Analysis of SCJ Lesson 23: “Secrets of Heaven – Figurative Fire”

A Refutation Using “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story”

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Introduction: When Warmth Becomes a Weapon

Imagine you’re camping on a cold winter night. A stranger approaches your campsite carrying a torch. “I see you’re cold,” he says kindly. “Let me share my fire with you.” Grateful, you welcome him. He begins teaching you about fire—how it provides warmth, light, and protection. He explains that fire can purify metals, cook food, and keep predators away. Everything he says is true and helpful.

But then his teaching takes a subtle turn. “Not all fire is the same,” he warns. “Most people think any fire will do, but they’re wrong. There’s true fire that gives life, and false fire that only destroys. The fire you’ve been using? That’s unauthorized fire. It might feel warm, but it’s actually dangerous. Only my fire—the fire I’ve been given from the true source—can really protect you.”

Confused, you look at your campfire. It seems perfectly fine. It’s warm, it’s cooking your food, it’s keeping you safe. But the stranger’s words create doubt. He sounds so knowledgeable, so certain. He quotes survival manuals and tells stories of people who used the “wrong” fire and suffered for it. Gradually, you begin to question your own fire. Maybe he’s right. Maybe you need his fire instead.

By morning, you’ve extinguished your own campfire and become dependent on his torch. You don’t realize until much later that your original fire was perfectly adequate—and that his “special fire” was simply a tool to make you dependent on him.

This is what happens in SCJ Lesson 23.

The lesson appears to be a solid biblical teaching about God’s Word as fire—a common and legitimate biblical metaphor. Instructor Nate walks students through passages from Jeremiah, Malachi, Matthew, and Revelation, explaining how God’s Word both refines and judges. He encourages students to be refined rather than judged, to embrace God’s truth rather than Satan’s lies. Everything sounds orthodox, biblical, and spiritually enriching.

But beneath the surface, something else is happening. The lesson is constructing a framework that will eventually position SCJ’s interpretation as the only “authorized fire”—the only legitimate understanding of God’s Word that can truly refine believers. By teaching that there are two types of fire (God’s truth vs. Satan’s lies) and that most people unknowingly embrace the wrong fire, the lesson creates anxiety that only SCJ’s system can resolve.

This lesson sits at position 23 in the Introductory (Parables) Level—strategically placed after students have learned about “sealed” Scripture, symbolic interpretation, and the need for special revelation. Students are now being taught that even sincere Christians might be offering “unauthorized fire” to God without realizing it. The solution, they’ll eventually learn, is accepting SCJ’s “opened” understanding as the only authorized fire.

By the time students realize where this teaching leads, they’ve already extinguished their original faith and become dependent on SCJ’s torch. Let’s examine how this lesson uses legitimate biblical teaching to build an illegitimate theological trap, and how the principles in “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story” expose the manipulation.

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Part 1: What SCJ Teaches in This Lesson

The Surface Teaching (What Students Hear)

The lesson presents a straightforward symbolic interpretation of fire in Scripture:

Physical Characteristics of Fire:

• Fire is hot and consumes
• Fire can either refine/purify or destroy
• In controlled settings, fire gives life (warmth, light, cooking)
• In uncontrolled settings, fire destroys everything

Spiritual Meaning of Fire:

• Fire = God’s Word (Jeremiah 23:29, 5:14)
• God’s Word, like fire, has dual effects: it refines the righteous and judges the wicked

Old Testament Prophecy (Malachi 4:1-2):

• A day is coming that will burn like a furnace
• The arrogant and evildoers will be burned up like stubble
• Those who revere God’s name will be healed and refined

First Coming Fulfillment (Matthew 3:12, 23:33):

• Jesus separated wheat from chaff
• Jesus judged the Pharisees with his fiery words
• Some were refined by Jesus’ teaching; others were judged

Fire Baptism vs. Fire Judgment:

• Fire Baptism = Being refined by God’s Word (Isaiah 6:6-7, Matthew 3:11)
• Fire Judgment = Being condemned by rejecting God’s Word (John 12:48)

Two Types of Fire:

• God’s Fire = Word of Truth (refines and gives life)
• Satan’s Fire = Word of Lies, “unauthorized fire” (destroys and brings death)

New Testament Prophecy (Revelation 8:7, 9:17-18):

• At the Second Coming, fire will again separate people
• Hail and fire mixed with blood will burn the earth (symbolic, not literal)
• Horses breathing fire, smoke, and sulfur will kill a third of mankind

The Subtext (What’s Really Being Established)

Beneath this seemingly biblical teaching, several problematic foundations are being laid:

1. Creating Binary Categories: The lesson establishes a stark binary: God’s fire (truth) vs. Satan’s fire (lies). While this sounds biblical, it’s preparing students to accept that any teaching outside SCJ is “Satan’s fire”—even if it comes from sincere Christians who love Jesus.

2. The “Unauthorized Fire” Trap: By introducing the concept of “unauthorized fire” (from Leviticus 10:1-2), the lesson creates profound anxiety: What if my worship, my prayers, my understanding of Scripture is unauthorized? This fear will later be resolved by accepting SCJ’s interpretation as the only “authorized” understanding.

3. Redefining “Refinement”: The lesson teaches that being “refined by fire” means accepting the correct interpretation of God’s Word. This will eventually mean accepting SCJ’s specific teachings about Revelation, Lee Man-hee, and the organization’s role in salvation.

4. Preparation for Exclusivity: The emphasis on Jesus judging the Pharisees with his words is preparing students to accept that SCJ will similarly “judge” mainstream Christianity by exposing its “false teachings.” Students are being primed to see themselves as the refined wheat and other Christians as the judged chaff.

5. Symbolic Interpretation Dependency: By teaching that Revelation’s fire imagery is symbolic (not literal), the lesson reinforces that students need SCJ’s interpretation to understand what the symbols mean. Students can’t simply read Revelation themselves—they need the instructor’s “fire” to illuminate the text.

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Part 2: Analysis Through “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story”

Chapter 11-13: Information Control and Verification Problems

Chapter 11 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story” examines isolation strategies disguised as protection. This lesson demonstrates a sophisticated form of information control: it doesn’t explicitly tell students to avoid other teachers (yet), but it creates categories that will later be used to dismiss all non-SCJ teaching as “Satan’s fire.”

The Information Control in This Lesson:

The instructor teaches: “Let us thank God that there is no God of the Old Testament and a different God of the New Testament. There is no distinction—He is the same God who carried out judgment then, and will do the same now if we offer unauthorized offerings.”

This sounds like orthodox teaching about God’s unchanging nature. But notice what’s happening psychologically:

1. Fear is being cultivated: Students are warned that offering “unauthorized fire” leads to death (Nadab and Abihu’s story)
2. Uncertainty is created: How do students know if their worship is “authorized”?
3. The instructor is positioned as the resolver: By teaching these “secrets of heaven,” he’s implicitly claiming to know what’s authorized vs. unauthorized

Chapter 13 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims” addresses the verification problem: How can students verify whether their worship is “authorized” or not? The lesson provides no objective criteria—only the instructor’s interpretation.

Biblical Response:

The New Testament is remarkably clear about what makes worship acceptable to God:

1. Worship through Christ is authorized:

• John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
• Hebrews 10:19-22: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near to God with a sincere heart.”

The “authorization” for worship is Christ’s sacrifice, not correct interpretation of symbols.

2. God looks at the heart, not interpretive sophistication:

• 1 Samuel 16:7: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
• Psalm 51:16-17: “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

3. The Nadab and Abihu story is about priestly duties, not interpretation: The lesson uses Leviticus 10:1-2 to create anxiety about “unauthorized” worship. But context matters:

• Leviticus 10:1: “Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command.”

Nadab and Abihu were priests with specific ceremonial duties under the Old Covenant. They violated explicit instructions about priestly service. This passage is not about whether ordinary believers have the “correct interpretation” of Scripture. Under the New Covenant, all believers are priests (1 Peter 2:9) with direct access to God through Christ.

Using this Old Testament passage to create anxiety about whether modern Christians’ worship is “authorized” is a misapplication of Scripture that ignores the radical change brought by Christ’s finished work.

4. The Spirit guides believers into truth:

• John 16:13: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”
• 1 John 2:27: “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.”

Believers have the Holy Spirit to guide them. While teachers are valuable (Ephesians 4:11), believers aren’t dependent on one organization’s interpretation to know if their worship is acceptable.

Chapter 18-20: Testing Authority and Creative Fulfillment

Chapter 18 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims” examines how to test claims of spiritual authority. This lesson makes implicit authority claims by positioning the instructor as the revealer of “secrets of heaven” regarding fire symbolism.

The Authority Problem:

The instructor states: “To understand what Jesus means by ‘fire,’ we should consider its symbolic qualities. Let’s first consider its physical characteristics.”

This sounds reasonable—using physical characteristics to understand spiritual symbolism (Romans 1:20). But the lesson then provides specific interpretations as if they were the only correct understanding, without explaining how students can verify these interpretations.

Chapter 19 discusses unfalsifiable claims. The lesson’s framework creates an unfalsifiable system:

• If you accept the teaching → You’re being refined by God’s fire
• If you question the teaching → You might be resisting refinement (like the Pharisees who rejected Jesus)
• If you seek alternative interpretations → You might be embracing “Satan’s fire” of lies

Chapter 20 warns about “creative fulfillment”—adding interpretive layers to Scripture that support predetermined conclusions. This lesson demonstrates that technique.

Biblical Response:

1. Jesus’ use of fire imagery was clear in context:

When Jesus said, “I have come to bring fire on the earth” (Luke 12:49), the context shows He was talking about division and judgment:

• Luke 12:51-53: “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.”

Jesus was prophesying that His message would divide families and communities—some would accept Him, others would reject Him. The “fire” was the testing and division His message would bring.

The lesson isn’t wrong to connect this to God’s Word (Jesus is the Word incarnate, John 1:1), but it adds layers of interpretation about “refined vs. judged” that go beyond what the text actually says.

2. Malachi 4:1-2 was fulfilled in Christ’s first coming:

The lesson correctly identifies Malachi 4 as prophecy fulfilled at Jesus’ first coming. But it then suggests a second fulfillment at the Second Coming, creating a pattern where Old Testament prophecies have multiple fulfillments that require SCJ’s interpretation to understand.

The New Testament itself explains how Malachi’s prophecy was fulfilled:

• Malachi 4:5-6: “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents.”
• Matthew 11:13-14: Jesus said, “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.”
• Matthew 17:10-13: The disciples asked, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him… Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.”

The “fire” prophecy of Malachi was fulfilled when John the Baptist and Jesus came. John baptized with water for repentance; Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11)—meaning His message would refine some and judge others.

The lesson’s suggestion that this prophecy has a second, future fulfillment at the Second Coming is adding to Scripture rather than interpreting what’s there.

3. Revelation’s fire imagery has specific contextual meanings:

The lesson references Revelation 8:7 and 9:17-18 as prophecies about the Second Coming. But it provides no methodology for determining what these symbols mean—students are simply told they’re symbolic and must wait for later lessons to understand them fully.

This creates dependency: students can’t understand Revelation themselves; they need SCJ’s interpretation.

Biblical Response to Revelation’s Fire Imagery:

Chapter 26 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims” is titled “Reading Revelation Like a First-Century Christian.” It explains that Revelation was written to seven actual churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 1:4, 11) who were facing real persecution from the Roman Empire.

The fire imagery in Revelation draws from Old Testament judgment imagery (particularly the Exodus plagues and prophetic judgments) to describe God’s judgment on the persecutors of His people. The original readers would have understood this as encouragement that God would judge their oppressors, not as a coded message about events 2,000 years in their future requiring special interpretation.

For example:

• Revelation 8:7 (hail and fire mixed with blood): Echoes the seventh plague in Egypt (Exodus 9:23-25)
• Revelation 9:17-18 (horses breathing fire, smoke, sulfur): Draws from prophetic imagery of invading armies (Joel 2:4-5, Nahum 3:2-3)

These images communicated to first-century readers: “God will judge those who persecute you, just as He judged Egypt and other enemies of His people throughout history.”

The lesson’s approach—treating these as coded symbols requiring special revelation to decode—misses the pastoral purpose of Revelation: to encourage persecuted believers that God sees their suffering and will bring justice.

Chapter 21-23: God’s Character and Sovereignty

Chapter 21 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims” is titled “The Heart of God: When Love Refuses to Let Go.” It examines whether God’s character is primarily about conditional acceptance (you must get the interpretation right) or unconditional love (God pursues you even when you’re wrong).

The Character Problem in This Lesson:

The lesson emphasizes God’s judgment and the danger of “unauthorized fire” more than God’s grace and patience. Students are told:

“Let us thank God that there is no God of the Old Testament and a different God of the New Testament. There is no distinction—He is the same God who carried out judgment then, and will do the same now if we offer unauthorized offerings.”

While it’s true that God is unchanging, the emphasis here creates fear rather than confidence. Students are left wondering: Am I offering unauthorized fire without knowing it?

Chapter 22 (“When Satan Tried to Hijack God’s Plan and Failed Every Time”) and Chapter 23 (“The God Who Waits”) examine God’s sovereignty and timing. These chapters show that God’s plan cannot be thwarted by human misunderstanding or imperfect worship—God is powerful enough to accomplish His purposes even when His people don’t understand everything perfectly.

Biblical Response:

1. God is patient with our imperfect understanding:

• 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
• Romans 2:4: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”

God’s character is primarily defined by patience and kindness, not by waiting to judge those who don’t have perfect interpretive understanding.

2. Jesus welcomed imperfect worshipers:

• The Samaritan woman (John 4): Her theology was confused (Jews vs. Samaritans worshiping in different places), but Jesus didn’t condemn her for “unauthorized worship.” He offered her living water.
• The Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:21-28): She had pagan background and imperfect understanding, but Jesus commended her faith.
• The thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43): He had no theological training, no correct interpretation of prophecy, no time to learn doctrine—just simple faith: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus’ response: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

If correct interpretive understanding were necessary for acceptable worship, none of these people would have been welcomed by Jesus.

3. The New Covenant changes everything:

The lesson uses Old Covenant examples (Nadab and Abihu, Malachi’s prophecy) to create anxiety about New Covenant worship. But the entire point of the New Covenant is that Christ’s sacrifice has made us acceptable to God:

• Hebrews 10:10: “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
• Hebrews 10:14: “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
• Colossians 2:13-14: “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”

Under the New Covenant, our acceptance before God is based on Christ’s work, not on our interpretive accuracy. We can approach God with confidence (Hebrews 4:16), not fear that our worship might be “unauthorized.”

Chapter 24-26: The Unified Biblical Narrative

Chapter 24 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims” (“The Scarlet Thread – Part 1”) warns against studying the Bible in fragments without seeing the unified narrative. This lesson demonstrates that fragmentation by pulling fire imagery from multiple contexts without showing how it all points to Christ.

The Fragmentation Problem:

The lesson jumps between:

• Old Testament ceremonial law (Leviticus 10)
• Old Testament prophecy (Malachi 4, Isaiah 6)
• Jesus’ teaching (Luke 12, Matthew 3, 23)
• Apocalyptic imagery (Revelation 8, 9)

Each passage is examined in isolation to support the “two types of fire” framework, but the lesson never shows how these passages fit into the Bible’s overarching story of redemption through Christ.

Chapter 25 (“The Scarlet Thread – Part 2”) examines how the New Testament fulfills Old Testament prophecy in Christ. The lesson mentions this briefly (Malachi fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming) but then adds layers of additional “fulfillment” at the Second Coming that will require SCJ’s interpretation.

Chapter 26 (“Reading Revelation Like a First-Century Christian”) explains that Revelation’s imagery was meaningful to its original audience, not a coded message requiring 21st-century special revelation.

Biblical Response:

1. The Bible’s unified message about fire and judgment:

When we read the Bible as a unified story, the “fire” theme has a clear progression:

Old Testament: Fire represents God’s holy presence and judgment

• Exodus 3:2: God appears to Moses in a burning bush
• Exodus 19:18: God descends on Mount Sinai in fire
• Leviticus 9:24: Fire from the Lord consumes the burnt offering
• 2 Kings 1:10: Fire from heaven consumes the king’s messengers

Prophetic Promise: A refining fire is coming

• Malachi 3:2-3: “But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire… He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
• Isaiah 4:4: “The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.”

New Testament Fulfillment: Jesus brings the refining fire

• Matthew 3:11: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
• Acts 2:3: “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.”
• 1 Corinthians 3:13-15: “Their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.”

Final Judgment: Fire will judge at Christ’s return

• 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8: “This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”
• 2 Peter 3:10: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.”

The Unified Message:

• God’s holiness is like fire—it both purifies those who draw near in faith and consumes those who rebel
• Christ brings the refining fire of the Holy Spirit to purify believers
• At His return, Christ will bring final judgment

This is the Bible’s unified teaching about fire. The lesson isn’t wrong about fire representing God’s Word or about fire having dual effects (refining vs. judging). But it fragments these passages to build SCJ’s interpretive framework rather than showing how they all point to Christ’s work of redemption and judgment.

2. The Holy Spirit is the fire of Pentecost:

The lesson mentions Matthew 3:11 (“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”) but doesn’t explain what this means. The New Testament does:

• Acts 2:3-4: “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

The “fire baptism” Jesus promised was the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This fire:

• Purified the disciples (Acts 15:8-9: “God… showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.”)
• Empowered them for witness (Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses”)
• United them as one body (1 Corinthians 12:13: “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body”)

The “fire baptism” isn’t about accepting SCJ’s interpretation. It’s about receiving the Holy Spirit, which happened at Pentecost and continues to happen when people believe in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14).

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Part 3: The Psychological Progression

The Indoctrination Process at Lesson 23

By Lesson 23, students have been in the Parables course for approximately 8-11 weeks (assuming 2-3 lessons per week). Let’s examine what’s happened psychologically:

1. Accumulated Investment: Students have now invested significant time, completed multiple tests, built relationships, and worked hard to understand complex symbolic interpretations. The sunk cost fallacy makes it increasingly difficult to walk away—they’ve invested too much to quit now.

2. Normalized Symbolic Interpretation: By Lesson 23, students have accepted that:

• The Bible is written in symbols and parables
• These symbols require special interpretation
• The instructor has access to correct interpretations
• Understanding these interpretations is essential for spiritual maturity

This foundation makes the “two types of fire” teaching seem natural rather than questionable.

3. Fear-Based Motivation: The lesson introduces profound anxiety: What if my worship is unauthorized? What if I’m unknowingly offering Satan’s fire instead of God’s fire?

This fear creates urgency. Students who might have been casually interested in Bible study now feel their spiritual safety is at stake. They need to keep learning to ensure they’re on the right side.

4. Binary Thinking: The lesson reinforces black-and-white categories:

• God’s fire vs. Satan’s fire
• Refined vs. judged
• Wheat vs. chaff
• Authorized vs. unauthorized

This binary thinking will later be applied to organizations: SCJ vs. mainstream Christianity, true believers vs. deceived Christians, those with opened understanding vs. those still in darkness.

5. Identification with the “Refined” Group: Students are encouraged to see themselves as those being refined by God’s fire, not judged. This creates positive identity: I’m part of the group that accepts God’s truth. I’m being purified, not destroyed.

This identity investment makes it harder to question the teaching later—questioning would mean identifying with the “judged” group rather than the “refined” group.

6. Preparation for Persecution Complex: The lesson’s emphasis on Jesus judging the Pharisees prepares students to expect opposition. When family members or pastors later express concern about SCJ, students will interpret this as “persecution” similar to what Jesus faced—confirmation that they’re on the right path.

Biblical Response: How Jesus Actually Taught

The contrast with Jesus’ teaching method is instructive:

Jesus created confidence, not anxiety:

• Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Jesus’ teaching brought rest, not fear of offering “unauthorized fire.”

Jesus welcomed questions and doubts:

• John 20:24-29: Thomas doubted the resurrection. Jesus didn’t condemn him or suggest his doubt was “unauthorized.” He provided evidence and said, “Stop doubting and believe.”

Jesus pointed to Himself, not to an interpretive system:

• John 5:39-40: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”

The goal of biblical study is to know Christ, not to master a symbolic interpretation system.

Jesus’ “fire” was His message about the Kingdom:

• Luke 12:49-50: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!”

Jesus was speaking about His coming death and resurrection, which would ignite the spread of the gospel. The “fire” was the message of the Kingdom that would spread rapidly after Pentecost (Acts 2:41: “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day”).

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Part 4: Distinguishing Biblical Truth from SCJ Framework

What’s Biblical in This Lesson?

It’s important to acknowledge what’s actually true and biblical:

1. God’s Word is compared to fire in Scripture:

• Jeremiah 23:29: “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord
• Jeremiah 5:14: “I will make my words in your mouth a fire”

This is legitimate biblical metaphor.

2. Fire has dual effects—refining and judging:

• Malachi 3:2-3: Refining fire purifies
• Malachi 4:1: Judgment fire destroys the wicked

This is biblically accurate.

3. Jesus’ words both comfort and challenge:

• John 15:3: “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”
• John 12:48: “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.”

Jesus’ message does have dual effects depending on response.

4. The Holy Spirit came as “tongues of fire”:

• Acts 2:3: “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.”

The fire baptism Jesus promised was fulfilled at Pentecost.

5. There will be final judgment:

• 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8: Jesus will return “in blazing fire” to judge
• Revelation contains imagery of judgment

This is orthodox Christian teaching.

What’s Uniquely SCJ?

The problematic elements are subtle but significant:

1. The “unauthorized fire” anxiety:

• Biblical: Nadab and Abihu violated specific priestly duties under Old Covenant ceremonial law
• SCJ: Creates anxiety that ordinary believers’ worship might be “unauthorized” without correct interpretation

2. The suggestion that most Christians have “Satan’s fire”:

• Biblical: False teaching exists and should be discerned (1 John 4:1)
• SCJ: Prepares students to view all non-SCJ teaching as “Satan’s fire of lies”

3. The emphasis on needing special interpretation:

• Biblical: Scripture is clear enough for ordinary believers (Psalm 119:130, 2 Timothy 3:15-17)
• SCJ: Fire symbolism requires SCJ’s “secrets of heaven” interpretation

4. The multiple-fulfillment framework:

• Biblical: Prophecies are fulfilled in Christ (Luke 24:44)
• SCJ: Old Testament prophecies have multiple fulfillments requiring SCJ’s interpretation to understand

5. The binary categorization:

• Biblical: There is truth and error, but discernment is needed (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
• SCJ: Creates rigid categories (God’s fire vs. Satan’s fire) that will later map onto SCJ vs. everyone else

6. Revelation as coded message:

• Biblical: Revelation was written to encourage seven actual churches facing persecution (Revelation 1:4, 11)
• SCJ: Revelation is a coded message about the Second Coming requiring special interpretation

The Blurred Lines

The genius of this lesson is how it blurs biblical truth with SCJ framework:

Example 1: Fire Baptism

• Biblical truth: Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11)
• Biblical fulfillment: Pentecost (Acts 2:3-4)
• SCJ addition: Fire baptism means being refined by accepting correct interpretation
• Result: Students accept SCJ’s addition because it’s packaged with biblical truth

Example 2: Refining vs. Judging

• Biblical truth: God’s Word refines believers and judges unbelievers
• Biblical application: Those who trust Christ are refined; those who reject Him are judged
• SCJ addition: Being refined means accepting SCJ’s interpretation; being judged means rejecting it
• Result: Students fear being in the “judged” category and accept SCJ’s framework

Example 3: Unauthorized Fire

• Biblical truth: Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire and died (Leviticus 10:1-2)
• Biblical context: Specific violation of priestly duties under Old Covenant
• SCJ addition: Modern believers must ensure their worship is “authorized” by having correct interpretation
• Result: Students become anxious about whether their faith is acceptable to God

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Part 5: The Larger Pattern

How This Lesson Fits SCJ’s Overall Strategy

This lesson is part of a carefully designed progression:

Lessons 1-10: Foundation

• Bible is “sealed” and requires special interpretation
• Symbols and parables hide truth from the proud
• The instructor has access to correct interpretations

Lessons 11-20: Building Blocks

• Specific symbols are defined (seed, tree, field, harvest, etc.)
• Students learn SCJ’s symbolic “dictionary”
• Each lesson adds another piece to the interpretive framework

Lessons 21-30: Application and Anxiety

• Lesson 23 (Fire): Creates anxiety about “unauthorized” worship
• Lesson 24 (Censer): Teaches that prayers without “the Word” don’t rise to God
• Later lessons will continue building urgency and dependency

Intermediate Level: Revelation of the System

• Students learn the “betrayal, destruction, salvation” pattern
• Christianity is presented as “destroyed” and needing restoration
• SCJ is positioned as the “salvation”

Advanced Level: Full Disclosure

• Lee Man-hee is revealed as the “promised pastor”
• SCJ is presented as the physical fulfillment of Revelation
• Students who have accepted the entire framework now accept the conclusion

Lesson 23’s Role: This lesson is laying groundwork for later claims:

• That mainstream Christianity offers “Satan’s fire” (false teaching)
• That SCJ has “God’s fire” (true interpretation)
• That accepting SCJ’s teaching is the “fire baptism” that refines believers
• That rejecting SCJ’s teaching means facing “fire judgment”

Students don’t see this yet at Lesson 23, but the foundation is being laid.

The Testimony Pattern

Chapter 14 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims” shares testimonies from former members. A common theme regarding the fire/judgment teaching:

“I became terrified that my faith wasn’t good enough. I thought, ‘What if I’ve been offering unauthorized fire to God all these years? What if my prayers don’t rise to Him because I don’t have the right understanding?’ This fear kept me in SCJ even when I had doubts—I was too afraid to leave and risk God’s judgment.”

This lesson creates that fear. The “unauthorized fire” concept becomes a psychological trap that keeps students from leaving even when they recognize problems with SCJ’s teaching.

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Part 6: Practical Application and Warning Signs

For Current Students: Questions to Ask

If you’re currently taking this course, here are critical questions to consider:

1. About the “unauthorized fire” concept:

• Does the New Testament ever tell believers to fear that their worship is “unauthorized”?
• If Christ’s sacrifice makes us acceptable to God (Hebrews 10:19-22), how can our worship be “unauthorized”?
• Is this teaching creating confidence in Christ or anxiety about interpretation?

2. About the two types of fire:

• Who determines which teaching is “God’s fire” vs. “Satan’s fire”?
• How can I verify these claims independently?
• Why am I being taught to categorize all teaching as either completely true or completely false?

3. About Revelation’s fire imagery:

• Why am I told these symbols require special interpretation when the original readers understood them?
• How do I know the instructor’s interpretation is correct?
• Why can’t I simply read Revelation in its historical context?

4. About refinement:

• Does being “refined by fire” mean accepting a specific interpretation, or does it mean growing in Christlikeness through trials (1 Peter 1:6-7)?
• Am I being refined to be more like Christ, or to accept an organization’s teaching?
• Is this teaching producing fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) or anxiety and fear?

5. About the progression:

• Where is this teaching leading?
• What will I be expected to believe in later levels?
• Why is the organization’s identity still hidden if the teaching is true?

For Family and Friends: Warning Signs

If someone you love is taking this course, watch for these signs:

1. Fear-based language:

• Talks about “unauthorized” worship or “Satan’s fire”
• Expresses anxiety about whether their faith is acceptable to God
• Seems fearful of judgment despite professing faith in Christ

2. Binary thinking:

• Categorizes all teaching as either completely true or completely false
• Shows increasing black-and-white thinking about spiritual matters
• Loses ability to appreciate nuance or complexity

3. Preparation for separation:

• Hints that most Christians are deceived
• Suggests that mainstream churches offer false teaching
• Begins distancing from previous Christian community

4. Interpretive dependency:

• Can’t read Scripture without applying symbolic interpretation
• Needs to consult study materials or instructor to understand passages
• Has lost confidence in simply reading the Bible

5. Persecution complex developing:

• Anticipates opposition as confirmation of truth
• Interprets concern as “persecution”
• Sees questioning as spiritual attack

For Pastors and Counselors

Chapter 15 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims” shares insights from pastors who have helped people leave SCJ. Key recommendations for addressing the “fire” teaching:

1. Affirm what’s true: Don’t dismiss the biblical metaphor of fire. Acknowledge that God’s Word does refine and judge. But then clarify:

• Refinement comes through trials and the Holy Spirit’s work (1 Peter 1:6-7, 2 Corinthians 3:18)
• Judgment is based on response to Christ, not interpretive accuracy (John 3:18, 36)

2. Address the fear: The “unauthorized fire” teaching creates profound anxiety. Help the person see:

• Under the New Covenant, Christ’s sacrifice authorizes our worship (Hebrews 10:19-22)
• God looks at the heart, not interpretive sophistication (1 Samuel 16:7)
• Perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18)

3. Examine the fruit: Ask: “Is this teaching producing freedom and joy, or fear and anxiety?” Jesus said we’d know false teaching by its fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). Teaching that creates fear of “unauthorized worship” doesn’t produce the fruit of the Spirit.

4. Point to Christ’s sufficiency: The core issue is whether Christ’s work is sufficient or whether we need correct interpretation to be acceptable to God. Keep bringing the conversation back to:

• Colossians 2:10: “You have been given fullness in Christ”
• Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”
• Hebrews 10:14: “By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy”

5. Provide resources: Direct people to closerlookinitiative.com/shincheonji-examination for detailed refutation of SCJ’s specific claims, including their interpretation of Revelation’s fire imagery and judgment prophecies.

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Part 7: The Biblical Alternative

The True Gospel of Fire and Refinement

The biblical teaching about fire and refinement is far more beautiful and liberating than SCJ’s system:

1. Refinement is about character, not interpretation:

• 1 Peter 1:6-7: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

God refines our faith through trials, not through accepting correct symbolic interpretations. The “fire” that refines us is the testing of our faith through life’s challenges.

2. The Holy Spirit is the refining fire:

• 2 Corinthians 3:18: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

The Spirit transforms us into Christ’s likeness. This is the “fire baptism”—not accepting an organization’s interpretation, but being filled with the Holy Spirit who produces Christ’s character in us.

3. God’s Word refines through application, not interpretation:

• Hebrews 4:12: “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.”

God’s Word refines us by exposing our hearts and calling us to repentance and obedience. The “fire” of God’s Word isn’t about mastering symbolic interpretation—it’s about allowing Scripture to search our hearts and transform our lives.

4. Judgment is based on response to Christ, not interpretive accuracy:

• John 3:18: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

The dividing line isn’t correct interpretation vs. incorrect interpretation. It’s belief in Christ vs. unbelief.

• Romans 10:9-10: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Salvation comes through faith in Christ, not through mastering symbolic interpretation.

5. We can approach God with confidence:

• Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Under the New Covenant, we don’t need to fear that our worship is “unauthorized.” Christ has authorized our access through His blood. We can come boldly, not anxiously.

• Romans 8:15-16: “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

The Holy Spirit produces confidence and intimacy with God, not fear of offering “unauthorized fire.”

How to Actually Study Fire Imagery in Scripture

Instead of SCJ’s approach (fragmenting passages to build a symbolic system), here’s how to study biblical fire imagery in context:

1. Recognize that symbols have contextual meanings:

Fire represents different things in different contexts:

• God’s presence: Exodus 3:2 (burning bush), Exodus 19:18 (Sinai)
• God’s holiness: Leviticus 9:24 (consuming sacrifice)
• Judgment: Malachi 4:1 (burning the wicked)
• Purification: Malachi 3:2-3 (refining silver)
• The Holy Spirit: Acts 2:3 (tongues of fire)
• Testing: 1 Corinthians 3:13 (fire testing our work)
• Final judgment: 2 Peter 3:10 (elements destroyed by fire)

The meaning depends on context, not a universal symbolic “dictionary.”

2. Let Scripture interpret Scripture:

When Jesus said “I have come to bring fire” (Luke 12:49), don’t immediately jump to symbolic interpretation. Read the context:

• Luke 12:51-53: Jesus explains He means division—families will be divided over Him
• Luke 12:49-50: Jesus connects this to His coming baptism (death and resurrection)

The “fire” is the testing and division His message brings. Some will accept Him; others will reject Him. This interpretation comes from the text itself, not from external symbolic framework.

3. Understand the historical context:

When Revelation uses fire imagery (8:7, 9:17-18), recognize:

• The original readers were facing persecution from Rome
• The imagery draws from Old Testament judgment prophecies
• The purpose was to encourage believers that God would judge their persecutors
• The symbols would have been meaningful to first-century readers

Don’t treat Revelation as a coded message requiring 21st-century special revelation. Read it as a letter to real churches facing real persecution.

4. Focus on the main point:

The Bible’s main message about fire is:

• God is holy (fire represents His holiness)
• God judges sin (fire represents judgment)
• God purifies His people (fire represents refinement)
• The Holy Spirit empowers believers (fire represents the Spirit)
• Christ will return in judgment (fire represents final judgment)

All of this points to Christ—His holiness, His judgment of sin, His work of purifying believers through the Spirit, and His return. The goal of studying fire imagery is to know Christ better, not to master a symbolic interpretation system.

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Conclusion: The Path Forward

For Those Currently in SCJ’s Course

If you’re reading this while taking SCJ’s Bible study, you’re at a critical juncture. The “fire” teaching has likely created anxiety: What if my worship is unauthorized? What if I’m unknowingly embracing Satan’s fire instead of God’s fire?

But consider this: The gospel produces confidence, not anxiety.

• Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
• Ephesians 3:12: “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

If teaching creates fear that your worship might be “unauthorized” despite faith in Christ, that teaching contradicts the gospel. Christ’s sacrifice has authorized your access to God. You don’t need a special interpretation to make your worship acceptable—you need Christ, and if you have Christ, you have everything you need.

Chapter 27 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims” (“Your Investigation Begins”) provides practical steps:

1. Test the teaching against Scripture in context: Read the passages this lesson cites in their full context. Do they actually teach what the lesson claims?
2. Examine the fruit: Is this teaching producing freedom, joy, and confidence in Christ? Or anxiety, fear, and dependency on an organization?
3. Seek outside perspectives: Talk to your pastor or mature Christian friends about what you’re learning. If the teaching is true, it will withstand scrutiny.
4. Visit closerlookinitiative.com/shincheonji-examination: This comprehensive resource provides detailed biblical refutation of SCJ’s specific claims.
5. Ask for transparency: Request to know the organization’s full identity and what you’ll be taught in later levels. If the teaching is true, there’s no reason to hide it.

For Those Who Have Left

Chapter 28 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims” (“Hope and Help”) offers guidance for former members. Key points regarding the “fire” teaching:

1. The fear was false: Your worship was never “unauthorized.” If you trusted in Christ, you had full access to God through His blood (Hebrews 10:19-22). The anxiety SCJ created was manipulation, not biblical truth.

2. God never rejected you: Even while you were in SCJ, God saw your heart. He knew you were seeking Him sincerely, even if you were misled about how to do so. He never rejected you for having imperfect understanding.

3. You can trust Scripture again: SCJ’s symbolic interpretation system may have made you afraid to read the Bible without their framework. But Scripture is clear enough for ordinary believers to understand (Psalm 119:130). You can read and understand God’s Word without needing SCJ’s “secrets of heaven.”

4. Refinement is ongoing: The “fire” that refines you is the Holy Spirit’s work in your life, not acceptance of correct interpretation. God is still refining you—through trials, through His Word, through His Spirit—and this process will continue until you see Christ face to face (Philippians 1:6).

For the Christian Community

The existence of teachings like SCJ’s “fire” lesson should motivate us to:

1. Teach the gospel of grace clearly: People join groups like SCJ partly because they’re seeking assurance of salvation. We must clearly teach that salvation and acceptance before God come through faith in Christ alone, not through interpretive accuracy.

2. Create confidence, not anxiety: Our teaching should produce confidence in Christ’s finished work, not anxiety about whether we’re doing enough or understanding correctly.

3. Emphasize the Holy Spirit’s role: The “fire baptism” is the Holy Spirit’s indwelling and empowering work. We need to teach believers to depend on the Spirit’s guidance, not on human interpretive systems.

4. Model healthy biblical interpretation: Teach people to read Scripture in context, to let Scripture interpret Scripture, and to focus on the Bible’s main message (Christ) rather than getting lost in symbolic speculation.

5. Respond with grace: Those caught in or leaving SCJ need compassion, not condemnation. They were seeking to serve God faithfully; they were simply misled about how to do so.

Final Thoughts

This lesson—Lesson 23 on figurative fire—appears to be solid biblical teaching about God’s Word as refining and judging fire. But beneath the surface, it’s constructing a framework that will eventually lead students to believe:

• That mainstream Christianity offers “Satan’s fire” (false teaching)
• That SCJ has “God’s fire” (true interpretation)
• That leaving SCJ means facing God’s judgment
• That their spiritual safety depends on accepting SCJ’s interpretation

The principles in “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story” help us see through the deception:

• Chapter 11-13: Recognize how fear and anxiety are used to control
• Chapter 18-20: Test authority claims and watch for creative fulfillment
• Chapter 21-23: Remember God’s character—He’s patient and gracious, not waiting to judge those with imperfect understanding
• Chapter 24-26: Keep the Bible’s unified message centered on Christ
• Chapter 27-28: Know that investigation is possible and healing is available

The true gospel is better than SCJ’s counterfeit:

• Refinement through the Spirit, not through interpretation
• Confidence through Christ, not anxiety about “unauthorized” worship
• Access through grace, not through correct symbolic understanding
• Judgment based on faith, not on interpretive accuracy
• Freedom in Christ, not dependency on an organization

May those reading this find freedom in Christ, who said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36)—not through mastering a symbolic system, but through simple faith in Him.

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Additional Resources

For more detailed refutation of Shincheonji’s specific doctrines and claims:

Visit: closerlookinitiative.com/shincheonji-examination

This comprehensive resource provides:

• Detailed analysis of SCJ’s Revelation interpretation
• Biblical refutation of the “two types of fire” framework
• Examination of SCJ’s claims about Lee Man-hee as the “one who overcomes”
• Testimonies from former members about the “fire” teaching
• Guidance for families and counselors
• Resources for healthy biblical interpretation

The examination is thorough, biblically grounded, and presented with grace—exactly what’s needed to counter SCJ’s sophisticated but deceptive system.

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“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” — Galatians 5:1

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” — John 8:36

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” — 2 Corinthians 3:17