Rod of Iron Kingdom by Hyung Jin Sean Moon helped me to better understand the meaning of the essential three elements of the Nation of God, or Cheon il Guk that Rev. Sun Myung Moon Teaches about. Those elements are people, land and sovereignty.
The first nine chapters outline a clear apologetic for why the ownership of firearms is a basic human right, the responsibility of Christians and an essential ingredient of a free society. The book introduces the Feb. 28th, 2018 Book of Life Blessing at the Sanctuary Church in Newfoundland, Pennsylvania. This marriage blessing caused a firestorm of interest from the media, on the heals of the Parkland Florida school shooting.
The dangers of Facism and Political Islam are outlined. The clear view of the Founding Fathers about the importance of the right to bear arms, and of the danger of a standing army are delineated. We learn that the confiscation of firearms has preceded all of the democides (killings by the government) of the 20th Century.
We also learn that gun contral started as a way to keep guns out of the hands of blacks. Furthermore, we learn that areas where citizens are armed are much safer.
For me, as a Unificationist who has been a member of Rev. Moon’s Unification movement for 43 years, the last two chapters are the most revealing.
I have undertood that God wants a nation, but yet that cherished hope has not yet come to fruition. Could it be that God is devolving the idea of a nation to a more local level? Every nation must be able to protect the sovereignty of its territory. Let’s consider that the people of God’s nation, or Cheon Il Guk are families who have received the Blessing of marriage from Rev. Moon and his appointed inheritors, the land being land owned by these couples.
In this case, what would the sovereignty of God’s nation be? The sovereignty is determined by the ability of these couples individually and corporately to defend their land. So the Crowns and Rods of Iron (AR-15 Rifles) that these couples brought to the February 28th Tree of Life Blessing symbolically and substantially represent the sovereignty of God’s nation. Furthermore, these couples become good citizens, ready to defend their neighbors.
To understand the Rod of Iron Ministry I think that you have to understand the importance of the Bundy Ranch standoff, covered in Chapter 10 of the book. Pastor Moon interviewed Larry Pratt and covered this in that interview, as well.(see the link below). This was a crucial turning point where armed citizens were ready to defend land unjustly being taken by overreach of an overzealous Federal Government. Many mostly armed citizens came to support the Bundys. This was an important point in United States history. After all, the right to bear arms is ultimately to protect against tyrannical government, as the Founding Fathers were well aware. It is not only about the right to self defense or sportsmanship.
With the crucial understanding of sovereignty as protected by the Second Amendment that is explained in Rod of Iron Kingdom, we can see the way forward for protecting God’s children and protecting His Kingdom in the future. I recommend Rod of Iron Kingdom as an essential read for all of those who cherish freedom and want to understand more about the debate about gun ownership and the Second Amendment
I also recommend viewing Pastor Sean Moon’s three interviews with Larry Pratt, President Emeritus of Gun Owners of America to better undersand about the Rod of Iron Kingdom.
Interview November 14, 2017: https://youtu.be/A8iMZq0jW64
Interview December 28, 2017: https://youtu.be/BYg5lunIclA
Interview February 6, 2108: https://youtu.be/CfhO-gniBes
The Bundys are discussed at 31:35.
https://www.rodofironministries.org/
Purchase Rod of Iron Kingdom: https://www.rodofironministries.org/shop