5. Worldwide Preparation for Christ’s Advent

World Scripture

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea…” They went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2.1-11

The ancient children of the East were possessed of a wisdom which they inherited from Abraham, who transmitted it to the sons of his concubines, as it is written, “Unto the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and he sent them away… eastward, unto the country of the children of the East.” (Gen. 25.6). In the course of time they followed the track of that wisdom into many directions.
Zohar 1.100b (Judaism)

I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 8.11

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

Buddhism in India, Confucianism in China and Zoroastrianism in Persia were religions with leading influence in the Orient. Spiritualists of these religions could naturally recognize who Jesus was.
(227:81, February 10, 1992)

In preparation for the First Coming of Christ, God sent the prophet Malachi to the chosen people 430 years beforehand to arouse in them a strong messianic expectation. At the same time… among the world’s peoples, God founded religions suited to their regions and cultures by which they could make the necessary internal preparations to receive the Messiah. In India, God established Buddhism through Gautama Buddha (565-485 B.C.) as a new development out of Hinduism. In Greece, God inspired Socrates (470-399 B.C.) and opened the brilliant age of classical Greek civilization. In the Far East, God raised up Confucius (552-479 B.C.), whose teachings of Confucianism established the standard of human ethics. Jesus was to come upon this worldwide foundation of preparation, and through his teachings he was to bring together Judaism, Hellenism, Buddhism and Confucianism. He was to unify all religions and civilizations into one worldwide civilization founded upon the Christian Gospel.
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Parallels 6)

Jesus was born of Asian blood, but since he lost his body in Asia, his legacy moved in the opposite direction—to Western civilization centered on Rome—in a course of restoration through indemnity. Originally, had Jesus not died on the cross, He would have led Israel to create a unified religious sphere with Buddhism in India and Confucianism in the Far East, centered on his teachings. The religious realm was to be unified first. The highest leaders in the religious sphere communicate with the spirit world and know the direction of Heaven. For this reason, had Jesus won for Israel a degree of independence from Rome and unified the divided peoples in lands of the Middle East (representing the twelve tribes of Israel), he would certainly have been able to embrace Asia.
(229:174-75, April 12, 1992)