History Before Shincheonji: Where was Manhee Lee?

Dear reader, 

One phenomenon in Christian history is how apocalyptic leaders and movements give birth to other movements that claim to be the final movement in Christianity.

The following report sent by a professor in California substantiates Manhee Lee's involvement in three other Korean end-time movements before Shincheonji.  

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A Short Genealogy of the Shinchonji Church of Jesus (1)

Here is some information on historical and theological connections between the Shinchonji Church of Jesus and other apocalyptic Korean movements.  Manhee Lee (b. 1931), the founder of the Shinchonji Church of Jesus, originally belonged to a faith-healing group begun by Tae Sun Park (b. 1915) (S. Lee 139).  This group was known as the Olive Tree Movement, because Mr. Park linked himself to the return of Christ as one (or both) of the two witnesses or olive trees in Revelation 11 (Grayson 209; Moos 117).  (His followers, in fact, revised Wesley’s hymn to read “Joy to the world, the Olive has come” [Moos 116]).  Mr. Park also identified himself as the mysterious, ever-victorious figure who comes from the east in Isaiah 41:2 (Grayson 209).  His followers called him the “Righteous Man of the East,” and they (or he) claimed he would never die—or, at least, that the last day of the world would come within his lifetime (Moos 120).

The Olive Tree movement was the largest and fastest growing of the new, syncretic Korean religions after the Korean War (Grayson 208).  By 1963 it had gained from 800,000 to 2,000,000 followers in over 300 congregations (Moos 119).  Many of the followers lived in specially constructed industrial communities outside of Seoul that made a variety of “Zion” products—everything from blankets and underwear to caramels and artificial flowers (Moos 113).  The movement also had a popular presence in rural areas, where Mr. Park’s distinctive white churches, with crimson crosses painted atop crenellated towers, dotted the countryside (Grayson 207). By the mid-to-late 1960s, it seemed to some observers that Mr. Park’s movement would supplant mainline Protestant groups in South Korea (Grayson 208).

Mr. Park was an industrialist and elder in the Presbyterian Church who was attracted to revivalist movements.  He himself had a growing sense that there must be more to Christian faith than the Presbyterians seemed to offer.  While helping to lead an all-night revival meeting for 20,000 people in southern Seoul in 1955, he received a vision of fire and water descending from heaven.  He then came down from the platform and massaged the head of a man identified as a cripple, and Mr. Park’s helpers then cried out that the man could walk.  By sunrise, after Mr. Park had circulated among the crowd and massaged many heads and limbs, his helpers shouted to great applause that he had healed 1,000 people (Grayson 208; Moos 115-116).  Thus the Olive Tree movement was born.

Park was expelled from the Presbyterian Church in 1956 on charges of heresy.  He claimed in return that he was a truer Christian than the ones who denounced him, and his followers continued to call him Elder Park.  It should be noted here that a vexed relationship with the Presbyterian Church has marked not only Mr. Park’s movement but also all of his successor movements, all of which have regarded themselves as supra-denominational (Grayson 208; Moos 117).

The worship services that evolved in the Olive Tree movement were somewhat Presbyterian in form but came to involve hours of frenzied hymn-chanting, hand-clapping, and drum-beating.  Many followers, both women and men, deserted their families to donate all their worldly possessions in order to gain eternal life on Mr. Park’s terms.  According to the anthropologist Felix Moos, “Women followers were observed to be especially eager to offer whatever possessions they had—rings, watches, clothing; some ardent believers were even seen shedding their skirts during revival services since they had nothing else to give” (119).

Mr. Park was accused, among other things, of injuring and defrauding his followers, and he was sentenced to two and a half years in jail in 1959.  But a regime change resulted in a swift pardon, and Mr. Park spent only a few months in prison (Grayson 208; Moos 117-18).  Scandals connected with Mr. Park and his family from the 1970s onward, however, resulted in mass defections (Grayson 208). 

By 1969, Manhee Lee had already abandoned the Olive Tree movement to join another—the Tent Temple movement.  The Tent Temple—or the Temple of the Tabernacle—was founded by Jae Yul Yoo (b. 1949), also known as the “Young Servant.”  Mr. Yoo had previously been a follower of Jogkyu Kim and his Hosang prayer house.  When Mr. Kim became involved in a sexual scandal with a female member, however, Mr. Yoo left the group with a handful of members and started his own (S. Lee 138).

According to Mr. Yoo, Jesus spoke only in parables and secrets.  Since the end times were now said to be imminent, these parables and secrets needed to be illumined, and Mr. Yoo alone could properly do this. His method of interpretation was to match each passage of Scripture with its hidden twin.  For, according to Mr. Yoo, all verses come in secret pairs (S. Lee 139).

Mr. Yoo also taught that the Lord had prepared a secret room near the reservoir of Mt. Chungkye, on the southern outskirts of Seoul, as a refuge of escape from the battle of Armageddon.  After the chosen saints entered this valley, the world would be covered by fire.  Then the saints would be made into kings to rule the world (S. Lee 138-39). 

Mr. Yoo’s Tent Temple movement grew to 5,000 members in the 1970s.  The group shrank when Mr. Yoo was accused of fraud.  Mr. Yoo subsequently gave up his leadership of the movement, donated its assets to the Presbyterian Church, and moved to the United States in 1980, where he now pursues a private business and denounces the teachings of Manhee Lee, in part because Mr. Lee was critical of Mr. Yoo’s defection from his own movement (S. Lee 139, 143).

Manhee Lee’s Shinchonji Church of Jesus is one of several apocalyptic groups that came out of Mr. Yoo’s Tent Temple movement.  Two other such groups are Poong Il Kim’s Saegwang Central Church and the late In Hee Koo’s Heaven Gospel Witnessing Association (S. Lee 139). 

Mr. Kim, founder of the Saegwang Central Church, was originally an evangelist for Mr. Park and then a follower of Mr. Yoo.  He founded his own movement in 1974.  Like Mr. Yoo, he held that all passages in the Bible are secretly paired—and that one must know these secret pairings to be saved.  He named himself “The Counselor” or “Another Counselor.”  According to Mr. Kim, the Kingdom of Heaven would soon be established in Korea, and the abode of salvation would be in his church alone.  In 2009, he publicly confessed in a newspaper that he was not the divine Counselor after all, and he repented and apologized.  However, he has maintained leadership of his movement, and he continues to insist that believers can only receive their salvation through the Saegwang Central Church (S. Lee 140-42).

Like Manhee Lee, In Hee Koo of the Heaven Gospel movement had been part of Tae Sun Park’s group and, also like Manhee Lee, had joined the Temple Tent movement in the late 1960s.  He started his own Heaven Gospel movement in 1971 after receiving a vision in which he was commanded to “receive the worship of the nations.”  He was imprisoned as part of a government crackdown on pseudo-religions in 1975, and he died in prison in 1976.  Among his teachings: (1) the Korean flag was a symbol for God and contained the meaning and message of Scripture; (2) Scripture itself was a system of parables, secrets, symbols, and mirrored shadows;  (3) the saints should learn the words of God directly from those who had received the Spirit of God; (4) the second coming of Christ would take place in Korea; (5) Mr. Koo himself embodied that second coming; (6) judgment day would arrive on November 10, 1973.  When judgment day did not arrive as predicted, many of his followers literally wanted their money back.  Other followers, however, even after Mr. Koo had died, continued to believe that they had witnessed in him the second coming of Jesus (S. Lee 141-43).

After Mr. Koo’s death, the Heaven Gospel movement divided into many branches.  Among them, The Korean Jesus Churches of Heavenly Gospel Evangelical Association became the best known.  This group was headed by Chong Il Choi, who represented himself as the “wife “of Mr. Koo.  He was regarded as the “Lamb” who embodies the second coming of Christ in Revelation.  Mr. Choi also claimed that he could perfectly interpret all sixty-six books of the Bible.  Each of the branches of the Heaven Gospel movement vigorously asserts itself as the only path of true belief (S. Lee 141).

Manhee Lee’s Shinchonji Church of Jesus is the third main offshoot of the Tent Temple movement.  In addition to being a follower of Mr. Sun and then of Mr. Yoo, Mr. Lee subsequently followed Man Bong Baek, who claimed to be God and was referred to by many as “Solomon.”  Mr. Baek, like Mr. Koo, also stipulated a date for the end of the world.  When this date came and went, Mr. Baek’s followers deserted him.  Mr. Lee gathered some of these to form the Shinchoji Church of Jesus (SCJ).  Manhee Lee dates the official beginning of SCJ as 1984, which, he says, is “the year that the universe completed its orbit and returned to its point of origin” (M. Lee 44).

Like others from the Tent Temple movement, Manhee Lee asserts that the Bible is made up of parables and secrets, and that one must understand the exact meaning of these passages in order to be saved.  Manhee Lee, as the “promised pastor,” is the only one who can impart a complete mastery of the scriptures.  Also like others from the Tent Temple movement, Mr. Lee asserts that the new heaven and new earth will begin in Korea.  When the number of the saved reaches 144,000, the era of Shinchonji will begin at Gua Chun City, located in the same valley designated by Mr. Yoo.  At this time, or by this time, the souls of 144,000 martyrs, having waited in heaven, will enter the bodies of the 144,000 SCJ saints.  Mr. Lee himself, like Mr. Sun before him, claims that he will never die, and that his followers will partake of his “fleshly immortality,” a sort of redefined resurrection, through becoming the recipients of the spirits of the dead martyrs.  At present, Manhee Lee is in his early 80s and not in good health.  Recently, several leaders within SCJ have departed from the organization to begin their own movements, each leader claiming to be divinely anointed and uniquely possessed of the truth of the scriptures (S. Lee 140-43).

In summary, then, SCJ is one of three Korean apocalyptic movements that were all derived from Mr. Yoo’s Tent Temple movement.  In addition, the leaders of all three of these movements were originally involved in Mr. Park’s Olive Tree movement.  At least two of these third-generation movements, including SCJ, have in turn given rise to further, somewhat similar movements.  

Also in summary, it can be seen that SCJ demonstrates a number of common features with one or more of these related movements:

• A leader who claims divine appointment or divine identity, revealed through a vision.
• This leader’s claim of complete and exclusive understanding of the scriptures.
• A focus on the parables of Jesus and other figurative or “secret” portions of scripture—or other portions understood by the leader as figurative.
• An understanding of the leader’s exact interpretation of the parables and other figurative portions of scripture as prerequisite to a person’s salvation.
• The claim that no other leader or group offers the way of salvation.
• The claim that the leader will never die.
• The claim that the leader has a messianic role in the end times, which are imminent or in fact have already begun.
• The claim that Korea is a focal point of action in the end times.
• The claim that the valley of Mt. Chungkye in particular will be a refuge and gathering place for believers in the end times.
• The future role of these believers as rulers of the world.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Works Cited

Grayson, James Huntley.  Korea: A Religious History.  London: Routledge Curzon, 2002.

Lee, Man-Hee.  The Creation of Heaven and Earth.  Republic of Korea: Shinchonji Press, 2009.

Lee, Seung Yun.  “The Genealogy of Cults: ‘The Tabernacle-Temple Denomination.’”  Modern Religion April 2011: 138-43.

Moos, Felix.  “Some Aspects of Park Chang No Kyo—A Korean Revitalization Movement.”  Anthropological Quarterly July 1964: 110-20.

(1). Researched by professor Paul Willis, willis@westmont.edu, revised July, 2012.

     

Does Rev. 8,9 Refer to a Church in South Korea?

Dear reader,

Shinchonji teaches that an angel and a spirit-Jesus appeared to Manhee Lee on a mountain in South Korea. Also, SCJ believes that the Counselor-Holy Spirit promises in Jn. 14,16 are fulfilled by the Spirit uniting to Mr. Lee's flesh in the end-times.  Thus, Mr. Lee is an important figure in the end.

In Shinchonji thinking, he is the Apostle John figure in Revelation through whom Jesus' spirit works in the last days. He is one of the two witnesses in Rev. 11, the main fulfillment of the one who overcomes in Rev. 2,3, and the white horse (flesh) that Jesus' spirit uses to return to earth in Rev. 19.  The appearance of an angel and a spirit-Jesus to Manhee Lee is believed to be the physical fulfillment of Rev. 1:1-3 and Rev. 10.

When a pastor in the Christian world makes these claims, we must be cautious as Christians and test the revelations with the Bible (I Jn. 4:1, I Tim. 4:1).  Many leaders have been deceived by voices from the spirit world.  Of course, testing is not unkindly attacking a leader or their followers, who are loved by God.  But, it is important to avoid deception.

One of the most effective tests is to see if a revealed voice (i.e. the leader's message) matches the voice in God's written word.  In Christian thinking, God's voice found in the written word is far superior to spirit-revelations to end-time leaders.  Let's look at an example in Revelation 8 and 9.

According to Manhee Lee's book, The Truth Regarding Revelation´s Fulfillment, Jesus chose a special church in South Korea (the Church of the Seven Lampstands).  However, this church betrayed Jesus' words and was invaded by a false pastor and his associates.  (The intruders are known as the ¨destroyers¨ or ¨Nicolaitans¨ and the church members who betrayed are the ¨betrayers¨.)  These are two of the important mysteries in Revelation.

Manhee Lee interprets Rev. 8 and 9 to refer to the betrayal and destruction of the Church of the Seven Lampstands.  Since these church members betrayed Jesus (and refused to repent after being warned about the destroyers/Nicolaitans), they are punished.  The plagues in Rev. 8 and 9 refer to the punishment of those in the Church of the Seven Lampstands who refused to repent.

¨This plague of the seven trumpets is a punishment for the church of the seven golden lampstands (Rv. 6:15,16).  They are punished because they entered the caves and rocks of the gentiles even after receiving Jesus' letter telling them to repent and overcome the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2,3).  The church of the seven golden lampstands was specially chosen by God, but they failed him.  If God's chosen church betrayed him, just imagine the condition of the rest of the world's churches¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 198).

What follows is a condensed, figurative explanation of Rev. 8 and 9 from Manhee Lee's book, Creation of Heaven and Earth (pp. 197,198).  For a fuller description, please consult his book.

1.  In the first trumpet (Rev. 8:7), God's chosen people who betrayed represent the earth, trees and grass.

2.  In the second trumpet (Rev. 8:8,9), the creatures in the sea symbolize the chosen people who betrayed, and the ships are the churches of the chosen people.

3.  In the third trumpet (Rev. 8:10,11), the springs and rivers refer to pastors and evangelists from the chosen people.

4.  In the fourth trumpet (Rev. 8:12), the sun, moon, and stars represent the pastors, evangelists, and congregation members of the tabernacle of the chosen people (from the church of the seven lampstands). They are destroyed.

In Rev. 8:13, Manhee Lee teaches that when the eagle speaks of the people on earth and the next three trumpet sounds, it refers to the people of the tabernacle of the seven golden lampstands.  ¨An eagle flying in midair calls out three loud ´woes´ to those who live on the earth...The people of the earth are the people of the tabernacle of the seven golden lampstands¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 198).

5.  In the fifth trumpet (Rev. 9:1-11), the locusts are interpreted as false pastors who torture the betrayers.  The abyss refers to the churches of the Nicolaitan destroyers (who invaded the Church of the Seven Golden Lampstands).

 6.  In the sixth trumpet (Rev. 6:13-21), the heads of the horses are interpreted as seven pastors and their tails are false prophets (i.e. pastors who betrayed) that belonged to the seven pastors.  The fire, smoke, and sulfur are the doctrines of the false pastors who kill people's spirits.

Manhee Lee summarizes chapter 9 in this way, ¨In this chapter, Jesus judges the chosen people from the church of the seven golden lampstands that betrayed (Rv. 6), and these betrayers enter a gentile church.  Even after seeing a third of their spirits killed there, they still refuse to repent¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 201).

What problems do we discern with these interpretations from the spirit revelations Manhee Lee received?

First, Manhee Lee's perception of the Church of the Seven Lampstands is a problem since it was an apocalyptic movement in South Korea.  (See the article about the history of Mr. Lee before Shinchonji.)  Mr. Lee was involved in this movement and others before founding Shinchonji.

Second, when Christians read through Rev. 8 and 9, the voice in the Scriptures does not correspond to Manhee Lee's explanation in several points.  

For example, God's voice in the written word does not suggest the events are happening in a local area on earth (i.e. South Korea), but the earth at large (Rev. 8:7, 8:13, 9:18).  Manhee Lee interprets ¨earth¨ and ¨inhabitants of the earth¨ as symbols for the congregation members of the Church of the Seven Lampstands, but the meaning in the written word refers to all the people in the world.  In the Olivet discourse, Jesus also confirmed that a time of universal distress unparalleled in history would come in the end (Mk. 13:19,20).

The context of Rev. 8 and 9 is one of great distress on the whole earth where humans seek relief from their suffering.  After the fifth plague, people ¨seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will allude them¨ (Rev. 9:6).  Shinchonji's pastor interprets these deaths and suffering in spiritual terms, but who would seek spiritual deaths because of suffering?  Interpreting ¨deaths¨ as dying ¨spiritually¨ and ¨people on earth¨ to ¨people in the Church of the Seven Lampstands¨ is a voice that differs from the Bible's revelation.

This point leads to a conclusion that many Christian apologists notice in end-time groups.  The leader's interpretations of the Bible become the meaning of the text instead of the Bible's self-revelation.  Apocalyptic leaders claim that they have an anointing that gives them a hidden, deeper meaning that has been sealed in Revelation.  Thus, in their groups, their explanations are more inspired than the meanings from the text.

For instance, when Rev. 9:20,21 says that the inhabitants of the earth refused to repent, Manhee Lee teaches that it is because they betrayed Jesus.  However, there is no indication from the text that they were Christians (from a church congregation, like in Rev. 2 and 3).  The written word states that they did not repent of their great evils and sins - worshiping idols, committing murder, acts of sorcery, sexual behavior, and thefts (Rev. 9:20,21). The Bible does not reveal that they used to be a chosen people, but humankind at large.

¨The rest of humankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands or give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.  And they did not repent of their murders or or their sorceries or their fornication or their thefts¨ (Rev. 9:20,21, NRSV).

As mentioned above, end-time prophets with revelations from the spirit world (angels, Jesus, the Spirit of prophecy, or God) consider themselves ¨revealers¨ of the written word.  They reveal the real, hidden interpretations to prophecies and make new connections that no Christian sees.  Their voice is God's Word to their followers (even if the written word affirms something else).

In Christian thinking, this is a severe error.  The voice in the written word is more reliable than a new voice from final leaders, especially when voices from the spirit world inspired the leaders.  Jesus' first sign of the end is pastors or prophets who come in his name (i.e. as his spokesperson on earth) and demand all Christians to follow them (Mt. 24:4,5, Lk. 21:8).  One of the most important ways to discern spiritual error is when the voice in the Bible does not match what the leader is revealing.

Shincheonji's Description of the Beast in Rev. 13.

Dear reader,

Shinchonji/Shincheonji teachers receive their Bible explanations from one source, Manhee Lee, who received his information from an angel (a holy spirit), Jesus, and God.

Since the information comes from these sources (i.e. supernatural spirits from heaven), we must be careful and test it.  Of course, testing is not physically persecuting a leader, who is loved by God. But, it is necessary to avoid deception (Lk. 21:8, I Tim. 4:1, I John 4:1).

When we test a leader's information, it is important to consider if the revealed voice and the written voice are the same.  Does the revealed voice submit to the voice in the written word or does it only reveal meanings in the written word?  Do the revealed meanings seem to be what the written word is saying?  Does the revealed word make connections that seem forced or controlled?

As we become more familiar with these questions, it becomes easier to test a final leader's information.

With this in mind, let's test an important explanation given to Manhee Lee about the book of Revelation - the secret of the beast in Revelation 13.

According to Mr. Lee, it was revealed to him that a church he was attending in South Korea (the Church of the Seven Golden Lampstands) was chosen by Jesus and had Jesus' words.  However, this church betrayed Christ and was destroyed by the invaders (the Nicolatians/Satan's organization).  The pastor and his associates who invaded this church are the ¨beast¨ in Revelation 13.

In his book, Manhee Lee writes, ¨This chapter concerns the event of a false pastor (a beast) belonging to the world (the many waters or the sea) entering the church of the seven golden lampstands (the tabernacle of heaven) to destroy its chosen people using his ecclesiastical authority.  The destroyers are called beasts because they lack knowledge of God's word just like animals (Prov. 30:2.3, Is. 56:9-11)¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, 217).

What is the problem with this explanation?  What do we discern?

First, there is a problem with Manhee Lee's perception of the Church of the Seven Lampstands, which was an apocalyptic group in South Korea with problems of its own.  It is doubtful that they possessed Jesus' words from the beginning.  (See article on the history of Mr. Lee before SCJ.)

Second, Manhee Lee's sources change the meaning of a beast used in apocalyptic prophecies.  When God explains the meaning of beasts and wild creatures in Daniel's prophecies, the images refer to real kings, empires, and world leaders (Dan. 7:17,24, Dan. 8:19-24, Dan. 11).

The beast in Revelation is taken from the images of beasts in Daniel, and it is expected that Christian readers around the world will understand this.

Manhee Lee uses verses in Proverbs and Isaiah (about beasts and a lack of knowledge) to change the apocalyptic meaning of a beast.  What we notice is that this is a connection that is based on the authority of Mr. Lee's sources, not a connection that is taught in God's Word on its own.

Third, when we read the descriptions of the beast in Revelation, the voice in the written word points to something bigger.  Rev. 13:7 says the beast has authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. The whole world is astonished by the beast.  Some are killed for defying the beast (Rev. 13:15, Rev. 20:4).    

In Christian thinking, we see that God spoke to Daniel of a final ruler in the end (see Daniel 7:15-26, 8:23-25, 9:26,27, 11:33-12:11).  In Dan. 11, a final king appears, which was not fulfilled in the times before Christ.  This ruler/king blasphemes God, conquers the saints, invades the nation of Israel, and has authority over real countries and nations.  The voice here in the written word refers to a world leader.

Manhee Lee subtracts a global meaning from God's Word in Rev. 13 and adds a local meaning.  He writes, ¨The events in this chapter occur in a single place called the tabernacle of heaven (a reference to the Church of the Seven Lampstands).  They do not take place all over the world¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, 218).

When we study the descriptions of a beast in Revelation (along with the references of a final leader in Daniel), we see that God is giving a much bigger idea of a beast than a false pastor in South Korea.

This is what we discern when we test Manhee Lee's secret about the beast in Revelation 13.

Hard Questions Posed by Shincheonji.

Dear reader,

According to Shinchonji, the SCJ pastor, Manhee Lee, had an encounter with heavenly entities on a mountain in South Korea.  These entities (God, Jesus, and a holy spirit/angel) gave Mr. Lee a ¨revealed word¨ or ¨revelation¨ on the prophecies related to the second coming (their meaning and their physical fulfillment).  Mr. Lee says that he is the New Apostle John figure who received the scroll (the revealed word) in Rev. 10.

When heavenly entities convince a leader that their ¨revelation¨ is true and a movement is started, it's important to test this revelation.  Testing, of course, is not physically persecuting a leader or their followers, who are loved by God.  But, it's important to avoid spiritual deception (I Tim. 4:1, I Jn. 4:1).

Leaders in end-time movements believe their revelation is from God because a) it seems to answer all the prophecies about the last stage of Christianity and b) no one else in Christianity knows their answers to these questions.  This is seen as evidence that the ¨revealed word¨ must be divine in origin.

Members in Shinchonji use the revealed word to pose questions to Christians.  In SCJ literature, it is stated that no one can answer their questions about Revelation or the second coming.  To Shinchonji, this demonstrates that the ¨revealed word¨ is superior to all Bible knowledge in Christian circles today.

These questions are also used to make Christans feel like they must have this knowledge (¨the revealed word¨) to be ready for Jesus' return.  In his zeal, one Shinchonji member sent out more than 70 e-mails with questions to his Christian family.  The message was, ¨If you don´t know the answer to these questions, you need to study with Shinchonji?¨

What is the problem with these questions?  What do we discern?

First, it is suspicious when the ¨revealed word¨ asks questions that the written word does not require believers to know.  For example, one Revelation question is, ¨What is the meaning of the white stone in Rev. 2:17?¨ But, when we listen to God´s voice in Rev. 2:17, the written word is not commanding believers to know this meaning.

The reader is able to understand that it is something wonderful.

In Rev. 1:3, God's voice states that those who read Revelation and take to heart what is written in it will be blessed.  Without perfect knowledge, believers throughout the centuries have been blessed by the powerful themes that come from the written word in Revelation.  But, the written word does not command us to understand every word.

Shinchonji members might respond, ¨This is equal to saying that it's not important to understand Jesus' words at all.¨  But, this is different.  All followers of Christ believe that we should study what Jesus makes known in the Bible.  The difference is when a ¨revealed word¨ emphasizes something that the written word does not emphasize.  Only the revealed word requires it to be known.

Instead of trusting in Christ's power, love, and promises, people become more worried about understanding every word in Revelation that the ¨revealed word¨ asks a question about.

When God's word does not emphasize something, we can trust that God either does not emphasize the meaning or he chooses not to reveal it, which is a divine prerogative (Jn. 21:20-23, I Cor. 13:12, I Jn. 3:2). A host of topics in Scripture is unknown to the Christian world (the identity of the spirits in 1 Pet. 3:18, future activities in eternity, the time that elapsed before Satan's rebellion, and much more).

Imagine an English professor asking students, ¨When Cinderella lost her slipper in the story, what was the price of that slipper?¨  The story does not reveal the answer.  In the same way, the ¨revealed word¨ in Shinchonji creates questions that the story in the written word does not ask (and then expects answers that the written word does not reveal).

(Note to reader: Many questions raised by Shinchonji fall under this analysis, but it is possible that some do not.  Each question should be analyzed separately/case by case to see if it applies.)

What are some other problems with ¨revealed questions¨?

Since the ¨revealed¨ questions require answers not easily known in the written word, it slowly makes participants view the ¨revealed word¨ in Shinchonji as the primary source of truth.  Shinchonji would disagree with this, but it becomes more apparent to outside Christians that the revealed word from Manhee Lee becomes the real authority in SCJ, not the written word.

When this happens, it makes it nearly impossible to correct a leader with a ¨revealed word¨ with God's written word.  Revealed ¨words/revelations¨ insist that their revelation unveils the deeper connection or the real meaning in the written word (even if the written word says something different).

For example, God's word in Mt. 24:27 makes it known that the meaning of lightning is related to visibility, but the revealed word in Shinchonji cites other verses, like Lk. 10:18 and Rev. 11:19, to show that the deeper meaning in Mt. 24:27 does not refer to visibility.  So, the revealed word ¨corrects¨ the written word, not the other way around.

A third problem with the ¨revealed word¨ is circular interpretation.  One Shinchonji member once asked, ¨If Mr. Lee is not the Apostle John figure, who is?¨  But, this person did not realize that Mr. Lee (the new Apostle John) is the one who says there must be a new Apostle John.  When the written text is consulted on its own, it does not require followers of Jesus to believe a new John is coming.

Another case is when Manhee Lee reveals that the ¨one who overcomes¨ in Rev. 2,3 refers to one person, Mr. Lee, (as a primary meaning) and to others (as a secondary meaning).  Only Mr. Lee sees that this is a prophecy for a final leader.  When God's Word is consulted independently, it is the exact opposite.

Fourth, when Shinchonji speaks of knowing answers to Revelation (how prophecies should be understood and how they are physically fulfilled), the assumption is that giving interpretations (and the physical fulfillment) is the same as giving the right interpretation (and the right physical fulfillment).  Teachers and students of logic know this is false.  A student can give answers to all the hard questions on an exam and still be wrong (even though their answers were unique and not found on any other exam).

The same is true with revelations from spirit entities to final prophets.  The kingdom of darkness has been revealing end-time answers to many groups for a long time. The fact that final prophets are convinced that supernatural beings from heaven are guiding them doesn't mean that their guided answers are the right ones.  Crafty, intelligent spirits can deceive humans (1 Jn. 4:1), which is why we must test them.

Testing is not merely seeing if a ¨revealed word¨ can give answers to 40 questions on Revelation that the revealed word created, which is circular.  A much safer test is seeing whether or not the voice of the ¨revealed word¨ is the same voice in God's written word.

Lastly, when we test the answers from Shinchonji's revealed word, the ¨revealed word¨ seems to impose itself on the the written word.  The interpretations seem controlled and self-validating. Manhee Lee says, ¨This is connected to the meaning here,¨ but other connections or meanings are possible too.  It feels controlled, like in other movements with a revealed word (see the testimonial section).

For instance, what is Shinchonji's revealed answer to the ¨white stone¨ in Rev. 1:17?

God's Word has many contexts and uses for stones/rocks (Ez. 36:26, Mt. 16:18, 2 Cor. 3:3, 1 Sam. 17:50, Ac. 4:11, Mk. 16:3, etc.), but Manhee Lee's revealed word states that stones represent ¨the tools of God¨ (the words of God) used for judgment, like the stone tablets given to Moses.  In the end, the revealed word says the ¨white stone¨ is ultimately the revealed word (the revelation to Manhee Lee in Rev. 10).

¨The Bible borrows the physical qualities of a stone when it uses stones figuratively to represent the tools of God - people who pass judgment...The white stone (Rev. 2:17) that Jesus (the living stone) promised to give to the one who fights and overcomes the group of Satan (the Nicolaitans) represents the law, which is the word of the New Testament Jesus received from God.  This word is also the word of the open scroll from Rev. 10, and it is by this word that the earth and the sea are judged (Jn. 12:48, Rv. 16)¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 485-487).

At a certain point, the meanings in Revelation and other prophecies become predictable - everything refers, in some way or another, to the revealed word (see Manhee Lee's book, Creation of Heaven and Earth).

In summary, when a revealed word appears from heavenly entities (an angel, Jesus, or God) and uses questions that it creates, puts itself above the meanings in the written word's self-revelation, or controls meanings between verses, it is a sign to Christians.  It shows that the voice in God's written revelation is not the same voice from the prophet's revelation.

Thank you for considering these points and principles when testing Shinchonji's questions.

Shincheonji's Explanation of Rev. 6: God's Wrath.

Dear reader,

Let's look at the content described in Revelation 6 and test the information given to Manhee Lee.

Shinchonji/Shincheonji receives its information from one source (Mr. Lee), who received his information from a spiritual creature (two creatures on a mountain in South Korea according to one account).  Shinchonji believes the information comes from an angel (a holy spirit), from Jesus Christ, and from God.

Before continuing, let's think about this.  Many historians, religious leaders, politicians, and professors would find it amazing to interview Jesus or a heavenly creature.  Now, picture having an encounter with spiritual entities from heaven and receiving information from them.  If this were to happen, what would you do?

Since the voice in the New Testament warns us of deceptive spiritual creatures, spiritual visions, and false leaders (I Tim. 4:1, I Jn. 4:1), it is important to test information from these sources.

Testing a final leader's experience, of course, does not mean physically persecuting a leader or his followers, who are loved by God.  But, it is necessary to avoid deception (I Jn. 4:1, I Tim. 4:1, Lk. 21:8).  Many leaders of religions and apocalyptic groups have been deceived by supernatural experiences.

According to Manhee Lee's experience, he says that the content of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 refer to a specific church in South Korea that received Jesus' words and betrayed him.  This church is the Church of the Seven Golden Lampstands.  In response to this, he wrote seven letters to the seven pastors (messengers) of the church to warn them to repent (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p.209).

Because the seven pastors and church members did not repent, God punishes the betrayers, which is the content of the judgment in Revelation chapter 6.  Manhee Lee writes, ¨These four living creatures judge the seven pastors and their people at the church of the seven golden lampstands.  They are judged because they refused to repent even after receiving the letters from Jesus¨ (The Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 192).

Manhee Lee explains the majority of the symbols in chapter 6 in relation to this event.  For example, the sun, moon, and stars (Rev. 6:12,13) refer to the chosen people in the Church of the Seven Lampstands, and the rolling away of the sky (Rev. 6:14) is the destruction of the church (pp. 192,193).  As Mr. Lee himself summarizes on p. 220, ¨Revelation 6 describes the judgment of the chosen people who betrayed.¨

When we test this explanation with the Bible and spiritual discernment, what do we see in Revelation 6?  Why doubt Shinchonji's explanation and the spirit revelation to Manhee Lee?

First, there is a problem with Mr. Lee's experience and perception of the Church of the Seven Lampstands.  Manhee Lee attended this church, but it really was another apocalyptic group with problems of its own.  To obtain more information, see the article about the history of Manhee Lee before Shinchonji.

Second, Revelation 6 describes a theme that is much bigger.  At the end of the chapter, people on earth are afraid of God's wrath.  The last verses reveal that it's the time of the ¨wrath of the Lamb¨ and the ¨wrath of the one who sits on the throne.¨  It is known as the ¨great day¨ of wrath (Rev. 6:16, 17).

Why is this significant?

According to the Old Testament, the wrath of God, although partially fulfilled at times against Samaria and Babylon and other nations, is fully fulfilled at a future time when God puts a stop to the increased wickedness on earth - a time like Noah's age when God has had enough.  This time of wrath and judgment is also identified as the Day of the Lord (Zeph. 1:14,15).  In Isaiah 2:10-21, for example, the allusions to the Day of the Lord match the description in Revelation 6:16,17.

¨Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth¨ (Is. 2:19).

So, the ideas in God's Word about the Day of the Lord and God's wrath refer to a final time of judgment for humanity at large (Zeph. 1:14-2:3, Isaiah 2:10-21, Isaiah 13:9-13, Joel 2:31-3:3, 9-15, Amos 5:18-20, Isaiah 34:2-4).

Another theme in Rev. 6 (and in the Old Testament references) is that the day of wrath and judgment is global, not local.  Zephaniah 1:18 prophesies that the whole world will be consumed.  Isaiah 13:11 says that God will punish the world for its evil.  In Rev. 6:4, 6:8, 6:10, and 6:15, the Bible refers to the earth and the inhabitants of the earth.

Jesus Christ mentions that these days will ¨come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth¨ (Lk. 21:35) and speaks of a ¨time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written¨ in the Old Testament (Lk. 21:22).

In contrast, the vision to Manhee Lee changes the global meaning of earth from Revelation 6 (i.e. subtracts this from the text) and adds a different meaning about a local church in South Korea.

Fourth, Rev. 6 speaks of a dreadful time of death and humans being killed (Rev. 6:4, 6:8, 6:11).  Peace is taken from the earth and the inhabitants slay each other in the second seal.  In the fourth seal, Hades and death are mentioned as people are killed by the sword, famine, and plagues.

These words (sword, famine, plagues) are used by God in the prophets to refer to real and powerful judgments.  See Jer. 32:24, 36, Jer. 29:17-19, Jer. 14:11,12, Ezek. 7:8-19.  Shinchonji subtracts this meaning and adds a spiritual meaning, referring to spiritually dying in the Church of the Seven Lampstands.

Fifth, there are two methods of interpreting the Bible.  The safe approach is allowing the ideas from God in the written word be the standard, letting the meanings speak to our hearts (when given).  The other way is the ¨revelation¨ method, which reveals meanings behind the texts that the texts do not reveal on their own.

This is what we notice with Manhee Lee's explanation in Revelation 6.

Documentary on Shincheonji from South Korea.

Dear reader, 

The notes below (in English) come from a Korean documentary put out by a Christian Broadcasting station in South Korea.  According to one source in the documentary, these videos have been used in churches in South Korea to educate Christians about SCJ.

The notes summarize some of the main problems discussed in counseling clinics about Shinchonji/Shincheonji.  For the complete version in Korean, see the links below.  For Shincheonji's counter perspective, consult Shincheonji's website and sources online.

Episode 1: Revelation

http://www.ondemandkorea.com/people-of-shinchonji-e01.html

   
      In Korea, there are counseling centers, specifically for people who are in cults, have been in cults, or have family members who are in cults

o   90% of clients in these centers are members of SCJ

-          This 8-episode documentary will observe and follow families for 6 months

-          The first episode opens up with the story of a young woman (Hyo Eun) who comes to the counseling center with her mom

o   she was persuaded by her parents to attend these sessions

o   they made a deal- daughter will go to the counseling sessions as long as the parents go to the SCJ bible studies

o   the mom says that her daughter began changing, in appearance and in personality when she got into SCJ (darkened skin tone, neglect of her responsibilities, secretive, defensive, almost acting like a crazy person)

o   Hyo Eun begins session by declaring she will not change her beliefs and that SCJ is heaven. She makes it clear that these sessions will not change anything for her

o   (These counseling sessions in Korea focus on challenging SCJ beliefs and showing Scripture to prove that SCJ teaching is incorrect. The counselors are highly trained in SCJ doctrine and know every bible verse SCJ uses to prove their point)

o   even after 4 sessions of counseling, the daughter cries and begs her parents to let her go back to SCJ. she attempts to escape several times.

-          The Hyo Eun's (SCJ's) beliefs:

o   Lee Man Hee is the savior because the "spirit" of Jesus dwells in him since Lee Man Hee received the open scrolls of Revelation and ate it

o   She will not die physically nor will Lee Man Hee die (so those who have a fear of death fall into this trap)

o   The spirit of Jesus goes in and out of Lee Man Hee

o   lying is okay if it brings glory to God and wins souls

o   Jesus used parables to talk about the things of heaven

-          Countering SCJ's beliefs:

o   2 Thes. 2:1-3 - " Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,^[a] 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.³ Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness^[b] is revealed, the son of destruction"

§  There's no way the "spirit of Jesus" dwells in Lee Man Hee

o   Other cults in Korea also say similar things like SCJ, such as claiming that their leader is the savior, the teacher of this generation, God, etc.

o   SCJ says the spirit of Jesus goes "in and out" of Lee Man Hee because if they say the spirit dwells permanently, then that means that the end and the second coming has already come.

§  Rev. 1:7 - Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail^[c] on account of him. Even so. Amen.

·         Not EVERYONE saw that the spirit of Jesus came into Lee Man Hee. His encounter of "eating the scroll" was an individual, isolated experience

o   Luke 24:36-43

§  Jesus will come back just as he went to heaven- in the same way

o   Rev. 22:15

§  speaks against falsehood and lying. SCJ teaches that it is okay to lie in order to win souls; but that goes against the Bible.

o   Rom. 3 7-8

§  lying is not okay even when it is done to "bring glory to God"

-          SCJ prohibits members to go to counseling sessions

o   SCJ lies about what happens during counseling sessions

o   SCJ teaches that members will get beaten, drugged, and locked up if they go to counseling sessions

o   SCJ even shows videos of hired actors who pretend to have gone to counseling centers and were "beaten, drugged, and abused"

o   counseling center does not even provide water in case SCJ members falsely accuse that they've been drugged

o   SCJ also teaches members how to "fake it" and lie in case they do end up at a counseling session. They teach their members to lie to make their family members and the counselor believe that they're "getting it" so that they can be sent home and go back to SCJ

o   SCJ teaches that the moment members go into the counseling center, their spirits die and they are entering hell

-          History of SCJ

o   began in 1984 with few members and now, 2015, there are more than 150,000 members.

-          Family members of SCJ should never give up even though it might seem like there is no hope. Giving up is not the answer.

Episode 2: Youth

http://www.ondemandkorea.com/people-of-shinchonji-e02.html

   
     Seventh day of Hyo Eun's counseling session

o   begins to see that SCJ is a lie and their doctrines are false

o   she promises never to go back to SCJ

-          Hyo Eun's confession

o   she was first introduced to SCJ by a friend. her friend approached her by getting her attention by showing her psychological and personality tests. she then was invited to go to bible studies.

o   they did not disclose they were SCJ at the beginning

o   approached her first by talking about "looking into one's self", being "humble", "reflecting on areas of weakness", prohibiting her to listen to other pastors because they have "evil spirits" and are "proud"

o   had the wrong idea of counseling centers due to SCJ's false teachings

o   she felt like a robot for the 8 months she was in SCJ. she was not allowed to think for herself, bring people into SCJ, slowly lost herself and her identity

o   SCJ constantly showed videos of their doctrines and history- brainwashing

o   then she learned how to approach people and evangelize them deceitfully

o   lied to her family that she went to "bethel church" (gave a false name to not disclose SCJ)

o   she was taught to lie to her family members, and they pressured her to quit her job in order to go "all in" into SCJ

o   SCJ even told her specifically what to say, how to say things to employers and family members

o   Hyo Eun attempted to commit suicide before going to the counseling center because she thought it was better to die physically than to die spiritually by going to the center

-          Now, Hyo Eun has left SCJ, is restoring her relationship with her family, restoring her faith and relationship with God and is getting plugged in back into society

-          College students and young adults highly desired by SCJ

o   because young people can work more and be used

o   can learn teachings faster and have less responsibilities

o   those who are hungry to learn about the Word are most vulnerable since SCJ pretends to answer all questions

o   students drop out of school and quit their jobs because SCJ pressures them to do so in order to be more effective

o   their main focus is to get all the 144,000 so school and career is not priority

o   students can live in the SCJ dorms if needed

o   family members who oppose SCJ are seen as the "Devil", or "evil people that are preventing them to go to heaven"

o   young adults are also vulnerable and desired because:

§  identity still forming

§  unemployed and beginning to get plugged into the real world

§  want to belong to something greater

§  being part of SCJ brings security and satisfaction

-          Da Hae's story

o   her parents drag her into the counseling center

o   Da Hae claims that she has been kidnapped and forced to come

o   tells her parents she doesn't love them anymore

o   calls her mom "ahjuma" (korean for Mrs. or maam) instead of "mom"

o   Da Hae calls the cops on her parents claiming that she was forcefully brought into SCJ

o   her parents are arrested

Episode 3: Addiction

http://www.ondemandkorea.com/people-of-shinchonji-e03.html

-        
      SCJ's Methods and tactics to deceive

o   it can happen to anyone

-          Pastor Shin Hyun Woo

o   was a leader in SCJ for decades

o   was the main leader who educated all SCJ teachers and leaders

o   he was Lee Man Hee's right-hand man

o   he first was introduced to SCJ in 1986 by his pastor who was learning the Bible from Lee Man Hee

o   at first, he did not know the doctrine was from SCJ

o   he was the only college student back then (age 21) so he quickly became one of the main leaders

o   currently, Pastor Shin is an active advocate to help bring awareness,  help family members, and help get current SCJ members out

o   now that Pastor Shin left SCJ, Lee Man Hee calls him the "traitor", the "betrayer", the "serpent" or "satan"

o   after reading the Bible in English, Pastor Shin began noticing discrepancies between Lee Man Hee's teaching and what the Bible was saying

o   he did a lot of research on Lee Man Hee for a month and realized that this was all a religious fraud

o   he learned that Lee Man Hee had been under other cult leaders for 24 years, and had made his own cult

o   before he left SCJ, he read one of Lee Man Hee's book that quoted that people must eat and drink Lee Man Hee's blood and flesh in order to be saved. That was the determining factor that made Pastor Shin realize that SCJ is a cult. He told everyone that his teachings were wrong. After Pastor Shin left, Lee Man Hee began denying that he had ever said or written that people must eat and drink of his blood and flesh. Now, even though his old books still say this, he denies it and claims that Pastor Shin is lying in order to make him look bad. Now, Lee Man Hee teaches that people are not to eat and drink of his flesh and blood.

-          How do people get into SCJ?

o   through teachings and bible studies

o   people get addicted to the study of parables and matching verses, making it seem like they're finally getting questions answered

o   two months is enough to learn their teachings, get addicted to them, and get brainwashed

o   after the study of parables, SCJ discloses that their church is actually SCJ. it is safe to disclose that after the two months because by then, they have already become addicted and brainwashed. however, if students find out that the teachings are from SCJ during or prior the 2 months, then they can reject the teachings and leave SCJ

o   most people who fall into SCJ admit that SCJ was attractive because they always had questions about the bible and SCJ answered them all (not knowing it is false doctrine)

o   those who are most vulnerable are not new believers but people who have been Christians for many years

-          SCJ trainings:

o   after completing the 2 month bible studies, members are told that they are part of SCJ and begin the following trainings:

§  New member's training

§  Recruiting new members training

·         they are given different manuals on how to recruit different types of people such as, those who are dependent on pastors, those who are highly educated, those who are stronger in personality, etc.

·         recruiters are called "harvesters"

·         they do plenty of research on potential members prior to approaching them

·         they find out all about them like personal information such as, family background, educational background, personality type, level of spiritual maturity, etc.

·         they observe potential members for weeks and plan out a strategic method to approach them

·         they pretend to randomly meet, when in fact, they have been observing potential members for weeks

·         Christians who have been hurt by the church are also vulnerable to being recruited

-          SCJ beliefs:

o   Lee Man Hee is the promised pastor/teacher and salvation is received only through him

o   understanding and learning parables brings salvation

o   Lee Man Hee received and ate the scrolls. He claims that the scrolls he ate (Rev. 4) is the entire book of Revelation. Therefore, only Lee Man Hee has the correct teachings of the Bible

§  However, this is false and does not make sense. The sealed scrolls in Rev. 4 is not the book of Revelation because there is no way John was done writing the entire book, since he is barely on chapter 5. He still had many visions to see and record. By chapter 5, John wasn't even half way through with writing the book. Therefore, the sealed scrolls are God's laws that were written in the Old Testament. If you look at Rev. 6, you can clearly see what those sealed scrolls are.

-          Parables of SCJ

o   According to SCJ, Gen. 1 is about a spiritual Creation, not a real, physical one

§  Heavens and the Earth (the people/the church)-

§  everything is symbolic and not literal for them

§  Adam and Eve were not the first humans on earth- they believe there were people already on earth prior to Adam and Eve

o   The second coming of Jesus

§  Matt. 24 and Rev 1 says that Jesus will return on the clouds, so that all can see him. however, SCJ claims that "heaven" and "clouds" have spiritual meanings. for them, "heaven" symbolizes the spiritual world, and "clouds" symbolize "spirit". Therefore, according to SCJ, they believe that Jesus will return not physically but spiritually, using the body of Lee Man Hee. Those who went to SCJ were first attracted because of their teachings. Therefore, they can come out of SCJ by correct, truthful teachings.

Episode 4: Lies

http://www.ondemandkorea.com/people-of-shinchonji-e04.html

-         
      SCJ members used to be normal people, who were simply hungry to learn the Bible.

-          Then how does SCJ get these people? By lying and strategically deceiving

-          Annual “World Peace” Festival

o   Each September, SCJ has a “World Peace” festival in Korea for 4 consecutive days

o   Religious leaders from all over the world are invited to attend (Catholics, Buddhists, Muslims, etc.)

o   SCJ members from all over the world also unite that day in Korea

o   Letters are sent out all over the world using a non-profit organization name such as (IPYG) and Lee Man Hee is introduced as a man who travels worldwide to achieve world peace, after having fought in the Korean War.

o   The purpose of this festival is to “unite” all religions to become one under SCJ

o   However, the religious leaders that attend are not aware that this even is hosted by SCJ

o   SCJ makes it seem as if these leaders accept SCJ teachings and pledge to go back to their countries to teach the teachings. However, this is not true. SCJ hires fake actors to pose as people who love and accept SCJ teachings

o   Everything in the festival points out to Lee Man Hee. He is introduced as the "prince of peace", "the king of kings". Lee Man Hee teaches his doctrine at the festival.

o   victims and family members stand outside of the festival, protesting.

o   only SCJ members and foreign religious leaders who have been invited are allowed inside. news reporters and others are not allowed inside

-          Kim Nam Hee

o   Kim Nam Hee is the head of a religious non-profit organization called “Mannam”

o   She partners up with Lee Man Hee

o   At the 2012 "World Peace" Festival, Kim Nam Hee and Lee Man Hee got married “spiritually” and even had a ceremony in the “World Peace Festival”

o   They suspect that Kim Nam Hee will become Lee Man Hee successor after Lee Man Hee dies (Lee Man Hee is almost 90 and is physically becoming weaker so they are preparing for a successor)

o   she is called, "The mother of the nations"

-          “SCJ Centers”

o   In Seoul alone, there are more than 70 “SCJ Centers” where they teach SCJ bible studies.

o   These centers are not registered neither as a church nor a school- they are illegally operating. In Korea, by law, places that teach 10 or more students for more than 30 days are considered "academies" and must be registered under the "Educational System"

o   These “SCJ centers” use a fake name, pretending to be a “normal church” from a Christian denomination

o   Even students that go to these “SCJ centers” do not know they are SCJ centers. They were just invited to attend, and think they are simply attending a small church, or a small group

-          Evangelism

o   SCJ members are pressured and manipulated to “evangelize” and “bear fruit”

o   By the end of each month, SCJ puts up charts to compare productivity and “encourage” members to bring more people into SCJ

o   Their goal is to fill all the”144,000”

Episode 5: Wounds

http://www.ondemandkorea.com/people-of-shinchonji-e05.html

-         
     Episode begins with the story of a mother of two children, both children are in scj. The mother committed suicide. Prior to committing suicide, the mother visited the anti-scj counseling center in Korea.

-          Stories of people whose family members are involved in scj

o   SCJ members quit schools, their jobs, run away from their homes, and disconnect with family members all because of SCJ

o   SCJ members change 180 degrees (neglect family members, become defensive and attacking, calling parents “demons”)  and lie

o   Some SCJ members wrote suicide letters to family members, saying “the only way non-SCJ family members can receive eternal life “ is for them to kill themselves and lie

-          The reason why people fall into SCJ is because they don’t know the reality and the truth of SCJ.

-          People who have family members in SCJ protest, demanding their family members back.

o   SCJ prevents them from protesting, persecuting them and even bullying family members

o   But family members do not stop protesting because they feel like that’s the only thing they can do

Episode 6: Family
http://www.ondemandkorea.com/people-of-shinchonji-part-6.h

-      
     Episode begins with a scene of a father protesting with signs for his son who is in SCJ. The son sees his father and begins attacking his own dad both physically and verbally.

-          SCJ members evangelize their family members and others for selfish reasons

o   In order for their names to be recorded on the “book of life”, they must evangelize at least 2 people

o   Evangelizing is not for the sake of “lost souls” but for their own salvation

-          Episode shows many stories of people who have lost their members into SCJ.

-          SCJ affects the family and breaks relationships.

-          Religion that breaks families is not true religion.

-          Story of a high school student

o   She got into SCJ through the fake surveys SCJ hands out (another evangelizing tactic SCJ uses)

o   Mom brings her daughter into the Anti-cult Counseling Center. Makes a promise to go to the SCJ studies if the daughter goes to counseling

o   The daughter weeps and cries asking her parents to take her back home

o   She attends counseling with her parents for a week. Then lies to her parents and counselor saying that she now sees why SCJ is a cult and how their teachings are false. She lies in order to discontinue counseling. Her parents believe her and they agree to discontinue counseling until she finishes her college entry exam. However, after she leaves counseling, she never comes back and later admits that she had lied and played the game just so that she doesn’t have to continue counseling and can go back to SCJ.

Episode 7: Love
http://www.ondemandkorea.com/people-of-shinchonji-e07.html

-          
     A man takes his wife (Kyung Hae) to the counseling center

o   Kyung Hae appears irritated and defensive

o   Kyung Hae claims that she is not “Stupid” and that she “tested” the teachings for herself and found them to be “true”

o   For four hours, Kyung Hae and the counselor go back and forth, attacking each other’s beliefs. Kyung Hae is very aggressive towards the counselor and gets into a heated argument.

o   They stop the counseling session. The husband asks everyone else to leave the room and has a conversation with his wife. Kyung Hae calms down and agrees to come back the next day to resume counseling.

o   The next day, counseling resumes. Kyung Hae begins to listen and be more open to learning biblical explanation

-          SCJ’s teachings vs biblical teachings (that are discussed during Kyung Hae’s biblical counseling session)

o   Lee Man Hee is the Savior (SCJ’s belief) vs. Lee Man Hee is human, like any one of us, unable to save because he himself is a sinner (human) (biblical belief)

§  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Rom. 3:26)

§  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^[a] Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)

§  Someone, other than a human, needs to save all of us

o   Each generation has a different Savior (SCJ’s belief)

§  Noah was the savior of his generation by telling people to get into ark to rescue them from the flood

§  Moses was the savior of his generation, delivering the people out of Egypt

§  Jesus was the savior of his generation, by dying on the cross

§  However, biblically speaking, Noah and Moses were NOT saviors- they were simply God’s messengers, and God’s prophets, used by God. God himself saved the people in the Old Testament, not the prophets/servants/messengers

o    Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

-          After 9 days of consecutive counseling, Kyung Hae finally realizes she’s been deceived and confesses what SCJ has taught her

o   She realized that she held onto SCJ’s teachings for her own sake- to receive salvation, to live eternally, to be part of the 144,000, rather than believing in Jesus Christ for the sake of believing in Him.

-          What helped Kyung Hae turn away from SCJ was her husband’s love- her husband never gave up on her and walked through it with her until the end.

Episode 8: The Word (Final Episode)

-       http://www.ondemandkorea.com/people-of-shinchonji-e08.html
  
     Kyung Hae and her husband attended a retreat and got baptized

-          Kyung Hae confessed that every single day she was at SCJ she was fearful. Fear compelled her to go out and bring more people into SCJ and learn their teachings in order to secure her salvation

-          Kyung Hae’s husband shares that he hopes churches will receive SCJ members and their families into their churches to restore them, rather than pushing them out in order to protect their church

-          What must the church do to help?

o   Churches must teach their members SCJ tactics to prevent falling into SCJ

o   Churches must teach their members the Word correctly so that they won’t seek to fill their spiritual hunger elsewhere

o   Churches must have compassion towards victims and not judge them

o   Churches must preach about salvation and the gospel more often, and correctly.

-          Christian churches in Korea are not blameless

o   Can’t just point finger at cults, but churches must also examine themselves

o   Prideful

-          1980’s, South Korea began developing drastically economically

o   Churches began expanding and preaching humanistic sermons, such as, “if you believe in Jesus, you will succeed and be rich” rather than teaching biblically that “believing in Christ” leads to eternal life, and that we are in the process of sanctification, to become more like Christ

o   Churches began focusing on tithing to grow the churches

-          CBS (Christian Broadcasting Station) started a campaign called, “SCJ OUT” to bring awareness, and equip churches by teaching about SCJ’s incorrect teachings.

-          Churches must teach and live out the Word, in order to withstand the attacks of cults.