Dear reader,
Do you believe any missionary, minister, or Bible teacher could be a divine incarnation just like the Messiah in the first coming?
In Christian thinking, a final prophet who announces that that they are incarnated/indwelled by God or Jesus is a red flag. A leader who claims to be the flesh (or human body) that Jesus uses to return to the planet would turn Christians off.
It sounds strange, but this is what Shinchonji's promised pastor teaches about himself. Even though SCJ explains that Manhee Lee is not Jesus or God, when we read Mr. Lee's descriptions about himself, he is considered to be a unique and divine incarnation of Jesus' spirit.
After reading through Shinchonji's blog, one Christian commented that Shinchonji makes Manhee Lee the incarnated Jesus/the body of Jesus' spirit return. What made him think this?
In Christian thinking, a final prophet who announces that that they are incarnated/indwelled by God or Jesus is a red flag. A leader who claims to be the flesh (or human body) that Jesus uses to return to the planet would turn Christians off.
It sounds strange, but this is what Shinchonji's promised pastor teaches about himself. Even though SCJ explains that Manhee Lee is not Jesus or God, when we read Mr. Lee's descriptions about himself, he is considered to be a unique and divine incarnation of Jesus' spirit.
After reading through Shinchonji's blog, one Christian commented that Shinchonji makes Manhee Lee the incarnated Jesus/the body of Jesus' spirit return. What made him think this?
Let's look at what Shinchonji teaches about Manhee Lee's body. What kind of spiritual indwelling does he have, according to SCJ sources? In one website article, Shinchonji reveals that God has entered Mr. Lee just like God entered Jesus in the first coming.
¨Just as the spirit of God entered and dwelt within Jesus (Jn 14:9-11), who overcame at the time of the first coming (Jn 16:33), the holy Spirit of Truth will come and dwell within one chosen person (i.e. the one who overcomes).¨(1)
¨The one who overcomes preaches the revealed word after uniting with the spirit of the counselor, who comes in the name of the Lord (Jn 14:16-17; Jn 14:26; Jn 16:13-14). This is similar to the time of the first coming when God came to Jesus (Matt 3:16; Jn 1:32) and united with him¨ (Jn 10:30). (2)
According to Shinchonji's descriptions, the Shinchonji pastor has Jesus' spirit and the Spirit of Truth, just like when God came to Jesus. This makes Manhee Lee the second flesh of Jesus' spirit. It means that seeing Mr. Lee is seeing the physical embodiment of Jesus' return.
Of course, Shinchonji does not claim that Manhee Lee is God or Jesus himself. But, Mr. Lee is described as having a series of incarnations by spiritual beings (the Spirit of the Counselor, Jesus' spirit, and God). The presence of God is inside the Shinchonji pastor in an exclusive way. In an article on Rev. 1:7, SCJ teaches that when believers see Mr. Lee, they see the Lord.
¨The fact that every eye will see him means, as discussed above, that people will see the person with whom the spirit of the Advocate has united. Seeing that person is the same as seeing the Lord.¨(3)
When I asked one Shinchonji member if Manhee Lee was the physical-Messianic coming that most Christians were waiting for, he became silent. In the quote below, Mr. Lee is the physical body that we should expect. According to this quote, the promise of Jesus' return is fulfilled by a spirit return that comes to Mr. Lee's body, who is the chosen one.
¨Jesus, during the time of his first coming, promised that he would return (Jn 14:1-3). He said in Matt 23:39, “For I say to you, from now on you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Who, then, is this one who comes in the name of the Lord? He is the holy Spirit of Truth, the Counselor (Jn 14:16-17, Jn 14:26). The holy Spirit of Truth, who comes in the name of the Lord, will come to dwell within one person.¨(4)
¨Jesus promised that when the gospel of heaven is spread to the ends of the earth, he will return in spirit to unite with his promised pastor (Mt. 24:47)¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 143).
¨Jesus promised that when the gospel of heaven is spread to the ends of the earth, he will return in spirit to unite with his promised pastor (Mt. 24:47)¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 143).
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(1) ¨Promised Pastor,¨ Shinchonji Website Articles. Accessed May 26th, 2010. http://healingallnations.shinchonji.kr/content/promised-pastor
(2) ¨Faith and the Promised Pastor,¨ Shinchonji Website Articles. Accessed May 20th, 2010. http://healingallnations.shinchonji.kr/content/faith-and-promised-pastor
(3) ¨What is the true meaning of Rv. 1:7?¨, Shinchonji Website Articles. Accessed May 25th, 2010. http://healingallnations.shinchonji.kr/content/what-true-meaning-rv-17
(4) ¨Promised Pastor,¨ Shinchonji Website Articles. Accessed May 26th, 2010. http://healingallnations.shinchonji.kr/content/promised-pastor
