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

SCJ Intermediate Level – Lesson 55: “Secrets of Heaven: Figurative War between Jerusalem and Babylon”

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Introduction: The War You Didn’t Know You Were Fighting

Imagine you’re watching the evening news with a friend. The headlines scroll past: conflicts in the Middle East, political tensions, economic uncertainty. Your friend turns to you and says, “You know, none of that matters. The real war isn’t what you’re seeing on TV.”

“What do you mean?” you ask.

“There’s a spiritual war happening right now,” he explains, “but it’s not the kind most Christians think. It’s not about prayer and spiritual warfare like your church teaches. It’s a war of doctrines—a battle between two churches, Jerusalem and Babylon. And most Christians don’t even know which side they’re on.”

This sounds intriguing. After all, the Bible does talk about spiritual warfare, and Revelation does mention Babylon. Your friend continues: “The weapons in this war aren’t guns or bombs—they’re words. Specifically, testimony. Not just any testimony, but testimony that gives the who, what, when, where, why, and how of prophecy fulfillment. That’s the weapon that ends all arguments.”

At first, this seems to make sense. The Bible does emphasize the importance of testimony. Revelation 12:11 says believers “triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” And you’ve often wondered about the specific details of how prophecy is fulfilled. Maybe your friend is onto something.

But then he adds: “The problem is, most Christians are looking at physical wars as signs of the end times. They’re looking in the wrong direction. They don’t understand that Jerusalem and Babylon aren’t physical places—they’re churches. Jerusalem is the church of the chosen people, and Babylon is the church where demons dwell. And right now, this war is happening, but you can’t see it unless you understand the figurative language.”

You feel a slight unease. This doesn’t quite match what you’ve learned about Revelation, but you can’t articulate why. Your friend seems so confident, so knowledgeable. And he’s using Bible verses. Surely he must be right?

This is what happens in SCJ Intermediate Level – Lesson 55: “Secrets of Heaven: Figurative War between Jerusalem and Babylon.”

The lesson appears to be a straightforward Bible study about spiritual warfare, using biblical language about Jerusalem and Babylon. The instructor, Nate, walks students through Scripture passages, discusses figurative language, and encourages them to understand prophecy correctly so they won’t be “looking in the wrong direction.” Everything seems biblical, thoughtful, and spiritually mature.

But beneath the surface, something else is happening. This lesson is strategically positioned in the Intermediate Level curriculum—a critical juncture where students have already completed the Introductory Level (Parables) and are now being prepared for the Advanced Level (Revelation). By Lesson 55, students have invested months of study. They’ve accepted foundational SCJ premises: that the Bible was “sealed,” that parables require special interpretation, that figurative language needs expert explanation, and that most Christians misunderstand prophecy.

Now, in Lesson 55, SCJ introduces a framework that will become central to their entire theological system: the war between Jerusalem and Babylon. This isn’t just about understanding symbolism—it’s about redefining reality itself. Students are being taught that the real spiritual battle isn’t what they see in the world or experience in prayer. It’s a doctrinal war between two organizations, and the “weapon” that wins is SCJ’s specific testimony about how Revelation was fulfilled in their organization.

By the time students realize where this teaching leads—to the claim that Shincheonji is “Jerusalem” and all other churches are “Babylon”—they’ve already accepted the framework. They’ve learned to distrust their own discernment (“you’re looking in the wrong direction”), to dismiss physical evidence (“this isn’t about physical wars”), and to believe that detailed testimony about specific fulfillment is the ultimate proof of truth.

The war metaphor is particularly powerful because it creates urgency, sides, and stakes. Wars have winners and losers. Wars require choosing a side. And in SCJ’s framework, choosing the wrong side means being in “Babylon”—the church where demons dwell.

But is this framework biblical? Does Scripture actually teach that there’s a current “war of doctrines” between two churches called Jerusalem and Babylon? Does the Bible say that detailed testimony about who, what, when, where, why, and how is the weapon that ends all arguments? And most importantly, should Christians be looking for this kind of war at all?

Let’s examine Lesson 55 through the Two Lenses framework from “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story”—using both the Reflectional Lens (understanding how this teaching affects students psychologically and spiritually) and the Discernment Lens (testing whether this teaching aligns with Scripture and sound doctrine). We’ll see how SCJ takes legitimate biblical concepts—spiritual warfare, Jerusalem, Babylon, testimony—and subtly reshapes them into a framework that serves their organization’s claims while leading students away from orthodox Christian faith.

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Part 1: The Reflectional Lens—Understanding the Psychological Framework

The Strategic Positioning of Lesson 55

As Chapter 3 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story” explains, SCJ’s curriculum is carefully designed to build layer upon layer of indoctrination. Lesson 55 sits at a critical juncture in this process. Students have completed the Introductory Level, where they learned that:

• The Bible was “sealed” and incomprehensible without special interpretation (Parables lessons)
• Figurative language requires expert explanation (OPAGH framework)
• Most Christians misunderstand Scripture because they read “literally”
• There’s a special group who understands the “open word”

Now, in the Intermediate Level, students are being prepared for the Advanced Level (Revelation), where they’ll learn that Shincheonji is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. But students can’t be told this directly yet. They need a framework—a way of thinking about reality—that will make SCJ’s claims seem logical when they’re finally revealed.

This is where the “Figurative War between Jerusalem and Babylon” comes in.

The War Metaphor: Creating Urgency and Binary Thinking

Notice how Lesson 55 opens with a prayer: “I pray that everyone is excited about encountering the word… And I pray that today will really help give us some context as to what we should be expecting in our time and evaluate or expand on the way God uses figurative language so that we aren’t confused or looking in the wrong direction from where things are happening.”

This introduction does several things simultaneously:

1. Creates anticipation: “Encountering the word” sounds spiritual and exciting
2. Promises clarity: Students will learn “what to expect in our time”
3. Introduces doubt: Students might be “confused or looking in the wrong direction”
4. Positions the instructor as guide: Nate will help them avoid looking in the wrong direction

As Chapter 12 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story” explains in the section on “The Language of Certainty,” SCJ instructors use confident, authoritative language to create the impression that they possess special knowledge. The phrase “what we should be expecting in our time” implies that Nate knows what’s happening right now in God’s prophetic timeline—a claim that should immediately raise questions, but students have been conditioned to trust the instructor’s expertise.

The war metaphor itself is psychologically powerful. Wars create:

• Urgency: Wars are happening now, requiring immediate response
• Binary thinking: You’re either on one side or the other; neutrality isn’t an option
• Group identity: Wars unite people on the same side against a common enemy
• Moral clarity: One side is right, the other is wrong; one is good, the other is evil
• Existential stakes: Losing a war has catastrophic consequences

By framing Christianity as a “war between Jerusalem and Babylon,” SCJ transforms faith from a relationship with God into a battle between organizations. This shift is subtle but profound. Students begin to think in terms of “which church is Jerusalem?” and “which church is Babylon?” rather than “am I following Jesus?”

The Redefinition Strategy: Taking Biblical Terms and Changing Their Meaning

Chapter 8 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story” discusses how SCJ uses “The Redefinition Strategy”—taking familiar biblical terms and gradually changing their meaning. Lesson 55 is a masterclass in this technique.

Consider how the lesson redefines these terms:

Jerusalem: In the Bible, Jerusalem is a physical city with deep theological significance—the place where God’s temple stood, where Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and a symbol of God’s dwelling with His people. In Revelation, “New Jerusalem” represents the consummated kingdom of God, the bride of Christ, the eternal city where God dwells with His redeemed people (Revelation 21-22).

SCJ’s redefinition: “Jerusalem represents the denomination or church of the chosen people.”

Notice what happened. Jerusalem went from being a city with theological significance to being a “denomination or church.” This redefinition is crucial because later, students will be taught that Shincheonji is this “Jerusalem”—the church of the chosen people.

Babylon: In the Bible, Babylon is also a physical city that becomes a symbol of human pride, rebellion against God, and opposition to God’s people. In Revelation, “Babylon the Great” represents the world system opposed to God—a system characterized by idolatry, immorality, economic exploitation, and persecution of believers (Revelation 17-18).

SCJ’s redefinition: “Babylon represents the denomination or church of the Gentiles where demons dwell, according to Revelation 18.”

Again, notice the shift. Babylon went from being a symbol of the world system opposed to God to being “the denomination or church of the Gentiles.” This redefinition sets up a devastating conclusion: if Babylon is “the church of the Gentiles where demons dwell,” and if Shincheonji is “Jerusalem,” then what does that make all other churches? They become “Babylon”—places where demons dwell.

This redefinition strategy is particularly insidious because it uses biblical language while completely changing biblical meaning. Students hear “Jerusalem” and “Babylon” and think they’re learning about biblical concepts, but they’re actually being taught an organizational framework that will later be used to claim that Shincheonji is the only true church and all others are demonic.

The “Looking in the Wrong Direction” Technique

One of the most psychologically effective elements of Lesson 55 is the repeated emphasis that Christians are “looking in the wrong direction.” Notice these statements:

• “You should already be thinking that you should not be looking at physical wars as evidence that things are happening.”
• “Keep in mind with Jerusalem and Babylon, you might be thinking, but there’s a place called Jerusalem today, and there was a place called Babylon in history.”
• “Geographic locations are also used figuratively in prophecy, and we’ll see that as well today.”

This technique serves multiple purposes:

1. It invalidates students’ existing understanding: If you’ve been taught that Jerusalem is a real city with prophetic significance, you’re now told you’re “looking in the wrong direction.” If you think physical wars might be signs of the times (as Jesus discussed in Matthew 24), you’re wrong.

2. It creates dependence on the instructor: If your natural understanding is wrong, you need someone to tell you the right direction to look. That someone is Nate and, by extension, Shincheonji.

3. It prepares students to dismiss evidence: When students later learn that Shincheonji claims to be “Jerusalem” and might think, “But that doesn’t make sense—Jerusalem is a real place,” they’ve already been taught that thinking about physical locations means they’re “looking in the wrong direction.”

Chapter 15 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story” discusses “The Testimony Trap,” explaining how SCJ teaches students to distrust their own discernment and rely entirely on SCJ’s testimony. The “looking in the wrong direction” technique is a key part of this trap. Students learn that their instincts, their previous biblical knowledge, and their common sense are all unreliable. Only SCJ’s interpretation shows them the “right direction.”

The Hope Manipulation

Notice how the lesson manipulates the concept of hope:

“Our hope should be to belong to New Jerusalem, also known as Mount Zion, and become God’s army of hope. A thing that is sorely lacking in our world today is hope, as there are many things that seem grim. People talk about the climate, the wars happening today, the economy. Many people feel like there is no cause for hope in our time, that it seems like things are falling apart all around us. And guess what? They are, because like we learned in the past lessons recently, an entity has been over this world, making our lives awful.”

This paragraph is carefully constructed to:

1. Identify a real need: People genuinely do struggle with hopelessness in our world 2. Validate that feeling: “Things are falling apart all around us… They are” 3. Provide an explanation: An “entity” (Satan) has been making life awful 4. Offer a solution: Belonging to “New Jerusalem” (which will later be revealed as Shincheonji)

The manipulation lies in how hope is redefined. Biblical hope is confidence in God’s character, promises, and ultimate victory through Christ (Romans 5:1-5, 1 Peter 1:3-9). It’s rooted in what God has already done in Christ and what He promises to do in the future. This hope sustains believers through suffering because it’s anchored in God Himself, not in circumstances.

SCJ’s “hope” is different. It’s hope that comes from belonging to the right organization (“New Jerusalem”), from having the right knowledge (understanding the “open word”), and from being on the winning side of a doctrinal war. This hope is conditional and organizational rather than relational and Christ-centered.

The lesson continues: “So, what does God want people to know? That He is still at work, that He is not asleep, that He is doing things today. And when people come to this understanding, their hearts quicken, and they get excited.”

Again, this sounds biblical. Christians should believe that God is at work today. But notice the subtle shift: the excitement comes from “understanding” what God is doing—specifically, understanding SCJ’s interpretation of prophecy fulfillment. Hope becomes dependent on having the right knowledge rather than knowing the right Person (Jesus).

Chapter 28 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story,” titled “Hope and Help—Guidance for Those Affected by Shincheonji,” addresses how SCJ’s false hope leaves people devastated when they realize the organization’s claims are false. True biblical hope can never be shaken because it’s rooted in Christ’s finished work, not in an organization’s claims about itself.

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Part 2: The Discernment Lens—Testing the Biblical Claims

Claim 1: “Jerusalem represents the denomination or church of the chosen people”

Let’s test this claim against Scripture. Does the Bible teach that “Jerusalem” in prophecy represents a denomination or church?

What the Bible Actually Teaches:

In the Old Testament, Jerusalem was the physical capital of Israel, the location of God’s temple, and the center of Jewish worship. Prophetically, Jerusalem represented God’s dwelling place with His people and the focal point of His redemptive plan.

In the New Testament, Jerusalem continues to have physical and theological significance:

• Jesus ministered in Jerusalem, was crucified there, rose from the dead there, and ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem
• The early church began in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2)
• Paul brought financial support to the Jerusalem church (Romans 15:25-27)
• The Jerusalem Council addressed doctrinal questions (Acts 15)

When the New Testament uses Jerusalem figuratively, it has specific meanings:

Galatians 4:25-26: “Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.”

Paul contrasts two Jerusalems: the present earthly Jerusalem (representing the old covenant and slavery to the law) and the “Jerusalem above” (representing the new covenant and freedom in Christ). The “Jerusalem above” isn’t a denomination—it’s the heavenly reality of being in Christ, part of God’s family through faith.

Hebrews 12:22-24: “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”

Here, “heavenly Jerusalem” represents the ultimate spiritual reality that believers have already entered through Christ. It’s not a future denomination but a present spiritual reality—we have already come to this heavenly Jerusalem through faith in Christ.

Revelation 21:2, 9-10: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband… One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.”

In Revelation, the New Jerusalem is explicitly identified as “the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” This isn’t a denomination or organization—it’s the totality of God’s redeemed people from all ages, united to Christ, dwelling with God forever in the new creation.

The Biblical Pattern:

When Scripture uses Jerusalem figuratively, it represents:

1. The old covenant system (earthly Jerusalem in Galatians 4)
2. The spiritual reality believers enter through Christ (heavenly Jerusalem in Hebrews 12)
3. The consummated kingdom of God in the new creation (New Jerusalem in Revelation 21-22)

Never does Scripture use “Jerusalem” to mean “a denomination or church of chosen people” in the sense SCJ teaches. The idea that “Jerusalem” represents one specific organization among many Christian denominations is completely foreign to biblical usage.

Why This Matters:

SCJ’s redefinition of Jerusalem sets up their later claim that Shincheonji is this “Jerusalem”—the church of the chosen people. But if the Bible doesn’t use Jerusalem this way, then SCJ’s entire framework collapses. They’re not interpreting biblical symbolism; they’re creating a new symbolic system and claiming it’s biblical.

As Chapter 19 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story” explains in “Testing the Claims—The Verification Framework,” we must ask: “Does this interpretation align with how Scripture itself uses this term?” In this case, the answer is clearly no.

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Claim 2: “Babylon represents the denomination or church of the Gentiles where demons dwell”

Let’s test this claim against Scripture as well.

What the Bible Actually Teaches:

Babylon in Scripture has both historical and symbolic significance. Historically, Babylon was the empire that conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and took God’s people into exile (2 Kings 24-25). This traumatic event shaped Jewish identity and theology for centuries.

Prophetically, Babylon became a symbol of human pride, rebellion against God, and opposition to God’s people:

Isaiah 13-14: Prophecies against Babylon, describing both the historical city and using it as a symbol of all human pride that opposes God

Jeremiah 50-51: Extensive prophecies about Babylon’s judgment, with language that goes beyond the historical city to represent all opposition to God

In the New Testament, Babylon appears symbolically:

1 Peter 5:13: “She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.”

Most scholars understand “Babylon” here as a coded reference to Rome, the imperial power persecuting Christians. Peter uses “Babylon” as a symbol of the oppressive world system, just as the historical Babylon had oppressed God’s people.

Revelation 17-18: The most extensive New Testament treatment of Babylon

Let’s look carefully at how Revelation describes Babylon:

Revelation 17:1-2, 5: “One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’… The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

Revelation 18:2-3: “With a mighty voice he shouted: ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”

What Babylon Represents in Revelation:

Revelation describes Babylon as:

1. A “great prostitute” who commits adultery with kings (political power)
2. A system that intoxicates the world with her immorality
3. A place of excessive luxury and economic exploitation
4. A persecutor of God’s people (Revelation 17:6)
5. A dwelling for demons after her fall

The scholarly consensus, reflected in resources like “How First-Century Christians Read Revelation Like a Political Cartoon,” is that Babylon in Revelation primarily symbolizes Rome—the imperial system that persecuted Christians, demanded worship of the emperor, and represented the world system opposed to God. More broadly, Babylon represents any manifestation of the world system characterized by:

• Idolatry (worship of false gods/powers)
• Immorality (sexual and ethical corruption)
• Economic exploitation (getting rich through injustice)
• Political oppression (partnership with earthly powers)
• Persecution of believers

The Critical Difference:

Notice what Babylon is NOT in Revelation: it’s not described as “the church of the Gentiles” or as Christian churches where demons dwell. Babylon is the world system opposed to God, not churches that claim to follow Christ.

In fact, Revelation makes a clear distinction between:

• Babylon (the world system opposed to God)
• The beast and false prophet (political and religious powers that deceive)
• Compromised churches (like Thyatira and Laodicea, which receive correction but aren’t called Babylon)
• The bride (the true church, faithful to Christ)

SCJ conflates these categories by claiming that “Babylon” means “Christian churches where demons dwell.” This conflation serves their agenda: if all other churches are “Babylon,” then only Shincheonji can be “Jerusalem.”

Biblical Evidence Against SCJ’s Interpretation:

1. Revelation’s letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2-3): Jesus addresses seven actual churches in Asia Minor. Some are faithful (Smyrna, Philadelphia), some are compromised (Thyatira, Laodicea), and some have lost their first love (Ephesus). But none of them are called “Babylon.” Jesus corrects them, warns them, and calls them to repentance—but He doesn’t label them as the demonic world system. This shows that even compromised churches are not equivalent to “Babylon.”

2. Revelation 18:4: “Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.'”

This verse is crucial. God calls “my people” to come out of Babylon. This implies that some of God’s people are in Babylon—but Babylon itself is not a church. It’s the world system that God’s people must leave. The call is to separate from the world’s values, practices, and systems, not to leave Christian churches and join a specific organization.

SCJ misuses this verse to claim that Christians must leave their churches (“Babylon”) and join Shincheonji (“Jerusalem”). But this interpretation ignores:

• The historical context (Rome’s persecution and corruption)
• The symbolic nature of Babylon (world system, not churches)
• The nature of the call (separation from worldly values, not organizational transfer)

3. The characteristics don’t match: Revelation describes Babylon as wealthy, politically powerful, economically dominant, and persecuting believers. This describes Rome (and by extension, oppressive world systems) far better than it describes Christian churches. Most churches are not wealthy, politically powerful, or persecuting believers. SCJ’s interpretation requires ignoring most of what Revelation actually says about Babylon.

As the resource “SCJ’s Fulfillment of Revelation Part 1” explains, Shincheonji systematically misinterprets Revelation’s symbols to fit their organizational narrative. The Babylon/Jerusalem framework is central to this misinterpretation.

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Claim 3: “The figurative war is a war of doctrines fought with words, specifically testimony that gives who, what, when, where, why, and how”

This claim sounds reasonable at first. After all, Christians do engage in theological discussions, and testimony is important in Scripture. But let’s examine whether this is actually what the Bible teaches about spiritual warfare.

What the Bible Teaches About Spiritual Warfare:

Ephesians 6:12-17: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Paul describes spiritual warfare as:

1. Not against flesh and blood: The battle isn’t against other people or organizations
2. Against spiritual forces of evil: The real enemy is Satan and demonic powers
3. Defensive in nature: The armor is primarily for standing firm and defending against attacks
4. Centered on gospel virtues: Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and God’s Word

Notice what’s absent: there’s no mention of a war between two churches, no emphasis on detailed testimony about prophetic fulfillment, no framework of Jerusalem vs. Babylon as organizations.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Paul does mention demolishing arguments and pretensions against God’s knowledge. This could be understood as doctrinal warfare in a sense. But notice:

1. The goal is making thoughts obedient to Christ, not winning organizational allegiance
2. The weapons have “divine power”—they’re spiritual, not merely informational
3. The focus is on false ideas that oppose God, not on competing churches

Revelation 12:11: “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

SCJ emphasizes this verse to support their claim that “testimony” is the weapon in spiritual warfare. But look at the full context:

Revelation 12:7-11: “Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.'”

The context is crucial:

1. This is a war in heaven between Michael’s angels and Satan
2. Believers triumph over Satan (the accuser) by the blood of the Lamb (Christ’s atoning death)
3. The “word of their testimony” is their faithful witness to Christ, even unto death
4. This is about martyrs who remained faithful to Christ despite persecution

The “testimony” here is not detailed information about who, what, when, where, why, and how prophecy was fulfilled. It’s faithful witness to Jesus Christ, maintained even at the cost of one’s life. The primary weapon is “the blood of the Lamb”—Christ’s finished work on the cross—not human testimony about prophetic fulfillment.

The Fundamental Misunderstanding:

SCJ’s framework fundamentally misunderstands the nature of spiritual warfare. Biblical spiritual warfare is:

• Christ-centered: Victory comes through Christ’s finished work, not human knowledge
• Against Satan and evil: The enemy is spiritual forces of evil, not other churches
• Defensive and faithful: The call is to stand firm in faith, not to win doctrinal debates
• Gospel-focused: The message is the good news of salvation in Christ, not organizational claims

SCJ’s “war of doctrines” framework is:

• Organization-centered: Victory comes from belonging to the right church (SCJ)
• Against other churches: The enemy is “Babylon” (other Christian churches)
• Offensive and competitive: The call is to win arguments with superior testimony
• Fulfillment-focused: The message is about SCJ’s claims to fulfill prophecy

These are fundamentally different visions of spiritual warfare.

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Understanding Where Students Are in the Journey

By the time students reach Lesson 55 in the Intermediate Level, they’ve been in SCJ’s study program for many months. Chapter 11 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story,” titled “The Deception Tactics—How Shincheonji Gradually Leads People Astray,” explains that SCJ’s curriculum is carefully sequenced to build acceptance layer by layer. Let’s trace how students arrived at Lesson 55 and where this lesson is taking them.

The Foundation: Introductory Level (Parables)

In the Introductory Level, students learned:

1. The Bible was “sealed”: Using passages like Daniel 12:4, 9 and Revelation 5:1-5, students were taught that the Bible has been a sealed book that no one could understand until now. This creates the premise that special revelation is needed to understand Scripture.

2. Parables require special interpretation: Using Matthew 13:10-11 (“The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them”), students learned that Jesus spoke in parables to hide truth from outsiders. This establishes that there’s an “in-group” with special knowledge and an “out-group” without it.

3. Everything is figurative (OPAGH): Students learned that Objects, People, Animals, Geographic locations, and Historic events in the Bible are all figurative and require interpretation. This framework, while containing some truth (the Bible does use symbolism), is applied so broadly that students lose confidence in their ability to understand Scripture plainly.

4. The “harvest” is now: Using parables about harvest, students learned that we’re living in the time of harvest—the end times when prophecy is being fulfilled. This creates urgency and the sense that something special is happening right now.

By the end of the Introductory Level, students have accepted these foundational premises without knowing they’re in Shincheonji or where the teaching is heading. They think they’re just learning better Bible interpretation methods.

The Transition: Intermediate Level (Bible Logic)

The Intermediate Level, where Lesson 55 is located, serves as a bridge between the foundational concepts and the explicit Revelation claims. This level introduces:

1. Spiritual genealogy and betrayal: Students learn about “spiritual families”—how believers are born again through the word, how pastors are spiritual parents, and how betrayal happens when pastors turn away from truth. This prepares students for SCJ’s later claim that mainstream Christianity has betrayed God.

2. The figurative nature of everything: Lessons expand on OPAGH, teaching students to see everything figuratively. “Yeast” means doctrine, “wine” means word, “marriage” means covenant, “war” means doctrinal conflict. By Lesson 55, students have been so thoroughly trained in figurative interpretation that they automatically dismiss literal meanings.

3. The Jerusalem vs. Babylon framework: Lesson 55 introduces this explicitly, but earlier lessons have been building toward it. Students have learned about “true” and “false” teachings, about churches that have the Holy Spirit and those that don’t, about the need to “come out” of false teaching. Now, in Lesson 55, these concepts are crystallized into the Jerusalem/Babylon dichotomy.

4. The importance of testimony: Students are taught that detailed testimony about fulfillment is the ultimate proof of truth. This prepares them for the Advanced Level, where they’ll hear SCJ’s testimony about how Revelation was fulfilled in their organization.

The Strategic Purpose of Lesson 55

Lesson 55 serves several strategic purposes in SCJ’s indoctrination process:

Purpose 1: Reframe Reality

By teaching that the real spiritual war is between two churches (Jerusalem and Babylon) rather than between God’s people and spiritual forces of evil, Lesson 55 reframes how students understand reality. They begin to see Christianity not as a faith centered on Christ but as a competition between organizations. This organizational focus is essential for SCJ’s later claims.

Purpose 2: Create In-Group/Out-Group Dynamics

The Jerusalem/Babylon framework creates a stark binary: you’re either in Jerusalem (good, chosen, where God dwells) or Babylon (evil, demonic, destined for judgment). There’s no middle ground, no spectrum, no room for the complexity of real Christian experience. This binary thinking is characteristic of cultic groups, as Chapter 14 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story” explains in “The Authority Test—Examining Leadership Claims.”

Purpose 3: Prepare for the Revelation

Students don’t yet know that SCJ will claim to be “Jerusalem.” But by teaching them to think in terms of Jerusalem vs. Babylon, Lesson 55 prepares their minds for this claim. When they later learn that SCJ is “the church of the chosen people” and that all other churches are “Babylon where demons dwell,” the framework is already in place. The claim will seem like a logical conclusion rather than a shocking assertion.

Purpose 4: Invalidate External Criticism

By teaching that most Christians are “looking in the wrong direction” and don’t understand figurative language, Lesson 55 preemptively dismisses any criticism students might hear from family, friends, or pastors. If someone warns them about Shincheonji, students can think, “They don’t understand. They’re looking at physical things instead of spiritual realities. They’re probably part of Babylon.”

The Progression of Deceptive Logic

Let’s trace how SCJ builds their argument through a series of seemingly logical steps, each of which contains a subtle error:

Step 1: “The Bible uses figurative language.”

• Truth: Yes, the Bible does use metaphors, symbols, and figurative language.
• Error: SCJ applies this so broadly that plain meanings are dismissed.

Step 2: “Geographic locations in the Bible are used figuratively.”

• Truth: Sometimes geographic locations have symbolic significance (e.g., “Egypt” can represent bondage).
• Error: SCJ concludes that geographic locations are always figurative and never refer to actual places.

Step 3: “Jerusalem in prophecy doesn’t mean the physical city.”

• Truth: Sometimes “Jerusalem” has theological significance beyond geography.
• Error: SCJ concludes that “Jerusalem” in Revelation never refers to the actual city but always means “a church.”

Step 4: “Jerusalem represents the church of the chosen people.”

• Truth: God does have a chosen people (believers in Christ).
• Error: SCJ defines “Jerusalem” as one specific organization among many churches.

Step 5: “Babylon represents churches where demons dwell.”

• Truth: Revelation does describe Babylon as a dwelling for demons (after its fall).
• Error: SCJ identifies Babylon as Christian churches rather than the world system.

Step 6: “There’s a war between Jerusalem and Babylon happening now.”

• Truth: There is spiritual warfare between God’s kingdom and Satan’s.
• Error: SCJ redefines this as a war between two organizations, with “testimony” as the weapon.

Step 7 (not yet revealed in Lesson 55, but coming): “Shincheonji is Jerusalem, and all other churches are Babylon.”

• Truth: None—this is the false conclusion the entire framework has been building toward.

Each step seems reasonable if you’ve accepted the previous step. This is how deceptive teaching works—not through obvious lies, but through a series of small distortions that lead to a false conclusion. Chapter 5 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story,” “The Verification Process—How to Test What You’re Being Taught,” provides tools for identifying these subtle progressions.

The Emotional and Social Reinforcement

Lesson 55 doesn’t just teach concepts—it creates emotional and social bonds that reinforce the teaching:

Emotional Reinforcement:

Notice the language throughout the lesson:

• “I pray that everyone is excited about encountering the word”
• “It’s always an exciting time when we’re able to learn something new”
• “When people come to this understanding, their hearts quicken, and they get excited”
• “I hope that’s how all of us have been feeling”

The lesson associates learning SCJ’s framework with positive emotions: excitement, hope, enlightenment. Students feel good when they’re in class, learning these “secrets of heaven.” This emotional high becomes addictive—students want to keep experiencing the excitement of “discovering” new truths.

Conversely, the lesson associates not understanding with negative emotions:

• Confusion (“so that we aren’t confused”)
• Misdirection (“looking in the wrong direction”)
• Hopelessness (“Many people feel like there is no cause for hope”)
• Being left out (“things are happening” but you might miss them)

Students learn to associate SCJ’s teaching with clarity, direction, hope, and inclusion—while associating life outside SCJ with confusion, misdirection, hopelessness, and exclusion.

Social Reinforcement:

The lesson uses collective language throughout:

• “We should be expecting”
• “Our hope”
• “All of us have been feeling”
• “Let’s be those who can spread that hope”

This language creates a sense of shared identity and purpose. Students aren’t just individuals learning—they’re part of a “we,” a group with shared understanding and mission. This group identity becomes increasingly important as students invest more time and emotional energy into the study.

Chapter 16 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story,” “The Testimony Vault—Collecting Stories of Those Who Left,” includes accounts from former members who describe how this group identity made it difficult to leave even when they had doubts. Leaving meant losing not just a belief system but a community, an identity, and a sense of purpose.

The Review Section: Reinforcing False Premises

The review section of Lesson 55 is particularly important for understanding SCJ’s indoctrination method:

“In the previous lesson, we learned about the figurative representations of the groom, bride, widow, and orphan. We understood that the groom is a spirit, and this spirit gives the seed to the flesh. The flesh then takes that seed and bears children with it. These children receive the seed, are born, and need to mature with that seed, coming to a complete understanding of it.”

Let’s examine what’s happening here:

1. Building on previous distortions: The review assumes students have accepted the previous lesson’s framework—that “groom” means “spirit,” “bride” means “flesh that receives seed,” etc. Each lesson builds on the distortions of previous lessons, creating a cumulative effect.

2. Using biblical language for non-biblical concepts: The review uses terms like “seed,” “born again,” and “mature,” which are biblical. But it’s using them in SCJ’s specialized sense, not in their biblical meaning. Students hear familiar words and assume they’re learning biblical truth, but they’re actually learning SCJ’s system.

3. Creating a comprehensive worldview: By connecting lessons together (groom/bride/widow/orphan in the previous lesson, Jerusalem/Babylon in this lesson), SCJ creates a comprehensive interpretive framework. Students begin to see everything through this lens.

The Biblical Concept of Being Born Again:

Let’s compare SCJ’s teaching with what the Bible actually says about being born again:

John 3:3-8: “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.'”

Jesus teaches that being born again is:

1. A work of the Spirit: “The Spirit gives birth to spirit”
2. Mysterious and sovereign: Like wind, you can’t control or fully understand it
3. Necessary to see/enter God’s kingdom: It’s about relationship with God, not organizational membership
4. Distinct from physical birth: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit”

1 Peter 1:23: “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

Peter teaches that:

1. The “seed” is the word of God (the gospel message)
2. Being born again happens through this word
3. It’s imperishable—it can’t be lost or destroyed

James 1:18: “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”

James emphasizes:

1. God initiates the new birth (“He chose”)
2. It happens through “the word of truth” (the gospel)
3. Believers become “firstfruits”—the beginning of God’s new creation

The Biblical Pattern:

Being born again in Scripture is:

• A spiritual rebirth initiated by God through the Holy Spirit
• Accomplished through hearing and believing the gospel (the word of truth)
• Results in becoming a child of God and entering His kingdom
• A one-time event that results in a new nature and relationship with God

SCJ’s Distortion:

SCJ’s teaching about being born again, as referenced in the review, distorts this by:

• Making it about receiving “seed” (SCJ’s teaching) from a “groom” (spirit/pastor)
• Emphasizing the role of human teachers (“the flesh”) in giving birth to spiritual children
• Focusing on “maturing” through complete understanding of SCJ’s teaching
• Making it a process dependent on organizational membership and teaching

This distortion is subtle but significant. SCJ uses biblical language (“born again,” “seed,” “word”) but redefines these terms to fit their system. Students think they’re learning biblical truth, but they’re actually being taught that spiritual life comes through SCJ’s organization and teaching rather than through the Holy Spirit’s work in response to the gospel.

The Widow and Orphan Distortion

The review continues: “Widows represent those who teach falsehoods, having betrayed the Holy Spirit, which is no longer with them. The congregation belonging to that betraying pastor also lacks the Holy Spirit and is fatherless, becoming spiritual orphans.”

This teaching is particularly harmful because it:

1. Redefines biblical terms: In Scripture, caring for widows and orphans is about caring for vulnerable people (James 1:27, Matthew 25:31-46). SCJ turns this into a metaphor for their organizational claims.

2. Creates fear and control: If leaving your church makes you a “spiritual orphan” without the Holy Spirit, students become afraid to leave or question. This is a classic cult control tactic—making members believe that leaving means losing God’s presence.

3. Demonizes other churches: By teaching that pastors who don’t accept SCJ’s teaching have “betrayed the Holy Spirit,” SCJ preemptively discredits any Christian leader who might warn students about the group.

4. Sets up SCJ as the solution: If other churches are full of “widows and orphans” without the Holy Spirit, then students need to find the church that does have the Holy Spirit—which will be revealed as Shincheonji.

What the Bible Actually Teaches:

James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

James is talking about literal orphans and widows—people who are vulnerable and need care. The application is about practical compassion, not about organizational membership.

Matthew 25:31-46: Jesus’ parable about the sheep and goats emphasizes caring for “the least of these”—the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned. Again, this is about practical care for vulnerable people, not about recruiting people out of “false churches.”

While there can be spiritual applications of caring for those who are spiritually vulnerable, SCJ’s interpretation completely reverses the biblical emphasis. Instead of calling students to care for the vulnerable, SCJ uses “widow and orphan” language to create fear about being in the wrong organization.

The “Complete Understanding” Trap

The review states: “These children receive the seed, are born, and need to mature with that seed, coming to a complete understanding of it.”

This phrase—”complete understanding”—is crucial to SCJ’s system. Notice how it appears throughout the lesson:

• “We should aim for a complete understanding, where every verse is accounted for”
• “Having a complete understanding where every single verse matches”
• Students must reach “complete understanding” to become “brides themselves”

The “complete understanding” concept serves several purposes:

1. It creates an impossible standard: No human can have “complete understanding” of all Scripture. Even mature Christians acknowledge mystery and areas where they’re still learning. By setting “complete understanding” as the goal, SCJ ensures students always feel inadequate and dependent on more teaching.

2. It makes SCJ’s teaching seem necessary: If “complete understanding” is required, and if SCJ claims to provide this understanding, then students need SCJ. They can’t mature without it.

3. It redefines spiritual maturity: In the Bible, spiritual maturity is about Christlikeness—growing in love, faith, hope, patience, kindness, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Peter 1:5-8). SCJ redefines maturity as having complete doctrinal understanding of their system.

4. It justifies endless study: If students must reach “complete understanding,” they need to keep attending lessons indefinitely. This creates dependency and makes it harder to leave—there’s always more to learn, always another level of understanding to reach.

What the Bible Actually Teaches About Understanding:

1 Corinthians 13:9-12: “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

Paul acknowledges that our current understanding is partial. “Complete” understanding won’t come until we see Christ face to face. This should create humility, not the arrogant certainty that SCJ displays.

Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”

God has revealed what we need to know to follow Him. There are “secret things” that belong to God alone. We don’t need exhaustive knowledge of every prophetic detail—we need to know and obey what God has revealed.

2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Scripture’s purpose is to equip us for godly living and good works, not to provide exhaustive prophetic details about organizational fulfillment. If we can read Scripture, understand the gospel, and live according to God’s will, we have what we need.

The biblical emphasis is on knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8-10), not on having complete doctrinal understanding of every prophetic detail. SCJ’s emphasis on “complete understanding” shifts focus from relationship with Christ to mastery of their interpretive system.

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Part 4: The OPAGH Framework Manipulation

How SCJ Uses OPAGH to Control Interpretation

In Lesson 55, the instructor states: “Keep in mind with Jerusalem and Babylon, you might be thinking, but there’s a place called Jerusalem today, and there was a place called Babylon in history. Remember how prophecies work: Objects, People, Animals, Geographic locations, and Historic events (OPAGH). Geographic locations are also used figuratively in prophecy, and we’ll see that as well today.”

The OPAGH framework (Objects, People, Animals, Geographic locations, Historic events) is one of SCJ’s most effective tools for controlling biblical interpretation. Let’s examine how this framework works and why it’s problematic.

The Kernel of Truth

Like most effective deception, OPAGH contains a kernel of truth: the Bible does use figurative language. Scripture employs:

• Objects symbolically: The lampstand represents churches (Revelation 1:20), bread represents Jesus’ body (John 6:35)
• People typologically: Adam is a type of Christ (Romans 5:14), Melchizedek prefigures Christ’s priesthood (Hebrews 7)
• Animals symbolically: The Lamb represents Christ (John 1:29, Revelation 5:6), the serpent represents Satan (Revelation 12:9)
• Geographic locations with theological significance: Egypt represents bondage, the Promised Land represents God’s blessing
• Historic events as patterns: The Exodus prefigures salvation, the wilderness wandering teaches spiritual lessons

So when SCJ teaches that the Bible uses these things figuratively, they’re not entirely wrong. The problem is how they apply this principle.

The Distortion: From “Sometimes” to “Always”

SCJ takes the true principle that “the Bible sometimes uses things figuratively” and distorts it into “the Bible always uses these things figuratively, and they never mean what they plainly say.”

Notice the instructor’s logic: “You might be thinking, but there’s a place called Jerusalem today, and there was a place called Babylon in history.” The instructor anticipates that students will think about the actual cities—which is a reasonable, normal response. But then he dismisses this: “Remember how prophecies work: Objects, People, Animals, Geographic locations, and Historic events (OPAGH). Geographic locations are also used figuratively in prophecy.”

The implication is clear: if you’re thinking about actual geographic locations, you’re wrong. You need to think figuratively. This creates a framework where:

1. Plain meanings are automatically suspect: If your first instinct is to take something literally, you’re probably wrong
2. Figurative meanings are automatically preferred: The “spiritual” or “symbolic” meaning is always deeper and truer than the plain meaning
3. SCJ’s interpretations are authoritative: Since figurative meanings aren’t obvious, you need an expert (SCJ) to tell you what things really mean

The Biblical Balance: Both/And, Not Either/Or

The Bible itself uses a both/and approach to literal and figurative meanings, not SCJ’s either/or approach. Consider these examples:

Example 1: The Temple

The physical temple in Jerusalem was a real building where God’s presence dwelt in a unique way (1 Kings 8:10-11). But the temple also had figurative significance:

• Jesus spoke of His body as a temple (John 2:19-21)
• Paul teaches that believers’ bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)
• The church corporately is God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Ephesians 2:21-22)

The figurative meanings don’t negate the literal temple—they build on it. The physical reality provides the foundation for understanding the spiritual reality.

Example 2: Jerusalem

Jerusalem is a real city with ongoing significance in God’s plan. But Jerusalem also has theological meanings:

• The “Jerusalem above” represents the new covenant reality (Galatians 4:26)
• The “heavenly Jerusalem” represents the spiritual reality believers have entered (Hebrews 12:22)
• The “New Jerusalem” represents the consummated kingdom (Revelation 21-22)

Again, the figurative meanings don’t replace the literal city—they build on its historical and theological significance. You don’t have to choose between “Jerusalem is a real city” and “Jerusalem has spiritual meaning.” Both are true.

Example 3: The Exodus

The Exodus was a real historical event—God actually delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. But the Exodus also has typological significance:

• It prefigures salvation from sin (1 Corinthians 10:1-4)
• It teaches spiritual lessons about God’s faithfulness (Psalm 78)
• It provides language for describing redemption (Revelation 15:3)

The historical reality is the foundation for the spiritual application. If the Exodus didn’t really happen, the spiritual lessons would be meaningless.

SCJ’s Hermeneutical Error

SCJ’s OPAGH framework commits a fundamental hermeneutical error: it assumes that if something has figurative meaning, it cannot also have literal meaning. This creates several problems:

Problem 1: It disconnects symbols from their referents

Symbols work because they point to something real. A “lamb” can symbolize Christ because real lambs were actually sacrificed in the temple. “Exodus” can symbolize salvation because God actually delivered Israel from Egypt. “Jerusalem” can have spiritual significance because it was actually the city where God dwelt with His people.

When SCJ teaches that “Jerusalem” in prophecy doesn’t mean the actual city but means “a church organization,” they’ve disconnected the symbol from its referent. The symbol no longer points to something real—it becomes an empty container that SCJ can fill with whatever meaning serves their purpose.

Problem 2: It makes interpretation arbitrary

If geographic locations are “always” figurative and “never” literal, how do you know what they mean? The answer: whoever has authority to interpret tells you. This is why OPAGH is such an effective control tool—it makes students dependent on SCJ’s interpretation.

Consider: Why does “Jerusalem” mean “the church of the chosen people” rather than, say, “the place where God dwells” or “the faithful remnant” or “heaven”? The Bible uses Jerusalem in all these ways. But SCJ chooses the interpretation that serves their organizational claims: if Jerusalem means “the church of the chosen people,” then SCJ can claim to be Jerusalem.

Problem 3: It ignores context

Sound biblical interpretation requires attention to context—literary context (what comes before and after), historical context (when and why it was written), and canonical context (how it fits with the rest of Scripture). SCJ’s OPAGH framework ignores all of this.

For example, when Revelation mentions “Babylon,” the context is crucial:

• Literary context: Revelation is written in the genre of apocalyptic literature, which uses vivid symbolism to describe spiritual realities
• Historical context: Revelation was written to Christians suffering under Roman persecution
• Canonical context: “Babylon” throughout Scripture represents opposition to God, culminating in the historical Babylon that destroyed Jerusalem

Taking this context into account, most biblical scholars understand “Babylon” in Revelation as primarily referring to Rome (the persecuting power) and more broadly to any manifestation of the world system opposed to God. SCJ’s interpretation—that Babylon means “Christian churches”—ignores all of this context.

Problem 4: It creates false certainty

By claiming that OPAGH is “how prophecies work,” SCJ creates the impression that their interpretive method is objective and reliable. But OPAGH isn’t a biblical principle—it’s a framework SCJ invented. The Bible never says, “When you see a geographic location in prophecy, it’s always figurative and never literal.”

This false certainty is dangerous because it prevents students from questioning SCJ’s interpretations. If you question whether “Jerusalem” really means “a church organization,” you’re told you don’t understand “how prophecies work.” The framework itself becomes unchallengeable.

A Better Hermeneutical Approach

Instead of SCJ’s OPAGH framework, Christians should use sound hermeneutical principles:

1. Start with the plain meaning: Unless there’s clear indication otherwise, take the text at face value. If it talks about Jerusalem, start by assuming it means Jerusalem.

2. Look for contextual clues: Does the context indicate symbolic meaning? For example, when Revelation says “the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20), the text explicitly tells you the symbolic meaning.

3. Consider the genre: Apocalyptic literature (like Revelation) uses more symbolism than historical narrative (like Acts). Adjust your reading accordingly, but don’t assume everything is symbolic.

4. Check the rest of Scripture: How does the Bible use this term elsewhere? What patterns emerge? Let Scripture interpret Scripture.

5. Recognize both/and possibilities: Something can have both literal and figurative significance. You don’t have to choose.

6. Maintain humility: Acknowledge that some things are unclear and that godly scholars disagree on interpretations. Avoid the false certainty that characterizes SCJ’s teaching.

7. Focus on the main point: What is the passage’s primary message? Don’t get so focused on symbolic details that you miss the main point. Revelation’s main message is clear: Christ wins, His people are vindicated, evil is judged, and God dwells with His people forever. Don’t let debates about symbolic details obscure this central message.

As the resource “Prophecy and Fulfillment” explains, Shincheonji’s obsession with detailed prophetic fulfillment causes them to miss the forest for the trees. They become so focused on claiming that specific verses refer to specific events in their organization that they miss the grand narrative of God’s redemptive work in Christ.

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Part 5: The “War of Doctrines” Framework—A Deeper Analysis

What SCJ Teaches About the War

Let’s examine more carefully what Lesson 55 teaches about this “figurative war”:

“What is the figurative war? It is not a war fought with guns, bullets, swords, shields, arrows, and bombs – not that kind of war. Instead, it is a war of words, a war of doctrines that is fought at the time of the second coming.”

“Of course, the weapons used in a war of doctrines are words, and the word that is used as a weapon on the good side is the word of testimony. This war is special because it is a testimony that ends arguments. Why? Because the details of who, what, when, where, why, and how are given.”

“That’s the weapon to win in a war of doctrines. When some are saying it may be like this and others are saying no, it may be like this, the word that says it is this supersedes them all. This is what we should be waiting for. This is what was fulfilled according to scripture, not what may be like, but what it was, what happened.”

This teaching contains several problematic elements that need careful examination.

The Epistemological Claim: Certainty Through Detailed Testimony

SCJ is making an epistemological claim—a claim about how we know truth. They’re arguing that:

1. Uncertainty is the problem: Christians are uncertain about prophecy (“some are saying it may be like this and others are saying no, it may be like this”)
2. Detailed testimony provides certainty: The solution is testimony that gives specific details (who, what, when, where, why, how)
3. This testimony ends all arguments: Once you have detailed testimony, debate is over—”it is this” supersedes all other views

This sounds appealing. Who wouldn’t want certainty instead of uncertainty? Who wouldn’t want clear answers instead of ongoing debates? But this epistemological framework has serious problems.

Problem 1: It confuses certainty with truth

Just because someone speaks with certainty doesn’t mean they’re speaking truth. False teachers throughout history have spoken with absolute confidence. The 9/11 hijackers were certain they were doing God’s will. Jim Jones was certain about his teachings. Certainty is not a reliable indicator of truth.

The Bible warns about false confidence:

Proverbs 14:12: “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

2 Corinthians 11:13-15: “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.”

False teachers don’t announce themselves as false. They speak with confidence, use biblical language, and claim special revelation. Paul warns that they “masquerade as servants of righteousness.” Certainty and confident testimony are not sufficient proof of truth.

Problem 2: It misunderstands the nature of faith

The Bible presents faith not as certainty about prophetic details but as trust in God’s character and promises despite uncertainty about details.

Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Faith involves “what we do not see”—there’s an element of trust beyond complete knowledge. Abraham didn’t know all the details of how God would fulfill His promises, but he trusted God (Hebrews 11:8-12). Moses didn’t know exactly how the Exodus would unfold, but he trusted God (Hebrews 11:23-29).

2 Corinthians 5:7: “For we live by faith, not by sight.”

Paul contrasts faith with sight—with having everything visible and certain. Faith involves trusting God when we don’t have all the answers.

SCJ’s emphasis on detailed testimony that “ends arguments” actually undermines faith. It replaces trust in God with confidence in human testimony. It shifts the foundation from God’s character to SCJ’s claims.

Problem 3: It creates a false standard for truth

SCJ argues that detailed testimony (who, what, when, where, why, how) is the ultimate proof of truth. But this standard is problematic for several reasons:

First, it can be fabricated. Anyone can make up detailed testimony. Cult leaders throughout history have provided detailed accounts of prophetic fulfillment. The Book of Mormon contains detailed testimony about supposed historical events. Detail doesn’t prove truth.

Second, it’s not the biblical standard. The Bible tests truth by:

• Consistency with previous revelation (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, Galatians 1:8-9)
• Fruit in people’s lives (Matthew 7:15-20)
• Confession of Christ (1 John 4:1-3)
• Love for God and others (1 John 4:7-8)
• Alignment with apostolic teaching (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

Nowhere does Scripture say that detailed testimony about who, what, when, where, why, and how is the ultimate test of truth.

Third, it privileges insiders. Only people who were present for the supposed fulfillment can provide detailed testimony. This makes truth verification impossible for outsiders. You either accept SCJ’s testimony or you don’t—there’s no way to independently verify their claims. This is exactly how cults maintain control.

The First Coming Analogy: A Flawed Comparison

The lesson uses an analogy to the first coming to support its claims:

“So, at the time of the first coming, if someone said no, the virgin may be this person, everyone would say no, it was definitely Mary, it was definitely Mary and Jesus, and there’s no one arguing as to who the virgin and child is today. A very small group of people may still be arguing over something like that, but that has already been confirmed.”

“Does that make sense? That argument’s over, that war is done, we know. So, for revelation’s fulfillment, the same thing needs to happen as well.”

This analogy is flawed in several ways:

Flaw 1: It misrepresents how people recognized Jesus

The analogy suggests that people at the first coming immediately recognized Jesus because of detailed testimony about prophetic fulfillment. But this isn’t what happened. Most people, including religious leaders who knew prophecy well, rejected Jesus. The recognition came through:

• The testimony of John the Baptist (John 1:29-34)
• Jesus’ teachings and miracles (John 10:37-38)
• The Holy Spirit’s revelation (Matthew 16:16-17)
• The resurrection (Romans 1:4)

Even after the resurrection, recognition wasn’t universal. People had to choose whether to believe the testimony of the apostles. The “argument” wasn’t “over” in the sense that everyone agreed—many continued to reject Jesus.

Flaw 2: It assumes the same pattern must repeat

The analogy assumes that Revelation’s fulfillment must follow the same pattern as the first coming—detailed testimony that ends arguments. But this assumption isn’t biblical. The first coming and second coming have important differences:

• The first coming was largely unexpected in its manner (a suffering servant rather than a conquering king)
• The second coming will be unmistakable—”every eye will see him” (Revelation 1:7)
• The first coming required faith to recognize Jesus as Messiah
• The second coming will be obvious to all—”as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west” (Matthew 24:27)

The Bible doesn’t teach that we need detailed human testimony to recognize the second coming. Jesus taught that His return would be unmistakable.

Flaw 3: It sets up SCJ’s claims

The analogy is designed to make SCJ’s later claims seem reasonable. The logic goes:

1. At the first coming, detailed testimony confirmed who fulfilled prophecy
2. At the second coming, the same thing must happen
3. SCJ provides detailed testimony about Revelation’s fulfillment
4. Therefore, SCJ’s testimony should be accepted just as testimony about Jesus was accepted

But this logic only works if you accept the flawed premises. If the first coming didn’t work the way SCJ claims, and if the second coming doesn’t require the same pattern, then SCJ’s testimony doesn’t have the authority they claim.

The Dangerous Implications

The “war of doctrines” framework has dangerous implications that become clearer as students progress through SCJ’s curriculum:

Implication 1: Christianity becomes about winning arguments

By framing faith as a “war of doctrines” where the goal is to “end arguments” with superior testimony, SCJ transforms Christianity from a relationship with Christ into an intellectual competition. The focus shifts from knowing Jesus to knowing the right interpretations.

This contradicts Jesus’ emphasis:

John 17:3: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ—a relational knowledge, not merely intellectual knowledge about prophetic fulfillment.

Implication 2: Other Christians become the enemy

If there’s a war between Jerusalem and Babylon, and if Babylon represents churches where demons dwell, then other Christians become the enemy. This explains why SCJ members often become hostile toward their former churches and Christian friends. They’ve been taught that these are “Babylon”—the enemy in a spiritual war.

This contradicts Jesus’ teaching:

John 13:34-35: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The mark of Jesus’ disciples is love for one another, not doctrinal superiority or organizational allegiance.

Implication 3: Humility becomes impossible

If SCJ has the testimony that “ends arguments,” if they know exactly who, what, when, where, why, and how prophecy was fulfilled, then humility becomes impossible. They can’t say “we might be wrong” or “let’s consider other perspectives” because that would undermine their entire epistemological framework.

This contradicts biblical wisdom:

Proverbs 11:2: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

James 4:6: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

The confidence SCJ displays isn’t faith—it’s pride. They claim to have knowledge that no one else has, understanding that supersedes all other interpretations. This is the opposite of the humility Scripture commends.

Implication 4: Verification becomes impossible

If the “weapon” in this war is testimony about events that supposedly happened within SCJ’s organization, how can outsiders verify these claims? They can’t. You either accept SCJ’s testimony or you don’t. This makes the claims unfalsifiable—there’s no way to test them.

This contradicts biblical practice:

Acts 17:11: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

The Bereans were commended for testing Paul’s teaching against Scripture. They didn’t just accept his testimony—they verified it. SCJ’s framework makes this kind of verification impossible.

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The Strategic Purpose of Testing

The lesson references a test question from a previous lesson:

“Question 9: Give the three conditions people must meet for their sins to be forgiven.

And the answers:

1. We must drink the blood of Jesus (Matthew 26:28; John 6:53-57).
2. We must understand the parables (Mark 4:10-12).
3. We must keep the new covenant (Hebrew 8:10-12).”

The instructor then says: “Now, I pray that as we’re going through the test, we’re not just memorizing the answers and moving on, but we’re going through and reading the verses as well, really trying to understand why the answer is the answer.”

This seems like good educational practice—encouraging understanding rather than mere memorization. But let’s examine what’s actually happening through the lens of indoctrination.

The Hidden Curriculum: What Students Are Really Learning

Chapter 13 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story,” titled “The Pressure Tactics—How Control Is Maintained,” explains how SCJ uses testing as a control mechanism. Tests serve multiple purposes beyond assessing knowledge:

Purpose 1: Reinforcing false premises

By requiring students to memorize specific answers to test questions, SCJ embeds their interpretations as “the” answers. Students learn that there’s one correct answer (SCJ’s), not multiple valid perspectives. This creates the impression that SCJ’s interpretations are objective truth rather than one group’s claims.

Purpose 2: Creating investment

Tests require students to invest time studying, memorizing, and preparing. This investment creates psychological commitment—the more time and effort students invest, the harder it becomes to walk away. Behavioral psychologists call this the “sunk cost fallacy”—people continue investing in something because they’ve already invested so much, even when it’s not beneficial.

Purpose 3: Measuring compliance

Tests measure whether students are accepting SCJ’s teaching. Students who struggle with tests or question answers may be identified as “not understanding” or “resisting the word.” This creates pressure to conform and accept what’s being taught.

Purpose 4: Preparing for advancement

Students must pass tests to advance to the next level. This creates a gatekeeping system where only those who fully accept SCJ’s teaching progress. By the time students reach the Advanced Level, they’ve demonstrated complete acceptance of SCJ’s framework through multiple tests.

Analyzing Question 9: “Three Conditions for Forgiveness”

Let’s examine this test question more carefully. The question asks for “three conditions people must meet for their sins to be forgiven,” with the answers being:

1. Drink the blood of Jesus
2. Understand the parables
3. Keep the new covenant

This question is theologically problematic in multiple ways.

Problem 1: It adds conditions to grace

The biblical gospel is that salvation is by grace through faith, not by meeting conditions or performing works:

Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Romans 3:23-24: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Salvation is God’s gift, received through faith in Christ. While faith produces obedience and transformation, salvation itself is not earned by meeting conditions. SCJ’s question subtly shifts from grace to works by listing “conditions people must meet.”

Problem 2: It misuses Scripture

Let’s examine each of the three “conditions” and the verses cited:

Condition 1: “We must drink the blood of Jesus (Matthew 26:28; John 6:53-57)”

Matthew 26:28: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Jesus spoke these words at the Last Supper, instituting communion. “Drinking the blood” refers to participating in communion and, more broadly, to receiving by faith the benefits of Christ’s sacrificial death. It’s not a literal condition but a metaphor for faith in Christ’s atoning work.

John 6:53-57: “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.'”

This passage comes from Jesus’ “Bread of Life” discourse. The context shows that “eating flesh” and “drinking blood” are metaphors for believing in Jesus:

John 6:35: “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'”

John 6:40: “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Jesus equates “eating” and “drinking” with “coming to” and “believing in” Him. This is about faith, not about meeting a literal condition.

Condition 2: “We must understand the parables (Mark 4:10-12)”

Mark 4:10-12: “When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!”‘”

This is one of SCJ’s most misused passages. They interpret it to mean that understanding parables is a condition for forgiveness. But this completely misreads the passage. Let’s look at the context:

Jesus had just told the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-9). The disciples asked Him about it privately, and He explained that parables serve different purposes for different audiences:

• For disciples: Parables reveal truth about God’s kingdom
• For hard-hearted outsiders: Parables conceal truth, confirming their rejection

The passage is describing a reality (hard-hearted people don’t understand), not prescribing a condition (you must understand parables to be forgiven). Jesus is explaining why He uses parables, not setting up understanding as a requirement for salvation.

Moreover, the passage quotes Isaiah 6:9-10, where God tells Isaiah that his message will fall on deaf ears—not because understanding is a condition, but because the people’s hearts are hard. The problem isn’t lack of understanding; it’s hardness of heart.

The correct understanding: Forgiveness produces understanding, not the other way around. When people come to Christ in faith, the Holy Spirit opens their eyes to understand spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:14-16). Understanding is a result of salvation, not a condition for it.

SCJ inverts this: they teach that understanding (specifically, understanding their interpretation of parables) is necessary for forgiveness. This makes salvation dependent on intellectual comprehension of SCJ’s teaching rather than on faith in Christ.

Condition 3: “We must keep the new covenant (Hebrews 8:10-12)”

Hebrews 8:10-12: “This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

This passage describes the new covenant that God establishes. Notice the order:

1. God acts: “I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts”
2. Relationship results: “I will be their God, and they will be my people”
3. Knowledge follows: “They will all know me”
4. Forgiveness is given: “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more”

God is the actor throughout. He establishes the covenant, writes His law on hearts, creates the relationship, gives knowledge, and provides forgiveness. This is grace from beginning to end.

SCJ’s question inverts this by making “keeping the new covenant” a condition people must meet. But the passage shows that God establishes and maintains the new covenant. Our part is to receive it by faith, not to keep it as a condition for forgiveness.

The Theological Problem

By presenting these three items as “conditions people must meet for their sins to be forgiven,” SCJ subtly shifts from the biblical gospel of grace to a works-based system. Students learn that forgiveness depends on:

1. Participating in communion (or whatever SCJ means by “drinking blood”)
2. Understanding parables (i.e., accepting SCJ’s interpretation)
3. Keeping the covenant (i.e., following SCJ’s requirements)

This is not the biblical gospel. The biblical gospel is:

Acts 16:30-31: “He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.'”

Romans 10:9: “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.”

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The consistent biblical message is that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. While genuine faith produces transformation and obedience, salvation itself is received by faith, not earned by meeting conditions.

The Progression of Distortion

Notice how SCJ’s test question builds on previous distortions:

Stage 1 (Introductory Level): Students learn that parables are sealed and require special interpretation. This creates dependence on SCJ’s teaching.

Stage 2 (Intermediate Level): Students learn that understanding parables is a condition for forgiveness. This makes salvation dependent on SCJ’s teaching.

Stage 3 (Advanced Level, coming later): Students learn that SCJ has the only correct understanding of parables. This makes SCJ necessary for salvation.

The logical progression is: If understanding parables is necessary for forgiveness, and if only SCJ correctly understands parables, then only those who accept SCJ’s teaching can be forgiven. This is how SCJ creates exclusivity and control.

The Romans 10 Manipulation

The lesson continues with an extended discussion of Romans 10:6-10, which is worth examining:

“Romans 10:6-10: But the righteousness that is by faith says: ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”‘ (that is, to bring Christ down) ‘or “Who will descend into the deep?”‘ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 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.”

The lesson then states: “The passage mentions ‘the word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.’ This word is the message concerning faith—the gospel message that must be proclaimed and believed.”

So far, this is correct. But watch what happens next in SCJ’s typical teaching pattern (based on their curriculum structure): they will redefine what “the word” means and what “believing in your heart” means, gradually shifting from the biblical gospel to SCJ’s system.

In SCJ’s framework:

• “The word” becomes SCJ’s teaching about Revelation fulfillment
• “Believing in your heart” becomes accepting SCJ’s testimony
• “Declaring with your mouth” becomes recruiting others to SCJ
• “The message concerning faith” becomes SCJ’s specific doctrines

This is the redefinition strategy in action. SCJ takes a clear biblical passage about salvation by faith in Christ and gradually reinterprets it to be about accepting SCJ’s teaching.

The Demons Believe: A Misused Argument

The lesson includes this section:

“Believing in Jesus is much more than believing that he existed. That’s the floor. That’s the ground. That’s the foundation. Believing that he existed is the smallest, lowest bar to jump over. Most people stop here, ‘I believe that he existed, but I don’t know much about him.’ What?

The demons believe that he existed. They believe in him and God. Is our standard the demons?

James 2:19: ‘You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.’

The demons also believe in God’s existence and tremble, right? So obviously, believing in God’s existence is the first requirement. However, the demons merely believe that God exists; they do not submit to Him or have a relationship with Him. They chose separation from God. So how can we, as humans, do better than the demons? Believing in God’s existence is the starting point, but we must go beyond that by choosing to have a relationship with Him and submit to His will, rather than separating ourselves from Him like the demons have done.”

This argument sounds reasonable, but it’s being used to set up a false dichotomy. Let’s examine what’s happening:

The True Part:

It’s true that genuine faith is more than intellectual assent. James 2:19 makes this point—mere belief that God exists isn’t saving faith. Saving faith involves trust, commitment, and relationship with God through Christ.

The Distortion:

SCJ uses this true principle to argue that “believing in Jesus” must mean something more than Christians typically understand. The implication is that most Christians have only “demon-level faith”—they believe Jesus existed but don’t really believe in Him properly.

This sets up SCJ’s later claim: “Real belief in Jesus means accepting the testimony about Revelation’s fulfillment in SCJ.” In other words, you haven’t truly believed in Jesus unless you accept SCJ’s teaching.

The Biblical Reality:

James 2:19 is part of a larger argument about faith and works:

James 2:14-17: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

James is addressing people who claim to have faith but show no evidence of it in their lives. His point is that genuine faith produces works—not that works earn salvation, but that real faith is demonstrated by how we live.

James 2:18: “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

The “works” James emphasizes are practical expressions of love—caring for the poor, living righteously, showing mercy. He’s not talking about intellectual understanding of prophetic fulfillment.

The Test of Real Faith:

The New Testament gives clear tests for genuine faith:

1 John 4:2-3: “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.”

1 John 4:7-8: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 5:1: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.”

The tests are:

1. Confession of Christ: Acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Savior
2. Love for others: Genuine love demonstrates God’s presence
3. Obedience to God’s commands: Living according to God’s will
4. Fruit of the Spirit: Evidence of transformation (Galatians 5:22-23)

Nowhere does Scripture say that accepting detailed testimony about prophetic fulfillment is the test of genuine faith. SCJ creates a false standard that serves their organizational claims.

The Subtle Shift from Christ to Knowledge

Throughout the test questions and review sections, notice a subtle but crucial shift: the focus moves from Christ Himself to knowledge about prophetic fulfillment.

Biblical Christianity: Salvation comes through relationship with Christ, received by faith, resulting in transformation and obedience.

SCJ’s system: Salvation comes through correct understanding of prophecy, received through SCJ’s teaching, resulting in organizational allegiance.

This shift is gradual and subtle. Students don’t notice it happening because SCJ uses biblical language throughout. But by the time students complete the curriculum, their faith is no longer centered on Christ but on SCJ’s claims about itself.

Chapter 22 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story,” titled “The Scarlet Thread—Tracing God’s Redemptive Plan,” emphasizes that the Bible’s central message is Christ—His person, work, and glory. Every part of Scripture points to Him. When teaching shifts focus from Christ to an organization’s claims about itself, it has departed from biblical Christianity, regardless of how much biblical language it uses.

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Part 7: The Hope Manipulation—A Deeper Analysis

How SCJ Weaponizes Hope

Earlier we touched on how Lesson 55 manipulates hope. Let’s examine this more deeply because it reveals one of SCJ’s most effective psychological tactics.

The lesson states:

“Our hope should be to belong to New Jerusalem, also known as Mount Zion, and become God’s army of hope. A thing that is sorely lacking in our world today is hope, as there are many things that seem grim. People talk about the climate, the wars happening today, the economy. Many people feel like there is no cause for hope in our time, that it seems like things are falling apart all around us. And guess what? They are, because like we learned in the past lessons recently, an entity has been over this world, making our lives awful. That entity has been making our lives very difficult.

So, what does God want people to know? That He is still at work, that He is not asleep, that He is doing things today. And when people come to this understanding, their hearts quicken, and they get excited. I hope that’s how all of us have been feeling as we’ve been learning the open word so far. We’re getting excited. Oh my goodness, things are already taking place. This is not a time of waiting anymore but a time of doing, a time of running, a time of fleeing. So, let’s be those who can even spread that hope to other people as it is being spread to us.”

This paragraph is masterfully constructed to manipulate emotions and create dependency. Let’s break down the psychological techniques:

Technique 1: Validate Real Feelings

“A thing that is sorely lacking in our world today is hope, as there are many things that seem grim. People talk about the climate, the wars happening today, the economy.”

SCJ starts by validating real feelings of anxiety and hopelessness that many people experience. This creates rapport—students feel understood. The instructor isn’t dismissing their concerns but acknowledging them.

This is effective because:

1. It makes students feel heard
2. It establishes the instructor as empathetic and realistic
3. It creates an emotional need that SCJ will then claim to fill

Technique 2: Confirm the Worst Fears

“Many people feel like there is no cause for hope in our time, that it seems like things are falling apart all around us. And guess what? They are.”

After validating feelings, SCJ confirms them: “You’re right to feel hopeless. Things ARE falling apart.” This intensifies the emotional need. If things really are falling apart, the need for hope becomes desperate.

Technique 3: Provide an Explanation

“Because like we learned in the past lessons recently, an entity has been over this world, making our lives awful. That entity has been making our lives very difficult.”

SCJ provides an explanation for the hopelessness: an “entity” (Satan) has been controlling the world. This explanation does several things:

1. Externalizes the problem: It’s not your fault you feel hopeless; there’s a cosmic reason
2. References previous teaching: This builds on earlier lessons, creating coherence
3. Implies a solution: If an entity is the problem, removing that entity is the solution

Technique 4: Offer the Solution

“So, what does God want people to know? That He is still at work, that He is not asleep, that He is doing things today.”

Now comes the solution: God is at work right now. This creates hope—but notice it’s hope based on God doing something specific “today,” not general hope in God’s character and promises.

Technique 5: Link Hope to Understanding

“And when people come to this understanding, their hearts quicken, and they get excited.”

Hope is explicitly linked to “understanding”—specifically, understanding what God is doing today. This makes hope dependent on knowledge, and since SCJ claims to have this knowledge, hope becomes dependent on SCJ.

Technique 6: Create Urgency

“Oh my goodness, things are already taking place. This is not a time of waiting anymore but a time of doing, a time of running, a time of fleeing.”

The language shifts to urgency: “already taking place,” “not a time of waiting,” “time of running,” “time of fleeing.” This creates pressure to act immediately. Students feel they can’t afford to be passive or skeptical—they must respond now.

The word “fleeing” is particularly significant. It evokes Revelation 18:4 (“Come out of her, my people”), which SCJ will later use to tell students they must leave their churches. The language is preparing students emotionally for this demand.

Technique 7: Recruit Students as Spreaders

“So, let’s be those who can even spread that hope to other people as it is being spread to us.”

Finally, students are enlisted to spread this hope to others. This serves multiple purposes:

1. It makes students active participants, increasing commitment
2. It spreads SCJ’s message through personal networks
3. It creates cognitive dissonance—once you’ve recruited others, it’s harder to admit you were wrong
4. It isolates students from non-SCJ relationships (people don’t appreciate being recruited)

The Contrast with Biblical Hope

Let’s contrast SCJ’s hope with biblical hope:

Biblical Hope:

Romans 5:1-5: “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. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Biblical hope:

• Is rooted in justification through faith in Christ
• Gives peace with God regardless of circumstances
• Sustains through suffering (doesn’t promise to remove it)
• Produces perseverance and character
• Is grounded in God’s love poured out through the Holy Spirit
• Cannot disappoint because it’s based on God’s character, not circumstances

1 Peter 1:3-9: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 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. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Biblical hope:

• Comes through Christ’s resurrection
• Is a “living hope”—active and life-giving
• Is focused on an eternal inheritance, not temporal circumstances
• Sustains through trials (doesn’t promise to remove them)
• Produces joy even without seeing Christ physically
• Is received through faith, not through understanding prophetic details

Hebrews 6:19-20: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.”

Biblical hope:

• Is an anchor—stable and secure
• Is grounded in Christ’s finished work (He has already entered the heavenly sanctuary)
• Doesn’t depend on current circumstances or understanding of prophecy

The Key Differences:

The Devastating Consequences

The difference between biblical hope and SCJ’s hope has devastating consequences when SCJ’s claims prove false.

When biblical hope is tested: Christians may struggle, doubt, and question, but the hope itself remains because it’s anchored in Christ’s resurrection and God’s character. Even if circumstances don’t improve, even if suffering continues, even if questions remain unanswered, the hope endures because it’s not based on circumstances.

When SCJ’s hope is tested: If SCJ’s claims about being Jerusalem, about Revelation being fulfilled in their organization, about having the testimony that ends arguments—if these claims prove false, the entire hope collapses. Because the hope was built on SCJ’s claims, not on Christ Himself.

Chapter 28 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story,” titled “Hope and Help—Guidance for Those Affected by Shincheonji,” documents the devastating impact on former members when they realize SCJ’s claims are false. Many describe feeling completely hopeless, having built their entire sense of meaning and purpose on SCJ’s teaching. Some struggle with faith in God altogether because their “faith” was actually faith in SCJ’s claims.

This is why the hope manipulation is so dangerous. SCJ doesn’t just teach false doctrine—they replace biblical hope (which is unshakeable) with organizational hope (which collapses when the organization’s claims fail).

The “Time of Fleeing” Language

Notice the specific language: “This is not a time of waiting anymore but a time of doing, a time of running, a time of fleeing.”

This language is preparing students for a specific action: leaving their churches. Later in the curriculum, students will be taught explicitly that they must “come out of Babylon” (leave their churches) and join “Jerusalem” (Shincheonji).

The “time of fleeing” language creates urgency and frames leaving one’s church not as abandonment but as obedience. Students are being psychologically prepared to:

1. Act quickly without careful consideration
2. See leaving their church as a spiritual necessity
3. Overcome natural reluctance to leave their community
4. Dismiss concerns from family and friends (who will try to stop them from “fleeing”)

This is classic cult manipulation. By creating urgency (“time of fleeing”), SCJ short-circuits careful discernment. Students feel they must act now, can’t afford to wait, can’t take time to carefully evaluate. This urgency prevents the kind of careful examination that would reveal SCJ’s errors.

Biblical Contrast:

The Bible does call believers to “come out” from the world’s system:

2 Corinthians 6:17: “Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.'”

Revelation 18:4: “Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.'”

But these passages are about separating from worldly values and practices, not about leaving Christian churches to join a specific organization. The call is to holiness and faithfulness to Christ, not to organizational transfer.

Moreover, when the Bible does call for urgent action, it provides clear, verifiable reasons. When Jesus warned His disciples to flee Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15-20), He gave a specific sign (“when you see the abomination of desolation”) and a clear reason (Jerusalem’s coming destruction, which happened in AD 70). The urgency was based on historical reality, not on organizational claims.

SCJ’s “time of fleeing” creates urgency without providing verifiable reasons. Students are told to act urgently based on SCJ’s claims about themselves, which cannot be independently verified.

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Part 8: Biblical Alternatives—What Christians Should Actually Believe

Having examined what SCJ teaches and why it’s problematic, let’s articulate what Christians should actually believe about the topics Lesson 55 addresses.

About Jerusalem in Prophecy

What Christians Should Believe:

Jerusalem in biblical prophecy has multiple layers of meaning, all centered on God’s presence with His people:

1. Historical Jerusalem: The physical city where God’s temple stood, where Jesus ministered, died, and rose again. This city has ongoing significance in God’s plan (Romans 11:25-26).

2. Heavenly Jerusalem: The spiritual reality that believers have already entered through Christ (Hebrews 12:22-24, Galatians 4:26). This represents the new covenant community of all believers.

3. New Jerusalem: The consummated kingdom in the new creation, where God will dwell with His people forever (Revelation 21-22). This is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to be with His people.

Key Principle: Jerusalem represents God’s presence with His people. It’s not about organizational membership but about relationship with God through Christ.

Application: Christians don’t need to identify which organization is “Jerusalem.” We are already part of the heavenly Jerusalem through faith in Christ. Our hope is the New Jerusalem—the eternal city where God will dwell with His redeemed people from all nations.

About Babylon in Prophecy

What Christians Should Believe:

Babylon in biblical prophecy represents opposition to God and His people:

1. Historical Babylon: The empire that destroyed Jerusalem and took God’s people into exile. This historical reality provides the foundation for symbolic usage.

2. Rome: In Revelation, “Babylon” primarily symbolizes Rome—the persecuting imperial power that demanded worship and opposed God’s people. Early Christians would have understood this immediately.

3. The World System: More broadly, Babylon represents any manifestation of human civilization organized in opposition to God—characterized by idolatry, immorality, economic exploitation, and persecution of believers.

Key Principle: Babylon represents the world system opposed to God, not Christian churches. The call to “come out of Babylon” is a call to separate from worldly values and practices, not to leave Christian churches.

Application: Christians should examine their lives for worldly values and practices that oppose God—materialism, sexual immorality, pride, injustice, etc. We should “come out” of these things, living as holy people set apart for God. This is about personal holiness and faithfulness to Christ, not about organizational membership.

About Spiritual Warfare

What Christians Should Believe:

Spiritual warfare is real, but it’s not what SCJ teaches:

1. The Enemy: Our struggle is against Satan and spiritual forces of evil, not against other Christians or churches (Ephesians 6:12).

2. The Victory: Christ has already won the decisive victory through His death and resurrection (Colossians 2:15, 1 John 3:8). We fight from victory, not for victory.

3. The Weapons: Our weapons are spiritual—prayer, faith, truth, righteousness, the gospel, God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit’s power (Ephesians 6:14-18, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). The ultimate weapon is “the blood of the Lamb”—Christ’s atoning death (Revelation 12:11).

4. The Strategy: We stand firm in faith, resist the devil, and live in obedience to Christ (James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8-9). We don’t attack other believers or compete with other churches.

5. The Goal: The goal is faithfulness to Christ and the advance of His kingdom, not winning doctrinal arguments or proving organizational superiority.

Key Principle: Spiritual warfare is about remaining faithful to Christ in the face of spiritual opposition, not about competing with other Christian groups.

Application: Christians should put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:14-17), pray regularly, resist temptation, stand firm in faith, and support other believers. We should see other Christians as fellow soldiers, not as enemies.

About Testimony and Truth

What Christians Should Believe:

Testimony is important in Scripture, but not in the way SCJ teaches:

1. The Primary Testimony: The most important testimony is about Jesus Christ—His life, death, resurrection, and lordship (Acts 1:8, 1 John 1:1-3). This is the apostolic testimony recorded in Scripture.

2. Personal Testimony: Believers testify to what Christ has done in their lives—how He saved them, transformed them, and sustains them (Revelation 12:11, Acts 26:12-23). This is powerful because it’s personal and verifiable in changed lives.

3. The Test of Testimony: Testimony must be tested against Scripture (Acts 17:11, 1 John 4:1). Detailed claims don’t prove truth—consistency with God’s revealed Word does.

4. The Limits of Testimony: Human testimony is fallible. Even sincere people can be deceived or mistaken. This is why we test everything against Scripture and why we maintain humility.

Key Principle: Testimony about Christ and His work is central to Christian faith. Testimony about organizational claims must be carefully tested.

Application: Christians should share their testimony of what Christ has done in their lives. We should listen to others’ testimonies with discernment, testing them against Scripture. We should be skeptical of claims that cannot be verified and that require accepting one group’s testimony without independent confirmation.

About Hope

What Christians Should Believe:

Christian hope is unshakeable because it’s rooted in Christ:

1. The Foundation: Hope is grounded in Christ’s resurrection (1 Peter 1:3), which guarantees our future resurrection and eternal life.

2. The Object: Hope is focused on Christ Himself and the eternal inheritance He has secured for us (Colossians 1:27, Titus 2:13), not on temporal circumstances or organizational claims.

3. The Nature: Hope is a “living hope” (1 Peter 1:3) and an “anchor for the soul” (Hebrews 6:19)—it’s active, life-giving, and stable regardless of circumstances.

4. The Effect: Hope produces perseverance through suffering (Romans 5:3-5), joy in trials (1 Peter 1:6-8), and purification of life (1 John 3:3).

5. The Availability: Hope is available to all who believe in Christ (Romans 15:13), not just to those with special knowledge or organizational membership.

Key Principle: Christian hope is anchored in Christ’s finished work and God’s unchanging character, not in understanding current prophetic fulfillment.

Application: Christians can have hope even in difficult circumstances because our hope doesn’t depend on circumstances. We can face uncertainty about the future because our hope is in Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). We don’t need to know exactly how or when prophecy will be fulfilled—we need to know Christ, who holds the future.

About Salvation and Forgiveness

What Christians Should Believe:

Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone:

1. The Basis: Salvation is based on Christ’s atoning death and resurrection, not on our works or understanding (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:21-26).

2. The Means: Salvation is received through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9), not through understanding parables or accepting organizational claims.

3. The Evidence: Genuine faith produces transformation and obedience (James 2:14-26, 1 John 2:3-6), but these are evidence of salvation, not conditions for it.

4. The Assurance: Assurance of salvation comes from trusting Christ’s promises and the Holy Spirit’s witness (Romans 8:16, 1 John 5:11-13), not from organizational membership.

5. The Simplicity: The gospel is simple enough for a child to understand (Matthew 18:3), though its implications are profound. Salvation doesn’t require exhaustive knowledge of prophetic details.

Key Principle: Salvation is a gift received through faith in Christ, not a reward earned through correct understanding or organizational affiliation.

Application: Christians should trust in Christ alone for salvation, not in their own understanding or in any organization’s claims. We should share the simple gospel message—that Christ died for our sins and rose again, and that whoever believes in Him has eternal life. We should be suspicious of any teaching that makes salvation more complicated than this or that adds conditions beyond faith in Christ.

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Part 9: Recognizing and Responding to SCJ’s Tactics

For Those Currently in SCJ Studies

If you’re currently taking SCJ’s Bible studies, here are warning signs that should concern you:

Warning Sign 1: Increasing Secrecy

If you’re being told not to tell family or friends about the study, or if you’re given reasons why others “wouldn’t understand,” this is a major red flag. Truth doesn’t require secrecy. Jesus taught openly (John 18:20).

Warning Sign 2: Isolation from Other Christians

If the teaching increasingly criticizes other churches and pastors, suggesting they’re all wrong or deceived, be very concerned. This is preparation for separating you from your Christian community.

Warning Sign 3: Dependence on the Instructor

If you’re being taught that you can’t understand the Bible without the instructor’s explanation, that your own reading might lead you astray, or that questioning the teaching shows spiritual immaturity, these are cult control tactics.

Warning Sign 4: Organizational Focus

If the teaching increasingly focuses on a specific organization’s claims about itself rather than on Christ, this is a departure from biblical Christianity. The gospel is about Jesus, not about any human organization.

Warning Sign 5: Pressure and Urgency

If you feel pressured to make decisions quickly, to commit before you’re ready, or to act with urgency based on claims you can’t verify, slow down. God doesn’t pressure people into decisions they’re not ready to make.

What to Do:

1. Talk to someone you trust: Share what you’re learning with a pastor, mature Christian friend, or family member. Get outside perspective.
2. Test what you’re being taught: Use the verification framework from Chapter 5 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story.” Does the teaching align with Scripture? Does it pass the authority tests?
3. Research Shincheonji: Look up information about the group. If your instructors haven’t told you you’re studying with Shincheonji, ask directly: “Is this Shincheonji?” Their answer will be revealing.
4. Take a break: You can always resume studies later if you decide to. Taking time to think and pray is wisdom, not weakness.
5. Visit closerlookinitiative.com/shincheonji-examination: This resource provides detailed examination of SCJ’s claims and teaching methods.

For Family and Friends of Those in SCJ

If someone you care about is involved in SCJ studies, here’s how to help:

Do:

1. Maintain relationship: Don’t cut off contact or issue ultimatums. SCJ teaches that opposition proves they’re right. Stay connected and loving.
2. Ask questions: Use gentle questions to encourage critical thinking: “How do you know that’s true?” “What would it look like if that claim were false?” “Have you researched other perspectives?”
3. Express concern without attacking: “I’m concerned because…” rather than “You’re being deceived by a cult.” Focus on specific behaviors or teachings that concern you.
4. Provide resources: Share information about SCJ, but don’t force it. Make resources available and let them read when ready.
5. Pray: Pray for spiritual discernment, for truth to be revealed, and for your loved one’s protection.

Don’t:

1. Don’t attack their faith: They believe they’re growing spiritually. Attacking their faith will push them away.
2. Don’t give ultimatums: “It’s SCJ or me” will likely result in them choosing SCJ, at least temporarily.
3. Don’t argue doctrine: SCJ has trained them to defend their teachings. Doctrinal arguments often strengthen their commitment.
4. Don’t lose hope: Many people leave SCJ eventually. Your consistent love and presence matter.

For Former SCJ Members

If you’ve left SCJ, you may be experiencing:

1. Confusion about what to believe: SCJ’s teaching was so comprehensive that leaving it can feel like losing your entire framework for understanding Scripture. This is normal. Take time to rebuild your understanding, working with a trusted pastor or mentor.

2. Anger at being deceived: This is a natural response. Allow yourself to feel it, but don’t let it consume you. Healing takes time.

3. Difficulty trusting: After being deceived, it’s hard to trust anyone’s teaching. This is understandable. Rebuild trust slowly, with people who have proven trustworthy.

4. Shame about recruiting others: Many former members feel terrible about bringing others into SCJ. Remember that you were deceived too. Make amends where possible, but don’t let shame paralyze you.

5. Questions about faith: Some former members struggle with faith in God altogether. Remember that SCJ’s false claims don’t invalidate Christianity. God is real even though SCJ’s claims about Him were false.

Resources for Recovery:

Chapter 28 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story” provides detailed guidance for recovery. Key steps include:

1. Find a healthy church: Look for a church that teaches Scripture faithfully, focuses on Christ, and provides genuine community.
2. Work with a counselor: Consider finding a counselor familiar with spiritual abuse and cult recovery.
3. Read Scripture fresh: Approach the Bible without SCJ’s framework. Let it speak for itself.
4. Connect with other former members: You’re not alone. Others have walked this path and can provide understanding and support.
5. Be patient with yourself: Recovery takes time. Don’t expect to immediately have everything figured out.

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Conclusion: The Path Forward

The Core Issue

Lesson 55, like all of SCJ’s teaching, contains a mixture of biblical truth and subtle distortion. The lesson uses legitimate biblical concepts—Jerusalem, Babylon, spiritual warfare, testimony, hope—but redefines them to serve SCJ’s organizational claims.

The core issue is this: SCJ replaces Christ-centered faith with organization-centered faith. Instead of hope anchored in Christ’s finished work, SCJ offers hope based on understanding their claims. Instead of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, SCJ teaches salvation through correct understanding of their interpretation. Instead of spiritual warfare against Satan, SCJ teaches warfare against other churches.

This shift is gradual and subtle, which makes it effective. Students don’t realize they’re being led away from biblical Christianity because they’re using biblical language and studying biblical passages throughout. But by the time they complete the curriculum, their faith is no longer in Christ but in Shincheonji’s claims about itself.

The Test of Truth

Chapter 19 of “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story,” titled “Testing the Claims—The Verification Framework,” provides clear tests for evaluating any teaching:

1. The Scripture Test: Does it align with Scripture, interpreted in context?

• SCJ’s Jerusalem/Babylon framework does not align with how Scripture uses these terms

2. The Christ Test: Does it exalt Christ or an organization?

• SCJ’s teaching increasingly focuses on their organization’s claims rather than on Christ

3. The Fruit Test: Does it produce Christlike character or organizational loyalty?

• SCJ produces loyalty to the organization, often at the expense of relationships with family and previous Christian community

4. The Authority Test: Does it point to Scripture’s authority or to human leaders’ authority?

• SCJ makes students dependent on their instructors’ interpretations rather than on Scripture itself

5. The Gospel Test: Does it proclaim salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone?

• SCJ adds conditions (understanding parables, accepting their testimony) to the simple gospel

6. The Love Test: Does it produce love for God and others?

• SCJ often produces division from family, friends, and previous church community

7. The Humility Test: Does it display appropriate humility or arrogant certainty?

• SCJ claims to have the only correct understanding, the testimony that ends all arguments

Lesson 55 fails these tests. While it uses biblical language and addresses biblical topics, it distorts biblical truth to serve organizational claims.

The Invitation

For those in SCJ studies: You were drawn to these studies because you wanted to know God better, to understand His Word more deeply, to grow spiritually. These are good desires. But SCJ cannot fulfill them because their teaching leads away from Christ, not toward Him.

The good news is that you can know God, understand His Word, and grow spiritually without SCJ. In fact, you can do these things better without SCJ because you won’t have their distorted framework obscuring the truth.

The Bible is not sealed. You don’t need special interpretation to understand it. The Holy Spirit, who lives in every believer, guides us into truth (John 16:13). Christian community, sound teaching, and careful study help us understand Scripture more deeply, but the basic message is clear: God loves us, Christ died for us, and whoever believes in Him has eternal life.

You don’t need to belong to “Jerusalem” (SCJ) to have hope. You already have access to the heavenly Jerusalem through faith in Christ (Hebrews 12:22-24). Your hope is not in an organization but in Christ Himself, who died and rose again and is coming back.

You don’t need detailed testimony about prophetic fulfillment to have assurance. You have the testimony of Scripture, the witness of the Holy Spirit, and the evidence of Christ’s work in your life. These are sufficient.

The True Hope

The lesson asks: “What does God want people to know? That He is still at work, that He is not asleep, that He is doing things today.”

This is actually true—but not in the way SCJ means it. God is at work today, but not primarily through one organization’s claims about itself. God is at work:

• In salvation: Drawing people to Christ, transforming lives, building His church (John 6:44, Philippians 1:6)
• In sanctification: Making believers more like Christ through the Spirit’s work (2 Corinthians 3:18, Philippians 2:13)
• In providence: Sovereignly working all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)
• In mission: Spreading the gospel to all nations through His people (Matthew 28:18-20)
• In preparation: Preparing a place for His people and preparing His people for that place (John 14:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

God is not asleep. He is faithful to His promises. He is bringing history to its appointed conclusion. And when Christ returns, it will be unmistakable—every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7).

We don’t need to anxiously search for fulfillment in obscure organizations. We don’t need to flee from our churches to join a group claiming to be “Jerusalem.” We need to remain faithful to Christ, grow in grace and knowledge of Him, love one another, and share the gospel.

This is the true hope—not hope in understanding prophetic details, but hope in Christ Himself:

1 John 3:2-3: “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”

Our hope is that when Christ appears, we will see Him and be like Him. This hope purifies us now, motivating us to live holy lives. This hope cannot be shaken because it’s anchored in Christ’s finished work and God’s unchanging promises.

This is the hope SCJ cannot give because it’s not based on organizational claims but on Christ Himself. And this hope is available to everyone who believes in Jesus—not just those who accept one group’s testimony, but all who trust in Christ for salvation.

Revelation 22:17: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.”

The invitation is open. The water of life is free. You don’t need to belong to “Jerusalem” to receive it. You need only to come to Christ in faith.

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Final Thoughts

Lesson 55 sits at a strategic point in SCJ’s curriculum—far enough in that students are invested, but not so far that they know where it’s all heading. The Jerusalem/Babylon framework introduced in this lesson will become central to SCJ’s claims about themselves.

But as we’ve seen through careful analysis using the Two Lenses framework from “Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story,” this framework is not biblical. It distorts Scripture, manipulates emotions, creates false hope, and leads students away from Christ-centered faith toward organization-centered faith.

The good news is that truth is knowable, deception can be recognized, and freedom is possible. Whether you’re currently in SCJ studies, concerned about a loved one, or recovering from involvement, there is hope—not the conditional, organizational hope SCJ offers, but the unshakeable hope found in Christ alone.

For more detailed examination of SCJ’s claims and teaching methods, visit closerlookinitiative.com/shincheonji-examination, where you’ll find comprehensive resources for understanding and responding to Shincheonji’s teachings.

May God grant wisdom, discernment, and grace to all who seek truth.