By Rev. Jack Corley
A lecture given by Rev. Jack Corley, head of the East European sub-region of the Family Federation, at an international prayer meeting by Zoom on 3rd April 2024. The lecture is based on a presentation originally given at seminars in South Korea as a preparation for publishing a new version of the teachings of the Family Federation.
Part 2 (Click to read Part 1)
Amazing parallels today to Jesus and the Holy Spirit pointed out
I’ll keep reading [from a provisional translation from Korean of presentation by Dr. Hyeon-seob Do, the president of Sunhak UP Graduate University, Asan, South Korea]:
“As a result [of all these failures – see Part 1], the Jewish leaders did not believe in Jesus. They slandered and criticized him, accusing him of being a lawbreaker, a blasphemer, a seditious agitator, and so on.”
In history, of course, there have been very unpleasant reactions or attitudes toward the Jewish people about crucifying Jesus. But when we understand, through the Unification Principles, that they weren’t even given a chance to understand who Jesus was, because the main people did not fulfill their providential duty, we realize that the Jewish people became victims of those failures.
It’s important that we understand that the True Parents and Jesus were doing so many things to reach out. But important people like John the Baptist did not recognize their responsibility, and therefore Jesus was rejected.
I’ll continue:
“If Mary, Joseph, and Zechariah’s family, whom Heaven had prepared, had understood God’s Will and united to fulfill their responsibility to protect Jesus, the Only Begotten Daughter would have appeared […] at a time Heavenly Parent had prepared.”
If they had united, then Mary would have been able to introduce Jesus to his bride.
Let’s read a little more:
“As a result of the failure of the central figures and of the people to fulfill their responsibilities, the coming of the Only Begotten Daughter was thwarted and Jesus’ ideal to become the True Parent through the Holy Wedding – the Marriage Supper of the Lamb – could not be realized.”
The famous painting “Christ in the Wilderness”, by the Russian artist Ivan Kramskoi, is one of the pictures I feel represents Jesus. This is when he was in the desert fasting and praying for 40 days in order to make a new foundation. You can sense the sadness in his heart.
In the end Jesus became a sacrifice as his body was hung on a cross. This became, however, a condition for humanity’s salvation.
I’ll read some more:
“He walked a 40-day course of resurrection and pioneered the way to atone for the sins of all humankind.
The disciples who met the resurrected Jesus gathered again to fulfill the number of twelve disciples, believing in Jesus and following him. Thus they laid the foundation for Jesus, together with the Holy Spirit, to become the spiritual True Parents and to carry out the work of rebirth.
Despite the failure of the central figures and the people, the way of the cross that Jesus walked was a holy and noble course to give spiritual rebirth to all humankind.”
Of course, we talk about this as the secondary course. It was not meant to be the original course. But what is really important to also understand is that the real beginning of Christianity was not the death of Jesus or even his resurrection.
Christianity really began when the disciples were in the upper room, fearful for their lives. Having betrayed or denied Jesus, they were afraid.
But when the Holy Spirit manifested in the form of a dove, they were transformed. They went out, and all except one gave their life to promote the message of Jesus. So they really had the spirit and the truth.
I’ll continue:
“However, Jesus, who was born as the Only Begotten Son, could not meet the Only Begotten Daughter and did not become the True Parent. He went the way of the cross and said he would come again and hold the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
The 2,000 years of Christian history began with the apostles who accepted and believed his words.
The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and other believers who had gathered on the 50th day following Jesus’ resurrection. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they set out into the world to preach the gospel of Jesus in place of the Jewish people who were unable to attend the Only Begotten Son. Christianity was chosen and took the central role in Heavenly Parent’s providence.”
In the same way, after Father Moon ascended, Mother Moon continued the mission of the True Parents here on the earth in the position of the living Holy Spirit.
As you know, one of the prophecies about the future was about the moon turning to blood. According to the explanation of the Unification Principles, the moon symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Turning to blood means becoming a living being. We are at a time when Mother Moon is now such a being. We are so privileged that we can welcome her here to Europe in a very short time.
Key Role Of Christianity The Last 2000 Years
I’ll keep reading [from a provisional translation from Korean of presentation by Dr. Hyeon-seob Do, the president of Sunhak UP Graduate University, Asan, South Korea]:
“Despite significant persecution and opposition from the Roman Empire, the Christians did not give up, but maintained their faith. As a result, Christianity grew rapidly.
The early church was established, and Christianity survived despite being much persecuted in the Roman Empire. Moreover, behind the explosive growth of Christianity was that they worshiped in the Spirit and the Truth and went out to the world in the Spirit and the Truth to spread the Gospel of Jesus.”
It was a time of great fervor. Even Saint Paul, who had never met Jesus, was so transformed that he became the great evangelist of early Christianity in the Mediterranean area.
After Christianity’s acceptance in Rome and its official establishment as a state religion, we see Christian history paralleling and indemnifying the history of Judaism in terms of providential numbers and events.
I’ll read some more:
“With the Pope’s blessing, the Holy Roman Empire was established. Centered on the spirit of Christianity, Western Europe took shape. In Eastern Europe and the Near East, a Christian-centered society also took firm root through the Byzantine Empire. Through Europe and the Near East, the Christian world emerged.
As a result of the passionate mission work of disciples since the Age of Exploration, Christianity spread throughout the world. Expanding beyond Europe and the Near East, Christianity became a global religion.”
That is according to a prophecy that when the Gospel is spread throughout the world, the Lord will return.
We continue:
“The bishops of the early church, with authority conferred on them by St. Peter, who received direct instruction from Jesus, had the authority to interpret the Bible.
In the process of building church unity, various opinions [views] about the nature of Jesus and the interpretation of the Bible were condemned [rejected], the relationship between the priests and believers was made [rigidly] vertical, and systems and organizations were created such that believers, who longed for the Word and the Holy Spirit, did not receive spiritual guidance.
Problems emerged that clearly showed the limitations and corruption of Christianity, including simony [buying or selling church offices, holy orders or sacred items], corruption in the monasteries, the secularization of the church, and the compromise of Christianity with social reality.”
However, the biggest problem, as Mother Moon has said, is that Christianity did not know the original essence of Jesus.
I’ll go on:
“Christianity started out without realizing what it should accomplish, or what its mission and role were.”
In other words, it moved forward without knowing clearly the purpose of history. Christians did not know clearly about Jesus’ Second Coming or about the Only Begotten Daughter.
I’ll continue:
“Heavenly Parent could not allow the corruption of Christianity to continue unchecked, because of the need to carry out the providence – on the Christian foundation – to prepare for the birth of the Only Begotten Daughter and the Messiah at the Second Coming who would carry on the mission of Jesus, the Only Begotten Son.
God had to reform medieval Christianity, and this eventually would manifest as the Reformation.”
One of the leading figures of the Protestant Reformation was, of course, Martin Luther, who in 1517 nailed to the door of a church in Wittenberg his 95 Theses, which questioned the authorities’ behavior.
The Reformation was advanced through the theology of John Calvin. In different ways reformers began to appear in Great Britain, Switzerland, Germany, and throughout Europe.
At various times, people stood up, sometimes at the risk of their life and even at the cost of their life. The Reformation challenged the traditional authority of the medieval Catholic Church and brought about great changes and more freedom.
Also, the printing press was invented at that time, and therefore the Bible was available to anyone who could read. In the past, only the priests could read it in Latin, which most of the population couldn’t do.
Reform, however, did not end with the Protestant Reformation or the establishment of the Anglican Church. Due to persecution from newly established Christian churches, the Pilgrim Fathers, in search of religious freedom, left Europe and settled in what became the United States.
I’ll continue reading:
“The United States was raised as a nation for Heavenly Parent, so as to create an environment for True Parents and to prevent a repetition of the Messiah going to the cross. In the wake of World War II, under Heavenly Parent’s blessing, the United States established itself as a nation that could lead the world. America has the same mission as the Roman Empire had in Jesus’ day – to accept and serve True Parents and to create an environment in which all nations of the world can accept and attend True Parents.”
Today, America is failing badly. But there is also another process going on, in which people are waking up. And I believe we’ve seen major changes.
I’ll go on reading:
“Christianity, with its 2,000 years of history, must now properly know the truth of history and of Heavenly Parent’s providence. Christians must come to understand that the Only Begotten Son and Only Begotten Daughter, who are born with the full love and lineage of Heavenly Parent, are, through their Holy Wedding, to become True Parents who perfectly resemble Heavenly Parent. This is the most essential truth about Heavenly Parent’s providence to restore all of humankind.”
Christianity had to create a foundation for the birth of the returning Messiah who would take over the mission of Jesus, the Only Begotten Son who went the way of the cross, and for the birth of the Only Begotten Daughter, which was thwarted by the failure of the central figures at that time.
Christians should unite with and attend the True Parents, who have established their position through the Holy Wedding – the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Christians should support True Parents, who are giving all people rebirth as Heavenly Parent’s children and completing the Heavenly Kingdom [Cheonil Guk in Korean], the ideal world in which Heavenly Parent directly exercises His sovereignty.
Let us give thanks to our True Parents, and especially Mother Moon, for their victorious accomplishments.
And let’s really prepare for the great and wonderful privilege of being able to welcome here in Europe the True Daughter of God, the Only Begotten Daughter of God, the living Holy Spirit, our beloved Mother Moon.
Thank you!
Featured image above: Charlemagne crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome 25th Dec. in the year 800, painting by Friedrich Kaulbach (1822-1903). Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Public domain image. Cropped