Introduction
In Shincheonji’s teaching on Revelation 6, the image of the black horse carrying a pair of scales becomes a key symbol in their doctrinal system. According to Shincheonji, the scales represent the Word of God that judges. They teach that this scale is used to measure a person’s faith, doctrine, and spiritual condition during the time of fulfillment. From this starting point, they interpret the black horse as the period of spiritual famine and doctrinal corruption. They also teach that true judgment becomes possible only when the Promised Pastor restores the perfect Word.
To support this interpretation, Shincheonji uses passages such as John 12:48, Hebrews 4:12, Amos 8:11, Leviticus 19:36, Proverbs 11:1, and Daniel 5:27. These verses are treated as evidence that the scale in Revelation 6 is a symbol for divine judgment through Scripture. Shincheonji then connects the wheat, barley, oil, and wine in the same passage to ideas such as truth, falsehood, spiritual famine, and spiritual life. In this way, the entire scene becomes a symbolic chart that supports their belief that only their organization possesses the opened Word and that only their leader can administer true spiritual judgment.
However, the meaning of the scale in Revelation 6 is not determined by these passages. Shincheonji combines texts from different genres and different historical settings and treats them as if they form a single symbolic code for Revelation. This method does not consider how each verse functions in its own context. As a result, the interpretation of the scale is shaped by Shincheonji’s doctrinal framework rather than by Revelation’s own literary structure.
The following analysis explains how Shincheonji uses each verse, then examines the original context of those passages. This shows the doctrinal problems that arise when unrelated texts are merged into one symbolic meaning. By returning to the biblical context, we can evaluate whether Revelation 6 intends the scale to represent the judging Word or whether this meaning has been imposed on the text from outside.
Be aware that groups like Shincheonji often respond to criticism by subtly adjusting their doctrine—a common tactic involving denial, adaptation, and manipulation; is a common tactic among high-control organizations. They may gather information on critics and “flip the script,” portraying exposure as persecution or misinformation. It’s essential to carefully observe doctrinal shifts rather than accepting new explanations at face value. Stay vigilant against gaslighting through evolving teachings designed to counter today’s realities and criticisms. (Read More)
Shincheonji’s Perspective
Shincheonji uses the following verses to support the concept that the scale is God’s word, which is used to weigh people’s faith and deeds.
The verses that are used –
| Symbol | SCJ Definition | Basis Claimed |
| Black horse | False pastors or corruption in doctrine | “Black” = darkness / ignorance |
| Scales | The Word that measures and judges | Verses like John 12:48 (“the word I have spoken will judge him”) and Amos 8:11 (“famine of hearing the words of the Lord”) |
| Wheat / barley | Word of truth vs. false word | Matthew 13 (good seed = truth) |
| Oil and wine | Spirit and word of life preserved with the overcomer | Spiritual allegory unique to SCJ |
They claim the “scale” shows that God measures people by the Word, and that famine in the verse is spiritual famine. Therefore, the black horse symbolizes the period when the Word is corrupted — until the “promised pastor” restores the true Word.
Doctrinal Issues
| Verse | How SCJ Uses It | Actual Context |
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“Scale = the Word that judges”; therefore the black-horse rider holding scales symbolizes judgment by the Word. | Jesus refers to His own words as the standard of judgment, not a new end-time revelation or human messenger. |
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Used to claim the Word weighs people’s faith like a balance. | The verse describes the penetrating power of God’s Word, not a symbol of measurement in Revelation. |
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Connects the famine in Revelation 6 with spiritual famine for the true Word. | Amos predicts divine silence toward Israel’s rebellion, not doctrinal corruption or church apostasy. |
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Claimed precedent that scales represent judging righteousness. | Ethical command about commercial justice, not a prophetic symbol. |
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Proof that “scales” = divine judgment by measurement. | God’s literal judgment of Belshazzar’s kingdom, not an allegory about interpreting Scripture. |
John 12:48
John 12:48 – “The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”
Shincheonji’s Perspective
Shincheonji typically builds this chain of reasoning: the “word” that judges becomes identified with the “scale” in Revelation 6:5-6, so the black horse’s “pair of scales” is said to symbolize the Word of God that measures faith and exposes false doctrine. Because they claim that only the Promised Pastor teaches the complete, open word, he becomes the one who administers that judgment, which means that accepting or rejecting their teaching becomes the same as accepting or rejecting the word that judges. In short, they equate Jesus’ statement with a future exclusive revelation administered by their organization.
Doctrinal Issues
Jesus is giving His final public appeal before His arrest, and the theme is belief versus unbelief in His person and message. In verse 47, He says that He came to save and not to judge in His first coming, while in verse 48 He explains that His word will be the standard of judgment on the last day. In verses 49 and 50, He emphasizes that His words come directly from the Father.
Therefore, the “word” that judges is the same message He has already spoken, which is His teaching about Himself, His mission, and salvation through Him.
| Observation | Explanation |
| No new mediator | The word that judges is the one Jesus already gave. There’s no hint of a new messenger or revealed doctrine later in history. |
| The judge = the Word itself | Grammatically, “the word that I have spoken” (ὁ λόγος ὃν ἐλάλησα) is the subject of the verb “will judge.” The Word, not a human, performs judgment. |
| Timing = eschatological | “On the last day” (ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ) refers to the final judgment at Christ’s return, consistent with John 5:28-29. |
| Continuity of revelation | In John’s Gospel, Jesus is the Word (John 1:1, 14). The Word’s authority is permanent and self-sufficient. It doesn’t require re-delivery through another person. |
Christ’s words = God’s eternal standard. Rejecting them is rejecting God Himself (cf. John 8:47).
Judgment by Word means humanity will be evaluated by the truth already revealed in Christ’s teaching, not by additional or secret interpretation.
The Word is self-authenticating. It judges because it embodies divine truth, not because someone wields it as a tool of authority.
| SCJ Assertion | Contextual Issue |
| “The Word that judges” = newly revealed doctrine at the end time. | Jesus speaks of the same words He has already spoken, not future revelation. |
| The “judge” acts through a physical pastor. | The text identifies the Word itself—not a person—as judge. |
| Judgment occurs now through hearing SCJ’s teaching. | John locates judgment on the last day, not in an institutional process. |
| This verse supports Revelation 6’s “scale.” | There’s no textual link between John 12 and Revelation 6; “word” and “scale” are different concepts, genres, and languages. |
Hebrews 4:12
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Shincheonji’s Perspective
SCJ frequently connects this passage to John 12:48 and Revelation 6:5-6 to argue that the Word of God is what judges and measures people’s faith, and that the scales in Revelation 6 symbolize this same judging Word. From this, they conclude that the Promised Pastor, who they claim alone possesses the opened Word, becomes the one through whom this piercing and judging Word operates.
In practice, they reinterpret Hebrews 4:12 as a description of how their leader’s teaching exposes and judges hearts, equating the living Word with their doctrine rather than with Christ Himself.
Doctrinal Issues
The section warns readers not to harden their hearts as Israel did in the wilderness, and the word of God in verse 12 functions as God’s self-disclosing speech that reveals the reality of unbelief. Verse 13 completes the thought by saying that no creature is hidden from His sight and that all are naked and exposed before the One to whom all must give account. In this context, the Word and His sight are parallel ideas that describe God’s own active presence that penetrates and judges, not a delegated human spokesman.
| Observation | Explanation |
| “Word of God” here is general, not apocalyptic | It refers to God’s revealed speech—whether Scripture, promise, or command—not to an end-time revelation through a person. |
| The Word’s activity is personal and divine | The next verse attributes the same penetrating vision to God Himself (v. 13), showing the Word is His own agency. |
| No intermediary | Nothing suggests this Word acts through a specific “flesh.” It acts directly on human hearts. |
| Function: conviction, not measurement | The Word exposes motives and unbelief; it does not “weigh doctrine” or “measure faith with a scale.” |
| SCJ Assertion | Contextual Issue |
| The “Word” works through a physical pastor. | The text presents the Word as God’s immediate, active presence, not mediated through new flesh. |
| The Word “measures” faith like a scale. | The imagery is of penetration and exposure, not weighing or measuring. |
| The verse predicts an end-time event. | Hebrews 4:12 applies to believers now; it’s an exhortation, not prophecy. |
| This supports the “scale” in Revelation 6. | Genre and imagery are unrelated: Hebrews uses a sword, Revelation a scale; one moral/exhortative, the other apocalyptic. |
Leviticus 19:36 (ESV) and Proverbs 11:1 (ESV)
Shincheonji’s Perspective
SCJ treats both passages as part of a biblical dictionary for interpreting symbols, and they claim that scales represent judgment or measurement by truth. Since God delights in just weights, the scale becomes a symbol of God’s righteous standard, which they identify as the Word. Thus, when Revelation 6:5 mentions a rider holding scales, they interpret it as depicting the moment when God’s Word, understood as their true doctrine, judges or exposes false pastors. In short, they universalize the ethical metaphor of justice into a symbolic code meaning the Word that judges.
Doctrinal Issues
Leviticus 19:36 – “You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”
This command appears within the law code of the Holiness Code in Leviticus 17–26 and instructs Israel to practice honesty in commerce. Just balances and just weights ensured fair trade, and the passage parallels Deuteronomy 25:13–16, which explicitly condemns fraudulent business practices. The meaning is straightforward: Israel was to conduct business with integrity.
The theological purpose is that God’s holiness includes ethical fairness, so Israel’s economic honesty was meant to reflect His character. There is no symbolic intent in the passage, because the scales are literal measuring tools used in daily transactions rather than symbols of divine revelation.
Proverbs 11:1 – “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.”
The context of Proverbs 11:1 is Hebrew wisdom literature that offers moral instruction for righteous living. The proverb contrasts two ethical attitudes: a false balance that represents deceit and exploitation, and a just weight that represents integrity pleasing to God. It belongs to a broader set of proverbs that connect righteousness with fair dealing and justice, such as Proverbs 16:11 and 20:10 and 23. In this setting, the scale is an illustration of moral integrity, not a prophetic symbol for spiritual measurement or the Word.
Throughout the Old Testament, scales consistently symbolize justice and fairness rather than the Word. For example, Job 31:6 says, “Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity.” Job is appealing to God’s justice and moral evaluation, not to Scripture as a revelatory measuring tool. The imagery reflects an ethical plea for vindication, not a symbolic code about doctrine.
In Ezekiel 45:10–12, Israel is commanded to use just balances and honest measures. This instruction concerns literal economic practices within the restored community, reinforcing the same theme found in the Torah. The focus is again on integrity in trade and daily life, not on prophecy or spiritual insight. The passage continues the long biblical pattern in which scales function as instruments of fairness.
Even when scales appear in more symbolic or visionary contexts, the meaning remains tied to moral or judicial fairness rather than spiritual revelation. They communicate God’s concern for justice, equity, and righteous judgment, not a hidden meaning about doctrinal interpretation or an exclusive teaching authority.
| SCJ Claim | Problem |
| “Scales represent the Word that judges.” | Neither passage mentions the Word; both concern economic honesty. |
| “God’s just scale = divine standard of truth.” | The “standard” here is ethical, not doctrinal or revelatory. |
| “The scale in Revelation 6 continues this symbol.” | Revelation’s scale context is famine, not moral justice or doctrinal judgment. |
| “Scripture defines symbols by precedent.” | Only when the Bible explicitly reuses a symbol (e.g., lampstands = churches, Rev 1:20). Revelation never redefines scales via Leviticus or Proverbs. |
Leviticus 19:36 and Proverbs 11:1 teach that God delights in honesty and fairness, and His people are called to mirror His justice in their daily lives. These verses address ethical integrity rather than apocalyptic symbolism, focusing on real economic practices and moral character. Using them to define the scale in Revelation as the Word that judges removes them from their historical context and misrepresents their theological purpose. The scales in Leviticus and Proverbs reveal God’s moral character, which forms the foundation for justice among His people, not a secret key for decoding prophecy.
Conclusion
The examination of Scripture shows that the scale in Revelation 6 cannot bear the meaning that Shincheonji assigns to it. Shincheonji teaches that the scale represents the Word that judges and that it functions as a tool through which the Promised Pastor measures faith and doctrine. This interpretation depends on combining unrelated passages from different genres and treating them as a unified symbolic code. When each of those passages is read in its own context, the symbolic system collapses.
John 12:48 speaks of judgment by the words Jesus already delivered. Hebrews 4:12 describes the penetrating power of God’s self-disclosing Word. Amos 8 warns of divine silence during Israel’s rebellion. Leviticus 19 and Proverbs 11 deal with fairness in business and personal integrity. Daniel 5 speaks of God’s judgment on a specific Babylonian king. None of these passages redefine the scale in Revelation or establish it as a symbol for end-time doctrinal measurement.
Revelation 6 uses the imagery of scales in a way consistent with famine and scarcity in the ancient world. The context is the worldwide effects of the Lamb’s judgments. Nothing in the text links the scales to doctrinal evaluation or to a human mediator. The interpretation presented by Shincheonji does not arise from Revelation itself. It is built by borrowing language from other books of the Bible and reshaping it to support a predetermined theological system.
For these reasons, the scale in Revelation 6 should be understood within its own apocalyptic setting. It represents economic judgment and hardship, not an exclusive revelation held by a single pastor. Scripture presents Jesus Christ and His words as the final standard of judgment, and this judgment occurs at the last day, not through a modern institution or interpretive authority. The biblical evidence shows that the meaning of the scale belongs to Revelation’s own narrative and cannot be redefined to support Shincheonji’s doctrinal claims.