The video transcript has been paraphrased.

Exposing the True History of the Korean Cults (WMSCOG, Shincheonji, JMS) 

Exposing the True History of the Korean Cults (WMSCOG, Shincheonji, JMS) @ExposingtheCults

[Jordan] (0:00 – 0:54)
Well, welcome back, everyone. I’m here once again with Chris, a former member of the Shincheonji cult group, as well as Steve Matthews and our special guest, Pastor Yang, who will continue presenting some very important information. Let me hand it off to Chris to set the stage for today’s discussion.

After that, I’ll give Pastor Yang a chance to speak. For those who haven’t seen the first video, I highly recommend you check it out (the link is in the description below), as this session builds on the information shared there. Chris, please explain what we’re going to cover, and then introduce Pastor Yang for anyone who is new to him.

[Chris] (0:55 – 1:48)
Today, we will discuss the doctrines of the Olive Tree and the Unification Church—both of which have heavily influenced the teachings of the current generation of Korean cults. Groups such as Shincheonji, Jesus Morning Star, and the World Mission Society Church of God can trace their origins back to these influences. Pastor Yang, as I like to call him, has dedicated his life to the true Triune God while raising awareness about these cults. He has published several books and written commentaries on cult history, specifically addressing the teachings of Shincheonji. In addition, he is a visiting professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is here to warn us about the new generation of cults that are being exported from Korea and spreading throughout the world.

[Pastor Yang] (1:50 – 2:28)
Hello, everyone. This is Pastor Yang. I currently serve as the director of the Bible Vaccine Center and as a senior pastor at Daejeon Doan Presbyterian Church in South Korea. I’m now in Chicago and will be staying here until July 2024 at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. It’s a pleasure to see all of you, and I consider it a privilege to share insights about the genealogy of Korean cults today.

[Chris] (2:30 – 2:52)
One more thing I’d like to add: please check out BibleVC.org for the Bible Vaccine in English. The website also offers Bible studies that thoroughly counter the teachings of Shincheonji. Again, visit BibleVC.org—this is a vital resource for our English-speaking audience.

[Jordan] (2:52 – 3:05)
Yes, Steve—please introduce yourself. Some of you might already be familiar with you, as you’ve been featured in many of our World Mission Society Church of God videos and ministry efforts. How are you doing tonight, Steve?

 

[Steve] (3:06 – 3:44)
Doing great, doing great. It’s good to be with you all. I’ve studied many cults over the years, but I’m very concerned about the rise of Asian—and especially Korean—cults. They are highly in demand and cause significant harm.

WMS and Shincheonji are two cults that the Bible Vaccine Center examines, along with JMS and Good News Church. There are many Korean groups out there, so it’s great to be back.

Feel free to check out our other videos on Great Lakes Studios. I’m really happy to be part of this, and thank you for your channel, Jordan.

[Jordan] (3:45 – 3:52)
Yeah, Pastor Yang, thanks for being back. I think we’re ready to dive in.

[Pastor Yang] (3:53 – 6:54)
In my previous presentation, I explained how the genealogy of Korean cults spread throughout Korea and nationwide—a history spanning more than 100 years.

I began with Lee Soon-Hwa and introduced some key figures, focusing especially on these five individuals. The first is Hwang Guk-Joo, the second is Jung Deuk-Eun, and then there’s Kim Baek-Moon. Along with Park Tae-San of Olive Tree and Moon Sun-Myung of the Unification Church, these three absorbed the full influence of earlier Korean cults and went on to found their own groups.

I’d like to briefly explain how they accomplished this and provide an overview of their lives. First, Hwang Guk-Joo founded the New Jerusalem Pilgrimage. He claimed that while praying, he was “Jesus-fied”—as if Jesus’ head had been attached to him—and thereafter declared himself the incarnated Jesus. He even engaged in sexual relations with his followers.

According to his claims, sexual relations with him would lead to the forgiveness of one’s original sins because his blood had become Jesus’ blood—thus free of any original sin. In effect, he secretly practiced a kind of blood lineage recovery ceremony, along with other abnormal behaviors.

Through these actions, he asserted that forgiveness of sins and salvation were granted. Note that this depiction of Hwang Guk-Joo is a composite representation based on available descriptions rather than an exact likeness. (The AI-generated portrait of Hwang Guk-Joo is for illustrative purposes only—just imagine it.)

[Steve] (6:54 – 6:56)
You didn’t paint that yourself?

[Pastor Yang] (6:56 – 7:07)
No, it’s just an AI-generated painting. I did modify several versions, and this is the final version of Hwang Guk-Joo.

[Steve] (7:08 – 7:11)
And he might be one of the many “Korean Jesuses” running around, right?

 

[Pastor Yang] (7:11 – 8:00)
“Yeah, yeah. According to Tak Myung-Hwan—a member of Cheongjigyeoegwan and a professional religious investigator—he conducted investigations during the 1960s and 1970s. He examined a comprehensive list of Korean cults. The largest segment comprised Christian cults, numbering over 70 groups. There were also Buddhist and shamanistic groups. During the 1960s, the total number of cults had already surpassed 300.”

[Steve] (8:01 – 8:04)
“And we believe we have a significant foothold when it comes to cults in the USA.”

[Pastor Yang] (8:05 – 8:06)
“Yeah, yeah.”

[Steve] (8:07 – 8:21)
“But they’ve been active in Korea for a long time. Now we’re beginning to see them spread even further as they become more organized and acquire more money. They’re really trying to expand their influence worldwide—that’s the reason for this channel.”

[Pastor Yang] (8:21 – 8:54)
“That’s true. In fact, over the past 900 years, many different kinds of cults from various religious backgrounds emerged on the Korean Peninsula. Although many have faded, a few have survived. The cults that have now spread worldwide are the survivors from a century of trials and errors, and they possess a remarkably strong survival instinct.”

[Steve] (8:55 – 8:59)
“It’s like survival of the fittest among cults.”

[Pastor Yang] (8:59)
“Yes.”

[Steve] (8:59 – 9:00)
“Yes.”

[Pastor Yang] (9:00)
“Right.”

[Steve] (9:01 – 9:07)
“He showed the most commitment to stick around. We’ve seen many cults fade away over the years.”

[Pastor Yang] (9:07 – 9:08)
“Right, right.”

[Steve] (9:08)
“Yeah.”

[Pastor Yang] (9:10 – 9:47)
“Next, we have Jung De Geun. She claimed to have received a revelation stating that her original sin was caused by sexual depravity. In her view, biblical original sin stemmed from sexual immorality, and that new blood was required for salvation. She asserted that she possessed this new blood and conducted a ritual to change the blood lineage among her followers. Among her prominent followers were Park Tae-sun and Moon Seon-myung, as many of you already know.”

[Chris] (9:48 – 10:09)
“I’d like to add that Park Tae-sun was the founder of the OliveTree cult, and Lee Man-hee joined this cult in 1957, establishing a connection with SCJ. Then there’s the Unification Church—Jesus Morning Star had a significant influence on these cults. We’ll discuss that a bit more later.”

[Steve] (10:10)
“Right.”

[Chris] (10:10 – 10:11)
“This ties it all together.”

[Steve] (10:11 – 11:04)
“Let me add that it’s really frustrating when Lee Man-hee speaks—he always begins by saying, ‘I was just a farmer and I was never part of any church.’ He completely lies. I call him the OG cult hopper because he hops from one cult to another, taking pieces to form his own version. Some say there isn’t much original thought in many of these groups, and that’s true. Even though Lee Man-hee did come out of one cult and borrowed many ideas, he rewrites his history. He insists that he was never part of any church, never attended seminary, and that God simply appeared to him. That’s why we’re producing these shows—to reveal the true connections and the DNA of where Shincheonji and some of these groups originated.”

[Chris] (11:04 – 11:27)
“To add to that, one thing that convinced me was wondering where he acquired all these teachings. I realized that he was involved with so many different groups, and eventually, all these teachings distilled down to SCJ.”

 

[Pastor Yang] (11:27 – 14:32)
So, yeah. It’s true that they lie many times. However, even though they lie so much, people are still deceived. One reason, I think, is that deceptive spirits walk among them. In Jung De-geun’s case, for example, on June 6, 1946, she met a young man while crossing the 38th parallel and received a revelation during prayer to accept him. I don’t believe that was the guidance of the Holy Spirit—I think it was a different spirit at work. Deceptive spiritual forces have always been present among cults. While she was praying, some strange spirit told her that Moon Sun-myung was the founder of the Unification Church. So she accepted Moon and even had a sexual relationship with him. Later, Park Tae-sun joined, and another man, Kim Baek-moon, founded the Israel Monastery. Although he engaged in many odd behaviors, what we need to note is that he compiled all the cult leaders’ teachings and created a huge, systematic theory—not exactly theology—that these cult leaders now claim. This includes a trilogy of works by Kim: the first, Fundamental Principles of Christianity, became the basis for the doctrines in the books written by various cult leaders; Moon even copied much from Kim’s book. The second is Theology of the Holy Spirit, and the third is The Theory of Christian Maturity. Among these, the Fundamental Principles of Christianity is the most important. I have discussed five figures: Hwang Guk-ju, Jung De-geun, Kim Baek-moon, Park Tae-sun, and Moon Seok-myung. By investigating the latter two, we can gradually understand how and why Shincheonji and Jung Myung-seok make their claims. So, can you guess who he is?

[Steve] (14:33 – 14:36)
Reverend Moon, right? Right.

[Pastor Yang] (14:36 – 20:33)
Yeah. Moon Seok-myung—Reverend Moon. Picture him when he was very young; and on the right, when he was middle-aged. His representative book is The Divine Principle. Here, we need to understand the dual characteristics of God. He claimed that we can discern God’s nature through creation. According to Romans 1:20, since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen in what has been made, leaving people without excuse. Thus, we must focus on nature. By examining nature, we can gradually understand God’s characteristics. Moon asserts that God has dual aspects.

Through creation, we understand God’s nature, and similarly, works of art allow us to grasp an artist’s character. Moon adopted this idea from the Book of Chains, a text rooted in Chinese Taoist philosophy, which teaches that all of nature is composed of yin and yang—dual aspects of nature. In every entity, there is an internal nature and an external form. For example, within you there may be both an active (yang) and an introverted (yin) disposition. The external form manifests as power and force, observable in cause and effect. Thus, God possesses original yang and yin, as well as an internal nature and an external form. Through these characteristics, we can gradually understand the universe, nature, and humanity. People, too, are composed of yin and yang—mind and body, husband and wife, humans and the natural world. The force that unites yin and yang is called universal prime energy, operating through reciprocal actions (e.g., the mind gives while the body receives, or the husband gives life and the wife receives it to create new life).

Moon further argues for the existence of a divine heavenly mother by showing that just as yin and yang exist, so does God’s dual nature. His claim is quite shamanistic and pansexual in nature—a view that originates from figures such as Kim Sung-do, Hwang Guk-ju, Jung De-geun, and Kim Baek-moon. The term “pansexualism” here implies that because the union of yin and yang is corrupted by what Moon describes as illicit sexual relations (or “eating the fruit of good and evil”), the human lineage is likewise corrupted. Therefore, it must be restored with new blood. Moon asserts that Jesus was the second Adam, following the original Adam, but that Jesus failed in his role. Thus, Moon positions himself as the third Adam who fulfilled God’s purpose for creation. In order to restore God’s lineage, Jesus should have married, but he died on the cross before he could start a perfect family and become a true parent.

[Steve] (20:34 – 20:42)
Before he could start the perfect family and become a true parent. So, guess who had to come and do it? Yeah, yeah.

[Chris] (20:42 – 20:47)
So, a question about that then: Does the blood of Christ not cover our sins according to the Moonies?

 

[Pastor Yang] (20:48 – 20:58)
No, in order for that to happen, Jesus should have married. Since Jesus did not establish his own family, there must be a newcomer—the Third Adam.

[Steve] (20:59 – 21:18)
He wasn’t meant to be crucified. He ended up being crucified by mistake. As a martyr, before he could start the true family, he would have been one of the true parents—undoing what Adam did by becoming the true parents and passing on redemption to us as part of the perfect family.

[Pastor Yang] (21:18 – 21:20)
Thank you. True parents. Yes.

[Chris] (21:20)
Interesting.

[Pastor Yang] (21:22 – 22:43)
Moon argued that the cloud on which Jesus would ride is not a literal cloud but a metaphorical body. This kind of metaphor or parable is frequently used by many cult leaders. He claimed that because Moon and Han—Han Hak-ja, who claims to be a heavenly mother—are central to their belief, it became time to pray in the name of the true parents. In the same way, Ahn Sang-hong later claimed that it was time to pray in his name. His claim is very similar to Shincheonji’s assertion that there are martyrs in heaven—144,000 of them, together with the members of Shincheonji.

[Chris] (22:44 – 22:51)
Well, they now say this includes the great Motsun, right? We discussed that with Pastor Shin. Anyway, please continue.

[Pastor Yang] (22:52 – 23:31)
Ahn Sang-hong is from a different cult and hierarchical group. He started his Church of God in 1964, whereas Moon began his Unification Church in 1954—a 10-year gap. I’m sure that when Ahn Sang-hong tried to start his new group, he was likely influenced by Moon or Park, who were very famous at the time.

[Steve] (23:31 – 23:35)
He borrowed many ideas from the Seventh-day Adventists; that’s what we’ve covered on other shows.

[Pastor Yang] (23:35 – 23:36)
Right, that’s true.

[Steve] (23:37 – 23:53)
There is the idea that Jesus is Michael, the archangel—the concept of the sanctuary in 1844 as outlined in the Green Book, along with the notion that Ellen G. White, the prophetess of the Seventh-day Adventists, is a true prophet supporting Ahn Sang-hong.

[Chris] (23:54 – 24:09)
Right. I have a question about the Unification Church: Do they believe that Jesus is Michael, the archangel, before he took on flesh? Or are they more like Unitarians, seeing Jesus as merely a perfect creature who came into existence? How do they view him?

[Pastor Yang] (24:10 – 24:16)
They believe that Jesus is the Second Adam sent to save us. However, he did not succeed in establishing the true family.

[Chris] (24:17 – 24:24)
So, he did not succeed—he is not divine, just a creature, much like Ahn Sang-hong.

 

[Pastor Yang] (24:25–25:42)
Yeah, of course, Ahn Sang-hong talked about the Sabbath and the Passover, but in that part, I think it’s very close to Adventist teachings. However, the claim that he is God—or that there is a Mother God—does not come from Adventists. I believe he was influenced by Moon, but it hasn’t been clearly proven yet.

We really need to investigate this further, as there seem to be common factors between WMSDOD and Moon. I’m not saying that they learned directly from Moon, but there are indeed some shared doctrines or influences. One thing to consider is that Moon was not the first. There has long been the notion of a heavenly mother; for example, if you examine the lineage of Korean cults, you will find the idea of Jehovah’s wife already present. Between Hwang Buk-ju and Jung Deuk-un, there is Park Tae-young, who claimed to be Jehovah’s wife.

[Steve] (25:45–25:52)
And you explained how, in indigenous Korean paganism, there are mountain gods.

[Pastor Yang] (25:53)
Right.

[Steve] (25:53–25:56)
That kind of opens up the possibility for people to believe in such ideas.

[Pastor Yang] (25:56–26:11)
Right, that’s true. If you visit a mountain god’s temple, you’ll see deities not only in male form but also in female form.

[Chris] (26:12–26:16)
So, the divine goddess is already well established in Korean culture.

[Pastor Yang] (26:16–26:32)
Yes, I think so. Moreover, shamanism lies at the very core of all Korean religious cults—it permeates both the conscious and subconscious minds of the Korean people.

[Chris] (26:33–26:37)
And as we discussed in a previous episode, shamanism has a heavy influence.

[Pastor Yang] (26:37–28:16)
Let’s talk about the original mythology of Korea—have you heard of Dangun mythology? A long time ago, a heavenly ruler descended to earth and attempted to govern it. At that time, both a tiger and a bear approached the ruler, asking for his power to transform them into human beings. The ruler gave them pieces of garlic and other vegetables and instructed them to go into a cave and eat these for 21 days.

The tiger couldn’t endure this regimen because it preferred meat, so it gave up. However, the bear persevered for 21 days and eventually transformed into a woman. That woman then married the heavenly ruler, and together they had a son—who became the ancestor of the Korean people.

It’s worth noting that Buddhism was introduced to Korea about a thousand years ago, but before that, a folk religion prevailed, one that was deeply rooted in shamanism.

[Steve] (28:17–28:25)
Over the centuries, this blend of folk religion with other religious elements has remained a part of Korean life for many people.

[Pastor Yang] (28:26)
Yes, absolutely.

[Steve] (28:26–28:27)
That makes sense.

[Pastor Yang] (28:27–29:43)
Another important point in this story is the transformation of the bear. By consuming garlic and vegetables, the bear transformed into a human. Through a divine marriage, she bore a son who became the ancestor and founder of the Korean race. In this narrative, there is an emphasis on transformation through a sexual union, where special beings are born—a symbolic blending of essence and blood that carries profound meaning.

Taking all these factors into account, it’s clear that these stories have influenced Korean shamanism and cults.

[Chris] (29:43–30:10)
That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for clarifying. Many of us outside of Korea were not familiar with this story, but as we study these cults further, it becomes clear why there is such an emphasis on sexual aspects. For instance, when I watched Holy Betrayal about the JMS cult, I was surprised by the emphasis placed on sexual relations with their leader, which I found quite disturbing.

 

[Pastor Yang] (30:11 – 34:04)
“Yeah, that’s true. So we’ll focus on these two people: Park Tae-sun and Moon Seon-myung.

I mentioned Moon Seon-myung, and here is his wife, Han Hak-ja, as shown in the picture on your right. On the left, you see Moon Seon-myung. When Han Hak-ja got married, she was only 17 years old and still in high school.

The next picture, taken 11 years after her marriage, shows Heavenly Mother Han, who is Moon’s fifth wife. Moon’s first wife, Choi Sung-gil, was married in April 1945 and later divorced in 1957 due to the lineage restoration ceremony that Moon conducted. Moon’s second wife was Kim Jong-hwa, married through the lineage restoration ceremony, although she was already married. Her husband, Jung Myung-sun, filed a complaint that resulted in Moon serving a five-year sentence at Heungnam Prison in Pyongyang’s Daedong District (and as you may know, Pyongyang is where Kim Jong-un currently resides).

Moon’s third wife was Kim Myung-hee, who tragically died in a train accident in 1969—a shocking event because she was believed to carry Moon’s holy blood. His fourth wife was Choi Won-bok, and his fifth wife is Han Hak-ja, the current Heavenly Mother. She married at the age of 17 while still in high school, while Moon was 41 years old, marking a 24-year age difference.

She bore 14 heavenly children, although three of them died. Moon also had a sixth wife, Choi Soon-hwa, along with other women who bore his children. In total, Moon had 134 children, with only three of them passing away. Additionally, it is important to note that Jang Gil-ja was not the first wife of Ahn Sang-hong.

What I want to emphasize is that the age difference between Jang Gil-ja and Ahn Sang-hong is 25 years. Ahn Sang-hong’s first wife was Hwang Won-soon, as seen in the slide’s bottom middle where his tomb is displayed. The tomb is inscribed with “Prophet Eliza’s tomb, Ahn Sang-hong.” On the right, the inscription also shows his wife’s name, Hwang Won-soon. Both Ahn Sang-hong and his legal wife are buried together in the same tomb.

[Steve] (34:05 – 34:09)
“Dr. Yang, are you sure it doesn’t say ‘Second Coming Christ’ on that grave?”

[Pastor Yang] (34:09 – 34:11)
“No, no—that’s just ‘Prophet Eliza.'”

[Steve] (34:12 – 34:13)
“You’re sure?”

[Pastor Yang] (34:13 – 34:14)
“I’m sure, yeah.”

[Steve] (34:14 – 34:15)
“You could read it, right?”

[Pastor Yang] (34:15 – 34:16)
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

[Steve] (34:17)
“Just for the viewers.”

[Pastor Yang] (34:18 – 35:22)
“And Aum Suin once claimed that she was the spiritual Sarah of Ahn Sang-hong. It wasn’t Ahn Sang-hong making that claim—it was Aum Suin. By the time she made that claim, she had already divorced her husband. Additionally, Jang Gil-ja, born in 1943, became Ahn Sang-hong’s spiritual bride, with an age gap of 25 years.

Now, let’s move on to discuss Moon and Park. It’s time to examine Park Tae-sun’s teachings. The Olive Tree Movement was extremely popular during that period. To your left, you can see a massive gathering that lasted for nine days, with more than 600,000 people attending. It was truly an extraordinary event.”

 

[Chris] (35:22 – 35:24)
“That’s double the size of SCJ today.”

[Pastor Yang] (35:25 – 37:44)
“That’s amazing. It’s true—Park himself claimed that Olive Tree’s membership at the time exceeded one million. The reason I mention this is that Lee Man-hee, in his mid-life, joined the Olive Tree Movement when he was 27 years old under Park Tae-sun. After that, he joined Yoo Jae-yeol’s Tabernacle Temple.

When Yoo Jae-yeol’s eschatological predictions failed, Lee moved to Mokyungdo and started the Eighth Church. The concept behind the ‘Eighth Church’ is that while God finished creation in seven days, the eighth day represents a New Creation Day. In other words, Lee claimed he had initiated a new creation. It’s important to note that he was an ex-Unification Church instructor. However, after following Mokyungdo for six months, Lee realized he had been misled and was deeply disappointed. He then returned to his hometown, Cheongdo, where he spent six to seven years. During that time, he immersed himself in reading the Bible and memorizing verses, rethinking everything he had previously learned.

During those years, Baek Man-bong—who had once been part of Parkinson’s Olive Movement and Yoo Jae-yeol’s Tabernacle Temple—emerged as a leader, often described as a Solomon among his peers.”

[Steve] (37:44 – 37:46)
“One of the seven messengers that God created.”

[Pastor Yang] (37:46 – 38:47)
“After leaving Yoo Jae-yeol’s Tabernacle Temple, Baek Man-bong attempted to gather those who had left the temple, although only a few joined him. He remembered Lee Man-hee, who at the time was as sincere as a bricklayer in his commitment. Baek then traveled to Lee’s hometown to persuade him to join his church and become one of the 12 disciples. Thus, Lee Man-hee joined Baek Man-bong’s church, known as either Recreation Church or Salvation Church.”

[Chris] (38:48 – 39:03)
“Wait a second—he wasn’t part of three cults; he was part of four cults. Four-time cultist versus three-time cultist. And this is the man we are supposed to trust because of his discerning skills. Meanwhile, I’m just a farmer.”

[Steve] (39:03 – 39:05)
“I’ve never been part of a church.”

[Chris] (39:05 – 39:15)
“In other words, four churches, four cults, or zero cults—the difference is simply misunderstood. This is just insane. Jordan, I need to hear your take on this.”

[Jordan] (39:15 – 39:23)
“He has a lot more experience. He’s been through the buffet line of cults.”

[Pastor Yang] (39:23 – 39:34)
“Yes, indeed. If a different spirit comes upon Steve, then he might well be qualified to become a cult leader.”

[Chris] (39:34 – 39:36)
“Oh, no, no, no, no.”

[Pastor Yang] (39:36 – 39:43)
“He already knows all the different doctrines and the methods to deceive people. Lord, help me.”

[Jordan] (39:43 – 39:50)
“Yeah, you’ve got it figured out, Steve. We’ll keep an eye on him.”

[Steve] (39:51 – 40:20)
“They simply write history, and he tells these people his version. It’s crucial to understand where he came from. This pattern is common in all cults. Whether it’s WMS or another group, they fabricate an official history that rarely matches the true story.”

[Pastor Yang] (40:21 – 40:58)
“For cult leaders, the narrative is always that they received a special revelation to start their organization. In reality, however, they learn from previous cult leaders—leaders who were deeply disappointed when their eschatological predictions failed. This disappointment often drives them to form new groups, believing that their experience in three or four different cult groups gives them the confidence to start a new one and assume leadership.”

 

[Steve] (40:58 – 41:24)

You know, I’ve studied so many groups, and I’d say that the Jehovah’s Witnesses hold the world record for the most Armageddon prophecies. But this guy, Lee Man-hee, is hands down the biggest cult hopper of anybody out there. I can’t think of another cult that has gone through four different groups like this—especially when he later lies and says there weren’t any. It’s just unbelievable.

[Pastor Yang] (41:24 – 42:51)

Yeah. When the cult leaders started to claim that he was a new leader, the followers coming from the ex-cult already knew that the cult leader had been there before. The cult leader here used the doctrine of John the Baptist. He portrayed himself as the betrayer—positioning the former leader as a metaphorical John the Baptist who betrayed God’s order. That is why God sent him.

That same John the Baptist doctrine existed in Moon Seon-myung’s teachings. Moon Seon-myung claimed that Kim Baek-moon was the betrayer. The same is true for JMS—JMS claimed that Moon was the betrayer. This pattern of accusing the predecessor as a betrayer is common among cult leaders. Lee Man-hee also said that Yoo Jae-il is a betrayer. If you look at the lineage—Gu In-hye, Lee Young-soo, Jo Hee-sung, and Hong Jong-hyo—they all claim that their predecessor is the betrayer.

[Chris] (42:52 – 42:59)

So wait, isn’t there a group named Shincheonji that recently defected from SCJ and is now calling SCJ the betrayers as well?

[Pastor Yang] (42:59 – 43:23)

Right. Most of the groups that split from SCJ see the new cult leaders always claiming that Lee Man-hee is the betrayer and that they, in turn, are the saviors. It’s the same formula. Those who follow the same leader tend to have a similar pattern of thought, so they make similar claims.

[Steve] (43:23 – 43:33)

You can’t make this up. Oh, wow. We see the same pattern with the Mormon and Armstrong splinter groups. But yeah, these guys are on another level.

[Pastor Yang] (43:34 – 47:17)

Yeah, yeah. Well, you can teach them the John the Baptist doctrine if you like. Anyway, here it is:

Park wrote a Bible study book called Omyo, which can be translated as Mysterious Principle. This book contains a variety of content, but these ten main points are its core.

1. Principle of Creation:
   Park explains that there are three different seeds: the first and second seeds belong to Adam and Eve, and the third is Jesus Christ. However, Jesus failed.
2. New Savior and Evidences:
   It is time for the new savior to appear. According to Park, there are three evidences—fire, water, and blood. Blood was shed by Jesus, but it did not fulfill God’s purpose. Therefore, salvation will come through fire and water. The fire represents the Holy Spirit. Here, Park deviates slightly from Moon’s path; whereas Moon claimed that only his own blood could save humanity, Park asserts that he is the only one who received the fire, and he can save people through the Holy Water—a claim that even led him to launch a bottled water business.
3. Principle of Fault and Corruption:
   This principle closely mirrors Moon’s claims.
4. Soteriology:
   By receiving perfect spirits through living water and through the overcomer from the East, he is the only one who has received the spirit.
5. Vermillion and Eschatology:
   When the Olive Tree, the overcomer, arrives, there will be two different conditions for salvation: in poor conditions, only 144,000 will be saved; in favorable conditions, a vast multitude will be saved.
6. Second Coming and Parables:
   In his second coming, he uses the John the Baptist doctrine. He also incorporates various parables, symbols, and numbers. However, the extensive use of parables and their interpretations actually developed from his disciples—not from Park. Although Moon discussed these parables, it was his disciples, such as Yoo Jae-yeol, who further developed the doctrine.

[Steve] (47:18 – 47:27)

And Mr. Shin recently said in a lecture that, in 1984–85, Lee Man-hee wasn’t even teaching parables.

[Pastor Yang] (47:27 – 47:28)

Right, that’s true.

[Steve] (47:28 – 47:33)
He began his ministry later—around 1990 or so.

[Pastor Yang] (47:33 – 51:05)
The current form of the parable teachings of S.U.J. was actually developed by Yoo’s disciples. For instance, number six is the Last Judgment, which refers to the 144,000 and the New Jerusalem.

There is also number seven, which concerns the teachings on resurrection—the first and second resurrections. The first resurrection applies only to the 144,000.

Number eight covers the Holy Spirit. It is said that Jesus’ blood was accompanied by another comforter, the Holy Spirit, because his blood alone did not save all of humanity. Jesus promised a new Holy Spirit—a time for a new spirit to save humanity. According to the teachings, only Pakistan received this spirit.

Number nine addresses distinguishing true pastors from false ones. At that time, Pak criticized all the mainstream churches. He claimed that all the pastors were false and advised against attending their services. He even stated that if you left the “olive tree village,” your body would become ill and you might not survive there.

Number ten is about faith and deeds. In these teachings—especially within SJJ groups—it is emphasized that one must prove oneself through actions in order to be saved.

Regarding Lee Man-hee’s journey to the olive tree village: Mr. Lee had heard about Pak Taesan’s healing ministry and sought healing for his Hansen’s disease. In his youth, in his hometown, he was even nicknamed “the Immaculate Leper.” The suffering from Hansen’s disease led him to contemplate suicide. Instead, he went to the olive tree village and served as a bricklayer for Park’s Millennial Kingdom Castle for 10 years, from 1957 to 1967. His dedication was such that the knuckles on his fingers became worn from hard labor.

The pictures on the right show Park stretching out his hands as he prayed over water. The large water bottles, which people believed had special healing properties after his prayer, were sold in huge quantities—generating considerable revenue. Many cults use similar methods, selling water they claim has special power.

[Steve] (51:05 – 51:08)
They bought the water cheaply and sold it for a high price.

[Pastor Yang] (51:08 – 51:29)
To your left, you can see the car—a very nice, imported model. At that time in Korea, there were hardly any car manufacturers, which indicates that Park was extremely wealthy.

[Steve] (51:30 – 51:31)
It looks like a Lincoln Continental.

[Pastor Yang] (51:31 – 51:32)
Right.

[Steve] (51:32 – 51:33)
Yeah. Big luxury car.

[Pastor Yang] (51:34 – 1:04:24)
Yeah, but the thing is—later on, the prosecutors detained him because that car was not legally imported. After 10 years of dedication, why did Lee Man-hee leave Olive Tree, Faith Village? The main reason was that he remained unhealed.

He waited and fervently desired healing, but he was not healed. He must have felt deeply disappointed. Nowadays, if you look at Lee Man-hee’s face, you can see that his eyebrow is missing—a sign of his past struggle with Hansen’s disease. Fortunately, modern medication for Hansen’s disease is well developed, and thanks to these treatments, one side effect is increased longevity. Most members, however, are unaware that he ever suffered from Hansen’s disease or that he was on medication.

At that time, Park Tae-sun’s corruption scandal broke through the media, and Park was taken into custody in 1958. As mentioned, Lee Man-hee went to Olive Tree in 1957 and waited there. Two years later, when the corruption scandal erupted, he might have received a huge shock—or perhaps he simply tried to ignore it, as bad news is often ignored in such cult groups.

Then, in 1960, illegal election interference became known, and Park was taken into custody again in 1961. In 1963, bottled water sold by Olive Tree led to an outbreak of mass conjunctivitis. In 1966, allegations of business embezzlement emerged. Lee Man-hee experienced scandal after scandal—corruption, embezzlement, and other issues. Perhaps he sensed something was amiss and eventually decided to leave.

In fact, from 1958, when Park was first detained, people gradually began leaving Olive Tree. The scandals even included incidents of physical abuse during gatherings and even reports of dead bodies being illegally buried around Olive Tree. As a result, Lee Man-hee moved to the Tabernacle Temple.

He joined the Tabernacle Temple in 1967, and many former Olive Tree members moved there as well. Disappointed with Park, they joined Yoo Jae-young, the leader of the Tabernacle Temple. Yoo, who taught teachings very similar to Park’s but with great passion, gradually convinced people that it was not Park but Yoo who had arrived as a second Paraclete. This shift drew great national attention.

Yoo was associated with the Hosein Prayer Center. At this point, it is important to note that on the left you see Yoo Jae-young in his 20s during the 1960s, and on the right, a later version of Yoo in his 20s during the 1980s. Today, Yoo Jae-young rarely appears in public, though according to some testimonies, he still occasionally shows up at Isaac Church.

The Hosein Prayer Center was founded on January 4, 1964, by Kim Yong-gi (his real name), although he was sometimes referred to as Kim Jong-gyu (which is likely a pseudonym). Kim Jong-gyu was born in Inje, Gangwon Province in 1925. Traumatized by the loss of his entire family during the Korean War, he suffered from mental illness and complications after serving in the police at the age of 23. After learning that his family had perished at the hands of North Korean communist soldiers, he broke down—crying and even fainting.

Yoo’s trauma lingered for over a decade. At age 39, he received a sudden revelation from Jesus. Although the details remain unclear, Jesus instructed him to join the church. He joined a church in Inje, where he was miraculously healed in three days. At 40, he rented a small meeting room at Sajaam (translated as Lion Buddhist Temple) in Sangdo-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, and started the Hosein Prayer Center with 10 people. Soon, the number of believers grew to 500. This meeting room is now the Sajaam Lion Buddhist Temple in Seoul. It is speculated that the room was rented almost for free, which might explain the choice of venue.

At Hosein Prayer Center, Kim Jong-gyu propagated his own healing experience. He healed patients through the laying on of hands and speaking in tongues, and at one point, the membership exceeded 500. In October 1965, he moved to the foot of Cheonggye Mountain in Gwacheon—a place that Shincheonji regards as Mount Sinai. However, when he moved to Cheonggye Mountain, only 50 followers accompanied him. This decline in numbers was likely due to a sex scandal at that time; even Buddhist monks reportedly disapproved of his continued stay there, despite fervent prayers.

In November 1966, the Hosein Prayer Center, now with 250 to 300 members, relocated to Mount Cheondung in Chungcheongbuk-do—a location approximately 40 minutes’ drive to the southeast. Living together in a close-knit group, members began to revere their leader, calling him “Lord” or “Father,” and came to believe that the end-time judgment was unfolding at the Hosein Prayer Center—that heaven on earth was being built within their midst.

When Kim Jong-gyu moved to Cheonggye Mountain with 50 members, within one year the number of followers had grown to 250–300. His influence was evidently strong, as the group expanded five- to sixfold. As for why Yoo Jae-ho (Yoo Jae-young) went to the Hosein Prayer Center, it was because his mother, Shin Jong-soon, became a member. We must remember the name Shin Jong-soon, as it is closely linked to a group known as the seven angels. Shin Jong-soon claimed she had received the gift of speaking in tongues in Chinese. At that time, Yoo, who was a gymnast at Seongnam High School and had won several medals, was preparing to compete against Japan. Before his trip, his mother suggested that he, too, should receive the gift of speaking in tongues—this time in Japanese—so that he would not need to learn the language. During a visit to the prayer mountain, Yoo experienced a profound spiritual encounter, which turned him into a fervent member of the Hosein Prayer Center.

At one point, Kim Jong-gyu even laid his hands on the members, inducing spiritual ecstasy in many. Interestingly, the true story is that Yoo Jae-young’s mother was the first to join the Hosein Prayer Center, followed by Yoo himself, and later his father. This all occurred during the 1950s and 1960s, right after the Korean War ended in 1953—a time when Korea was devastated, and people relied on both shamanism and Christianity. In many cases, these practices merged to form a fusion of religious beliefs.

[Steve] (1:04:25 – 1:04:29)
So it wasn’t pure Christianity and it wasn’t pure shamanism—it was a fusion.

[Pastor Yang] (1:04:29 – 1:04:58)
Exactly. As you saw, Kim Jong-gyu experienced an extraordinary ecstasy. In his vision, Jesus appeared and instructed him to go to church. However, problems arose after his healing; he devoted his life to prayer and spiritual ecstasy and gradually began to follow a different path.

 

[Chris] [ 1:04:58 – 1:04:59 ]
Hmm.

[Pastor Yang] [ 1:05:01 – 1:06:39 ]
Anyway, after Yoo experienced spiritual ecstasy, he became a fervent member and strong believer of the Hosea Prayer Center. Yoo had a special revelation while praying to quit school. I don’t think it was really the spirit of Jesus—it was a different spirit urging him to leave school.

He quit school, and Yoo’s entire family moved to Mount Cheonggye in Gwacheon with Kim Jong-gyu. At first, they might have heard about Kim Jong-gyu’s sexual scandal, but the family seemed to ignore it. In fact, one underlying reason why the Hosea Prayer Center relocated to Mount Cheonggye was Kim’s scandal.

This picture represents the seven stars of the first tabernacle, according to Shincheonji. In the image, we see four family members of Yoo along with the tabernacle temple. At the top left is Yoo In-guk, known as Immanuel King and the father of Junior Yoo, followed by Yoo Jae-hyuk. At the bottom right is Shin Jong-han, whose spiritual name is Moses, and he was called a priest.

[Steve] [ 1:06:40 – 1:06:42 ]
He wasn’t one of the seven messengers, but he was.

[Pastor Yang] [ 1:06:42 – 1:06:44 ]
Right, right, right, right.

[Steve] [ 1:06:44 – 1:06:48 ]
And in the second row, the middle row on the left, there’s an important figure too.

[Pastor Yang] [ 1:06:48 – 1:06:55 ]
Right. That is Baek Man-bong, the recreation church leader whom Lee Man-hee once followed.

[Steve] [ 1:06:55 – 1:06:57 ]
He was from the recreation church.

[Pastor Yang] [ 1:06:57 – 1:07:27 ]
Yes, and it is plausible that Baek Man-bong might claim Yoo Jae-hyuk was the ultimate betrayer. They always come out with such claims.

In the middle right of the picture, we see Shin Gwang-il, who is called Joshua. Joshua is the son of Moses—Shin Jong-han’s son—which is why he is known by that name.

[Steve] [ 1:07:28 – 1:07:29 ]
And what about Deborah at the bottom?

[Pastor Yang] [ 1:07:30 – 1:07:41 ]
That isn’t Deborah—it is called Dita. Yoo Jae-hyuk referred to her as Dita, though later some changed it to Deborah.

[Steve] [ 1:07:42 – 1:07:50 ]
We were taught in class that she had the biblical name Deborah. Initially, everyone took biblical names like Emmanuel, Solomon, and Moses, but her name was taught as Deborah.

[Pastor Yang] [ 1:07:50 – 1:12:33 ]
Yes, though it was changed later on. Initially, her name was Dita. At that time, people in the Tabernacle Temple wondered who Dita was. Later, they discovered that the name Dita does not appear in the Bible, although some later altered it to Deborah.

In the first Tabernacle, Yoo’s family—deeply influenced by the Hosea Prayer Center—played a significant role. It is important to know why Yoo Jr. left the Hosea Prayer Center to study at the Aum Tabernacle Temple.

Yoo Jae-hyuk, a disciple of Kim Jong-il, was a mature 16-year-old when he was assigned to guard the prayer center one night. While on duty, he was shocked to witness Kim Jong-il engaging in sexually explicit relationships with female members of the congregation. In the middle of the night, he saw a lady in a black formal suit going to Kim Jong-il’s house. Surprised, he asked who she was, but she did not answer. He followed her and discovered another woman in Kim Jong-il’s company. Shocked by what he had seen, he reported it to his family and the other members, which forced Kim Jong-il to move to another location. Later, however, Kim Jong-il claimed that the move was based on God’s revelation. Thus, two different stories emerged.

After Junior Yoo discussed his revelations about these sex scandals, it was discovered that more than 60 female believers were involved in sexual misconduct. Consequently, in 1965, Yoo Jae-hyuk left the Hosea Prayer Center with his family and 20 others, including Chang Do-kim (also called Mikhail or Michael), Baek Man-bong (also known as Solomon), and Jung Chang-mae (probably Samuel). Following their departure, Kim moved the Hosea Prayer Center to Mount Cheondung in November 1966.

This new center became known as Kim Jong-il’s Hosea Prayer Center on Cheondung Mountain. The picture, taken in 1970 (probably between two and three years later) by Tak Myung-hwan, shows the surroundings, including a small, cottage-like building on the bottom right that represents the Hosea Prayer Center. Tak Myung-hwan visited again in 1973 and took another photograph, which appears on the left side in this transcript. The picture on the right was shown in a book published by Shincheonji.

These two pictures are identical, even though one was used without legal permission (i.e., without proper copyright). If you compare two different Shincheonji books—one titled Interest in the Religious World (published in 1994) and the other The History of Shincheonji Development (published in 1997)—you will see that the same image appears. However, this book is no longer published because if it were, all Shincheonji members would know that the organization is just a fake cultish group, as the historical accounts they present are inconsistent.

 

[Chris] (1:12:33 – 1:12:33)
Yeah.

[Pastor Yang] (1:12:34 – 1:13:37)
All the errors are in it. In the first book, Interest in the Religious World, Lee Man-hee claimed that you left the Kim Hoseong Prayer Center on February 27, 1966, but according to Shincheonji, the later book published in 1997 states the date as February 7.

So there are two different dates. This discrepancy suggests that the book is not based on historical facts, but rather on a clumsy recollection or a story Lee Man-hee heard from others. After all, Lee Man-hee was not present at that time; he had not yet joined the Hoseong Prayer Center.

[Chris] (1:13:38 – 1:14:02)
This is a common theme that we will likely explore further in the upcoming video. For example, they claim that Yoo, Jr. went to Westminster in America to study theology, yet the certificate they published turned out to be fake. Lee Man-hee only heard about it from someone else, which shows a lot of inconsistencies.

[Pastor Yang] (1:14:02 – 1:14:02)
Right.

[Chris] (1:14:02 – 1:14:04)
Even everything we just discussed today.

[Pastor Yang] (1:14:05 – 1:14:48)
Yeah, we will address that next time. Actually, a couple of weeks ago, I visited New York and took a picture of St. John Patrick’s Cathedral, which Shincheonji claims is the Westminster Theological Seminary. I will show you that picture as well.

All right, I think that’s it.

To wrap it up, we can see how the cult leaders influenced one another and how Lee Man-hee, the Shincheonji cult leader, was influenced by his previous cult leaders.

[Steve] (1:14:49 – 1:15:14)
And also, consider all the horrible crimes and incidents occurring within the All the Tree Movement. They even did something similar to what happened with Joseph Smith and the Mormons, where he went on to burn down the Nauvoo Expositor newspaper because it published material Joseph Smith did not like. In this case, they published against Park Dae-sun, and around 2,000 followers went to burn and attack the Korean newspaper.

[Pastor Yang] (1:15:14 – 1:15:15)
Right, right.

[Steve] (1:15:15 – 1:15:33)
There was a lot of violence and other crazy incidents. Yet, guess who never left that group? Despite all the corruption, violence, and madness, Lee Man-hee stayed in the group during those years, even when there was overwhelming evidence of its dysfunction.

[Pastor Yang] (1:15:33 – 1:15:46)
Yes. Even today, if you visit Park Dae-sun’s olive-faced village, you will find people who still believe that Park Dae-sun is the true savior and are waiting for his resurrection.

[Chris] (1:15:48 – 1:15:57)
It’s sad. I can even imagine SCJ (Shincheonji) adopting a similar narrative when Lee Man-hee dies, with believers reasoning that he will be resurrected.

[Pastor Yang] (1:15:58 – 1:16:17)
Yes, when cult leaders die, their most fervent followers often refuse to accept the reality. Instead, they try to convince themselves that the cult leader will be resurrected. And that’s what we do on this channel.

[Steve] (1:16:18 – 1:16:54)
We try to provide evidence and reason. It’s almost like throwing spaghetti or jello at the wall to see what sticks. Some people might support WMS’s end-of-the-world prophecies that never come to pass, while others focus on biblical themes or issues of coercion, manipulation, and control. I say it’s the same with the history of Shincheonji—we’re building a mountain of evidence here.

[Pastor Yang] (1:16:55 – 1:16:55)
Yeah.

[Steve] (1:16:55 – 1:16:57)
And it’s a buffet of evidence too.

[Pastor Yang] (1:16:57 – 1:17:31)
Right. Also, you can prophesy to the Shincheonji members or to followers of other cults like WMS or COG. For example, you can say that Jang Gil-ja will die because she is human, and Lee Man-hee will also surely die because he is human. According to the Bible, every man is destined to die, and after death comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

So you can prophesy to them—you can be a prophet to these cults.

 

[Chris] (1:17:32 – 1:17:35)
Even when we are right, they still won’t listen.

[Steve] (1:17:37 – 1:17:53)
Jordan, you’ve seen this on your channel for many years, right? You’ve heard the testimony of many people from WMS and how numerous individuals have left for a myriad of reasons—even something as personal as Ahn Sung-hong getting married and having children. We’ve heard it all.

[Jordan] (1:17:54 – 1:18:46)
Yeah, there always seems to be a unique reason. For example, you have Chris, who was in Shincheonji. Part of his reason for leaving was influenced by listening to Kelsey’s testimony—from a different cult—and picking up on the similarities in her story. It allowed him to look inward and question his own beliefs. There are always different factors that hook people and make them seriously reconsider what they believe.

[Chris] (1:18:47 – 1:18:58)
To add to that, right now there are some podcasts from the SCJ side saying things like, “Is it worth it? Persecutors, blah blah blah,” because they believe that anyone or anything speaking out against them is engaging in persecution.

[Steve] (1:18:59 – 1:18:59)
Whatever it is.

[Chris] (1:18:59 – 1:19:29)
If you disagree with them, it’s kind of pathetic. But the idea is that if they have to go out and make these podcasts to cry about all the persecution on the internet, it shows that their actions are having an effect. It reconfirms that we must keep up the good work. It’s not just us—it’s everyone around the world, from Australia to New Zealand, Korea, Europe, Africa, and beyond. Anyone who speaks out in any way makes an impact.

[Steve] (1:19:29 – 1:19:48)
And when we receive information like this for the first time in English from Korean sources, it’s something that hasn’t been shared over here. It’s powerful—another piece of evidence of the man-made nature of the group and yet another reason to run.

[Jordan] (1:19:49 – 1:20:34)
Absolutely. I really appreciate your time again, Pastor Yang, and of course, thanks to Steve and Chris for leading the conversation. We definitely look forward to part three—so be on the lookout for that. For those who missed part one, I’m guessing most viewers of part two have taken the time to watch it. We will link part one in the description, along with the recordings for the upcoming parts.

[Steve] (1:20:34 – 1:20:40)
You froze for a second there, Jordan. I’m sorry. Chris, do you want to give a preview for the next episode?

[Chris] (1:20:41 – 1:21:28)
For the next episode, we’re going to explore in greater detail what happened between 1967 and 1984. We’ll compare what is claimed with what actually happened. I hope that in the future we can publish these PowerPoint slides to provide more evidence for the claims made in these videos. I’d also like to give a shout-out to the Tabernacle Temple Wikipedia page in English. I strongly advise all Shincheonji members to check it out along with all the resources on that page—because, as I like to say, “the math ain’t nothing.”

We also need to question the claims of SCJ and their fulfillment. For example, is the Jose Prayer Center really a group from God?

[Steve] (1:21:30 – 1:23:05)
There were a lot of strange things that happened at the Tabernacle Temple as well. You’re expected to simply believe your leaders and accept what they teach in class. However, this stuff is easily falsifiable. Every group creates its own history and claims that “this is what really happened.” But if you look at historical sources like newspaper clippings, eyewitness accounts, or testimonies from people who experienced it firsthand, you’ll see that nothing in the history of that entire Tabernacle Temple period aligns with the version that Lee Man He claims. In a nutshell—if you have to believe that Lee Man He is telling the truth about what happened in this Korean cult between 1966 and 1984, then you’re saved. In other words, if you accept that his account is accurate, you won’t have to spend nine months studying it further. Essentially, you just have to believe that Lee Man He is testifying to what he saw and heard in that cult during the period from 1966 to 1984, and then you too can be saved.

 

[Chris] (1:23:05 – 1:23:40)
And one thing too is that he joined in ’67, right? Many of his claims he later admits he never actually witnessed. For example, he once said, “I didn’t hear that. I didn’t see that.” I only heard it secondhand. The Westminster theology example is the best one; they now admit that he merely heard it from someone else. If you’re in touch with God, Jesus, and angels—and you’re an important prophet or promised pastor—you should be able to provide a clear and accurate detail of the fulfillment.

I could go on about how the Revelation 7 changes further.

[Steve] (1:23:40 – 1:24:09)
It isn’t even just that Lee Man He heard it when Jesus and the angel appeared to him in 1977 or 1980; he’s still communicating with angels, God, and Jesus right now. The fact that he knew COVID was a great tribulation shows that he continues to receive divine interpretations of the unfolding events in Revelation—beyond the era of the tabernacle temple. It’s just kind of crazy.

[Pastor Yang] (1:24:10 – 1:25:14)
In my experience with Shincheonji members, if you have experienced something strange—if you once believed that all the fulfillments and teachings of Shincheonji were right and correct—but then notice something slightly changing, you should reconsider. When something changes even a little, it’s time to doubt the claims. You need to weigh the real evidence, because if the fulfillment has changed, then that change itself is a lie. It’s time to question whether your instructor’s teaching might be false.

[Steve] (1:25:16 – 1:25:32)
I had to call out an instructor. I said, “You used to teach one thing five years ago, and that’s not the same as what you’re teaching today. What you’re teaching now is completely different from what you taught five years ago, even though you believed it then. How do you reconcile this?”
He just remained silent.

[Pastor Yang] (1:25:33 – 1:25:34)
So, what did he say?

[Steve] (1:25:35 – 1:25:44)
Nothing. It’s like I’ve taught this before—almost like the Jehovah’s Witness “new light” back then.

[Chris] (1:25:44)
It is.

[Steve] (1:25:44 – 1:25:47)
Now we have a “new light” that contradicts the old light.

[Chris] (1:25:48 – 1:26:12)
Yes, it’s the same thing. They are literally doing the same thing as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. That’s why I call them the Korean Jehovah’s Witnesses. I mean, they’re Unitarian instead of Aryan, but essentially they have a “new light.” They updated the open score to say that he’s only a witness to past events, even though he remains continuously in touch. It’s like the new light for JW theology, with a lot more nuance, obviously.

[Pastor Yang] (1:26:13 – 1:26:23)
That means they believe in falsehoods, yet they want to admit it. In doing so, they live a life of deceit.

[Steve] (1:26:24 – 1:26:46)
And regarding Lee Matt: in five years, when he’s gone—which we can be pretty sure about—they’ll have another explanation. Right now, no one comes to God except through the promise given in Revelation, pages 10 and 11. Lee Matt says that, but in five years, it’s going to change again because he won’t be here.

[Pastor Yang] (1:26:47)
Yeah.

[Steve] (1:26:48 – 1:27:20)
It’s amazing. What you believe today is built on shifting sand—not on the rock of the gospel, the unchanging truth where Jesus said, “The gates of hell will not prevail against this.” I will be with you until the end. The faith was delivered once to the saints—or, in Xinjiang, delivered three times. But Jesus, or rather God, says that the faith will be delivered once to the saints, once to Jesus, and once to the tabernacle temple that apostatized and fell away. Then when it was restored to Xinjiang, that’s the third time it can be restored to the saints. (Sorry for the confusion.)

[Chris] (1:27:21 – 1:27:26)
I mean, apparently Jesus can’t keep His promises. According to SCJ, it’s so sad.

[Jordan] (1:27:27)
Yeah.

[Chris] (1:27:27 – 1:27:28)
Awful group.

[Jordan] (1:27:29 – 1:29:06)
All right. Thank you.
Well, thank you all once again. I hope that whether you’re a member of one of these groups or just listening in, something in this conversation has been a blessing. For those in these groups, we sincerely care and want you to have access to the truth and information—something these groups often withhold to control your beliefs and commitments. We encourage you to do your own research. Don’t take Shincheonji, WMSCOG, or any other leader’s word for it; go and find out what is actually true for yourself.

With that, thank you all for watching, and hopefully we’ll see you in part three.

[Chris] (1:29:06 – 1:29:08)
All right. Thank you. Thank you.

[Jordan] (1:29:09)
Thanks.

[Chris] (1:29:11)
Bye.

Source: YouTube video, featuring Jordan, Chris (former Shincheonji member), Steve Matthews, and Pastor Yang.

Main Themes:

This video delves deeper into the historical roots and interconnectedness of several prominent Korean cults, particularly focusing on the influence of the Olive Tree movement (founded by Park Tae-sun) and the Unification Church (founded by Moon Sun-myung) on later groups like Shincheonji (SCJ) and the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG). The discussion highlights:

• The Genealogy of Korean Cults: Tracing a lineage of influence from early figures to the founders of contemporary cults.
• Shared Doctrines and Practices: Identifying recurring themes such as claims of incarnated Jesus figures, the necessity of new blood lineage for salvation, the concept of a heavenly mother, and the use of the “John the Baptist” doctrine to discredit predecessors.
• The History of Lee Man-hee (Founder of Shincheonji): Uncovering his extensive involvement with multiple earlier cults (Olive Tree, Tabernacle Temple, Eighth Church, Recreation Church/Salvation Church), contradicting his claims of being a simple farmer with no prior religious affiliations.
• The Influence of Shamanism: Exploring the underlying cultural influence of Korean shamanism on the development of these cults, particularly regarding the concept of dual deities (male and female) and the emphasis on transformation through union.
• Historical Inaccuracies and Deception: Pointing out inconsistencies and fabrications in the historical narratives presented by these cults, specifically Shincheonji’s account of its own origins and the history of the Tabernacle Temple.
• The “New Light” Phenomenon: Drawing parallels between the changing doctrines in these cults and the “new light” concept in Jehovah’s Witnesses, highlighting the instability of their teachings.

Most Important Ideas and Facts:

• Influence of Early Figures: Pastor Yang outlines five key figures who significantly shaped the landscape of Korean cults: Hwang Guk-Joo (claimed to be incarnated Jesus and practiced sexual rituals for sin forgiveness), Jung Deuk-Eun (believed in sexual depravity as original sin and the need for new blood lineage), Kim Baek-Moon (systematized cult teachings, his Fundamental Principles of Christianity influenced Moon), Park Tae-Sun (founder of Olive Tree), and Moon Sun-Myung (founder of the Unification Church).
• Hwang Guk-Joo’s Blasphemous Claims: He declared himself “Jesus-fied” and practiced “blood lineage recovery ceremony” through sexual relations with followers, claiming it led to the forgiveness of original sin.
• Jung Deuk-Eun’s Impact on Moon and Park: Both Moon Sun-myung and Park Tae-sun were among her followers, highlighting her significant influence on their later doctrines regarding original sin and blood lineage.
• Kim Baek-Moon’s Role in Doctrine Formation: His theological works provided a foundational structure that was adopted and copied by subsequent cult leaders, including Moon Sun-myung.
• Moon Sun-myung’s Theology: He taught the dual characteristics of God (original yang and yin), the concept of a divine heavenly mother, and that Jesus failed his mission by not marrying and establishing a perfect family. Moon positioned himself as the Third Adam who would fulfill this purpose, with his wife, Han Hak-ja, as the heavenly mother.
• Quote: “Moon further argues for the existence of a divine heavenly mother by showing that just as yin and yang exist, so does God’s dual nature.”
• Quote: “Jesus was the second Adam, following the original Adam, but that Jesus failed in his role. Thus, Moon positions himself as the third Adam who fulfilled God’s purpose for creation.”
• Lee Man-hee’s Hidden History: Contrary to his claims, Lee Man-hee was involved in at least four different cults before founding Shincheonji: Park Tae-sun’s Olive Tree, Yoo Jae-yeol’s Tabernacle Temple, Mokyungdo’s Eighth Church (briefly), and Baek Man-bong’s Recreation Church/Salvation Church.
• Quote (Steve): “Let me add that it’s really frustrating when Lee Man-hee speaks—he always begins by saying, ‘I was just a farmer and I was never part of any church.’ He completely lies. I call him the OG cult hopper because he hops from one cult to another, taking pieces to form his own version.”
• The “John the Baptist” Doctrine: A recurring tactic where new cult leaders claim their predecessors were betrayers, thus justifying their own emergence as the true savior or leader. Lee Man-hee used this against Yoo Jae-yeol, mirroring Moon’s claim against Kim Baek-moon and JMS’s claim against Moon.
• Quote (Pastor Yang): “This pattern of accusing the predecessor as a betrayer is common among cult leaders.”
• Park Tae-sun’s Olive Tree Movement: This highly popular group (claiming over a million members) significantly influenced Lee Man-hee. Park claimed to be the only one who received the Holy Spirit (fire) and offered salvation through “Holy Water.”
• Quote (Pastor Yang regarding Park’s teachings): “Blood was shed by Jesus, but it did not fulfill God’s purpose. Therefore, salvation will come through fire and water. The fire represents the Holy Spirit… Park asserts that he is the only one who received the fire, and he can save people through the Holy Water.”
• Lee Man-hee’s Time in Olive Tree: He spent ten years as a devoted member and bricklayer in Park Tae-sun’s “Millennial Kingdom Castle” but remained unhealed from Hansen’s disease, which was a likely factor in his eventual departure.
• Quote (Pastor Yang): “After 10 years of dedication, why did Lee Man-hee leave Olive Tree, Faith Village? The main reason was that he remained unhealed.”
• The Tabernacle Temple and Yoo Jae-yeol: Many disillusioned Olive Tree members, including Lee Man-hee, joined Yoo’s group. The discussion highlights inconsistencies in Shincheonji’s historical accounts of this period, including conflicting dates and fabricated information (e.g., Yoo Jr.’s alleged theological studies).
• Quote (Chris): “For example, they claim that Yoo, Jr. went to Westminster in America to study theology, yet the certificate they published turned out to be fake. Lee Man-hee only heard about it from someone else, which shows a lot of inconsistencies.”
• Shamanistic Influence: The pre-existing Korean folk religion rooted in shamanism, with its belief in both male and female deities and the significance of transformation through union, provided a fertile ground for the development of cults with similar concepts (e.g., heavenly mother).
• Quote (Pastor Yang): “Moreover, shamanism lies at the very core of all Korean religious cults—it permeates both the conscious and subconscious minds of the Korean people.”
• Historical Revisionism: Cults, including Shincheonji, often create a fabricated history to support their claims and control their followers, suppressing or distorting the true origins and events.
• Quote (Steve): “Every group creates its own history and claims that ‘this is what really happened.’ But if you look at historical sources like newspaper clippings, eyewitness accounts, or testimonies from people who experienced it firsthand, you’ll see that nothing in the history of that entire Tabernacle Temple period aligns with the version that Lee Man He claims.”
• The Instability of Cult Doctrines (“New Light”): Similar to Jehovah’s Witnesses, these Korean cults often introduce “new interpretations” or revisions of their teachings, demonstrating the lack of a fixed and divinely inspired truth.
• Quote (Chris): “Now we have a ‘new light’ that contradicts the old light… They are literally doing the same thing as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. That’s why I call them the Korean Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

Key Quotes:

• (Pastor Yang): “The cults that have now spread worldwide are the survivors from a century of trials and errors, and they possess a remarkably strong survival instinct.”
• (Chris): “To add to that, one thing that convinced me was wondering where he acquired all these teachings. I realized that he was involved with so many different groups, and eventually, all these teachings distilled down to SCJ.”
• (Steve): “It’s crucial to understand where he came from. This pattern is common in all cults. Whether it’s WMS or another group, they fabricate an official history that rarely matches the true story.”
• (Jordan): “We sincerely care and want you to have access to the truth and information—something these groups often withhold to control your beliefs and commitments. We encourage you to do your own research.”

Implications:

This discussion provides crucial insights into the origins and development of influential Korean cults. Understanding their historical interconnectedness, shared deceptive practices, and the hidden backgrounds of their leaders is vital for:

• Educating the public: Raising awareness about the true nature of these groups and their manipulative tactics.
• Helping current members: Providing information that can lead to questioning their beliefs and potentially leaving these organizations.
• Countering their narratives: Exposing the historical inaccuracies and inconsistencies in their official histories.

The video emphasizes the importance of independent research and critical thinking when evaluating the claims of these groups. The upcoming part three promises to delve further into the period between 1967 and 1984, comparing official narratives with documented events.