What about the Book of Revelation?

The book of Revelation was written in parables, so what if some of the parables can be understood. We still need a divinely appointed Promised Pastor to explain the figurative meanings. 

Christian Response

Except throughout the New Testament, there are no explicit mentions of a future, up and coming “Promised Pastor of the New Testament”.

You can read more about that here.

Shincheonji

What about the Book of Revelation?

Christian Response

As mentioned in the Promised Pastor of the NT document, the book of Revelation was given to the Apostle John during the time of great distress and persecution.

We can see that the 1st century Christians had an understanding of the book of Revelation, and that they weren’t completely closed off.

A few examples include:

1 John 5:4 plainly explains who the “overcomers” are, and the same language is used in Revelation 2 – 3.

1. Christ’s Supremacy and Eternal Nature

• Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

• Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Normally SCJ would claim that Jesus being the alpha and omega is the “prophecy and fulfillment”. In a future document, I will go over the verses used by SCJ when they attempt to disprove the Deity of Christ and the Trinity.

These verses emphasize the eternal nature and unchanging character of Christ.

2. Warnings Against False Teachers

• Revelation 2:2: “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.”

• 2 Corinthians 11:13-15: “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.”

Both passages caution against false apostles and teachers, underscoring the need for discernment within the church.

3. The Promise of Christ’s Return

• Revelation 22:12: “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “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.”

Both texts affirm the imminent return of Christ and the resurrection, central to Christian eschatology.

4. The Call to Endurance and Faithfulness

• Revelation 13:10: “This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”

• Hebrews 10:36-37: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, ‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.'”

These verses encourage believers to remain steadfast in their faith amidst trials, reflecting a common exhortation found throughout the New Testament.

5. The New Creation

• Revelation 21:1: “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.”

• 2 Peter 3:13: “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

• 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Both passages speak of the eschatological hope in a new creation, free from sin and suffering, highlighting God’s ultimate restoration.

6. Kingdom and Priests

• Revelation 1:6: “And has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”

• Revelation 5:10: “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

• 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

These passages highlight the dual role of believers as both members of a royal kingdom and as priests who serve and represent God, a concept that emphasizes the direct access to God afforded to believers through Christ.

7. Overcoming and Reigning with Christ

• Revelation 3:21: “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

• 2 Timothy 2:12: “If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us.”

• 1 John 5:4 – For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.

• 1 John 2:13-14 – I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

These texts connect the believer’s perseverance and victory over spiritual battles to the promise of reigning with Christ, underscoring a shared destiny with Christ based on faithfulness.

8. Living Stones and Spiritual House

• Revelation 21:22: “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”

• 1 Peter 2:5: “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.”

Both texts use architectural imagery to describe the collective role of believers in God’s spiritual dwelling, highlighting the idea that the presence of God dwells not in a physical temple but within and among His people.

9. Light of the World

• Revelation 21:23-24: “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.”

• Matthew 5:14-16 (words of Jesus often echoed in the epistles): “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Both emphasize the role of God’s people and God’s presence as a source of light that illuminates the world, guiding and attracting others to the divine truth

For a group of Christians who had no understanding of the Book of Revelation since it was sealed, it certainly seems like the Apostles and the early Christian church had a decent understanding of the symbolic language.

This is also why in 1 Peter 5:13 Peter also made reference to Babylon, another reference we can see in Revelation 18.

This understanding was all done without the need of a future, messianic, promised pastor.