Prophets and Messengers

For as long as the kingdoms of this world have fallen short of the standards of God’s kingdom, God has raised up prophets and messengers to represent Heaven’s righteousness and call worldly leaders to account. These men and women put their lives at risk to speak out for justice and proclaim a higher vision of community. They stepped forward believing that they could prick the consciences of the powerful, that they might listen and turn away from evil, that their nation might avoid disaster.

The role of prophet is not limited to those rare founders of religion who were especially chosen to bring God’s revelation into the world, though some like Muhammad are called such. People taking up the prophetic mantle include saints and righteous people of every age and in every culture, who dared to remind the rulers of their day of truths that were first revealed long ago. Often they must recast Heaven’s message into contemporary terms. In their number we include Socrates and Mencius, and if space permitted we would add modern figures such as St. Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther, Nichiren, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., to name but a few. In that sense, Father Moon has been called a prophet, and some of his prophecies are included here.

The prophets spoke challenging words that made powerful people uncomfortable; therefore they were persecuted, ridiculed and put to death. Some, like Nathan and Mencius, sought to protect themselves by couching the truth in parables in order to catch the ruler’s conscience. But most were unable to keep in their ruler’s good graces. The prophet Jeremiah, for example, was jailed several times. He revealed his inner struggle as he proceeded on his dangerous course.

An attribute of prophecy is the ability to predict the future. Yet prophets are no mere fortunetellers. Their gift gives them confidence to speak with authority on affairs of state. The prophet’s predictions are accurate because of his or her close relationship with God, in whose hand lies the destinies of the nations.