Talk:Prophet

Unification Aspects:

Prophets and prophecy play a large role in the Unificationist worldview and understanding of history. Prophets are not only God's spokespeople and representatives, they sometimes function as the central figure in God's providence. Moses, Samuel, and John the Baptist are examples of this principle at work in Jewish history and before the crucifixion of Jesus.

In the Old Testament Age, during the period of Divided Kingdoms, God sent prophets to urge the people of Israel and Judah to repent, and to unite centering on the Ideal of the Temple. The prophets also predicted the coming of the Messiah.

In Unificationism, John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets, fulfilling Malachi's prediction of the return of the Elijah. However, John failed in his mission when he remained attached to his own leader status, instead of offering his followers to Jesus and testifying to Jesus as the Messiah. Thereafter, Jesus had to take on John's prophetic mission and was crucified before he himself could completely fulfill the messianic task.

Prophecy continued during the New Testament Age, though Muslims insist absolutely that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the final prophet. According to Divine Principle, saints and inspired monks often played a prophetic role while popes stood in the position of the high priest (Part 2.4.3). Furthermore, the Divine Principle states that the priests and kings were to uphold the will of God as expressed through the prophets. In the Protestant era, the Bible and individual conscience provided a direct link to the will of God to the masses, and thus individuals with something similar to a prophetic role have arisen more widely to speak to various groups in the age of democracy. The current age being the time of the Second Advent, prophetic activity has increased as numerous individuals receive from on high that they must prepare humankind for the Messiah's appearance.

Unification Aspects is designed to relate the subject of this article to Unification Thought and to aid
teachers and researchers who wish to further pursue these topics from a unification perspective.