The lesson on the figurative meaning of scales in the Bible covers how scales represent God’s judgment of weighing our hearts/faith and deeds against the standard of His Word. We want to be found spiritually “heavy” or faithful when weighed on God’s honest scales, not lacking like Belshazzar. Satan’s “dishonest scales” involve adding to or taking away from God’s Word, which has serious consequences warned in Revelation. On the day of judgment, our lives will be weighed against the scriptures to test if our faith produced good deeds, as faith without deeds is dead. We are encouraged to regularly examine ourselves against God’s Word to ensure our faith is proven genuine through our actions, so we are ready when weighed on that final day. The key lesson is to diligently follow Jesus’ teachings through our thoughts and actions, proving our faith is alive through spiritual fruit, so we are found faithful and “heavy” with righteousness when judged by God’s perfect scales and standard.
Shincheonji holds distinct theological views that differ from mainstream Christian denominations, yet it also shares some common teachings. This overlap can sometimes blur the lines between their beliefs and those of traditional Christianity. Therefore, it is essential to exercise critical thinking and discernment to differentiate between these shared elements and the unique doctrines they present.
While their interpretations warrant careful examination through a critical and biblical lens, it is equally important to approach these matters with an open yet discerning mindset.
The following notes were documented in person during Shincheonji’s 9-month Bible Study Seminar. They provide insight into the organization’s approach to introducing and explaining its beliefs to potential new members, often referred to as the ‘harvesting and sealing.’ This process is described as being ‘born again’ or ‘born of God’s seed,’ which involves uprooting the old beliefs and replanting new ones. This uprooting and replanting must occur continuously. By examining this process, we can gain a better understanding of the mindset and beliefs held by Shincheonji members.
Figurative meanings:
Scales = the word
- Revelation 6:5 – When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.
- This verse describes the rider of the black horse holding a pair of scales, signifying judgment in the last days.
- Proverbs 24:12 – If you say, “But we knew nothing about this, does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?- This verse states that God weighs the heart, emphasizing that God judges the inner thoughts and motivations of a person.
- Job 31:6 – let God weigh me in honest scales – and he will know that I am blameless—
- Job proclaims his innocence, asking God to weigh him on honest scales, highlighting the fairness and righteousness of God’s judgment.
- Psalm 62:9 – Surely the lowborn are but a breath the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.- This verse describes men as lighter than air when weighed on scales, highlighting the frailty and insignificance of human efforts apart from God.
Secrets of Heaven: Figurative Scales
19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Jesus advised his disciples that when they speak, it would not actually be them speaking, but rather the Spirit of the Father giving them the words. When someone references scripture and teaches it accurately, they are no longer simply speaking their own ideas. Instead, they become a vessel for the Word of God.
As John 1:1 states, God is the Word. So when we read from scripture, we should view it as God Himself speaking to us. Preachers and teachers of scripture are containers used to convey what God says. The words spoken by teachers of scripture are not their own ideas; they too have learned the Word just as the congregation does.
Therefore, no one should take credit for biblical insights or messages shared from scripture. All glory belongs to God. We should develop the consistent practice of giving glory to God rather than ourselves whenever we reference or share the Word. The goal is to become vessels that accurately convey the truths of scripture rather than promoting our own ideas.
So what do the scales mean?
Scales are the word.
So let’s find out through scripture, why? I hope we’ve really been enjoying learning. Why things are the way they are. We don’t just say, that’s what it is, believe it. But we look into scripture to see why it is the case. And look at the logic that God had established through the things he had made. So, let’s now look and understand the scales.
Our hope is to be weighed and found worthy in God’s scales. In the world’s scales, we want to be as light as possible – the lighter the number, the better. But that’s the world’s way of judging.
In contrast, from God’s perspective, we must be found heavy. Why is that important? Let’s seek to understand this concept today.
Figurative Scales
Main Reference:
5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”
This passage presents an interesting situation – seals are being opened, an angel is speaking, and a rider on a black horse appears holding a pair of scales. The rider then mentions oil.
Each of these elements are parables. The oil, the wine, the black horse, the scales held by the angel – they are all parables with deeper meaning.
The rider was holding a pair of scales, which carries important significance. Understanding what the scales represent is critical so that we can be sure we are on the “right side” of the meaning and not the “wrong side.” We certainly want to avoid the wrong interpretation. Let’s carefully examine what the scales signify so we are weighted favorably in our comprehension of this passage.
1. Physical characteristics of Scales
Scales are quite interesting because they serve a number of different purposes in the world. So let’s look at the differences of how scales are used. But first, let’s remember our main passage for The Parables. Which is what what is our main passage or The Parables?
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
In each session, we will revisit this verse to ensure it remains fresh in our memories.
The essence of Creation provides insight into the nature of God. God crafted the creation intentionally, in such a manner that when the appropriate time arrives, we might gain an understanding of Him.
So what does a scale do?
A scale has two purposes:
ONE – It is a symbol of judgment.
Understanding judgment is important. At its core, judgment means to discern – to determine if something meets a particular standard or not. In order to make a fair judgment, there must be an objective benchmark to compare things against.
For example, the concept of “heavy” only makes sense in comparison. A person may seem heavy compared to someone lighter, but light compared to someone heavier. There needs to be a standard weight to judge what constitutes “heavy.”
Similarly, biblical judgment requires a fixed, absolute standard that applies universally. Without clarity on the standard, judgments become subjective and risk being seen as unfair or confusing. An objective standard eliminates that subjectivity.
Judgment, then, is not intrinsically negative. It is simply carefully discerning where something or someone stands in relation to an absolute, defined standard. A scale symbolizes this concept of judgment.
TWO – It’s a tool for weighing
A scale weighs whether something is heavy or light according to a standard. That standard determines whether something is right or wrong. The standard is called a law. This is why scales are used in courts – to measure if someone is right or wrong according to the established law of the land, which then leads to a judgment or sentence.
For example, courtrooms often have an image of scales in their logos, representing the weighing of evidence and arguments to determine if someone violated the law. One side of the scales holds the standard or law, the other side holds the thing being weighed or measured.
So why does God use scales as a metaphor? What standard are we being measured against? We’ll examine God’s scales and Satan’s scales and look at how the weighing or measuring process works in a spiritual context.
So let’s look at God’s scales…
Reminder:
1. Symbol of judgement
2. Tool for weighing
2. Spiritual Meaning of Scales.
If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?
What did it say? ‘Does he who weighs the heart not know it?’ I often find it amusing when someone says ‘Oh I don’t need to do that. God knows my heart.’ Who here has shared that sentiment before? ‘God knows my heart,’ someone recently remarked. People frequently say this to avoid doing something they know they should be doing.
The real question we should ask is: Yes, God does know your heart, but does He like what He sees there? We cannot fool God – it’s not possible. God’s scales weigh one’s heart.
One thing God’s scales weigh is the heart. Interesting. So what then is God looking for when He weighs the heart?”
2 “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.
God weighs our deeds on His scales, judging us according to our actions, as Proverbs 24:12 states “Man will be judged according to what he has done.” Our actions and faith both matter – we will not be judged on faith alone. As James 2:26 explains, “Faith without deeds is dead.” Faith and obedience work together, not in opposition. True faith naturally leads to obedience – they are intrinsically linked, like hydrogen and oxygen in water. You cannot have one without the other.
This principle – that one’s heart and actions are weighed together – was used to judge who would become the next king of Israel.
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Humanity tends to judge by outward appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart. God examines one’s inner self, while the world applies various superficial weights – skin tone, height, physical appearance, family background, preferences.
However, God uses a simple scale – what lies inside, the true essence of a person. My skin color reveals little about who I am, only where my ancestors likely lived under the sun. To really know me, you must converse with me, listen to me, and observe my words and actions over time.
This perspective is not new, though it was expressed first by God. If we wish to understand one another, we must open our ears and minds.
God’s scales measure one’s heart and deeds. The characteristics of God’s scales are that they assess intrinsic character and conduct, not external traits.
let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless—
Let God weigh me with honest scales – God’s scales that measure blamelessness. Let us be those who are blameless. Let us be those who pass God’s weighing. As God says, ‘This one weighs appropriately.’
There are those in the Bible who were weighed and did not measure up. Let’s read the story of one of them – King Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar – so we can learn from his mistakes and not repeat them ourselves.
This was a period when the Israelites were enslaved and exiled in Babylon, which now owned all they had. However, Babylon’s actions came with consequences. In Exodus 25-40, God gave detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle, repeatedly emphasizing that the items set aside for it were sacred. For instance, the incense was only to be burned for Temple purposes – if used casually, it would violate its holy status.
This sanctity extended to all items made for the Temple. Yet as we will see, King Belshazzar disregarded this.
King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.
The passage describes how the King became terrified after seeing the writing on the wall during a feast, and called in all of his enchanters, astrologers, diviners, and also summoned Daniel. Daniel had gained a reputation for being able to interpret things well. Eventually, Daniel tells the King the interpretation of the writing on the wall, which was not favorable news.
25 “This is the inscription that was written:
mene, mene, tekel, parsin
26 “Here is what these words mean:
Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
27 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain,
The words “mene, mene, tekel, parsin” were written on the wall by a hand. This phrase comes from the Bible story where Belshazzar saw a hand writing a message on the wall during a feast, which Daniel then interpreted. The words meant that Belshazzar had been “weighed on the scales” by God and was found “wanting” or lacking. He was judged as too lightweight, not worthy. That very night, Belshazzar was killed.
So what are the consequences of being weighed by God and found wanting? The story shows the stakes are life and death. God has not changed since Biblical times. He is the same God then as today. We will be held accountable for the things we do. This is why the apostle Paul urged believers to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” in Philippians 2:12. No one should rest assured of their standing before God. We are all being weighed, and may God find us faithful even now. The disciples of Jesus did not take their faith for granted but worked diligently to grow in godliness. We must follow their example.
Reminder:
God’s scales:
– Weigh the heart (Proverbs 24:12)
– Weigh the deeds (1 Samuel 2:2-3)
– God weighed David ——> He passed (1 Samuel 16:7)
– Are honest —–> blameless (Job 31:6)
Let’s review what we have covered so far. We discussed that God weighs our heart and actions – or we could say He weighs our faith and deeds – on a scale as a symbol of judgment.
This scale measures whether something is spiritually heavy or light based on God’s standard, not our own. For the scales to work properly, this standard needs to be fixed and honest. This is why scales represent judgment in human laws and courtrooms as well – actions are weighed against an established legal code.
Similarly, God wants to ensure He judges people by His standard, His Word, not their own standard. Let’s examine this concept further in Scripture.
There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.
What did Jesus say? There is a judge for everyone who does not accept me and rejects my words. By my words I will condemn them on the last day.
So when Jesus spoke, his words became the standard of judgment – the thing to which we will be compared on the last day. Things are starting to come together. Because the Gospels state that God gave all authority to judge to the Son. And what does the Son use to carry out that judgment? He uses his words. “Did you do what I told you to do? When I said to treat your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31), did you? When I said ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8), did you do so? When I said do not judge or you will be judged (Matthew 7:2), did you judge?”
That is what Jesus is going to do. When he said “when the abomination that causes desolation spoken of through the Prophet Daniel appears in the holy place, flee to the mountains” (Matthew 24:15-16), did you flee?The last one was a prophecy, spoken in parables, not as clear as “treat your neighbor as yourself.” When everyone will be judged all the same, it is better to understand, better to know what he means, so that we can carry it out. This is very similar to what Jesus said, or what was said, about the word of God.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
What is the word of God? It is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. The word divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges one’s thoughts and attitudes of the heart. The word functions as a scale and standard for judgment.
Let us examine this scale and how judgment takes place, so we are prepared and not caught unaware. We should ready ourselves like children of the light who know what to expect, rather than being ignorant like children of darkness. By understanding the word’s judging role, we can be ready for it.
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
According to the 66 books of the Bible, there are books that will be used to judge us on the last day. Along with the Book of Life, there are other books that record whether we learned the lessons and carried out the commands in Scripture. As Jesus said, “My very words will judge them at the last day.”
These books will judge whether we accepted all of Jesus’s words fully – not just the easy parts, but also the difficult parts we may struggle to understand. We must seek to understand it all and obey. Though challenging, we can do it, with God’s help.
There is an enemy who wants to confuse us and keep us from understanding – Satan. We must be aware of his schemes so we are ready, clinging to God’s truth. Let’s be diligent students of God’s Word, learning and living out all He calls us to, not just what comes easily. With the Spirit’s help, we can accept and submit to it all.
Satan’s scales
The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.
What does God dislike? Dishonest scales. What are honest scales? Scales that do not manipulate or deceive. God abhors dishonest scales. What does this metaphor mean? Let’s imagine a merchant with a store selling rice by weight. If the merchant rigs the scale to underweigh the rice, charging for a full pound while providing less, that is a dishonest scale.
God hates this deception. But is God solely concerned with the physical scale? No, that is not Solomon’s point. The scale is a parable. What does God truly dislike? God hates lies and deception, especially when used to take unfair advantage of others.
The metaphor of dishonest scales represents abusing a position of power or authority to exploit people through deception. When one manipulates measurements or facts for selfish gain, it is an affront to truth and fairness. This is the kind of dishonesty that God detests most – lying to harm others and serve oneself.
Proverbs 30-5-8
5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
7 “Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Every word of God is already flawless. What makes God’s word lawless? A scale is honest when it measures accurately. But what happens when someone interprets, adds thoughts and ideas, essentially adding to the word? They make the scale dishonest. When someone else then asks what a passage means, they use this faulty understanding from the beginning. So every answer based on this will be inaccurate.
Someone has distorted God’s word into falsehood. This is why verse 8 says to keep falsehood and lies far from me. The writer asked God to provide his daily needs, not poverty or riches. Verse 6 contains a warning – do not add to God’s words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
Instead, let’s look at what the word of God actually says, not what we think it says. There are serious consequences for being proven a liar, as described in Revelation. We should know about these consequences so that we can be found trustworthy. So let’s examine this verse accurately.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
Let us not add to or take away from biblical prophecy, as warned in Revelation. To do so would be to risk losing our share in eternal life. Rather, let us seek to understand Scripture as it was intended – in its flawless, original state, not according to human interpretations which can be flawed or biased.
We may wonder, is it even possible to know the Bible’s original meaning? Can we escape the cycle of conflicting opinions and confusion over what is right? There is hope – the time may come when God sets the record straight. Perhaps that time has already arrived and we should examine Scripture more closely.
Today’s lesson, though difficult, reminds us to approach prophecy with utmost care and humility. We must handle the word of God diligently and allow it to speak for itself.
Being Weighed
Draw a scale diagram. On one side, depict the flawless word of God. On the other side, represent myself compared to God’s word. Am I flawless? Do I faithfully speak God’s word? Am I trying my best? Now that I know I must do so, am I putting in effort?
Am I reading God’s word as if my life depends on it? Or am I content with the status quo? Let us not be surprised if we are weighed and found wanting. Rather, rejoice if we are found faithful servants by God at the last day. Through Jesus’s redemptive blood, we see how we should live. His example should be our daily practice, not an occasional consideration. We must commit time and dedication to following Christ.
We can accidentally err like Belshazzar, judged though ignorant. One may unknowingly exceed the speed limit and still receive a ticket. Let us know God’s ways to avoid judgment. We can do this. God will say “Well done, good and faithful servant” if we follow Jesus’s model and God’s word.
Memorization
There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.
There is a judge for everyone. Anyone who rejects me and does not accept my words, the very words that I have spoken will condemn them on the last day. Let’s keep this in mind and heart so that we can live according to Jesus’s teachings. Because Jesus’s words are like his blood – they cleanse us (John 15:3 “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you”). It’s important that we hear and understand his message. I’m glad you’re here to hear these words.
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