Hyung Jin Nim and Joseph’s Course

“Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him.”
Gen 37: 3-4

As the book of Genesis states, Jacob (Israel) loved Joseph the most among his children, so his brothers conspired to kill him and then took the “compassionate” course of selling him as a slave to Midianite traders who took him to Egypt.

In hindsight it is obvious to all of us how wrong and vengeful Joseph’s brothers were. The fact that their father loved and approved of him didn’t matter. In their eyes he was a tattletale who told their father about some of the corrupt things they were doing (Gen. 37:2). He was immature and arrogant.

Sound familiar? Like the things that have been said by FFWPU leaders and members about Father’s youngest son? Hyung Jin Nim is said to be unqualified to be Father’s successor and heir because he is “immature,” because he makes “angry” statements about the corruption he wants to end in the church, “unfilial” because he opposed Mother’s changing of the Cheon Seong Gyeong and other covenants left behind by Father.

It is clear to me that Jacob’s love for Joseph did not exceed Father’s love for his youngest son, Hyung Jin Nim.

“Today, at this time, there must only be one line of authority. The center, centered on Korea or on the world, over the entire Unification Church will stretch out and become larger. From now, I can leave someone in charge of my work on my behalf. Currently, there is no one among our church members who surpasses Hyung Jin in his standard of faith or in any other way. Do you understand? I am appointing him.” (April 16, 2008)

Hyung Jin Nim has not been sold into slavery, but he was fired from five positions that Father appointed him to in Korea starting two weeks after Father’s Seonghwa in 2012. A few months after he was sent to America to rebuild the church after In Jin Nim stepped down, he was precipitously removed from his position as American church president and chastised for speaking about Father’s Absolute Sex teaching.

Of course, in this case it is Mother herself who insisted that Hyung Jin Nim be fired from all of his positions, but the rebellion against the will of the Father is the same. To believe that Mother is united with Father in this, you have to believe that after his ascension to the spirit world, Father suddenly realized that Hyung Jin Nim was not qualified and that it was wrong for him to proudly share Father’s Absolute Sex teaching. The absurdity of this is self-evident.

“No matter how young or youthful the heir is, he is the one who will supervise and control. Likewise, when the inheritance is passed on, it does not matter who is better or worse. When Father hands down this authority in the future, even if that heir is crippled, people must receive the Blessing from that person. That time will come.”

Blessing and Ideal Family I Chapter 4: The process of the Blessing under the selection of the spouse and who determines the spouse

“After that registration is done, True Father will appoint his successor. That successor must be known to all the Unification Church, all the blessed couples and the True Parents’ family. They must all unanimously accept him.”

June 5,1983, Parents, Children and the World Centered Upon Oneself, God’s Will and the World, (1985) p. 651, Tarrytown, New York

A fellow UTS graduate recently emailed me how “disheartened” she is because of the current division in the Unification Movement. Me, too. The current division is a direct result of the rebellion against True Father’s repeatedly expressed will regarding his successor. The fact that the leader of the rebellion is Mother herself is the shocking reality that most can’t bear to face. Yes, it’s sad and painful.

Joseph was sent to prison based on the false accusation of Potiphar’s wife, yet God raised him to a position second only to the Pharoah and more importantly, in a position to rescue the families of the brothers who had betrayed him in order that the Chosen People could someday advance God’s providence.

One benefit for me of returning to study of the Old Testament is to be reminded of how gritty and ugly the details of God’s Providence often are. It is clear to me that this text was NOT written by a public relations team intent upon “airbrushing” the Jewish nation.

I believe that Joseph did not spend his time in prison cultivating bitterness against those who betrayed him. He used this time to commune more closely with God.

Hyung Jin Nim and Yeonah Nim have been falsely accused of disobedience when they are the only ones who WERE obedient to Father’s will. They were fired and driven out into the “wilderness,” but they are praising God and seeking to establish a heavenly culture of self-reliance, creativity and learning. The services are full of hope and gratitude. I have often thought that this is how it must have felt to worship with Father when he started his public ministry six decades ago.

Just as Joseph was raised up to save the Israelite nation, Hyung Jin Nim, as he continues to be faithful to his anointing by Father, is being raised up as well. And for that, we can all be grateful. 

Richard A. Panzer, Ph.D., President
World Peace and Unification Sanctuary – USA