Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story

A Refutation of SCJ Lesson 63: “Special Lesson: The Word and Zion”

---

Introduction: The Mountain of Promise

Imagine you’re planning a pilgrimage to a sacred mountain. You’ve heard stories about this place your entire life—how God met His people there, how it represents His presence and promises, how reaching its summit means encountering the divine. You’ve studied maps, read accounts from those who’ve been there, and prepared your heart for the journey.

Then someone approaches you with what seems like insider knowledge. “I’ve been to that mountain,” he says with confidence. “But most people don’t realize that the mountain they’re looking for isn’t the physical one marked on the maps. That’s just a symbol. The real mountain—the one that matters—is something else entirely. And I can show you where it is.”

He pulls out his own map, one that looks similar to yours but with crucial differences. The landmarks have the same names, but they point to different locations. The path looks familiar, but it leads somewhere else. “The mountain you’re looking for,” he explains, “isn’t a place. It’s a group of people. And not just any people—a specific organization that exists right now, in our time. If you want to reach the mountain of God, you need to join this group. That’s what all the ancient prophecies were really pointing to.”

At first, this interpretation seems profound. It makes the ancient texts feel relevant and urgent. The mountain isn’t some distant historical site or future hope—it’s here, now, accessible if you just understand the “spiritual” meaning. The guide seems knowledgeable, citing Scripture after Scripture, connecting dots you’d never noticed before.

But as you follow his map, something begins to feel wrong. The Scriptures he’s quoting—when you look at them in context—don’t quite say what he claims they say. The “spiritual” interpretations require ignoring the plain meaning of the text and accepting definitions that aren’t found anywhere in the Bible. And most troubling of all, this “mountain of God” he’s leading you to isn’t characterized by the presence of God Himself, but by allegiance to a human leader and his organization.

You’ve been given a counterfeit map. It uses the language and imagery of Scripture, but it leads to a destination the Bible never intended. And now, having followed this guide for months, having invested significant time and formed relationships within his group, you face a choice: continue following the counterfeit map to its destination, or return to the true map and the real mountain it reveals.

This is what happens in SCJ Lesson 63: “Special Lesson: The Word and Zion.”

The lesson appears to be a fascinating Bible study about Mount Zion—one of the most significant locations in Scripture, rich with theological meaning and prophetic significance. The instructor, Nate, walks students through biblical passages about Zion, discusses its historical importance, and builds toward a climactic revelation about where Zion is “today.” Everything seems biblical, well-researched, and spiritually profound.

But beneath the surface, something else is happening. This lesson represents a critical turning point in SCJ’s indoctrination process. By Lesson 63, students have completed the Introductory Level exam and are transitioning to the Intermediate Level. They’ve invested 6-9 months and 150-200+ hours of study. They’ve internalized SCJ’s interpretive framework: the Bible was “sealed,” symbols require special interpretation, there are “three types” of everything (Israel, heaven, etc.), and “the one who overcomes” forms twelve tribes in each era.

Now, in this “special lesson,” SCJ is preparing to reveal something they’ve been building toward all along: the location of “Mount Zion today.” Students don’t yet know that SCJ will claim their organization—specifically their headquarters in South Korea—is the fulfillment of all the biblical prophecies about Zion. They don’t yet know that “finding Mount Zion at the Second Coming” (the stated hope of this lesson) means recognizing and joining Shincheonji Church of Jesus.

What makes this lesson particularly dangerous is its sophisticated use of biblical language and imagery. Mount Zion is indeed significant in Scripture. The passages Nate cites are real. The historical information about King David capturing Zion is accurate. But SCJ takes this legitimate biblical content and uses it to build toward a conclusion that Scripture never supports: that a 21st-century Korean religious organization is the fulfillment of Zion prophecies.

As Chapter 15 of Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story explains, “SCJ’s method involves taking biblical terms with rich theological meaning and redefining them to refer to their organization, their leader, or their teachings. This allows them to claim biblical authority for their system while fundamentally changing what the Bible actually says.”

The lesson also employs sophisticated psychological manipulation. It begins with an extended discussion about the test students just took—not primarily to help them learn, but to reinforce the importance of “effort” and to create emotional investment. Students who struggled with the test are made to feel they need to try harder. Students who did well are encouraged to retake it for a perfect score. The message is clear: your commitment level is being measured, and anything less than total dedication is insufficient.

This emphasis on “effort” serves multiple purposes. It creates a culture where questioning or stepping back is seen as “not trying hard enough.” It prepares students for the increasing demands that will be placed on them as they progress through Intermediate and Advanced levels. And it reinforces the sunk cost fallacy—students have already put in so much effort that walking away now would mean wasting all that investment.

By the time students finish this lesson, they will have accepted several dangerous premises:

1. That Mount Zion in biblical prophecy refers to a specific organization that exists today
2. That their spiritual goal should be to “identify and find Mount Zion at the Second Coming”
3. That understanding where Zion is requires special interpretation beyond what the Bible plainly states
4. That “effort” and commitment are more important than critical thinking or doctrinal accuracy
5. That they’re on the verge of discovering something precious that most Christians have missed

None of these premises are biblical. But students won’t realize that yet. They’re following the light, trusting the guide, climbing what they believe is the mountain of God—unaware that the map they’re following is counterfeit and the destination is not what Scripture promises.

Let’s examine how this lesson constructs its framework, what it gets wrong, and what the Bible actually teaches about Zion, God’s presence, and where believers should place their hope.

---

Part 1: The Setup—The Test and the Emphasis on Effort

What SCJ Teaches

Lesson 63 begins not with Bible study, but with an extended discussion about the Introductory Level exam that students just completed. The instructor, Nate, asks students why the test was hard and then launches into a teaching about the importance of “effort”:

The Test Discussion:

• Students share that they found the test challenging because of information retention, overthinking, and nervousness
• Nate asks why SCJ gives both questions and answers beforehand
• He explains that unlike worldly schools that test for intelligence, SCJ tests for “effort”
• “What does it take to stamp something in your heart? Effort.”
• “What is God really looking for in his people? Effort.”

The Biblical Justification: Nate cites Ephesians 5:15-17 about being “wise” and “making the most of every opportunity,” interpreting this to mean “give it your all” and “try” and “make an effort.”

He then references Luke 13:22-24, where Jesus says to “make every effort to enter through the narrow door,” using this to emphasize that salvation requires maximum effort and commitment.

The Personal Story: Nate shares his own experience of getting a 99 on the test, missing one question about the epistles, and being “chewed out” by the person who introduced him to the study. He describes needing to be “humbled” and retaking the test multiple times to get 100%, framing this as a positive example of dedication.

The Logistics:

• Students who didn’t pass must retake the test by the start of Intermediate Level
• Even students who passed with high scores (92, 95) are encouraged to retake for 100%
• The emphasis is on “effort” and “sealing” the word in your heart through repeated testing

The Conclusion: “The importance of effort, that’s really what the test is about. Effort. Effort is important. Always has been.”

The Indoctrination Tactic

This opening section, which takes up a significant portion of the lesson before any Bible study about Zion begins, employs several sophisticated manipulation techniques:

First, it reframes the test as a measure of spiritual commitment rather than understanding. By emphasizing that the test measures “effort” rather than intelligence or comprehension, SCJ creates a system where any struggle with the material is interpreted as lack of dedication rather than as a potential problem with the teaching itself. If you find the content confusing or difficult to retain, it’s not because the teaching might be problematic—it’s because you’re not trying hard enough.

Second, it creates shame around anything less than perfect performance. Even students who passed with scores in the 90s are told they should retake the test to get 100%. Nate’s story about getting 99% and being “chewed out” reinforces this message: good isn’t good enough; only perfection demonstrates adequate commitment. This creates a culture of anxiety and perpetual striving.

Third, it uses biblical language to justify non-biblical demands. The passages Nate cites (Ephesians 5:15-17, Luke 13:22-24) are indeed about diligence and commitment. But they’re about diligence in following Christ and commitment to the gospel, not about achieving perfect scores on a religious organization’s exam. SCJ takes legitimate biblical teaching about spiritual diligence and applies it to their own organizational requirements.

Fourth, it reinforces the sunk cost fallacy. By emphasizing how much “effort” students have already invested and encouraging them to invest even more (retaking tests, studying harder, pushing through difficulties), SCJ makes it psychologically harder to walk away. Students think, “I’ve already put in so much effort—I can’t quit now.”

Fifth, it creates peer pressure through public discussion. By having students share their test experiences in class, SCJ creates social accountability. Students don’t want to be seen as the one who didn’t try hard enough or who gave up. This peer pressure reinforces commitment.

Sixth, it prepares students for increasing demands. The message is clear: as you progress in SCJ, more will be required of you. The Introductory Level test is just the beginning. If you’re struggling now, you need to increase your effort level to handle what’s coming. This prepares students to accept the much more demanding requirements of Intermediate and Advanced levels without questioning whether these demands are appropriate.

Seventh, it uses the language of “sealing.” Nate says the goal is to have God’s word “sealed in your heart and mind” through the test. This language connects to SCJ’s theology about the 144,000 being “sealed” (which students learned in Lesson 61). The subtle message is: passing this test with maximum effort is part of the sealing process—part of securing your salvation.

Eighth, it discourages critical thinking. The emphasis on “effort” over “understanding” means that if something doesn’t make sense to you, the solution isn’t to examine whether the teaching is correct—it’s to try harder to accept it. Critical thinking is reframed as lack of effort or spiritual weakness.

What the Bible Actually Teaches

Let’s examine what Scripture actually says about effort, diligence, and how we should approach God’s Word:

The Nature of Saving Faith

The Bible does call believers to diligence and effort in their Christian walk, but it’s crucial to understand the relationship between faith, works, and salvation:

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.”

Salvation is by grace through faith, not by effort. We’re not saved because we try hard enough or demonstrate sufficient commitment. We’re saved because Christ accomplished salvation for us, and we receive it by faith.

Romans 4:4-5 “Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.”

Paul explicitly contrasts works (effort) with faith. Salvation is credited to those who trust God, not to those who work hard enough.

Titus 3:5 “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

God saved us not because of our efforts (“righteous things we had done”) but because of His mercy.

This doesn’t mean effort is unimportant in the Christian life. But it means effort is the result of salvation, not the cause of it. We don’t work hard to earn salvation; we work hard because we’ve been saved and want to honor God.

Philippians 2:12-13 “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

We do “work out” our salvation (live out its implications), but notice: it’s God who works in us. Our effort is empowered by God’s work in us, not something we generate independently to earn His favor.

The Proper Use of Scripture

SCJ’s emphasis on memorizing information and achieving perfect test scores misses the point of why we study Scripture:

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.”

The purpose of Scripture is to teach us, correct us, and equip us for good works. It’s not primarily about information retention or passing tests. It’s about transformation—becoming more like Christ.

James 1:22-25 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

James emphasizes doing what Scripture says, not just memorizing information about it. The goal is transformation and obedience, not perfect test scores.

Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

The psalmist hides God’s word in his heart to prevent sin and grow in holiness, not to pass organizational exams.

Jesus’ Teaching About Effort

Let’s look at the passage Nate cited—Luke 13:22-24—in its full context:

Luke 13:22-30 “Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, ‘Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?’ He said to them, ‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, “Sir, open the door for us.” But he will answer, “I don’t know you or where you come from.” Then you will say, “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.” But he will reply, “I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!” There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.'”

What is Jesus actually teaching here? Several crucial points:

1. The narrow door is Jesus Himself. In John 10:9, Jesus says, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” The narrow door isn’t “maximum effort in a religious organization’s study program”—it’s Jesus Christ.

2. Many will claim association but be rejected. Notice that those who are rejected say, “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.” They had association with Jesus, they had proximity to His teaching, but they didn’t truly know Him. Jesus responds, “I don’t know you or where you come from.”

This is a sobering warning for SCJ students. You can attend hundreds of lessons, memorize vast amounts of information, achieve perfect test scores, and still not know Christ. Association with a religious organization, even one that claims to teach about Jesus, is not the same as knowing Jesus personally.

3. The effort Jesus calls for is entering through Him. The “effort” is not about studying harder or achieving higher test scores. It’s about coming to Jesus in faith, repenting of sin, and trusting Him for salvation. This is “narrow” because Jesus is the only way (John 14:6), and many people reject this exclusive claim.

4. Some who seem “first” will be “last.” Jesus concludes by saying that those who seem to have priority (like the religious leaders of His day, or like SCJ members who think they have special understanding) may be last, while those who seem insignificant may be first. This should give SCJ students pause: your organizational membership and knowledge of SCJ’s interpretive system may not count for what you think it does.

The Berean Example

The Bible commends those who examine teaching carefully, not those who simply accept it through sheer effort:

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:

• Receiving the message with eagerness (they were open and interested)
• Examining the Scriptures daily to verify Paul’s teaching
• Testing what they were taught against God’s Word

Notice what they were NOT commended for:

• Accepting Paul’s teaching without question
• Memorizing information to pass tests
• Demonstrating “effort” by achieving perfect scores

The Berean model is the opposite of what SCJ promotes. SCJ discourages students from examining their teaching against Scripture (students are told they don’t yet have the “keys” to understand properly). SCJ discourages consulting other sources (mainstream Christianity “doesn’t understand” these things). SCJ measures commitment by test scores rather than by whether students are actually growing in Christ-likeness.

The Danger of Misplaced Effort

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”

Jesus warns that many people will claim to have done impressive things in His name—prophesying, casting out demons, performing miracles. These activities required significant effort and commitment. Yet Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you.”

Why? Because their relationship with Jesus was based on their activities and efforts, not on truly knowing Him and being known by Him. They were focused on what they were doing for God rather than on receiving what God offers in Christ.

This is the danger of SCJ’s emphasis on “effort.” Students can pour tremendous effort into studying, memorizing, passing tests, and climbing the organizational ladder, all while missing the simple gospel: salvation comes through faith in Christ alone, not through human effort.

Galatians 3:1-3 “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?”

Paul rebukes the Galatians for trying to add human effort (works of the law) to the gospel of grace. They began by faith but were trying to continue by works. This is exactly what SCJ does—they may talk about Jesus, but they add layers of human requirements: understanding symbols, passing tests, joining their organization, achieving perfect scores.

---

Part 2: Mount Zion in Biblical History

What SCJ Teaches

After the extended discussion about the test, Nate transitions to the actual Bible study about Mount Zion. This section covers:

1. The Historical Conquest of Zion

Nate reads 2 Samuel 5:7-10, which describes King David capturing “the fortress of Zion, the City of David.” He explains that:

• The Jebusites previously controlled this fortress
• David conquered it and made it his capital
• This established Zion as the center of Israel’s kingdom

2. The Significance of Zion

The lesson emphasizes that:

• God chose Zion as the place for His dwelling
• The Ark of the Covenant was brought to Zion
• Solomon built the Temple on Mount Zion
• Zion became synonymous with Jerusalem and God’s presence with His people

3. Prophetic References to Zion

The lesson references (though the full text isn’t provided in the excerpt) various prophetic passages about Zion’s future significance, building toward the question: “Where is Mount Zion today?”

The Indoctrination Tactic

This section is more subtle in its manipulation because the historical information is largely accurate. Mount Zion is indeed significant in biblical history. David did capture it. It did become the site of the Temple. This is where SCJ’s method is particularly sophisticated: they begin with accurate biblical and historical information to build credibility, then use that foundation to introduce interpretations that aren’t biblical at all.

First, it establishes Zion as supremely important. By emphasizing Zion’s significance in Israel’s history and in God’s plan, SCJ prepares students to see “finding Zion” as crucial for their spiritual lives. The lesson’s stated hope is: “Let’s be able to identify and find Mount Zion at the Second Coming!” This creates urgency and importance around the question of Zion’s location.

Second, it creates anticipation for a “spiritual” interpretation. By asking “Where is Mount Zion today?” the lesson signals that the physical, historical Mount Zion in Jerusalem isn’t what they’re looking for. Students are being primed to accept that “Mount Zion” in prophecy refers to something else—which will eventually be revealed as SCJ’s organization.

Third, it uses the pattern of “physical then spiritual.” Throughout SCJ’s curriculum, students have been taught that there’s a “physical” fulfillment followed by a “spiritual” fulfillment. Physical Israel → Spiritual Israel → New Spiritual Israel. Physical temple → Spiritual temple (the church) → New spiritual temple (SCJ). Now: Physical Mount Zion → Spiritual Mount Zion (to be revealed).

This pattern conditions students to expect that biblical terms don’t refer to their plain, historical meanings but to “spiritual” realities that require SCJ’s interpretation to understand.

Fourth, it leverages the emotional and theological significance of Zion. In Scripture, Zion represents:

• God’s presence with His people
• The place of worship and sacrifice
• The center of God’s kingdom
• The source of blessing and salvation
• The object of prophetic hope

By connecting their organization to this rich biblical imagery, SCJ makes membership in their group seem like participating in God’s ultimate plan. Who wouldn’t want to be part of “Mount Zion”—the place of God’s presence and blessing?

What the Bible Actually Teaches

Let’s examine what Scripture actually says about Mount Zion and how we should understand its significance:

Zion in the Old Testament

Historical Zion:

Mount Zion was originally a Jebusite fortress that David conquered (2 Samuel 5:7). It became known as the “City of David” and served as Israel’s capital. Later, the term “Zion” expanded to include the Temple Mount and eventually became synonymous with Jerusalem as a whole.

2 Samuel 5:7 “Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.”

1 Kings 8:1 “Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Zion, the City of David.”

Theological Significance:

In the Old Testament, Zion becomes a powerful symbol of:

1. God’s Dwelling Place

Psalm 132:13-14 “For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, ‘This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.'”

God chose Zion as the place where He would dwell among His people. The Temple on Mount Zion was the location of God’s special presence.

2. The Source of Blessing

Psalm 128:5 “May the LORD bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.”

Psalm 134:3 “May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Blessing flows from Zion because that’s where God dwells.

3. The Place of Worship

Psalm 122:1-4 “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’ Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up—the tribes of the LORD—to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel.”

God’s people gathered at Zion to worship.

4. The Object of Prophetic Hope

Isaiah 2:2-3 “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

The prophets spoke of a future time when Zion would be exalted and all nations would come to worship the Lord there.

Zion in the New Testament

The New Testament transforms our understanding of Zion in light of Christ’s coming:

1. Jesus as the Foundation Stone of Zion

1 Peter 2:4-6 “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'”

Peter quotes Isaiah 28:16, identifying Jesus as the cornerstone laid in Zion. Jesus is the foundation of God’s dwelling place with His people.

Romans 9:33 “As it is written: ‘See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.'”

Paul also applies this Zion prophecy to Christ. Jesus is the stone in Zion—some stumble over Him, but those who believe in Him will never be put to shame.

2. The Heavenly Zion

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.”

This is one of the most important New Testament passages about Zion. The author of Hebrews tells believers that they “have come to Mount Zion.” Notice several crucial points:

• Present tense: “you have come” (not “you will come” or “you need to find”)
• Heavenly reality: “the heavenly Jerusalem”
• Inclusive: All believers have come to Zion through faith in Christ
• Christocentric: The focus is on Jesus, “the mediator of a new covenant”

Believers don’t need to search for Mount Zion or join a specific organization to reach it. Through faith in Christ, we have already come to Mount Zion—the heavenly reality of God’s presence with His people.

3. The New Jerusalem Coming Down

Revelation 21:2-3 “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'”

The ultimate fulfillment of Zion imagery is the New Jerusalem—the eternal dwelling place of God with His people. This is a future reality that will come when Christ returns, not a present organization on earth.

The Church as God’s Temple

The New Testament teaches that God now dwells with His people through the Holy Spirit, and that the church—all believers collectively—is God’s temple:

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”

Ephesians 2:19-22 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

All believers together are God’s temple—the place where He dwells by His Spirit. This isn’t limited to one organization or location. Wherever believers gather in Christ’s name, God is present (Matthew 18:20).

What Zion Is NOT

Based on Scripture’s teaching, we can be certain that Mount Zion is not:

1. A specific religious organization in the 21st century. The New Testament never teaches that “Mount Zion” refers to a particular church organization that believers must join.

2. A location that believers must “find” or “identify.” Hebrews 12:22 says believers “have come” to Mount Zion through faith in Christ. We don’t need to search for it or identify it—we’ve already arrived through union with Christ.

3. Exclusive to a limited group. The prophetic vision of Zion in Isaiah 2:2-3 says “all nations will stream to it.” The New Testament vision of the New Jerusalem shows “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9). Zion isn’t limited to 144,000 members of one organization.

4. Dependent on human leadership. The significance of Zion is that God dwells there. In the New Testament fulfillment, God dwells with His people through Christ and the Holy Spirit, not through allegiance to a human leader like Lee Man-hee.

5. Something that requires special “keys” to understand. The New Testament openly declares that believers have come to Mount Zion through Christ. This isn’t hidden knowledge requiring special interpretation—it’s the clear teaching of Scripture.

---

What SCJ Teaches (Anticipated)

While the excerpt provided doesn’t include the complete lesson, based on SCJ’s standard teaching pattern and the lesson’s stated hope (“Let’s be able to identify and find Mount Zion at the Second Coming!”), we can anticipate where this lesson is heading:

The SCJ Framework:

1. Physical Zion → Spiritual Zion → New Spiritual Zion
   • Physical Zion: The historical mountain in Jerusalem
   • Spiritual Zion: The church at Jesus’ first coming
   • New Spiritual Zion: SCJ organization at Jesus’ second coming
2. Prophetic Fulfillment
   • Old Testament prophecies about Zion being restored and exalted refer to SCJ
   • The “144,000 on Mount Zion” in Revelation 14:1 are SCJ members
   • “Finding Mount Zion at the Second Coming” means recognizing and joining SCJ
3. The Location Question
   • “Where is Mount Zion today?” is answered by pointing to SCJ’s headquarters in South Korea
   • Students must “identify” this location to be part of God’s work
   • Missing this identification means missing salvation

This pattern is consistent with SCJ’s teaching throughout their curriculum, as documented in Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story and in resources like SCJ’s Fulfillment of Revelation Part 1 and Part 2.

The Indoctrination Tactic

This anticipated teaching employs several sophisticated manipulation techniques:

First, it creates a false urgency around identification. By framing “finding Mount Zion” as essential for salvation, SCJ creates pressure on students to accept their claim. If you don’t correctly identify where Zion is, you’ll miss out on God’s work and potentially lose salvation.

Second, it uses the “three types” pattern to make the claim seem systematic. Students have already accepted that there are three types of Israel, three types of heaven, etc. Now they’re being taught there are three types of Zion. This pattern makes the teaching seem consistent and logical, when in reality it’s a fabricated framework imposed on Scripture.

Third, it takes prophetic passages out of context. SCJ will cite Old Testament prophecies about Zion’s restoration and New Testament references to Mount Zion, but they’ll interpret these passages to refer to their organization rather than to their actual biblical meaning.

Fourth, it makes organizational membership synonymous with spiritual reality. By claiming that SCJ is “Mount Zion,” they make joining their organization seem equivalent to coming into God’s presence and participating in His promises.

Fifth, it leverages the emotional power of Zion imagery. Zion represents everything believers long for: God’s presence, blessing, worship, community, and ultimate hope. By claiming to be Zion, SCJ hijacks these deep spiritual longings and redirects them toward organizational loyalty.

Sixth, it creates an insider/outsider dynamic. Those who “find Mount Zion” (recognize SCJ) are insiders who understand. Those who don’t are outsiders who are spiritually blind. This creates pressure to accept SCJ’s claim to avoid being on the outside.

What the Bible Actually Teaches

Let’s examine key prophetic passages about Zion and understand what they actually mean:

Isaiah’s Vision of Zion

Isaiah 2:2-4 “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

What this passage actually describes:

1. Universal worship of the true God: “All nations will stream to it”—not just 144,000 members of one organization, but people from every nation coming to worship the Lord.
2. God teaching His ways: The focus is on God teaching, not on a human organization’s interpretive system. “He will teach us his ways.”
3. Universal peace: “Nation will not take up sword against nation.” This describes the messianic age of peace, not the current state of world affairs.
4. Exaltation above all: “The mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains.” This speaks of God’s kingdom being supreme over all earthly powers.

How does this prophecy find fulfillment?

The New Testament shows that this prophecy begins to be fulfilled in the church age, as people from all nations come to worship the true God through Christ:

Acts 2:5-11 “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven… (they heard the gospel in their own languages)… we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

At Pentecost, people from many nations heard the gospel and believed. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy—nations streaming to worship the Lord.

Revelation 7:9 “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”

The ultimate fulfillment is the gathering of believers from all nations before God’s throne in the new creation.

What this prophecy does NOT describe:

• A specific religious organization in South Korea
• A limited number (144,000) who must join a particular group
• A physical location that believers must identify and travel to
• An organization led by a human leader claiming special revelation

Joel’s Prophecy About Zion

Joel 2:32 “And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.”

How the New Testament interprets this:

Acts 2:21 “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Peter quotes Joel 2:32 at Pentecost, applying it to salvation through Jesus Christ. “Calling on the name of the Lord” means trusting in Jesus for salvation. The “deliverance on Mount Zion” is the salvation available through Christ.

Romans 10:13 “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”

Paul also quotes this passage, emphasizing that salvation is available to “everyone” who calls on the Lord—not just to members of a specific organization.

The deliverance promised “on Mount Zion” is fulfilled in Christ, who is the cornerstone laid in Zion (1 Peter 2:6). Those who trust in Him receive the deliverance promised in Joel’s prophecy.

The 144,000 on Mount Zion

One of the key passages SCJ uses to claim their organization is Mount Zion is Revelation 14:1:

Revelation 14:1 “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”

SCJ’s interpretation:

• The 144,000 are SCJ members
• Mount Zion is SCJ’s organization/headquarters
• This passage proves that SCJ is the fulfillment of Zion prophecies

What the passage actually teaches:

1. The Lamb (Jesus) is the central figure. The passage begins “there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion.” Jesus is the focus, not a human organization. The 144,000 are “with him”—their significance is their relationship to Christ, not their organizational membership.

2. They have the Lamb’s name and the Father’s name on their foreheads. This indicates ownership and identity. They belong to God and Christ. In contrast, those who follow the beast have the beast’s mark (Revelation 13:16-17). The issue is: Do you belong to Christ or to the beast? Not: Have you joined the right organization?

3. The context is heavenly and eschatological. Let’s read further:

Revelation 14:2-5 “And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.”

The 144,000 are described as:

• Singing before the throne (heavenly scene)
• Redeemed from the earth
• Following the Lamb wherever he goes
• Purchased from among mankind
• Offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb
• Blameless

This is describing the redeemed people of God in their glorified state, not members of a 21st-century Korean organization. The language is symbolic and eschatological, pointing to the complete people of God who have been saved through Christ.

4. The number 144,000 is symbolic. As discussed in the refutation of Lesson 61, the number 144,000 (12 x 12 x 1,000) symbolizes completeness—the full number of God’s people. It’s not a literal membership roster for SCJ.

5. Mount Zion here is heavenly, not earthly. The context makes clear this is a heavenly vision. The 144,000 are before the throne, singing with harps, in the presence of the four living creatures and elders (heavenly beings introduced in Revelation 4-5). This isn’t describing a physical location in South Korea.

As SCJ’s Fulfillment of Revelation Part 1 explains: “Revelation’s imagery is symbolic and apocalyptic, drawing on Old Testament prophetic language to describe spiritual realities. When John sees the 144,000 on Mount Zion with the Lamb, he’s describing the redeemed people of God in their secure relationship with Christ, not giving a street address for a religious organization’s headquarters.”

The True Mount Zion

So what is “Mount Zion” in biblical prophecy and New Testament fulfillment?

1. Christ Himself is the cornerstone of Zion

1 Peter 2:6 “For in Scripture it says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'”

Jesus is the foundation stone of Zion. Everything about Zion’s significance is rooted in Him.

2. Believers have already come to Mount Zion through faith in Christ

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.”

This passage is crucial. It tells believers:

• You have come (past tense, accomplished fact)
• To Mount Zion (not “you need to find Mount Zion” or “you must identify where Mount Zion is”)
• To the heavenly Jerusalem (not an earthly organization)
• To the church of the firstborn (all believers, not one organization)
• To Jesus the mediator (the focus is Christ, not a human leader)

Every believer in Christ has already come to Mount Zion. We don’t need to search for it, identify it, or join a specific organization to reach it. Through faith in Christ, we have immediate access to God’s presence—which is what Zion represents.

3. The ultimate fulfillment is the New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:1-3 “Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'”

The complete fulfillment of all Zion prophecies is the New Jerusalem—the eternal dwelling place of God with His people in the new creation. This is a future reality that will come when Christ returns visibly and gloriously to consummate His kingdom.

Revelation 21:22-27 “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

This is the ultimate Zion:

• God and the Lamb are its temple (no human organization needed)
• God’s glory gives it light (not human teaching)
• The nations walk by its light (universal, not limited to 144,000)
• Only those whose names are in the Lamb’s book of life enter (salvation is through Christ, not organizational membership)

---

Part 4: The Psychological Manipulation—Creating Investment and Dependency

The Test as a Control Mechanism

Let’s return to the extended discussion about the test that opens Lesson 63. This isn’t just about helping students learn—it’s a sophisticated control mechanism. Let’s examine the psychological tactics at work:

1. The Sunk Cost Fallacy

By Lesson 63, students have:

• Completed the entire Introductory Level (approximately 60+ lessons)
• Invested 6-9 months of time
• Spent 150-200+ hours in study
• Formed relationships with instructors and fellow students
• Taken a comprehensive exam

Now they’re told that even if they passed with a high score (92, 95), they should retake the test to get 100%. This reinforces the sunk cost fallacy: “I’ve already invested so much time and effort—I can’t stop now. I need to see this through.”

The Biblical Counter:

Philippians 3:7-8 “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”

Paul was willing to count his previous investments (his credentials as a Pharisee, his religious achievements) as “loss” and even “garbage” compared to knowing Christ. If students discover that SCJ’s teaching is false, they should be willing to walk away regardless of how much they’ve invested. Past investment is not a reason to continue in error.

2. Performance-Based Acceptance

The emphasis on achieving 100% on the test creates a performance-based system where students feel they must prove their worth through perfect scores. Nate’s story about getting 99% and being “chewed out” reinforces this message: good isn’t good enough.

This creates several psychological effects:

Anxiety: Students feel anxious about their performance and fear disappointing their instructors or appearing uncommitted.

Shame: Students who struggle feel ashamed, interpreting their difficulty as spiritual weakness or lack of dedication.

Pride: Students who excel feel proud of their achievement, which creates emotional investment in the system that validated them.

Comparison: Students compare their scores with others, creating competition and hierarchy within the group.

The Biblical Counter:

Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

Christ accepts us not based on our performance but based on His grace. We should accept one another the same way—not based on test scores or demonstrated “effort,” but because we’re all recipients of God’s grace.

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.”

Salvation is by grace, not by works (or effort or test scores). A system that measures spiritual worth by performance contradicts the gospel.

3. Redefining Humility

Nate’s story about needing to be “humbled” when he got 99% is particularly insidious. He frames being “chewed out” for missing one question as a positive thing—God “popping his head” to humble him.

This redefines humility as accepting harsh criticism for minor imperfections rather than as recognizing our complete dependence on God’s grace. True humility isn’t about achieving perfect test scores; it’s about acknowledging that we’re sinners saved by grace, not by our performance.

The Biblical Counter:

Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

True humility is walking with God in dependence on His grace, not achieving perfect scores on organizational exams.

James 4:6 “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'”

God gives grace to the humble. Humility is recognizing our need for grace, not proving our dedication through perfect performance.

4. Isolation Through Shared Experience

The discussion about the test creates bonding through shared experience. Students who struggled together, who felt anxious together, who retook the test together, now have a shared identity. This creates emotional bonds that make it harder to leave the group.

Additionally, the test experience is unique to SCJ. Students’ friends and family outside SCJ don’t understand what they’re going through, which creates a sense that “only people in the group understand me.” This isolation makes students more dependent on the group for emotional support and validation.

The Biblical Counter:

Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Christian community should spur one another toward love and good deeds, not toward organizational loyalty and perfect test scores. Healthy Christian community connects believers to the broader body of Christ, not isolates them in an exclusive group.

5. Measuring Commitment

The test serves as a measuring tool for students’ commitment level. Those who retake it multiple times to get 100% demonstrate high commitment. Those who pass with 92% and don’t retake it demonstrate lower commitment. This allows SCJ to identify who is most invested and most likely to continue to higher levels.

This is a classic cult tactic: create escalating demands that filter out those who aren’t fully committed, leaving a core of highly dedicated members who have demonstrated willingness to meet any requirement.

The Biblical Counter:

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

Jesus’ yoke is easy and His burden is light. A system that creates anxiety, demands perfect performance, and measures commitment through escalating requirements is not from Jesus.

---

Part 5: The Progression of Indoctrination—Where Students Are at Lesson 63

Understanding the Strategic Timing

Lesson 63 is strategically placed as a “special lesson” between the Introductory Level exam and the beginning of Intermediate Level. Let’s understand where students are psychologically and theologically at this point:

What Students Have Learned (Introductory Level)

By completing the Introductory Level, students have been taught:

Foundational Framework (Lessons 1-20):

• The Bible is “sealed” and incomprehensible without special interpretation
• Parables hide truth from outsiders but reveal it to insiders
• Symbols must be understood “spiritually” (allegorically) not “physically” (literally)
• The sun, moon, and stars represent pastors, evangelists, and congregation members
• God’s work follows patterns that repeat throughout history

The Tabernacle System (Lessons 21-40):

• The Tabernacle’s structure represents spiritual realities
• Every element has symbolic meaning
• Understanding these symbols is key to understanding God’s plan
• There’s a “physical” and “spiritual” way of understanding everything

The Three Types Framework (Lessons 41-63):

• Three types of Israel: Physical, Spiritual, New Spiritual
• Three types of heaven corresponding to three types of Israel
• “The one who overcomes” forms twelve tribes in each era
• The goal is to belong to the “new spiritual Israel” (the 144,000)
• Understanding requires special “keys” (wisdom) that SCJ possesses

What Students Still Don’t Know

Crucially, at Lesson 63, most students still don’t know:

• They’re studying with Shincheonji Church of Jesus
• Lee Man-hee is the founder and leader
• Lee Man-hee claims to be “the one who overcomes” mentioned in Revelation
• Lee Man-hee claims to be the “promised pastor” who fulfills Jesus’ role at the second coming
• SCJ claims their organization is the fulfillment of Revelation’s prophecies
• Joining SCJ officially and being “sealed” is presented as necessary for salvation
• They’ll be expected to recruit others using deceptive tactics
• They’ll be expected to cut ties with family and friends who oppose SCJ
• They’ll be expected to devote enormous amounts of time and resources to SCJ

This information is withheld until students reach the Advanced Level (Revelation), typically 3-6 months after Lesson 63.

The Psychological State of Students

By Lesson 63, students typically exhibit:

1. Significant Time Investment 6-9 months and 150-200+ hours invested creates strong sunk cost pressure.

2. Relationship Formation Deep friendships with instructors and fellow students create emotional bonds.

3. Intellectual Pride Students feel they understand the Bible in ways others don’t, creating a sense of superiority that’s gratifying and hard to surrender.

4. Gradual Conditioning Each lesson has built on previous lessons, so the framework seems natural and obvious rather than radical and unbiblical.

5. Isolation from Alternative Perspectives Students have been subtly discouraged from discussing what they’re learning with pastors, Christian friends, or family members.

6. Identity Shift Students are beginning to see themselves as part of an elite group that understands God’s truth, distinct from “mainstream Christianity.”

7. Hope Redefinition Students’ spiritual hope has shifted from “eternal life through faith in Christ” to “belonging to the new spiritual Israel” and “finding Mount Zion at the Second Coming.”

8. Suppression of Doubts When doubts arise, students have been conditioned to interpret them as “physical thinking,” “weak mindset,” or spiritual immaturity rather than as legitimate concerns.

The Purpose of Lesson 63

This “special lesson” serves several strategic purposes:

1. Consolidating Previous Learning The test discussion reinforces all the content from the Introductory Level, ensuring students have internalized the framework before moving forward.

2. Measuring Commitment The emphasis on retaking the test to get 100% identifies which students are most committed and most likely to accept the revelations coming in Intermediate and Advanced levels.

3. Creating Anticipation The question “Where is Mount Zion today?” creates anticipation for the answer, which will be gradually revealed in subsequent lessons.

4. Reinforcing Effort Culture The extended discussion about effort prepares students for the increasing demands of Intermediate and Advanced levels.

5. Building Toward Revelation The Zion teaching begins to point toward SCJ’s organization without explicitly revealing it yet, preparing students for the full revelation to come.

6. Transitioning Between Levels This lesson serves as a bridge between Introductory and Intermediate levels, maintaining momentum and preventing students from taking a break or stepping back to evaluate what they’ve learned.

What’s Coming Next (Intermediate Level)

After Lesson 63, students will enter the Intermediate Level (Bible Logic), where they’ll learn:

Betrayal, Destruction, and Salvation:

• How God’s chosen people “betray” in each era
• How God “destroys” the betrayers
• How God establishes “salvation” through a new group
• This pattern allegedly repeats throughout history and is happening now

The Events in Korea:

• Detailed teaching about events that allegedly occurred in Korea
• These events are presented as fulfillment of biblical prophecy
• Students are taught to see Korea as the center of God’s work at the second coming

Deeper Symbolic Interpretations:

• More complex symbolic interpretations that distance students further from orthodox Christianity
• Increasing emphasis on SCJ’s unique understanding versus “traditional” interpretation

Preparation for Revelation:

• Building the framework that will be used to interpret Revelation in the Advanced Level
• Creating anticipation for the “full revelation” of who the key figures are

What’s Coming After That (Advanced Level)

In the Advanced Level (Revelation), students will finally learn:

SCJ’s Identity:

• They’ve been studying with Shincheonji Church of Jesus all along
• Lee Man-hee is the founder and leader

Lee Man-hee’s Claims:

• He is “the one who overcomes” mentioned in Revelation 2-3
• He is the “promised pastor” who fulfills Jesus’ role at the second coming
• He received direct revelation from Jesus through an angel
• He is the “advocate” (paraclete) promised in John 14-16

SCJ’s Claims:

• SCJ is the fulfillment of Revelation’s prophecies
• SCJ is “Mount Zion” where the 144,000 are gathered
• SCJ is the “new spiritual Israel” that replaces the fallen church
• Joining SCJ and being “sealed” is necessary for salvation

The Pressure to Join:

• Students are pressured to make a decision: join SCJ or reject God’s work
• Those who hesitate are seen as having “weak mindset” or being spiritually blind
• The relationships formed over 9-12+ months are leveraged to pressure commitment

By the time students reach this point, they’ve been so thoroughly conditioned that most accept SCJ’s claims without significant resistance. The foundation laid in lessons like Lesson 63 makes the later revelations seem like the natural conclusion of what they’ve been learning all along.

---

Part 6: The Biblical Doctrine of God’s Presence

The Central Issue: Where Is God?

At its heart, the question “Where is Mount Zion today?” is really asking: “Where is God’s presence? Where can we meet with God? Where is the place of blessing and salvation?”

This is a crucial theological question, and the Bible provides clear answers that directly contradict SCJ’s teaching.

Old Testament: God’s Presence in the Tabernacle and Temple

In the Old Testament, God’s presence dwelt in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple on Mount Zion:

Exodus 25:8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.”

1 Kings 8:10-11 “When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.”

God’s glory filled the Temple, indicating His special presence there. This is why Zion became so significant—it was the location of God’s dwelling place with His people.

However, even in the Old Testament, God made clear that He is not limited to one physical location:

1 Kings 8:27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!”

Solomon, at the dedication of the Temple, acknowledged that God cannot be contained in a building. The Temple was a gracious accommodation—a place where God chose to meet with His people—but God Himself is not limited to any location.

Isaiah 66:1-2 “This is what the LORD says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?’ declares the LORD. ‘These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.'”

God doesn’t need a house built by humans. He looks with favor on those who are humble and contrite, not on those who can identify the right organizational headquarters.

New Testament: God’s Presence Through Christ and the Spirit

The New Testament reveals a radical shift in how God dwells with His people:

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

The Greek word translated “made his dwelling” is eskēnōsen, which literally means “tabernacled.” John is saying that Jesus is the new Tabernacle—God dwelling with His people in human flesh. God’s presence is no longer in a building on Mount Zion; it’s in the person of Jesus Christ.

John 2:19-21 “Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’ They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ But the temple he had spoken of was his body.”

Jesus identifies Himself as the Temple. He is the place where God dwells, the place where people meet with God.

John 4:21-24 “‘Woman,’ Jesus replied, ‘believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.'”

Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that the location of worship is no longer important. The time has come when true worshipers will worship “in the Spirit and in truth,” not at a specific geographical location (whether Jerusalem/Mount Zion or Mount Gerizim).

This is revolutionary. God’s presence is no longer tied to a location. True worship happens “in the Spirit and in truth”—wherever believers, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, worship God according to His truth.

After Jesus’ Ascension: The Holy Spirit

After Jesus ascended to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in believers:

John 14:16-17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in believers. This is the fulfillment of God’s promise to dwell with His people. God’s presence is no longer in a building on Mount Zion—it’s in every believer through the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”

1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”

Every believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit. God dwells in us individually and corporately. We don’t need to find a specific organization or location to meet with God—He dwells in us through His Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19-22 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

All believers together are being built into a holy temple—a dwelling place for God by His Spirit. This isn’t one organization; it’s all believers everywhere, united in Christ.

Where Is God’s Presence Today?

Based on Scripture’s teaching, where can we meet with God today?

1. In Christ

Colossians 1:19 “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.”

Colossians 2:9 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”

God’s fullness dwells in Christ. To meet with God, we come to Christ through faith.

2. In Every Believer Through the Holy Spirit

Romans 8:9-11 “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

If you belong to Christ, the Spirit of God lives in you. God’s presence is in you through His Spirit.

3. Wherever Believers Gather in Christ’s Name

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Jesus promises to be present wherever believers gather in His name. This isn’t limited to one organization or location. Any gathering of genuine believers in Christ’s name experiences His presence.

4. Ultimately, in the New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:3 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'”

The complete and final fulfillment of God dwelling with His people will come in the new creation, when God makes all things new and dwells with His people forever.

What This Means for “Finding Mount Zion”

Given this biblical teaching, what does it mean to “find Mount Zion at the Second Coming”?

It does NOT mean:

• Identifying which organization is “Mount Zion”
• Traveling to a specific location (like SCJ’s headquarters in South Korea)
• Joining a particular religious group
• Recognizing a human leader as God’s chosen one

It DOES mean:

• Coming to Christ through faith (He is the cornerstone of Zion)
• Being indwelt by the Holy Spirit (God’s presence with believers)
• Belonging to the universal church (all believers in Christ)
• Looking forward to the New Jerusalem (the ultimate fulfillment)

Believers don’t need to search for Mount Zion or identify where it is. Through faith in Christ, we have already come to Mount Zion (Hebrews 12:22). God dwells in us through His Spirit. And we look forward to the New Jerusalem, where God will dwell with His people forever in the new creation.

SCJ’s teaching that students must “identify and find Mount Zion” (their organization) contradicts this clear biblical teaching. It takes believers’ eyes off Christ and redirects them toward a human organization. It replaces the simple gospel (salvation through faith in Christ) with a complex system (salvation through identifying the right organization).

---

The Twisted Teaching on Effort

Let’s return to the opening section of Lesson 63 and examine more deeply how SCJ twists biblical teaching about diligence and effort. This is crucial because SCJ uses legitimate biblical concepts to justify illegitimate demands.

What the Bible Actually Teaches About Diligence

The Bible does call believers to diligence, effort, and wholehearted commitment. Let’s examine these passages in their proper context:

Ephesians 5:15-17 (cited by Nate) “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

What this passage actually teaches:

1. Living wisely in an evil world: Paul is calling believers to live carefully in a world opposed to God, making the most of opportunities to do good and share the gospel.
2. Understanding the Lord’s will: The goal is understanding God’s will as revealed in Scripture, not understanding a religious organization’s symbolic interpretation system.
3. Context—the surrounding verses:

Ephesians 5:18-21 “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Paul’s instruction to “be wise” and “make the most of every opportunity” is followed by commands to:

• Be filled with the Spirit
• Encourage one another with spiritual songs
• Give thanks to God
• Submit to one another in love

This is about living a Spirit-filled life characterized by worship, gratitude, and mutual submission—not about achieving perfect scores on organizational exams.

Luke 13:22-24 (cited by Nate) “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.”

What this passage actually teaches:

As we examined earlier, the “narrow door” is Jesus Himself (John 10:9). The “effort” Jesus calls for is the effort to come to Him in faith, which means:

1. Recognizing your need: Acknowledging that you’re a sinner in need of salvation
2. Repenting of sin: Turning away from sin and toward God
3. Trusting in Christ: Placing your faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection for your salvation
4. Following Him: Living as His disciple, obeying His commands

This is “narrow” because:

• It requires humility (admitting you’re a sinner)
• It’s exclusive (Jesus is the only way)
• It demands everything (following Christ means He is Lord of your life)
• Many reject it (pride, love of sin, unwillingness to submit to Christ)

But notice what the “effort” is NOT:

• Studying for months to understand complex symbolic interpretations
• Achieving perfect scores on organizational exams
• Proving your commitment through repeated testing
• Joining a specific religious organization

Other Biblical Passages on Diligence:

2 Peter 1:5-8 “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Peter calls believers to “make every effort” to grow in Christian character:

• Goodness
• Knowledge (of God and His ways, not organizational doctrine)
• Self-control
• Perseverance
• Godliness
• Mutual affection
• Love

This is about character development and spiritual growth, not information retention and test performance.

Hebrews 4:11 “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”

The “effort” here is to enter God’s rest—which means trusting in Christ’s finished work rather than trying to earn salvation through our own efforts. Ironically, the “effort” is to stop striving and rest in what Christ has done!

Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

The effort here is toward peace with others and personal holiness, not toward organizational loyalty or perfect test scores.

The Difference Between Biblical Diligence and Cultic Demands

There’s a crucial difference between biblical calls to diligence and SCJ’s demands:

Biblical Diligence:

• Goal: Growing in Christ-likeness, knowing God, living holy lives
• Motivation: Love for God and gratitude for salvation
• Power: The Holy Spirit working in us
• Focus: Christ and His finished work
• Result: Freedom, joy, peace, assurance
• Community: Mutual encouragement and accountability in love

SCJ’s Demands:

• Goal: Memorizing information, passing tests, proving commitment
• Motivation: Fear of missing out, pressure to perform, desire for approval
• Power: Human effort and willpower
• Focus: Organizational doctrine and requirements
• Result: Anxiety, exhaustion, never feeling “good enough”
• Community: Competition, comparison, pressure to conform

As Chapter 12 of Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story explains: “Cults often use biblical language about commitment and diligence to justify demands that go far beyond what Scripture requires. They take legitimate biblical principles and apply them to organizational requirements, making it seem that loyalty to the organization equals loyalty to God.”

The Burden of Performance

The emphasis on retaking the test to achieve 100%, even if you’ve already passed with a high score, creates a culture of performance-based acceptance. Let’s examine why this is problematic:

1. It Creates Anxiety Rather Than Peace

The SCJ System:

• Students feel anxious about their test performance
• Even high scores (92%, 95%) are deemed insufficient
• Students are told they need to “seal” the word through perfect scores
• The message is: “You haven’t done enough yet”

The Biblical Gospel:

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The gospel produces peace, not anxiety. We have peace with God because we’ve been justified through faith in Christ, not through our performance.

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

God calls us not to be anxious, but to bring our concerns to Him in prayer. The result is peace that guards our hearts and minds.

A system that creates constant anxiety about whether you’ve done enough contradicts the peace that the gospel offers.

2. It Makes Salvation Seem Dependent on Performance

While SCJ would claim that salvation is through faith in Jesus, their system communicates a different message through its emphasis on effort and performance:

The Implicit Message:

• Your spiritual standing depends on your effort level
• Passing the test with 92% isn’t enough—you need 100%
• God is looking for people who “try” and put in “effort”
• Your commitment is measured by your test scores

The Biblical Gospel:

Titus 3:4-7 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

Salvation is:

• Not because of righteous things we had done (not because of our effort or performance)
• Because of His mercy (God’s undeserved kindness)
• Through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (God’s work, not ours)
• By His grace (unearned favor)

Our hope is not based on achieving perfect scores or demonstrating sufficient effort. It’s based on God’s grace and mercy shown in Christ.

3. It Replaces Rest with Striving

The SCJ System: Students must constantly strive:

• Study harder
• Retake tests
• Achieve perfect scores
• Prove their commitment
• Never let up or show weakness

The Biblical Gospel:

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

Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him for rest. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. This doesn’t mean the Christian life has no challenges or costs, but it means we’re not striving to earn God’s favor through performance. We rest in what Christ has done.

Hebrews 4:9-11 “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”

The “effort” is to enter God’s rest—to stop trying to earn salvation through works and to trust in Christ’s finished work. This is the opposite of SCJ’s system of constant striving and performance.

4. It Measures the Wrong Things

What SCJ Measures:

• Information retention
• Test scores
• Willingness to retake tests for perfect scores
• Time invested in study
• Compliance with organizational requirements

What the Bible Measures:

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

The evidence of the Spirit’s work in a believer’s life is fruit—character qualities like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

Paul says that even if he has all knowledge and understanding of mysteries (which is what SCJ claims to offer), without love, he is nothing. Knowledge and understanding are not the ultimate measures of spiritual maturity—love is.

You can achieve 100% on every SCJ test, memorize all their symbolic interpretations, and understand their entire system, but if you don’t have love, it means nothing.

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.”

Jesus says the mark of His disciples is love for one another, not knowledge of symbolic interpretations or perfect test scores.

The Story of Mary and Martha

There’s a biblical story that perfectly illustrates the difference between what SCJ values and what Jesus values:

Luke 10:38-42 “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'”

Martha was busy, working hard, putting in effort—doing good things! But she was “worried and upset about many things.” Mary, by contrast, simply sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him.

Jesus commends Mary: “Mary has chosen what is better.”

The better thing is not frantic activity, not proving your commitment through effort, not achieving perfect performance. The better thing is sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him, being in His presence.

SCJ’s system is like Martha—worried and upset about many things, focused on performance and effort. The gospel invites us to be like Mary—resting in Jesus’ presence, listening to His word, trusting in Him.

---

Part 8: The Danger of Redefining Biblical Terms—”Mount Zion” Edition

How SCJ Manipulates the Meaning of “Mount Zion”

One of SCJ’s most effective tactics is taking biblical terms with rich theological meaning and redefining them to refer to their organization. We’ve seen this throughout their curriculum:

• “Heaven” = whatever organization God is working through
• “Israel” = the one who overcomes and his followers
• “New Heaven and New Earth” = SCJ organization
• “The 144,000” = SCJ members
• “Sealed” = becoming an official SCJ member
• “The One Who Overcomes” = Lee Man-hee

Now, in Lesson 63, they’re preparing to add another term to this list:

• “Mount Zion” = SCJ organization/headquarters

Why This Is Dangerous

1. It Makes Scripture Say What SCJ Wants It to Say

Once “Mount Zion” is redefined to mean “SCJ organization,” every biblical passage about Zion can be applied to SCJ. Prophecies about Zion’s glory? That’s SCJ. Promises about blessing from Zion? That’s SCJ. The 144,000 standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb? That’s SCJ members.

But this is eisegesis (reading meaning into the text) rather than exegesis (drawing meaning out of the text). SCJ imposes their organizational identity onto Scripture rather than letting Scripture speak for itself.

2. It Makes Organizational Membership Seem Biblically Mandated

If SCJ is “Mount Zion,” and the Bible says God’s people should come to Mount Zion, then joining SCJ seems like a biblical requirement. The redefinition makes organizational loyalty appear to be biblical obedience.

3. It Hijacks Legitimate Spiritual Longings

Believers rightly long for God’s presence, for His blessing, for participation in His purposes. These are legitimate spiritual desires rooted in how God created us. By claiming to be “Mount Zion,” SCJ hijacks these longings and redirects them toward organizational membership.

4. It Creates False Assurance

SCJ members believe they’re part of “Mount Zion” because they’ve joined the organization. This creates false assurance—they think they’re in right relationship with God because they’re in the right organization, rather than because they’re trusting in Christ alone.

5. It Makes Dialogue Impossible

When Christians try to discuss Scripture with SCJ members, they’re using the same words but with completely different meanings. A Christian says “Mount Zion” and means the place of God’s presence, fulfilled in Christ and the church. An SCJ member says “Mount Zion” and means their organization. This makes meaningful dialogue nearly impossible.

How to Recognize This Tactic

Here are warning signs that a group is redefining biblical terms:

1. They claim most Christians misunderstand what biblical terms mean “Most people think ‘Mount Zion’ refers to the historical location in Jerusalem, but that’s the physical understanding. The spiritual understanding is…”

2. They define terms in ways that point to their organization “Mount Zion today is the place where God’s people are gathered, which is our organization.”

3. They require accepting their definitions to “truly understand” Scripture “You need the ‘keys’ to understand what ‘Mount Zion’ really means.”

4. They discourage checking their definitions against how the Bible uses the terms “Don’t rely on traditional interpretations or commentaries—they don’t understand the spiritual meaning.”

5. Their definitions create dependency on the organization “Only we can show you where Mount Zion is today.”

How to Respond

When someone redefines a biblical term, ask:

1. “How does the Bible itself define this term?” Look at how the term is used throughout Scripture. Let Scripture interpret Scripture.

2. “How did the original audience understand this term?” Consider the historical and cultural context. What would this term have meant to the original readers?

3. “How have Christians historically understood this term?” While tradition isn’t infallible, if an interpretation is radically different from how Christians have understood a passage for 2,000 years, that’s a red flag.

4. “Does this interpretation make Christ more central or less central?” Biblical interpretation should always lead us to Christ. If an interpretation makes a human organization or leader central instead of Christ, it’s wrong.

5. “Does this interpretation add requirements to the gospel?” If the interpretation makes salvation dependent on joining an organization or accepting a particular symbolic system, it contradicts the gospel of grace.

The Biblical Principle: Let Scripture Interpret Scripture

2 Peter 1:20-21 “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Scripture comes from the Holy Spirit, so we should let Scripture interpret itself rather than imposing our own interpretations. The best interpreter of Scripture is Scripture.

When we want to understand what “Mount Zion” means, we should:

1. Look at how the term is used throughout the Old Testament
2. See how the New Testament interprets and applies Old Testament Zion passages
3. Let the clearer passages illuminate the less clear ones
4. Consider the overall biblical theology of God’s presence with His people

When we do this, we find that:

• Christ is the cornerstone of Zion (1 Peter 2:6)
• Believers have come to Mount Zion through faith in Christ (Hebrews 12:22)
• The church is God’s temple where He dwells by His Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22)
• The ultimate fulfillment is the New Jerusalem in the new creation (Revelation 21-22)

None of this points to a 21st-century Korean religious organization. It all points to Christ and what He has accomplished.

---

Part 9: The Contrast—True Biblical Hope vs. SCJ’s False Hope

SCJ’s Hope: “Let’s be able to identify and find Mount Zion at the Second Coming!”

The stated hope of Lesson 63 is: “Let’s be able to identify and find Mount Zion at the Second Coming!”

This hope is:

• Conditional: “Let’s be able to…” (it depends on your ability)
• Based on identification: You must correctly identify where Mount Zion is
• Organizational: Mount Zion = SCJ organization
• Anxious: There’s pressure to find it or miss out
• Human-centered: The focus is on your ability to identify and find

The Biblical Hope

Let’s contrast this with what the Bible presents as the Christian hope:

1. Hope in Christ’s Return

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

The “blessed hope” is:

• The appearing of the glory of Jesus Christ
• Not an invisible spiritual return in 1967
• Not the establishment of an organization
• But the visible, glorious return of Jesus Himself

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Our hope is:

• The Lord Himself coming down from heaven
• The resurrection of believers who have died
• Being caught up to meet the Lord
• Being with the Lord forever

This is what should encourage us—not the hope of identifying the right organization, but the hope of Christ’s return and being with Him forever.

2. Hope in the Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:19-22 “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

Our hope extends beyond this life to the resurrection. Because Christ was raised, we will be raised. This is a hope that death cannot destroy.

1 Peter 1:3-5 “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.”

Our hope is:

• Living (not dead or uncertain)
• Based on Christ’s resurrection (historical fact)
• An inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade (secure)
• Kept in heaven (not dependent on earthly organizations)
• Shielded by God’s power (not our ability to identify the right group)

3. Hope in the New Creation

Romans 8:18-25 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Our hope includes:

• The glory that will be revealed in us
• The liberation of creation from decay
• The redemption of our bodies
• The full realization of our adoption as God’s children

This is cosmic in scope—not just personal salvation, but the renewal of all creation.

Revelation 21:1-5 “Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'”

The ultimate hope is:

• A new heaven and new earth (renewed creation)
• The New Jerusalem (the ultimate Zion)
• God dwelling with His people
• No more death, mourning, crying, or pain
• God making everything new

This is not a metaphor for a Korean religious organization. This is the literal, physical, future reality that awaits all who trust in Christ.

4. The Security of This Hope

The biblical hope is secure because it’s based on:

God’s Promise:

Hebrews 6:17-19 “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.”

Our hope is:

• Based on God’s unchanging purpose
• Confirmed by God’s oath
• Impossible for God to lie about
• An anchor for the soul
• Firm and secure

Christ’s Finished Work:

Colossians 1:21-23 “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.”

We’re reconciled to God through Christ’s death. Our hope is “held out in the gospel”—the good news of what Christ has done.

The Holy Spirit’s Seal:

Ephesians 1:13-14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

The Holy Spirit is the seal and deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. We’re sealed by the Spirit when we believe, not by joining an organization.

The Contrast

The difference is stark. SCJ’s hope creates anxiety, dependence on the organization, and focus on human effort. The biblical hope creates confidence, dependence on Christ, and focus on God’s grace.

---

Part 10: Practical Application—How to Respond to Lesson 63

For Those Currently Taking SCJ’s Study

If you’re currently in SCJ’s study program and have just completed Lesson 63, here are critical questions to consider:

About the Test and “Effort”

1. Does this system create peace or anxiety?

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Does SCJ’s emphasis on perfect test scores and maximum effort create rest or burden? Does it produce peace or anxiety?

The gospel should produce peace and assurance. If you’re feeling constant anxiety about whether you’ve done enough, that’s a warning sign.

2. Is your worth based on performance or on God’s grace?

The Bible teaches that we’re justified by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). But SCJ’s system communicates that your spiritual standing depends on your effort level and test performance.

Ask yourself: Am I trying to earn God’s favor through my performance, or am I resting in what Christ has already done?

3. Are you being encouraged to think critically or to suppress doubts?

The Bereans were commended for examining Scripture to verify Paul’s teaching (Acts 17:11). But SCJ’s emphasis on “effort” and warnings against “weak mindset” discourage critical examination.

If you have doubts or questions, are you encouraged to examine them carefully, or are you told to push through them with more effort?

About “Mount Zion”

4. Where does the Bible say believers should look for God’s presence?

Read these passages for yourself:

• John 14:16-17 (the Holy Spirit in believers)
• 1 Corinthians 3:16 (believers are God’s temple)
• Ephesians 2:19-22 (the church is God’s dwelling place)
• Hebrews 12:22-24 (believers have come to Mount Zion through Christ)

Do these passages say you need to identify a specific organization, or do they say God dwells in believers through His Spirit?

5. What is the focus—Christ or an organization?

As you continue through SCJ’s study, pay attention to where the focus is. Is the emphasis on Christ and His finished work, or on understanding SCJ’s interpretive system and recognizing their organization as God’s chosen group?

The Bible’s focus is always Christ. Any teaching that makes something else (an organization, a leader, a symbolic system) central is moving away from biblical Christianity.

About Your Hope

6. What is your hope based on?

SCJ teaches that your hope should be to “identify and find Mount Zion at the Second Coming” (their organization). But the Bible teaches that your hope should be:

• Christ’s return (Titus 2:13)
• The resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)
• Eternal life (Titus 1:2)
• The new creation (Revelation 21:1-5)

Is your hope in Christ and what He’s done, or in identifying the right organization?

7. Is your hope secure or uncertain?

The biblical hope is described as “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). It’s based on God’s unchanging promise and Christ’s finished work.

Does SCJ’s teaching give you that kind of security, or does it create uncertainty about whether you’ve understood correctly, joined the right group, or demonstrated sufficient commitment?

What to Do

If you’re recognizing warning signs, here are steps to take:

1. Pause your study temporarily

Give yourself space to think clearly without the constant reinforcement of SCJ’s teaching. You don’t owe them an explanation—just take a break.

2. Read Scripture for yourself

Read books of the New Testament straight through without SCJ’s interpretive framework. Try:

• The Gospel of John (focus on who Jesus is and what He offers)
• Romans (focus on salvation by grace through faith)
• Galatians (focus on the danger of adding requirements to the gospel)
• Hebrews (focus on Christ’s sufficiency)

Let Scripture speak for itself. Don’t try to fit it into SCJ’s symbolic system.

3. Talk to a trusted Christian

Share what you’ve been learning with a pastor, mature Christian friend, or family member. Get an outside perspective from someone who knows the Bible well and isn’t part of SCJ.

4. Research SCJ

Visit closerlookinitiative.com/shincheonji-examination for detailed information about SCJ’s teachings, tactics, and the experiences of former members. Read testimonies from people who have left SCJ.

5. Ask direct questions

If you continue contact with your instructor, ask directly:

• “Is this Shincheonji Church of Jesus?”
• “Who is Lee Man-hee and what are his claims?”
• “Where is this teaching ultimately heading?”
• “Will I be expected to join your organization?”

Their response (or evasion) will be revealing.

6. Trust your concerns

If something feels wrong, it probably is. Don’t let anyone shame you for having doubts or questions. Critical thinking is not “weak mindset”—it’s wisdom.

7. Remember the gospel

Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. You don’t need to:

• Understand complex symbolic interpretations
• Identify which organization is “Mount Zion”
• Achieve perfect test scores
• Join a specific group

You need only to trust in Jesus Christ, who died for your sins and rose from the dead. That’s the gospel. That’s the good news. That’s what saves.

For Friends and Family of Those in SCJ

If someone you care about is involved in SCJ’s study and has reached Lesson 63, here’s how you can help:

Understanding Where They Are

By Lesson 63, your loved one has:

• Completed the Introductory Level (6-9 months, 150-200+ hours)
• Taken a comprehensive exam
• Been conditioned to see “effort” as the measure of spiritual commitment
• Internalized SCJ’s interpretive framework
• Begun to see their hope as “finding Mount Zion” (SCJ)
• Likely distanced from Christians who might challenge the teaching
• Formed strong relationships within the group

They’re deeply invested but still don’t know the full extent of SCJ’s claims. This is actually an opportunity—they haven’t yet been told about Lee Man-hee or been pressured to join SCJ officially.

How to Help

1. Express concern with love

Approach with genuine care, not accusation. Instead of “You’re in a cult,” try:

• “I care about you and I’m concerned about what you’re learning.”
• “I’ve been reading about this group and I have some concerns.”
• “Can we talk about what you’re studying?”

2. Ask questions about the test and “effort”

Use the test discussion as an entry point:

• “How did the test go? How do you feel about it?”
• “What happens if someone doesn’t pass?”
• “Do you feel pressure to achieve perfect scores?”
• “Does this create peace or anxiety for you?”

Help them recognize the performance-based system and how it creates anxiety rather than peace.

3. Discuss “Mount Zion”

Ask questions about what they’re learning:

• “What did they teach about Mount Zion?”
• “Where do they say Mount Zion is today?”
• “Let’s look at what the Bible says about Mount Zion together.”

Read Hebrews 12:22-24 together and discuss: If believers have already come to Mount Zion through Christ, why would they need to identify and find it?

4. Focus on the gospel

Remind them of the simple gospel:

• Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone
• Our hope is Christ’s return and the resurrection
• God dwells in believers through the Holy Spirit
• We don’t need to identify a specific organization to be saved

5. Share resources

Provide information about SCJ:

• closerlookinitiative.com/shincheonji-examination
• Testimonies from former members
• Biblical refutations of SCJ’s teaching

6. Maintain relationship

Even if they continue in SCJ for a time, keep the relationship open. Many people eventually leave, and they need to know they have somewhere to return to.

7. Pray consistently

Pray for:

• God to open their eyes to the truth
• The Holy Spirit to convict them of error
• Wisdom for you in how to help
• Opportunities to speak truth in love
• Their protection from further deception
• Their relationships within SCJ to not become so strong that they can’t leave

For Church Leaders

If you’re a pastor or church leader, here’s how you can protect your congregation and help those affected by SCJ:

Prevention

1. Teach about God’s presence

Regularly teach the biblical doctrine of God’s presence:

• In the Old Testament: Tabernacle and Temple
• In the Gospels: Jesus as Immanuel (God with us)
• In the Church Age: The Holy Spirit in believers
• In the Future: The New Jerusalem

Help your congregation understand that God’s presence is not limited to one organization or location.

2. Teach about biblical hope

Clearly teach what the Christian hope is:

• Christ’s visible, glorious return
• The resurrection of believers
• The new creation
• Eternal life with God

This inoculates against SCJ’s false hope of “finding Mount Zion” (their organization).

3. Teach about grace vs. works

Regularly emphasize that salvation is by grace through faith, not by effort or performance. This protects against SCJ’s performance-based system.

4. Warn about deceptive tactics

Help your congregation recognize warning signs:

• Groups that hide their identity
• Teaching that requires months of study to understand
• Emphasis on “effort” and perfect performance
• Redefining biblical terms
• Creating anxiety rather than peace
• Adding requirements to the gospel

Intervention

5. Recognize the signs

Be alert for members who:

• Suddenly become very interested in symbolic interpretation
• Talk about “physical vs. spiritual” understanding
• Mention “Mount Zion” in unusual contexts
• Show signs of anxiety or pressure
• Distance themselves from church activities
• Become evasive about a “Bible study” they’re attending

6. Reach out with care

If you notice these signs, reach out with genuine concern:

• “I’ve noticed you seem stressed lately. Is everything okay?”
• “I heard you’re attending a Bible study. Tell me about it.”
• “I care about you and want to make sure you’re in a healthy environment.”

7. Provide biblical teaching

Offer to study Scripture together, focusing on:

• The sufficiency of Christ
• Salvation by grace through faith
• The nature of God’s presence with His people
• Biblical hope

8. Connect them with resources

Have materials ready:

• Information about SCJ from closerlookinitiative.com
• Biblical refutations of SCJ’s teaching
• Testimonies from former members
• Contact information for cult recovery resources

Recovery

9. Support those leaving SCJ

People who leave SCJ often experience:

• Confusion about what they believed and why
• Guilt about time invested or people they recruited
• Anger at being deceived
• Difficulty trusting Christian teaching
• Isolation from the community they were part of
• Fear that they’ve committed the “unforgivable sin”

Provide:

• Patient, grace-filled counseling
• Clear teaching on the gospel
• Assurance of God’s forgiveness and love
• Community and belonging
• Time to heal and process

10. Learn from the experience

Ask those who’ve left SCJ:

• What made the teaching appealing?
• What needs weren’t being met in church?
• What finally helped them recognize the deception?
• What could the church have done differently?

Use their insights to strengthen your ministry and better protect others.

---

Part 11: The True Mount Zion—A Biblical Theology

Let’s conclude by examining what Scripture actually teaches about Mount Zion from a comprehensive biblical-theological perspective. This will help readers understand the rich biblical meaning that SCJ is hijacking and redirecting toward their organization.

Zion in Redemptive History

Stage 1: The Physical Mountain—Old Testament

The Historical Reality:

Mount Zion was originally a Jebusite fortress that King David conquered around 1000 BC (2 Samuel 5:7). It became the “City of David” and the political capital of Israel. Later, when Solomon built the Temple, the term “Zion” expanded to include the Temple Mount and eventually became synonymous with Jerusalem as a whole.

The Theological Significance:

In the Old Testament, Zion represented:

1. God’s Chosen Dwelling Place

Psalm 132:13-14 “For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, ‘This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.'”

God chose Zion as the place where He would dwell among His people. This was grace—God choosing to be present with His people in a specific location.

2. The Center of Worship

Psalm 122:1-4 “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’ Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up—the tribes of the LORD—to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel.”

Israelites traveled to Zion three times a year for the major festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles). Zion was the center of Israel’s worship life.

3. The Source of Blessing

Psalm 128:5 “May the LORD bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.”

Blessing flowed from Zion because that’s where God dwelt.

4. The Object of Prophetic Hope

The prophets spoke of a future time when Zion would be restored, exalted, and become the center of worship for all nations:

Isaiah 2:2-3 “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

Micah 4:1-2 (nearly identical to Isaiah 2:2-3)

Isaiah 60:14 “The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”

Zechariah 8:3 “This is what the LORD says: ‘I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.'”

These prophecies looked forward to a time when:

• Zion would be exalted above all mountains (supreme)
• All nations would come to worship there (universal)
• God would teach His ways from Zion (revelation)
• God would dwell there (presence)
• It would be characterized by faithfulness and holiness

Stage 2: The Incarnate Word—Jesus as the True Temple

The New Testament Revelation:

When Jesus came, He revealed Himself as the fulfillment of what the Temple and Zion represented:

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

The word “dwelling” (eskēnōsen) literally means “tabernacled.” Jesus is the new Tabernacle—God dwelling with His people.

John 2:19-21 “Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’ They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ But the temple he had spoken of was his body.”

Jesus identifies His body as the Temple. He is the place where God dwells, the place where people meet with God.

Matthew 12:6 “I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.”

Jesus is greater than the Temple. Everything the Temple represented—God’s presence, the place of sacrifice, the meeting place between God and humanity—is fulfilled in Christ.

The Cornerstone of Zion:

The New Testament identifies Jesus as the cornerstone of Zion prophesied in the Old Testament:

1 Peter 2:4-6 “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'”

Peter quotes Isaiah 28:16, identifying Jesus as the stone laid in Zion. Jesus is the foundation of God’s dwelling place with His people.

Romans 9:33 “As it is written: ‘See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.'”

Paul also applies this Zion prophecy to Christ. Some stumble over Him, but those who believe in Him will never be put to shame.

The Shift in Worship:

John 4:21-24 “‘Woman,’ Jesus replied, ‘believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem… Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.'”

Jesus declares that the location of worship is no longer important. True worship happens “in the Spirit and in truth,” not at a specific geographical location.

This is revolutionary. The significance of Zion was that it was the place of God’s presence and worship. But Jesus says that with His coming, worship is no longer tied to a location. God’s presence comes through the Spirit, and worship happens wherever believers worship “in the Spirit and in truth.”

Stage 3: The Indwelt Church—The Body of Christ as God’s Temple

The Church as God’s Dwelling Place:

After Jesus’ ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the New Testament reveals that God now dwells in His people—the church—through the Holy Spirit:

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”

Ephesians 2:19-22 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

All believers together are:

• God’s temple
• The dwelling place of God by His Spirit
• Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets
• With Christ as the cornerstone

This isn’t one organization—it’s all believers everywhere, united in Christ.

Believers Have Come to Mount Zion:

Hebrews 12:18-24 “You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.’ The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’ 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.”

This passage contrasts the old covenant (Mount Sinai, characterized by fear and distance) with the new covenant (Mount Zion, characterized by access and joy).

Believers “have come” (perfect tense—accomplished fact) to:

• Mount Zion
• The city of the living God
• The heavenly Jerusalem
• The church of the firstborn
• God the Judge
• Jesus the mediator
• The sprinkled blood

This is present reality for all believers through faith in Christ. We don’t need to search for Mount Zion or identify where it is—we’ve already come to it through union with Christ.

The Fulfillment of Isaiah’s Prophecy:

The prophecy in Isaiah 2:2-3 about all nations streaming to Zion begins to be fulfilled in the church age:

Acts 2:5-11 “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven… (they heard the gospel in their own languages)… we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

At Pentecost, people from many nations heard the gospel and believed. The church began to be gathered from all nations.

Revelation 7:9 “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”

The ultimate fulfillment is the gathering of believers from all nations before God’s throne.

Stage 4: The Consummated Kingdom—The New Jerusalem

The Ultimate Fulfillment:

The complete and final fulfillment of all Zion prophecies will come in the new creation:

Revelation 21:1-5 “Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'”

The New Jerusalem is:

• Coming down from heaven (God’s initiative)
• Prepared as a bride (the church)
• The place where God dwells with His people
• Characterized by the absence of death, mourning, crying, and pain
• The result of God making everything new

Revelation 21:10-11 “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. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”

John is carried to “a mountain great and high” to see the New Jerusalem—echoing Isaiah’s prophecy about the mountain of the LORD being established as the highest of the mountains.

Revelation 21:22-27 “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

The New Jerusalem:

• Has no temple because God and the Lamb are its temple
• Is lit by God’s glory
• Is the destination for the nations (fulfilling Isaiah 2:2-3)
• Has gates that never shut (always accessible)
• Is entered only by those whose names are in the Lamb’s book of life

This is the ultimate Zion—the eternal dwelling place of God with His people in the new creation.

The Biblical-Theological Trajectory

When we trace the biblical theology of Zion from beginning to end, we see a clear trajectory:

Old Testament: Physical mountain → God’s chosen dwelling place → Center of worship → Object of prophetic hope

Gospels: Jesus as the true Temple → The cornerstone of Zion → Worship in Spirit and truth (not location-dependent)

Church Age: Believers as God’s temple → The church as God’s dwelling place → Believers have come to Mount Zion through Christ

New Creation: The New Jerusalem → Ultimate fulfillment of Zion prophecies → God dwelling with His people forever

At no point in this trajectory does “Mount Zion” refer to a 21st-century Korean religious organization. The trajectory moves from:

• Physical location (Old Testament)
• To Christ Himself (Gospels)
• To all believers in Christ (Church Age)
• To the new creation (Future)

SCJ’s claim to be “Mount Zion” contradicts this entire biblical-theological trajectory. They’re trying to reverse the movement—taking what has been fulfilled in Christ and the church and relocating it to a specific human organization.

---

Conclusion: Two Mountains, Two Paths, Two Destinations

The Choice Before Students

By the end of Lesson 63, SCJ students face a choice, though they may not fully realize it yet:

SCJ’s Mountain:

• A specific organization in South Korea
• Requires identifying and finding
• Limited to 144,000 members
• Accessed through understanding symbolic interpretations
• Dependent on human leadership (Lee Man-hee)
• Creates anxiety about whether you’ve found it
• Adds requirements to the gospel

The Biblical Mount Zion:

• Christ Himself (the cornerstone)
• Believers have already come through faith
• Open to all who believe (countless multitude)
• Accessed through faith in Christ
• Centered on Christ’s finished work
• Creates confidence and assurance
• Salvation by grace through faith alone

SCJ’s Path:

• Study for months to understand symbols
• Pass tests with perfect scores
• Demonstrate maximum “effort”
• Identify which organization is “Mount Zion”
• Join that organization
• Be sealed as one of the 144,000
• Maintain organizational loyalty

The Biblical Path:

• Hear the gospel (Christ died for sinners and rose from the dead)
• Repent of sin
• Trust in Christ alone for salvation
• Receive the Holy Spirit
• Grow in Christ-likeness
• Worship in Spirit and truth
• Look forward to Christ’s return and the new creation

SCJ’s Destination:

• Membership in their organization
• Dependence on their teaching
• Isolation from mainstream Christianity
• Allegiance to Lee Man-hee
• Anxiety about maintaining good standing
• False assurance based on organizational membership

The Biblical Destination:

• Union with Christ
• Indwelt by the Holy Spirit
• Part of the universal church
• Assurance based on Christ’s finished work
• Peace with God
• Eternal life in the new creation

The difference is stark. One path leads to bondage in a religious system; the other leads to freedom in Christ. One creates anxiety and dependence on human organization; the other creates peace and dependence on God’s grace.

The Urgency of Truth

For those in SCJ’s study program, the urgency is real—but not in the way SCJ presents it. The urgency is not about identifying “Mount Zion” before it’s too late. The urgency is about recognizing deception and returning to the true gospel before investing more of your life in a false system.

2 Corinthians 6:2 “For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”

Now is the day of salvation—not by identifying SCJ as Mount Zion, but by trusting in Christ.

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Salvation is found in Christ alone. Not in Christ plus SCJ. Not in Christ plus understanding symbols. Not in Christ plus organizational membership. In Christ alone.

The Invitation

If you’re reading this as someone involved in SCJ’s study program, please hear this invitation:

You don’t need to “identify and find Mount Zion.” Through faith in Christ, you have already come to Mount Zion (Hebrews 12:22). God dwells in you through His Spirit. You have immediate access to God’s presence through Christ.

You don’t need to achieve perfect test scores. God doesn’t measure your worth by your performance. He offers salvation as a gift of grace, received through faith, not earned through effort.

You don’t need to join a specific organization. The church is all believers everywhere, united in Christ. You become part of God’s people by trusting in Christ, not by joining SCJ.

You don’t need special “keys” to understand Scripture. The Holy Spirit illuminates God’s Word for all believers. Christ is the key that unlocks understanding of Scripture—all of it points to Him.

You don’t need to fear missing out. God’s invitation is open to all who believe. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Not just 144,000. Not just those who identify the right organization. Everyone who calls on Christ.

The true gospel is simpler, more beautiful, and more secure than anything SCJ offers. It’s the gospel of grace—unearned, undeserved, freely given to all who believe.

Romans 10:9-13 “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. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”

This is the gospel. This is the hope. This is the truth that sets people free.

You don’t need to climb SCJ’s mountain. Through faith in Christ, you’ve already reached the summit—Mount Zion, the city of the living God, where you have access to God Himself through Jesus Christ.

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

Come to Christ. He is the true Mount Zion. He is the place where God dwells with His people. He is your hope, your peace, your salvation.

---

For More Information and Resources

• Visit closerlookinitiative.com/shincheonji-examination for comprehensive analysis of SCJ’s teachings, tactics, and the experiences of former members
• Read the full series Testing Shincheonji’s Claims: Two Lenses, One Story for detailed refutation of SCJ’s theology across all 30 chapters
• Consult these additional resources for biblical and historical context:
  • Betrayal, Destruction, Salvation – A Christian Response
  • How First-Century Christians Read Revelation Like a Political Cartoon
  • Prophecy and Fulfillment
  • SCJ’s Fulfillment of Revelation Parts 1 & 2
  • The Real Reasons Behind the Tabernacle Temple’s Destruction and Sale
  • Wedding Banquet of the Lamb and the First Resurrection
• If you or someone you know needs help leaving SCJ or recovering from involvement with the group, reach out to:
  • Your local church pastor
  • Christian counselors experienced in cult recovery
  • Organizations specializing in helping people leave cults
  • The resources and contacts available at closerlookinitiative.com

---

Final Word: Where God Dwells

The entire issue with SCJ Lesson 63—and with SCJ’s entire system—can be summarized in one question: Where does God dwell?

The Bible’s answer is clear and beautiful:

In the Old Testament: God dwelt in the Tabernacle and Temple on Mount Zion, graciously choosing to be present with His people in a specific location.

In the Gospels: God dwelt in Christ—”The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.

In the Church Age: God dwells in believers through the Holy Spirit—”Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

In the New Creation: God will dwell with His people forever in the New Jerusalem—”Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them” (Revelation 21:3).

At no point does God dwell exclusively in a 21st-century Korean religious organization. At no point do believers need to identify and join a specific group to access God’s presence.

Through faith in Christ, we have immediate, constant, secure access to God’s presence:

Ephesians 2:18 “For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

Ephesians 3:12 “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Hebrews 10:19-22 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

This is the glorious reality of the new covenant: through Christ’s blood, we have confidence to enter God’s presence. We draw near with full assurance. We don’t need to search for Mount Zion or identify which organization is God’s dwelling place. Through Christ, we have already come to Mount Zion. God dwells in us through His Spirit. And we look forward to the New Jerusalem, where God will dwell with His people forever.

This is the truth. This is the gospel. This is the hope that will never disappoint.

May all who read this be drawn to Christ alone, rest in His finished work alone, and find their hope in Him alone.

Soli Deo Gloria—To God Alone Be Glory