Claim. The blessing inaugurates a Third Israel — a new race derived not from birth-lineage but from True Parents — succeeding the spiritual foundations of the first Israel (Abraham’s circumcised) and the second Israel (Jesus’ baptized).
Elaboration. SMM positions the Blessed Families as a new ethnogenesis: “The Blessed Families that are united with my family make up a new tribe. As time progresses, they will grow in number and form a new race. … the race of the third Israel” (1.1. Blessed families are the tribe of the True Parents, 22-197, 1969.2.2). Membership is acquired through the Blessing, replacing prior covenant signs: “In the past, at the time of Abraham, one had to be circumcised to become a citizen of Israel; and in the time of Jesus, one had to be baptized. It is the same today. In the Unification Church, one cannot become a citizen of the third Israel without receiving the Blessing” (ibid, 19-172, 1968.1.1). Crucially the new race transcends ethnicity: “The Church should bring together the different nationalities and tribes in order to form a new homogeneous race in such a way that people are able to love and cherish this race more than their own original lineage” (ibid, 113-135, 1981.5.1). The Third Israel is therefore post-biological in its membership criterion.
See also. blessing, restoration