Why are SCJ Interpretations so Different?

Dear reader, 

If you are a Christian and have conversed with end-time groups, you may have asked yourself, ¨How in the world did they get that interpretation from this verse or that word?¨ It seems spiritually bizarre and puzzling.

Some people feel conversations with end-time groups are pointless because Christians show them one set of verses while members of these groups retaliate with other verses (or even use the same ones with different interpretations).  For example, Shincheonji interprets those ¨in the light¨ in I Thess. 5:1-8 to refer to SCJ members with the revealed word, whereas Christians view this as all believers in Christ Jesus.

The reality is that Christians and followers of end-time movements use different ¨glasses¨ (or approaches) to explain meanings in the Bible.  This leads to some important questions about biblical interpretation.

What method should Christians use to interpret the Scriptures?  What approach do final prophets or end-time groups use?  Why are interpretations so different?

There are two methods that have been historically unsafe and dangerous. Even though these approaches claim to possess divine help and guidance, they are based more on human authority.  Below is a brief description and analysis of them.

1. Group-Guided Approach.

This method is based on the notion that God guides a specific group of leaders to explain meanings and concepts of the Christian faith.  The Watchtower Society or the Catholic Magisterium are primary examples.  Leaders of these groups emphasize that God´s Spirit gives them interpretative authority, which is why Christians need them.

One result of this approach is that it forces Christians to depend more on human leaders as opposed to seeking God and relying on his help. In addition, leaders end up developing spiritual traditions, teachings, or rules that go beyond what is written.  Many of these traditions become the central focus of the group and are even elevated above the simple message of Christ.

Lastly, because these leaders consider themselves interpreters by divine appointment, they become the real authority above the Bible.  Moreover, they do not humbly receive correction from the Bible by devoted Christians outside their group.

2.  Prophet-Revealer Approach.

This method is based on the belief that God appoints a prophet to be Jesus´ final spokesperson on earth in the end.  Through visions, dreams, and revelations, this prophet brings new knowledge regarding Jesus´ second coming and salvation. They believe they are filled with God´s power and Spirit, much like the prophets in the Old Testament.

Members in end-time groups are taught to put aside previous concepts about God and the Bible as they learn new information from the prophet.  Their leader offers interpretations that ¨makes sense¨ of mysterious or unfulfilled prophecies.  The prophet´s authority is also magnified because they insist all other Christians are spiritually blind and in darkness.
 
What serious problems emerge with this method?

First, Jesus Christ cautions all Christians to stay away from final prophets who take his place and assume his authority in the end (Mt. 24:4,5, Lk. 21:8).  This is a common sign of error in all end-time groups.

Even so, prophets in end-time groups assert God has sent them as a final prophet. They point to ¨revealed¨ prophecies in the Bible foretelling their coming and authority.  One example in SCJ is the idea that the Bible has promises of a final pastor in the end. Yet, it is suspicious when only the prophet sees certain texts as prophecies and the language (and context) from the Scriptures communicates something else.

Unbeknownst to them, members subtly believe a prophecy based more on human authority than the Bible.

This leads to a second problem - too much interpretative authority in the hands of one person.  Interestingly enough, a prophet offers new light about Bible verses, words, Scripture connections, figurative meanings, prophecies, etc., almost entirely based on an, ¨I say so authority.¨  For instance, Manhee Lee says that the interpretation of ¨east¨ in Rev. 7 refers to Korea because he ¨knows where the east is¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 194), but not based on the Scriptures.

As members become more and more involved in their organization, the danger is that the prophet´s interpretations are viewed as more inspired than the Bible itself.  Thus, any Bible verse or explanation which contradicts their prophet must be in error, especially from Christians outside their group.

Lastly, something is spiritually amiss when a final prophet is said to be filled with God´s Spirit, yet modifies Jesus´ identity and the clear message of salvation through Christ.  They make ¨prophetic knowledge¨ about the Bible a requirement for eternal life instead of being united to Christ Jesus.
  
3. The Christian Model: Holy Spirit and Bible-Method.

This is the safest and most efficient way to interpret the Scriptures.  As Peter said, ¨His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him¨ (2 Pet. 1:3).

As we give our lives to Jesus Christ, believers can rely on God's presence to help them understand the important truths from God (i.e. everything we need for life and godly living).  Regardless of one´s church or denomination, the important truths can be known and experienced by all believers.  The Scriptures preserve and communicate God´s redemptive message in Christ (2 Tim. 3:16) to all those who sincerely seek him.

Thus, the biggest and most important spiritual truths can be understood without an authoritative leader or group (1 Jn. 2:27, Ps. 119:97-104).  In Christian thinking, the clear language in the Bible is superior to a final prophet´s explanations, not the other way around.

In closing, understanding that Shincheonji uses a prophet-interpretation method explains why their interpretations are so innovative and puzzling.  This is why Christians and SCJ members can have Bible discussions and be talking past each other.  They are using two different methods to interpret the Bible.

Is Genesis 1-3 a Concealed Prophecy for a Pastor?

Dear reader,

Many end-time leaders teach they are the final interpreters or prophets of the Christian faith due to a revelation given to them by heavenly creatures or Jesus Christ himself.  It is an extremely powerful spiritual assertion.  At the same time, Christ and the apostles give many warnings of deception from final leaders (Lk. 21:8, I John 4:1, Mt. 24:24, I Tim. 4:1).   
  

In Shincheonji, Manhee Lee claims to have received a revelation or revealed word from divine beings about the meaning and physical fulfillment of the Bible´s last prophecies.  

Manhee Lee holds that he is the final pastor in a long line of chosen pastors.  

To support this teaching, he uses Adam as the first chosen pastor.  Thus, Genesis 1-3 becomes a figurative account of how God chooses his first pastor.  ¨Thus, understanding Genesis 1 literally and thinking that it records the creation of the natural world raises many contradictions.  The order of creation is recorded figuratively to hide the secret of the creation of God's world from the evil one¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 33).

The following description is a condensed version of Manhee Lee's explanation of a pastor in the beginning (Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 33-51).  Notice the figurative meanings.

1^st Day – God is looking for a light, which represents a pastor.  Jesus, a chosen pastor, also claimed to be a light (Jn. 12:46, Jn. 8:12).

2^nd Day – God creates the expanse/sky, which represents the tabernacle/heaven of the chosen people.  The sun, moon, and stars are part of the expanse/sky, which refer to Jacob and the chosen people in the Bible (Gen. 37:9,10).  Water represents the ¨revealed word¨ from the pastor (Dt. 32:1,2, Am. 8:11).  The water above is the revealed word and the water below is lies. 

3^rd Day – The land that appears refers figuratively to the chosen people and their tabernacle.  Both the tabernacle/sky and the land refer to the chosen people.  ¨The dry land that appears on the third day and the heaven created on the second day both refer to God´s tabernacle¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, p. 39).  The vegetation, plants, and trees refer to believers (Is. 40:6-8, Dt. 32:2). 

4^th Day – The great light of this day is the chosen pastor.  The moon represents evangelists in the position of a mother.  The many stars are believers in the position of children, but they have different levels of glory (I Cor. 15:41).  They are given authority to rule over the world.

5^th Day – The water represents God´s word (Am. 8:11), the fish represent believers (Hb 1:14, Mt. 4:18-22; Mt. 13:47-50), and the birds represent the spirits that belong to God.  On the fifth day the holy spirit comes as a bird to carry out its work.  Filling the earth means that people are evangelized. 

6^th Day – The cattle, creeping things, and wild animals represent the four beasts in Rev. 4:6,7.  The four living creatures of the spiritual world are heaven´s army.  On this day an organization, like the four living creatures in the spiritual world, is created on earth.  This is what Moses did when he built the tabernacle on earth (Ex. 25:8,9). 

On page 47 of his book, he concludes, ¨Once again, the creation account of Gn. 1 is a spiritual re-creation, stated in the terms of a physical creation.  This creation is not limited to a specific generation.  It is repeated over and over until all of Revelation is fulfilled.  This process of creating heaven and earth takes six thousand years, which is likened unto six days.  The re-creation of heaven and earth in Gn 1 is completed six thousand years later in Rv 21 (Rv. 21:6).¨       

Is this revelation the true explanation of Genesis chapters 1-3?  Why doubt it?

First, although many Christian thinkers have used figurative meanings for Genesis in the past, this explanation seems far-fetched and beyond the simple meanings given.     

The verses used in support of his figurative meanings are disconnected and forced.  For example, Jesus said his disciples would be fishers of men, but this does not mean that ¨fish¨ refer figuratively to men in Genesis.  In context, Jesus used this analogy for fishermen to help them understand deeper spiritual truths, as with other parables (Mt. 13:47-50).  Another misapplication is connecting the metaphor of beasts (those who lack knowledge in Prov. 30:2,3) to beasts and animals in Genesis. 

These examples bring to light a central problem.  (See the article on SCJ Interpretations.)  The authority for making these connections is subtly based on ¨I say so¨ or ¨My revelation makes it so¨ authority (followed by Scripture connections or spiritual reasoning), but not based on the Scriptures themselves.  When a final prophet is the one who makes these interpretations, it is subjective revelation, not proof-supported or objective.    

Another problem is that Manhee Lee´s figurative explanations and arguments against a literal interpretation (i.e. millions of years of life on earth, the appearance of Cain´s wife, Cain´s fear of being killed by other people, and the appearance of light on the fourth day) end up creading more spiritual problems than answers.

For example, he claims that Adam was not the first real physical man.  Adam was only the first man to receive God´s word (i.e. the first chosen pastor).  Mr. Lee states that other beasts (men without God´s word) existed before Adam.  Adam even had parents.

¨Second, the Bible implies that Adam had parents.  God told Adam to leave his parents and unite with his wife (Gen. 2:24).  If Adam really was the first human God created, how could he have had parents? Clearly, Adam was not the first human.  Although there were people living before Adam, because God gave Adam the breath of life that makes him a living being, God decided that Adam was the first ¨man.¨  Anyone with a physical body that lacks God´s breath of life is a mere lump of earth…The fact that no man had yet been created in this passage means God had not yet chosen a pastor…There were many people before Adam, but because they did not know God and they did not have God´s word, they were considered beasts.¨ (Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 58, 59, 61).

This means God created people at the beginning of time, before Adam appeared, who did not have his words.  This creates spiritual problems.  Why would the first humans not have God´s words?  How long did these humans exist without God´s Word?  These and more questions complicate things with his figurative explanation (1).  

Using figurative language to make Genesis 1-3 about a chosen pastor is a way to validate Mr. Lee´s claim about himself - the need for a final chosen pastor in Revelation.  This is not new. Many apocalyptic leaders interpret symbols or words to self-validate their group or authority. (Joseph Smith said that the ¨stick¨ in Ez. 37:15-17 was a figurative symbol for the Mormon revelation.)  But, this is circular since the ¨revealer-prophet¨ is the one who reveals these meanings instead of the written word.   

Another problem with this figurative explanation is that Manhee Lee makes Gen. 1-3 a spiritual parable about the creation of a pastor instead of a real account of God's glory and power in creating a physical world from nothing.  Shincheonji changes the story and focus.

The message God reveals is that the human race needs a savior to restore a broken creation and bring humans back into a perfect and beautiful relationship with God.  It is a promise and blessing repeated in Gen. 12 that finds its answers in the Messiah, not a final pastor who is not the Messiah.  Even early Jewish sources recognized the importance of the Messianic promise after the creation account (2).

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(1) An unbiased reading of the Scriptures state that Adam was the first man to be alive, not receive God´s words.  ¨Thus, it is written, ´The first man, Adam, became a living being´¨ (I Cor. 15:45).  Before Adam, there were no other men.  This is why he is called the first. 

(2) ¨The Palestinian Targum testifies that in Gen. iii.15 there is promised a healing of the bite in the heel from the serpent, which is to take place "at the end of the days, in the days of the King Messiah." In the Palestinian Midrash to Genesis (Bereshith Rabba xii) we read: "The things which God created perfect since man sinned have become corrupt and do not return to their proper condition until the son of Perez (i.e. according to Gen. xxxviii. 29, Ruth iv. 18 ff. the Messiah out of the tribe of Judah) comes."   http://hadavar.org/drupal/book/export/html/107, Accessed July, 2013.

A Misconception about Jesus Christ.

Dear reader,

One of the earliest spiritual movements against Christianity was Gnosticism.  In its simplest and reduced form, various Gnostic leaders and schools claimed to know more about Christ than the early Christians.  They taught they had hidden knowledge (gnosis) about who Jesus was, what the universe was about, and how to be saved from the evil world/physical matter.

In response to Gnosticism, early Christians wrote the first creed in Christian history.  From Gnosticism and other subsequent movements, Christian thinkers have noted a common theme - dark movements present a different Christ who is supposedly more real than the Christ of Christianity.

The apostles warned about erroneous ideas concerning Jesus.  John wrote that any spirit that denied Jesus coming in the flesh was a spirit of the antichrist (I Jn. 4:2,3), which is what many of the early Gnostic leaders denied.  Paul warned about philosophies that did not accept God´s fullness in Jesus' physical body (Col. 2:8,9).  He said that no Christian worker could ¨lay any other foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ¨ (I Cor. 3:11).  Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

One Christian researcher stated that the same Gnostic pattern is observed today in end-time movements.  Revelations to prophets from alleged angels, Jesus, or God teach a Jesus who is different in some aspect (and supposedly more accurate than the one in Christian circles).

What is one of the most common errors about Jesus Christ?

It is common for Christian cults to reveal a spirit-Christ who is resurrected as a spirit or becomes a spirit after he ascends into heaven.  Since Jesus is a spirit being, he then returns invisibly to earth to indwell the leader of an end-time group or invisibly chooses and guides their movement.  

Manhee Lee states that Jesus returns invisibly and unites with the flesh/body of the SCJ pastor (Manhee Lee).  ¨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).  One Shinchonji instructor said that Jesus was transfigured after his death and became a spirit (citing the vision of Jesus in Rev. 1).

Interestingly enough, Christian leaders and thinkers realize this is not the complete picture.

First, the information in the Scriptures is that the post-resurrection Jesus is not just a spirit.  Something happened to his human side.  He was the first human to be glorified (Col. 1:19, I Cor. 15:20).  Christ is the first man of a new, human existence. When confronted by the religious leaders, Jesus predicted something would happen to his physical body (Jn. 2:19-21).  His body, not the temple in Jerusalem, would be rebuilt.

When Christ rose from the dead, he proved he was not just a spirit (Lk. 24:39).  He challenged his disciples to touch his hands and feet.  His body was the same in some aspects, but totally different in another sense (i.e. glorified).  The body that suffered death was raised to life and never saw decay or destruction again (Ac. 2:31, 13:34).  Acts 13:34 says, ¨As to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption.¨

It was a new human body in glory.  In Philippians 3:21, while mentioning God´s plan to glorify mortal bodies, Paul refers to Christ´s present body in glory.  ¨And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (or body of his glory in some translations)¨ (Phil. 3:21).

The disciples also believed that Jesus never lost his human side.  Years after his ascension, they continued to refer to Christ as a man.  ¨For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus¨ (I Tim. 2:5).  ¨He has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed¨ (Ac. 17:30).  In Hebrews 2, the Bible states that Jesus became humanity's high priest forever, a unique mediator who shares our human nature.

Secondly, if Jesus became a spirit after his ascension, then his human resurrection was not real.  It would be a contradiction of terms.  According to the definition of the resurrection, God powerfully infuses into a human body a new and higher glorified form with an indestructible nature (See I Cor. 15:42-44).  In other words, a resurrected human body is designed to exist forever.  This is what Jesus experienced when he rose from the dead.  His body was glorified, not disintegrated or transfigured into a spirit.

When the Corinthians asked about the future resurrection body, Paul explains that it's a higher body, imperishable, greater in power and glory (I Corinthians 15:42-44).  It is a body that is indestructible, which means nothing can destroy it.  It´s a body that puts on ¨immortality¨ (I Cor. 15:53).  Further, the word ¨body¨ in I Cor. 15 in the original language is used of a physical, material body, not an immaterial spirit-body.

End-time groups mistake ¨spiritual body¨ in 1 Cor. 15:44 for ¨spirit body,¨ which denies the physical side of the resurrection body.  ¨Spiritual body¨ refers to a human body infused with new, supernatural life.
    
How do final leaders justify their teachings of Jesus being a spirit?

First, leaders condition members by claiming that Christianity is in spiritual darkness.  They are the chosen prophets to reveal the real meaning of biblical definitions and passages.  Thus, even when the written words appear to communicate something different, only the leader's revealed meaning is the correct one.

Second, instead of harmonizing all the texts about Jesus, leaders use selected verses that speak of the Spirit of Jesus.  Yet, God´s voice in the Scriptures reveals two concepts regarding Jesus - his God-like nature and his glorified human side.  Both are true, not just one.  This is what Christian churches everywhere see - Christ is the first human of a new kind of existence, the first to rise from the dead in glory (Col. 1:19, Rev. 1:5).

These points are relevant when a leader talks about Jesus returning to earth as a spirit in a secretive way.  In contrast, Jesus says he will return as a king ¨in power and great glory¨ and all the nations will see him and mourn (Mt. 24:30). According to the angels in Acts 1:11, the same Jesus who left (in a glorified body) is the same one coming back, not a different Jesus.  Jesus, the Messiah, is not just a spirit.  He is much more.

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Addtional Points/Questions.

What about Shinchonji´s teaching that Jesus is a spirit based on the vision of Jesus in Revelation 1?  Could not Jesus have been transfigured like in Matthew 17 (i.e. transfigured into a spirit)?

First, the image in Revelation 1 is an image of a glorified Jesus, but it is not a literal description.  It reflects Old Testament images of God in glory (Dan. 7:9).  Second, when Jesus was transfigured in Mt. 17, he did not become a spirit.  He did not lose his physical humanity.  Rather, his glory was shown through his humanity.  Even Manhee Lee mentions that Jesus was still flesh.  ¨On the mountain of transfiguration Jesus and his disciples were still flesh, but Moses Elijah, and God were spirits¨ (p. 425, Creation of Heaven and Earth).  Third, the Bible teaches that even after the ascension, Jesus still possesses his human (and new glorified) body.  The Apostle Paul makes this point at the end of Phil. 3:21.

From these points, we see that the Bible shows that God did not destroy Jesus' humanity. On the contrary, he glorified it. I Peter 1:21 reads, ¨Through him (Christ) you believe in God, who raised him from the dead, and glorified him.¨  God gave him an imperishable resurrection body in glory, unlike our frail, sin-infested, and mortal bodies.  Christ Jesus is the first human to put on incorruption (I Cor. 15:20).

How could a normal physical body (¨flesh and blood¨) enter heaven, a spiritual place?

Regarding the phrase ¨flesh and bones¨ in I Cor. 15:50, it is a synonym for a corruptible, sin-tarnished body.  This is a phrase for mortal bodies, but not immortal, resurrection bodies.   The Apostle Paul is saying that a weak, dying body (i.e. flesh and blood) cannot enter heaven because it needs to put on ¨immortality¨ first (i.e. be glorified).  Since Jesus´s body put on immortality, it wasn't a problem. 

His new body was no longer mortal.  It was a supernatural body made for glory (i.e. a place of glory).  As mentioned above, it was both the same and different as his physical body before.  It was now superior in that it could defy normal limitations.  This is why it is not a mortal human body.  The Scriptures reveal that the Messiah´s humanity was glorified and physically taken up to heaven (Acts 1:9-11, Heb. 1:3).  

How do you explain that Paul says that there is a spiritual body in I Cor. 15:44?

As mentioned above, the meaning of the ¨resurrection¨ involves a new human body  (See Is. 26:19).  So, keep this in mind when thinking about a resurrected ¨spiritual body¨.  It is not people becoming resurrected spirits.  The phrase ¨spiritual body¨ in I Cor. 15:44 refers to a higher human body in contrast to mortal bodies, which are frail, corruptible, and sinful.  Further, the word ¨body¨ in Greek refers to a physical body, not an immaterial body.  When Jesus was raised, his body was not a spirit (Lk. 24:39).    

A resurrection body with no human body would be like a wedding without a bride.   By spiritual body, Paul is affirming that the resurrection body is not natural or normal.  It is superior to the sinful body.  The verses before and after v. 44 indicate that he is talking about a different kind of human body.   It is ¨spiritual¨ in the sense that it is a higher make up than the natural body.  In Romans 8:11,23, the Bible says our mortal bodies will experience a change like Jesus' did. 

(1) See Shinchonji's first article on the Trinity on their website where they say that Jesus is a spirit after his ascension.  

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.

How the Bible is Quoted.

Dear reader,

If you were to meet up with two deceptive spirits that were going to interpret the Bible, how do you think they would do this?  This question is at the heart of end-time groups.

Here are some possibilities.  

1.  Contexts (verses before and after a verse) would be ignored.
2.  Clear verses would be ignored or de-emphasized in favor of new information.
3.  Connections between verses are made that no one else sees.
4.  New meanings are given to difficult verses.

These are just a few examples.

This question is important because end-time leaders teach that a spirit or spirits (Jesus, an angel, the Holy Spirit, etc) appeared to them in a vision and gave them important Bible explanations about the end of the world.  These leaders say they have a special anointing to explain the Bible.  In Shinchonji, Manhee Lee is reported to have received information from God, Jesus, and angels.

As Christians, we are told not to believe every spirit, but to test them (I John 4:1).  In Christian thinking, when spirits claiming to be angels or Jesus communicate messages that distort, twist, or misapply God's Word, something is amiss.  Below is an edited summary from a book on some of the most common techniques used by end-time teachers or preachers who do not rightly divide the Bible (1).


1. BIBLICAL HOOK: A text of Scripture is quoted as a way to make readers think the text is affirming what the author is saying.  However, when the text is consulted carefully, it speaks of something else.

Both Shinchonji and the Watchtower Society quote Mt. 24:45-47 to prove that God chooses a final servant (their leader/s) to guide the Christian world in the end.  However, when Christians read these verses carefully, they see Jesus referring to all faithful disciples in the end.  Another example is when Shinchonji uses 1 Thess. 5:1-11 to interpret those in the light as those with the revealed word, when God's voice in the written word refers to believers at large.
  
 2. IGNORING THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT: A text of Scripture is quoted but removed from the surrounding verses which form the immediate framework for its meaning.

When Jesus uses lightning in Mt. 24:27 for visibility, he is rebutting the idea of a secret or regional appearance/return to earth.  Shinchonji removes the meaning from its context, quoting other verses (Lk. 10:18, Rev. 11:19) to show that lightning in Mt. 24:27 should mean invisibility.  Another example is Jer. 31:27 where God is prophesying a restoration for Israel (in context), but Shinchonji links it to Jesus' parable of the two seeds in Mt. 13.

3. COLLAPSING CONTEXTS: Two or more verses which have little or nothing to do with each other are put together as if one were a commentary of the other(s).

In Manhee Lee's revelation, he teaches that Jesus (a pastor) is the light in Jn. 8:12 and makes this the commentary/link to the light (a pastor) being chosen on the first day of creation in Gen. 1.  Shinchonji makes the metaphor of a ¨beast¨ (one without God's knowledge/ungodly leaders) in Prov. 30:2,3 and Is. 56:9-11 a commentary for the ¨beast¨ in Rev. 13 (a false pastor without God's revealed word).  

4. OVERSPECIFICATION: A more detailed or specific conclusion than is legitimate is drawn from a biblical text.

Manhee Lee quotes Hos. 12:10, which speaks of parables and visions in general, to support that the Apostle John figure in Revelation is a prophecy for a future leader (Mr. Lee).  However, Hos. 12:10 does not specify that this refers to the Apostle John.  Another example is taking the Counselor-promise in Jn. 14,16 to specifically include another flesh-human body (Mr. Lee).  

5. WORD PLAY: A word or phrase from a biblical translation is examined and interpreted in a different language as if the revelation had been given in that language.

This happens with the Korean language in Shinchonji.  When referring to the Counselor, Manhee Lee quotes the word, ¨Bohaesa,¨ (Korean-Chinese) to re-inforce the idea of a teacher with grace.  He also quotes a Korean word, ¨tongdal,¨ (mastery, thorough knowledge) for ¨search¨ in 1 Cor. 2:10 to show that the Apostle John has perfect mastery of the Bible.  The word in Greek for ¨search¨ or ¨examine¨ does not mean mastery.  See the article on the Counselor.

6. THE FIGURATIVE FALLACY: Either making literal language out of figurative language or mistaking figurative language for literal language.

In Manhee Lee's book, he argues that this is the problem with the Christian world: incorrectly making figurative language literal.  He fixes the problem.  In Christian thinking, the written word (when given) is the key.  For example, Jesus refers to the real temple in Jerusalem in Mt. 24:1,2, but Mr. Lee makes it figurative because the word ¨temple¨ can often be figurative.  He does not let the context determine the meaning.

7. SELECTIVE CITING: To substantiate a given argument, only a limited number of texts is quoted.  The total teaching of Scripture on that subject would lead to a conclusion different from that of the writer.

According to Shinchonji's revelation, the post-ascension Christ is a spirit who works through Manhee Lee's body/flesh.  One SCJ member cited different verses referring to the Spirit (of Jesus) in Revelation and Galations to prove this.  Yet, other verses reveal that Jesus is not only a spirit, but also a superhuman (the first glorified human).  Both are true because the Messiah has two natures.  Another point is pointing to some verses where God rejects Israel in the prophets, but not accepting the verses where God promises to fully restore Israel in the prophets.  See other articles on these points for additional information.
        
8. INADEQUATE EVIDENCE: A hasty generalization is drawn from too little evidence. It is based only on the authority of the leader or group´s interpretation.

In Manhee Lee's book, Creation of Heaven and Earth, the connections and explanations in Revelation are based on Mr. Lee's authority.  For example, he interprets the ¨east¨ in Rev. 7 as Korea.  But, it is based on Mr. Lee's authoritative explanation of ¨heaven¨ and his own authority/testimony of being the Apostle John figure who knows the physical fulfillment of the events.  See the article on the 144,000 in Rev. 7.

9. CONFUSED DEFINITION: A biblical or Christian term is misunderstood or misdefined in such a way as to be rejected.

Shinchoji misdefines the Christian definition of the Trinity.  Christians familiar with this topic know that this happens in other spirit-revelations to final prophets.  In Christian teaching, there is a careful distinction between one God being and three God persons.  However, Shinchonji argues that when Christians refer to the Trinity, they are referring to three beings and one being (instead of the real definition of one being and three persons).  See the article on the Trinity for more information.

10. WORLD-VIEW CONFUSION: Scriptural concepts, ideas, or symbols which have a particular meaning within the cultural framework of the Bible are lifted out of that context, placed within the frame of reference of another system and given a meaning that differs from their intended meaning.

Shinchonji's revelation teaches that the spirits of the martyrs will come back to earth and unite with the flesh of those believers at the first resurrection in Rev. 20.  This is the meaning of the resurrection, which is more of a mixture of eastern ideas of reincarnation than a Christian one.  The biblical concept of the resurrection refers to a spirit being united to a person´s own flesh that God re-creates and glorifies, similar to what happened to the Lord Jesus, who is the firstfruits of future resurrections (I Cor. 15:20, Rom. 8:11, Phil. 3:21, Is. 26:19).  See other articles on this point.

11. VIRTUE BY ASSOCIATION: Either a leader associates his or her teachings with figures accepted as authoritative by traditional Christians, or a leader's situation is likened to people and events in the Bible.

Shinchonji considers their situation to be like Christ's in the first century.  All other Christian leaders are compared to the Pharisees who misinterpreted the Messianic prophecies and would not listen to Jesus.  In the same way, Christians today do not understand the end-time prophecies and do not listen to Manhee Lee.  Or, just like Paul had to leave his teachings and hear Jesus' voice, Christians must leave their pastors and follow Mr. Lee's voice.  Comparisons and associations like this are made in SCJ's literature.

12. ESOTERIC INTERPRETATION:  The assumption is that the Bible's prophecies contains hidden, esoteric meanings which are opened only to those who are initiated into its secrets.  The interpreter declares the significance of biblical passages without giving much, if any, explanation for his or her interpretation.

Manhee Lee and other apocalyptic movements in South Korea have taught that the parables are written in coded/secret information to keep God's plans hidden from Satan.  Also, when reading Mr. Lee's interpretations of Revelation, it seems that the revealed word ¨revealed¨ meanings, but did not submit to the clear ideas that come from the written word in Revelation.  See other articles on this point.  In the end, the revealed meanings and Bible connections in Shinchonji are based Manhee Lee's authority.

13. SUPPLEMENTING BIBLICAL AUTHORITY: New revelation from post biblical prophets either replaces or is added to the Bible as authority.

The real voice that the Christian world must listen to is the revealed word, which is the interpreter of the written word.  The revealed word is considered God's Word.  Even if the Bible affirms something different at face value, people are taught to listen to the revealed word.  The written word, especially in relation to prophecies about Jesus´ return, is said to be sealed from other Christians.  This makes the leader's voice the voice of understanding and authority (even above God´s voice in the Bible).

___________________________
(1) Taken and adapted from this webpage on James Sire's book, ¨Scripture Twisting¨.  http://www.apologeticsindex.org/b03.html

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.

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.

Only the Bible? Manhee Lee's Vision on a Mountain.

Dear reader,

In the history of world religions and end-time movements, many leaders testify that they felt the presence of spirit beings (for instance, Christ, God the Father, angels, or the Holy Spirit) or even have these spiritual beings working through them.  These entities are the source behind their information - new information about a movement God accomplishes at the end of human history as we know it.  

The point is that these leaders claim to be in contact with a spiritual world.  They refer to powerful spiritual experiences.  Naturally, many modern thinkers might explain away these experiences with natural explanations (and, in some cases, it could be true) - power, insanity, money, women, or an urge for hero status.

Yet, from a Christian perspective, there is an invisible world.  The spiritual world existed before the physical world.  God, who is spirit, created spiritual creatures before humans.  A rebellion occurred in the spirit world and, thus, evil spirits are a reality.  Satan himself can manifest as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:13) and his side has evil angels who are crafty.  The Bible reveals that many of these demons inspire teachings to people and are deceptive.

Because end-time leaders are captivated by these experiences (and the seemingly logical explanations to final prophecies), they move forward in full force.  However, it is important to ask how these leaders tested these spirits.  When Christians look at other end-time leaders, they notice the need for testing.  Mohammad, Joseph Smith, Samuel Joaquín, Ellen G. White, and others all embraced their spirit encounters as true.  

What about Manhee Lee in Shinchonji?  Does Shinchonji explain to their members how he tested the spirits that appeared to him?  The excerpt below describes two beings (Jesus and an angel) appearing to Mr. Lee on a mountain in South Korea.  

¨What follows is a summary of the life of the promised pastor who received the words of the opened scroll....On Sundays, he would climb to the top of a nearby mountain for his prayers. This man had the unique experience of seeing stars in the sky during the day. At one point, during his prayers to God, he saw these stars approaching him for three days in a row....On the first day he went to church, he climbed up a mountain and made a covenant with God, swearing by his own blood. After that, the promised pastor met the Lord, who was walking among the clouds of the sky, and he received an anointing from him. The Lord commanded him to write down what he saw...After that, he received the opened scroll from an angel and was commanded to go and preach to the peoples...¨ (1)

If one hundred leaders appear with similar spiritual experiences, how can Christians discern if these encounters are trustworthy?  Christians are warned,  ¨Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God¨(I Jn. 4:1, NASB).

Many people assume testing ¨the spirits¨ is seeing if their revelation/revealed word provides answers, interpretations, and connections that no else has in the Christian world. However, it is more effective to test if the spirits rightly divide the Bible.  (See other articles on this point.)  In Christian thinking, it is safer to see if the voice behind the spirit-revelation is different than the voice in the written word.

When spirit entities appear to different leaders and give them powerful explanations to Revelation and end-time prophecies, many experts look at other areas that these spirit revelations change (e.g. Jesus' identity, salvation in the end, and other passages that all Christians notice) - texts and spiritual truths that evil spirits hate or want to distort.

The other reality about this experience is that if Manhee Lee's vision is unreliable, it means that all the information received from these spirits (the parables, the flesh-spirit union, the model of betrayal, the figurative interpretations in Revelation, and all the unique teachings in SCJ) is coming from spirit entities, not the Spirit's voice in God's Word.

Lastly, when leaders contend that they are only going by the Bible, it is not completely accurate.  They are only basing everything on a spiritual vision that uses the Bible.  

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(1) Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony,¨Shinchonji Website Articles. Accessed May 22nd, 2010. http://healingallnations.shinchonji.kr/content/shinchonji-church-jesus-temple-tabernacle-testimony

Christians do not Reincarnate other Christians.

Dear reader,

The Lord Jesus revealed that the Father's will was to raise us to life (Jn. 6:40). What an awesome promise!

When spiritual entities (angels, Jesus, or God) come to a final prophet, it's important to test their information with the voice in the written word.  This is what we want to do here with the resurrection.  According to Shinchonji, those believers who have been martyred will come back as spirits in Rev. 20 (i.e. the first resurrection) and indwell the bodies of believers on earth.  Here are some quotes from the SCJ website.

¨Because their own bodies have long since decayed, the souls of the martyrs in heaven will enter and unite with our bodies. The martyrs and we, who are physically and spiritually alive, will marry, unite as one, and live with Christ for eternity, beginning with the promised millennium. This is the truth of the resurrection and of being born again.¨ (1)

¨According to the scriptures, when the seventh trumpet sounds, God will bring with him 'those who have fallen asleep.' In other words, those who have died in the Lord will come with him as spiritual bodies¨ (1 Cor 15:51-54; 1 Thes 4:13-16). (2)

¨The 'dead,' whose flesh have died in the Lord, will be raised as spirits. Those who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will live with Jesus for a long time just as people lived a long time before Adam sinned. Having faith in this idea is the true meaning of carrying out a life of faith. If there is a natural body, there is a spiritual body as well¨ (1 Cor 15:44). (2)

In the written revelation, we notice that God's voice is saying something different.  What are the clear (and unhidden) points that God revealed about the resurrection before Shinchonji appeared?  Does Shinchonji's revelation rightly divide the verses quoted above?  Why do Christians believe that all believers will be resurrected with a new, superhuman body?

First, when we look at the meaning of the resurrection in the written word, it does not refer to a spirit resurrection or a spirit inhabiting another person's glorified body.  Jesus associated it with his own human body.  He prophesied that something would happen to his human body, not his spirit (Jn. 2:19-21).  When God raised him from the dead, he was not a spirit.  God did something to his body (Lk. 24:39).

¨Jesus answered and said to them, ´Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.´ But he was speaking of the temple of His body¨ (Jn. 2:19,21, NKJV).

¨Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.¨ (Lk. 24:39, NKJV).

Some spirit revelations to final groups argue that Jesus became a resurrected spirit or his human body was destroyed or disintegrated.  But, the written word says that the Messiah's body was raised never to decay (Ac. 2:31, Ac. 13:34) and that resurrection bodies are indestructible/imperishable (I Cor. 15:42-44).

Second, according to the written word, Jesus' resurrection is the blueprint of future, human resurrections (I Cor. 15:20, Phil. 3:21).  The Lord Jesus was the first resurrected human (I Cor. 15:20) and was not resurrected as a spirit (Lk. 24:39) or resurrected in the body of another living person (i.e. reincarnated).

In Christian thought, the Creator's plan is to resurrect humans in the same way that the Lord Jesus was resurrected (Rom. 8:11).  Our mortal and sin-affected bodies groan now and long to be redeemed and glorified, which is our hope.  This promise is for all believers, not just those who are alive in the end.

¨But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you¨ (Rom. 8:11).¨And not only they, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body¨ (Rom. 8:23).

At the end of I Cor. 15, the voice in God's Word reveals that all of us (those who have died and those who are alive when the Lord returns) will be transformed/changed in the twinkling of an eye.  The changing refers to a new, complete human nature that is glorified, like Jesus' human nature (I Cor. 15:20).  The early Christians did not believe that they would come back to incarnate someone else's nature.  Rom. 8:11 and Rom. 8:23 refer to God's transforming one's own mortal body.

In the quotes above, Shinchonji, like other end-time movements, misinterprets I Cor. 15:44 and teaches that a ¨spiritual body¨ means an immaterial, spirit resurrection.  The word ¨body¨ in Greek, however, refers to a physical body. A spiritual body is a new human body of a higher form, unlike the natural body.  This is the point of the argument in I Cor. 15:20-51.  The Apostle Paul reveals a new kind of human body that becomes incorruptible, indestructible, powerful, glorified, and spiritual (not a natural, sinful body).

When the Lord Jesus resurrects the dead through his power, he promises to transform the old body (of sin and mortality) into a new body, like his own.  This is what God's Word makes known in Phil. 3:21. God will transform bodies of humiliation.  ¨He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself" (Phil. 3:21).

When we put all these points together from God's written word, we see that the Creator's plan is to make new humans via resurrection life, not re-incarnate human spirits into other human bodies.  For more information, see the article on the Gnostics, Spirit-Jesus, and a Spiritual Body.

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(1) ¨The first resurrection and the millennium,¨ Shinchonji Website Articles. Accessed May 20th, 2010. http://han.shinchonji.org/ru/content/first-resurrection-and-millennium
(2) ¨New heaven and eternal life¨ Accessed July 15th, 2010. http://scjblog.egloos.com/348873