The Last Days

Chapter The Consummation of human history

Section III

The Last Days

1. Meaning of the Last Days

We have already stated that the three great blessings God granted our human ancestors were not realized centering on God, due to the fall of man. Instead they were realized centering on Satan in the non-principled realm. Human history, though it started in evil, is in fact the providential history of restoration through which God has been working. So the sinful world under Satanic dominion will be transformed into the world of good sovereignty, once the three great blessings centered on God are fulfilled.

The age in which the sinful world under Satanic sovereignty is transformed into the ideal world of creation under God's sovereignty is called the "Last Days". In other words, the "Last Days" means the age in which Hell on earth is transformed into the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Therefore, this will not be a day of fear in which many natural calamities will take place, as Christians up to the present have believed, but a day of joy when the unique hope of mankind, held firmly throughout the long course of history since the creation of the world, will be realized. Since the human fall, God has continued His providence to liquidate the world of sin and restore the world of goodness having the original nature of creation. (Details will be discussed in Part II, Ch. 1.) Nevertheless, in each case, man failed to carry out his portion of responsibility, thus frustrating the realization of God's will. As a consequence, the Bible apparently indicates that there have been many Last Days.

(1) Noah's Day Was the Last Days

Genesis 6:13 states, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with violence through them; behold, I will destroy them with the earth.", thus indicating that Noah's day was the Last Days.

Why can Noah's day be called the Last Days? God was going to destroy the corrupt world centered on Satan with the flood judgment after the sinful history of 1,600 years, leaving only Noah's family, who believed in God. On the basis of Noah's faith, God intended to restore the ideal world of His sovereignty. Therefore, Noah's day can be called the Last Days (cf. Part II, Ch. 1, Sec. II--251). Due to the corrupt act of Ham (Gen. 9:22), Noah's second son, God's will was nullified, because Noah's family failed to carry out its portion of responsibility on behalf of all mankind.

(2) Jesus' Day was the Last Days

God's predestination for His will to attain the purpose of the providence of restoration is an absolute one, which cannot be changed (cf. Part I, Ch. 6--193). Therefore, even though His providence of restoration centering on Noah was not accomplished, God called other prophets to lay the foundation of faith. He sent Jesus to destroy the sinful world centered on Satan and restore the ideal world centered on God. So, Jesus' day was also the Last Days. That is why Jesus said that he came as the master of judgment (John 5:22). This is also why Malachi prophesied:

Behold, the day comes, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up...so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. (Mal. 4:1)

Jesus came to restore the ideal world in the form intended at the creation. However, due to the disbelief of the faithless people, man's portion of responsibility was left unaccomplished, prolonging the fulfillment of God's will until the time of the Lord's Second Advent.

(3) The Day of the Lord's Second Advent is also the Last Days

Jesus was ultimately crucified, thus accomplishing only spiritual salvation. He is to attain the purpose of the providence of salvation both in spirit and body after the Second Advent (cf. Part I, Ch. 4, Sec. I, 4--147), fulfilling the restoration of the Kingdom of God on earth. Naturally, the day of the Lord's Second Advent would also be the Last Days. This is why Jesus said, that, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man." (Luke 17:26), and also that there would be many natural calamities at the time of the Second Advent (Matt. 24:29).

2. Biblical verses concerning the signs of The Last Days

Many Christians believe that in the Last Days various natural calamities and radical changes beyond the imagination of modern men will occur in human society, as the biblical verses literally say. However, if we understand that human history is the providential history to restore the world to the original form intended by God at the creation, then we know that the signs of the Last Days will not literally take place. Let us examine what is symbolized by the biblical records which concern the Last Days.

(1) Heaven and Earth Destroyed (II Peter 3:12, Gen. 6:13) and a New Heaven and a New Earth Created (Rev. 21:1, II Peter 3:13, Is. 66:22)

Genesis 6:13 says that God wanted to destroy the earth because it was filled with violence and corruption in the Last Days. However, He did not actually destroy the world. We know that the earth is eternal from Biblical verses such as Ecclesiastes 1:4, which says, "A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.", and Psalms 78:69, which says, "He built His sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which He has founded forever.". God, the subject, is eternal; therefore, His objects should also be eternal. Naturally, the earth, which was created as the object of God, should be eternal.

God, omnipotent and omniscient, could not have felt joy over His creation if He had made it with the possibility of its being destroyed by Satan. To what can we compare this? To erect a new nation (Rev. 21:1) is to establish a nation of new sovereignty. Consequently, to destroy heaven and earth means to overthrow the sovereignty of Satan, who is dominating them; and to found a new heaven and a new earth means to restore the new heaven and earth under the sovereignty of God (Rev. 21:1).

(2) Heaven and Earth Judged by Fire (II Peter 3:12)

II Peter 3:12 says that in the Last Days "the heavens will be kindled and dissolved and the elements will melt with fire!". In Malachi 4:1 it is prophesied that, in Jesus' day, he will come as the master of judgment (John 5:22, 9:39) and will judge with fire. In Luke 12:49, Jesus said he came to cast fire upon the earth. Nevertheless, we cannot find any signs of his judgment with literal fire at that time. This, then, must be figurative speech. James 3:6 says, "the tongue is a fire". Accordingly, we understand that judgment by fire is judgment by the tongue, which naturally means judgment by the Word. Thus judgment by fire is judgment by the Word.

Let us then look up the biblical verses concerning judgment by the Word. John 12:48 says that he who rejects Jesus and does not receive his sayings has a judge, and the Word that Jesus has spoken will be his judge on the Last Day. II Thessalonians 2:8 says that the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the "breath of his mouth"; that is, his Word. Further, Isaiah 11:4 reads, "...and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth [tongue], and with the breath of his lips [words] he shall slay the wicked."; while John 5:24 says, "he who hears my word and believes Him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.". Thus, judgment by fire signifies judgment by the Word.

What must be the reason, then, for judgment by the Word? John 1:3 states that man was created by the Word. Consequently, God's purpose of creation was that the first man should have accomplished the purpose of the Word by becoming the incarnation of the Word; but he fell without keeping the Word of God, thus leaving the purpose of the Word unaccomplished.

Therefore, God attempted again to fulfill the purpose of the Word by re-creating fallen men according to the Word; this is the providence of restoration by the Word of truth (Bible). John 1:14 says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.". Thus, Christ will come again as the incarnation of the Word. By becoming the standard of judgment by the Word, he will judge to what extent mankind has fulfilled the purpose of the Word. The purpose of the providence of restoration will be accomplished with the fulfillment of the purpose of the Word, so judgment should be done with the Word as the standard and measure. In Luke 12:49 Jesus said, "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!". He had come as the incarnation of the Word (John 1:14), proclaiming the Word of life.

(3) The Dead Rise from Their Tombs (Matt. 27:52, I Thess. 4:16)

In Matthew 27:52-53, it says that when Jesus died:

The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

This does not mean that their flesh literally rose from corruption (cf. Part I, Ch. 5, Sec. II, 3--181). If the saints of the Old Testament Age living in the spirit world had literally risen and, coming out of the tombs, had gone into the city and appeared to many people, they would surely have testified to the Jewish people about Jesus, because they knew that Jesus was the Messiah. If this had happened, even though Jesus had already been crucified, then no one could have failed to believe in Jesus. If the saints of the Old Testament Age had thus been raised from the tombs, again assuming their flesh, their deeds should have been recorded in the Bible. However, there are no such records in the Bible.

Then, what is the meaning of "rising from the tombs"? This is a record of spirit men of the Old Testament Age being resurrected and appearing on earth in spirit (cf. Part I, Ch. 5, Sec. II, 3--181), just as the spirits of Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:3).

Then what does "tomb" signify? The realm of form spirits, which was the dwelling of the Old Testament Age saints, was a darker place than Paradise, which was opened by Jesus. This form-spirit realm was called a "tomb". The spirit men of the Old Testament Age staying in this region of the spirit world appeared to the earthly saints.

(4) Earthly Men Caught Up to Meet the Lord in the Air (I Thess. 4:17)

The "air" mentioned here does not mean the sky. In the Bible, "earth" generally means the fallen world of evil sovereignty, while "heaven" means the sinless world of good sovereignty. Our understanding is increased when we read the Biblical verse which says, "Our Father who art in heaven" (Matt. 6:9), though God is omnipresent. Also, we find, "...but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man" (John 3:13), even though Jesus was born on earth.

Thus, "to meet the Lord in the air" signifies that the saints will receive the Lord in the world of good sovereignty when Christ comes again and restores the Kingdom of Heaven on earth by overthrowing the Satanic sovereignty.

(5) Sun and Moon Darkened, Stars fall from Heaven (Matt. 24:29)

Genesis 37:9 describes the dream of Joseph, the eleventh of the twelve sons of Jacob:

Then he dreamed another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, 'Behold, I have dreamed another dream; and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.'. But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, 'What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?'.

Joseph grew to be a man and became the prime minister of Egypt. Then it actually happened, as in the dream, that his parents and brothers indeed came to bow before him. According to these Biblical verses, the sun and the moon symbolize parents, and the stars symbolize children. As stated in "Christology" (cf. Part I, Ch. 7--205), Jesus and the Holy spirit came as the True Parents in place of Adam and Eve to give rebirth to mankind. Therefore, the sun and the moon symbolize Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and the stars symbolize the saints as their children.

In the Bible, Jesus is likened to the "true light" (John 1:9) because he came as the Word made into flesh (John 1:14), as the light of truth. Naturally, the sunlight here means the light of the words of Jesus, and the moonlight means the light of the Holy Spirit, who came as the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). Therefore, for the sun and the moon to lose their light means that the New Testament Words of Jesus and the Holy Spirit will lose their light.

How could the New Testament Words come to lose their light? Just as the Old Testament Words lost their light when Jesus and the Holy Spirit came with new Words in order to fulfill the Old Testament Words, so the New Testament Words Jesus gave to the people at the First Advent will also lose their light when Christ comes again with the new Word, in order to fulfill the New Testament Words, thus making a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1; cf. Part I, Ch. 3, Sec. V, 1--129). Here, for the Words to lose their light means that the period of their mission has elapsed with the coming of the new age.

Stars falling from heaven signifies that the saints in the Last Days will offend the Lord and fail. Just as the leaders of the Jewish religion who had an eager longing for the coming of the Messiah all fell by offending Jesus, the Messiah, it was prophesied that, in their ignorance, many Christians who anxiously await the Second Advent of the Lord will likewise offend and fail him in that day, thus falling in the same manner (cf. Part II, Ch. 6, Sec. II, 2--502).

In Luke 18:8 Jesus asked, "...when the son of man comes, will he find faith on earth? ". On another occasion (Matt. 7:23) he said that he would declare to the devout Christians, "I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.". All this he said to warn the Christians of the Last Days against their possible offense, because he foresaw their disbelief.