Answers to Frequently Asked Questions PDF

1. I've heard something bad about Shincheonji. Yes, we know what kind of stories there are. The truth is that many people don’t want an explanation when we address these issues. But you know what? The 100,000 graduation ceremony was held in Shincheonji. The graduation ceremony is held every year...

1. I've heard something bad about Shincheonji. Yes, we know what kind of stories there are. The truth is that many people don’t want an explanation when we address these issues. But you know what? The 100,000 graduation ceremony was held in Shincheonji. The graduation ceremony is held every year in Shincheonji. In 2019, 103,000 graduates were produced, and about 20,000 were produced yearly amid a sharp drop in the number of believers worldwide due to COVID-19. And again, this year, 106,000 graduates were produced. This is the world's largest graduation, meaning that the number of new believers who entered the Shincheonji Church reached 106,000 this year alone. Let’s think about this. There's a new restaurant, but I haven't been there yet. But I heard from some people that it was weird. However, people who want to go to the restaurant line up daily. This line doesn't shrink; it grows more and more every day. Nevertheless, would you believe only a few people who said it was strange and think it was a strange place? There may be a reason why many people go there a lot. Shouldn't We go and check it out ourselves? Why do more than 100,000 people come to Shincheonji annually if such bad stories are true? We know what bad things are being said, but if that's true, would we be here? The things that are said badly are so different from the facts. And this is the only place that teaches us to understand the Bible, so those who have been pastors or religious for a long time came to Shincheonji after resolving misunderstandings in the Zion center. After knowing the Word of God and Jesus in the Zion center process, we can choose whether we proceed with our faith walk there. By the way, have you ever had an unfair experience in your life? It would be so frustrating, sad, and heartbreaking if there were all the facts and bad rumors about you and no one would listen to them. If you've heard a bad story about shincheonji, wouldn't it be fair, smart, and thoughtful for a person to listen to a story from a different direction, namely, what is taught in Shincheonji? What kind of place is this? Everything that you've heard will be explained one by one. 2. What is your doctrine? We believe that God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-28); that man sinned and thereby incurred the penalty of death, physical and spiritual (Romans 5:13); that all human beings inherit a sinful nature which issues (in the case of those who reach moral responsibilities) in actual transgression involving personal guilt. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, a substitutionary sacrifice (Matthew 20:28), according to the Scriptures, and are to be atoned by his shed blood. (Revelation 1:5-6) We believe in the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Ascension into heaven, and his present life as our High Priest and Advocate. We believe in the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith are born again of the Holy Spirit and water (John 3:5), thereby becoming children of God. We believe in the resurrection of the just and the unjust, the eternal blessedness of the redeemed, and the eternal banishment of those who have rejected the offer of salvation. Just as God fulfilled his promise to Abraham at the time of Moses (Ex 12) and how God fulfilled the Old Testament at the first coming of Jesus (Jn 19:30), the New Testament is being fulfilled, and Shincheonji is testifying the physical fulfillment of the word. (Rev 1:2; Rev 10, 22:16). Like the tree of life in Rev 22, which has 12 branches and bears fruit every month, over 1000 students graduate every month throughout the 12 tribes of Shincheonji. In Jn 15, Jesus is referred to as the tree of life. People who graduate from the Zion Christian Mission Center are born by the word of life and are the first fruits. 3. Do you have to give up your life (job, school, family) to be in Shincheonji? Many missionaries of different religious groups and philanthropists give up their lives to do work they deem as ‘good’ and are personally passionate about. Some members engage in full-time missionary work because they are passionate about it and see it as a fulfilling way to live. This is every individual’s personal decision. Many members of Shincheonji carry out full-time occupations, are parents and grandparents, take care of their families, and engage in hobbies and community groups. Carrying out a life of faith may involve giving up things that we no longer see as beneficial to us, but it does not require anyone to “give up their life” or important aspects of it. 4. I noticed on Wikipedia that Shincheonji is labeled a cult; is this true? What is your definition of a cult? When new, many organizations are labeled as a cult because the other Churches and organizations feel threatened by them. The true definition of a cult is ‘those that teach falsehood’; Shincheonji teaches according to the Bible and the words of Jesus only; therefore, we cannot be labeled as a cult. As Shincheonji is growing and working with more Churches (MOU), many Churches and organizations have realized the good Shincheonji and Chairman Lee are doing. These Churches and organizations have also refuted the claims that Shincheonji is a cult. *Please refer to the White Paper Written by Massimo Introvigne (Centre for Studies on New Religions) 5. Why does the Shincheonji come across as secretive, or why aren't many resources available online? Since Shincheonji was established in 1984, Chairman Lee and the congregation of Shincheonji have suffered various levels of persecution from other Churches in South Korea and even the Korean government. Several Shincheonji congregation members have even been subject to coercive conversion programs, and two members of the Church have even lost their lives to these evil practices. Even though these are clear human rights violations and go against the United Nations and Korean government's policies regarding the right to religious freedom, the Korean Government did nothing to stop such practices. It’s because of this persecution and the Korean Governments inaction that led many Shincheonji members being forced to live secret lives of faith. 6. What is deception, and is this a tactic used by Shincheonji? Deception is “when one causes someone to believe something that is not true, typically to gain some personal advantage.” Deception is not a tactic that Shincheonji encourages. Shincheonji has opened its doors for all to learn about its theology, volunteers openly with the community, engage in sports and culture competitions as “Shincheonji” teams (and wins accolades), and has made many materials public online through the official website, YouTube channel, and dedicated theology school website. The evidence is that we are now providing Theology courses to Pastors freely and openly. 1. Does your church believe in the holy spirit? Yes, we firmly believe in the Holy Spirit, as the scripture shows that all the prophets of the Old Testament who made the prophecies were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). And also all the believers and Apostles at the time of the early church were moved into action or added by the Holy Spirit that was poured out over them. The concept of the holy spirit is found throughout the Bible. God, Himself is a Spirit and is the source of all that is holy. Therefore, He is the Holy Spirit, as seen in John 4:24. However, what is commonly mistaken is that believers often get confused, thinking that the spirit of Pentecost that was poured out at the time of the 2nd coming, as seen in Acts 2, is the Spirit of Truth that Jesus Christ prophesies about in John 14 to 16. We must note that these are two different spirits that were prophesied about at different times and who helped the people of God fulfill entirely different tasks on behalf of God. What must also be noted is that there is not just one spirit but many spirits who dwell with God in Heaven, as seen in Rev 5:11. These holy spirits have a central role in the work of sharing the testimony of Revelation, as seen in Rv 10, Rv 22:8,16, and throughout the history of the Bible. 2. Do you believe in the rapture? The rapture is a belief held by some Christians, consisting of an end-time event when all Christian believers alive, along with resurrected believers, would rise " in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” There is much division amongst churches regarding this teaching of rapture, and through our bible course, we hope to help people from all denominations to understand the meaning of rapture. The Bible explains that God’s will is to return to earth. In Genesis, God dwelt with man, and because of sin, God had to leave. God has been working to reconnect with mankind through his word, and he plans to return at the time of Revelation’s fulfillment and dwell again with man (Mt 6:10, Rv 21:1-4). Therefore it is not a rapture in the sense of us going into the sky but rather a work of harvesting/gathering God’s people to the place on the earth where He will come and dwell (known as Mt Zion or the New Heaven and New Earth). 3. Do you speak in tongues? We need to understand the logic of the bible and how God has recorded it. There are eras in the bible, e.g. at the time of Adam, what was required from the believers was to eat from the tree of life and not from the tree of good and evil, which was different from the era of Noah, Abraham, and so on. We must first establish the purpose of God giving the spirit to speak in tongues. It was to spread the gospel to all the corners (Mt24:14), and because of this, God enabled the early believers to have the spirit to speak in tongues. When we look at what Apostle Paul writes in 1 Cor14, we can understand that what is more important is not just to speak in tongues and no one knows or understand what is being said, but to give knowledge and revelation about the things of God. Vs. 6: Paul indicates that it is more beneficial to bring the words that will help people to understand the will of God rather than tongues that edifies only one person Vs. 9: people will not understand tongues, and thus, a plain explanation can bring revelation of God’s will and plan Vs. 19 Paul emphasizes the importance of words that will help people to meet with God. Vs. 22 The reason for tongues was a sign for the non-believers to be drawn to the gospel via the Apostles speaking in tongues. Now we are all believers, and we do not doubt that Jesus is the son of God and died on the cross for our sins. Therefore, we explain the bible plainly so that all believers can understand the bible clearly. Yes, tongues are important but what is more important is giving knowledge and things that can help us attain the kingdom of heaven. The context of time is very important; 2000 years ago, tongues were one of the weapons that God was using to draw people to Him as it was a sign that drew unbelievers (1 Cor14:22). However, today is the era of plain explanations that the faithful and wise servant brings to help us to be reconnected with GOD If we look at Acts 2, Peter references Joel 2 prophecy about what God had planned to do in the future. So, this was also to fulfill the plan of God, which he had prophesied through Prophet Joel. 4. Do you have the gift of prophecy? Prophecy is the will of God that will take place in the future. The prophecy from God is there to help people to know the will of God that will take place in the future. God always wants to ensure that creation knows of His plan before time so that they will not be taken by surprise but can have time to be prepared according to God's promise. -We have to understand who gave the gift and why? -God gave all these gifts to achieve his great plan. e.g., at the time of the first coming, God gave the gift of prophecy; the purpose was to speak about God’s plan for the 2nd coming (future events) -We must understand the true prophecy from the viewpoint of God and the Bible. -It is to announce God’s will and plan for the future. -(Am 3:7) The prophets announce this on behalf of God; however, in Hos 12:10, God says he gives this message about the future in visions, which is relayed in parables or figurative language. By Hab 2:2-3, these prophecies in parables wait for the appointed time. So, the believers must wait for the appointed time Jn14:29 when the plan and will of God are made plain so that people can find the path to reconnect with God. At the time of the first coming, God’s work emphasized planting the seed with the hope of harvest at the time of the second coming. Jesus planted the good seed and chose many people whom he also revealed this plan so that they would announce the work that God wanted to achieve. These many servants were granted gifts of prophecy so that they could announce the second coming and the work of harvest. Today, we realize it is time for God to fulfill what he promised and make everything plain, written in parables. This means that today we can focus more on understanding God’s messenger’s plain explanation than seeking prophecy since prophecy has a hidden plan. -God gives prophecy so that his people may not be led astray by false prophecies Dt18:22. We must also be careful of other prophets who give false prophecies as we are warned in 1 Jn 4:1. The true prophecy comes from God and announces they will speak of God we must find. - Heb1:1-2, There are times for everything in the Bible, the time for prophecy and fulfillment. Many prophets receive prophecies, but God will send his messenger to announce the plain explanation of His plan and will 5. Do you baptize people? We must remember that the Bible has different eras, and we must know the reason and purpose God has done or given something. John the Baptist baptized the people so that the promised one may be revealed to Israel. Jn1:31-33, the people of Israelites who were waiting for the promises to be fulfilled had mixed teachings or weeds in their hearts. Therefore for them to be purified and repent, they needed to be baptized, even though that was just a copy and the shadow, not the actual reality. Explain the water in Jn 4 and Jn 15; this is not physical water. It has a spiritual meaning. This is water that cleanses our inner beings, then being truly baptized is undergoing this cleansing. Baptism = moving from being dead to alive, dying to oneself, and living for Christ, so baptism => is giving up your old self, burning Satan’s seed totally, and continuously receiving God’s word/water/fire. God is cleansing us and judging us to make us His children. Yes, we believe in baptism, not the copy and shadow, but the reality, because we live at the time of the fulfillment. 6. Do you fast? Not in the traditional sense, we do not. When we think about fasting, the purpose of fasting is to get closer to God. Traditionally this is what we know about fasting. People also generally fast when they are trusting God for something. For example, when they need a job, they fast to ensure they get what they pray for. It is a means to show sincerity through the act of sacrificing of owns desires and self. However, in 1 Corinthians 8:8, Apostle Paul helps us to understand that food doesn't bring us closer to God, nor does it push us away from Him. Since physical food doesn't bring us closer to God or push us away, we must reconsider what is meant by food that would allow us to come to God and food that would destroy us. We need to eat the food that would bring us life which is the spiritual food as found in Jn 6:29. Later in Jn 6, we come to understand what the reality of this food from Heaven is; it is the word it leads to Eternal life (Jn 6:68). In Amos 8:11 and Isaiah 55:1-3 God makes known that the food for the spirit is the word. Now the kind of food that one needs to fast is the Food that will lead us to death which is the Food that Jesus shared that we must guard ourselves against, the yeast of the Pharisees (Mt 16:6). We also find that in Mt 7:15-20 it says that “by their fruit, you will recognize them” these are the words and actions of a person. Therefore we can understand that it is the words one shares concerning the Bible and God’s will, which is food written in the Bible. This means that fasting, which is important, is the fasting of the Spiritual Food that leads us to death. In the Old Testament, fasting was only a Copy and shadow (Heb 9:9-10) same can be said of fasting in the New Testament. Therefore, Physical fasting is meant to direct us in understanding what “food” to eat spiritually and when that “food” would be made available. We, therefore, do not fast in the traditional sense, and neither are we fasting spiritually as the food from Heaven, which is the word made plain, can now be received and fully understood from the teachings of the Promised Pastor Man Hee Lee. 7. Do you keep holy communion? Holy Communion is a meal eaten in remembrance of Jesus's flesh and blood. At the time of Moses, the believers had to eat the flesh and blood of the lamb to receive salvation. In Jn 6:51-57, Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came from heaven…Whoever eats my blood and flesh will live forever.” These are the words of the new covenant (Lk 22:14-20). Jesus also said that his flesh and blood would not be eaten again until it found fulfillment in His Father's Kingdom. In Rv 5:9-10, it is written, “with your blood, you purchased men for God…You have made them a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Thus, at the time of the fulfillment of Revelation, the Father’s kingdom will be where those who have been purchased with Jesus’ blood have become priests of God’s kingdom and reign. As Jesus said, the physical bread and wine of the holy communion are only eaten as a remembrance, and it is not the true reality (Lk 22:14-20). However, at the time of the fulfillment of Revelation, the words of Jesus that were sealed in parables are finally revealed (Rv 5, Rv 10). Because these are Jesus's words, the one who eats the revealed word is the one who eats Jesus's flesh and blood. One may have a picture of one's lover as a remembrance, but once one's lover returns from faraway places, one does not have to focus on the picture that served as a remembrance, but one would have to focus their attention on the lover now. Likewise, today, all believers must eat the true flesh and blood of Jesus, which is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Therefore, one must receive and believe in the Word of Testimony of the fulfillment of Revelation given by the Promised Pastor, the messenger of Jesus. 8. Where is your church? Can I visit your church? It is found in various countries on all the continents, including South Africa, and the headquarters are found in South Korea. We are currently attending worship services online. Yes, one may visit upon invitations usually sent out during special services. Those who attend service from this church are those who are harvested from the field where the seed was sown, into the barn where the fruits are gathered as promised in Matthew 13 (Jas 1:18, Rv 14:14-16, Rv 14:1-5) 9. The Chairman says that if one doesn’t know Revelation, they will not go to Heaven; where is that in the Bible? Two thousand years ago, Jesus came and fulfilled many things and promised many things too. He promised he is coming back. The essence of what Jesus promised is found in the 4 Gospels and the book of Revelation. By knowing the essence of the promise, then one will be able to recognize Jesus and receive eternal life. The book of Revelation records the Revelation of Jesus Christ and is a book of prophecy that tells us what will be fulfilled in the future. The four gospels and the Book of Revelation is the book that contains the promise in the Bible that is in the New Testament. John 14:29 Jesus told us beforehand so that when it is fulfilled, we may believe. God fulfilled the promise he made to Abraham at the time of Moses. He fulfilled the promise he made with the Old Testament prophets at the time of the first coming and fulfilled the New Testament prophecies recorded in Revelation. When Revelation is fulfilled, God's revealed word is available and taught. This is His revealed word that contains His will. In Mt 7:21-23 Jesus clearly shows that those who don’t know God’s will cannot enter the father’s kingdom (Heaven) and are evildoers. John 17:3 and Matthew 11:27 Shows that Revelation is important because it is the process by which we come to know God. And as we come to know God, we become God's children who inherit eternal life. Jesus clearly stated that if one adds to or subtracts from Revelation, then he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven and will receive plagues (Rv 22:18-19). Those who believe and keep the promises recorded in the Bible are those that enter Heaven (Rv 1:3). Thus, one must know Revelation to keep the promise and enter Heaven. 10. How can we know that Chairman Lee is the promised pastor? We can begin discerning two entities, where in Mt 24, Jesus spoke about the signs of the second coming, saying many false prophets will arise and that we must not be deceived. In 2 Thess 2, it says we must not be easily alarmed and unsettled; anyone can come and say I am him, but we must be able to verify according to the scriptures. Also, Jesus said that we would not be able to see him until we say blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord (Mt 23:39). Then we must know who this one is so we can see Jesus. The way to know if he is the promised pastor is by verifying the evidence. The criteria to verify is the promise and the word of Testimony that is testified according to what was promised and has now been fulfilled. Deut 18:18-22, there will be one prophet like Moses, then how will we know? We will know by the evidence. Finding the true promised pastor is about the evidence. One can say I won the lottery, then give me the prize, but the only way to receive the prize is by providing the ticket that proves that you won; the same with the promised pastor, they must be evidence that proves that he is the promised pastor. Is 8:20 says that if they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn? One must understand the promise to verify who the promised pastor is. The true promised pastor must be able to show the evidence. The evidence that Jesus possessed at the first coming is the word of testimony that he had and testified. In Lk 24:26-29 Jesus explained the testimony (the promise and its fulfilled reality). The one who comes from God has evidence and speaks according to what he has seen and heard (Jn 3:31- 34). Rev 1:1-2, Rev 22:8 This person has seen and heard and can testify, which is clear evidence that he is the promised pastor. The promised pastor must have received those blessings and can testify to what they are, as seen in Rv 2-3. There is only one way to know that a messenger is truly from God. It is not by performing miracles, appearance, or some obvious feature – instead, it is the one who has the word of God. This means the one who can explain the meanings of what was hidden in the Bible in parables. We saw this well at the time of the 1st coming. In Jn 6, the 12 disciples were the only ones who perceived who Jesus was and his value - because they realized that he had the words of eternal life. Jesus could explain plainly what was hidden through prophecy (mysteries/parables) in the Old Testament because he received Revelation (the revealed word) from Heaven as the fulfillment of Ez 3. Today, in fulfillment of Rv 10, they must be someone that receives the fulfillment of the parables of the NT - this is whom Jesus tells us to look for in Rv 2 and 3. Because Chairman Lee can explain all these things, and it all ties in perfectly with the word - we can see that he is the one that Jesus told us to find - the one who has the revealed word/words of eternal life (hidden manna (Rv2:17)). The evidence in the testimony of the promised pastor: Not only does he explain the meanings of the parables or chapters of Revelation but the actual entities and realities of the fulfillment. The true witness must be able to explain Rev 1-22 in detail and connect everything from the beginning to the end. Because the Chairman was at the scene of the fulfillment of Revelation, he can testify to who the betrayers and destroyers are and what occurred. 11. God and Jesus are one - why is the entity that we know as the trinity described as having a hand that gives a scroll? When Jesus said that he and the father are one - there was a spiritual union. Just like when Adam and Eve shared their union, it is expressed that they became one (Gn 2:24). In Hosea 2, God promised that he would marry/unite with someone. Jesus was this fulfillment, as we see in Mt 3:16, when the spirit of God descends like a dove upon Jesus Christ. However, this did not make God and Jesus the same entity. When a husband and a wife marry and become one - they are still separate people physically - it’s just that their lives are intrinsically linked, and they are in step with one another - working together. This is how it was for God and Jesus. This is further evidenced in Acts 7 when Stephen was stoned; he looked up to heaven and saw Jesus at God’s right hand - if they were one entity - this would not be so. It’s the same in Rv 1 - God, Jesus, and the Angel are all separate entities, although they may work together. Through the words of Rv1:1-3, Jesus separates the three entities, and Rv 10 Revelation also shows that the Holy Spirit is separate. Jesus also said no one knows the day except father; if then he is God, how can he not know the day? Additional Explanation regarding the holy spirit: The holy spirit that came down upon the house of Mark at Pentecost (during the first coming) is the spirit that God promised to send through the Old Testament Prophet Joel (Joel 2:28). It is not the spirit that Jesus promised to send in John chapters 14 to 16. There is clear evidence of this promise and fulfillment from Joel and Acts and Peter’s testimony. Many confuse this as they think the evidence that God's word and God's spirit are inside of a person is the ability to speak in tongues, perform a miracle, etc. The prophecies in Joel were fulfilled at the first coming, as Peter stated in Acts 2:16-21. So, what is the spirit at the second coming that comes to teach us all things (John 16:13)? How will a spirit— Spirit of truth, “another Counselor”—testify to the truth for the people? At the First Coming, God, who is spirit, preached from within Jesus, who was the Counselor in the flesh, the Advocate, for that time (1 Jn 2:1). Today, at the Second Coming, God and Jesus, who is spirit, preach from within “another Counselor,” the Spirit of truth who comes in Jesus’ name for this time. Just as God is within Jesus, the Spirit of truth, the Counselor, dwells within a person, making that person an Advocate like Jesus. And as people are like houses and fields (1 Cor 3:9), he speaks the words of the Spirit of truth as that Spirit of truth enters within. The Spirit of the truth becomes one with the promised pastor of the New Testament and testifies to Revelation’s prophecies and the fulfillment of those prophecies. The Spirit of truth, the Counselor, showed the fulfillment of all the chapters of Revelation to the promised pastor (Rv 22:8) and had the promised pastor receive and ate the open scroll in Rv 10. The promised pastor was sent to the churches in the name of Jesus and gives the testimony as promised in Rv 22:16. 12. Why is fulfillment happening in South Korea? I want to know what their history is with the bible. God is almighty and powerful; therefore, he can choose whomever he wants. God always chooses someone to carry out his plan (Jer 3:15, Jn 15:16, Rom 9:16-18). At the time of Jesus’s coming, they were many believers among the physical Israelites in Israel, but God chose the household of Joseph to begin his work of fulfillment. God could have chosen any other household linked to David, but he chose the household of Joseph (Mt 1:16). People questioned Jesus, who he was, and where he came from. (John 1:45-46, Jn 6:42, Mt13:35). This helps us as believers to understand that when God fulfills his scriptures, believers often try to find out why God has chosen whoever is chosen. When it comes to the work of God, it’s not about who is chosen and where the chosen one is from; rather, we should ask ourselves how we can identify the one God has chosen. Before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ left, he commanded his disciples to preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven to the whole world as a testimony to all nations (Mt 24:14). It has been 2000 years since Jesus sowed the seed in his field (churches/spiritual Israel). Because of the work of the disciples and apostles, the word of God was spread to many countries. Just like it came to South Korea, it also spread to Africa. At the time of the second coming, Jesus fulfills his promises by choosing entities amongst spiritual Israelites. Jesus could have chosen to fulfill in any country with Christians, but he chose the land of South Korea. We know that fulfillment has happened in Korea because the physical entities have appeared as promised in the book of revelation. 13. Did the 7 messengers of the tabernacle temple know that they were chosen and did what they had read in the bible, or did they only realize this afterward? The seven messengers who appeared at the time of revelation fulfillment knew that they were the chosen ones. Jesus chose them; they did not, however, understand the full extent of what would happen throughout the book of Revelation. The seven messengers appeared and did the work of a lampstand to prepare the way. At the time of Moses, a lampstand was placed in the holy place to give light from evening until morning (Ex27:20-21). This lampstand was a copy and shadow of what was to come (Heb 10:1-2, Heb 8:5). The reality, however, appeared at the time of the first and second coming. At the time of Jesus' First coming, John the Baptist was a lamp (Jn 5:35-36), and at the time of the second coming to the seven messengers (Rv 1:20) gave the light of a lamp, they were not the true light. The seven messengers did not know the entire testimony of the book of revelation, but they knew they were chosen. If we examine the book of the Bible, we can see that all the messengers whom God chose knew that God chose them. From Noah, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, John the Baptist, and Jesus. All of them knew that God chose them. The same applies to the seven messengers. 14. I have received training on Revelation. How is this any different? Revelation is a book of prophecy (Rv1:1-3). The book of prophecy contains events to take place at specific times. Only when fulfillment has happened, that is when a believer can understand and perceive God’s plan. The Old Testament contains prophecies fulfilled at the time of the first coming. Before the fulfillment of these prophecies, no one could say I knew because the words of these prophecies were sealed with parables (Is 29:9-14). Only at the appointed time could believers fully perceive the true meaning of these prophecies (Hab 2:2-3). At the time of fulfillment of the OT, God chose one person, as promised in Ez 1,2,3, who received the word to testify to the chosen people of Israel (Mt 15:24). And this individual was Jesus. Out of the entire nation of Israel, Jesus was the only one who could testify to the true meaning of the Old Testament parables and their physical fulfillment. Are the New Testament prophecies any different? Is the book of revelation any different? Not at all. The book of Revelation is written in parables. It can only be understood at the time of fulfillment. The one who claims to know the book of revelation must testify to the physical entities that have appeared from chapter 1 to chapter 22. At the time of revelation fulfillment, Jesus chose one Pastor, as promised in Revelation 10:8-11 and Rev 22:16, to testify to the true meaning and the physical fulfillment of the book of revelation. Believers in this era must verify the words being testified by the messenger sent by Jesus. 15. What kind of work is the Chairman doing around the world? What's his stance on the Bible? The work, the Chairman of Shincheonji, is doing is two folds. Firstly, it is to spread the eternal gospel (The Physical Fulfillment of the New Covenant, Revelation). He is the messenger of Jesus that has seen what Jesus has fulfilled today and has to make it known to all nations. In 1 Tim 2:4, we can see that God's desire is for all to be saved by knowing the word of truth. The Chairman has spared no effort to educate the world of religion that has become devoid of the Word of Truth by conducting various worldwide Bible seminars to equip the world with the knowledge of God’s new covenant and His will. Secondly, the chairman has gone around the world as an advocate for Peace, cessation of war, and religious unity. In the Bible, God (Is 2:1-4, Is 52:7) and Jesus (Lk 19:38-42) carried out the work of peace. Since God promised to return to this earth (Rv 21:1-4), what kind of world will He return to? Certainly, to a unified world that is one under the same Creator God, therefore God has promised that the peacemakers will be blessed and be called sons of God (Mt 5:9) Additionally, in Jn 14:12, it is recorded that those who have faith in Jesus will do even greater things than what the Lord Jesus fulfilled 2,000 years ago. Chairman Lee is the Chairman of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) which is focused on three core peace projects: 1. Legislate Peace Campaign 2. World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) offices 3. HWPL Peace Education. The core foundational beliefs of Chairman Lee are based on the teachings of the Bible. The Bible serves as words of instruction and promise for a world where there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain (Rv 21:4). 16. Your church seems to believe that Jesus has returned the second time. Please share your scripture reference supporting this position. Yes, we believe it is now the Lord's second coming. The second coming of Jesus occurs when the New Testament prophecies are fulfilled. However, the prophecies of the NT have been sealed (Rev 5) in figurative language until the appointed time, the time of fulfillment. In Is 29, we can see that when it is sealed, no one can understand. There is an appointed time when what is prophesied is fulfilled. Then what is sealed will be revealed and taught plainly. In Jn 16:25, Jesus said he would come and plainly teach us what he has recorded in figurative language. We can only understand at the time of fulfillment. The plain testimony is evidence that it is the time of fulfillment. It is crucial to understand that the second coming is not a once-off event as many believe it to be; rather, it refers to the work of fulfillment that the Lord Jesus promised will take place when he returns. Therefore the events of the second coming to begin with the appearance of the entities promised in Revelation (Rv 1, 2, 3), and since it is the work that Lord Jesus himself fulfills, it is the second coming of the Lord. In the Old Testament, God promised to come on the cloud (Is 19:1), which was fulfilled at the 1st coming. But did God physically come on a cloud? The answer is “No.” God came in Spirit and worked through Jesus (Mt 3:16, Jn 10:30) to accomplish His will and fulfill the Old Testament prophecies (Jn 19:30). However, at that time, people missed the coming of God and did not recognize Him (Lk 19:44, Lk 12:56) because He came to them in spirit. In Mt 24, Jesus spoke about the signs of his second coming. At this time, believers have many expectations about how this will be fulfilled. For instance, they expect that at the second coming of famines, earthquakes, and wars will happen worldwide. At the 1st coming, it was difficult for the Jews to understand what God was doing at that time. This was because the prophecies were hidden in figurative language, like words written on a sealed scroll (Is 29:9-12), so they had many misunderstandings. This is why today, we must perceive the meaning of the figurative language to recognize the second coming of the Lord. Then when Jesus spoke to the disciples, he wasn't speaking about physical events but also spoke figuratively. We also need to know the signs themselves. We might expect there to be physical famines, but in Am 8:11-12 we can see that the famines were not physical but spiritual, which refers to not being able to hear God’s Word of Truth. At the second coming, Jesus returns in spirit (Lk 17:22, Mt 24:27, Act 1:11, Rv 1, 2, 3 the spirit speaking to the churches) and fulfills the work he promised 2,000 years ago during this time those who meet the Pastor Jesus promised to speak on his behalf will be able to welcome the Lord and enter the kingdom of Heaven (Rv 1:1-3). 17. There is a claim that Pastor Lee is the only promised Pastor left by Jesus for the physical fulfillment of the Book of Revelation. How can this be when God has given all who believe in Him the Holy Spirit as promised in Jn14? This question stems from a common misunderstanding of Jesus's promise in Jn 14 and the events fulfilled at the 1st Coming, as recorded in Acts 2. These are two separate events, although both are fulfilled according to the promise. The Holy Spirit descended upon believers at the time of the first coming to fulfill what was promised by God in Joel 2:28-32 in the Old Testament; this happened so that the Gospel of the physical fulfillment of the Old Testament could be spread to many nations in various languages. Jesus' promise in Jn 14-16 is fulfilled at the time of the second coming when the Holy Spirit, the counsellor who is the spirit of truth, comes and testifies to the Gospel of the physical fulfillment of the New Testament Revelation to lead us into all truth. According to Jesus' promise in the New Testament, the Counsellor (Spirit of Truth) comes and works through the Pastor who has seen and heard the events of the entire Revelation (Rv 10:1-2, 8-11; Rv 22:8, 16); therefore, it is through the Pastor who was promised ahead of time that believers can receive the testimony of the physical fulfilment of the New Covenant Revelation. Pastor Lee is not the spirit of truth as he has countless times explained; rather, he is the advocate who speaks on behalf and makes know what he has seen and heard at the hands of the spirit of Jesus (Jn 3:34). 18. I read on the internet that the Korean government recently investigated Chairman Man Hee Lee. What was the reason for the investigation, and was he found guilty of something? The Korean government falsely accused Shincheonji of purposefully spreading the COVID-19 virus. This led to the government imprisoning Chairman Lee for over 100 days. When the trial was completed, Chairman Lee and Shincheonji were acquitted of all wrongdoing about the spread of COVID-19 by the Korean Courts. 19. Did Chairman Lee embezzle money? One of the accusations against Chairman Lee was that he embezzled money to construct the Peace Palace building for personal use. Since its construction, the Peace Palace has hosted many Peace Events, most famously the annual HWPL WARP Summit. There is an ongoing case against this claim, and the Chairman has denied any wrongdoing. 20. Is it true that Shincheonji purposely spread the Corona Virus to different churches and communities? If Shincheonji believes in the promise of the Bible that there will be no more death, mourning, crying, and pain. Why would Shincheonji intentionally spread the coronavirus to different churches and communities? That goes against the life that is promised in the Bible. Everyone in the world was a victim of the virus. The government should have done better by regulating the movement of people in and out of its national borders. We should stop playing the blame game and work together to fix the problem, which Shincheonji is trying its best to do. 21. Why is Chairman Lee’s title a chairman if Shincheonji is a church? Shincheonji is a church, but a general assembly also exists within. It is no different from the other denominations of religion (e.g. United Presbyterian Church), where a general assembly constitutes personnel involved in the governing body within that religious denomination. He is given the title “Chairman” because he is the head of the governing body of Shincheonji. Contrary to popular belief, it does not represent that he is part of a business or corporation. Still, the title Chairman comes from a Korean biblical term meaning the head of God’s assembly. 22. Does Shincheonji believe only the 144,000 will be saved? Shincheonji believes in the words of the promise of the Bible. According to Rv 7, there are 144,000 who are sealed with God’s name and Jesus’ name on their foreheads. However, they are not the only ones saved. In (Rv 7:9), it says that after the 144,000, a great multitude that no one can count from every nation, tribe, people, and language will appear. This multitude that appears will come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb (Rv 7:14). God’s heart and desire are for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:3-4). 23. Is Chairman Man Hee Lee the second coming of Jesus? Chairman Lee Man Hee is not Jesus. He was chosen, used, and works together with the spirit of Jesus. He is the one who received the iron scepter from Jesus (Rv 2:26-27) and the one whom the spirit of Jesus is one with, as promised in the Bible. He is not Jesus; he is a flesh in which the spirit of Jesus works to carry out the work that Jesus promised 2,000 years ago. Lee Man Hee has never claimed that he is Jesus, nor is there a record of him doing so.