[264] World Scripture - The Kingdom of Heaven - 3. A World of Godly People

[대태양/김현수]

World Scripture Ⅱ
Part Two - Sin and Salvation
Chapter 10 Eschatology and Messianic Hope
6) The Kingdom of Heaven

3. A World of Godly People Who Possess the Kingdom within Themselves

World Scripture

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8.19-23

Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17.21

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son… But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?”27 And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.” Matthew 22.1-13

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31.31-34

Confucius said, “The practice of the Great Tao and the eminent men of the Three Dynasties— this I have never seen in person, and yet I have a mind to follow them. When the Great Tao prevailed, the world was a commonwealth; men of talent and virtue were selected, mutual confidence was emphasized, and brotherhood was cultivated. Therefore, men did not regard as parents only their own parents, nor did they treat as sons only their own sons. Old people were able to enjoy their old age; young men were able to employ their talents; juniors respected their elders; helpless widows, orphans, and cripples were well cared for. Men had their respective occupations, and women their homes. They hated to see wealth lying about in waste, and they did not hoard it for their own use. They hated not to use their energies, and they used their energies not for their own benefit. Thus evil schemings were repressed, and robbers, thieves, and traitors no longer appeared, so that the front door remained open. This was called the Grand Unity (Ta-tung). Book of Ritual 7.1.2 (Confucianism)

As earthly paradise moves into its advanced stages, people’s inner attitudes towards God will directly affect more and more aspects of daily life. Those whose souls are closer to God will be so much of the same heart that they can communicate without verbalizing their thoughts and feelings. By this stage, contemplation will have become the mode of existence for everyone. God will have given them such highly refined powers of spiritual perception that they can at last see His will directly and perfectly understand what is in the hearts and minds of others.

In its ultimate phase, paradise on earth will be so perfect, so unblemished, that it may be called the Crystal World. All evil and hatred will have been cleansed away. The world will have become the final realization of absolute goodness and love. Completely free from even a hint of sin or impurity, humankind at last will dwell in the heavenly abode longed for through the ages. This is the Crystal World of unity with God. Johrei (Sekai Kyusei Kyo)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

The ideal society is a place where the ideal of love is perfectly realized. It is a beautiful world, where people who have substantiated God’s love in themselves live in complete satisfaction of heart. Their faces are beautiful, radiating eternal light. All perfected human beings shine with such internal beauty. (Way of God’s Will 1.8)

If you have not ended the fighting within yourself, then even if you lived in a world where people ceased to fight and all the nations were at peace, you would still feel out of place, without any peace or happiness. The problem is in you. You must first solve the fundamental problem within yourself. Only then, when you encounter an ideal environment in the world outside of you, will you feel its peace seeping into your heart and its happiness encompassing your soul. Only when you create the foundation for the Kingdom of Heaven within yourself will you experience freedom and happiness in the world around you. Your outward circumstances may be perfect, but if you have not resolved your personal problems, you will not be able to fit in with those circumstances. You will not be fully happy. (20:167, June 9, 1968)

First, you have to establish the Kingdom of Heaven as an individual. Next, you have to establish the Kingdom of Heaven as a couple. What is the Kingdom of Heaven as a couple? It is the state of matrimony where a man and woman are totally united as one. It is not like a typical marriage where in the beginning you tell your spouse, “I love you,” but after a few years you say good-bye and divorce… A heavenly couple is inseparable; they could lose their legs by exploding dynamite but still keep embracing with their upper bodies! That is possible only with true love. To achieve that kind of love, your mind and body must be completely united. Then you can attain the Kingdom of Heaven as a couple. After you realize the Kingdom of Heaven as a couple, would you be satisfied? No, you would want to realize the Kingdom of Heaven as a family. When father and mother become totally one and love each other, their son will think that he wants to marry a bride just like his mother, and the daughter will think that she wants to marry a man just like her father. The father and mother acting as a plus guide their sons and daughters as a minus: that family unity is the Kingdom of Heaven as a family. Once we realize the Kingdom of Heaven in our families, finally we will be able to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, which is God’s ideal. (96:29, January 1, 1978)

The original Garden was to be an ideal place. There the spirit world and physical world would be open to each other, and the feelings of siblings could be communicated freely all the way to the ends of the universe. It would not be like the present-day world, divided among ethnic sentiments, where national sovereignties clash, and where ideologies and religions are at odds with each other. In that world, people would discuss all matters from the heart. The heart does not discriminate by race, nationality, or other such things. Hence, people would easily be able to reconcile their differences, such as economic disparities and cultural misunderstandings. (7:37, July 5, 1959)

From perfected individuals and families up to the perfection of the cosmos, a beautiful world will emerge—the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and in spirit world. It will be a world of freedom. God also will be free, and He will be able to visit your family anytime He desires. Until now, there were barriers everywhere, blocking everyone from going where they wished. Now all the walls and barriers that Satan created will be torn down and everywhere will be level. Then God will form the same perpendicular connection with everyone. Around that ninety-degree axis, everything—front and back, left and right, high and low—will relate freely. All will enter the realm of liberation and unification. That is the Kingdom of Heaven. (313:243, December 19, 1999)