The Messiah

Scriptures of many religions speak of a coming leader who will consummate the fulfillment of the divine will on earth. He will manifest in his person the righteousness and compassion of God, bring about the final defeat of evil, and establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. The Hebrew title Messiah—Christ in Greek—means “anointed one,” that person specially chosen by God for this mission and empowered to accomplish it.

While the term Messiah is specific to only Judaism and Christianity, prophecies that a leader will come and accomplish such a mission are nearly universal. Buddhists anticipate the coming of the Maitreya Buddha, and Hindu prophecies speak of a future avatar named Kalki.

Muslims expect that the second advent of Jesus will be as a Muslim Imam, and Shiite Muslims look to a future Imam Mahdi. Zoroastrian scriptures prophesy the coming of the Saoshyant, and Confucian texts speak of a True Man who will bring peace to the world by perfectly instituting the Way of Confucius.

Nevertheless, as this world is growing smaller and cultures increasingly interrelated, the task of world salvation should encompass all religions. Hence it is likely that God will send one person to fulfill all these religious hopes.

The next group of passages offer some specific prophecies about the Messiah’s coming, along with samples of Father Moon’s extensive teaching on these matters. Will the Messiah come supernaturally, as it were on the clouds, or naturally, born and raised as a human being on earth? Does the Messiah come in glory, or does he take the road of suffering and humiliation as did Jesus before him? Is the Messiah uniquely divine, or does he appear as the “first fruits” of a new, God-like humanity? How is the Messiah likened to Adam, and in what sense is he a new Adam? What is the meaning of the Marriage of the Lamb? Does the Messiah have a special mission to Israel?

The final group of passages consists of prophecies by Nostradamus and Asian mystics that speak of the Messiah appearing in the East, and even specifically in Korea. Especially the Korean prophecies relate directly to Father Moon’s self-understanding of his messianic mission.