Can Shincheonji be Corrected?

Dear reader,

What would you think of final prophets who would not let themselves be corrected by the Bible?  This would seem strange and spiritually haughty.  All Christians know that we must submit to God's Word and let the Scriptures correct us.  All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for correction (2 Tim. 3:16). In Christian thinking, the Scriptures contain spiritual truths from Christ for our lives.

In end-time groups, final prophets use a series of statements that make it nearly impossible for Christians to correct them with God's Word.  These spiritual points elevate the prophet's voice over God's voice in the written word.  Even though final prophets encourage Christians to test their revelation with the Bible, their claims simultaneously make it difficult to correct their revelation with the Bible.  This is why many end-time movements continue to exist today.

What are these points that make it difficult to correct revelations to final leaders/prophets?

1.   Final prophets have the power to remove what seems clear in Scripture.  

Since final prophets claim to receive information from angels, Jesus, or God, this allows them to give the real meaning to prophetic and non-prophetic parts of the Bible.  Even clear parts of the Bible can mean something different if the leader uses a different connection or a spiritual definition of a word. The true meaning of a verse in the written word does not depend on what the words communicate on their own. For instance, Ac. 1:9-11 does not mean what most Christians think it means.  The final prophet has the authority to define figurative/hidden language in reference to clouds and give the right meaning.

Since Jesus and God are seen to be working through the prophet, the leader becomes the ¨revealer¨. The prophet does not submit to the written word, but reveals it.  This gives unlimited interpretation power to the leader.  It also means he does not have to submit to the ideas that God was making clear in the written word.

When leaders have this special anointing, it disarms Christians from using comprehensible passages in the Bible (the written word) to correct a final leader.  When a group is challenged, the final leader and his group respond by saying that the true meaning of many verses is hidden.  In this way, the final leader does not have to submit to the meaning that Christians clearly see God's voice saying in Scripture.

Once I met up with a leader in a movement in Latin America.  When he pointed out that the Son of God did not exist before coming to earth, I told him that most Christians see the Scriptures saying the opposite (Jn. 1:1, Jn. 17:5, Mic. 5:2, Jn. 8:58, Phil. 2:6, etc.).  This pastor agreed with my comment and, paraphrasing him, said, ¨What you really need is revelation knowledge to see this.¨

Secondly, another consequence of this relates to members of these movements.  When final leaders introduce new definitions, connections, and explanations to the written word, followers accept the new interpretations thinking this is what the Bible is affirming all along.  They believe the Bible is saying new things even when Christians see the written word saying something else.  This makes it hard to use Scriptures to correct revelations when final prophets have given the same verses new meanings.

For example, Jesus refers to a visible coming in Mt. 24:27 when he uses lightning.  But, Christians cannot use this to correct Shinchonji's teaching of an invisible return because SCJ uses other verses (e.g. Lk. 10:18, Rev. 11:19) to show that lightning in Mt. 24:27 is not visible. This is why Christians and members of end-time groups can debate and get nowhere.  Both sides are using the written word in different ways.       

2.  A final leader claims that Jesus has opened up seals to them in the Bible. 

When a final prophet proclaims that Jesus or God has opened seals and mysteries to them in the Bible, it makes it difficult for outside Christians to refute what they reveal because the Christian world is said to only go by a closed book/sealed prophecies.  Manhee Lee makes this point when talking about the importance of a revealed word and the time of unsealed prophecies (Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 6-9).

In Christian thinking, a revelation to a leader must still submit to the clear ideas in the written word.  But, leaders with a revealed word argue that Christians are like the Pharisees in the first coming.  They cannot rightly interpret the written word when the prophecies are sealed.  When the Bible is made to be a completely sealed book, it implies that what most Christians see the Bible saying does not necessarily mean it is the right meaning.

One person wrote saying that one Shinchonji instructor told him and another person to completely put aside what they had thought the Bible was saying before.  For example, Shinchonji gives a revealed meaning to the events in Rev. 6, 8, & 9, referring to the church of the seven golden lampstands.  Most Christians, however, see the events referring to people in the whole world.  

When Christians try to use the voice in God's written word to correct Shinchonji, Manhee Lee's writings claim that Christians are using a closed book, which they cannot interpret or understand correctly.

3.  Final leaders claim that all Christians who do not believe in their revelation are deceived by Satan and follow traditions of men.

In end-time movements, the group's literature has many statements about Christians being in darkness and only using traditions of men.  In Christian thinking, ¨traditions of men¨ are ideas that are not clearly stated in God's written revelation.  It's extra information.  For example, the Pharisees held on to a Corban tradition that nullified God's command to honor one's parents (Mk. 7:9-13).

To final prophets' ¨traditions of men¨ are defined as Christian beliefs that the majority of Christian churches have about Christ Jesus and the written word.  In Manhee Lee's writings, he teaches that all ministers in Christianity are either going by the traditions of men or are unscriptural and blinded.

The problem is that this forces insiders to rely more fully on what the final leader reveals to be true than what the voice in the written word is saying.  This is why it is hard to correct members with the written word since they have been trained to think that the written word is only open to the final leader.  They believe outside Christians are deceived by Satan's kingdom.

4. Final leaders use circular reasoning/interpretation.  

When a final prophet employs circular reasoning/interpretation, it is nearly impossible for Christians to correct them with the written word.  For example, many leaders have revealed that they or their group is ¨the servant¨ in Mt. 24:45-47.  The servant is the final leader, which is revealed by the final leader.  But, the written word on its own does not speak of one final servant (but faithful servants in general).  The leader can give this circular interpretation even if Christians see the written word saying something different.

Taken together, these four statements make it hard for Christians to correct final leaders with God's Word.  In addition, leaders have much spiritual pride and confidence that no believer can answer their questions or give them better interpretations.  They are the teachers and everyone in Christianity must listen to them.

Since we are supposed to humbly put ourselves under/submit to the Lord's voice in Scripture, it is important to let God's voice in the written word correct the voice in a revealed word, not the other way around.  All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for correction (2 Tim. 3:16,17).  When end-time leaders use these points to support new interpretations, Christians should be cautious.

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.

Jesus' Warnings in the Olivet Discourse.

Dear reader,

Imagine walking with Jesus Christ and being able to converse with him about the end.  When the disciples asked the Lord about his return, what was his first sign?  Jesus gave an important sign that is before the Apostle John's visions in Revelation.  This first sign concerns future leaders who would appear and take his place (Mt. 24:4, Lk. 21:8).

When Christians study the writings of other apocalyptic groups, this point emerges.  One simple lady once said that she did not join an apocalyptic group when she heard the members continually praise and exalt the role of their prophet.  In practice, they emphasized their leader more, not the Lord Jesus. 

While reading Manhee Lee's book, I thought about this point too.  Does the revelation to Mr. Lee put Mr. Lee on a level that takes the Son of Man's place?  To find answers to this question, we need to analyze the specific signs Jesus reveals about final leaders in the Olivet discourse (Mt. 24, Mk. 13, Lk. 21).

1. ¨For many will come in my name¨ (Mt. 24:4). The Lord says that a leader will come in his name (i.e. claim to be his authority and representative on earth).  In Shinchonji, Manhee Lee claims to come in Jesus' name. ¨The next advocate, the holy spirit of the advocate who comes from heaven at the second coming, comes in Jesus' name¨(Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 437).

2. ¨Many will come in my name, saying I am he,¨ (Mk. 13:5). Jesus says that the leader will announce to everyone that he is the one everyone was waiting for in the end.  He is linked to the Messiah's presence.  In the same way, Manhee Lee teaches that he is the body/flesh that people see when Jesus' spirit returns to earth.

¨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¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 143).  Manhee Lee states that he is "the flesh" through whom Jesus appears in Rev. 19. ¨John sees heaven open and someone called 'Faithful and True' riding a white horse leading the armies of God (Rev. 19:11)...The spirit chooses one flesh as its horse and works through that person. At the second coming, Jesus chooses the one who overcomes (Rev. 3:12) as his horse and works through him (Rev. 6:2)¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 246,247).

3. ¨I am he and the time is at hand,¨ (Lk. 21:8). Jesus says that a leader not only proclaims to be the savior-Messiah's presence, but he announces the coming of the end of the age.  In Manhee Lee's book, he writes that he is witnessing the end of the age and that the time is at hand. ¨...the prophecies in the New Testament exist to testify about the promised pastor who acts as a savior¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 177). ¨Today the time that was appointed for Revelation's fulfillment has finally come¨ (p. 564).

4. ¨...they will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect.¨   The Lord teaches that final leaders will perform signs to convince people, almost convincing the elect (Mt. 24:24). A sign is necessary to give the leader credibility and convince many.  Manhee Lee states that mastery of the Bible's prophecies is a spiritual sign that he is the chosen pastor (i.e. explanations of Revelation).

5. ¨At that time if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ...There he is, out in the desert, do not go out... or here he is in the inner rooms, do not believe it.¨  Jesus states that some will announce how the Lord returns. They will point to a hidden or secret return (Mt. 24:26,27, Lk. 13:21). In Shinchonji's article on Rev. 1:7, Shinchonji teaches that Jesus comes back in an invisible way and the final pastor is the one everyone sees.

When thinking about these signs from the Lord Jesus, we see that he expects us to wait for him, not a leader who comes in his name or embodies a spirit return of Christ.  When leaders of apocalyptic movements appear, they say they come as servants of the Lord but end up ruling, judging, and saving the Christian world in place of the Lord.  In Manhee Lee's book, the emphasis is noticeably on Mr. Lee and his final role.     

Questions for Intellectual Christians.

Dear reader,

Shincheonji/Shinchonji teaches that Jesus' words, Jesus' spirit (and, by extension, Jesus' intelligence) is uniquely tied to their human pastor, Manhee Lee.  He is the Lord Jesus´ representative in the last days - the flesh/body Jesus Christ uses on earth to fulfill his promises in Revelation.  This is why Mr. Lee's voice is considered the voice of Christ.

If you were a spiritual detective, what would make you or other thinking Christians doubt this claim?  What mistakes, contradictions, problems, practices, or lack of information would lead you to a different conclusion?  If a movement is from God, it should be sound in all areas, not just in Revelation.

Christian intellectuals who study characteristics of Christian cults (end-time movements) in history notice a common feature from the kingdom of darkness.  Visions from spirit beings (angels, Jesus, or God) will inaccurately represent Christianity or exaggerate claims to make it seem like they are the only ones who are spiritual and in the light.  Everyone else is in darkness.

For example, in Manhee Lee's book, Creation of Heaven and Earth, he considers pastors and evangelists in Christian circles to be unspiritual and care only about money.  Yet, I have met many missionaries and ministers in poor areas of Latin America who have a genuine love for the Lord Jesus and no interest in materialism or weath.  These claims by Mr. Lee are exaggerated and make it seem that he alone is reliable.

What other cases of exaggeration or misrepresentation do we see in Shincheonji?

Shincheonji, like other Christian cults/end-time groups introduce new concepts about God´s nature, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit.  In doing so, they mock Christians who believe in the Trinity, the special relationship between God the Father, the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit.  They all represent God´s nature but are distinct.  Christian cults deceptively define this relationship incorrectly or they argue that no one really knows how to define it.  The point is that they are the new revealers of God´s nature.  Yet, a misdefinition constitutes a red flag.

As one Christian pointed out, ¨Since Jesus Christ is the head of Christianity and supremely intelligent, he knows the definition Christians have been using for the last 1,500 years.¨ He is not going to use an erroneous definition to convince Christians that it is erroneous.  This would only hurt his cause.  On the contrary, such deception and misrepresentation is a spiritual tactic from the kingdom of darkness.

Imagine you met someone who claimed that American football was an illogical sport, but they re-defined the game to make it look illogical (e.g. that teams have five down or touchdowns count as 10 points).  Most people would not give them much credibility.

Once a leader of a Christian cult in Latin America met up with me to explain their group's teachings.  When he mentioned the Trinity was an unbiblical doctrine, I asked him to define it first.  When he did, he used an inaccurate concept of what Christians believe.  To me, this was a clear sign of a spiritual error.  

What about Shincheonji's position of the Trinity?

When I first started reading articles on Shincheonji´s website, I noticed two publications showing that the Trinity was not a biblical belief.  Naturally, they misdefined what Christians believe and have believed to make the Trinity seem false.  (See the article on this blog about the Trinity.)

I brought this point up to two different SCJ instructors independently, who were not sensitive to this point at all.  Rather, their answers were defensive. They replied that there are so many confusing definitions of the Trinity in Christianity.  (This is actually false.)  Furthermore, in SCJ´s articles, they did not claim that there were so many definitions.  As a matter of fact, they just used one oversimplified concept to disprove it.  

Although some Christians do not perfectly explain (like other teachings), Christian denominations across the board hold the same belief - a belief that comes from serious study of all the passages about Jesus' human and divine nature, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father.  It is really one of the most fundamental teachings in Christian history.  Yet, Shincheonji's two articles use a definition that no Christian community adheres to.

One Christian confessed, ¨If Shincheonji cannot define the Trinity correctly, why would I trust them on other matters, like prophecy.¨  This is the same red flag found in other groups that have spirit-revelations from the invisible world, revelations which re-define Jesus´ identity and make salvation a matter of belief in their teachigns instead of being united to the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Another example of misrepresentation in SCJ deals with the Apostles' Creed.  Shinchonji makes several harsh comments about anyone who uses the Apostles' Creed.

¨Furthermore, because the Apostles' Creed is not found in the Bible and because it is full of lies, no one should recite it. It should be clear from the following passages why no one should recite the Apostles’ Creed.¨(1) 

¨Many cite the Apostles' Creed, which is not according to the Bible.¨(2)  

¨Is this not the same as the situation regarding the Apostles' Creed?  The apostles never wrote the Apostles' Creed. Others created it on their own and forced all Christians to confess it¨ (3). 

¨They should stop reciting the Apostle’s Creed because it contains several false doctrines¨(4)

These statements are ironic because it means that the Jesus presence inside Manhee Lee despises the Apostles' Creed.  Yet, the first Christians who wrote this creed (or statements of belief) did so to refute bizarre ideas from Gnosticism about Christ and the universe.  Every line debunks misconceptions about Jesus, God, and the world.  The real Jesus would know the historical context behind this creed.

One SCJ instructor wrote back and said that the creed is false for two reasons.  First, it mentions Jesus being crucified under Pontius Pilate (when it was really the Jewish authorities).  Second, he also stated that the reference to the ¨catholic church¨ is misleading.  However, both points are easily understood within the historical context (5).  

To Christian thinkers, Shincheonji's remarks of the creed being ¨full of lies¨ are exaggerated and have the same tone found in other apocalyptic movements.  Contrary to what SCJ affirms, the creed is based on elementary ideas in the Christian faith (i.e. God made this universe; Jesus is God's Son, born of a real woman, died a real death in history, resurrected, and will come again to judge the living and the dead).

These points show that the spirit entities behind Manhee Lee are not accurate.  To thinking Christians, SCJ is misrepresenting or exaggerating these issues, signs that the real Jesus would not give.

______________________
(1) ¨Mrs. Kim: Martyr of Shinchonji¨ Shinchonji Website Articles. Accessed June 3rd, 2010.http://han.shinchonji.kr/zh-hans/content/mrs-kim-martyr-shinchonji
(2) ¨Is Shinchonji Church of Jesus really a cult,¨ Website Articles. Accessed June 3rd, 2010.http://han.shinchonji.kr/nl/node/381
(3) ¨Eternal life in the spirit¨ Shinchonji Website Articles. Accessed July 15th, 2010.http://scjpeter.blogspot.com/2009/07/scj-eternal-life-in-spirit-and-in-flesh.html
(4) ¨Stop your evil deeds and repent¨ Audio File. Accessed July 15th, 2010.http://kr.blog.yahoo.com/jasminsh_scj/folder/11.html
(5) Christian leaders affirmed in the creed that Jesus truly died under the Roman ruler, Pontius Pilate.  This was because the Gnostics denied that Jesus died.  Christian leaders were giving historical reasons to believe that he died.  Furthermore, Jn. 19:16 makes this same point about Pontius Pilate.  Lastly, about the catholic church, early Christians were referring to one body of Christ, the catholic/universal church of Christ, as opposed to the Gnostic churches.

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.

Manhee Lee: A Flesh-Spirit Incarnation of Jesus?

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?  

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).

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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

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.

Question for Manhee Lee: Where is the Promise?

Dear reader,

Thanks for taking these points to heart.

In the last two hundred years, many final leaders have given prophecies for themselves in the written word to assure their followers that God has chosen them.  Yet, Christian researchers notice that when final leaders reveal prophecies for themselves, the biblical texts do not say what the leaders affirm.

Let´s look at an example in Shinchonji.

According to Shinchonji's public website, Manhee Lee has received information from an angel (a holy spirit), Jesus, and God.  These spiritual entities, working through Mr. Lee, reveal that the New Testament announces the coming of a final pastor.  To Mr. Lee, this is no exaggeration.

Manhee Lee's coming is just as big as the Messiah's first coming.  He writes, ¨Just as the Old Testament promises Jesus Christ (Jn. 5:39), the New Testament prophesies about this promised pastor¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 82).  ¨The Old Testament testified about one person in Jesus, God's promised pastor.  It is no exaggeration to say that the New Testament testifies about the one pastor Jesus promised¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 337).  ¨It could be said that the New Testament proclaims one pastor promised by Jesus¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 429).

In Manhee Lee's book, he explains that the Bible reveals a series of pastors and chosen people in different time periods, and that there is now a final pastor (Mr. Lee) and a final chosen people (Shinchonji) in the end. Through this final pastor God accomplishes his will in the book of Revelation.

What is the problem with this claim about a promised pastor?

First, a legitimate promise in the written word is one that everyone sees.  Otherwise, it is not a true promise according to the written word (the Bible).  If it were a clear promise, we should expect devoted Christians from the first century on to be talking about this coming, which we do not find in Christian writings.  This means it is a promise only based on Mr. Lee´s authority, not the written word.

Second, Manhee Lee's statement that his coming is prophesied just like Jesus' coming is not accurate.  Jesus' coming in the Old Testament was foretold in a clear way.  Although many of the details were disputed in the first century, no one disputed the Messianic promise itself.  One Talmudic tradition says that the prophets spoke of nothing more important than the days of the Messiah.  Multiple groups independently extracted promises of a Messiah, like the Essenes.  The Aramaic targums (translations of the Old Testament) inserted the Messiah in many texts.  Even the Samaritans believed a Messiah was to come (Jn. 4:25, 42).

Thus, when God's voice wanted his people to believe in an important coming, like the Messiah's coming, he used clear and unambiguous language.  Applied to Manhee Lee's statement above, if there is a similar promise from God in the New Testament for a pastor, it should be equally obvious, but it´s not.

Thirdly, when we evaluate the verses used by Shinchonji for a final pastor, they are based on circular interpretation.  That is, they are real prophecies only to Shinchonji.  Let´s look at a few examples.

  

Manhee Lee teaches that the phrase ¨the one who overcomes¨ in Rev. 2,3 refers primarily to one individual/Mr. Lee (and, in a secondary sense, to those who overcome in Shinchonji).  But, according to the testimony of the written word, it is the exact opposite.  The primary meaning refers to all those who overcome in the churches (Rev. 2:24, 3:4), not just one individual.

An unbiased reading, confirmed by Christian communities everywhere, reveals that no one sees this as a clear prophecy for one individual.  It is supposedly a secretive prediction only clear to the leader, which makes it based on his authority.  The same is true for other prophecy texts.

According to Mr. Lee, the promise of the Counselor in Jn. 14,16 refers to a final flesh (pastor).  But, this is only so because he re-defines the Counselor to include two aspects - the Spirit and another ¨flesh¨ through whom the Spirit of the Counselor works.  Further, it is not an example of a clear prophecy.  On the contrary, evidence in the text and in Acts dispels the teaching of the Counselor working through only one flesh.

Other examples can also be cited in Revelation.  However, these are only clear promises to Mr. Lee, not any other Christian community.  Again, apocalyptic leaders cite hidden prophecies for themselves based on their authority, but it needs to be shown that God in his written word has made these prophecies known. 

To justify hidden or secretive prophecies in Revelation, Manhee Lee quotes Hosea 12:10 to show that that the Apostle John in Revelation refers to a promised pastor, a new Apostle John who must appear in the future.  According to one source, in the Korean translation of Hosea 12:10, it states that ¨prophets can be used figuratively,¨ but this does not constitute a specific prophecy.

A specific promise according to the Bible is one that the voice in the written record makes known to others independently, like in the writings of the Hebrew prophets announcing the Messiah's coming.  If the written word does not make this clear, the real source of authority is the leader's revelation (from heavenly entities), which other end-time leaders have used to reveal prophecies for their coming.

Imagine a U.S. judge declaring that ¨something is clear according to the U.S. Constitution¨.  This would mean that other judges could open the Constitution and find it there.  It would be suspicious if it were only clear to this particular judge and no other judge could confirm its clarity.  It would make everything based on this judge's interpretation/perspective of the Constitution, but not the Constitution's self-revelation.

The same is true in God's Word.  One Christian lady said that after looking up Bible verses given to her of a final pastor, she was more convinced that God had not made this promise in the Bible.  According to the written word, God's voice led her in the opposite direction.

One Shinchonji instructor replied that perhaps God planned to hide this promise (i.e. seal it) from Christians.  But, this creates more problems than it answers.  First, it would make Manhee Lee's promise different than the promise of a Messiah in the Old Testament, which goes against Mr. Lee's statement above.  Second, if God truly asks believers to follow a final pastor, it would be strange to hide this promise in his written testimony and then expect everyone to believe a promise that is not clearly revealed in the Bible.

Even though the written word gives many clear prophecies about the end, Christians have never seen a clear promise to follow a world pastor who embodies Jesus' spiritual return.  Jesus' first sign of the end is a warning to stay away from leaders who come in his name and embody his expected return (Lk. 21:8, Mt. 24:4,5).  See article on Manhee Lee's claim to be the flesh-spirit union with Jesus' returning spirit.

Questions for reflection.  

In Latin America, there is a group that believes that their first leader was the new Aaron of the Christian world.  Are there any clear prophecies for a new Aaron in the Bible?  Should followers of Christ believe a promise that only a final leader makes clear to their group?     

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.

Rom. 2:28,29: Shincheonji´s Error.

Dear reader,

Centuries after the apostles died, some church leaders began to teach that the Catholic Church (i.e. the Christian Church) at the time was the new Israel. 

Church leaders wanted to unite the Christian Church with the Roman government - and create the true Israel/true kingdom of God on earth.  They referred to themselves as spiritual Israel.  During the Reformation, Calvin and other reformers followed this tradition (1). They spiritualized texts about national Israel to refer to Christians.  

What is the problem with this tradition?

The message in the New Testament is that Jews become spiritual Jews and Gentiles become spiritual Gentiles.  This is evidenced by the way the apostles continued to distinguish between Jews and Gentiles and between the church (all Christians) and the nation of Israel.

1. Spiritual Jews - Physical descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel, true Jews who believe in the Messiah, a remnant, circumcision of the heart, the first followers of Christianity. 

2. Non-spiritual Jews - Physical descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel, those who do not believe in the Messiah.

3. Spiritual Gentiles - Physical descendants of other nations, those who worship the true God and believe in the Messiah.
4. Non-spiritual Gentiles - Physical descendants of other nations, pagans, those who do not love God or believe in the Messiah.

5. The church - Jews and Gentiles who follow Christ, the head of the church. Both constitute the body of Christ and are spiritually one in Christ. 

6. Israel - All descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel, including both spiritual and non-spiritual Jews.

Church leaders of the spiritual-Israel tradition misapplied verses from Galatians and Romans to support the idea that physical Israel was fully rejected and Christians were the new, spiritual Israel.  This is significant because Shinchonji has the same concept.

Where does God's Word reveal that Christians are the new spiritual Israel?  Authorities in this tradition used Romans 2:28,29 to show that Christians are spiritual Jews.

When we carefully look at the situation in Romans 2:17-29, however, Paul is referring to Jews.  He is distinguishing between two kinds of Jews - spiritual and non-spiritual Jews.  The audience is Jews, not Gentiles. ¨Now, you who call yourself a Jew¨(Rom. 2:17). Paul's point is that true Jews are circumcised on the inside, not just the outside.

Even though Manhee Lee supports the Spiritual Israel concept, in one of his books, he mentions in passing that there were two kinds of Jews in physical Israel.  Notice he cites Rom. 2:28,29.  ¨In Physical Israel there were inward Jews and outward Jews (Rom. 2:28,29)¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 102).  

What about Gentile followers of Jesus? 

In the first century, it was decided that the Gentile followers of Christ did not have to become Jews.  They could remain Gentiles and still be followers of Jesus.  However, they were not labeled ¨spiritual Jews¨.  In Ac. 15:23, they are called ¨Gentile believers¨.

In Romans 11, Paul refers to Gentile believers as ¨wild olive branches¨ (Rom. 11:11-24), not spiritual Jews.  When Paul rebuked Peter for withdrawing from Gentile believers in Antioch, he did not tell Peter that Gentiles were now spiritual Jews. Rather, he taught that both Jews and Gentiles are justified before a holy God in the same way (Gal. 2:11-21).

In summary, a Jew who is a follower of Jesus becomes a spiritual Jew. A Gentile who follows the Lord becomes a spiritual Gentile. They are both spiritually renewed on the inside and one in Christ, but they do not change their ethnicity.  God's purpose is to create a new kind of human from both Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:15,16).  

Secondly, in Romans 11, Paul teaches that physical Israel would be hardened until the fullness of the Gentile believers came into the Messiah's movement.  Then something would happen to physical Israel (Rom. 11:25-28).  Paul reminds the Christian world that God would fully restore Israel, not reject them.  See other articles on a full restoration.

¨Has God rejected Israel?  By no means!¨ (Rom. 11:1).

--------------

Appendix: Question/Answers.

Question: What about Paul's reference to the ¨children of Abraham¨ in Rom. 9:8? Is he saying that the children of the promise (i.e. Gentiles) are Abraham's children?

Paul is referring to children (elected ones) whom God chose for his purposes. The topic is about election for God's purposes. In verse six, Paul writes that not all of the descendants of Abraham were children of the promise (election). Ishmael, for example, was a physical offspring but not through God's promise. God made a promise to Abraham to give him a child and through this child the greater promise of a nation for God's purposes (and the coming Messiah) would be realized. Verse nine talks about the promised child. Paul makes a similar point related to Jacob and Esau, that Jacob would be elected for God's purposes, not his brother. In this context, verse eight is found, which says that not all the natural descendants of Abraham are considered ¨children of God¨ (or ¨children of election or the promise¨). These children do not refer to Gentiles, but to those descendants whom God adopted for his purposes (see ¨adoption¨ in v. 4). The main point is related to election for God's purposes and God using individuals and nations to that end. The context is not about spiritual Gentiles. 

 Question: What about Paul's reference in Gal. 3:7 that those who believe are ¨children of Abraham¨? Is he telling the Gentiles that they are true children of Abraham?

Gentiles, by definition, are not physical descendants of Abraham. However, we can be considered spiritual offspring by having the same faith as Abraham. Paul's point is that Gentiles, when they exercise their faith in Christ, imitate Abraham, the spiritual father of the Jews. Just like Abraham was justified by his faith and it was credited to him as righteousness, Gentiles can be as well (v. 8). The faith of the Gentiles in Abraham's seed (the promised Messiah) makes them heirs too. But, Paul is not telling Gentiles that they become physical offspring of Abraham just like a spiritual woman does not become a spiritual male when she believes. Although we become spiritually related to Abraham as spiritual Gentiles, we still do not change our ethnicity and become spiritual Jews.  

Question: Does Jesus say that the kingdom would be taken away from Israel in Mt. 21:43?

In this parable, Jesus says that the kingdom would be snatched from the Pharisees (see v. 45), which indeed happened. Although some later believed, most of the rabbis and Pharisees did not. They later met after the destruction of Jerusalem and created what is known as Orthodox Judaism. Orthodox Judaism is based on the Talmuds and not the teachings of Jesus, the Messiah. In this sense, the kingdom has been taken away from them. However, God's election of Israel cannot be revoked, according to Paul (Rom. 11:29). There will come a time when the ¨time of the Gentiles¨ is over. Paul explains that Israel's temporal hardening will then be over (Rom. 11:25).

Question: What about Galations 3:28 where Paul says that there is no longer Jew nor Gentile? Doesn't this mean that there is no spiritual distinction between the groups?

Yes, we are all spiritually one in Christ. However, the physical and ethnic distinctions still remain. A spiritual male in Christ remains a male, not a spiritual woman. The ¨oneness¨ is spiritual and makes no believer spiritually superior to others. However, this does not eliminate the physical, national, or social distinctions of a person. A Mexican who believes in Christ does not become a spiritual American or Jew. Likewise, a Gentile who believes in Christ becomes a spiritual Gentile, not a spiritual Jew.

(1) ¨Combating Replacement Theology¨ Accessed January 11, 2014. http://shema.com/category/important-articles/combating-replacement-theology/

Is Physical Israel Rejected or Restored?

Dear reader,

When supernatural entities (angels, the Spirit of prophecy, Jesus, or God) give a revelation to a final prophet, it is important to test it with the voice in the written word.  In Christian thinking, God's voice in the written word is superior to revelation voices to final prophets.  

Let's look at a case with Israel's role in the end-times.  

In Manhee Lee's book, he writes, "While in the time of the Old Testament, the people of physical Israel that arose from Abraham were God's chosen people, in the time of the New Testament, the people of spiritual Israel that believed in Jesus were God's chosen people.  By refusing to accept Jesus at the first coming, the people of physical Israel disqualified themselves from remaining God's chosen people" (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 12).

In Shinchonji's revealed word, God first creates physical Israel (national Israel), then Spiritual Israel (the Christian church), and then new Spiritual Israel (Shinchonji).  For this model to be accurate, the written word needs to show that God is finished with physical Israel.  According to Shinchonji's revelation, God has fully rejected physical Israel, but does God's voice in the written testimony affirm this?

When Christians let the voice in the written word be the final authority, we discover a secret: God's plan is to fully restore Israel in the end.  This secret is described in one verse in the New Testament.  After thinking about the Jews who had not accepted Jesus as the Christ/Messiah, Paul asks the question, ¨Has God rejected the Jews?¨  The answer in God's Word is no (Rom. 11:1).

"I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel?  Of course not!" (Rom. 11:1, NLT).

"I ask then: Did God reject his people?  By no means!" (Rom. 11:1, NIV).  

Why would Paul say this if physical Israel had rejected the Messiah?  Wasn´t God finished with Israel?

At the end, almost everyone rejected the Messiah - even his close friends abandoned him.  Through Isaiah, God predicted that the Messiah would be rejected.  ¨He was despised and rejected...¨(Is. 53:3).  In Israel's history, they closed their ears to God's Spirit in the prophets (Ac. 7:51).  This is why God spoke of divorcing Israel and punishing her before the Babylonian exile.  However, the prophets before, during, and after the exile also prophesied a final time of God restoring Israel (Ezek. 34, 36, 37, Jer. 30-33, Zech. 8, Is. 11,12, etc.).

Even after Israel rejected the Messiah and were enemies to the Gospel, Paul reveals that Israel will not be hardened forever (Rom. 11:25).  God still loves them because of the patriarchs (Rom. 11:28).  ¨Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn¨ (Rom. 11:28,29, NLT).

Even though Israel was in a state of unbelief, Paul reveals that God's purpose will be revealed in her.  His call for Israel will not be withdrawn.  The Lord Jesus said that the Jews would play a role in his return when he affirmed that they would see him again and bless his return (Lk. 13:35).  Through the prophets, God declared that there would be a final return at the end of time when the Jews would be united under the Messiah and be spiritually renewed (Hos. 3:5, Ez. 34:22-31, Ez. 37:22-24, Rom. 11:26).

"Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king.  They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days" (Hos. 3:5).

As mentioned above, in Rom. 11:1, Paul reminds the readers that God has not rejected physical Israel. They have experienced a hardening for a time (and, there is a remnant in the meantime) until the full number of Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25).  "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited.  Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ´The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob" (Rom. 11:25,26).

Paul refers to a future time when God will turn godlessness away from Jacob.  Some people try to spiritualize Israel in this passage (referring to spiritual Jews or Christians), but this does not work.  In Rom. 11:28, Paul says that they are enemies of the Gospel, which referred to national Israel, not Christians or believing Jews.

In Romans 11, God's voice reveals a secret: National Israel has been hardened for a time (11:25), but not forever.  This is true.  Israel has been hardened for a long time.  However, the written testimony explains that God's final restoration of Israel will bring life to the world.  "But if the rest of the world's people were helped so much by Israel's sin and loss, they will be helped even more by their full return.  When Israel rejected God, the rest of the people in the world were able to turn to him.  So when God makes friends with Israel, it will be like bringing the dead back to life" (Rom. 11:12,15, CEV).

This harmonizes with the prophets who spoke of a final restoration of Israel (i.e. spiritual cleansing, unity under the Messiah, peace on earth, Jerusalem's prominence, and a return to the land) after a long exile into the nations (see themes on the restoration period in the minor and major prophets).  God plans to be glorified through Israel in the end.  When the Messiah returns, he will fulfill all the promises of this restoration. The Lord Jesus said that Israel's future kingdom/restoration was in the Father's hands (Ac. 1:6). When Christ returns from heaven, he will fulfill all the words the prophets said about a final restoration (Acts 3:21).

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Question: Does Israel mean the "one who overcomes" like Manhee Lee's title of the "one who overcomes"?

No, the meaning of Israel is ¨the one who strives with God.¨ Although Jacob overcame, God did not change his name to ¨one who overcame¨ God, but rather one who strived with God.  This accurately reflects the story of Jacob and the Israelites throughout their history.  They have strived with God's plans and opposed God's messengers.  

Question: Does the Lord Jesus say that the kingdom would be taken away from Israel in Mt. 21:43?

In this parable, Jesus says that the kingdom would be snatched from the leaders (see Mt. 21:45), not that God would reject his people.  Jesus' words came true since the rabbis and Pharisees no longer became the possessors of God's truths.  They became the founders of Orthodox Judaism.  Mt. 21:43 does not teach that God fully rejected Israel since their election and calling are irrevocable (Rom. 11:28,29).  In the end, God prophesies that they will return to him after the full number of Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25).

(1) For more information on Israel, http://realmessiah.com/read/has-god-forsaken-his-people or http://realmessiah.askdrbrown.org/watch/and-all-israel-shall-be-saved