Reality of the Fulfillment of Revelation – Chapters 2-3

Chapter 2–3: The Letters to the Seven Churches Fulfilled in Reality

A Narrative Account — Reflecting on the Overcoming Journey of Lee Man-hee (이만희), the Promised Pastor.

The Vision in Cheongdo (청도), Gyeongsangbuk-do – Autumn 1977

In the quiet countryside of Cheongdo (청도), Gyeongsangbuk-do, a man named Lee Man-hee (이만희) — then 46 years old — walked alone, deep in thought. It was the fall of 1977. The fields whispered with the chill of an early harvest wind, but something greater stirred beyond the senses. As Lee neared a silent bridge, the air itself seemed to shift. The ordinary dissolved into the extraordinary.

Suddenly, the scenery before his eyes was transformed. The realm around him opened like a scroll. He stood face-to-face with the Temple of the Tabernacle. From behind him came a powerful voice — loud and clear like a trumpet — saying:

“Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches.” (cf. Revelation 1:11)

Turning around, Lee beheld a being whose radiance was terrifying. Among seven golden lampstands stood someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet, with a golden sash across His chest. His hair was white as wool, His eyes blazed like fire, His feet gleamed like bronze in a furnace, and His face shone brighter than the sun.

Lee collapsed at His feet — overwhelmed, as if dead.

But then came a touch.

“Do not be afraid, Lee Man-hee (이만희). From now on, I have chosen and called you as New John.
I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One. I was dead, and now look—I am alive forever and ever.
I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (cf. Revelation 1:17–18)

With that came a divine commission:

“Write what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place later.
The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” (cf. Revelation 1:19–20)

From that moment, Lee Man-hee, now referred to as New John, was tasked with delivering a message of repentance to the seven messengers of the Tabernacle Temple — in accordance with Revelation chapters 2 and 3. He was commanded to battle the Nicolaitans and overcome them. The one who overcame, he was told, would receive all the blessings promised in Revelation.

(Source: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, Man-Hee Lee, pp. 103–106)
(Source: The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation, Man-Hee Lee, pp. 27–29)

The Return to the Tabernacle — Gwacheon (과천), Late 1977

Obeying the vision, Lee Man-hee (이만희) gave up everything. After seven years away, he returned to the Tabernacle Temple — not with possessions, but with a purpose. He arrived unannounced, with no money or home, and sought shelter with former colleagues in Gwacheon.

Someone, surprised, asked:

“Did you really come here without housing or money?”

Another offered hesitantly:

“He can stay with us… But how is the tabernacle now?”

What followed was a mournful report:

“It’s bad. Ever since Evangelist Nicholas (니골라 전도사) came in, everything changed.
He has a pastoral certificate… He used to be a priest.”

Nicholas had been introduced by a woman referred to as Yoo Joon Yeol (유준열). He entered with credentials, charisma, and the power to preach. Using theological commentaries and shepherd-education doctrines, he subtly reshaped the congregation’s foundation.

Yet New John, even without hearing firsthand sermons, declared boldly:

“Jesus came to me and laid His hand on my head.
He showed me the realities of the tabernacle and revealed the identity of Nicholas.
Nicholas is a man who is one with Satan.
He is deceiving the messengers and feeding Gentile doctrines to the congregation.”

(Source: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, Man-Hee Lee, pp. 107–109)
(Source: The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation, pp. 30–32)

Rejection and Persecution

Though his warning was urgent, it fell on deaf ears.

Deacon Kim (김 집사), once a fellow worker, snapped:

“You’re out of your mind. Something’s gotten into you from staying too long in the countryside.
If you keep talking nonsense, you might not make it out alive.”

Door after door closed in his face. From house to house, Lee Man-hee was unwelcome — treated as a madman, a beggar.

People whispered:

“What nonsense. Jesus anointed him?
That man used to live a life of faith with us, and now he’s saying these things?”

Meanwhile, Nicholas’s sermons continued — filled with man-made doctrine and theological jargon. Confusion spread among the congregation.

Some questioned:

“Why should we read these commentaries? His sermons are strange… It’s different from what Mr. Yoo Jr. used to teach.”

Even so, many began to accept Nicholas’s teachings. He praised Protestant reformers like John Calvin, saying:

“Calvin’s teachings may not be in the Bible, but they can help our faith. We should learn them.”

Lee Man-hee recognized this as the physical fulfillment of the prophecy: that the tabernacle was eating food sacrificed to idols and committing spiritual adultery.

He saw himself, not just as a rejected voice, but as the one who overcomes foretold in the scroll — battling false doctrine with revealed truth.

(Source: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, Man-Hee Lee, pp. 110–113)
(Source: The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation, pp. 33–36)

The Tabernacle’s Betrayal — The Battle for Doctrine and Truth

The Tabernacle Temple, once considered holy, had fallen under a foreign influence. With Evangelist Nicholas (니골라 전도사) now standing at the pulpit, the sanctuary once built through sacrifice and sincerity had become a battleground of conflicting doctrines.

Nicholas, backed by Yoo Joon Yeol (유준열), came not with prophetic revelation, but with credentials — a pastoral certificate and seminary training. He taught not from the scroll of Revelation, but from human commentaries, elevating them above Scripture. He insisted that “Calvin’s teachings, although not in the Bible, can still help our faith.”

This philosophy struck at the heart of the Tabernacle’s identity. For those who had followed the earlier teachings of Mr. Yoo Jr. (세선) — who emphasized direct revelation and Scripture — this new direction felt foreign.

Some whispered:

“Why are we reading these commentaries? His sermons are strange.
It’s not like what we used to hear.”

And yet, many were drawn in.

Lee Man-hee (이만희), having returned as New John, watched this unfold with grief. To him, this was not merely doctrinal disagreement — it was the prophesied betrayal of Revelation 2–3. What was once a sanctuary of God had been infiltrated by the spiritual Nicolaitans.

He declared, with urgency and pain:

“This is the tabernacle that is now eating food sacrificed to idols and committing spiritual adultery.”
“The lampstand is being removed.”

These were not metaphorical words for him — they were living prophecy, unfolding in real time. The seven messengers were no longer the holy stars that Revelation spoke of; they had been deceived, and the tabernacle was on the verge of destruction.

According to The Reality of Revelation (pp. 62–65), the spiritual adultery taking place was not metaphorical but literal in doctrinal terms. The messengers had accepted human teachings in place of revelation, particularly Protestant commentaries, making them guilty of consuming food sacrificed to idols. The betrayal was not just a theological drift — it was an official departure from the covenant.

(Source: The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation, pp. 37–39)
(Source: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 115–117)

The Figurative and the Physical — Understanding the Reality

To understand why Lee Man-hee viewed this as the fulfillment of Revelation, one must look into how Shincheonji doctrine views biblical prophecy. According to The Creation of Heaven and Earth, Scripture unfolds in a pattern of betrayal, destruction, and salvation — always through a chosen pastor. Just as Jesus came to fulfill what was written in the Old Testament (Jn 19:30), SCJ teaches that Lee Man-hee has come to fulfill the New Testament — particularly the sealed book of Revelation.

In this framework:

• The Tabernacle Temple is seen as the first heaven, later replaced.
• The seven stars represent the seven messengers.
• Nicholas is a physical representation of the Nicolaitans (Rv 2:6, 15).
• The betrayal is not merely spiritual — it is physical, visible, real.

Thus, Lee’s rejection by the temple was not unexpected. It was, in his eyes, prophesied betrayal.

As emphasized in The Creation of Heaven and Earth (Preface, pp. vii–xii), only the one who sees and hears the events of Revelation firsthand can testify and fulfill its commands. This means that the promised pastor must not only understand prophecy, but be present where the actual betrayal takes place — just as Apostle John witnessed the events of Revelation in vision.

(Source: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 118–121)
(Source: The Reality of Revelation, pp. 60–63)

A Man Who Was Alone — But Not Defeated

Despite the hostility, Lee Man-hee remained undeterred. He had been warned by Jesus Himself that rejection and persecution would come. In the tradition of the prophets, he bore it.

When Deacon Kim (김 집사) had threatened:

“If you keep talking nonsense, you might not make it out alive.”

…it was a fulfillment of Revelation 2:10:

“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”

And though New John went from house to house, only to be mocked and ignored, he persevered. He was now walking the same path as Apostle John — sent to proclaim letters of repentance to the seven churches, only to be rejected by those very messengers.

This rejection, Lee believed, sealed the judgment. The lampstand would be removed, and a new tabernacle would need to rise — one established not by man, but by fulfillment.

(Source: The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation, pp. 40–42)
(Source: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 121–124)

The Seed of Overcoming

Lee Man-hee’s journey — from the vision at the bridge in Cheongdo to the confrontation in Gwacheon — is portrayed not as one of defeat, but of overcoming. In the same way that Jesus overcame the world through obedience unto death, SCJ teaches that the one who overcomes becomes the advocate, the heir, and the promised pastor who brings salvation to the nations.

In Revelation 2–3, seven blessings are promised to the one who overcomes:

• The right to eat from the tree of life (Rv 2:7)
• Protection from the second death (Rv 2:11)
• The hidden manna and a white stone (Rv 2:17)
• Authority over the nations (Rv 2:26)
• The morning star (Rv 2:28)
• A white robe and never being blotted out from the book of life (Rv 3:5)
• Being made a pillar in God’s temple (Rv 3:12)
• The right to sit with Jesus on His throne (Rv 3:21)

To Lee Man-hee, these were not future metaphors. They were present realities — rewards for endurance, courage, and revelation.

And so, even as he stood alone, the foundation of a new kingdom was being laid — not with brick or stone, but with the testimony of fulfillment.

The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation (pp. 47–50) further distinguishes this overcoming not as symbolic faith but as a confrontation with real individuals who physically fulfilled the roles of the beast and false prophets. In this interpretation, Mr. Tak became the embodiment of the beast from Revelation 13, while Mr. Oh, acting as Nicholas, stood as the destroyer sent into the Tabernacle.

(Source: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 125–129)
(Source: The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation, pp. 43–45)

The Fall of the First Tabernacle and the Calling of a New Temple

When the houses of the Tabernacle Temple shut their doors, Lee Man-hee (이만희) wandered the streets like a man forgotten. But though the voices of men dismissed him, the voice of the heavens continued to speak. In his spirit, the word was alive, pressing upon his conscience like fire in his bones. He had seen the betrayal. He had delivered the letters. They had been rejected. And now the next stage — destruction — would begin.

The people of the Tabernacle had been fed Gentile doctrines — food sacrificed to idols in spiritual form. Nicholas had brought in commentary-based sermons, elevating the words of men above the words of God. The lampstand, as prophesied in Revelation 2:5, was removed:

“If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

This was the moment the Tabernacle Temple ceased to be God’s dwelling. What was once a place of covenant had now become a spiritually adulterous sanctuary. The betrayal was complete. It was no longer a house of light, but one of darkness.

(Source: The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation, pp. 46–48)
(Source: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 130–132)

The Overcomer’s Path: Where Destruction Precedes Salvation

According to Shincheonji’s interpretation, every age of fulfillment follows a pattern: betrayal → destruction → salvation. After the betrayal of the Tabernacle and its messengers, Lee Man-hee (이만희) saw the writing on the wall. He no longer tried to change the minds of those who had cast him out. Instead, he turned his steps toward fulfilling the rest of the prophecy — the establishment of a new spiritual Israel.

This was not a path of ambition. It was a path of obedience.

Shincheonji doctrine teaches that just as Jesus established a new covenant through his own rejection and death, so too must the promised pastor establish a new spiritual nation through persecution and endurance. Just as Apostle John received the letters and visions but was not accepted by all, Lee Man-hee now bore the same burden — to receive the open scroll, eat it, and testify.

The key to this phase was not who listened — but who overcame.

(Source: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 133–136)
(Source: The Reality of Revelation, pp. 64–67)

The Fulfillment of the Letters to the Seven Churches

In the silence that followed his rejection, Lee Man-hee reflected on the seven letters written in Revelation 2 and 3 — each addressed to one of the churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. To him, these were not spiritual metaphors. They were physical fulfillments — messages meant for real people, the seven messengers of the Tabernacle Temple.

Each church had its unique failure:

• The loss of first love (Ephesus)
• Endurance under suffering but soon to be tested (Smyrna)
• Idolatry and false teaching (Pergamum)
• Tolerance of Jezebel (Thyatira)
• A reputation of life but spiritually dead (Sardis)
• Little strength but holding on (Philadelphia)
• Lukewarmness (Laodicea)

Each messenger, in SCJ teaching, represented a real person whom Lee Man-hee had once worked alongside. He knew their strengths — and now saw their corruption. His letters were personal. They were spiritual indictments. And their rejection was the final act of betrayal.

Thus, the tabernacle was judged.

As outlined in SCJ Bible Study – Advanced Level: Revelation, these letters were not written for general church members, but to actual individuals who were appointed messengers. They are legal indictments, not symbolic encouragements — and their rejection confirms their disqualification and the necessity of appointing the one who overcomes.

(Source: The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation, pp. 48–85)

The Seed of the New Nation

Though rejected, Lee Man-hee did not despair. He had seen this pattern in the Bible before: Noah, isolated but obedient; Moses, cast away but chosen; Jesus, betrayed but glorified. Every generation of salvation begins with a single person who listens, who receives, and who obeys.

He believed that he had now fulfilled the role of the one who overcomes — the promised figure in Revelation 2–3. All blessings would now be transferred to him.

According to SCJ doctrine, that includes:

• Access to the tree of life (Rv 2:7)
• Authority to rule all nations (Rv 2:26)
• The white stone and hidden manna (Rv 2:17)
• Becoming a pillar in God’s temple (Rv 3:12)
• Sitting with Jesus on His throne (Rv 3:21)

This doctrine claims that only through this overcomer could people now access salvation. Lee Man-hee would gather the remnant, the elect who had ears to hear, and begin again — this time not with those who betrayed, but with those who endured.

(Source: The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation, pp. 86–88)
(Source: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 137–139)

A New Beginning: The Temple Yet to Be Built

Having delivered the messages to the seven messengers — and seen their rejection — Lee Man-hee knew that the stage was now set for the second part of the war in Revelation: the creation of the new temple, the gathering of the twelve tribes, and the fulfillment of God’s kingdom on earth.

He had walked the valley of rejection. He had endured persecution from his own brethren. But in SCJ’s interpretation of the Revelation drama, these rejections were not setbacks — they were validations.

Because when New John — the overcomer — is rejected, it is the first heaven that passes away.

And when he begins again, it is the new heaven and new earth that take its place.

(Source: The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation, pp. 90–92)
(Source: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, pp. 140–145)

Sources

1. Lee, Man Hee. The Creation of Heaven & Earth. Shincheonji Press, 2007.
2. Lee, Man Hee. The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation. SHINCHEONJI PRESS.
3. Lee, Man Hee. The Reality of the Revelation. Translated by Cho, Choong Hee. SHIN CHEON JI Publishing Co., 1993.
4. Lee, Man Hee. Reality of Revelation (1985) Translation.

Additional References for more Exploration