The Period of the United Kingdom and the Period of the Christian Kingdom

Section III

The Period of the United Kingdom and the Period of the Christian Kingdom

Upon entering the period of the United Kingdom, the period in which the judges led the First Israel was over. The prophets under direct command of God, the chief priests serving the tabernacle and the temple, and the king ruling the people were in a triangular position, each having to accomplish his leading mission centering on the purpose of the providence of restoration. Therefore, in the period of the Christian Kingdom, which restored this period by indemnity as the substantial time-identity also, the period of the patriarchs' leading the Second Israel was over; and the monasteries corresponding to the prophets, the popes corresponding to the chief priests, and the kings ruling the people had to lead the Second Israel, centering on the purpose of the providence of restoration. Christianity at that time was divided into the five great parishes of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome. The Roman patriarch, holding the superior position among them, was supervising other parishes, and he was called by the special title of "Pope".

In the period of the United Kingdom, Moses' "ideal of the tabernacle" presented itself as the "ideal of the temple", centering on the king, thus establishing a kingdom. This was the image-course, showing that in the future Jesus would come as the substantial temple, and erect a kingdom as King of Kings (Is. 9:6). Likewise, in the period of the Christian Kingdom, the City of God written by St. Augustine as his Christian ideal at the time of the Christians' liberation from the Roman Empire, was at this time realized by the Emperor Charlemagne in the form of the Christian Kingdom which was the Kingdom of the Franks from the time of Emperor Charlemagne. This was the image-course, showing that in the future Christ would come again as King of Kings, and erect a kingdom. Therefore, in this period, the king and the pope should have realized the Christian ideal in perfect oneness centering on God's will. Thus, the spiritual kingdom without land established centering on the pope and the substantial kingdom centering on the king should have become one, centering on the Christian ideal, If so, at that time, religion, politics, and economy would have become one, and the foundation to receive the Messiah of the Second Advent would have been realized then.

The central figure to restore the foundation of faith in the period of the United Kingdom was the king, who was to realize God's Word, given by means of the prophets. Prophets and chief priests, being in the position of substituting for God's Word, would stand in the position of Abel in their age. However, in the course of the providence of restoration, they had to restore the substantial world from the position of the archangel, representing the spiritual world. Therefore, after having ordained a king on the spiritual foundation which they established for him, they had to stand in the position of Cain before him. Accordingly, the king must rule the nation according to the words of prophets, and the prophets must obey the king from their position as his subjects. Therefore, the central figure to restore the foundation of faith in this period was the king.

In reality, in the 800th year from Abraham, the prophet Samuel ordained Saul under God's command, making him the first king of the First Israel, the chosen nation of God (? Sam. 8:19-22, 10:1-24). If King Saul, standing on the 400-year foundation of the period of judges, had accomplished his 40-year reign in a way acceptable to God, he could have stood in the position of having restored, by indemnity, the 400-year period of slavery in Egypt and Moses' 40-year period in Pharaoh's palace, thus being able to establish the foundation of faith on the 40-day foundation of separation from Satan. Accordingly, if Saul had erected the temple as the image of the Messiah on that foundation, and exalted it, he could have stood in the position of Moses, having succeeded in the first nationwide restoration of Canaan, finally erecting the temple and exalting it. Again, if the chosen people of Israel had absolutely obeyed the king, exalting the temple on the foundation of faith centering on King Saul, they could have established the foundation of substance, thus laying the foundation to receive the Messiah. However, King Saul, having rebelled against God's command, given through the prophet Samuel (I Sam. 15:1-23), failed to erect the temple. King Saul, who thus failed to erect the temple, was placed in the position of Moses, having failed in the first nationwide restoration of Canaan.

In this way, the providence of restoration centering on King Saul was prolonged through the 40-year period of King David to the 40-year period of King Solomon. Just as Abraham's will had been realized at the time of Jacob after passing through that of Isaac, the will of erecting the temple by King Saul, who was also in the position of Abraham, was realized at the time of King Solomon after passing through that of King David. Nevertheless, since King Solomon left the position of Abel for the substantial offering by falling into lust, the foundation of substance became a failure. Accordingly, the foundation to receive the Messiah, which was to be established in the period of the United Kingdom, was also a failure.

In the period of the Christian Kingdom, all the conditions belonging to the period of the United Kingdom had to be restored by indemnity, as substantial time-identity. Therefore, the central figure to restore by indemnity the foundation of faith of this period was the king, who was to realize the Christian ideal of the monastery and the pope. The pope was in the position of the chief priest, who had exalted the will of the prophets in the period of the United Kingdom. Therefore, after having ordained the king on the spiritual foundation he had set up for the king to realize the Christian ideal, he had to obey the king from the position of his subject, while the king had to rule the people by exalting the pope's ideal. In reality, for this purpose of the providence, Pope Leo III ordained and crowned Emperor Charlemagne in 800 A.D., thus making him the first king of the Second Israel, "the chosen nation of God".

Emperor Charlemagne, who stood on the 400-year foundation of the period of Christian churches under the patriarchal system, having restored by indemnity the 400-year period of judges as substantial time-identity, now stood on the 40-day foundation of separation from Satan like King Saul. Consequently, the foundation of faith of this period was supposed to be established when Emperor Charlemagne practiced the Christian ideal by exalting the words of Christ on this foundation. In reality, Emperor Charlemagne could establish this foundation by becoming king, ordained by the pope. Therefore, if the Second Israel of that time had absolute trusted and obeyed the king, standing in such a position, the foundation of substance could have been established them, and the foundation to receive the Messiah of the Second Advent also could have been accomplished. By doing this, the spiritual kingdom which was established, centering on the Pope and the substantial kingdom centering on the king could have become one on the spiritual foundation to receive the Messiah, and the Lord could have come again on that foundation, thus establishing the kingdom of the Messiah. Nevertheless, the king left Abel's position of offering the substantial sacrifice, by failing to exalt God's will, and the foundation of substance was not established. Accordingly, the foundation to receive the Messiah of the Second Advent was also a failure.