ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS

The Purpose of the Messiah

1. Salvation is restoration. God's salvation of man means that He restores man from his fallen and sinful state to his original state of goodness.

2. A person who has fulfilled the Purpose of Creation (that is, a person who is sinless and has perfected his character) does not need salvation.

3. Jesus prayed to God asking that the cup (cup of death) would pass from him not because he was weak and afraid of dying but because he knew that his mission would be cut short, bringing sorrow to God and much suffering to his followers and to the people of Israel.

4. The purpose of the Messiah is to be the first ideal person, remove our sins completely, and establish the ideal world (Kingdom of Heaven).

5. Bible verses that show that Jesus did not come to die on the cross:

a) 1 Corinthians 2:8: "None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." [words of Apostle Paul]

b) Matthew 26:24: "Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." [Jesus' words]

c) Matthew 27:42: "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" [Jesus' words]

6. Jesus was meant to bring both spiritual and physical salvation for mankind, but his death on the cross brought only spiritual salvation for his followers. In other words, sin remains in our physical bodies and Satan can tempt us through our physical bodies, but those who believe in and follow Jesus can push Satan out of their minds, and, after physical death, they can enter a part of the spirit world that is free of Satan's influence.

7. God gave two types of prophecies about the Messiah: one saying that the Messiah will be a glorious King, and the other saying that he will suffer greatly. This is because God gave us the responsibility to follow the Messiah, but people may or may not fulfill that responsibility. In other words, if people were to follow the Messiah, he would not suffer but would be received like a King. But if people rejected the Messiah, he would suffer greatly and be killed.

8. John the Baptist should have become one of Jesus' disciples, serving and attending Jesus throughout his life.

 

The Consummation of Human History (The Last Days)

9. In the Last Days, the evil world (hell) will be changed to the ideal world of God's sovereignty (Kingdom of Heaven).

10. God has made several attempts to bring about the Last Days: during the time of Noah; at the time of Jesus; and now, during the time of the Second Coming.

11. God's purpose cannot be fulfilled without human cooperation. So, for the evil world to be changed to a world of goodness during the Last Days, we have to fulfill our responsibility.

12. When the Bible says that the earth will be destroyed in the Last Days, it means that Satan's sovereignty in the world will be destroyed.

13. Today we see many signs that the Three Blessings are being fulfilled in the world:

a) First Blessing (perfection of individual character):

Around the world, people are becoming interested in universal love, liberty, equality, and human rights. [This indicates that people are trying to restore the original love, value, and freedom that God gave us.]

b) Second Blessing (creation of ideal families, nations, and world):

Through worldwide cooperation between races, nations, and cultures, many people are trying to create one world community of brothers and sisters, living under the parenthood of God.

c) Third Blessing (establishing dominion over the creation):

People today have a greater concern and love for nature, and how to protect the environment; and there is an amazing increase in the development of science and technology, through which we exert control over the creation.

 

Resurrection

14. The Principle teaches us that Resurrection is the way by which people are restored from Satan's dominion to God's direct dominion. It involves separating from Satan and growing spiritually.

15. The four Principles of Resurrection are:

a) We need to believe in and follow God's Word (Truth).

b) We need our physical body and should live a life of goodness on earth.

c) Resurrection takes place through three stages (Form Spirit, Life Spirit, and Divine Spirit).

d) How much we can be resurrected depends on the merits of the age in which we live.

16. Three Stages in the Dispensation for Resurrection:

a) Formation Stage: During the period between Abraham and Jesus, a person who followed the Old Testament Law could become a form spirit.

b) Growth Stage: During the period from Jesus to the Second Coming, a person who believed in and lived according to the New Testament could become a life spirit.

c) Completion Stage: At the Second Coming, the Messiah brings the Completed Testament (New Truth), and a person who follows the Messiah and unites with the New Truth becomes a divine spirit.

17. Paradise is the Life Spirit level of the spirit world. Those who believe in and follow Jesus can enter Paradise when they die physically and go to the spirit world.

18. A person in the spirit world can be resurrected if he cooperates with people on earth and helps them fulfill God's Will.

 

Predestination

19. Predestination, in the broader sense, means that God plans to fulfill His eternal purpose (the Kingdom of Heaven). In the narrower sense, the theory of Absolute Predestination teaches that a person goes to heaven or hell based on what God has already planned and does not depend on the person's own efforts.

20. God is good, and He cannot predestine anything that is not good. For instance, He could not predestine the Fall of man or other sins committed by man.

21. God predestines us 95%. It means that in order to fulfill His Will, God does most (95%) of the work, while our responsibility is only a small part (5% of the total). Even so, our 5% responsibility requires us to give our best (100%) effort.

 

Christology

22. Christology is the study of:

a) what kind of person Jesus is;

b) the relationship between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit;

c) the relationship between Jesus and fallen man;

d) the meaning of the Trinity and Rebirth.

23. Each person is created to become an ideal person who has:

a) Divine value;

b) Unique value;

c) Cosmic value.

24. Jesus was a man without sin and a visible reflection of God. As such, his value cannot be compared with that of a fallen man.

25. After the Fall of Adam and Eve, all people became the descendants of fallen parents, under Satan's dominion. Fallen people therefore need to be "born again" through True Parents, (both True Father and True Mother), in order to separate from original sin and enter God's dominion.

26. The "Spiritual Trinity" is formed by God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In this trinity, Jesus and the Holy Spirit take the positions of second Adam and second Eve.

27. At the Second Coming, the "Physical and Spiritual Trinity" is formed by God, the Lord of the Second Coming (LSC) his Bride. In this trinity, the LSC and his Bride take the positions of the third Adam and third Eve.

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