01Significance of 124 Couples
The 120 Couples, representing Jesus’ 120 followers, stand on the global level. As the representatives of the nations of the world, the 120 Couples are the foundation upon which the global indemnity condition can be met. By establishing these couples, the basis upon which God can come unto the world can be secured.
Hence, we can say that the day on which the number of member states of the United Nations exceeded 120 marked the beginning of the Last Days. (16-62, 12/26/1965)
The 120 Couples were established in the position of representing all nations of the world. (20-342, 07/20/1968)
Christ at his Second Advent must restore through indemnity the position of Adam’s family. Accordingly, he must restore families typifying those of Adam, Noah, and Abraham and establish them as ancestors. In order to do so, he must first find twelve couples typifying Adam’s family, then twelve typifying Noah’s family, and finally twelve typifying Abraham’s family, and set them up as vertical ancestors.
Thus, I established the 36 Couples. Centering on these ancestors, the 72 Couples were established as the representatives of Cain and Abel’s families. The 120 Couples symbolize the leaders of the 120 nations of the world. (22-215, 02/06/1969)
The 120 Couples typify the world, horizontally expanding the earthly foundation in all directions; they therefore represent 120 nations. (13-125, 11/16/1963)
The Blessings up to the 124 Couples were within the Seven-Year Course. As we now have 120 Couples based upon the realm of the new Israel, a foundation is established upon which the 120 nations of the world could be restored.
Consequently, the restoration of all significant numbers, which Jesus attempted through his family, was accomplished globally through the 120 Couples Blessing. (54-293, 03/26/1972)
What you need to do now is restore eighty-four and 120 people within your tribes. That is the vertical part. Didn’t the Blessing take place in the order of the 36, 72, and 120 Couples? The 120 Couples are representatives of the world. Thus, after Jesus’ resurrection, 120 people were gathered in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost. They were the representatives of the world. When I blessed 124 Couples, the number of member states of the United Nations was also 124. All these numbers must be in accord with each other. (198-17, 01/20/1990)
The 120 followers of Jesus represent the number twelve. The 124 Couples were blessed in order to organize and establish a model of tribal and national leadership worldwide. In actuality, 124 couples were blessed, four being extra. These four were already married couples. Why were they included in the Blessing? Had they not, there would have been no way to save other already married couples from that time on. This number four represents gates facing the four cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west.
Based on the four couples, therefore, the way must be opened through which all already married couples can be resurrected. Hence, I blessed 124 Couples. (158-170, 12/27/1967)
The 120 Couples represent Jesus’ 120 followers. Additionally, four couples are already married couples. They were included because they are the ones who must open the gates of the Blessing in the four directions. (20-145, 05/26/1968)
Jesus, shed his blood on the cross because the seventy-two disciples and twelve apostles, totaling eighty-four, were disunited. Hence, every one of you must substantially restore eighty-four people through indemnity. Only on such a foundation can you lead a married lives. The same was true for me. In order to fulfill this, I blessed the 36 Couples, who can be subdivided into three groups of twelve each, representing formation, growth, and completion. Strictly speaking, they are three groups, but they can be compressed into one.
Similarly, the 72 Couples. On that foundation, the 120 Couples were blessed, and on that basis, the world could be connected. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, didn’t the 120 followers gather on the day of Pentecost? They symbolized representatives of the world. (122-117, 11/01/1982)
The 120 Couples stand in the position to dissolve Jesus’ anguish arising from not being able to restore the standard of Judaism. Hence, I am telling them to stand in the forefront and sacrifice themselves.
All district leaders recently educated for mobilization were of the 120 Couples. The 120 Couples must sacrifice themselves. They stand in the same position as the 120 followers at Jesus’ time as the national representatives of the world’s 120 nations and are forming global tribes. (47-202, 08/28/1971)
Upon ascending to heaven, hadn’t Jesus appointed 120 followers? The 120 Couples signify them and also represent 120 nations on earth and in the spirit world, respectively. Once members of your tribes take their places among the ranks of national representatives, your field of activity will be expanded to the 120 nations, which can then be connected to the Kingdom of Heaven. You will be able to inherit such positions and from there connect to the bases on which you can carry out your activities. (215-129, 02/06/1991)
Jesus did not just have twelve apostles and 70 disciples. On the day of Pentecost after his ascension, 120 followers gathered to begin their worldwide missionary work. They are represented by 120 nations. At the time of the 120 Couples Blessing, the United Nations had 124 member states. The number of couples actually blessed was 124, out of which four had been criminals from the four directions of north, south, east, and west. Included among 124 couples are criminals who were convicted once, twice, thrice, and even four times. Why? It is because we have to save even those who are in hell. We need to save those who are imprisoned. (215-129, 02/06/1991)
Just as I have the 120 Couples, all of you have 120 kinfolk of your own, through twelve tribes multiplied by ten in the spirit world. At present, we regard the number of nations in the world in which we are carrying out missionary work as 120 or 160.
Hence, at the time of the Seoul Olympics, national representatives from 120 nations got together to become as one. Similarly, within your tribe, you must establish representatives of 120 nations and make them unite with you as the representatives of the nations of the world. Only thus can you restore through indemnity the lost base of the 120 followers on earth at the time of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, which is why we need the 120 Couples.
Only when they are established on earth, brought together and completely united can the 120 representatives in the spirit world be connected to the tribes. In this way, even the spirit world can be connected to the 120 nations. Thus, the 120 Couples are absolutely indispensable to us. (215-129, 02/06/1991)
When entering heaven, you must take with you at least 120 families – something Jesus wanted to do. Who are the 120 Couples? They are representatives of the nations in the physical world. Hence, during your lifetime, you must successfully witness to at least 120 couples and ensure that you will bring them to heaven. This should be every member’s purpose in life. Each person is sent to his or her tribe as the representative of Jesus who has not died but come again to earth; this is the sending of Abel tribes to Cain tribes in the capacity of the messiah. Such is the mission of tribal messiahs. (215-185, 02/17/1991)
The question is how you can establish the tradition of love, the eternal tradition of the ideal of creation, with your children, tribe, and restored citizens. Once you enter the spirit world, you, along with them, will form a group and restore your eternal dignity and order of life. While you are still on earth, you must deal with your tribe and restore at least 120 families. I think I have explained more than enough for you to understand. I am telling you to be prepared so that you will not be embarrassed. You would not just be embarrassed, but be stripped bare and kicked out. (213-139, 01/16/1991)
The number 120, which is ten times twelve, derives from Jesus’ twelve apostles and represents the physical world. Thus, the 120 Couples were blessed in accordance with the number of Jesus’ 120 followers. Originally, the number should have been 120, but I blessed 124, adding four representing the four directions of north, south, east, and west. (16-62, 12/26/1965)
I blessed the 124 Couples representing the world’s 120 nations and the number four, on the global level, on the foundation of having established the center of tribes. What this means is that families have been formed that will represent the center of all Christianity that originated from Jesus’ 120 followers, who themselves symbolized the foundation of 120 nations. These therefore are couples whose responsibility it will be to achieve the four-position foundation on the individual level under my leadership, and bring together the ancestors, the races, and finally the world. As such, from now on, the way will be opened for all nations of the world to move toward one common destination. (75-150, 01/02/1975)
The 120 followers represent the world. Jesus wanted to begin his worldwide dispensation with these 120 followers, but couldn’t during his lifetime. We must fulfill this work. On the way toward world restoration, my descendants must be chosen in stages in order to act as bridges connecting all people. In doing this, I cannot just select anyone to become my descendants, but rather this must be done with care, as they will be representing the world. How was this done? It was through the joint weddings of the 36, 72 and 124 Couples in the Unification Church. (34-262, 09/13/1970)
02Dedication ceremony and designation of 120 holy grounds
After the Blessing of the 124 Couples, I conducted a special dedication ceremony. Christ at his Second Advent comes as the resurrected substantial being with the mission of establishing the foundations on levels of the individual, family, tribe, and people – the work of God that remained incomplete at the time of Jesus. I carried out this work over the past three years. This period corresponds to that of restoring children (vertical period). During this period, I was called as the resurrected substantial being in order to fulfill this mission, just as Jesus intended to save the followers of Judaism and the Jewish people. (13-11, 09/12/1963)
The 120 Couples typify the world. This is why I designated 120 holy grounds in forty nations worldwide in 1965. (18-260, 06/12/1967)
After restoring the people, we need to restore the land. I toured forty nations around the world to establish holy grounds. I was able to do this because I had established the standard existing prior to the Fall in Korea. I established holy grounds in 105 places in forty nations around the world. The 120 Couples symbolize 120 nations. From this day forward, we need to establish 120 holy grounds. (16-7, 12/21/1963)
What are the 120 Couples?
They are the representatives of 120 nations. However, from the viewpoint of heavenly structure, although the ancestors, families, and representatives of the world were established, we still have no territory. Since we have no territory, although we formed an organization of people in front of God, we still do not have the foundation upon which He could sanctify this defiled land. I therefore established 120 holy grounds in forty nations, making the numbers correspond with each other. That was how the foundation for the restoration of land was laid.
When you go to the holy grounds to pray, you should be conscious of this background. In the context of mobilizing benevolent spirits to come to earth and spread across the world, you should offer prayers as representatives of the 120, 72, and 36 Couples and the True Parents as the center of the heavenly throne.
Hence, from now on, in order for the Unification Church to advance, even God will be mobilized and the patriotic forefathers of the past as well. In fact, everyone in the spirit world should be mobilized. Those in the spirit world are in the Cain position, whereas we who are living on earth are in the Abel position, and so all of them will render us assistance in connection with territory. God, the angels, and our ancestors must help us. (158-129, 12/26/1967)
END OF BOOK CHAPTER