Chapter 3

Eschatology andEschatology and Human HistoryHuman History

The Completion of God’s Purpose of The Completion of God’s Purpose of Creation and the Human FallCreation and the Human Fall

Section 1

Three Great Blessings;

Heavenly Kingdom

Hell

The Providence of SalvationThe Providence of Salvation

Section 2

A. The Providence of Salvation: the Providence of Restoration

The reason God must save fallen humanity:

1) If this sinful world of grief were to continue forever, God would be a god of inability and failure.

3) Having endowed human beings with an eternal nature, God could not simply annihilate them just because they fell.

2) As the Creator, God assumes some responsibility for the outcome: the human Fall

Salvation: the restoration of someone or something back to its original position and state

healthy

sick

salvation restoration=

B. The Goal of the Providence of Restoration

Hell Heavenly Kingdom (Mt 4:17)

C. Human History: the History of the Providence of Restoration

1) The history of the development of cultural spheres

- Human beings have been compelled to seek the source of goodness in the world transcendent of time and space religion

- Even though the individuals, races or nations may have perished, religion itself has survived.

China: Confucianism, Buddhism and TaoismIndia: HinduismMiddle East: IslamWestern Europe: Christianity

21 to 26 cultural spheres

one global cultural spherebased on the Christian ethos

one united world

Religions with the greatest influence formed cultural spheres.

4 great cultural spheres

the East Asian spherethe Hindu spherethe Islamic spherethe Christian sphere

- Nations that persecuted religion have perished, while those that protected and fostered religion have flourished.

Humanbeings

mind

body

seeking thatwhich is scientific

seeking thatwhich is essential

2) The trend of religion and science

unifiedtruth

oneunited world

– science:

– religion:

Battles over property, territory and people

3) The trend in the history of conflict

world: democracy vs. communism(a final ideological war)

one united world(one ultimate ideology)

family

clan

tribe

nation

post World War I: the defeated nations gave up their colonies

the U.N.: giving even to weak and tiny nations equal rights and status in the brotherhood of nations

post World War II: the victors voluntarily liberated their colonies

Tree of LifeGen 2:9

The goal of history is the restoration of the Garden of Eden with Christ, who is to come as the Tree of Life, as its center.

4) Biblical reference

Rev 22:14

Gen 3:24

Rev 21:1 – A new heaven and new earth will appear in the Last Days.

The old heaven and old earth under Satan’s dominion will be restored as a new heaven and new earth under God’s dominion.

The Last DaysThe Last Days

Section 3

A. The Meaning of the Last Days

God’s sovereigntyHeavenly Kingdom

Messiah

eternity

perish

evil

good

Satan’s sovereigntyhell

a time of joy

crossing pointof good and evil

confusion = Last Days

B. Bible Verses Concerning the Signs of the Last Days

1. Heaven and Earth Destroyed, and a New Heaven and a New Earth Created (2 Pet 3:12,13)

…the havens will be kindled and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire!But according to his promise we wait for new heavens and a new earth…

Ps 78:69He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded for ever.

Heaven and earth will be destroyed means that the tyranny of Satan will be overthrown.

e.g.

Eccles 1:4A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains for ever.

To create a new heaven and new earth means to restore the heaven and earth of God’s sovereignty.

2. Heaven and Earth Judged by Fire (2 Pet 3:12)

Mal 4:1 “For behold, the day comes, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.”

Yet, there are no signs of his judgment with actual fire.

Jesus came to judge the world by fire.

Lk 12:49“I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!”

Jer 23:29“Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer which breaks the rock in pieces?”

Judgment by the Word

2 Thess 2:8; Is 11:4; Jn 5:24

Jn 12:48“He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day.”

e.g.,

3. The Dead Rising from Their Tombs (Mt 27:52,53)

The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Spirit persons of the Old Testament Age appearing on the earth for returning resurrection

“the tombs” – the realm of form spirits appears to be a dark place when viewed from Paradise

4. People on Earth Caught Up to Meet the Lord in the Air (1 Thess 4:17)

Then we who are alive, who are left ,shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.

= the sky over our heads

The saints will receive the Lord in the world of good sovereignty when he comes again and restores the Heavenly Kingdom on earth.

“air” (heaven)

= the sinless world of good sovereignty

5. The Sun Darkened, the Moon Not Giving Light, and the Stars Falling from Heaven(Mt 24:29)

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

Joseph’s dream

Gen 37:9,10

“sun” = father “moon” = mother “stars” = children“sunlight” = the light of the words of Jesus“moonlight” = the light of the Holy Spirit

; Jesus; Holy Spirit; Christians

O.T. Age

LSA

Heavenly Kingdom

C.T. Age

N.T. Age

Abraham, Moses, the Law2000

2000Jesus, Holy Spirit

motherfatherstars fallingfrom heaven

leadersof Judaism

children

Christians

2000

A E

The sun to be darkened and the moon to lose its light means that the New Testament Word given by Jesus and the Holy Spirit will lose its luster.

The stars falling from heaven signifies that in the Last Days many Christian believers will make a misstep and fall from God’s grace.

Mt 7:21-23“Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’ ”

Lk 18:8“I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The Last Days and the Present DaysThe Last Days and the Present Days

Section 4

We can deduce that today is in fact the Last Days through the phenomena of the restoration of the Three Great Blessings.

Mt 24:32“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.”

A. Phenomena of the Restoration of the First Blessing (perfection of individual character)

1) Restoration of spirituality

Acts 2:17“ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.’ ”

Present era: appearance of many believers with the ability of spiritual communication

2) Recovery of the freedom of the original mind

Present era: People struggle for freedom at the cost of their lives, the zeal to gain true freedom has reached its climax.

3) Restoration of true human value

Present era: Democratic ideals have flourished; promoting the emancipation of slaves, the

freedom of oppressed racial minorities, and the independence of small and weak nations, advocating human rights and equality between the sexes and among all peoples.

More than ever before, people are zealously uplifting the value of the individual toward the original level.

4) Restoration of the original love

Present era: The philosophy of universal love has become widespread, and people are increasingly seeking for true, original love.

B. Phenomena of the Restoration of the Second Blessing (multiplication of children)

religions: internal separation from Satanhistory of the development of cultural spheres*

conflicts and wars:external separation from Satan

Providence of restoration of good sovereignty

history of the rise and fall of nations**

The Present Era

*1) Trend toward the formation of one global cultural sphere based on the Christian ethos

All races and peoples are coming to stand side by side as brothers and sisters centering on Jesus; restoration of the Second Blessing.

e.g.,

United NationsUNICEFInternational Red CrossWorld Health OrganizationInternational Monetary Fund and World Bankecumenical movementsintercultural exchange, etc.

**2) Two worlds of democracy and communism are confronting each other

resolution and one united world

C. Phenomena of the Restoration of the Third Blessing (dominion over all things)

internal dominiondominion through heart*

external dominiondominion through science**

Humanbeings

spirit self:

physical self:

The Present Era

*1) ecological concerns, conservation movements, etc.

**2) technological advances, tremendous advances in transportation and communication, mastery of sea, land and air, elimination of disease, etc.

religion one global cultural sphere based on one religion

People of all six continents are crossing the oceans seeking friendship and brotherly love.

Only when Christ comes again as the Parent of humanity will all people join together in one great family and live harmoniously in the global village.

politics an apparatus for international governance, world government

economy one international market

science highly developed transportation and communication technology have condensed time and space.

The Last Days, The Last Days, the New Truth and Our Attitudethe New Truth and Our Attitude

Section 5

A. The Last Days and the New Truth

internalPerfect

cognition

spirituality

intellectexternal

religion

science

Spiritual and intellectual levels have gradually been elevated due to the merit of the age.

unique eternal unchanging

Spirit

Internal Truth

External Truth

spiritualityand

intellect

Adam Moses Jesus LSA

offerings

Law

Jesus’ words

(gospel)

LSA’ swords(new truth)

Spirit and Truth are unique, eternal and unchanging. However, the degree and scope of their teaching and the means of their expression vary from one age to another.

Other reasons the new truth must appear:

To attain the goal of the providence of restoration•

Biblical reference•

the unification of Christianity is necessarythe new truth is necessary to elucidate the symbols and parables obscuring the essential truths of the Bible.

Jn 16:25; Jn 16:12;13; Rev 10:11; Rev 5:1-5; Acts 2:17,18

B. Our Attitude in the Last Days

The beginning of the new history overlaps the conclusion of the old history.

Last Days

1) People of this age

internally suffer from anxiety, fear and confusion due to the absence of a guiding ideology or philosophy.

externally suffer from strife and battles fought with fearsome weapons.

Mt 24:4-9…For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs….

In the Last Days it is inevitable that such devastation takes place in order to vanquish the power of evil and erect the rule of good.

2) Establish the center of the emerging good sovereignty in order to usher in a new age

3) Persecution of the new central figure as a heretic

4) Abandoning old concepts and prejudices

Mt 18:1-3At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Lk 5:38“But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.”

5)Spirit and Truth

We should ascertain whether heavenly bliss springs forth through the Truth becoming one with the Spirit within ourselves.