VIII: Theory Of History

76. What is the weak point of the view of history by traditional Christianity? Also, what have been the consequences of its weak points?

(1) It is reasonable that the view of history by traditional Christianity asserts the beginning of history and the last days; the ending of history. This view however, has been unable to explain about the concrete contents of the beginning and ending of history (the real content of the fall of man and the advent of the Messiah).

(2) The traditional Christian view states that historical development is caused by God’s providence, but is unable to reveal the concrete laws of God’s providence. Accordingly it has fallen into mysticism, which is liable to give the impression of superstition to the analytical and logical modern man.

(3) Therefore, the view has been placed at a disadvantage when confronted with other ideologies. Especially in logical confrontation with communism, it has always been defeated. Consequently, a great number of intellectual people have been lured to believe in communism.

77. What are the basic laws of history, through which God’s providence has been working?

God’s providence has worked through both the laws of creation and the laws of restoration. The following are the kinds of basic laws.

(1) Laws of creation

a. The law of relativity

b. The law of give-and-take

c. The law of dominion of the center

d. The law of shared responsibility

e. The law of completion (development) through three stages

f. The law of the period of the number six.

(2) Laws of Restoration

a. The law of indemnity

b. The law of separation

c. The law of restoration of the number four

d. The law of conditional dispensations

e. The law of falsity preceding the truth

f. The law of the horizontal reappearance of the vertical

g. The law of the parallel dispensation

78. What are the basic laws of historical development?

(1) The give-and-take law

In historical development, one of the most basic factors is the law of give-and-take action. It is not because of struggle, but because of this harmonious give-and-take action between the subject (leader or responsible person) and the object (ordinary people or followers) that society and technology have made such remarkable progress.

(2) The law of repulsion

Human history is the history of restoration. Therefore the development of history must take a direction toward restoration, whenever the development is brought about. The law which causes the direction to undergo change toward restoration is the law of repulsion. Originally the phenomenon of repulsion is the phenomenon which naturally occurs between two subjects or between two objects. In the natural world this law of repulsion helps to strengthen the give-and-take action. In fallen society, however, God has set up the subject on God’s side who has struggled with the subject on Satan’s side, based on the law of separation. And through the victory of God’s side, God has restored history toward the direction of goodness. (But, except for the struggles significant to God’s providence, we cannot always regard the struggle as repulsion based on the law of separation).

(3) The law of dominion of will-action

In historical development, the give-and-take action between the subject and the object has existed not only between the leader (responsible person) and ordinary people (followers), but also between the will (reason, desire) of man and economic property, that is, materials. This is the world of economics or industry. Man’s desire (will), which seeks after a more comfortable life, has brought about development of economy (industry), by handling creative (for example, land, raw materials, machines) and consuming property (daily necessities). In other words, in history, the law of give-and-take action has been applied between the will of man and economic property. In this case the factor of the subject has been “will,” that is, “will” is always far more active than material, so we call this side of the give-and-take action, the law of dominion of will-action. Communist theory asserts that production forces, which are material, have brought about the development of history. This assertion is, however, completely wrong. The fact is that the give-and-take action between will and matter, that is, the will-action, has brought about the development of history.

79. Draw a chart which shows the providential relationships and directions of central cultural history and peripheral cultural history.