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The Second Coming - Israel
QUESTION: 1. Does Unification Church believe in a literal restoration of the Kingdom to Israel and the state of Israel being God's capital of the world?
ANSWER: Israel will play a very important role in the world dispensation for the Kingdom of God. God wants to maintain the historical record of Israel and it's participation in the historical providence of God. However, Israel will not, in this age, have the same role and potential, that it had 2000 years ago.
QUESTION: 2. If God is totally and completely through with Israel as a nation in the providence of God as you implied in your lecture, why does God say He will graft them in "again" in Rom. 11:23?
ANSWER: God is not through with the nation of Israel, however, Israel will not have the same role as was it's potential 2000 years ago. That role was to usher in the Kingdom of God as the central nation of God's dispensation.
QUESTION: 3. Could you really state that the nation of Israel which was reformed in 1948 was a fulfillment of God's word? Don't you think we should expect a real Jewish Christian movement to fulfill that prophesy independently of an Israel state?
ANSWER: I did not imply that the forming of the Jewish state was fulfillment of any prophesy. But I sense that it may have a spiritual meaning.
QUESTION: 4. Are the people of the nation of Israel still the Chosen People of God?
ANSWER: Israel will still play an important role in God's dispensation. However, Israel will not play the same central role as was it's destiny 2000 years ago. Jesus promised that the Kingdom would be taken from them and given tho another nation. This means that God will choose another nation to fulfill the role of Israel. This is also reflected in the comparison of Isa. 65:17 with Rev. 21:1-5. Rev. 21 is declaring that the role of Israel (Isa. 65:17 ) will be fulfilled by a New Jerusalem.
QUESTION: 5. If there is now a "New Israel" (Christianity), what do you believe the scripture in Romans 9,10 and 11 are referring to. In Romans 11-15 etc. it is very clear that Israel is to be restored to the fullness and through their restoration the entire world will be blessed. There are not "dual prophesies" concerning this.
ANSWER: That all of Israel will be saved is not a declaration that Israel will maintain her providential status as the Chosen Nation of God. Instead, Jesus declared that the Kingdom would be taken from you and given to another nation that can produce the fruits thereof, see Zech 11:4-14. God says in Jer. 33:20-23 that if He can break His covenant with the day and with the night so that they don't come at their appointed hours, so likewise will He break His covenant with the nation of Israel. Luke 23:44-45 indicates that at the crucifixion of Jesus, in fact the sun did not shine at it's appointed time (for three hours). This is a sign to indicate that Israel had lost it's covenant and would not be able to serve in it's original role and destiny, that is, as the central nation of the world out of which would emerge the culture of Jesus (the Kingdom of Heaven). Finally the destiny of Israel promised in Isa. 65:17 is promised to a New Israel in Rev. 21:1. Again, Jeremiah 18:7-9, God is not bound by prophesy. Israel must fulfill a role and responsibility if the prediction of their kingdom was to come true. They failed in that role, and though, Israel will play an important part in God's providence and will all be saved, she will not serve again in the role of the central nation.
QUESTION: 6. How does Romans 11:24-25 fit into modern day "New Israel" theology? Romans 11:24 "...wild and tame olive branches..." Romans 11:25 "...blindness in part..."?
ANSWER: There is a basic difference in the concept that all of Israel will be saved with that of the total restoration of the providential purpose of the Chosen Nation. That role of the mission of the Chosen Nation has gone to a New Israel. A good parallel can be found with Moses and Joshua. Moses striking the rock twice, lost his providential role and was replaced by Joshua. Loosing your providential role is unfortunate but it is not equal to being condemned. We see that Moses appears with Elijah at the Mount of Transfiguration. In this age, the nation of Israel will play a significant role, it will not be, however, in the central role that had once been it's proud destiny. This was also a reason for great sorrow of Jesus. Few Christians can appreciate the sense of pride and love that Jesus had for His culture the fulfillment and culmination of all culture, The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth and in the Spirit World.
QUESTION: 7. In your presentation you seem to blame America for many of the problems in the world. Why and under what scriptural account?
ANSWER: Those that receive the greatest blessing and fail will be judged the severest. I was judging myself as an American. I feel responsible to reverse that trend, which will never happen unless we face the reality of our failures as American Christians. Better that we take a bitter pill now when there is still time to reverse the trend, then to continue the fantasy that "we're just fine" until we drowned in the flood waters wrought by our malaise.
QUESTION: 8. If the Principle is true, why did it take so long to be revealed? There seems to be no recognition of these things by the ancient Church fathers.
ANSWER: 1Peter 1:5 explicitly tells us that these things would not be revealed until the "last times" which is today. Also Acts 3:21 says that Christ will remain in Heaven until the time comes for the restoration of all things. The ancient church fathers could hot have known of the things because their time was not "the time". Today is that time and we are the generation that hears the word and must become responsible.
QUESTION: 9. Please address the concept of how Christians are the Second Israel and how some groups have used this concept of being God's Chosen People to become bigoted, anti-semitic and racially segregated.
ANSWER: A very good point. Unfortunately, to be "Chosen" has been misconstrued to mean "privileged". And the privileged people are always on the correct side of the tracks, away from the reprobates. This, of course, is not the way of Jesus. Rev. Moon's concept of "chosen" means..."chosen to serve others, chosen to demonstrate the way of Christ's love." Jesus never intended the Church to be a "separatist" movement.