Explain the importance of life-threatening trials on the course of restoration, as it occurs in the bible several times.

Question

Sun Myung Moon · Accepted Answer

Life-threatening trials, frequently appearing in biblical narratives, are essential for understanding God's providence of restoration. The Divine Principle clarifies their necessity, revealing their central role in reversing the Fall and establishing God's kingdom. The Biblical Foundation The Bible illustrates God's people undergoing severe trials, often involving life-threatening situations, as a prelude to significant spiritual advancements or the fulfillment of divine promises. From Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:1-12) to Moses leading Israel through the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and Jesus' crucifixion (Matthew 27:32-50), these events are depicted as crucial moments. Abraham's faith was tested, resulting in his designation as the "father of many nations" (Romans 4:17). The Israelites' forty years in the wilderness, fraught with peril and death (Numbers 14:32-35), were intended to purify a generation for entry into the Promised Land. Jesus' suffering and death were paramount for humanity's salvation (John 3:16). The Bible provides clear examples of individuals facing life-threatening conditions to fulfill their portion of responsibility to separate from Satan, as seen in Jacob's wrestling with the angel at the Jabbok ford (Genesis 32:22-32) and Moses' encounter with God trying to kill him on the way to Egypt (Exodus 4:24-26). Jesus, too, overcame Satan at the risk of his life in the wilderness for forty days (Matthew 4:1-11) and ultimately gave his life on the cross. As it is written, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21 KJV), signifying that what we value most will be tested. Divine Principle's Clarification The Divine Principle clarifies that these life-threatening trials are manifestations of God's providence of restoration through indemnity. The human Fall resulted from Adam and Eve's failure to fulfill their portion of responsibility, breaking their relationship with God and creating a spiritual debt. To restore this lost relationship and remove original sin, humanity must pay indemnity. Indemnity is a condition that must be fulfilled to reverse the effects of the Fall. Life-threatening trials, particularly on a national or historical scale, are often necessary indemnity conditions to rectify the consequences of past failures. For example, Abraham's trial to sacrifice Isaac was a necessary symbolic indemnity to correct Adam's failure to establish a proper foundation for God's Kingdom. Similarly, the trials faced by the Israelites in the wilderness were indemnity conditions to purify them and prepare them for God's direct dominion, reversing the disobedient spirit that began with the Fall. Jesus' ultimate sacrifice on the cross was the central indemnity condition to provide the way for spiritual salvation and the path to restore all humanity to God's lineage. These trials are not arbitrary acts of a harsh God but precisely calculated steps in the providential timeline, enabling humanity to separate from Satan's dominion by putting lives on the line, just as Adam and Eve fell at the risk of their lives by following the Archangel. For “we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 KJV), demonstrating the enduring nature of trials in God's plan. The Completed Understanding When viewed through the lens of the Divine Principle, the biblical accounts of life-threatening trials gain profound meaning. What can seem like arbitrary suffering in the Bible is revealed to be intentional, redemptive processes of paying indemnity. The Divine Principle provides the missing theological framework, explaining why such intense trials are required: they are necessary to reverse the original choices that led to the Fall and to establish the conditions for individuals, families, and nations to return to God's love and lineage. Abraham's faith, showcased in his trial, is understood as a crucial indemnity condition that laid the foundation for future providential steps, although his mistake in the symbolic offering prolonged the dispensation through Isaac and Jacob. The suffering of Jesus is understood not merely as a sacrifice for sins but as the core indemnity condition enabling the spiritual salvation of humanity and setting the stage for the Second Coming to complete physical salvation (John 3:16). The pattern of a central figure risking their life to overcome Satan, as seen in Jacob, Moses, and Jesus, is a fundamental rule for restoring human beings and creation from Satan's dominion. Thus, the Divine Principle completes the biblical narrative by elucidating the restorative purpose behind God's demanding providence, revealing a God who is not just mysterious but perfectly just and loving in His pursuit of humanity's full restoration to original perfection. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13 KJV), affirm

Explain the importance of life-threatening trials on the course of restoration, as it occurs in the bible several times.

The Biblical Foundation

Divine Principle's Clarification

The Completed Understanding

Living the Principle

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