they built a tabernacle in
place of the temple, because they had to wander in the wilderness
after having crossed the Red Sea. Therefore, the tabernacle was the
symbolic representation of Jesus himself. For this reason, God, when
He commanded Moses to build the tabernacle, said, "Let them make me a
sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst." (Ex. 25:8).
The tabernacle consisted of the "holy place" and the "most holy place"
(holy of holies). The latter was the place where only the chief priest
entered once a year to offer sacrifices. In it was the ark, and it was
supposed to be the place of God's presence. Thus, the most holy place
symbolized the spirit of Jesus. The holy place was the place where
they entered ordinarily, and this symbolized Jesus' body.
Consequently, it can also be said that the most holy place symbolized
the invisible substantial world, while the holy place symbolized the
visible substantial world. When Jesus was crucified, the curtain
between the holy place and the most holy place was torn in two, from
top to bottom (Matt. 27:51), meaning that by the completion of the
providence of spiritual salvation through Jesus' crucifixion, the way
to communicate between the spirit man and the physical man, and
between heaven and earth, opened up.
Then what was the ark? The ark was that of God's covenant, which was
to be enshrined in the most holy place. In it were the two tablets of
stone, symbolizing Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and, naturally, heaven
and earth. In the ark there was manna, which had been the food of life
for the Israelites in their course in the wilderness, and symbolized
Jesus' body. The manna was contained in a golden urn that symbolized
the glory of God. Also included was Aaron's rod that budded, which
showed God's power to the Israelites (Heb. 9:4). In this respect, the
ark, generally considered, was the condensed body of the cosmos, while
on the other hand it was the condensed body of the tabernacle.
The mercy seat overshadowed the ark, and God said that they should
make two cherubim of hammered gold and cover the two ends of the mercy
seat. Then He would meet with them there, between the two cherubim,
and speak with them of all that He would give them as commandments for
the people of Israel (Ex. 25:16-22). This showed us that, later, when
Jesus and the Holy Spirit, represented by the tablets of
stone, would come and redeem the people through the work of moving
their hearts, God would appear in the mercy seat; at the same time the
cherubim, which had blocked the way for Adam to attain the Tree of
Life in the garden of Eden, would be separated on each side, to the
right and left, and everyone would enjoy the chance of going before
Jesus, as the Tree of Life, and receiving God's words.
What, then, was God's purpose in giving them the tablets of stone, the
tabernacle, and the ark? The Israelites, after having finished the
400-year period of indemnity brought about by Abraham's failure in the
symbolic offering, smote the Egyptians with the three signs and ten
calamities, drowned the countless Egyptian soldiers and chariots
pursuing them by dividing the waters of the Red Sea, and then made
their way into the wilderness. The Israelites had left Egypt with much
resentment and hostility. So, for the Israelites, who were in a
situation which compelled them to continue their way without having to
return to Egypt, the restoration into Canaan was the inevitable course
which had to be followed at all costs. Therefore, God performed many
miracles and signs in the "providence for the start", and He had the
Israelites cross the Red Sea, thus putting them in a situation where
they were incapable of returning.
Nevertheless, the Israelites all fell into faithlessness. At the end,
there was danger that even Moses might possibly act faithlessly. Here,
God had to set up an object of firm faith, that would never change,
even though man might change. That is to say, whenever there is even
one man of absolute faith, God has this man succeed to the attendance
of the object of faith, thus gradually realizing the will of His
providence.
By what could man, then, set up the object of faith? The tabernacle,
which symbolized the Messiah, by enshrining the ark with the tablets
of stone inside, was this object. Therefore, the construction of the
tabernacle meant that the Messiah had already come symbolically.
Consequently, if the Israelites, centering on Moses, had exalted the
tabernacle as the Messiah with profound loyalty and thus had been
restored into the blessed land of Canaan, the foundation of substance
on the national level would have been realized at that time. Even
though all the Israelites had fallen into faithlessness, if Moses
alone had remained to keep the tabernacle, the nation could have again
set up the condition of indemnity and could have been restored upon
the foundation centering on Moses, who served the tabernacle. Further,
even if Moses would have fallen into faithlessness, if any single man
of Israel had kept the tabernacle to the end in place of Moses, it
would have been possible for God to work again His providence of
restoring the whole nation, which had fallen into faithlessness, by
centering on the single man left.
If the Israelites had not fallen into faithlessness in their first
course of restoration into Canaan on the national level, Moses' family
could have played the role of the tabernacle. Moses could have
substituted for the tablets of stone and the ark of the covenant, and
the family law of Moses could have been the substitute for the
heavenly law. Thus, they could have entered into the land of Canaan
without need of the tablets of stone, the ark, and the tabernacle; and
there they could have built the temple. The tablets of stone, the
tabernacle, and the ark were what God gave the Israelites in order to
save them, after they had fallen into faithlessness. The tabernacle,
being the symbolic representation of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, was
what they needed until the erection of the temple. The temple, being
the image-representation of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, was what they
needed until the coming of the Messiah, who was to be the substantial
temple.
b) The foundation for the tabernacle
Just as the foundation to receive the Messiah must be realized in
order to be able to receive the Messiah, the "foundation for the
tabernacle" must be established in order to be able to receive the
tabernacle, which is the symbolic Messiah. Therefore, there should be
no question that they had to establish both the foundation of faith
for the tabernacle, and the foundation of substance for the
tabernacle, in order to establish the foundation for the tabernacle.
Then, what should the Israelites have done, centering on Moses, in
order to establish these two foundations?
If Moses had acceptably established the 40-day period of separation
from Satan through fasting and prayer, by obeying God's words for the
tabernacle, the foundation of faith for the tabernacle was to be
established. And, if the Israelites had obeyed in surrender and faith
to Moses, who had to set up the ideal of the tabernacle, the condition
of indemnity to remove the fallen nature for the tabernacle was
supposed to be set up. Accordingly, the foundation of substance for
the tabernacle was also to be established. The tabernacle here means
the whole thing, including the tablets of stone and the ark of the
covenant.
The first foundation for the tabernacle
Man is the substantial being (incarnation) of the word (John 1:3), and
he was created on the sixth day. Therefore in order for God to work
the providence of giving man the words of re-creation for the
restoration of fallen man, He had to sanctify the number "six"
corresponding to the period of creation invaded by Satan.
Consequently, God sanctified Mount Sinai by covering it with clouds in
the glory of Yahweh for six days. Appearing in the clouds on the
seventh day, He called Moses (Ex. 24:16). From that time on,
Moses fasted for 40 days and 40 nights (Ex. 24:18). This was for God
to have Moses establish the foundation of faith for the tabernacle,
which was the symbolic Messiah, by having him set up the 40-day period
of separation from Satan, when God saw that the Israelites had again
fallen into faithlessness after crossing the Red Sea.
As already discussed, the condition of indemnity to remove the fallen
nature in the course of restoration into Canaan was to be fulfilled
not by the Israelites' simply trusting and obeying Moses temporarily,
but only by their remaining in that state until they had entered
Canaan, had built the temple, and had received the Messiah. In the
same manner, even in their establishing the condition of indemnity to
remove the fallen nature and then the foundation of substance for the
tabernacle before erecting the tabernacle, the Israelites should have
trusted, served, and obeyed Moses until he finished erecting the
tabernacle. However the Israelites fell into faithlessness while Moses
was fasting and praying. They had Aaron make a golden calf for them,
and worshipped it, saying it was their god who had led them out of the
land of Egypt (Ex. 32:4). In this way, the Israelites failed in
setting up the condition of indemnity to remove the fallen nature
which they had to set up for the tabernacle, and naturally failed also
in establishing the foundation of substance for the tabernacle.
God led the Israelites with signs and miracles. However, even God
could not interfere with their action during the period in which man
himself was to restore the Word by his own portion of responsibility,
because it was man himself that had lost the foundation of the Word.
Moses raged in anger upon seeing the people dancing before the idol,
and threw the two tablets of stone at the foot of the mountain, thus
breaking them (Ex. 32:19). This resulted in Satan's invasion of the
foundation of faith for the tabernacle, which Moses had established
through the 40-day period to separate Satan. The two tablets of stone,
as already clarified above, symbolize the second Adam and
the second Eve, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The fact that Moses broke
the two tablets of stone symbolizing Jesus and the Holy Spirit,
because of the faithlessness of the Israelites, shows us symbolically
that later, when Jesus would come, Jesus and the Holy Spirit could
possibly fail to accomplish the original mission given by God, by
Jesus' bring crucified, if the Jewish people should fall into
faithlessness.
Such faithlessness of the Israelites frustrated God's providence,
which was designed to have the Israelites establish the foundation for
the tabernacle. God's providence to establish the foundation for the
tabernacle was prolonged to the second and third time because of the
continued faithlessness of the Israelites.
The second foundation for the tabernacle
All the Israelites centering on Moses fell into faithlessness to God's
providence. Since they were already on the foundation of having drunk
the water from the rock at Rephidim (Ex. 17:6), which was the root of
the tablets of stone, God could appear again to Moses after he had
broken the tablets of stone and tell him to cut two tablets like the
first that He might write upon them the words that had been on the
first tablets (Ex. 34:1). But Moses could not restore the tabernacle
centering on the tablets of stone without restoring the foundation of
faith for the tabernacle, by setting up again the 40-day foundation of
separation from Satan. Therefore, he could restore the ideal of the
tabernacle and the second tablets of stone with the words of the Ten
commandments written on them, only after the second 40 days and 40
nights of fasting (Ex. 34:28).
The fact that the tablets of stone, once broken, were restored through
the fasting and prayer of 40 days and 40 nights, showed us that though
Jesus was crucified, Christ could come again and commence
the providence of salvation on that foundation, if and when the
saints, believing in him, should set up the condition of indemnity to
receive him through the 40-day foundation of separation from Satan.
During the 40-day period of separation from Satan, in which Moses
restored, for the second time, the ideal of the tabernacle centering
on the tablets of stone, the Israelites not only obeyed and
surrendered to Moses but also created the tabernacle according to
God's direction and Moses' instruction. This was on the first day of
the first month in the second year (Ex. 40:17).
Thus, the chosen people of Israel erected the tabernacle on the
foundation for the tabernacle which they had established by fulfilling
the foundation of substance for the tabernacle, after having set up
the condition of indemnity to remove the fallen nature. However, as
previously discussed, the foundation of substance in their second
course of restoration into Canaan on the national level was not to be
established merely by erecting the tabernacle. They should have
exalted and honored the tabernacle with undiminishing ardor until they
entered Canaan, entered the temple, and received the Messiah.
On the 20th day of the second month in the second year, the Israelites
started from the wilderness of Sinai centering on the tabernacle,
under the guidance of the pillar of cloud (Num. 10:11-12). However,
God burnt their camp in wrath, because the people again fell into
faithlessness and bore a grudge against Moses (Num. 11:1).
Nevertheless, the Israelites were not awakened to God's will, and
continued to have resentment against Moses, grumbling that there was
no fish and no fruit, except the manna, and that they missed the land
of Egypt (Num. 11:4-6). Therefore, the foundation for the tabernacle
was invaded by Satan. The providence of restoring this foundation had
to be prolonged once again.
The third foundation for the tabernacle
The second foundation of faith for the tabernacle was invaded by
Satan, because the people again fell into faithlessness. Due to Moses'
unchanging faith and loyalty, however, the tabernacle stood firmly on
the foundation of faith for the tabernacle, set up by Moses. The
Israelites stood on the foundation of having drunk the water from the
rock at Rephidim (Ex. 17:6); the rock was the root of the tablets of
stone which were the center of the tabernacle. On these foundations,
therefore, if the Israelites had succeeded in the establishment of the
40-day foundation of separation from Satan and obeyed in complete
surrender to Moses, centering on the tabernacle, they should have
restored through indemnity the foundation for the tabernacle for the
third time. The 40-day period of spying was the condition God gave
them in order to accomplish this.
God sent into the land of Canaan the twelve persons whom He had
chosen, one from each tribe of the Israelites, as the chief of the
tribe (Num. 13:1), and had them spy on the land for 40 days (Num.
13:25). However, all returning from the land, except Joshua and Caleb,
presented faithless reports. That is, they reported that the
Israelites would not be able to destroy the city and the people there,
saying that the people dwelling in the land were strong and that the
cities were fortified (Num. 13:28). Besides, they said that the land
would devour its inhabitants and that all the people they saw in it
were men of great stature alongside whom they seemed to be like
grasshoppers (Num. 13:32-33). The Israelites, hearing this report,
murmured against Moses and cried in lamentation, saying that they
should choose a captain and go back to Egypt.
Nevertheless, Joshua and Caleb cried out, saying that they should not
rebel against the Lord, that they should attack the people dwelling in
the land without fear. They proclaimed that the Lord was
with the Israelites, and that the Canaanites would become their prey,
since their protection was removed from them (Num. 14:9). But the
congregation tried to stone Joshua and Caleb (Num 14:10). Then the
glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and the Lord said to
Moses:
How long will this people despise me? And how long will they
not believe in me, in spite of all the signs which I have
wrought among them? (Num. 14:11)
He again said:
but your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I
will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have
despised. But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in
this wilderness. And your children shall be shepherds in the
wilderness for forty years and shall suffer for your
faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in
the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which
you spied out the land, forty days, for every day a year,
you shall bear your iniquity, forty years, and you shall
know my displeasure. (Num. 14:31-34)
In this way, the third foundation for the tabernacle was unable to be
restored, and their second course in the wilderness of 21 months was
prolonged to a third course in the wilderness of 40 years.
(iv) The Failure in the Second Course of Restoration into Canaan on
the National Level
Due to the faithlessness of the Israelites, the foundation for the
tabernacle was invaded by Satan for the third time. Therefore, the
establishment of the condition of indemnity on the national level to
remove the fallen nature in the second course of restoration into
Canaan on the national level was a failure. In consequence, they
failed in the establishment of the foundation of substance, which they
were to set up for the second time, naturally the second
course of restoration into Canaan on the national level was a failure,
and it was prolonged into the third course of restoration into Canaan
on the national level.
(3) The Third Course of Restoration into Canaan on the National Level
(i) The Foundation of Faith
Due to the faithlessness of the Israelites, the second course of
restoration into Canaan on the national level ended in failure.
Therefore, the 40-year period in the wilderness of Midian, which Moses
had established in order to restore the foundation of faith in that
course, was again invaded by Satan. Because the Israelites failed to
set up the 40-day period of spying in faith and obedience, it took
them 40 years, each day calculated as a year, to wander in the
wilderness and to return to Kadesh-barnea. This 40-year period was for
Moses to separate Satan, who had invaded the foundation of faith in
the second course, who had invaded the foundation of faith in the
second course, and to restore through indemnity the foundation of
faith for the third course. Moses, who had kept and exalted the
tabernacle in utter faith and loyalty during the 40-year period of
wandering in the wilderness until his return to Kadesh-barnea,
succeeded in establishing the foundation of faith for the third course
of restoration into Canaan on the national level. Accordingly, the
position of Abel for the substantial offering on the national level of
this course was firmly established.
(ii) The Foundation of Substance
Due the Israelites' failure, through faithlessness and rebellion, in
setting up the 40-day course of spying, the foundation for the
tabernacle remained invaded by Satan. Therefore, the foundation of
substance for the second course was not established. However, the
foundation of faith for the tabernacle, set up by Moses, who had
exalted and kept the tabernacle with loyalty, remained a
success. On this basis, if the Israelites had established the
foundation of separation from Satan, who invaded the 40-day period of
separation from Satan, who invaded the 40-day period of spying, by
obeying Moses who was exalting the tabernacle in an unchanging faith
during their 40-year period of wandering in the wilderness, they could
have established both the foundation of substance for the tabernacle
and the foundation for the tabernacle, at that time. If the Israelites
had, on this foundation, entered Canaan honoring Moses, centering on
the tabernacle through faith and obedience, the foundation of
substance in the third course of restoration into Canaan on the
national level would have been established at that time.
For Moses, the 40-year period of wandering in the wilderness was the
period for the establishment of the foundation of faith in the third
course. For the Israelites, it was the period to fulfill the
"providence for the start" in the third course, by restoring their
position of having honored Moses, who had erected the tabernacle in
the second course.
The foundation of substance centering on Moses
It was previously clarified that the Israelites received the tablets
of stone, the tabernacle, and the ark because they fell into
faithlessness in the wilderness. Their faithlessness enabled Satan to
invade the three great signs, which God manifested before them as the
"providence for the start", in their second course of restoration into
Canaan on the national level. Therefore, God had them go through the
40-day trial period, in order to restore through indemnity what they
failed to do, and then granted them the three great gifts of the
tablets of stone, the tabernacle, and the ark.
Again, God performed the ten calamities in order to restore through
indemnity the fact that Laban had deceived Jacob ten times when Jacob
was going to return from Haran into the land of Canaan. But
the Israelites again fell into faithlessness, and God gave them the
Ten Commandments to restore it through indemnity. Therefore, if and
when the Israelites had kept the Ten Commandments and the three gifts
by exalting the tablets of stone, the tabernacle, and the ark, they
were supposed to restore the position of having started from Egypt by
the aid of the three great miracles and ten calamities in their second
course. The tablets of stone were the condensed body of the ark, and
the ark was that of the tabernacle, so the tablets of stone were the
condensed body of the tabernacle. Therefore, the ark and the
tabernacle could be represented either with the tablets of stone or
with the rock, their root. Consequently, the third course of
restoration into Canaan on the national level would begin by starting
from Kadesh-barnea according to the "providence for the start",
centering on the rock.
How, then, did God intend to fulfill the "providence for the start",
centering on the rock? In order to give life to the Israelites, who
were falling into faithlessness without having acceptably set up the
40-year period in the wilderness (Num. 20:4-5), God had Moses strike
the rock with his rod before the congregation of the Israelites, to
have water and to let them drink (Num. 20:8). Had Moses' first strike
against the rock, bringing water and giving drink to the Israelites,
made them awe-stricken with God's power to such an extent that they
all became one, centering on their leader, they could have stood on
the foundation for the tabernacle, together with Moses; on that
foundation, they could have fulfilled the "providence for the start",
centering on the rock. If they had trusted and obeyed Moses from that
time on and entered Canaan under his leadership, they could have set
up the condition of indemnity on the national level to remove the
fallen nature, and could then have also established the foundation of
substance, centering on Moses, for their third course. However, Moses,
upon seeing the people murmur in resentment against him for
having no water, raged in such an anger that he struck the rock twice
with his rod. Therefore, God said:
Because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the
eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring
this assembly into the land which I have given them. (Num.
20:12)
Moses thus failed to fulfill the "providence for the start" centering
on the rock by striking it twice, when he should have struck just
once. Therefore, he could never enter the blessed land of Canaan, the
land of promise, although it was in his sight (Num. 20:24; 27:12-14).
We now must understand why Moses should have struck the rock just once
and how his striking it twice became such a crime. Christ is
symbolized as a white stone (Rev. 2:17); again it is said that the
Rock was Christ (I Cor. 10:4). Meanwhile, as clarified in the chapter
on the Fall of Man, Christ came as the Tree of Life (Rev. 22:14).
Naturally, the Rock is also the Tree of Life. On the other hand, the
Tree of Life was the symbol of Adam in perfection in the Garden of
Eden. Since this Tree of Life is symbolized by the Rock, the Rock is
also the symbol of Adam in perfection.
In the Garden of Eden. Satan struck Adam, who was supposed to become
the Rock. Consequently, Adam could not attain the Tree of Life (Gen.
3:24). Accordingly, he also failed to become the Rock that would yield
the "water of life" from God, which his descendants would drink
forever. Therefore, the rock, before Moses struck it, that had not
yielded water, symbolized fallen Adam. Satan, by once striking Adam
and causing him to fall, made him "Adam as the rock not capable of
yielding water". Therefore, God intended to set up the condition to
restore through indemnity "Adam as the rock capable of yielding
water", by once striking the rock representing Adam
incapable of yielding water and by bringing water from it.
Consequently, the rock which Moses struck once to bring water
symbolized Jesus, who was to come and give the drink of the water of
life to all fallen men. Therefore, Jesus said:
Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never
thirst, the water that I shall give him will become in him a
spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:14)
God allowed Moses to strike the rock only once, as the condition to
restore through indemnity the first Adam of the fall into the second
Adam of perfection, or Jesus. But Moses' act of striking the rock the
second time became the action representing the possibility of striking
Jesus, who was to come as the restored Rock and give the drink of the
water of life to all mankind. In this way, the faithlessness of the
Israelites and the act of Moses' twice striking the rock in rage
established a condition which enabled Satan to come directly before
Jesus, the "Rock in substance", if and when the Israelites would ever
fall into faithlessness later, at the coming of Jesus. Therefore,
Moses' act became a crime.
Moses' act of breaking the tablets of stone once could be restored,
but his mistake of twice striking the rock could not be restored. We
must study the reason for this.
Seen from the viewpoint of the providence of restoration, the tablets
of stone and the rock have the relationship of the external and the
internal. The tablets of stone, with the Ten Commandments written on
them, were the center of Moses' law, and accordingly, the center of
the Old Testament. The Israelites of the Old Testament Age could enter
the sphere of salvation of this age by believing in the ideal of the
tablets of stone. In this respect, the tablets of stone were the
external representation of Jesus, who was to come later.
According to the passage "the Rock was Christ" (I Cor. 10:4), the rock
symbolizes Jesus, and at the same time forms the root
(origin) of the tablets of stone. Therefore, it also symbolizes God,
who is the root (origin) of Jesus, the substantial tablets of stone.
In that sense, the tablets of stone are external while the rock is
internal. If we liken the tablets of stone to our body, the rock
corresponds to our mind. If we liken the tablets of stone to the holy
place, the rock can be likened to the most holy place. Further, if we
liken the tablets of stone to the earth, the rock corresponds to
heaven. Therefore, the rock is the internal representation of Jesus
and bears a greater value than the tablets of stone.
Since the tablets of stone are the external representation of Jesus,
they also symbolize Aaron, who was set up as the external
representation of Jesus, before Moses, the symbol of God (Ex. 4:16,
7:1). Meanwhile, the Israelites had Aaron make a calf of gold (Ex.
32:4). Thus Aaron became a failure, together with the tablets of
stone. Nevertheless, Aaron could revive through repentance on the
foundation of having drunk the water of life from the rock at
Rephidim. Therefore, the tablets of stone symbolizing Aaron could also
be restored by again setting up the condition of indemnity on the
internal foundation of the water of life from the rock. However, the
rock representing the root of the tablets of stone symbolizes both
Christ and God, who is his root. Therefore, the act of striking them
could never be recovered.
What kind of result did Moses' act of striking the rock twice bring
about? Moses' act of striking the rock a second time was caused by his
impatience and anger against the Israelites' falling into
faithlessness (Ps. 106:32-33). This act was what he did from the
standpoint of Satan. Consequently, God's "providence for the start",
which He had intended to fulfill through the rock, resulted in the
invasion by Satan.
Thus, Moses' external act of having struck the rock twice was an act
of Satan; but in the internal reality, the Israelites were
given drink from the spring of water coming from the rock.
Therefore, the external Israelites who had come out of Egypt could not
enter Canaan, God's promised land, except Joshua and Caleb. Moses,
too, died at the age of 120 with the land of hope and desire within
his sight (Deut. 34:4-5). In place of Moses (Num. 27:18-20), Joshua
entered Canaan leading the internal Israelites, who had been born in
their course in the wilderness, where they had drunk of the water from
the rock and exalted the tabernacle (Num. 32:11-12).
If Moses' act of twice striking the rock had resulted in Satan's
invasion, the rock could not have yielded the water. How, then, could
the rock yield water? In their second course of restoration into
Canaan on the national level, Moses already had provided the base by
which to bring water from the rock, by obeying God's command at
Rephidim, by striking the rock to bring water, and by giving drink to
the Israelites (Ex. 17:6). The tablets of stone, the tabernacle and
the ark, which were set up on this foundation, were passed on to the
third course of restoration into Canaan on the national level, because
of the faith of a single man, Moses, who had kept God's command firmly
on the foundation of faith for the tabernacle that he had set up
through the 40-day fast and prayer, even when the Israelites all fell
into faithlessness in the rage against the people, but his
heart-and-zeal toward heaven were unchangeable. Furthermore, Joshua
kept and exalted the tablets of stone, the tabernacle and the ark with
unchanging faith on the foundation for the tabernacle which he had set
up through his 40-day spying in Canaan. Therefore, the foundation of
the spring from the rock set up at Rephidim also remained intact,
centering on Joshua.
In this manner, even though Moses' external act of faithlessness
resulted in Satan's external invasion of the second rock, the water
was yielded from the rock internally so that the people
drank it, due to the internal basis of Moses' unchanging heart and
Joshua's faith and loyalty.
Moses' act of twice striking the rock resulted in his taking the
position of Satan. Satan therefore took possession of the stone. It
was for this reason that Jesus, who came as the substantial stone,
went into the wilderness, when the Jewish people fell into
faithlessness in their worldwide course of restoration into Canaan, in
order to find and restore the stone that had been lost in the
wilderness. That is why he first suffered the temptation of being told
by Satan to make bread out of stone.
Due to Moses' twice striking the rock externally in rage against the
faithlessness of the Israelites, his flesh was invaded by Satan and he
died in the wilderness, but internally, he could bring water from the
rock and gave drink to the people because of his unchanging
heart-and-zeal. That made it possible for him to enter Canaan
spiritually. This foreshadowed the possibility that when Jesus, the
substantial Rock, would come, his flesh might be invaded by Satan by
the crucifixion, because of the people's disbelief, thus learning
unaccomplished the worldwide restoration into Canaan physically. In
this case, he would accomplish it only spiritually.
After Moses had struck the rock twice, God sent fiery serpents to the
Israelites, who were falling into faithlessness, and the serpents bit
them to death (Num. 21:6). When the Israelites came to repent, God had
Moses make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole, so that if a serpent
had bitten any man, the man might look at the bronze serpent and live
(Num. 21:9). The fiery serpent symbolized Satan, the ancient serpent,
who had caused Eve to fall (Rev. 12:9), and the bronze serpent set on
the pole symbolized Jesus, who would later come as the heavenly
serpent (John 3:14). This foreshadowed for us that, just as God had
put the Israelites into the hands of the Satanic serpent when they had
fallen into faithlessness, and had brought them into life
again when they repented and restored their faith, similar things
would happen in the time of Jesus. That is, if the Jewish people fell
into faithlessness, God would have to put them into the hands of
Satan; then, Jesus would be compelled to die on the cross, as the
heavenly serpent, in order that the whole of mankind might live.
Whoever repented of his faithlessness and believed in the redemption
through the cross would be saved. Therefore, Jesus said, "As Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be
lifted up." (John 3:14). This, in fact, became a remote cause that
made Jesus start his spiritual course through the cross, in the third
worldwide course of restoration into Canaan, centering on Jesus.
When Moses had struck the rock twice, God predicted that Moses would
not be able to enter the land of Canaan (Num. 20:12). Moses then
prayed to God to let him enter Canaan (Deut. 3:25), but he finally
died with the promised land in his sight. After his death, he was
buried in a valley in the land of Moab, but no man knows the place of
his burial to this day (Deut. 34:6). This foreshadowed that later,
Jesus also might die on the cross if the Jewish people fell into
faithlessness. Though he might pray with ardor that God would let the
cup of death pass from him, that he might fulfill the worldwide
restoration into Canaan, he would finally die without realizing this
will, and the whereabouts of his body would be unknown.
The foundation of substance centering on Joshua
Because Moses struck the rock twice, God's will for the Israelites to
enter Canaan with the "providence for the start" centering on the rock
was not fulfilled. Due to Moses' striking the rock twice (Num.
20:1-13), Satan could invade externally, but due to the foundation of
having brought water from the rock at Rephidim, Moses could give drink
eternally to the Israelites. This showed us another course
of God's providence. That is, those belonging to the "external
Israelites", who had been born in Egypt (the Satanic world) and had
fallen into faithlessness in the wilderness, all died in the
wilderness except for Joshua and Caleb, who had set up the 40-day
period of spying in good faith. Only the "internal Israelites", born
during their life in the wilderness when the people drank the water
from the rock and exalted the tabernacle, entered Canaan, centering on
Joshua in place of Moses (Num. 32:11-12). Therefore, God said to
Moses:
Take Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit,
and lay your hand upon him; cause him to stand before
Eleazer the priest and all the congregation, and you shall
commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with
some of your authority, that all the congregation of the
people of Israel may obey. (Num. 27:18-20)
Joshua was one of the two, who, in contrast to the Israelites who fell
into faithlessness during the 40-day period of spying, stood firmly on
the foundation of faith for the tabernacle, set up by Moses. Joshua
was thus able to establish the foundation for the tabernacle with
unchanging faith and loyalty, exalting the tabernacle to the end. In
this way, even though Moses had fallen into faithlessness, the tablets
of stone, the tabernacle and the ark remained intact on the foundation
for the tabernacle set up by Joshua.
Therefore, God intended to fulfill the "providence for the start",
centering on the water from the rock, by setting up Joshua in place of
Moses, and having the internal Israelites obey him and stand with him
on the foundation for the tabernacle. In accordance with this
providence, God intended to have the people enter the land of Canaan,
establish the condition of indemnity on the national level to remove
the fallen nature, and accomplish the foundation of substance
centering on Joshua in their third course.
Therefore, God said:
He [Joshua] shall go over [into Canaan] at the head of this
people, and he shall put them in possession of the land
which you [Moses] shall see. (Deut. 3:28)
Then God said to Joshua:
...as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not
fail you or forsake you. Be strong and of good courage; for
you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I
swore to their fathers to give them. (Josh. 1:5-6)
When Moses had accomplished, according to God's will, the 40-year
period in the wilderness of Midian, God appeared to Moses and
commanded him to lead the Israelites into the land of Canaan, the land
flowing with milk and honey (Ex. 3:8-10). Likewise, God called Joshua,
in place of Moses, and commanded him saying:
Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this
Jordan, you and all the people, into the land which I am
giving to them, to the people of Israel. (Josh. 1:2)
Joshua, in obedience to God's command, called the officers of the
people and conveyed God's will (Joshua 1:10-11). Then they answered
him saying:
All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you
send us we will go.... Whoever rebels against your
commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command
him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good
courage. (Josh. 1:16-18)
Thus they were determined to follow Joshua at the risk of their lives.
In that way, Joshua, who had the mission of substituting for Moses,
can be viewed as a symbol of the Lord of the Second Advent, who comes
in order to succeed and fulfill the mission of Jesus.
Therefore, the course of Joshua, who was to restore through indemnity
the course of Moses, was the course representing the way of the Lord
of the Second Advent, who is to restore through indemnity, both
spiritually and physically, the course of spiritual restoration by
Jesus.
There were 12 men whom Moses sent, in their second course into Canaan,
to spy on the land (Num. 13:1-2). Of these, only two accomplished
their mission in unchanging loyalty. On the foundation of their
heart-and-zeal, Joshua sent two men into Jericho to spy on the city
(Josh. 2:1). After having accomplished their mission the two men
reported in faith, saying, "Truly the Lord has given all the land into
our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are
fainthearted because of us." (Josh. 2:24). Then, all the descendants
of Israel born in the wilderness believed the words of the spies.
Through their faith, they could indemnify the sin of their
forefathers, who had not been able to accomplish their 40-day spying
in accordance with God's will.
In this manner, the internal Israelites, having pledged at the risk of
their lives to obey Joshua who stood on the foundation for the
tabernacle, could also stand on the same foundation with Joshua. Thus,
through the "providence for the start", which they had established
centering on the spring of water from the rock, they restored the
position of their forefathers, centering on Moses, who had fulfilled
the "providence for the start", through the three great signs and ten
calamities in their second course. Therefore, just as the Israelites,
centering on Moses, had accomplished the three-day course before
crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites, centering on Joshua, also
accomplished the three-day course before crossing the Jordan (Josh.
3:2). Meanwhile, just as the Israelites, after their three-day course,
had been led to the Red Sea by the pillar of clouds and the pillar of
fire, the Israelites centering on Joshua, also after their
three-day course, were led to the Jordan by the ark of the covenant
(Josh. 3:3, 3:8), which symbolized Jesus and the Holy Spirit,
representing the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire.
Just as the Red Sea had been split by the rod, opening the way for
Moses and the people, the waters of the Jordan, overflowing the bank,
were separated when the priests bearing the ark entered the stream
(Josh. 3:16), and all Israel passed over the river on dry ground
(Josh. 3:17). The rod was a representation of Jesus who was to come.
The ark of the covenant, containing the two tablets of stone, together
with manna and Aaron's rod, was the substance symbolizing Jesus and
the Holy Spirit. The fact that in the presence of the ark, the waters
of the Jordan were separated and the Israelites were restored into the
land of Canaan without difficulty foreshadowed that later, in the
presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the sinful world, symbolized by
waters (Rev. 17:15), would be separated through judgment, and all the
saints would accomplish the worldwide restoration into Canaan.
At this time, God commanded Joshua, saying:
Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and
command them, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the midst
of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet
stood, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in
the place where you lodge tonight.'. (Josh. 4:2-3)
The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the
first month, and they encamped in Gilgal, on the east border
of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of
the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. (Josh. 4:19-20)
What did this foreshadow? As already discussed, the stone symbolized
Jesus, who was to come. Therefore, the fact that the twelve men
representing the twelve tribes honored the twelve stones, taken in the
midst of the Jordan where the waters were cut off by the ark, showed
that later the twelve disciples of Jesus, elected as
representatives of the twelve tribes, should honor Jesus, in the midst
of a sinful world, separated into good and evil, according to the
words of Jesus.
After they had taken the twelve stones and set them up in the camp in
land of Canaan, Joshua said:
...so that all the people of the earth may know that the
hand of the Lord is mighty; that you may fear the Lord your
God for ever. (Josh. 4:24)
This foreshadowed that only when the twelve disciples of Jesus later
should become one, in one place, with complete unity of mind and will,
would the worldwide restoration be accomplished, and the almightiness
of God be praised through eternity.
Just as Jacob had set up the altar of stone wherever he had been, the
representatives of the twelve tribes, who were the descendants of
Jacob's twelve sons, also set up the altar of prayer to praise God by
gathering twelve stones, showing that later a temple would be erected
in a like manner. This showed us truly that the twelve disciples of
Jesus ought to honor and serve Jesus, as the Temple, with all their
zeal put together. Later, when his disciples failed to become one,
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it
up." (John 2:19). In fact, the twelve disciples failed to become one
in harmony, and the betrayal of Judas Iscariot caused the destruction
of Jesus, the Temple, through crucifixion; and in three days he was
raised from death, and gathered again his scattered disciples. Then
his disciples served and honored the resurrected Jesus only as the
spiritual Temple. The substantial Temple will be established at the
time of the Second Advent.
Just as the Israelites, when they commenced their second course
towards the land of Canaan, observed the feast of Passover on the 14th
day of the first month of the year before they journeyed
(Ex. 12:17-18), the Israelites, centering on Joshua, who encamped in
Gilgal, also observed the feast of passover on the 14th day of the
first month of the year before journeying toward the fortified city of
Jericho. When they began to live on the products of the land, God
stopped feeding them with manna, after his 40 long years of care for
them. From then on, they had to rely on what they cultivated by their
own sweat. Even during the moment of breaking through the last
toll-gate to the Satanic city, they had to fulfill their own portion
of responsibility, which was man's part. According to God's
commandment to the Israelites, 40,000 soldiers were in the vanguard,
followed by seven chief priests marching with seven trumpets, who
preceded the ark of the covenant, carried by the Levite priests (Josh.
3:3). then, the entire host of the Israelites marched in the rear line
(Josh. 6:8-9).
As God had commanded them, the Israelites marched around the city in
this formation for six days, making one tour each day; but there was
no change caused in the city. They had to restore through indemnity in
utter patience and obedience, the six-day period of creation which had
been invaded by Satan. After having set up the six days through such
obedience, on the seventh day, the seven priests with the seven
trumpets marched around the city seven times blowing the trumpets, and
Joshua said to the people, "Shout; for the Lord has given you the
city!". Upon his command the people raised a great shout, and the
walls crumbled (Josh. 6).
This course showed us that later, through the power of Jesus and his
disciples, the Satanic barrier between heaven and earth would fall
down. Therefore, Joshua said:
Cursed before the Lord be the man that raises up and
rebuilds the city, Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn
shall he lay its foundation and at the cost of his youngest
son shall he set up its gates. (Josh. 6:26)
because this Satanic barrier was never to be set up again.
Thus Joshua destroyed the enemy with an irresistible force, defeating
31 kings altogether (Joshua 12:9-24). This also foreshadowed that
Jesus would come as the King of Kings and establish the earthly
Kingdom of God, in unity, by destroying all the gentile kings, and
unifying the peoples of the whole world.
(iii) The Foundation to Receive the Messiah
The Israelites failed in their second course of restoration into
Canaan on the national level because they could not set up the 40-day
spying period for the separation from Satan. Then, in order to
indemnify this period again, they started their third course of
restoration into Canaan on the national level, and after 40 years of
wandering in the wilderness they came back to Kadesh-barnea. At this
time, Moses could establish the foundation of faith for the third
course and the Israelites could stand on the foundation for the
tabernacle.
However, due to the faithlessness of the Israelites, and Moses'
striking the rock twice, both foundations were invaded by Satan.
Therefore, the external Israelites who had left Egypt centering on
Moses were all destroyed in the wilderness; but Joshua and Caleb could
establish the foundation for the tabernacle, because they set up the
40-day spying period of separation from Satan with faith and loyalty,
based upon the foundation of faith and the foundation of faith for the
tabernacle, which had been established by Moses in the second course.
Thus, the external Israelites, centering on Moses, all died in the
wilderness. But the internal Israelites, born during their life in the
wilderness when they exalted and served the tabernacle, could cross
the Jordan bearing the ark of the covenant in utter loyalty, centering
on Joshua in place of Moses. Then, having destroyed the city of
Jericho, they entered Canaan, the land of their desire.
Thus the foundation of substance in the third course of restoration
into Canaan on the national level was established. Accordingly, the
foundation to receive the Messiah for this course was also laid. After
the foundation to receive the Messiah on the family level, established
by Abraham, and after the indemnity course of the 400-year slavery in
Egypt, caused by Abraham's failure in the offering, the foundation to
receive the Messiah on the national level was established. Meanwhile,
fallen men at that time erected a powerful kingdom; that is, Egypt,
centering on Satan, and they held their stand against the heavenly
providence of restoration. As already discussed (cf. Part II, Ch. 1,
Sec. III, 3--279), the Messiah could not come before the kingdom was
built on the side of God, which could cope with Satan, even though the
foundation to receive the Messiah on the national level centering on
Joshua had been established. However, the internal Israelites, having
entered Canaan, again fell into faithlessness, and the providence was
prolonged again, until the time of Jesus.
3. LESSONS LEARNED FROM MOSES' COURSE
In the long course of history since the time of Moses up to the
present moment, numerous saints, serving the divine will, have
repeatedly read the Biblical record with respect to Moses. However,
they thought these words were merely the record of Moses' history, and
there has not been a single man among them who knew that God intended
to teach us, through Moses, certain secrets concerning His providence
of restoration. Even Jesus only intimated it by saying, "Truly, truly,
I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what
he sees the Father doing." (John 5:19), and left unclarified the
fundamental meaning of Moses' course (John 16:12).
We have clarified already how Moses went through the typical or
formulary course for the providence of restoration. The fact
that his course foreshadowed the course which Jesus was later to tread
will be made clearer in comparison with Section III of this chapter.
Looking into God's providence centering on Moses, alone, we cannot
deny the fact that God is behind human history, leading it toward one
absolute purpose.
Next, Moses' course shows us that the degree of man's accomplishment
of his own portion of responsibility would decide the success or
failure of God's predestination. Even God's predestined will could not
succeed, centering on a particular person, if and when the person set
up for the predestination should fail to accomplish his own portion of
responsibility. God predestined His will to have Moses lead the people
of Israel into the land of Canaan, flowing with milk and honey, and
commanded Moses to do so. Nevertheless, when he and his people had
failed to accomplish their responsibility, only Joshua and Caleb, out
of all the Israelites who had left Egypt, entered Canaan, and the rest
of them all died in the wilderness.
Moses' course also shows us that God does not interfere in man's
portion of responsibility, but deals only with the result. God had led
the Israelites with wonderful miracles and signs, but He interfered in
neither the people's act of making the idol of the golden calf while
Moses was on the mountain receiving the tablets of stone, nor in
Moses' act of striking the rock twice, because these were their own
portions of responsibility which they had to accomplish by themselves.
On the other hand, God showed us, through Moses' course, the
absoluteness of His predestined will. It is positive and absolute for
God to fulfill the will He once predestined. Therefore, when Moses
failed to fulfill his responsibility, God set up Joshua in his place
and finally fulfilled the will he once predestined. In this way, if a
person whom God has set up in the position of Abel should fail to
accomplish his mission, the person who has been loyal in the position
of Cain would replace him, succeeding the mission of Abel.
Jesus meant this when he said, "...the kingdom of heaven has suffered
violence, and men of violence take it by force." (Matt. 11:12).
Still another lesson that Moses' course teaches us is that the greater
a man's mission, the heavier the temptations he may be offered. Since
the first human couple fell by not believing in God and by rebelling
against Him, the personage in charge of restoration of the foundation
of faith had to overcome the temptation or suffering of God's
deserting him without care. Therefore, Moses was entitled to be the
leader of the Israelites only after he had overcome the trial of God's
seeking to kill him (Ex. 4:24).
Even God cannot grant man grace unconditionally, because, originally,
Satan came to possess man under the condition of the fall, and could
accuse God of unfairness if grace were given without a corresponding
temptation. Therefore, when God grants man grace, He is sure to give
him a temptation, either preceding or following (or both) the grace,
in order to prevent Satan's accusation. To take examples from Moses'
course: Moses was granted the grace of the first Exodus only after his
suffering of 40 years in Pharaoh's palace. He was again granted the
grace of the second Exodus only after suffering 40 years in the
wilderness of Midian (Ex. 4:20). God granted Moses the three great
signs and the miracles of ten calamities (Ex. 4:24-25). There came the
grace of the pillar of clouds and the pillar of fire (Ex. 13:21) only
after the suffering of the three-day course (Ex. 10:22). On the other
hand, only after the suffering while crossing the Red Sea (Ex.
14:21-22) could the gift of manna and quail come (Ex. 16:13), and only
after the suffering through the fight against the Amalekites (Ex.
17:10) came the grace of the tablets of stone, the tabernacle, and the
ark of the covenant (Ex. 31:18-40:38). Again, only after the
suffering of 40 years wandering in the wilderness (Num. 14:33) was
there the grace of the water from the rock (Num. 20:8), and only after
the suffering of the fiery serpent (Num. 21:6) was there the grace of
the bronze serpent (Num. 21:9). Thus we can see that Moses' course
teaches us many lessons.
SECTION III -
THE PROVIDENCE OF RESTORATION CENTERING ON JESUS
In the beginning, Adam, who was supposed to dominate the angels (I
Cor. 6:3), brought about Hell by being dominated by Satan. Therefore,
in order to restore Adam's domination, through indemnity, Jesus, who
came as the second Adam, was supposed to subjugate Satan and restore
the Kingdom of God. As stated in Section I, Satan, who had not
surrendered even to God, could not be made to surrender to Jesus and
his followers. Therefore, taking the responsibility in the Principle
for creating man, God, by setting up Jacob and Moses, established the
model course for Jesus to subjugate Satan in the future.
Jacob went through the symbolic course of subjugating Satan, while
Moses walked the image-course of subjugating Satan, then, Jesus had to
go through the substantial course. Therefore, Jesus had to accomplish
the worldwide course of the restoration into Canaan by subjugating
Satan, following the model of the nationwide course of restoration
into Canaan, in which Moses had subjugated Satan.
God said to Moses:
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their
brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall
speak to them all that I command him. (Deut. 18:18)
By "a prophet like you" (Moses), God meant Jesus, who would
go through the same course as that of Moses. Again, Jesus said "...the
Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father
[God] doing..." (John 5:19), signifying that Jesus was treading the
model course which God had foreshadowed through Moses. Details were
already discussed in the providence of restoration centering on Moses,
but here, let us discuss the providence of restoration centering on
Jesus by comparing and contrasting the entire outline of the three
courses of nationwide restoration into Canaan centering on Moses, and
the three courses of worldwide restoration into Canaan centering on
Jesus.
1. THE FIRST WORLDWIDE COURSE OF RESTORATION INTO CANAAN
(1) The Foundation of Faith
The central figure to restore the foundation of faith in the first
worldwide course of restoration into Canaan was John the Baptist. In
what position was John the Baptist to accomplish his mission? It was
discussed in "Moses' Course" that his acts of breaking the tablets of
stone, and of striking the rock twice in the course of nationwide
restoration into Canaan, centering on Moses, allowed Satan the
possibility of striking Jesus, if the Jewish people, who should have
centered on Jesus, would fall into faithlessness.
In order for Jesus to avoid this condition, the chosen people of
Israel, who were preparing the foundation for his coming, should have
become one in harmony, centering on the temple, which was the
image-entity of the Messiah. However, the Israelites repeatedly fell
into faithlessness, thus creating the condition for Satan to invade
Jesus, who was to come in the future. In order to prevent this
condition, Elijah, the prophet, came and worked for the
separation from Satan by destroying 850 false prophets, including Baal
and Ashera (I Kings 18:19), and finally ascended into heaven (II Kings
2:11). However, since Elijah's mission was not entirely realized, he
had to come again to accomplish the rest of his mission (Mal. 4:5).
The prophet who came as Elijah to succeed and accomplish the mission
of separating from Satan, which had been left unfulfilled by Elijah,
and to make straight the way of the Messiah (John 1:23), was John the
Baptist (Matt. 11:14, 17:10-13).
The Israelites were suffering the 400-year slavery in Egypt without a
prophet to lead them, and while doing so, they met with one man,
Moses, as the personage who could lead them into the land of Canaan
and help them meet the Messiah. Likewise, the Jewish people also were
suffering slavery under the gentile nations of Persia, Greece, Egypt,
Syria, and Rome, during the 400 years of the preparation period for
the coming of the Messiah, since the time of the prophet Malachi,
without even a single prophet to guide them. While doing so, they
finally met John the Baptist as the personage able to lead them to the
Messiah who should come for the worldwide restoration into Canaan.
Moses, who had been set up the foundation of separation from Satan of
the 400-years slavery in Egypt, learned the way of loyalty and filial
piety in Pharaoh's palace. John the Baptist, who was placed on the
foundation of separation from Satan of the 400-year period of
preparation for the coming of the messiah, also learned the way of
loyalty and filial piety toward God, in order to receive the Messiah,
while living on locusts and wild honey in the wilderness. Therefore,
the Jewish people, including the high priests (John 1:19), thought
that John the Baptist might be the Messiah (Luke 3:15). In this way,
John the Baptist stood on the 40-day foundation of separation from
Satan, and he could lay the foundation of faith for the
first worldwide restoration of Canaan.
(2) The Foundation of Substance
John the Baptist, set up in the position of Moses, was, for the Jewish
people, in the position of both the parent and the child. From the
position of the parent, he could restore, through indemnity, the
foundation of faith for the first worldwide restoration of Canaan. At
the same time, he could establish the position of Abel in setting up
the condition of indemnity on the worldwide level to remove the fallen
nature, from the position of the child (cf. Part II, Ch. 2, Sec. II,
1.2--295). Consequently, John the Baptist stood on the foundation
which he established on the worldwide level, magnifying the position
of Moses, who, after the 40 years of indemnity in Pharaoh's palace,
laid the foundation of faith for the first restoration on the
nationwide level.
At the time of Moses, God intended to fulfill the "providence for the
start", by having the people of Israel trust Moses, after seeing him
kill the Egyptian. The Israelites of that time had to leave Egypt, the
Satanic nation, and go into the land of Canaan; whereas the Jewish
people, centering on John the Baptist, instead of leaving the Roman
Empire to move into another land, had to remain under the regime and
subjugate it, restoring the empire to Heaven. Therefore, God showed
the people the signs and miracles centering on John the Baptist, and
by having the Jewish people believe him, He intended to fulfill the
"providence for the start".
Through the wondrous prediction of the angel concerning the conception
of John the Baptist, through the miracle of his father's becoming dumb
when he did not believe in this, and through many other miracles which
God showed the Israelites at the time of John's birth, they
knew from the time of his birth that John was the prophet God had sent
to them. This is just as the Bible says:
Fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were
talked about through all the hill country of Judea; and all
who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, 'What
then will this child be?'. For the hand of the Lord was with
him. (Luke 1:65-66)
Furthermore, because of his brilliant career of asceticism, and his
life of prayer in the wilderness, the chief priests (John 1:19) and
all the Jewish people (Luke 3:15) esteemed him so highly that they
mistook him for the Messiah.
Moses slew the Egyptians after the 40-year period of indemnity in
Pharaoh's palace. Then, if the Israelites, moved by his patriotism,
had believed and followed him, they could have gone straight into
Canaan through the direct way of the Philistines, without having to
cross the Red Sea, without making a detour by way of the wilderness,
and without need of the tablets of stone, the tabernacle, or the ark
of the covenant. If the Jewish people of Jesus' day, also, had
believed and followed John the Baptist, whom God had set up for them
to believe, through the miracles and signs, they could have restored
the foundation of substance by establishing the conditions of
indemnity to remove the fallen nature, and on it they could have
restored the foundation to receive the Messiah.
(3) The Failure in the First Course of Restoration into Canaan on the
Worldwide Level
The Jewish people were in the position of believing and following John
the Baptist on the foundation of faith established by him (John 1:19,
Luke 3:15). Therefore, they could terminate the Old Testament Age and
start their new course of restoration into Canaan on the worldwide
level. However, as already stated (cf. Part I, Ch. 4, Sec.
II--153), John the Baptist, though he himself testified to Jesus as
the Messiah, finally doubted him (Matt. 11:3). By denying that he had
come as Elijah, he not only blocked the way for the Jewish people to
go before Jesus, but caused them to betray Jesus. Therefore, John the
Baptist left the position of Abel in laying the foundation of
substance and, in consequence, the Jewish people failed to establish
the condition of indemnity on the worldwide level to remove the fallen
nature.
In this way, the foundation to receive the Messiah was not established
because the Jewish people failed to lay the foundation of substance.
Therefore, the first course of restoration into Canaan on the
worldwide level ended in failure, foreshadowing a second, or even a
third prolongation, just as at the time of Moses.
2. THE SECOND COURSE OF RESTORATION INTO CANAAN ON THE WORLDWIDE LEVEL
(1) The Foundation of Faith
(i) Jesus Succeeds the Mission of John the Baptist
John the Baptist was a personage in the position of a restored Adam
before Jesus, who came as a perfected Adam. Therefore, John the
Baptist had to establish the foundation to receive the Messiah by
completing all the missions left unaccomplished by all the central
figures who had come in the course of providential history until then
with the purpose of restoring the foundation of faith and the
foundation of substance. Then, leading the Jewish people, who would
believe and follow him on this foundation, he would have handed them
all over to Jesus, together with the whole foundation of the
providence. After this, he himself should have followed Jesus with the
utmost faith and loyalty.
John the Baptist baptized Jesus at the River Jordan (Matt. 3:16)
without knowing the significance of the deed, but it was a ceremony of
handing over to him all that John had done for the will of God.
Nevertheless, John the Baptist later became gradually more skeptical
about Jesus and at last betrayed him. Naturally, the Jewish people,
who believed and followed John the Baptist as the Messiah (Luke 3:15)
were forced to stand in the position of disbelieving Jesus (cf. Part
I, Ch. 4, Sec. II--153). Accordingly, the foundation of faith that
John the Baptist had set up for the first worldwide course for the
restoration of Canaan was, in the end, invaded by Satan. Therefore,
Jesus himself was compelled to restore through indemnity that
foundation of faith, succeeding the mission of John the Baptist and
thus starting the second worldwide course for the restoration of
Canaan. Jesus separated himself from Satan by fasting 40 days in the
wilderness and this was to restore through indemnity the foundation of
faith from the position of John the Baptist.
Jesus who came as the son of God and the Lord of Glory, originally
should not have walked the path of tribulation (I Cor. 2:8). However,
John the Baptist, who was born with the mission of preparing his way
(John 1:23, Luke 1:76), failed to accomplish his mission. So Jesus,
himself, had to suffer the tribulations which John the Baptist had to
suffer in preparing the way for Jesus. Thus, Jesus, though being the
Messiah, succeeded John the Baptist in starting the course of the
providence of restoration. Therefore, he told his disciples not to
make public the fact that he was the Messiah (Matt. 16:20).
(ii) Jesus' Forty-day Fast and Prayer in the Wilderness and His Three
Great Temptations
We must first know the remote and primary courses of Jesus' 40-day
fast and prayer and his three great temptations. In the
course of the nationwide restoration of Canaan, Moses, who stood
before the rock, became faithless and struck it twice. Therefore, the
rock, symbolizing Christ (I Cor. 10:4) suffered Satan's invasion. This
became an act showing that later, even in the course of Jesus, who
would have to walk with Moses' course as a pattern it would be
possible for Satan to invade if John the Baptist, who would come in
order to make straight the way of Jesus, should become faithless.
Consequently, this action also showed that Satan could invade the
foundation of faith centering on John the Baptist, who was to come
before the Messiah. Therefore, Moses' action of striking the rock
twice became the remote cause compelling Jesus to go into the
wilderness and suffer the 40-day fast and the three great temptations
from the position succeeding John the Baptist in order to restore the
foundation of faith, in case that John the Baptist should lose faith.
John the Baptist became faithless (cf. Part I, Ch. 4, Sec. II,
3--157), and Satan invaded the foundation of faith which he had laid.
With this as the immediate cause, Jesus had to suffer the 40-day fast
and the three great temptations in the position of John the Baptist,
in order that he might restore through indemnity the foundation of
faith by setting up the 40-day foundation to separate Satan.
Then, what was Satan's purpose in offering Jesus the three great
temptations? In the Bible (Matt. 4:1-10) we read that Satan showed him
stones and told him to command them to become loaves of bread. Then he
took him to the pinnacle of the temple and told him to throw himself
down. Finally he took him to a very high mountain and told Jesus that
he would give him the whole world if Jesus would fall down and worship
him, thus giving Jesus three temptations.
In the beginning, God created man and blessed him in three ways: the
perfection of individuality, multiplication of children, and
dominion over the world of creation (Gen. 1:28). God's purpose of
creation was for man to accomplish all of these. However, Satan caused
man to fall, making him fail to accomplish the three blessings. So the
purpose of creation remained unfulfilled. Jesus came to fulfill God's
purpose of creation by restoring these three blessings that God had
promised. Therefore, Satan tried to prevent him from fulfilling the
purpose of creation, by offering him the three temptations in order to
block the way of restoring the blessings.
How then did Jesus confront and overcome these three great
temptations? Let us first examine how Satan as a subjective being
tempted Jesus. We have already clarified the fact that in the course
of the nationwide restoration of Canaan centering on Moses, Satan came
to stand in the subject position to the Israelites centered on Moses,
by taking (due to the Israelites' disbelief and Moses' failure) the
rock and the two tablets of stone symbolizing Jesus and the Holy
Spirit. Then, in the course of the worldwide restoration of Canaan,
John the Baptist, who had come with the mission of making straight the
way of the Messiah (John 1:23) by separating Satan, failed to fulfill
his responsibility, and the Israelites again fell into faithlessness
and disobedience as in the time of Moses. Consequently, just as God
had already foreshadowed in Moses' course, Satan came to stand in the
subject position, which enabled him to tempt Jesus. Let us study these
temptations in greater detail.
After Jesus fasted 40 days, Satan appeared before him and tempted him,
saying, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become
loaves of bread." (Matt. 4:3). Meanwhile, the stone was in Satan's
possession, due to Moses' action of breaking the tablets of stone and
of striking the rock and due to the disbelief of John the Baptist.
Therefore, in order to restore the stone, Jesus had to go into the
wilderness and separate Satan by fasting for 40 days. Satan knew well
enough that Jesus had come into the wilderness to restore
the stone. This temptation signified that Satan would hold possession
of the stone forever, if Jesus, in his wilderness course for the
worldwide restoration of Canaan, should become faithless and choose to
command the stone to become loaves of bread in order to fill his
hungry stomach without trying to restore the stone--just as in
previous days, the Israelites could not endure hunger and had fallen
into faithlessness in the nationwide restoration of Canaan.
Jesus' answer to this temptation was, "Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matt.
4:4). Originally, man was created to live on two kinds of nutriments.
That is to say, man's physical body lives on the nutriments taken from
the natural world, while his spirit lives by the words proceeding from
the mouth of God. However, fallen men became unable to receive God's
Word directly and their spirits live by the words of Christ, who came
to earth as the incarnation of God's Word, as is written in the Bible
(John 1:14). Therefore, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life" (John
6:48), and went on to say, "Truly, truly I say to you unless you eat
the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in
you." (John 6:53). Therefore, even if man's physical body may have
life by eating bread, he cannot enjoy a wholesome life with that
alone. Man can become wholesome if, in addition he lives by Christ,
who came as the incarnation of God's Word and as man's food of life.
However, the stone became Satan's possession by Moses' striking the
rock, which was the root of the tablets of stone. The stone in Satan's
hand now truly was the rock and the tablets of stone which Moses had
lost. Therefore, the stone, after all, symbolized Jesus himself, who
was under Satan's temptation. This becomes even more apparent when we
read about a stone symbolizing Christ (Rev. 2:17) and that "the
Rock was Christ" (I Cor. 10:4). Therefore, Jesus' answer to
Satan's first temptation signified that even if he were then at the
point of starvation, the bread for the physical body was not a
question; and he himself had to triumph from the position of receiving
Satan's temptation and become the food of God's Word that could save
the spiritual bodies of all mankind. The first temptation was set up
so that Jesus could establish the position of the Messiah, with
perfected individuality, by overcoming the temptation from the
position of John the Baptist. Satan was at defeated by such words of
Jesus, who confronted him with God's will from the position of the
Principle, Jesus, by overcoming the first temptation and thus setting
up the condition enabling the restoration of his individuality, laid
the foundation for the restoration of God's first blessing.
Next, Satan set Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple and said, "If you
are the Son of God, throw yourself down." (Matt. 4:5-6). Jesus called
himself the temple (John 2:19-21), and the saints were called the
temple of God (I Cor. 3:16). It is also recorded that the saints are
the members of the body of Christ (I Cor. 12:27). Therefore, we can
understand that Jesus is the main temple and the saints are the branch
temples. Thus Jesus came as the master of the temple, and even Satan
could not help but recognize his authority. So he set Jesus on the
pinnacle of the temple; then he told Jesus to throw himself down from
there. This signified that if Jesus threw himself down from the
position of master to that of fallen man, Satan would occupy the
position of the dominator of the temple in place of Jesus.
At this point Jesus answered him saying, "You shall not tempt the Lord
your God." (Matt. 4:7). Originally angels were created to be dominated
by a man of the original state of creation; therefore, a fallen angel
was naturally to be dominated by Jesus. Consequently, the angel's
attempt to stand in the position of the lord of the temple was a
non-principled act. Therefore, he should not have stood in
the position of tempting God with such a non-principled act, by
tempting Jesus, the body of God, who works His providence by the
Principle alone. Moreover, Jesus, by overcoming the first temptation,
firmly established his position as master of the temple, as the
substantial temple, with his individuality restored. Therefore, he was
not in any position whatsoever to be tempted by Satan; Satan should
have left without tempting Jesus again.
Thus, by overcoming the second temptation, Jesus, who came as the main
temple and bridegroom, and the True Parent of mankind, set up the
condition enabling him to restore all the saints to the position of
his branch temples and brides, and true children, thus creating the
foundation for the restoration of God's second blessing.
Next, Satan led Jesus to a very high mountain, and, showing all the
kingdoms of the world and their glory, tempted him, saying, "All these
I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." (Matt. 4:9).
Originally, Adam, due to his fall, lost his authority as the master of
all creation, being dominated by Satan, and naturally Satan became the
dominator of all creation in place of Adam (Rom. 8:20). Jesus, who
came in the capacity of a perfected Adam, was the dominator of all the
creation, since it is written that God put all things in subjection
under Christ (I Cor. 15:27). Therefore, Satan who knew this principle,
led Jesus to a mountain top, putting him in the position of the master
of all things, and them tempted him in order that Jesus, the second
Adam, also might yield before him, just as Adam had yielded in the
beginning.
Jesus answered this, saying, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and
Him only shall you serve." (Matt. 4:10). Originally, an angel was a
ministering spirit (Heb. 1:14), and was supposed to worship and serve
God, his Creator. Jesus answered, signifying that it was the Principle
that Satan, the fallen angel, should also worship and serve
God. Naturally, it is the Principle for Satan to also worship and
serve Jesus, who appeared as the body of God, the Creator, Moreover,
Jesus had already established the foundation enabling him to restore
God's first and second blessings, by overcoming the first two
temptations. Therefore, it was natural for him to dominate all
creation by restoring God's third blessing on that foundation. So he
answered in accordance with the Principle, signifying that there was
no reason to be further involved with temptations concerning the
creation, which already stood on the victorious foundation.
Thus, Jesus overcame the third temptation to restore his domination
over the whole world of creation, through which he established the
foundation for the restoration of God's third blessing.
(iii) The Result of Separation from Satan by the Forty-Day Fast and
the Three Great Temptations
According to the principle of creation, God's purpose of creation is
to be realized only when man established the four position foundation,
after going through the three-stage process of origin, division, and
union. However, man had not been able to realize the purpose of
creation, because he had been invaded by Satan, in his course of
establishing the four positions. Therefore, God also intended to
restore through indemnity all the lost things, by establishing the
40-day foundation of separation from Satan, through the three stages
of prolongation of the providence.
Meanwhile, Jesus, though he was the Messiah, established the 40-day
foundation of separation from Satan, by overcoming the three stages of
temptation from the position of John the Baptist. Accordingly, Jesus
could restore through indemnity all the conditions at once which God
had intended to restore by establishing the 40-day foundation of
separation from Satan through the three-stage prolongation
of His providence of restoration.
First, Jesus could restore, through indemnity, all that was to be
restored in order to establish the foundation of faith, through the
providential course up to that time. Namely, he restored through
indemnity the offerings by Cain and Abel, Noah's ark, Abraham's
offering, Moses' tabernacle and Solomon's temple. Besides, Jesus at
once horizontally restored through indemnity all the 40-day
foundations of separation through indemnity all the 40-day foundations
of separation from Satan which had been lost due to the failures of
central figures whose mission had been to restore the foundation of
faith, through the vertical course of history during the 4,000 years
since Adam. Namely, he restored through indemnity Noah's 40-day flood
judgment; Moses' three 40-year periods and two 40-day fasts; the 40
days of spying in Canaan; the Israelites' 40-year course in the
wilderness; the 400 years from Noah to Abraham; the 400 years of
slavery in Egypt; and all other "number 40" periods lost after that,
until his own time.
Second, Jesus could set up the condition enabling him to realize God's
three great blessings and to restore through indemnity the four
position foundation, because he came from the position of John the
Baptist to stand in the position of the Messiah. Consequently, Jesus
became a substantial being having fulfilled the offering, and he could
stand as the substantial being of the tablets of stone, of the
tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, the rock, and the temple.
(2) The Foundation of Substance
Jesus came as the True Parent of mankind and restored through
indemnity the 40-day foundation of separation from Satan from the
position of John the Baptist. Therefore, he could restore the
foundation of faith from the position of a parent, and at the same
time he could establish the position of Abel in setting up
the worldwide condition of indemnity to remove the fallen nature from
the position of a child. Accordingly, Jesus came to stand in the
position of having restored through indemnity on the worldwide base,
the position of Moses who had established the foundation of faith for
the second nationwide restoration of Canaan by going through the
40-year period of indemnity in the wilderness of Midian.
In the second course of the nationwide restoration of Canaan, God
worked His "providence for the start" with the three great miracles
and ten calamities. Later in the third course of the nationwide
restoration of Canaan, God worked His "providence for the start" by
setting up the three great graces of the tablets of stone, the
tabernacle and the ark of the covenant--and the Ten Commandments, to
restore through indemnity the three great miracles and ten calamities
in Egypt, which were annulled because of the disbelief of the
Israelites.
Since Jesus was the substantial being of the Ten Commandments and the
three great graces (the tablets of stone, the tabernacle, and the ark
of the covenant), he worked the "providence for the start" by his own
words and miracles and signs in the second course of worldwide
restoration of Canaan. If, in accordance with the "providence for the
start", the Jewish people in the position of Cain had believed and
followed Jesus in the position of Abel, they could have set up the
condition of indemnity to remove the fallen nature and could have
restored the foundation of substance, thus establishing the foundation
of receive the Messiah. If so, Jesus, shifting from the position of
John the Baptist, could have stood as the Messiah. Then, if all
mankind had been engrafted to him (Rom. 11:17), had been reborn,
cleansed of the original sin, and had become one body in heart with
God, they could have restored the original nature endowed at the
creation, thus realizing the Kingdom of God on earth at that time.
(3) The Failure of the Second Course of the Worldwide Restoration of
Canaan
When, due to the disbelief of John the Baptist, the first providence
of the worldwide restoration of Canaan ended in a failure, Jesus
restored through indemnity the foundation of faith for the second
worldwide restoration of Canaan by suffering by himself the 40-day
tribulation in the wilderness, succeeding the mission of John the
Baptist. Meanwhile, Satan, who was defeated in the three great
temptations, departed from Jesus until an opportune time (Luke 4:13).
Satan's having departed from him "until an opportune time" implies
that he did not leave Jesus completely, but could come again before
Jesus. As a matter of fact, Satan confronted Jesus, working through
the Jewish people, centering on the chief priests and scribes who had
fallen faithless, and especially through Judas Iscariot, the disciple
who betrayed Jesus.
In this manner, due to the faithlessness of the Jewish people, the
foundation of substance for the second course of the worldwide
restoration of Canaan resulted in a failure; accordingly, the
foundation to receive the Messiah for this providence was a failure.
Naturally, the second course of the worldwide restoration of Canaan
also failed.
3. THE THIRD COURSE OF THE WORLDWIDE RESTORATION OF CANAAN
(1) The Course of the Spiritual Restoration of Canaan, Centering on
Jesus
Before discussing the problems concerning the third course of the
worldwide restoration, we must first know in what respect it differs
from the third course of nationwide restoration of Canaan. As already
discussed in detail, the center of the Israelite faith in the third
course of the nationwide restoration of Canaan was the
tabernacle, which was the symbolic body of the Messiah. Thus, even
when the Israelite nation fell into faithlessness, this tabernacle
remained intact, standing on the foundation of faith for the
tabernacle, which Moses had set up by his 40-day fast. When Moses,
too, fell into faithlessness, it remained standing, centering on
Joshua, who continued to serve the will on the foundation for the
tabernacle, which had been established by Joshua's 40-day spying
period to separate Satan on the foundation of faith that Moses had set
up.
However, the object of faith of the Jewish people, in their course of
the worldwide restoration of Canaan, was Jesus himself, who came as
the substantial body of the temple. When even his disciples fell into
disbelief, Jesus was forced to go the way of death, by giving his
physical body to the cross, as it was written, "As Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up." (John
3:14). In this way, the Jewish people lost their object of faith, both
in spirit and flesh. Therefore, they could not start their third
course of the worldwide restoration of Canaan directly as a
substantial course. But the Christians as the Second Israel started
first a spiritual course, by setting up the resurrected Jesus as their
object of faith.
Here lies the reason Jesus said, "Destroy this temple (Jesus himself),
and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19). The Lord will come
and, succeeding the mission of Jesus, he will accomplish, both
spiritually and physically, the third course of the worldwide
restoration of Canaan, just as Joshua had accomplished the third
course of the nationwide restoration of Canaan, succeeding Moses'
mission.
Seeing such a providential course of restoration alone, we can well
understand that unless the Lord would come again in flesh, as in the
time of Jesus, he cannot succeed and fulfill the purpose of the
providence of restoration which he intended to accomplish at the first
coming.
(i) The Spiritual Foundation of Faith
Since the second course of the worldwide restoration of Canaan ended
in failure due to the Israelites' betrayal of Jesus, the foundation of
faith which Jesus had set up, through the 40-day fast from the
position of John the Baptist, was helplessly handed over to Satan.
Therefore, after giving his physical body to Satan, through the cross,
Jesus set up the spiritual foundation of separation from Satan by his
40-day resurrection period, from the position of the spiritual
mission-bearer of John the Baptist. By doing this, he could restore
the spiritual foundation of faith for the spiritual course of the
third worldwide restoration of Canaan. There has not been even a
single man, until today, who knew that this was the reason the 40-day
resurrection period was set up after Jesus' crucifixion. How then did
Jesus establish the spiritual foundation of faith?
God had been with the chosen nation of Israel until the time when
Jesus appeared as the Messiah. Nevertheless, from the moment of their
rebellion against Jesus, who appeared as the Messiah, God was
compelled to deliver them, His elect, into the hands of Satan. Thus,
God, together with His son, who was betrayed by the Israelites, had to
abandon and turn against His chosen nation. Nevertheless, God's
purpose of sending the Messiah was to save not only the chosen nation
but also the whole of mankind. Therefore, God intended to save the
whole of mankind, even though He might have to deliver Jesus into the
hands of Satan. On the other hand, Satan tried to kill one man, Jesus,
the Messiah, even if he might have to hand over to God the whole of
mankind, including the chosen nation, which was now on his side. This
was because Satan thought that he could break the purpose of the whole
providence of God by killing the Messiah, for he knew that the first
purpose of God's 4,000-year providence of restoration had been to set
up one man, the Messiah. Thus, God finally handed Jesus over
to Satan, as the condition of indemnity, in order to save the whole of
mankind, including the Jewish people, who turned against Jesus, and
were now on Satan's side.
Satan thus attained what he had intended through the 4,000-year course
of history, by crucifying Jesus, with the exercise of his maximum
power. God, who thus handed over Jesus into Satan's hands, could, at
that price, set up the condition to save the whole of mankind,
including the Israelites.
How, then, did God come to be able to save sinful men? Since Satan had
killed Jesus by exercising his maximum power, the position for God now
to exercise His maximum power was created, according to the principle
of restoration through indemnity. The exercise of maximum power on
God's part was to bring the dead back to life, while that of Satan was
to kill man. Here God exercised His maximum power as the condition of
indemnity against Satan's act of killing Jesus through the exercise of
his maximum power, and He brought Jesus back to life. By grafting the
whole of mankind into the resurrected Jesus (Rom. 11:24) and giving
them rebirth, God intended to save all mankind.
As we well know through the Bible, Jesus after the resurrection was
not the same Jesus who had lived with his disciples before his
crucifixion. He was no longer a man seen through physical eyes,
because he was a being transcendent of time and space. He once
suddenly appeared in a closed room where his disciples were gathered
(John 20:19), while in another instance he appeared before two
disciples going to Emmaus, and accompanied them for a long distance.
But their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus, who appeared, would
again disappear suddenly. Jesus, in order to save mankind, had
established the spiritual foundation of faith through the 40-day
resurrection period to separate Satan, after giving up his physical
body to the cross as a sacrifice. By doing this, he
pioneered the way for the redemption of the sins of all men.
(ii) The Spiritual Foundation of Substance
Jesus, by establishing the spiritual 40-day foundation to separate
Satan through resurrection, from the position of the spiritual
mission-bearer of John the Baptist, could then restore the spiritual
foundation of faith from the position of a spiritual parent. At the
same time, he also established the position of a spiritual Abel in
setting up the worldwide condition of indemnity to remove the fallen
nature from the position of a spiritual child. Thus, Jesus could
establish a spiritual foundation of faith for the third worldwide
restoration of Canaan, just as Moses could establish the foundation of
faith for the third nationwide restoration of Canaan, by going through
the indemnity period of the 40-year wandering in the wilderness while
leading the Israelites.
At the time of Moses, God worked His "providence for the start" by
having him establish the foundation for the tabernacle. However the
resurrected Jesus worked the "providence for the start" by gathering
his disciples, scattered in Galilee, and giving them the power to
perform miracles and signs, since he himself was the spiritual
substantial body of the tablets of stone, tabernacle, and the ark
(Matt. 28:16-20).
Now, the saints in the position of Cain came to restore the spiritual
foundation of substance by setting up the spiritual condition of
indemnity to remove the fallen nature, through their believing,
serving, and following the resurrected Jesus, who was spiritually in
the position of Abel, as the spiritual mission-bearer of John the
Baptist.
(iii) The Spiritual Foundation to Receive the Messiah
After Jesus' crucifixion, the remaining eleven disciples scattered in
utter helplessness. Jesus, after his resurrection, gathered
them again in one place and started his new providence of the
spiritual restoration of Canaan. The disciples chose Matthias in place
of Judas Iscariot to fill the number of 12 disciples, and believed,
served, and followed the resurrected Jesus, thus establishing the
spiritual foundation of substance. By doing this, they could restore
the spiritual foundation to receive the Messiah.
On this foundation, Jesus could establish the position of the
spiritual Messiah from the position of spiritual mission-bearer of
John the Baptist and restore the Holy Spirit. By doing this, he became
the spiritual True Parent and came to perform the work of rebirth.
That is, as it is written in the Bible (Acts. 2:1-4), after the advent
of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the resurrected Jesus became the
spiritual True Father and, working in oneness with the Holy Spirit as
the spiritual True Mother, spiritually grafted saints to them, thus
beginning the work of spiritual rebirth. By doing this, Jesus could
accomplish the providence of spiritual salvation (cf. Part I, Ch. 4,
Sec. I, 4--147). Consequently, in the sphere of the resurrected Jesus,
Satan's spiritual condition for accusation was completely liquidated,
and thus, spiritually, this became a sphere inviolable by Satan.
Fallen man's physical salvation would remain unaccomplished, though he
may in faith become one with Jesus, because his body is still in the
position of being invaded by Satan, just like Jesus himself. However,
if we believe in the resurrected Jesus, we will be with Jesus
spiritually in the sphere inviolable by Satan, and thus we will be
able to accomplish spiritual salvation free from the spiritual
condition of accusation by Satan.
(iv) The Spiritual Restoration of Canaan
Christians could accomplish only the spiritual restoration of Canaan
by believing and serving Jesus, who came to stand as the spiritual
Messiah, on the spiritual foundation to receive the Messiah.
Thus the physical bodies of the saints, who were in the sphere of
grace for the spiritual restoration of Canaan, stood in the same
position as the physical body of Jesus, invaded by Satan through the
cross. Therefore, they were being invaded by Satan, just as in the
time before the coming of Jesus, with original sin still remaining in
them (Rom. 7:25). Naturally, the saints also had to go through the
course of separating from Satan again for the Second Advent of the
Lord (cf. Part I, Ch. 4, Sec. I, 4--147).
The ideal of the tabernacle in the nationwide course of the
restoration of Canaan, through which God worked His providence
centering on Moses, came now to be realized on the worldwide base
centering on the spiritual temple of the resurrected Jesus. Since the
ideal of the mercy seat was realized through the work of Jesus and the
Holy Spirit, God could appear and speak. Thus, in the mercy seat,
where God's words were heard, the cherubim that had blocked the way
since the fall of the first human ancestors would be put aside, so
that one might enter the ark to meet Jesus, the Tree of Life, to eat
the manna given by God, and to manifest the power of God represented
by Aaron's rod that budded (Heb. 9:4-5). In this way, we can
understand that the crucifixion of Jesus and the Second Advent was not
a determined providence, when seen through Moses' course.
(2) The Course of the Substantial Restoration of Canaan Centering on
the Lord of the Second Advent
We have discussed why God's chosen people started the third course of
the worldwide restoration of Canaan as a spiritual course, not being
able to start it as a substantial course as they had done in their
third course of the nationwide restoration of Canaan. The
spiritual providence of the third worldwide restoration of Canaan,
which they started on the spiritual foundation for the Messiah, by
believing and obeying Jesus, the spiritual Messiah, has today
broadened its spiritual territory, on a worldwide basis, after having
passed the 2,000-year course of history.
Just as Joshua, who substituted for Moses in the spiritual course of
the restoration of Canaan, accomplished the nationwide restoration of
Canaan by going through the substantial course, so the Lord of the
Second Advent has to realize the earthly Kingdom of God, by coming to
walk the spiritual course of the restoration of Canaan as a
substantial course, and by accomplishing the worldwide restoration of
Canaan. In this manner, the Lord of the Second Advent, who is to
realize the same Kingdom of God on earth as God intended to realize
substantially at the time of Jesus, must be born on earth as a
substantial man in flesh (cf. Part I, Ch. 7, Sec. II, 2--209).
The Lord of the Second Advent must restore through indemnity the
providential course of restoration left unachieved at the time of the
first coming. Therefore, just as Jesus had to walk the bitter course
of the spiritual providence of restoration, due to the faithlessness
of the Jewish people, the Lord must restore through indemnity the
spiritual course of tribulation, this time substantially in flesh, if
and when Christians, the Second Israel, should fall into
faithlessness. Jesus said, "But first he [Christ] must suffer many
things and be rejected by this generation." (Luke 17:25).
Therefore, just as Jesus form the time of his coming onwards, had to
walk anew on his spiritual course of providence by abandoning the
First Israel of God's summons and by setting up Christians as his
second chosen nation, the Lord of the Second Advent, may have to
achieve the providential course, substantially, by abandoning the
Christians of the second summons, and calling anew the Third Israel,
if the Christians should fall into faithlessness. If, at the
Second Advent, the heralds, coming with the mission of John the
Baptist (John 1:23), to make his way straight should fail in carrying
out their mission, just as at the first coming, the Lord of the Second
Advent himself must establish substantially the foundation of faith
for the third providence of the worldwide restoration of Canaan from
the position of John the Baptist, thus having to walk the path of
tribulation.
However bitter a way he may walk, the Lord of the Second Advent will
never come to die, not fulfilling the providence of restoration, as in
the time of Jesus. This is because God's providence to fulfill His
purpose of creation, through the True Parents of mankind, has come
down from Adam through Jesus, to the Lord of the Second Advent, and in
the third instance, the providence will not fail to be realized.
Further, as will be later discussed (cf. Part II, Ch. 6, Sec.
IV--532), the spiritual providence of restoration for the 2,000 years
after Jesus has achieved the age of democracy in order to create the
society beneficial for the providence. Jesus was killed after being
branded as a rebel against Judaism, but in the democratic society at
the Second Advent, the Lord cannot walk the path of death, even though
he may be bitterly persecuted as a heretic.
Therefore, however difficult a way the Lord of the Second Advent may
walk, there will gather saints believing and serving him absolutely on
the substantial foundation of faith which he will establish; and it
will be certain that they will be able to set up the substantial
foundation to receive the Messiah by setting up the foundation of
substance, for the sake of the substantial course of the third
worldwide restoration of Canaan.
In the third nationwide course of the restoration of Canaan, at the
time of Moses, God was to work His "providence for the start",
centering on the rock. At the time of Joshua, He worked His
"providence for the start", centering on the water, which
was more internal than the rock. In a like manner, Jesus worked the
"providence for the start" by the miracles and signs at the first
coming, but at the Second Advent, Christ will work the "providence for
the start", centering on the Word, which is internal. That is because,
as discussed earlier (cf. Part I, Ch. 3, Sec. III, 2--113), man, who
was created by the Word (John 1:3), failed to accomplish the purpose
of the Word due to the fall. God, who has been working His providence
of restoration by setting up the external condition of the Word, in
order to accomplish the purpose of the Word, must send Christ, who is
the substance of the Word (John 1:14), at the close of providential
history, and must work His providence of salvation, centering on the
Word.
When we see God's purpose of creation, centering on the connection of
heart, God, as the spiritual Parent, created men as His substantial
children. Adam and Eve, who were created first as the substantial
objects in the image and likeness of God's dual essentialities, are
God's first substantial objects and the first parents of mankind.
Thus, by joining as husband and wife and multiplying children, they
should have established a family connected and united in the hearts of
the parents, couple, and children representing parental love, conjugal
love and children's love. This is truly the four position foundation
which has realized the three objective purposes (cf. Part I, Ch. 1,
Sec. II, 3--31).
In this manner, God intended to establish the Kingdom of God on earth,
with His children of direct descent. However, as discussed in the
"Fall of Man", all men, due to the first human ancestor's blood
relationship with the archangel Lucifer, have become the children of
the devil, inheriting Satan's blood lineage (Matt. 3:7, 23:33, John
8:44). Thus, the first human ancestors fell into a position in which
they were cut off from the lineage of God, and this is the fall (cf.
Part I, Ch. 2--65).
Therefore, the purpose of God's providence of restoration is to
restore the fallen men who were cut off from the lineage of God and to
set them up as the children of God's direct line. Let us find out
God's secret of the providence of restoration in the Bible.
As was previously discussed, Adam's family, which was so degraded as
to commit murder, was cut off from a relationship with God. At the
time of Noah the direct relationship with God could not be restored,
due to the failure of Ham, the second son, who was in the position of
Abel. However, man could stand in the position of the slave of slaves
(Gen. 9:25), because there was the foundation of Noah's loyalty. Thus,
man could have an indirect relationship with God. This was the actual
relationship of God and man in the period before the Old Testament
Age.
In his own time Abraham, the father of faith, could set up God's elect
by establishing the family-level foundation to receive the Messiah.
Thus, for the first time, the position of God's servant was restore
(Lev. 25:55). This was the relationship of God and man in the Old
Testament Age. After the coming of Jesus, his disciples, who stood on
the foundation of faith which he had established from the position of
John the Baptist, were for the first time restored from the position
of servants of the Old Testament Age to the position of adopted
children. In order for them to become children of God's direct
lineage, they had to establish the foundation of substance in absolute
obedience to Jesus; and by grafting (Rom. 11:17) themselves both
spiritually and physically into Jesus, who stood on that foundation,
they had to become one body with him.
Jesus came as the Son of God, without original sin, from God's direct
lineage, and by making the whole of fallen mankind into one body by
engrafting them to him, he was to restore them to be the
children of God's direct lineage, having removed the original sin.
Jesus and the Holy Spirit came as the spiritual True Parents to make
men restore their lineal connection with God, as endowed at the
creation, by having the fallen men remove their original sin by
engrafting them to themselves. We call the work of Jesus and the Holy
Spirit "Rebirth" (cf. Part I, Ch. 7, Sec. IV--213). Therefore, we must
know that Jesus came as the center, the true olive tree, in order to
engraft fallen men, who are the branches of wild olive trees, to
himself.
Nevertheless, even his disciples fell into faithlessness, and so,
Jesus was crucified in the position of John the Baptist, without being
able to perform the duties of the Messiah. In this way, the
resurrected Jesus had established the spiritual foundation of faith
through the 40-day resurrection period to separate Satan, set up from
the position of the spiritual John the Baptist. After that the
spiritual foundation of substance was set up by the faith and loyalty
of his disciples, who returned to him in repentance; and hence, the
spiritual foundation to receive the Messiah was established for the
first time. Finally, on that spiritual foundation the saints came to
stand as spiritual children by being spiritually engrafted to Jesus,
who stands as the spiritual Messiah. This has been the relationship of
God and fallen men, according to the spiritual providence of
restoration after Jesus, up to the present moment. Therefore, fallen
men can as yet stand only as spiritual objects of God, because the
spiritual providence of restoration after Jesus has been to restore
the spirit world first, just as God had created the spirit world
first. Accordingly, however devout a Christian may be, since he has
not been able to liquidate original sin coming down through the flesh,
no difference is found between him and the saints of the Old Testament
Age in light of their both not having been able to remove themselves
from the lineage of Satan (cf. Part I, Ch. 4, Sec. I, 4--147).
Christians are at best adopted sons before God, because they
are children of a different lineage. For that very reason, Paul said:
Not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first
fruits of the spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption
as sons... (Rom. 8:23)
Therefore, the Lord of the Second Advent must come to restore the
whole of mankind to be children of God's direct lineage. Consequently,
he must be born on earth, in flesh, as Jesus was. By so doing he must
restore through indemnity the course of Jesus, by walking it again.
Therefore, the Lord of the Second Advent must establish substantially,
the foundation to receive the Messiah, according to the "providence
for the start", centering on the Word; and by engrafting the whole of
mankind both spiritually and physically on this foundation, he must
restore them to be children of God's direct lineage, having removed
the original sin.
Jesus established the family-level foundation by setting up twelve
apostles centering on the three main ones, and then broadened it to
the tribe-level foundation by setting up the 70 disciples, in order to
restore through indemnity the position of Jacob, who had been the
central figure of the family-level foundation for the Messiah. In the
same manner, the Lord of the Second Advent, must also restore the
foundation to receive the Messiah substantially, starting from family
level, and gradually broadening it to tribal level, racial level,
national level, world level and then to the cosmic level. On that
foundation, he must finally be able to establish the Kingdom of heaven
on earth.
God, by setting up the chosen nation of the First Israel, prepared the
base for Jesus to come and fulfill rapidly the purpose of erecting the
Kingdom of Heaven, but due to their rebellion, He had to
set up anew the Christians as the Second Israel. Likewise, if the
Christians, who have been set up as the Second Israel for the ideal of
the erection of the Kingdom of Heaven by the Lord of the Second
Advent, should also turn again him, God will be compelled to abandon
His elect of the Second Israel and choose anew His elect of the Third
Israel. Therefore, Christians of the Last Days, like the Jewish people
of the days of Jesus, are situated in very blessed circumstances, but
on the other hand, are in the position where they are liable to become
very miserable.
4. LESSONS LEARNED FROM JESUS' COURSE
First, in this case, God showed us what His predestination of His will
was like. God always predestines His will to be absolutely fulfilled
in the end. When John the Baptist failed to accomplish his mission,
Jesus himself, who came as the Messiah, intended to fulfill the will
even by substituting for John. Since the earthly Kingdom of Heaven was
not realized due to faithlessness of the Jewish people, Christ will
come again to fulfill this will.
In the next place, God showed us that His predestination concerning
the fulfillment of the will, centering on a certain individual or
nation of His elect, is not absolute, but relative. That is to say,
though God may have set up a certain individual or a nation to fulfill
the purpose of His providence of restoration, He would set up a new
mission-bearer to succeed in the work, if the former should fail to
carry out his portion of responsibility. Jesus had chosen John the
Baptist as his main disciple, but when he failed to carry out his
responsibility, Jesus chose Peter in his place. In another case, he
chose Judas Iscariot as one of his 12 disciples, but when Judas failed
to fulfill his responsibility, Jesus chose Matthias in his place (Acts
1:26). In a like manner, God chose the Jewish people to
fulfill the purpose of His providence of restoration, but when they
failed to carry out their responsibility, He shifted the mission to
the Gentiles (Acts 13:46, Matt. 21:33-43). In this way, even though
God may have chosen a certain man to fulfill His will, He can never
absolutely predestine the fulfillment of the will centering on any one
person.
Third, God showed us that He does not interfere with man's own portion
of responsibility, but dominates only its result. When John the
Baptist or Judas Iscariot fell into faithlessness, it was not that God
did not know it nor that He was unable to stop it, but He did not
interfere at all with their faith, but dominated only the result of
their deeds.
Finally, God showed us that the greater the mission of the person, the
more bitter the trial facing him. Since Adam turned against God in
faithlessness, Jesus, who came as the second Adam, in order to fulfill
the purpose of the providence of restoration, had to restore through
indemnity the position before the fall by showing good faith, from the
position where he is abandoned by God in place of Adam. Therefore,
Jesus had to go through Satan's temptations in the wilderness, and had
to suffer on the cross, completely abandoned by God (Matt. 27:46).
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