Jesus and the Second Coming

Sun Myung Moon
Circa 1983

I am going to speak about some new revelations from God which are very vital to the understanding of all Christians. I will also frequently mention the chosen people of Israel. I am sure there are many Christians and Jewish people in the audience. I dearly love all Christian brothers and sisters, and I have high esteem for the Jewish people. I beg you to understand before I begin that what I will say in no way reflects my personal feeling. I am only bearing witness to the truth.

Sometimes testimony to the truth is a painful task. Yet it is a mission it is my duty to fulfill. The content of my message tonight may be contrary to your previous understanding. Some things may be very new to you. Sometimes it seems as if in the providence, God enjoys seeing people clash. Jesus was a messenger of God who criticized people for being blasphemers and being like serpents and he certainly made some people angry. If Jesus had told the people of his time that they were wonderful children of God, would he have been killed? Without exception the other saints like Confucius and Mohammed also declared to the world something it didn't want to hear. May I ask you to think over seriously what you hear.

What would have happened if the nation of Israel had wholeheartedly accepted Jesus Christ? Imagine the nation of Israel united with Jesus. What would that have meant? First of all, Jesus would not have been killed. People would have glorified Jesus as the living Lord. They would have then gone forward to Rome with the living Christ, and Rome could have received the Son of God in his own lifetime. But in the sad reality of history, it took four centuries for Jesus' disciples to win Rome. Jesus never won the chosen people of Israel, and he never gained the support he needed from them. He came to erect the Kingdom of God on earth, but instead he had to caution his disciples even to keep his identity a secret because people did not accept his legitimacy as the Messiah, and he therefore lacked the power to be the King of kings.

Today we have much to learn, and we must not believe blindly. We must know the hidden truth behind the Bible. Jesus was crucified, not by his own will, but by the will of others. Jesus Christ was killed because humankind would not have faith in him as Messiah.

I am making a bold declaration. Jesus did not come to die. Jesus Christ was murdered. Leaders of the most prepared religion delivered him to be crucified. The Roman governor Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but he was forced to release Barabbas instead. What a pity! What a tragedy!

This may be shocking and astounding news to you, but if you are only surprised, then you have missed my purpose. People living at the time of Jesus Christ made a terrible mistake. But do you think they were so much more ignorant and less aware than we are today? No, not at all. They learned the Old Testament word for word and memorized the Mosaic Law. Based on their understanding, Jesus did not meet the qualifications to be the Messiah.

The nation of Israel at that point was in a very difficult position. If they wanted to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, they had to abandon the Law of Moses as they understood it. Two thousand years of tradition had been based on the Old Testament. It was very, very difficult for people just to wake up one morning, completely revise their interpretation of the Law, and totally accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Those leaders who had their eyes riveted to the letter of the Law simply missed the spirit of the Law.

Let us look into the Old Testament and examine the prophecy of Malachi: "... I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers... " (Mal. 4:5-6) The people of Israel knew God's promise clearly. They knew it by heart. And they expected the coming of Elijah before the Messiah appeared. When the Messiah did come, naturally they asked, "Where is Elijah?"

Elijah had been a prophet who performed miraculous works about 900 years before Christ. And it was written he ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire. Since Elijah ascended into heaven, he was expected to return from heaven. Did such a miracle happen before the coming of Jesus? Did the people hear any news about the arrival of Elijah? No, they did not. But what they did hear one day was the voice of Jesus Christ declaring that he was the only begotten "Son of God." And Jesus spoke not timidly, but with authority and power. Such a man could not be ignored.

This presented a great dilemma for the people. They immediately asked, "If this Jesus is the Messiah, then where is Elijah?" They earnestly expected the Messiah at that time, so they were also waiting for Elijah. They believed he would come straight down from heaven, right out of the sky, and the Messiah would come soon after, in a similar manner.

So when Jesus proclaimed himself as the Son of God, the people who heard him became puzzled. If there had come no Elijah, then there could be no Messiah. And no one had told them that Elijah had come. Jesus' disciples were also confused. When they went out to preach the gospel, people persistently denied that Jesus could be the Son of God because the disciples were unable to prove that Elijah had come. They confronted this problem everywhere they went.

The disciples of Jesus were not educated in the Old Testament. Many learned people rebuked them when they went out to preach, asking, "Do you not know the Old Testament? Do you not know the Mosaic Law?" The disciples were embarrassed when they were attacked through the verses of the Law and the prophets. One day they came back to Jesus and put the question to him: " '... why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?' He replied, 'Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands.' Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist." (Matt. 17:10-13)

According to Jesus, John the Baptist was Elijah.

This was the truth. We have determined the truth according to the words of Jesus Christ. But the disciples of Jesus could not convince the elders and chief priests and scribes of this fact. The only authority that supported such a notion was the word of Jesus of Nazareth. That is why the testimony of John the Baptist was so crucial. But alas, John himself denied that he was Elijah when he was asked! His denial made Jesus seem to be a liar.

Read the Bible:

"And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?'... And they asked him, 'What then? Are you Elijah?' He said, 'I am not.' 'Are you the prophet?' And he answered, 'No.' " (John 1:19-21)

John himself said, "I am not Elijah." But Jesus had said, "He is Elijah."

John made it almost impossible for the people to know that Elijah had come. But Jesus declared the truth anyway. He said, "... if you are willing to accept it, he [John the Baptist] is Elijah who is to come." (Matt. 11: 14) Jesus knew that most people could not accept the truth. Instead they questioned the motivation of Jesus. In order for Jesus to seem like the Messiah, Elijah had to come first, so the people thought he was lying for the purpose of his own self-aggrandizement. The Son of God became more and more misunderstood by the people.

This was such a grave situation. In those days, the influence of John The Baptist was felt in every corner of Israel. But Jesus Christ was an obscure and ambiguous figure in his society. Who was in a position to take Jesus' words as the truth? This failure of John was the major cause of the crucifixion of Jesus.

John the Baptist had already seen the Spirit of God descending upon the head of Jesus Christ at the Jordan River. At that time he testified: "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." (John 1:32-34)

Yes, John the Baptist bore witness, and he did the job that God intended for him to do at that time. But later on, doubts came to him, and he finally succumbed to the many rumors circulating about Jesus. One such rumor called Jesus fatherless, an illegitimate child. John the Baptist certainly heard that rumor, and he wondered how such a person could be the Son of God. Even though he had witnessed to Jesus, John later became suspicious and turned away from him. If John the Baptist had truly united with Jesus Christ, he could have moved his people to accept Jesus as the Messiah, for the power and influence of John was very great in those days.

I am telling you many unusual things, and you may ask by what authority I am speaking. It is the authority of the Bible, with the authority of revelation. Let us read the Bible together, and see word by word how John the Baptist acted.

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Matt. 11:2-3)

This was long after he had testified to Jesus as the Son of God. How could he ask, "Are you he who is to come as the Son of God?" after the testimony of the Spirit to him? Jesus was truly sorrowful. He felt anger. Jesus refused to answer John the Baptist with a straight yes or no. He replied instead, "Blessed is he who take no offense at me." Let me paraphrase what Jesus meant: "John, I am sorry that you took offense at me. At one time you recognized me, but now you doubt me. I am sorry your faith has proved to be so weak."

After this incident, Jesus spoke to the crowds concerning John. He put a rhetorical question to them: "What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? Why then did you go out? To see a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings' houses. Why then did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.' " (Matt. 11:7-10)

Here Jesus affirmed that John was Elijah, the one called by God to turn the people to the Messiah. He praised John from this perspective, concluding with the words, "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matt. 11: 11) Conventional Christian interpretations have never fully explained the meaning of this verse.

The missions of the prophets through the ages were to prepare for or testify to the Messiah. Prophets had always testified from a distance of time. John the Baptist was the greatest among prophets because only he was the prophet contemporary with the Messiah, the prophet who could bear witness, in person, to the living Christ. But John failed to recognize the Messiah. Even the least of the prophets then living in the heavens knew Jesus was the Son of God. That is why John, who was given the greatest mission, and failed, became less than the least.

Thus, Jesus was saying, "John, you went out to the wilderness to serve as the greatest of prophets -- you went to find the Messiah, the Son of God. You have seen everything but missed the vital point, the core of your mission. You indeed failed to recognize me and failed to live up to God's expectation. It is God who expects of you 'to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.' You have failed."

Jesus said, "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force." (Matt. 11:12) John the Baptist was the chosen instrument of God, destined to be the chief disciple of Jesus, not by "force," but by providence. He failed in his responsibility, and Simon Peter, by the strength and force of his faith, earned that central position for himself Other men stronger and more violent in faith than John the Baptist fought relentlessly on the side of Jesus for the realization of God's Kingdom on earth. The devout men who righteously followed John the Baptist did not become the twelve apostles and seventy disciples of Christ, as they were to have been. If John the Baptist had become the chief disciple of Jesus, those two together would have united all of Israel. But the truth is that John the Baptist did not follow the Son of God.

One day John's followers came to him and asked, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptizing, and all are going to him," (John 3:26) They carried concern in their question: "Look at all the people going to Jesus. What about you?" John the Baptist replied, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

Usually Christians interpret this message as a proof of John's humble personality. This is an incorrect understanding of the significance of his words. If Jesus and John had been united, their destiny would have been to rise or fall together. Then Jesus could not increase his reputation while John's own prestige diminished! The lessening of his own role was what John feared. John once stated that the Messiah was the one "... whose sandals I am not worthy to carry;..." (Matt. 3:11) Yet he failed to follow Jesus even after he knew that Jesus was the Son of God. John the Baptist was a man without excuse. He should have followed Jesus.

God sent John as a forerunner to the Messiah. His mission was clearly defined, "... to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." (Luke 1: 17) But because of John's failure, Jesus Christ had no ground upon which to start his ministry. The people had not been prepared to receive Jesus. Therefore, Jesus had to go out from his home and work all by himself, trying to create a foundation on which the people could believe in him. There can be no doubt that John the Baptist was a man of failure. He was directly responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

You may again want to ask me, "With what authority do you say these things?" I spoke with Jesus Christ in the spirit world. And I spoke also with John the Baptist. This is my authority. If you cannot at this time determine that my words are the truth, you will surely discover that they are in the course of time. These are hidden truths presented to you as new revelations. You have heard me speak from the Bible. If you believe the Bible you must believe what I am saying.

We must therefore come to this solemn conclusion: The crucifixion of Jesus was a result of human faithlessness. The most egregious and destructive lack of faith was to be found in John. This means that Jesus did not come to die on the cross. If Jesus had come to die, then he would not have offered that tragic and anguished prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus said to his disciples: " 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.' And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.' " (Matt. 26:38-39)

Jesus prayed this way not just once, but three times. If death on the cross had been fulfillment of God's will, Jesus would certainly have prayed instead, "Father, I am honored to die on the cross for your will."

But Jesus prayed asking that this cup pass from him. If his prayer came out of his fear of death, such weakness would disqualify him as the Son of God. We know of the courageous deaths of many martyrs throughout Christian history and even elsewhere, people who not only overcame their fear of death, but made their final sacrifice a great victory. Out of so many martyrs, how could Jesus alone be the one to show his fear and weakness, particularly if his crucifixion was the glorious moment of his fulfillment of the will of God? Jesus did not pray this way from weakness. To believe such a thing is an outrage to Jesus Christ.

The prayer of Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane did not come from his fear of death or suffering. Jesus would have been willing and ready to die a thousand times over if that could have achieved the will of God. He agonized with God together in the garden, and he made one final plea to God, because he knew his death would only cause the prolongation of the dispensation.

Jesus wanted to live and fulfill his primary mission. It is a tragic misunderstanding to believe that Jesus prayed for a little more earthly life out of the frailty of his human soul. Young Nathan Hale, in the American struggle for independence, was able to say at the time of his execution, "I regret that I have but one life to give for my country!" Do you think Jesus Christ was a lesser soul than Nathan Hale? No! Nathan Hale was a great patriot. But Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Think this over. If Jesus came to die on the cross, would he not need a man to deliver him up? You know that Judas Iscariot is the disciple who betrayed Jesus. If Jesus fulfilled God's will with his death on the cross, then Judas should be glorified as the man who made the crucifixion possible. Judas would have been aiding God's dispensation. But Jesus said of Judas, "The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but 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." (Matt. 26:24) Judas killed himself.

Furthermore, if God had wanted His son to be crucified, He did not need 4,000 years to prepare the chosen people. He would have done better to send Jesus to a savage tribe, where he could have been killed even faster, and the will of God would have been realized more rapidly.

I must tell you again, it was the will of God to have Jesus Christ accepted by his people. That is why God labored in hope and anguish to prepare fertile soil for the heavenly seed of the Messiah. That is why God established His chosen people of Israel. That is why God sent prophet after prophet to awaken the people of Israel to ready themselves for the Lord.

God warned them and chastised them; He persuaded them and scolded them, pushed them and punished them because He wanted His people to accept His Son. One day Jesus was asked, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (John 6:28-29) Israel did the very thing God had labored to prevent. She rejected the one He had sent.

Jesus had one purpose throughout the three years of his public ministry: Acceptance. He could not fulfill his mission otherwise. From the very first day, he preached the gospel without equivocation, so that the people could hear the truth and accept him as the Son of God. The word of God should have led them to accept him. However, when Jesus saw that the people were not likely to receive him by the words of God alone, he began to perform mighty works. He hoped that people could recognize him through his miracles.

"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31)

Jesus gave sight to the blind and made the lepers clean. He healed the lame and blessed the deaf with hearing. Jesus raised the dead. He did these things only because he wanted to be accepted. Yet the people said of him, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons." (Matt. 12:24) What a heartbreaking situation! Jesus soon saw the hopelessness of gaining the acceptance of the people. In anger and desperation he chastised them: "You brood of vipers!..." (Matt. 12:34) He did not hide his wrath, but exploded in anger. "Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." (Matt. 11:2 1) And he wept when he drew near the city of Jerusalem.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!" (Matt. 23:37)

Who has ever understood the broken heart of Jesus? He said, "Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now they are hid from your eyes." (Luke 19:42) By that time Jesus knew there was absolutely no hope of avoiding death. Yet he pleaded with God in Gethsemane, and he pleaded with God on the cross: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46)

Thus Jesus died on the cross, not to fulfill his own ultimate hope, not because of God's original plan, but by the will of sinful people. Christ was destined to return from that moment on. He will return to consummate his mission on earth. Mankind must await his second coming for the complete salvation of the world.

Many people may now ask, "What about the prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the death of Jesus on the cross?" I am aware of those prophecies, such as Isaiah, Chapter 53. We must know that there are dual lines of prophecy in the Bible. One group prophesies Jesus' rejection and death; the others, such as Isaiah, Chapters 9, 11, and 60, prophesy the glorious ministry of Jesus when the people accepted him as the Son of God, as the King of kings. For example: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore..." (Is. 9:6-7)

This is the prophecy of the Lord of glory, Jesus as the King of kings, and Prince of Peace. On the other hand, we can read: "Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed." (Is. 53:4-5)

This is the prophecy of the suffering Christ. It is indeed the prophecy of the crucifixion.

Then why did God prophesy in two contradictory ways in the Bible? It is because God has to deal with us -- fallen human beings -- in His dispensation. And fallen people are wicked and untrustworthy and possess the capacity of betrayal.

In a way God fears us, and Satan fears us also because of our ability to betray. God is absolute good, and He never changes His position; Satan is absolute evil, and he never changes his position either. In this respect God and Satan are similar. However, we are a mixture of good and evil. We stand between God and Satan and have the ability to change. Therefore, we are unpredictable. One day a person may profess untiring faith in God and desire to serve Him; and the next day the same person may curse God, unite with Satan and become his slave.

Since God did not know how the people would respond to His providence for the Messiah, He had no choice but to predict two contradictory results -- dual prophecies, each possibility depending on human actions. Thus the people's faith was the factor determining which one of the two prophecies would be fulfilled.

In the case of Jesus, if people demonstrated faith by uniting with him, then he would be accepted. The full realization of the prophecy of the Lord of glory would result.

On the other hand, if people lacked faith in him and rejected the Messiah when he came, inevitably the second prophecy, that of the suffering Christ, would be fulfilled. And history shows that there was insufficient faith in Jesus when he came. Therefore, the prophecy of the suffering Lord became reality instead of the prophecy of the Lord of glory. Thus the crucifixion and the story of the suffering Christ became the course of history.

In the Old Testament religion, the priest had the qualification to kill the offering, put it on the altar, and ask God to accept the offering. There must be someone who cuts the offering into two and puts it on the altar; then it can be accepted by God. The priest of all priests was Jesus Christ. He was supposed to put the whole nation of Israel, the chosen nation, in the position of the sacrifice. He has to sacrifice the whole nation; and the nation should not have complained, being in the position of the offering. But they did, and their disbelief in him led Jesus to die in their place as the offering. God is not a person who wants to see bloodshed. But in order to save fallen humanity, God had to do that. Because Jesus as a human being shed his blood, God had a reasonable condition to restore humanity. That's why He was forced to send Jesus to the cross.

The Bible does not provide much record of the life of Jesus prior to his public ministry, except for the story of his birth and a few accounts of his childhood. Haven't you ever wondered why?

For thirty years Jesus lived in great rejection and humiliation. There were many events and circumstances which grieved and agonized Jesus. He was truly a misunderstood person -- in his society and even among his own family. Nobody, absolutely nobody treated him as the Son of God. He was not even accorded the common respect due to any man. His society ridiculed him. God's heart was very deeply grieved by Jesus' life. If I revealed just a glimpse of some of the situations of heartbreak and sorrow in the life of Jesus, that obscure figure, the man of Nazareth, you would not only be shocked and stunned, but you would burst into tears of sorrow.

God did not wish humankind to know the tragedy, the heart-breaking reality of the humiliation of Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus was neither his will not his fault. The death of Jesus was murder. Our salvation in Christianity comes not from the cross but from the resurrection. Without the resurrection, Christianity has no power. The resurrected Jesus brought new hope, new forgiveness, and a new power of salvation. Therefore, when we place our faith in the Jesus Christ of resurrection and unite with him, our salvation comes.

Jesus' greatest declaration was that he was the only begotten Son of God. What is a begotten son? He is the trunk line, the only object or recipient of the full love of God. Jesus proclaimed that he came in the position of bridegroom to all humanity, but he also placed himself on the horizontal level, relating to everyone as a neighbor, teacher, brother and friend. When you read the Bible, it is obvious that Jesus is the trunk line of God's truth and love.

Jesus knew the heart of God, and when he was crucified he said, "Oh my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" The crucifixion brought tremendous grief to the heart of God; God had sent him down as His only begotten son, and God deeply wanted to see Jesus as the center of His only begotten family, only begotten society, national and world. That was God's hope. When that hope was crushed by the rebellion and faithlessness of the people, it became God's desire to send another Messiah, a second son here on earth. Once God conceives His will can He give it up simply because of the situation on earth?

Jesus could not give up the will of God by resenting the adamant opposition to him. Jesus certainly could not abandon his mission at that moment by hating the people. He was a true man because he perfectly lived the life of God. He was a walking God, the fruit of the truth of God's Logos. There was no separation between God and Jesus, and because no one can destroy God no one can destroy Jesus Christ. The crucifixion was not his destruction; God manifested the power of resurrection so that the world could see that Jesus was never destroyed.

Christianity has spiritual parents. Jesus is in the spiritual father's position, and the Holy Spirit is in the spiritual mother's position. We are given rebirth by following a spiritual father and spiritual mother, but we can only receive spiritual salvation. Therefore, the Christian tradition has been denying the physical world. With Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit working together we cleanse our sins and are given rebirth on the spiritual level. After the crucifixion of Jesus the Christian foundation could only be a spiritual one, although initially God intended a physical foundation as well.

Today many Christians put exclusive emphasis upon salvation by the blood of Jesus. How mistaken that is in the sight of God! In the Bible is recorded the story of a prostitute who was condemned to death and about to be stoned. Jesus said to the people gathered around her, "Whoever is without sin, let him cast the first stone." Everyone self-consciously dropped their stones. After everyone had drifted away in shame, Jesus spoke to the accused woman, saying, "Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."

What does this mean? By his own words Jesus offered forgiveness. Even before Jesus shed one drop of blood there was already forgiveness from sin. No one had to wait for Jesus to die. There was this path to salvation in accepting the world of Jesus even at that time. That's in the Bible. He did not give a rain check by saying, "I will forgive you and save you, but wait until I die on the cross." Jesus could open the way to salvation to everyone by the Word of God. God's plan of salvation does not require bloodshed by necessity. Salvation means that the Garden of Eden shall be here on earth, with living men, women and families. What we need is living consummation, realizing the love Jesus brought, not alienation, bloodshed and death.

Many Christians today truly misunderstand. They preach resurrection, but resurrection does not mean that dead bodies will rise again. That's a misconception. Death came when human beings departed from God, through the misuse of the love of God. Human physical bodies remained alive after the fall. Resurrection means accepting the word of God to become the possessor of God's love. Suppose Jesus appeared here. Would you want to have only the spiritual salvation which came through the shedding of blood, or would you want to have the living, working salvation of soul and body? Would you want spirit and body restored together by the living Jesus?

Then to what degree should we be like Jesus? You have to reach the point where you are one with Jesus in flesh and blood. That's why he set up the condition of the sacrament: Christians must feel they are actually eating Jesus' flesh and blood. They should actually feel Jesus' life and love more than anything else when eating the bread; and when drinking the wine they should really feel they are drinking his blood. Without such feeling salvation cannot begin at that moment. This was Jesus' method to bring humankind to pass from Satan's world into God's, thus uniting himself with the believer through actual, real sense experience. It means Satan is cut off and humanity is engrafted to Jesus -- a consummation with him resulting in one flesh, one blood, i.e. one humanness. Then we can feel this oneness. From that point on the person receives God's love and life. But Christianity further envisions people going through total salvation, both on the physical and spiritual levels. With Christianity as it now stands, we cannot be saved on both levels. That's why Jesus has to come again; and only around the mission of the Second Advent can we gain physical salvation, fulfilling the prophecy of the Lord of Glory. Since the prophecy of the suffering Christ became fact in the time of Jesus, the prophecy of the Lord of glory has been left unfulfilled. And this is the prophecy which will be fulfilled at the time of the Lord of the Second Advent.

Please ask seriously in your prayers guidance on these matters. Ask either Jesus Christ or God himself. If Jesus had lived and fulfilled his primary mission of bringing the Kingdom of God on earth, Christianity would never have been what it is today. The purpose of Jesus' coming was for the salvation of the world. The chosen people were to be God's instruments. However, salvation was not intended only for God's chosen people. For every soul upon the face of the earth, Jesus is the savior. He is the savior of all humankind. Since Jesus left this world prematurely, he also left us the promise of his second coming.

The Christians are the second Israelites, but the Messiah has not arrived yet. In the Christian world, there is no such thing as a national foundation because there is no nation of God's choice on the physical level. If you compare the first Israelites to the second Israelites, the Christian world, which is of more value? The nation of the first Israelites, though small in territory, had sovereignty on both the physical and spiritual levels, and it was in that sense greater than the second Israelite nation, which on the spiritual level has covered almost the whole world, but has not been able to set up anything like a true nation on the physical level.

Should the Messiah come to the Christian world alone, or to the whole world? What God, together with the Christians, must do is cover the whole world both on the spiritual and physical levels. In light of those things, do you think the Messiah should come in the flesh or just in spirit?

In the ideal world we are going to build, we will be liberated from sin both on the physical and spiritual levels, under the actual guidance of God as our parent. The Lord must come again in the flesh to accomplish his mission of saving the physical world. If he comes on the clouds of Heaven, spiritually, he cannot accomplish his mission of restoring the whole world both on the spiritual and physical levels. The problem is the sin and corruption of this world, and not of heaven.

How will the Lord come at the second advent? Our position as Christians exactly parallels the position of the elders, scribes and priests at the time of Jesus. In those days, the people were waiting for Elijah and the Messiah to arrive on the clouds of heaven. Why did the people think this way? Why did they hold this kind of belief?

They were simply following the Bible prophecy written down in Daniel 7:13: "1 saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him." Because of the great prophet Daniel, the people of Israel had every reason to expect the arrival of the Messiah with the clouds of heaven. Christians are expecting the arrival of the Lord in the same way today, from the clouds of heaven.

John said, "... many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist." (II John 7) The Bible says that many people were denying the appearance of Jesus Christ in the flesh. And John condemned those people as the antichrist. But let us not forget the Old Testament prophecy of the coming of the Son of God in the clouds of heaven. Unless we know the whole truth, we, like the people of Jesus' time, become victims of the words of the Bible.

The people 2,000 years ago expected the Lord's arrival on the clouds of heaven; so when Jesus appeared in the flesh it was very difficult to accept him. So at that time, there were arguments among Jesus' disciples and the faithful of Israel. "Well, if your master, Jesus, is the Son of God, how could he appear as a man, in the flesh -- impossible! How could he be the Son of God? We know him; he is the son of Joseph, the son of Mary. How could he be the son of God? The son of God must come on the clouds of heaven."

So how could they accept Jesus? On what grounds? Those who believed the letter of the Old Testament, and not the spirit, could miss the whole thing. Then how will the Lord appear in the last days? We are in a situation exactly parallel to that of the time of Jesus Christ. If we become slaves to the letter of the New Testament, instead of free in the spirit of the New Testament, we will commit the same crime which the elders, scribes, and Pharisees committed 2,000 years ago.

Then, may I ask, what would you do if the Lord returned to earth not in the clouds but as a man in the flesh? What would you do? I am telling you, the Lord at the second advent will in fact appear as a Son of man with flesh and bones. The first thing you may want to say is, "Rev. Moon, you are a heretic." But listen for a moment.

It is important to know on which side God will be and how God fulfills His plan. It is not important whether a man or his views are considered heretical or not. It does not matter how I look at the world or how you look at the world. It only matters how God looks at the world. And in God's view, we once again find in the Bible a dual prophecy concerning the coming of the Lord of the Second Advent. Revelation 1:7 definitely prophesies the arrival of the Lord with the clouds. However, I Thess. 5:2 states: "For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." There are then two opposing prophecies. What shall we do? Would you simply choose the prophecy which is most convenient for you?

Perhaps the Lord will appear with a loud noise in the clouds of heaven, because the prophecy says so. But on the other hand, the Lord may appear like a thief in the night. If he comes on the clouds, he surely cannot slip into the world unseen like a thief. Tremendous attention would surround the spectacle of his coming on the clouds. I cannot imagine how such a thing could be hidden from your eyes.

Then just what is the truth? We have a crucial question before us. What is the truth? When you see the signs of the Last Days, the Bible urges you to go into a dark room and pray. Who can tell you the time of the Last Days? The angels do not know that day. Jesus said not even the Son of man knew when that day would arrive. Only God knows the time of the Last Days. That is why we have our answer from God. I am not saying you must believe me -- not at all. I am just revealing what I know to be the truth, but you must verify this truth with God.

Most Christians today do not know the position they have. They simply believe in Jesus Christ and accept the words of the Bible. They feel that someday Jesus will come on the clouds of heaven, and all true Christians will be lifted up in the air. Somehow they will have a rendezvous with Jesus and have some kind of millennium up there. That is horrendous, empty, hollow. Religion is not out there, up in the stratosphere.

I am testifying that the Lord cannot appear in that kind of supernatural fashion. Jesus Christ could not return that way because the work of God is to be done here on earth. The mission of the Messiah is a physical, realistic one. As a man he must come up from the bottom of human misery. He must come to the most miserable nation and lift the human status from the slave position, to the servant position, to the adopted child position and to the direct child position by physically putting together the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. That is the mission of the Messiah.

In the Last Days, the Bible says, do not just believe anybody. Do not believe me, and do not believe someone just because of his or her official status in church or society. Famous leaders will not necessarily give you the guidance God would want for you. Heaven is so near, and you can be lifted up by the spirit so high, that you can speak with God and receive the answer directly from Him if you are earnest enough.

There are many ministers in America, many clergymen and many church elders. How many of them are really listening for the voice of God? These ears of ours do not mean much, nor these eyes serve any useful purpose, unless we have spiritual ears and spiritual eyes. Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Matt. 11:15) And he said to his disciples, "But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear." (Matt. 13:16) He was not referring to physical sense organs.

When you use your spiritual senses and listen for the Word of God, you will find His direction and guidance. But it is not easy to become a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is very difficult for a foreigner just to become a citizen of the United States. How much more difficult it is to remove ourselves from our corrupt life and transfer ourselves into the Kingdom of Heaven. But we can achieve this very thing.

We know that even after Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, they still were able to communicate directly with God. Do you think that since the days of the Old and New Testaments, God has for some reason become deaf and dumb? No, God is very much alive, and today we can talk directly to Him. God can speak to you, and you can have a direct confrontation with Him. The Acts of the Apostles says that in the last days, "... your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;..." (Acts 2:17) We must know the truth. We have to know how to apply for citizenship into the Kingdom of God. We have to know when the Lord will come, and how he will arrive.

Let us look to our Bible and clarify how the Lord of the Second Advent will appear. In Luke 17:20-21, the Pharisees asked Jesus how the Kingdom of God was coming. He answered, "The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;... the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you." Jesus then told his disciples, "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you will not see it." But if the Lord comes in the clouds of heaven, how could we not see it? Yet Revelation 1:7 says. "... every eye will see him, everyone who pierced him;..."What can this mean? Why would we not see him? The only way we might miss that day is if we look for the Lord to come from one direction, and he appears from another direction in an entirely unexpected manner, just as Elijah did at the time of Jesus. This is the reason you may not see the Lord at the time of his second coming.

Another mysterious prediction was given by Jesus Christ himself He declared about the Lord at the second coming: "But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation." (Luke 17:25) If Christ at his Second Coming appears in the glory of the clouds of heaven, who would deny him? Nobody would cause him suffering and pain. The only way this prophecy can be fulfilled is if people expect his return from the clouds and he suddenly appears as a humble man in the flesh. Do you think that Christian leaders of today would make the same mistake that the priests and scribes and elders committed at the time of Jesus? Yes! They may very well deny him and reject him, because the manner of his coming would be very difficult for Christian leaders to accept. However, in this way the Bible will be fulfilled. He will first suffer and be rejected by this generation.

Jesus once asked a most important question: "When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8) How does this question concern us today, when Christian faith covers the face of the earth? It is because although we do have faith today, it may be mistaken faith -- a belief which expects the Lord must come on the clouds of heaven. There are few men or women on earth with the kind of faith ready to accept the Son of Man appearing in the flesh. If this were not the situation, the Bible prophecy we are discussing here would not be fulfilled. Please note that Jesus did not say there would be no believers, but he said there would be no faith.

Jesus also said: "Not everyone 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.' " (Matt. 7:21-23)

This prophecy cannot be realized if his second coming is on the clouds of heaven.

At the time of the second advent, people again will be crying out, "Lord, Lord." At the same time they may be in the process of trying to crucify the Messiah if he appears in a manner different from their expectations. They will then be the worst evildoers.

This is the Bible. Those who truly have eyes will see Those who truly have ears will hear. Throughout history God has sent His prophets before the time of fulfillment. He warns the people of His plan. No matter how devout Christian faith is today, no matter how many millions of people are in the Christian churches, they and their churches and their world will decline once they fail to accept the Lord, however he may appear. This was the tragic fate of Israel and the Roman Empire when they denied Jesus Christ, regardless of their righteousness otherwise.

We must therefore also be open to a new message. Jesus Christ did not come to repeat the Mosaic Law. Just as Jesus revealed himself with the new expression of truth, the Lord at the second advent will reveal himself with God's truth for our time. That truth will not be simply a repetition of the New Testament.

The first ancestors lost the kingdom of God on earth.

Satan invaded the world and took Eve to his side, and then Eve took Adam away, leaving God alone and separated from His children. All humankind has therefore suffered under the bondage of evil. God must therefore send a new ancestor for humanity, to begin a new history. The work of God is restoration, always in the opposite direction from His original loss. This means that God first needs to find His perfected Adam, an Adam who instead of betraying God will become one with God. And then Adam must restore his bride in the position of Eve. Perfected Adam and perfected Eve, united together, will be able to overcome Satan and expel him from the world. In this way, the first righteous ancestors of humankind will begin a new history.

God's first beginning was alpha. This was invaded by evil, so He will restore the world in omega. Jesus is referred to as the last Adam in I Cor. 15:45. God wanted to bless Adam and Eve in marriage when they were perfected. As a heavenly couple, they could bear children of God. This life was not realized in the Garden of Eden. That is why Jesus came in the position of Adam. God intended to find the true bride and have Jesus marry. The True Parents of humankind would have been inaugurated in the time of Jesus, and they could have overcome and changed the evil history of the world. Since that hope was not completed by Jesus, after 2,000 years he is returning to earth as a man to complete in full the mission he only partially accomplished. The Kingdom of Heaven on earth will be established at that time.

Christians are looking for God just in their thoughts, very vaguely, on the spiritual level alone. They cherish the hope of going to live in the spirit world, and glorify it alone, without minding the physical world. Of course, the true Kingdom of God on earth will be both the spiritual and physical levels. When Jesus prayed at Gethsemane, he begged and begged God to let that cup pass from him, because he knew only too well that if he died on the cross, the will of God both on the spiritual and physical levels would be left unaccomplished. In the Old Testament Age, when the Israelites chosen by God were preparing to receive the Messiah they formed a nation both on the spiritual and physical levels. But when Jesus came, he could accomplish his mission only on the spiritual level, so the physical level is left for the Lord to accomplish at the second advent, in order to realize the Kingdom of God on earth both on the spiritual and physical levels.

The question is, who is going to accomplish God's will on the physical level? It is natural that the Lord at the second coming who will come representing Jesus should accomplish that mission, just as Jesus came as the Messiah representing Adam. Jesus was the second Adam, and the Lord at the second advent will be the third Adam. This messiah must work upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, so he's going to do on the physical level what Jesus did on the spiritual level.

The new history of goodness will thus begin. With the truth of God and True Parents for humanity, a new alpha in God's history will begin and continue for eternity. The ideal of God is to restore the first perfect God-centered family on earth. With this one model as a center, all the rest of the world can be adopted into this family. We will become like them, and the first heavenly family will be expanded, multiplying into the tribal, national, and worldwide Kingdom of God on earth.

The Kingdom of Heaven is to be literal and tangible. Jesus gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom and said, "... whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt. 16:19) So accomplishment on earth must precede fulfillment in heaven; the Kingdom of Heaven will be first achieved on earth. At this time only an intermediate place in the spirit world is open. That is called, "Paradise." Jesus and his disciples dwell in Paradise, and even they cannot actually enter the Kingdom of Heaven until it is established on earth. One reason for this is because the Kingdom of Heaven is prepared not for individuals, but for the family of God -- for the father, the mother, and God's true children.

If in the Christian world people cling to the old traditions, can they go with the Messiah to the world of new dimension? Up to the present moment people have been safe in believing in Christ -- just in belief, they are settled in belief. But when Jesus Christ appears again they must not only believe in him but follow him. If you receive Jesus Christ, would he want you to just accept him as the Christ and believe in him, or would he want you to know him, understand his heart, and follow him? He would want us to know him and understand him, his heart. And he would even want you to act in place of him, doing what he would have you do. The Lord will not appear miraculously in the clouds of heaven, because God is sending His son to restore the things that were lost on earth. Would humankind prefer to receive a Messiah who came dramatically on a cloud, without teaching and being all those things which Jesus was, or a Messiah who came normally but was able to convey those precious understandings? Certainly, we would value the second kind of Messiah.

Up to now, most people thought of Christianity in terms of their own group, their own nation, but from now on our scope must become larger than that, encompassing the whole world. The scope of our thought must be broadened so as to get the whole world involved. In the Christian churches we must deal with problems of the world transcending national boundaries in order to receive things of new dimension. We must even create a new dimension of culture. The Lord at the second advent comes for the whole world, for the salvation of the whole world. Then those who follow him must receive his idea and think of things in terms of the world, not of the individual. If Jesus were here, when he saw that a vast number of denominations had been created, would he be glad? Christianity started from his teaching, which was one, not many. Then when they find many Christian denominations in disharmony among themselves, God is not happy over that and Jesus Christ is not happy over that. God did not send Jesus Christ to create so many denominations. Then when Jesus sees that there are so many denominations created after him, he must feel responsibility for that fact. Then if there appears a group of people who will think of the salvation of the whole world and work for that goal, Jesus will be happy about that fact and will come to aid them and God will also come to aid that group. People may not know the particulars and details of the group, but since there is God's will working in it, both God and Jesus will work through the group, in the group.

I believe my message is absolutely clear and simple. God intended to begin the history of goodness in Adam and Eve. But they fell. God worked to restore history and begin anew in Jesus Christ. But the people of his time lacked faith and did not give him a chance. Therefore, Jesus' promise of his return will be fulfilled. The Messiah is destined to come to earth as the Son of Man in the flesh. He comes as the third Adam. He will take a bride and thereby bring about the most joyful day of heavenly matrimony, referred to as "the marriage supper of the Lamb" in the book of Revelation. They will fulfill the role of True Parents. True ancestry from God will be established and heaven on earth can then be literally achieved.

The foundation for the Messiah has to be Christianity because Christianity is the only religion to understand that the true nature of God is that of Father. Jesus was the only man who called himself the only begotten son of God. No other religion is founded upon such a teaching. Jesus was indeed the Messiah because God was his Father and he was His only begotten son. Thus the religion that he founded must become the foundation for the second coming of the Messiah, when God's original love will be fulfilled. Centering upon original love, Christianity creates the godly family of Father, Son, brothers and sisters in Christ -- this family concept had to be the mainstream of Gods' dispensation up to the time of the ultimate fulfillment.

Christianity had to become the most widespread religion in the world because God has a big stake in it; He has a plan for fulfilling His dispensation through it. Unfortunately, traditional Christianity was misled by incorrect theology. There are many mistaken ideas, such as Jesus came only to die. Likewise many Christians are content to worry only about their individual salvation, disregarding the matters of this world for their own little heaven. The concept of being saved by faith alone is a very partial view; along with having faith one must fulfill love in order to go to Heaven. Without the power of love, one can never be separated from satanic bondage.

For this reason, God promised humankind that the second Messiah would come as the representative of His original love, bringing liberation from satanic bondage. How can you recognize the second Messiah? The Messiah will teach this principle exactly, point by point, spelling it out. The Bible promises that when the end of the world comes, we will no longer have to be taught by symbols and parables but we will learn plainly of the Father. (John 16:25)

That is what the Unification teaching is all about; that is what you are receiving.

At the heart of Christianity is the relationship between the bridegroom and bride. In a spiritual sense, the Christian churches are to prepare themselves with the attitude of a bride. When the Messiah does come in the end times, he will be a living bridegroom to be received by all humanity. Even though we may have understood this concept, we are not living up to our responsibility. Jesus' will and God's will have been very much misrepresented for 2,000 years. The churches have fallen short of the will of God. Therefore, in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, a new Christianity must emerge, and the present churches which have deviated from the will of God must revitalize themselves. That true Christianity must come about. What form must that new Christianity take?

The new Christianity must be the highest form of religion, perfectly fitting the criteria of God's true religion. Christians must fulfill both the wishes of the Messiah and the wishes of God. In order to do so they must elevate themselves to the position of messiah and literally save the world. Their attitude must be: "For the sake of the world I must be a sacrifice. For the sake of God I can sacrifice my Christian church." Centering upon God is absolute obedience, we Christians must bring unity between God and humanity in reality here on earth. As restored Adam and Eve, we must go beyond the level of fulfillment in the Garden of Eden; in order to restore their failure, we must make ourselves superior in obedience, in trust, and in love. Therefore we must go beyond the limit of our life.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he brought down the Holy Spirit, which is the spiritual mother. Eve gave birth to sinful children, but the Holy Spirit comes to give us spiritual rebirth.

Through the power of love a father and mother create new life, and it is the same in the rebirth process. Each person must go back to the origin and be born again, beginning as flesh and blood and bone in the Father. So you must go back to the body of Jesus in a sinless, sacrificial life. If you love Jesus and know that he is your spiritual father, then you must want to bring yourself inside his heart and be born again as his flesh and blood. That's the desire you must have.

Through sacrificial love you can go back to the origin, the very source of your life. Once you were flesh and bone of your father and mother. If You love Jesus so much that nothing else in the world matters to You, you can absolutely give your heart and soul to him. At that point the Holy Spirit can come to you and give you rebirth; they you are reborn as a spiritual son or daughter of Jesus. That is the whole process of rebirth in Christianity. It is the essence of Christianity, but it will elevate a person only to the level of adopted son or daughter.

We are not created in spirit alone, but with a body. The ultimate step left to be taken is to be born again, not just in spirit, but in spirit and body together. For that purpose Jesus' body is needed and he must return as a living person in the flesh. So far Christianity has offered only the possibility of rebirth in spirit. Now in the new age, when Jesus comes back as the second messiah, we shall be given the power to be born again in the body as well. Each person needs this physical rebirth before going to the spirit world. Furthermore, the requirement to enter the Kingdom of God in heaven is that you become elevated as sons and daughters of God, loving the world as God loves the world.

We cannot doubt that Christianity today is in definite crisis. This is a crisis parallel to the time of Jesus, when the established religious institutions failed the Son of God. In the present world tradition has become a shackle, and religions have no way to advance; their former disciplines or traditions are too small to embrace the world. This is why young people are so rebellious in their search for a more open atmosphere. When we see the imbalance and contradiction between the secular world and religious world, we can only conclude that if God is involved at all with this world then the time has come for Him to undertake some extraordinary, revolutionary action to change completely the format of religion.

God must have some universal religion in His mind. Because the world is ready, this is about the time that God will inspire such a religion. Without this religion the present world cannot have any hope for the future. God must have a solution for both the religious and secular worlds together, since He is responsible for them both. Which course shall we take? We have to change either the secular world first or religion first. Certainly religions today must lead the way, through the emergence of a new, universal religion.

The first problem facing this religious revolution is the resolution of religious division and antagonism. Would God want all religious people united together? The universal goal of humankind is world brother and sisterhood -- the human family. A new religious movement with that vision and goal should come into being.

Religious people are always a problem to those in power. God is always their goal. Therefore, they can go beyond national boundaries, racial boundaries and cultural boundaries. They are just impossible people to deal with because the accepted sense of judgment does not apply to them. Throughout history, sovereignties have always felt threatened by new religious groups. They are such difficult people to deal with because they cannot be controlled. To say, "We will kill you!" is not a threat to them. They answer, "Go ahead, do it!"

Therefore, as new religions emerged throughout history, governments usually opposed them. They always wanted to liquidate the religions before they got too big. A sovereign nation worries only about the integrity of its own territory, but religious people go beyond the boundary of the nation. Religious people don't care if an enemy is next door. They might even open the door to the enemy camp. This worries the governing people. Rulers of nations usually look at religious people as a very sticky problem.

And yet, today, young people are searching for spiritual values. There is absolutely no other way they can find what they want. Furthermore, the growing interest in religion is reflected in the rising enrollment in church-run schools. This is one indication that the people who could not find secular solutions are coming all the way back to seek out a religious life. Long ago I predicted that this would indeed happen and that the year 1976 would be a turning point of American history. From now on the search for spiritual rather than material solutions for this nation's problems will intensify. We recognize this crisis in our time; and we can also see through the haze to the brightly shining day of new hope.

We are truly living in an extraordinary time in human history. We are in a position to save and liberate Jesus Christ and end his anguish. We can be in a position to liberate even God. We are the ones who can assure God his happiness, His joy, His peace. We are going to liberate the heart of God and His anguish and sorrow. And by doing so, we are liberating all humankind and its burden and sorrow. Finally, we can push the entire satanic world out of the world.

We are bearing our cross as living beings. In our situation complaining could be possible. But we must go beyond that. We must effect a miracle, such that without dying, we can accomplish this goal -- this is the miracle. If you have this faith, this commitment, then when you go, God is with you.

His power is yours; God has been with me when I have this intent, this faith, and this love. God was with me each step of my way. The same God shall be with you.

This is the time for unprecedented spiritual awakening. I want you to open your eyes and ears to perceive the truth. This is my hope, that by sharing this message with you, we might unite to prepare for the glorious day of the arrival of the Lord. Let us see the God of history, let us understand the God of Providence, and let us embrace the living God in our own lives.

The major criticism Christians have is their contention that I pose as the Lord of the Second Advent. But I never said that. They created rumors like that. Christians have been waiting all these years for the second coming, so they should have had the courtesy to come and find out for themselves whether our members have valid reason to spread such a rumor. If they had earnestly done that, Christianity today would be entirely different. Some Christians say that we are heretics, but I tell you that this is not just ordinary heresy. I am a super-heretic in their eyes, and the amazing thing is that God likes this super-heretic.

Children have been born all over the world since Jesus died. Even though they are sinful children, they are still children of God and need to be restored, but there has existed no tree of life for them to physically graft themselves onto. The end of the world is at hand, not only for Christians but for all people throughout the world. The new history of God will begin with the arrival of the Lord. Blessed are those who see him and accept him. It is the hope of Christianity to recognize, receive, and accept the Lord at the second advent. The chance has arrived for all of us. The greatest opportunity in anyone's lifetime is now knocking at our door. Please be humble, and open yourself to great new hope!

No knowledge, no position, no wealth, no anything, nothing can please God except for your heart of love for God alone, which will make Him cry -- that alone can touch His heart. If you are ready to do anything at all for Him in order to ease His heart -- if you can deny yourself, sacrifice yourself, and be ready to comfort His heart, His grieving heart -- then only, with tearful eyes, will God trust you and love you. If you are ready to die, if you cry out to God, "Whatever place you have for us to die, I will go to that place, and I am ready to deny myself, I am ready to die in the place of other people for the sake of Your cause," and if you really dash to that point, ready to sacrifice yourself, then God may be able to trust you. In that case, you are in a position similar to that of Jesus, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane: "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." And if you are utterly going to do things for the sake of God's will, then alone will He believe you. Even though He has been betrayed by so many people, when Jesus prayed before God, saying: "You may do anything You please, and I will follow You," then God could cry out to Jesus: "You resemble me; you restored yourself in the image and likeness of Myself." In that case alone, God can trust the person.

Even though God may have to lose the whole world, the whole nation, whole tribe, whole clan, whole family -- if He has one person left with that kind of attitude, that devotion to the love of God, and oneness with God, forming the foundation in God's love, God will be pleased with that person. Starting right from that person, He can broaden the scope of His love and loving sphere, reaching out to the whole world again.

In other words, we must resemble God to the fullest extent. If we analyze God or dissolve God there will be one thing left, and that is love, God's love. We must be ready to sacrifice ourselves for this great love. Even if we may have to die on the sea, die on the mountainside, die in the deep valley of darkness, wherever we may have to die; or if we are killed by other persons for this great cause, we must be ready to do that, and this is going to be our determination. That is why in the Bible Jesus said, "Whoever wants to gain his life will lose it, and whoever is ready to lose his life for my sake, will gain it."

I hope that you consider these ideas seriously, and pray to God. He will answer you.