[081] World Scripture - The Spirit World 2

[대태양/김현수]

2. The Many Levels and Realms in the Spirit World

Religious scriptures

In my Father’s house are many rooms.

John 14.2

Of the nether worlds and heavens has He created millions; Men exhaust themselves trying to explore them.

Adi Granth, Japuji 22, M.1, p. 5 (Sikhism)

There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

1 Corinthians 15.40-41

The church of the Firstborn… are they into whose hands the Father has given all things— they are they who are priests and kings, who have received of His fullness, and of His glory; and are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son. Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God… These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical. And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the church of the Firstborn who have received the fullness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament. Behold, these are they who died without law… who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it. These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men. These are they who receive of His glory, but not of His fullness. These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fullness of the Father. Wherefore, they are bodies terrestrial, and not bodies celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun… And again, we saw the glory of the telestial, which glory is that of the lesser, even as the glory of the stars differs from that of the glory of the moon in the firmament. These are they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus. These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit. These are they who are thrust down to hell. These are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall have finished his work. These are they who receive not of His fullness in the eternal world, but of the Holy Spirit through the ministration of the terrestrial; and the terrestrial through the ministration of the celestial. And also the telestial receive it of the administering of angels who are appointed to minister for them, or who are appointed to be ministering spirits for them; for they shall be heirs of salvation.

Doctrine and Covenants 76.54-88 (Latter-day Saints)

When King Solomon “penetrated into the depths of the nut garden” (Song of Solomon 6.11), he took up a nut shell and studying it, he saw an analogy in its layers with the spirits that motivate the sensual desires of humans… God saw that it was necessary to put into the world so as to make sure of permanence all things having, so to speak, a brain surrounded by numerous membranes. The whole world, upper and lower, is organized on this principle, from the primary mystic center to the very outermost of all the layers. All are coverings, the one to the other, brain within brain, spirit inside of spirit, shell within shell. The primal center is the innermost light, of a translucence, subtlety, and purity beyond comprehension. That inner point extends to become a “palace” which acts as an enclosure for the center, and is also of a radiance translucent beyond the power to know it. The “palace” vestment for the incognizable inner point, while it is an unknowable radiance in itself, is nevertheless of a lesser subtility and translucency than the primal point. The palace extends into a vestment for itself, the primal light. From then outward, there is extension upon extension, each constituting a vesture to the one before, as a membrane to the brain. Though membrane first, each extension becomes brain to the next extension. Likewise does the process go on below; and after this design, man in the world combines brain and membrane, spirit and body, all to the more perfect ordering of the world.

Zohar (Judaism)

All kingdoms have a law given; And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom. And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions. All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified. For intelligence cleaves unto intelligence; wisdom receives wisdom; truth embraces truth; virtue loves virtue; light cleaves unto light; mercy has compassion on mercy and claims her own; justice continues its course and claims its own; judgment goes before the face of Him who sits upon the throne and governs and executes all things.

Doctrine and Covenants 88.36-40 (Latter-day Saints)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

The entire spirit world appears as one person. When this gigantic Person becomes one with God as its Subject partner, then the entire spirit world and physical world will melt together. When God jumps, the earth will jump. When God laughs, the earth will laugh… The spirit world is structured and functions as one person. Saints take the role of eyes and ears.

(91:280, February 27, 1977)

In the spirit world, everything is linked centering on God. Although people have different ranks and inhabit different regions, they all know that they should follow God and make Him their center. Even spirits in the lower realms have an alignment toward God, reflected in their life goals like a concept of faith.

(161:220, February 15, 1987)

Just as people in earthly society have different ranks, there are also different ranks in the spirit world. You do not know much about spirit world now, but when you understand its geography, you will recognize that it contains thousands of different levels.

(91:269-70, February 27, 1977)

In the spirit world, there is an abundance of flowers wherever you go. Amazingly, the flowers are laughing and dancing. Yet they receive human beings depending upon the level of their perfection: laughing and dancing, or dancing but not making any sound, or standing still, etc. On seeing them, you will finally realize: “Ah, I wish I would have understood the Father’s love and practiced it!” Yet by then it would be too late. That is why I am training you and educating you to pass the tests on earth, to help you be tuned to the right frequency of love.

(227:100, February 10, 1992)

The spirit world is still incomplete. Its hierarchical system was originally supposed to be centered on God, the True Parents and true children. Everyone was supposed to have a position in this hierarchy, but it is not realized yet; neither is it the case on earth. The hierarchy must be established on earth first. If the conditions on earth are met, then the spirit world will automatically follow… So far, the spirit world has been organized hierarchically into the Buddhists Club, the Confucians Club, the Muslims Club, the Christians Club, etc… Now, as the work of the True Parents on earth proceeds at the worldwide level, the boundaries between all the religions are disappearing. The movement for unification will progress on earth, along with similar activities in the spirit world.

(161:223, February 15, 1987)

Barriers divide the spirit world. There are no nations like Korea, Japan and America; however, there are different realms based on the different religions. Those who practiced Buddhism [on earth] dwell in the Buddhist realm. Those who practiced Confucianism dwell in the Confucian realm. Those who believed in Jesus live in the Christian realm. Those who followed Islam enter the Muslim realm, and so forth. With the passage of time, the people of each group built up their respective realms and surrounded themselves with walls. These walls, products of the Fall, stand firm until the day of Christ’s return, when he comes to break them down.

(89:101, October 4, 1976)