Listen to Podcasts Evaluating Shincheonji/Shinchonji.

Three family members took the time to create the podcasts below (please scroll down).  Here are a few comments to add to what they point out.

1. Podcasts: The Doctrine Devoid of Repentance/God´s Holiness and Justice.

They mention how end-time groups focus heavily on prophetic knowledge and de-emphasize repentance and the solution humans need - Jesus' remedy for sins in our place.  This is the focus in the New Testament revelation - the importance of being ¨united to Christ¨ and ¨having the Son¨.  Although Manhee Lee's two books in English acknowledge that Jesus died for our sins, the real emphasis is on the ¨revealed knowledge/word¨ as the final requirement for salvation (See pages 328-333 in ¨Creation of Heaven and Earth¨).

¨Those who receive the word of revelation from the new Apostle John, believe it, and obey are freed from their sins¨ (The Truth Regarding Revelation's Fulfillment, p. 5).  ¨No one attains salvation simply by claiming to have been saved or to be orthodox....Only those who believe in and keep the revelation of the New Testament will go to heaven¨ (The Truth Regarding Revelation´s Fulfillment, pp. 57, 94).

2. Podcast: Shincheonji's Fruit of Deception.

They mention how Shinchonji uses and justifies deception. Most followers of Christ (and even non-Christians) see this as a bad testimony.  

3. Podcast: A Different Jesus.

Throughout the history of Christianity, revelations from the spirit world have been giving end-time prophets a different definition of Jesus Christ, God, or the Holy Spirit.  Instead of letting the written word correct spirit-guided revelations, end-time leaders use spirit-guided revelations to correct what Christians throughout the centuries have seen in the written word.

Here are the broadcasts.

      

The Gospel: Being Saved at the End.

Dear reader,

The Gospel (from the old English Godspell or Good News) is the heart and light of the New Testament revelation from Christ. 

¨I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.¨ Is. 49:6 (cf. Lk. 2:32).

As we write, people in different countries are reading about the message of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, a communion with Christ, and God's promise of a new world to come. All kinds of people - plumbers, grandparents, teenagers, farmers, scholars - are experiencing the power behind this message.  Jesus, the light of the world, continues to touch lives in our times.

¨It (the Good News) is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes.¨ Rom. 1:16.

Think about people who come to know this new life and the joy they experience. To paraphrase a friend, ¨The conversion of a sinner is the most exciting miracle of all.¨ Heb. 2:3 calls this ¨a great salvation¨.  Jesus himself said that there is great rejoicing in heaven (Lk. 15).

What happens when a person believes this message about the Lord Jesus? According to the written word, they are included ¨in Christ¨ and are sealed with the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul writes, ¨And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit¨ (Eph. 1:13).

The Lord Jesus explained that this Gospel – God's power unto salvation - would be preached to all the nations even up to the end times (Mt. 24:14).  The apostle Paul ordered disciples to persevere in the Gospel (I Cor. 15:1-3). So, we are exhorted to be faithful and proclaim this Gospel until the end.

Why is this point important?  It is significant because spiritual entities (angels, Jesus, God) have been giving revelations to final prophets around the world that de-emphasize this message and replace it with a ¨new¨ gospel (a revelation-knowledge of end-time events).  They do not deny the Gospel completely, but they replace it with a new one - the leader's revelation-knowledge.

Apocalyptic leaders focus so much on their revelation knowledge that the original Gospel is not emphasized. All their energy is spent spreading the group's new Gospel to the world.  Their studies center on the leader's revelation and even proclaim that no one in Christianity can be saved from their sins without it.

In Manhee Lee's book, The Truth Regarding Revelation's Fulfillment, he writes, ¨Those who receive the word of revelation from the new Apostle John, believe it, and obey are freed from their sins¨ (p. 5).  ¨Only those who receive the revelation from the new Apostle John are permitted to know Jesus, know the fulfillment, and attain eternal life¨ (p. 29).  

Why is this a problem?

First, the revelation in the New Testament from Christ teaches that no messenger or angel can change or modify the original Gospel (Gal. 1:6-9).  This means that spirits (angels, Jesus, or God) with revelations that make themselves necessary for salvation are in error.  

Apocalyptic leaders reply that they are like Noah in the last days and their revelation-knowledge is the ark. But, the only ark in the New Testament is ¨Christ Jesus¨ and we are supposed to be in him.  Col. 3:3 states, ¨For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.¨

Second, knowledge about how Jesus returns to earth does not free people from their sins.  In the Christian revelation, redemption/salvation is related to sin in one's life and sin in the world.  The remedy is repentance before God and relying on Christ Jesus' work on the cross (i.e. his promise to pay for our sins).  Final, world redemption is about sin's presence being destroyed from this world through Christ.  Personal redemption is being freed from sin's penalty before God.

Repentance and belief in Christ are the two central pillars of individual-salvation throughout the whole New Testament revelation (Mk. 1:14,15, Lk. 13:3,5, Ac. 17:30, Jn. 3:16,17, Ac. 16:29-31, Rom. 10:9,10).  If someone in Shinchonji appears before God in the end, what will be the remedy/saving tool for their personal sins - being sealed by SCJ's revelation or trusting in Christ's death/blood for their sins?

God's voice in Revelation speaks of Christ's death/blood, which redeems mankind on earth (e.g. Rev. 5:9).  Those who overcome in the end do so through the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14, Rev. 12:11).

In the written word, the blood of Christ refers to his salvation work for our sins, not revelation-knowledge about the end.  Rev. 1:5 reads, ¨To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.¨  ¨Since we have now been justified through his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him?¨ (Rom. 5:10).  ¨In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins¨ (Eph. 1:7a).  
    
In summary, when spirit entities (angels, Jesus, or God) appear to a final prophet and proclaim that God requires believers to know their revelation to be saved, it is a different voice than the one in the written word.

The 144,000 in Rev. 7: Literal or Figurative?

Dear reader,

One of the common problems in apocalyptic groups is that the leader becomes the final authority, not God's Word.  The leader is viewed as Jesus' mouthpiece on earth and his words/interpretations of the Bible are treated as God's Word (inspired commentaries/explanations).  But, in Christian thinking, only the written word (2 Tim. 3:16) is the purest standard and it should be used to correct leaders, not the other way around (i.e. allow leaders to correct or modify meanings in the Bible).

In Shinchonji, Manhee Lee's explanations often go beyond the written word itself.  Although Mr. Lee and other apocalyptic leaders may have the highest sincerity, it's important to notice how they become the authority over God's Word.  An example of this is the 144,000 in Rev. 7.  In Manhee Lee's book, Creation of Heaven and Earth, he teaches that the 144,000 constitute a prophecy for those who unite to Shinchonji.

To understand this, Manhee Lee believes that God originally chose a church in South Korea, called the Church of the Seven Lampstands, and gave them his words.  Because they betrayed Jesus' words (and refused to repent) in Rev. 2, 3, the destroyers (the beast/Nicolaitans) invaded their congregation/temple.  The one who overcomes the invaders was Mr. Lee with his message (revealed word).  He creates a new people, Shinchonji, and the new Spiritual Israel.  Those who learn the revealed word about the events in Revelation (and their physical fulfillment) become the sealed 144,000 (and later the great multitude in white).

¨After judging his chosen people and bringing them to an end, God creates a new chosen people.  He establishes New Spiritual Israel with the 144,000 who are sealed and with the great multitude dressed in white robes¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 195).

What is the problem with Manhee Lee's explanation?

First, as we have mentioned before, there is a problem with Mr. Lee's perception of the Church of the Seven Lampstands in South Korea.  It was an apocalyptic group started by Jae Yul Yoo, who had been in previous end-time movements.  See article on Mr. Lee's history before Shinchonji.

Second, Manhee Lee's explanation goes beyond the written text.  In God's written word, the 144,000 members are Jews (from the tribes of Israel).  ¨Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,00 from all the tribes of Israel¨ (Rev. 7:4).  The written word speaks of the real tribes of Israel, which is in harmony with many of the prophecies outside of Revelation regarding Israel's final restoration.  See other articles on this point.

Manhee Lee explains the tribes in a spiritual, figurative sense, but the written text does not give this explanation. It is based on Mr. Lee's authority, which goes beyond what the written word in Rev. 7 says on its own.

Third, Manhee Lee's explanation of the 144,000 falls prey to the Watchtower Society error.  The Watchtower Society interprets the 144,000 literally and the reference to the tribes figuratively.  It is inconsistent.  If the 144,000 is literal, the Jews/tribes should be literal.  If the Jews/tribes are figurative, the 144,00 should be figurative.  It is based on what the leader decides, but not the text.

Fourth, if the numbers are literal in Revelation, it should be consistent.  However, the number of seven churches in Rev. 1:20 and in chapters 2,3 is not literal.  Manhee Lee teaches that the seven churches in Rev. 1:20 refer figuratively to Jae Yul Yoo's church of the Seven Lampstands.  One Shinchonji instructor wrote and claimed that Mr. Yoo's church fulfilled Rev. 1:20.  

In the written word, we read of seven distinct churches. ¨...The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches¨ (Rev. 1:20).  The seven churches in Rev. 2,3 are different; each one is praised and rebuked for distinct reasons.  But, based on Manhee Lee's perceived authority, the seven churches figuratively refer to one church movement.  So, the number seven (7) is not seen as literal.

Manhee Lee writes, ¨The events of Revelation take place in the seven churches of Asia Minor, which represent the church of the seven golden lampstands.  This is the first mystery of Revelation (Rev. 1:20)¨ (The Truth Regarding Revelation's Fulfillment, pp. 4,5).

Manhee Lee also believes that the reference to the ¨east¨ in Rev. 7 refers to South Korea.  In his explanation, he says this is so because he is the new Apostle John and this is what he saw.  Again, this comes from his own authority.  Notice his explanation:  ¨The east in Rv 7 is the east from the viewpoint of heaven (Rv 4), and it is where the events of Revelation are fulfilled.  This is Mt. Zion where the 144,00 are sealed with God's seal (Rv 14:1-3).  There is no rule excluding Korea from being the place where the sun rises.  Apostle John (Mr. Lee), who was called up to the spiritual heaven, knows where the east is since he saw it from heaven¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 194).
Lastly, in the written word, when God seals the 144,000 in Rev. 7, it is because they were already ¨servants of God.¨  God knows who his servants are (1 Tim. 2:19) and does not need to make servants by teaching them a revealed word.  Mr. Lee interprets the sealing as learning the revealed word in Shinchonji.  But, if God wants to seal 144,000 servants, he has the power to do so in a moment.  

Manhee Lee's explanation of the 144,000, although we believe he is sincere, is seen to be based on circular authority.  He is the one who interprets himself as the Apostle John who then gives the figurative meanings based on his authority (not consistently in the written word) and makes connections in God's Word in the same way.