[254] World Scripture - Recognizing the Day of the Lord - 3. The Seventh

[대태양/김현수]

World Scripture Ⅱ
Part Two - Sin and Salvation
Chapter 10 Eschatology and Messianic Hope
4) Recognizing the Day of the Lord

3. The Seventh Millennium of Sabbath Rest

World Scripture

Blessed and holy is he who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20.6

As the land of Canaan had one year of release in seven, so has the world one millennium of release in seven thousand years; for it is said (Isa. 2.17), “And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day;” and again (Ps. 92.1), “A psalm or song for the Sabbath day,” which means a long Sabbatic period, and again (Ps. 90.4), “For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as the day of yesterday.”

The Tanna debe Eliyyahu teaches: The world is to last six thousand years. Two thousand of these are termed the period of disorder, two thousand belong to the dispensation of the Law, and two thousand are the days of the Messiah; but because of our iniquities a large fraction of the latter term is already passed and gone without the Messiah giving any sign of His appearing. Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a (Judaism)

After six hundred years of the sixth millennium there will be open the gates of wisdom above and the fountains of wisdom below, and the world will make preparations to enter on the seventh millennium, as man makes preparations [for the Sabbath] on the sixth day of the week, when the sun is about to set.

The Holy One does not desire that so much [about the coming of the Messiah] should be revealed to the world, but when the days of the Messiah will be near at hand, even children will discover the secrets of wisdom and thereby be able to calculate the millennium; at that time it will be revealed to all.

“Let the Lord rejoice in His works” (Ps 104.31): He will cause souls to descend into the world and make them into new beings, so as to join the world into one. Happy are they who will be left alive at the end of the sixth millennium to enter the Sabbath. For it is the day set apart by the Holy One on which to effect the union of souls and to cull new souls to join those still on earth, as it is written, “He that is left in Zion… shall be called holy.” Zohar 1.117a-19a (Judaism)

There is a clear indication of this final Sabbath if we take the seven ages of world history as being ‘days’ and calculate in accordance with the data furnished by the Scriptures. The first age or day is that from Adam to the flood; the second from the flood to Abraham. (These two ‘days’ were not identical in length of time, but in each there were ten generations.) Then follow the three ages, each consisting of fourteen generations, as recorded in the Gospel of St. Matthew: the first, from Abraham to David; the second, from David to the migration to Babylon; the third, from then to Christ’s nativity in the flesh. Thus, we have five ages. The sixth is the one in which we now are. It is an age not to be measured by any precise number of generations, since we are told: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates which the Father has fixed by His own authority.’ (Acts 1.7) After this ‘day,’ God will rest on the ‘seventh day,’ in the sense that God will make us, who are to be this seventh day, rest in Him.”

Saint Augustine, City of God 22.30 (Christianity) Seventy weeks of years are decreed concerning your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off, and shall have nothing; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war; desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator. Daniel 9.24-27

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

In the Old Testament Age, God taught the people through His servants and angels. In the New Testament Age, He worked through His Son. From then on, He works through the Holy Spirit. (10:197, October 2, 1960)

During the two-thousand-year period from Adam to Abraham, people had not yet fulfilled sufficient indemnity conditions to receive God’s Word directly. At most, fallen people made indemnity conditions through offering sacrifices; but in doing so, they laid the foundation for the next period when God could begin to work His providence of restoration based on the Word. Hence, this period is called the age of the providence to lay the foundation for the Word.

During the two-thousand-year period from Abraham to Jesus, humanity’s spirituality and intellect developed to the formation stage based on the Word revealed in the Old Testament. Hence, this period is called the formation stage of the providence, or the Old Testament Age.

During the two-thousand-year period from Jesus until the Second Coming, humanity’s spirituality and intellect developed to the growth stage based on the Word revealed in the New Testament. Hence, this period is called the growth stage of the providence, or the New Testament Age.

During the period when the providence of restoration is to be completed after the Second Coming of Christ, humanity’s spirituality and intellect are to develop through the completion stage based on the Completed Testament Word, which will be given for the fulfillment of the providence of restoration. Hence, this period is called the completion stage of the providence, or the Completed Testament Age. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Restoration 2.2.1)

Paul said in I Corinthians 13, “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” We human beings, however, lost hope and faith through the Fall. By losing hope and faith, we also lost God-centered love. The six-thousand-year history of the providence of restoration was for the sake of restoring this love.

Examining these six thousand years, in the Old Testament Age people exerted effort in hope. In the New Testament Age people made effort in search of faith. The coming Completed Testament Age is the age for making effort in search of love.

In the Old Testament Age, circumcision was the condition made by the chosen people as they lived in hope. In the New Testament Age, baptism of water and the fire of the Holy Spirit established faith before God. In the coming Completed Testament Age, you will be able to enter into a loving relationship with God by receiving His seal of love. (5:108, January 4, 1959)