The Period of Maturity of Politics, Economy, and Ideology (1789-1918)

Chapter Preparation Period for the Second Advent of the Messiah

The preparation period for the Second Advent of the Messiah is the 400-year period from the Religious Reformation of 1517 to the end of World War I in 1918. The summary of the character of this period was already discussed in the section comparing it with the preparation period for the coming of the Messiah viewed from time-identity, but a more detailed study will be made here. Seen from the viewpoint of the providence of restoration, this era is divided into three periods: the period of religious reformation, the period of struggle between religion and ideology, and the period of maturity for politics, economy, and ideology.

Section III

The Period of Maturity of Politics, Economy, and Ideology (1789-1918)

The struggle among religions and ideologies of the previous period resulted in the establishment of Cain- and Abel-type views of life. Upon entering this period, these two views of life matured in their respective directions. As they matured, two types of worlds, one of Cain and the other of Abel, were formed while the structure of society was arranged to have a social shape based on these two views of life. The politics, economy, and ideology also developed to a stage prior to their conversion into the ideal society. The period beginning after the French Revolution through the Industrial Revolution and continuing until the end of the First World War was the period for such providence.

1. Democracy

In the previous chapter we discussed democracy from the standpoint of the development of history. However, this discussion examined only the external circumstances causing democracy to appear. Now let us examine the internal circumstances of how and on which ideological tide, in the surging flow of history, today's democracy came.

As already discussed (cf. Part II, Ch. 4, Sec. VII--425), if in the period of the United Kingdom, the spiritual kingdom centering on the pope and the substantial kingdom centering on the king had become one, realizing the monarchic society capable of receiving the Messiah and thus establishing the foundation to receive the messiah, the feudalistic society would have ended at that time. However, since this providence was a failure, this period was prolonged; the political, religious and economic history came to develop through separate respective courses.

Political power, decentralized to the local lords of the medieval feudalistic period, began to decline after the Crusades and became more emaciated upon entering the period of the Enlightenment, after having gone through the Renaissance and Religious Reformation. Then, in the middle of the 17th century, the feudal lords established unified states with many small nations as a unit; by consolidating them under the king, they formed an absolute state with the centralization of administrative power. This was the period of absolute monarchy when, influenced by the idea of the "divine right of kings", the kings were endowed with absolute power.

From the social aspect, let us now examine the cause that brought about this period. First, it was for the class of citizens united with the king to resist the feudalistic class. Second, it was because they needed strong national identity apart from the feudal system in order to control trade in their economic activities, and because they needed the mercantile economic policy under strong protection and supervision by the state for the welfare of the people.

On the other hand, seen from the standpoint of the development of the history of the providence of restoration, monarchic society on the Heavenly side should have been realized after the feudalistic society. The popes and kings of this age, however, failed to become one; the society on the heavenly side was not realized. In reverse manner, the society centering on the pope turned out to be the society of absolute monarchy on the Satanic side, following the course that Satan had laid out in advance.

Again, from the standpoint of the providence of restoration, let us consider the trends of the society of absolute monarchy. Since the medieval feudalistic society ran counter to both Hebraism and Hellenism, these two ideologies worked together in breaking down the society and established two types of society based on the two views of life--Cain-like and Abel-like. Likewise, the society of absolute monarchy developed through the following course. The society of absolute monarchy, which fettered the freedom of faith under the Christian democracy since the Religious Reformation, went contrary to the attainment of the purpose of the Abel-type view of life. The feudalistic system which had still remained in that society became an obstacle to the development of the citizen class under the leadership of the atheists and materialists and thus also contradicted the attainment of the purpose of the Cain-type view of life. Therefore, both of the two views of life tended to break down the society and finally formed two types of society--one of communism and the other of democracy based on the two types of democracy, Cain-like and Abel-like.

(1) Cain-Type Democracy

Cain-type democracy grew out of the French Revolution. In order to discuss this problem, we must first discuss the French Revolution. France in that day was in a period which saw the expansion of the idea of Enlightenment, being led into atheism and materialism by the Cain-type view of life. The citizens, thus influenced by the idea of Enlightenment, were awakened to the contradiction of absolutism, and naturally their desire to break down the remnant of the old system, still rooted deep in the society under absolutism, attained a zenith.

Here in 1789, in accordance with the high tide of the idea of Enlightenment, the citizens broke down the feudalistic ruling-class of the absolute monarchic society and at the same time rose to advocate democracy for the freedom, equality and liberation of the third class (citizens). This was actually the French Revolution. As a result of this revolution, the "Declaration of the Rights of Man" was officially announced; thus, democracy born out of the French Revolution came about when the idea of Enlightenment, which developed into the ideology of materialism, broke down the society of absolutism in order to set up the Cain-type view of life, we call it the Cain-type democracy. Therefore, Denis Diderot (1713-1784) and D'Alembert (1717-1783), the thinkers of the French Revolution, were scholars from either the line of atheism or materialism.

As we may see from the particulars of this revolution, it was true that the democracy of France inclined toward totalitarianism rather than the equality and freedom of individuality. In this way, the Cain-type view of life formed the Cain-type democracy by establishing the idea of Enlightenment and thus giving rise to the French Revolution. This completely blocked the way of man's internal pursuit of his original nature for God, only developing externally more and more. Once systematized into the Marxism of Germany and the Leninism of Russia, the Cain-type view of life finally formed the communist world.

(2) Abel-Type Democracy

The democracy realized in England the United States is different, even in its origin, from the democracy that was born out of the great revolution of France. The former was the Abel-type democracy realized by ardent Christians, who were the fruits of the Abel-type view of life, through their victory over absolutism, against which they had fought for the sake of their freedom of faith. The latter was the Cain-type democracy, realized by the advocates of atheism and materialism, who were the products of the Cain-type view of life, through the breakdown of the society of absolutism.

Let us then study how the Abel-type democracy was established in England the United States. In England, as Charles I strengthened absolutism and national religion, many Puritans moved into other European countries or the New Continent in search of freedom of faith. Previously, in Scotland, some of the Puritans who had been under religious persecution passed the People's Pact, resisting the king (1640).

Again in England, the Puritans, who were the nuclear members of Parliament, launched the Puritan Revolution, centering on Cromwell (1642). Besides, as the absolutism and strengthening of the national religion by James II were intensified, William of Orange, his son-in-law, who was at that time Stadholder of the Netherlands, landed in England with his army in 1688 in order to protect the freedom of faith and civil rights and ascended the throne bloodlessly. Upon his enthronement, William recognized the independent rights of Parliament by approving the "Declaration of Right" reported by Parliament. This became the basis of the constitution of England. Since this revolution was a bloodless success, we call it the Glorious Revolution. This revolution in England also had its cause in the endeavor by the citizens class to obtain freedom and liberation from the class of great landowners such as the nobles and priests, but the main cause was to obtain, through such a revolution, the internal liberation and freedom of faith.

Then the Puritans, who had been suppressed under the imperial regime of absolutism in England, went to the new continent of America in order to obtain freedom of faith, and in 1776 they founded an independent nation there. Thus, they came to establish American democracy. The democracy established in England and America is called the Abel-type democracy because it was set up through revolution to reform the society of absolutism in order to obtain freedom of faith centering on the Abel-type view of life. In this way, the Abel-type democracy has formed today's world of +democracy.

2. The Significance in the Principle of the Separation of Three Powers

The idea of the separation of the three powers was advocated by Montesquieu, who was an authority in the school of the Enlightenment. The separation of powers was to decentralize national power and prevent it from being concentrated in a specific individual or organization as had been done in the political system under absolutism.

Originally, this separation of the three powers was the structure of the ideal society designed by the Heavenly side, but as it always had been with all the courses in the providence of restoration, this also had been realized in advance by the Satanic side, in a pseudo-form of the Principle. Let us here study what the structure of the ideal society is like.

As we have clarified in the "Principle of Creation", the world of creation was made with the structure of a perfect man as the model. The ideal world, consisting of perfect men, would have resembled the structure and function of a perfect man. Just as all the organs of a human body would move according to the command of the brain, all the organizations of the ideal world must work under the command of God alone. Just as all the commands from the brain would be transmitted to all the members of the body through the medium of the peripheral nerve system centering on the spine, the commands from God must reach the entire society, without omission, through the medium of the saints, corresponding to the peripheral nerve system, centering on Christ, who corresponds to the spine. Again, the peripheral nerve system centering on the spine in the human body corresponds to the political parties of the state, so the foundation corresponding to the political parties of an ideal society must be performed by the saints centering on Christ.

Just as the lungs, heart and stomach maintain smooth give and take action without any conflict, according to the commands of the brain which are transmitted through the peripheral nerve system, the three organs--legislative, executive and judiciary--of the ideal society, which correspond to the three human organs also must be able to have a relationship of give and take action in the Principle according to the commands of God, which are transmitted through the saints centering on Christ, corresponding to the political parties. Just as the limbs of the human body move for the purpose of living according to the command of the brain, so the economic structure, corresponding to the limbs, must move toward establishment of the purpose of ideal society according to the command of God. Just as the liver in the human body saves nutrition for the whole body, in the ideal society, too, there must always be a reserve for the accomplishment of the purpose of the whole.

Since each of the limbs and all parts of the human body have a vertical relationship with the brain, the horizontal relationship among the members is automatically established, forming an inseparable organism. In the same way, since men of the ideal society have a vertical relationship with God, the horizontal relationship among them is automatically established, forming an organism which shares all feelings. Therefore, in this society one cannot commit crime because harming others results in harming oneself.

Let us next study how the providence of restoration has restored the social structure. There was in the course of historical development of Western Europe a period in which the kings shouldered all the functions of the three powers of legislative, executive and judiciary, and of the political parties. However, this changed into another period in which the king held the three powers and churches centering on the pope took charge of the mission of the political parties. The political system of this age was again divided into the three powers--of legislative, executive and judiciary--due to the French Revolution, and political parties came to bear a marked political mission. Thus, by establishing the constitutional political system in democracy, they could at least realize the pattern of the system of an ideal society.

In this way, the political system has changed through the long period of history because the society of fallen men has been restored into an ideal society which resembles the structure and function of a perfect man, according to the providence of restoration. In this manner, today's democratic government is divided into three powers and produces many political parties, thus making itself finally resemble the structure of a human body. But this is, after all, like a fallen man who has not been restored, and naturally cannot display the original function endowed at the creation.

That is to say, the political parties, without knowing God's will, may be compared to a peripheral nervous system centering on the spine that has lost the function of transmitting the command of the brain. Since the constitution is not made of God's words, the three organs of legislative, executive and judiciary become like three organs of a human body which are rendered unable, due to the severance of the nervous system, to feel and respond to commands from the brain; they cannot help opposing and conflicting with one another, and lack mutual harmony and order.

Therefore, the purpose of the ideal of the Second Advent of the Messiah is to make the present political system--resembling the structure of a fallen man--display perfectly its original function centering on God's will by connecting it to the perfect central nerve.

3. The Significance of the Industrial Revolution

God's ideal of creation will not be realized simply by forming a human society without sin. Man, to fulfill God's blessing of dominion over all creation (Gen. 1:28), must realize a blessed social environment by finding out the principles hidden in the created world and by developing science to the utmost degree. As already discussed in Part I, religion and science have respectively been in charge of overcoming the two aspects of ignorance of fallen men, one spiritual and the other physical, thus gradually restoring the ideal society. Therefore, at the con-summation of history, the Word that can completely remove our spiritual ignorance must appear, while science must be so developed as to be capable of removing completely man's ignorance of physical reality, thus realizing a scientific society of a stage prior to the emergence of the ideal society. Seen from this providence of God, we can understand that the Industrial Revolution of England came from the providence of restoring the living environment for the ideal society.

The economic organization of the ideal society must also resemble the structure of the perfect human body. Therefore, as previously mentioned, production, distribution and consumption in that society must have an organic relationship of give and take action, such as that among the stomach, the heart and the lungs in the human body. Consequently, there should not be the destructive competition for the market--caused by excessive production--nor accumulation nor consumption that hinder the whole living-purpose by partial distribution. Production sufficient to fill man's needs, fair distribution--neither excessive nor insufficient--and rational consumption for the purpose of the whole must occur.

Meanwhile, mass production after the Industrial Revolution stimulated England to rapidly pioneer the settlement of vast colonies as her markets and sources of supply of raw materials. In this way, the Industrial Revolution carried out not only the mission of restoring the external environment for the ideal society, but also that of the internal providence of restoration by providing a vast territory for the propagation of the gospel.

4. The strengthening of the Powers, and the Partition of Colonies

Since the Renaissance, the view of life, which had matured in two types, one of Cain and the other of Abel, aroused two respective types of political revolutions and established two types of democracy. These two types of democracy, both influenced by the Industrial Revolution of England, were rapidly strengthened and finally came to form two worlds of different factions--the democratic world and the communist world.

The industrial development coming from the rapid progress of science which followed the Industrial Revolution brought about an economic society characterized by over-production. As a result, the grave necessity to pioneer new regions for markets for the excessive production and of resources of industrial materials caused great world powers to rapidly strengthen themselves in order to continue their scramble for colonies. Thus, the currents of the two views of life (the Cain-type and the Abel-type) and the economic development following scientific progress finally divided the world, politically, into two worlds: the democratic world and the communist world.

5. The Revolution of Religion, Politics and Industry Following the Renaissance

The anti-medieval movement of the restoration of Hellenism, which was of the Cain-type, gave birth to humanism through the Renaissance. This, having developed more on the side of Satan, evolved into the Enlightenment, which could be regarded as a second renaissance. Then the Enlightenment, having matured more on the Satanic side, gave birth to historical materialism, which could be taken as the third renaissance. Finally, this matured into the communist ideology.

Since the Satanic side always realized God's providence in advance, three periods of revolution in religion, politics and industry followed. The first religious reformation centering on Luther followed the first renaissance. In the religious world, a new spiritual movement which became the second movement of religious reformation rose centering around Wesley, Fox and Swedenborg, under unspeakable persecution after the second renaissance. Therefore, seen from the course of the development of history, it is natural that the third religious reformation will come following the third renaissance. In fact, the state of today's Christianity reveals an urgent need for such reformation.

On the other hand, three stages of reformation have also occurred in the political aspect. The medieval feudal society collapsed under the influence of the first renaissance and the first religious reformation, while the absolute monarchic society collapsed under the influence of the second renaissance and the second religious reformation. Then, the communist society was formed by the political revolution brought by the third renaissance. Now, through the third religious reformation to come, the democratic world of the Heavenly side will subjugate with ideology the communist world of the Satanic side. These two worlds will necessarily be united into one Kingdom of heaven on earth, centering on God.

We can also notice the fact that the economic reformation has also developed through the course of three stages. The first industrial revolution originated in England as a result of industrial development through steam. Immediately afterward the second industrial revolution, through electricity and gasoline, broke out in many advanced countries. Now a third industrial revolution, based on atomic energy, will arise, and this will create throughout the world a very blessed social environment for the ideal world. These three stages of revolution, covering the three fields of religion, politics and industry, which followed the three stages of Renaissance in the period of preparation for the second advent of the Messiah, are the necessary course for the realization of the ideal society, in accordance with the three stages of the law of development.