One day, Noah drank the wine of his vineyard until he became drunk. As Noah slept inside his tent. Ham, the second son of Noah, saw his father’s nakedness and reported it to his brothers. Shem and Japheth, however, walked in backwards and covered their father’s nakedness with a garment. Ham’s actions were the same as what the serpent did to Adam and Eve: the serpent tricked them into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil so that they realized they were naked.

Genesis 6–9 (betrayal of mankind → flood destruction → Noah’s covenant rainbow).

God called Israel out of Egypt through Moses and established them as His covenant people at Mount Sinai, declaring that they would be His “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Yet almost immediately after receiving the covenant, Israel fell into betrayal. When Moses went up the mountain to receive the tablets of the law, the people grew impatient and turned to Aaron. Instead of upholding the covenant, Aaron gave in to their demands, collected their gold, and fashioned the golden calf, proclaiming, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt” (Exodus 32:4). In doing so, Aaron himself, the high priest, became complicit in breaking the covenant and leading the people into idolatry. This event revealed that even those entrusted with the highest spiritual responsibility could betray, just as Adam, Ham, and others had before.

The consequence of this betrayal was destruction. About three thousand people were put to death by the sword of the Levites that day (Exodus 32:28), and later, because of continued grumbling and disobedience, the entire first generation that left Egypt perished in the wilderness (Numbers 14:29–35). God allowed destruction to fall on the unfaithful, showing His judgment against covenant breakers. Yet He did not abandon His plan of salvation. Instead, He raised up Joshua, who remained faithful, to lead the next generation into the Promised Land. Through this, the same pattern was made clear: betrayal leads to destruction, but salvation always comes through God’s chosen leader, ensuring His covenant purposes continue despite human failure.

In Shincheonji’s framework, Aaron, the Levite priest, becomes a prophetic foreshadow of John the Baptist. Aaron was the one who ministered at the golden lampstand in the tabernacle, tending it so that the lamps would burn continually with oil through the night (Exodus 27:20–21). The lampstand gave light until the coming of dawn, but Aaron himself betrayed when he yielded to the people and fashioned the golden calf (Exodus 32:2–4). In SCJ’s typology, this betrayal by the lampstand priest prefigured the ministry of John the Baptist, who is explicitly called “a lamp that burned and gave light” in John 5:35. Just as Aaron the lampstand priest betrayed the covenant, Shincheonji teaches that John the Baptist, the lamp before the Messiah, also betrayed by doubting and turning away from Jesus, as seen when he sent his disciples to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:2–3). This, they argue, shows a pattern: even those who serve as the lamp before God’s chosen shepherd can fall into betrayal.

In the same way, Shincheonji applies this pattern to the time of Revelation, pointing to the mystery of the seven golden lampstands in Revelation 1:20. They interpret these seven lampstands as seven messengers who were entrusted to shine the light of Christ at the Second Coming. Yet just as Aaron betrayed, and just as John the Baptist, the lamp, faltered in relation to Jesus, Shincheonji teaches that these seven golden lampstands likewise betray during the era of the fulfillment of Revelation. Revelation 2–3 describes how the messengers of the churches failed to remain faithful, tolerating false teachings and corruption, and thus Christ warns them to repent or face judgment (Revelation 2:4–5, 14–16, 20–23). For Shincheonji, this confirms that betrayal is inevitable even among those entrusted as lampstands, but it also paves the way for the “one who overcomes” to appear as the true shepherd who receives the open scroll and leads salvation at the end of the age.

Exodus 32 (golden calf betrayal) → Numbers 14:29–35 (destruction of wilderness generation) → Joshua leads into salvation.

Even after Israel was firmly established in the Promised Land, betrayal continued to reappear, this time through the very priests and kings who were supposed to uphold God’s covenant. Solomon, though blessed with wisdom and entrusted to build the temple of God, turned away in his later years. Scripture records that “his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God” (1 Kings 11:4). He built high places for idols such as Chemosh and Molek (1 Kings 11:7–8), leading Israel into idolatry and covenant-breaking. This act of betrayal by Israel’s king set a precedent for the nation, showing how even God’s anointed leaders could fall and lead the people astray.

Because of such unfaithfulness, God’s judgment came in the form of destruction through foreign nations. First, the Assyrians swept away the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:6–7), because “they worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out” (2 Kings 17:8). Later, the southern kingdom of Judah, which continued in idolatry and shed innocent blood, met the same fate. The Babylonians invaded, destroyed Jerusalem, and burned the temple of God to the ground in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:9–10). The people were taken into exile, fulfilling the warnings of the prophets that betrayal would bring destruction if the covenant was not kept.

Yet even in captivity, God did not leave His people without hope. Through the prophets, He promised a future work of salvation. Jeremiah declared a coming “new covenant” unlike the one Israel had broken (Jeremiah 31:31–32), and Ezekiel prophesied of a “shepherd, my servant David,” whom God would set over His people to feed them and bring true restoration (Ezekiel 34:23–24). In this way, even after the betrayal of kings like Solomon and the destruction of the temple by Babylon, God pointed forward to His plan of salvation through a new covenant and a new shepherd who would lead His people in righteousness.

1 Kings 11:4–11 (Solomon betrays) → 2 Kings 17:6–7 / 25:9–10 (destruction by Assyria & Babylon) → Jeremiah 31:31–34 / Ezekiel 34:23–24 (promise of new covenant & shepherd)

At the First Coming, the Jewish leaders who were entrusted with the Law and the Prophets once again betrayed God. They were meant to recognize and receive the Messiah foretold throughout the Scriptures (Isaiah 53; Micah 5:2), but instead they hardened their hearts. When Jesus performed miracles, preached the kingdom of God, and fulfilled the prophecies, the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees rejected Him out of jealousy and fear of losing their authority (John 11:47–48). In their betrayal, they handed over the very Son of God to be crucified, echoing the repeated pattern in history where those who should have been closest to God became His opponents.

Because of this betrayal, destruction came as judgment. Just as the prophets had warned, rejecting God’s covenant would bring devastation to His people (Deuteronomy 28:15, 49–52). In AD 70, the Roman army under Titus besieged Jerusalem, tore down its walls, and burned the temple to the ground, leaving not one stone upon another, just as Jesus Himself had foretold (Matthew 24:2; Luke 19:41–44). The chosen people who should have received life instead suffered destruction because they turned against the very One sent to save them.

Yet even in the face of betrayal and destruction, God accomplished salvation through Jesus, the Promised Shepherd. Jesus declared, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33), fulfilling the role of the one who conquers sin and death. By offering His body and blood, He established the new covenant, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20). Just as Jacob became the father of 12 tribes in the Old Testament, Jesus chose 12 disciples to form the foundation of New Spiritual Israel (Matthew 19:28). Through Him, eternal life was given to those who believed (John 3:16), marking the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation at the First Coming.

John 5:35 (lamp / John the Baptist as “light”) → Matthew 11:2–3 (John’s doubt = betrayal); John 11:47–48 (priests reject Jesus).

Shincheonji teaches that just as God worked through a promised shepherd in every era of history Noah, Moses, and Jesus, so too the New Testament contains a promise of a final shepherd at the time of Revelation’s fulfillment. They believe this figure is the “Promised Pastor” of the New Testament, the one appointed to receive the open scroll from heaven (Revelation 10), to testify about what he has seen and heard (Revelation 22:8), and to establish the twelve tribes of New Spiritual Israel (Revelation 7, 14). According to SCJ, this Promised Pastor is not self-appointed but chosen directly by God and Jesus, in the same way Moses and Jesus were raised up in their generations.

Shincheonji identifies this role as being fulfilled by Lee Manhee, their founder and leader. They ascribe to him a number of biblical titles, each drawn from their interpretation of Revelation. He is called “the one who overcomes” (Revelation 2–3), since they believe he has defeated Satan by holding firmly to God’s word. He is referred to as “the advocate” (John 14:16 in SCJ’s interpretation), who represents Jesus and delivers His message to the churches. He is also known as “the new John” (Revelation 22:8), the messenger who sees and testifies to the events of fulfillment. In addition, SCJ calls him “the promised pastor” (Revelation 10:11), tasked with proclaiming the revealed word to all nations.

Through these titles, Shincheonji elevates Lee Manhee as the sole figure through whom salvation is available at the Second Coming. They teach that just as betrayal and destruction took place at the First Coming when the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus, the same has occurred today with mainstream Christianity. In their view, only by recognizing the Promised Pastor and being sealed into the 12 tribes of Shincheonji can believers truly belong to God’s kingdom in this final age.

The table of the bread of the Presence, described in Exodus 25:23–30, was placed in the Holy Place with twelve loaves of bread set continually before God. This bread was called the “bread of the Presence” because it symbolized God’s provision and His word dwelling among His people. In Shincheonji’s interpretation, the bread represents God’s word of life, spiritual food for His people, just as physical bread sustains the body. Those who eat this bread in faith are sustained by the truth, while those who reject it turn away from God’s covenant.

At the First Coming, this symbolism was fulfilled in Jesus, who declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). The bread set continually before God in the tabernacle foreshadowed Jesus, the Word made flesh (John 1:14), who came to give eternal life to those who believed in Him. Just as the bread of the Presence was holy and reserved for God’s people, Jesus offered Himself as the true spiritual food that brings life to all who receive Him. By doing so, He fulfilled the meaning of the bread that was always placed before God.

At the Second Coming, Shincheonji teaches that this symbolism is fulfilled through the hidden manna promised in Revelation 2:17. To the one who overcomes, Jesus promises to give hidden manna, which SCJ interprets as the revealed word that had been sealed in parables until the time of fulfillment. In their view, this hidden manna is opened and given through the Promised Pastor, the one who receives the scroll in Revelation 10 and proclaims it to the nations. Just as Jesus fulfilled the bread of life at the First Coming, Shincheonji claims that the revealed word of the hidden manna sustains God’s people at the end of the age, feeding the 12 tribes of New Spiritual Israel with truth and eternal life.

The altar of incense, described in Exodus 30:1–10, was positioned in the Holy Place directly before the curtain of the Most Holy Place. Incense was to be burned every morning and evening, producing a continual fragrant aroma before God. In Shincheonji’s interpretation, this incense symbolizes the prayers of God’s people, rising like smoke before His throne. Just as incense filled the Holy Place with fragrance, the prayers of the faithful ascend to God as a pleasing offering (cf. Psalm 141:2). The altar of incense therefore represents the intercession of God’s people and their continual relationship with Him through prayer.

At the First Coming, this symbolism pointed to the prayers offered alongside Jesus’ ministry. When Zechariah entered the temple to burn incense, “all the assembled worshipers were praying outside” (Luke 1:10), showing the link between incense and prayer. Revelation 5:8 also describes golden bowls full of incense as “the prayers of God’s people.” Jesus Himself prayed continually and interceded on behalf of His disciples (John 17), fulfilling the deeper meaning of the altar of incense as the true mediator between God and man. Through His ministry and sacrifice, the prayers of the saints were made acceptable before God.

At the Second Coming, Shincheonji applies this imagery to the prayers of the sealed 144,000 and the great multitude that comes out of the great tribulation (Revelation 7:9–14). They interpret Revelation 8:3–4, where the prayers of all God’s people rise with incense before Him, as the prayers of those who belong to New Spiritual Israel in the end times. These prayers are seen as essential in supporting the work of the Promised Pastor, who testifies to the fulfillment of Revelation. Just as the altar of incense in the tabernacle symbolized the prayers that went continually before God, Shincheonji teaches that at the Second Coming the true incense is the united prayers of those sealed into the 12 tribes, offered in alignment with the revealed word that brings salvation.

The curtain before the Most Holy Place, described in Exodus 26:31–33, separated the Holy Place from the innermost sanctuary where God’s presence dwelled above the Ark of the Covenant. Made of fine linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, it served as a boundary between God and man. Only the high priest could pass beyond the curtain once a year on the Day of Atonement, bringing blood to make atonement for the people’s sins (Leviticus 16:2, 34). In Shincheonji’s interpretation, the curtain symbolizes the barrier of sin that prevents mankind from entering God’s direct presence, and thus represents both the holiness of God and the need for a mediator chosen by Him.

At the First Coming, the fulfillment of the curtain is found in Jesus Christ. When He died on the cross, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51), signifying that through His sacrifice, access to God was opened. Hebrews explains that Jesus entered the “greater and more perfect tabernacle” and “went through the greater and more perfect curtain—that is, his body” (Hebrews 9:11–12; 10:19–20). In this way, the physical curtain foreshadowed Jesus’ flesh, which was broken to grant believers direct access to the Most Holy Place in heaven, ending the separation between God and His people.

At the Second Coming, Shincheonji teaches that this symbolism is fulfilled through the giving of the open scroll in Revelation 10. Just as the curtain was torn to grant access to God at the First Coming, the sealed word of Revelation is opened and revealed through the one who overcomes. This Promised Pastor receives the revealed word directly and proclaims it to the nations (Revelation 10:11), allowing God’s people to enter into full knowledge of the divine truth. For SCJ, the tearing of the spiritual curtain means the barrier of sealed prophecy is removed, and believers who receive the revealed word through the Promised Pastor can enter into fellowship with God in the “Most Holy Place,” which they equate with the establishment of the 12 tribes of New Spiritual Israel (Revelation 7, 14).

Symbol:
The atonement cover, or mercy seat, was a solid gold lid placed on top of the Ark of the Covenant, with two cherubim facing each other and overshadowing it with their wings (Exodus 25:17–22). This was the most sacred spot in the tabernacle, where God said He would meet with His people. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled the blood of a sacrifice on the cover to atone for Israel’s sins (Leviticus 16:14–15). Symbolically, the mercy seat represented the place where God’s justice and mercy met, where sin was covered, and where God’s presence dwelled in glory between the cherubim.

First Coming:
At the First Coming, Shincheonji interprets the mercy seat as pointing directly to Jesus Christ. Paul calls Him the true “atoning sacrifice” or “propitiation” (Romans 3:25), the reality to which the mercy seat pointed. Just as blood was sprinkled on the cover, Jesus shed His own blood to atone for the sins of humanity, granting access into God’s presence. He fulfilled the promise that God would dwell with His people, not in a temple made with hands, but in the person of Christ, who reconciles man to God (Hebrews 9:11–12; John 14:6). The torn curtain at His death (Matthew 27:51) confirmed that through His blood, the Most Holy Place was opened once for all.

Second Coming:
At the Second Coming, Shincheonji teaches that the mercy seat is fulfilled through the establishment of God’s throne on earth. In their view, the Promised Pastor, as the one who receives the open scroll (Revelation 10) and testifies to the fulfillment of Revelation, becomes the channel through which God and Jesus dwell with their people. This corresponds to Revelation 21:3: “God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.” The testimony of the one who overcomes is seen as the sprinkling of blood that brings atonement in this era, covering the sins of those who belong to the 12 tribes. In this way, the mercy seat foreshadows God’s final dwelling and judgment seat, fulfilled in New Spiritual Israel.

Symbol:
Aaron’s staff, which budded, blossomed, and produced almonds overnight, was placed in the Ark as a sign of God’s chosen authority (Numbers 17:8–10). It demonstrated that God Himself had selected Aaron and his descendants to serve as priests, silencing the grumbling of those who challenged his role. The staff symbolized life, divine selection, and authority granted directly by God.

First Coming:
At the First Coming, this budding staff foreshadowed Jesus Christ, who was chosen and appointed as the true High Priest, not on the basis of human descent but by God’s oath (Hebrews 7:20–22). Just as the dead staff produced life, Jesus was raised from the dead, proving God’s choice and authority rested in Him (Acts 2:32–36). His miracles and resurrection validated that He was the one through whom God’s life and authority were revealed.

Second Coming:
At the Second Coming, Shincheonji interprets Aaron’s staff as a prophecy of the Promised Pastor, Lee Manhee, who they say has been chosen and given authority to lead the 12 tribes. Just as Aaron’s staff silenced challengers, SCJ claims that the Promised Pastor’s testimony of Revelation proves he is the chosen one. The budding of the staff symbolizes life and fruitfulness, fulfilled in the 12 tribes of New Spiritual Israel (Revelation 7, 14), which they view as evidence of God’s approval and selection.

Symbol:
The stone tablets of the covenant represented God’s law, His written word given to Israel at Sinai. They were the terms of the covenant between God and His people, inscribed by His own hand (Exodus 31:18). Placed inside the Ark, they symbolized God’s will and His standard of righteousness.

First Coming:
At the First Coming, Jesus fulfilled the meaning of the law. He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). As the Word made flesh (John 1:14), He perfectly embodied and carried out God’s law, showing its true intent and bringing it to completion. The tablets of stone foreshadowed the Word of God revealed fully in Christ.

Second Coming:
In Shincheonji’s teaching, the stone tablets foreshadow the open scroll of Revelation 10, God’s word fully revealed at the end of the age. The Promised Pastor, as the one who receives the scroll, is said to carry out the new covenant written not on stone but on the hearts of the 12 tribes (cf. Jeremiah 31:31–33). Just as the tablets were evidence of God’s covenant in the Old Testament, SCJ claims the revealed word through the Promised Pastor is the proof of God’s covenant with New Spiritual Israel.

Symbol:
The jar of manna was kept as a memorial of God’s provision during Israel’s wilderness journey (Exodus 16:32–34). It symbolized the bread from heaven that sustained His people, a reminder that true life comes not by bread alone but by every word from God (Deuteronomy 8:3).

First Coming:
At the First Coming, Jesus declared Himself the true manna from heaven: “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die” (John 6:48–50). The jar of manna pointed to Christ as the eternal bread who gives life to all who believe in Him.

Second Coming:
Shincheonji connects the jar of manna to the hidden manna of Revelation 2:17. They teach that this hidden manna represents the revealed word of prophecy that had been sealed until the time of fulfillment. At the Second Coming, this manna is given to the one who overcomes, the Promised Pastor, who then distributes it to the members of the 12 tribes. In their view, just as manna sustained Israel in the wilderness, the revealed word sustains believers at the end of the age, giving eternal life through New Spiritual Israel.

In SCJ’s teaching, once John the Baptist betrayed his testimony by questioning Jesus (Matthew 11:2–3), he lost his position as the dwelling of God’s work. They emphasize that John became involved in worldly affairs when he confronted Herod about his unlawful marriage (Matthew 14:3–4). This led to his imprisonment and eventual execution, which SCJ interprets as the destruction of the holy place. Since John had been the chosen vessel to prepare the way (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1), his removal signaled that God’s presence no longer resided in him or his ministry.

SCJ teaches that after John’s downfall, the Pharisees and teachers of the law filled the void of authority and became the “destroyers.” They point to Jesus’ statement that “the teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat” (Matthew 23:2) as proof that these leaders assumed control over the holy place after John. In SCJ’s framework, this did not mean physical destruction but a spiritual takeover: the religious leaders, aligned with Satan, corrupted what was once God’s dwelling. In this way, the holy place was destroyed because it came under the control of false shepherds.

For SCJ, this stage of destruction meant that the center of God’s work had shifted. The old holy place—John’s ministry and Israel’s leadership—was no longer where God’s presence dwelled. Instead, it was now controlled by corrupt leaders who opposed the Messiah and rejected His truth (cf. John 8:44). With the holy place destroyed, God began a new work of salvation through Jesus, who called His disciples and sowed the good seed (Matthew 13:24). This transition demonstrates the completion of the betrayal and destruction stages, paving the way for the salvation stage in SCJ’s BDS cycle.

At the First Coming, Jesus overcame the betrayers and destroyers not through physical weapons, but through the power of the word. He judged the Pharisees and teachers of the law with the “fire of the word,” exposing their hypocrisy and corruption. Calling them “whitewashed tombs” (Matt 23:27–28) and declaring that their converts became “twice as much a child of hell” as themselves (Matt 23:15), he revealed that Satan was working through them. By shining light on their lies and traditions, he made their influence spiritually ineffective.

In contrast to their empty teachings, Jesus brought a new word with authority. The crowds were astonished at his teaching, “because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Mark 1:22). This “new wine” (Luke 5:37–38) was the revelation of Old Testament prophecy and its fulfillment in himself (Luke 24:44). He unveiled hidden things (Matt 13:34–35) and gave the people clear understanding, explaining the Scriptures in terms of who, what, when, where, why, and how. His teaching stood apart from the traditions of men (Mark 7:8–9), offering truth that carried the weight of divine authority.

Through this word, Jesus also created division between light and darkness. He himself said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matt 10:34). His message separated those who clung to falsehood from those willing to follow truth. By calling people out of the spiritual slavery imposed by the Pharisees and Sadducees (John 8:34–36), he gathered followers who could recognize the voice of the true shepherd (John 10:27). This separation was necessary in order to move people from deception into the light of God’s truth.

Ultimately, Jesus overcame because his words came directly from God (John 12:49–50) and fulfilled what had been promised through Moses and the prophets (Luke 24:27; John 5:39). Every prophecy about the Messiah found its realization in him, proving his divine identity and mission. Through this spiritual warfare, he defeated the forces of betrayal and destruction at the First Coming. Though his primary mission then was the atonement of sin (Matt 20:28; Heb 9:28), his victory also prepared the way for the complete defeat of Satan and the full salvation promised at the Second Coming (John 16:33; Rev 5:5).

In Shincheonji’s doctrine, this overcoming was also the turning point for God’s dwelling. The “holy place” at the First Coming had first been represented in John the Baptist and in physical Israel, but through betrayal and destruction, God’s presence departed from them. When Jesus established spiritual Israel, however, this new community of believers became not just a holy place, but the Most Holy Place, since it was formed directly through the Son of God, who is himself the true temple (John 2:19–21). Unlike the old tabernacle that merely symbolized God’s dwelling, Jesus embodied the fullness of God (Col 2:9), making the people gathered around him the most intimate dwelling of God’s presence.

The twelve disciples Jesus chose represented the twelve tribes of a new nation (Matt 19:28; Luke 22:30). Patterned after Old Testament Israel, this new covenant community carried greater significance because it was founded on Jesus’ testimony and sealed with his blood (Luke 22:20; Heb 9:11–12). In SCJ’s reasoning, this transformed spiritual Israel from being merely a holy place into the Most Holy Place, since it was no longer a shadow or copy like the Old Covenant (Heb 9:1–5), but the reality of God dwelling with his people through Christ. In Revelation’s imagery, this is foreshadowed by the promise that God’s tabernacle will be with his people forever (Rev 21:3). Thus, spiritual Israel — created by Jesus and his apostles — is identified as the Most Holy Place where God’s will, truth, and presence are revealed in their fullness, setting the pattern for the new heaven and new earth to come.

After Jesus ascended, the parable describes the enemy coming at night to sow tares among the wheat. SCJ explains this as Satan introducing false teachings and lies into the church. These tares represent different Jesuses, different gospels, and different spirits (2 Corinthians 11:4). This began immediately, as false teachers infiltrated the field of Christianity and corrupted the pure teaching of Christ.

The “night” when the enemy sows is linked to John 9:4—Jesus’ warning that “night is coming, when no one can work.” SCJ teaches that this night is the era of darkness when the sealed prophecies of the New Testament (especially Revelation, written in 95 A.D.) could not be understood. Because the word was sealed, no one had the ability to discern wheat from tares, and both grew together unchecked.

Over the next 2,000 years, SCJ claims, the field became dominated by tares:

• Sealed word: Revelation remained locked in parables, with no one to explain its fulfillment (Rev 5:1–3).

• Doctrinal disputes: Churches fractured into denominations, fighting over interpretations based on man’s traditions instead of revelation.

• Corrupt leaders: Just as John the Baptist’s lamp dimmed, pastors and teachers lost spiritual position—the “sun, moon, and stars” going dark (Matt 24:29).

• Old wineskins: Believers clung to tradition, unable to receive new wine (Luke 5:37–39).

In SCJ’s view, this fulfills the prophecy that the “light of the world” would be eclipsed and Christianity would be enveloped in spiritual night. The field still had wheat (truth in seed form), but it was hidden and entangled with tares.

Jesus explains the parable’s climax: “the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels” (Matt 13:39). For SCJ, this is the Second Coming. At the time of fulfillment, the sealed scroll is opened (Rev 10), the mystery of God is revealed, and the true wheat is harvested.

• Wheat = believers who recognize and accept the revealed word at the Second Coming (i.e., SCJ’s teaching).

• Tares = traditional Christians who cling to false doctrines and do not recognize the fulfillment.

This is when the light is restored, as the one who overcomes (Rev 2–3) testifies about the fulfillment of Revelation and gathers the 12 tribes (Rev 7, Rev 14).

Through the parable of the wheat and tares, SCJ frames Christian history as:

1. Sowing of Wheat (First Coming) — Jesus, the light of the world, plants truth.

2. Sowing of Tares (Night) — Satan sows lies; the word is sealed; Christianity falls into 2,000 years of darkness and confusion.

3. Harvest (Second Coming) — The sealed word is opened, truth is revealed, and the true wheat is separated from the tares through the testimony of the promised pastor.

Thus, the parable explains why Christianity lost the light after Jesus’ ascension and why, in SCJ’s view, only now at the time of fulfillment can the light shine again.

After the first war—when the holy place (the seven golden lampstands/Christianity) betrays and is overcome by the destroyers (Rev 2–3; Rev 13)—SCJ teaches that the stage is set for the second war. This is the decisive conflict between the betrayers + destroyers and the Savior, through whom salvation is accomplished.

1. The Battlefield: Revelation 12

SCJ points to Revelation 12 as the central scene of the second war. Here, the dragon (Satan) wages war against those who hold to God’s word and testimony (Rev 12:17). The dragon uses the betrayers (false pastors within the lampstands) and the destroyers (gentile false shepherds) as his instruments. However, the Savior and his company overcome the dragon “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Rev 12:11). In SCJ’s interpretation, this moment marks the beginning of God’s new kingdom and the end of Satan’s reign.

2. The Overcoming of Betrayers and Destroyers

The betrayers who aligned with false teaching and the destroyers who conquered them are both judged together. SCJ identifies this judgment with the pouring out of the bowls in Revelation 15–16, which bring plagues upon those who received the mark of the beast (Rev 16:2). The holy place that was corrupted in Revelation 13 is now exposed and judged, just as Jesus judged the Pharisees at the First Coming. The destroyers, who seemed victorious in the first war, are ultimately defeated by the testimony revealed through the overcomer.

3. The Establishment of the New Kingdom

Following the judgment, SCJ teaches that the Savior gathers the faithful remnant and establishes the 12 tribes of New Spiritual Israel (Rev 7:4–8; Rev 14:1–5). This new kingdom is described as the “Most Holy Place,” because unlike the corrupted lampstands, it is created directly by God’s word through the one who overcomes. Revelation 21:1–3 is seen as the climax: the old, corrupted heaven and earth pass away, and the new heaven and new earth appear, where “God’s dwelling place is now among the people.”

4. The Victory of the Overcomer

Finally, the war culminates in Revelation 19, where the rider on the white horse (interpreted by SCJ as the promised pastor acting with the authority of Jesus) defeats the beast, the false prophet, and their armies (Rev 19:19–21). This signals the complete victory over betrayal and destruction. The dragon is bound (Rev 20:1–3), and the millennial kingdom begins.

n SCJ’s interpretation, the Most Holy Place of the Second Coming is not a physical temple but the new holy dwelling established through the “one who overcomes,” a figure described in Revelation 2–3. The promises to the one who overcomes include eating from the tree of life (Revelation 2:7), receiving hidden manna and a white stone (Revelation 2:17), being given authority over the nations (Revelation 2:26–28), and sitting on Jesus’ throne (Revelation 3:21). SCJ claims these promises are fulfilled in one person at the time of Revelation’s fulfillment — Lee Manhee — who overcomes the betrayers (the seven golden lampstands) and the destroyers (false pastors, identified with “Babylon”). This individual is therefore seen as the vessel through whom God establishes His final dwelling.

The foundation of this Most Holy Place is tied to the open scroll of Revelation 10. SCJ teaches that the scroll in God’s right hand in Revelation 5 is sealed and no one can open it except Jesus. Once Jesus opens it, the contents are handed down to the angel and finally to the “new John” (Lee Manhee) in Revelation 10, who eats the open scroll and prophesies to many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. By receiving and proclaiming this scroll, the one who overcomes becomes the living temple of God’s testimony, replacing the fallen holy place (Christianity) with a new, undefiled dwelling.

Through this process, SCJ teaches that God creates the 12 tribes of New Spiritual Israel, as described in Revelation 7 (the 144,000 sealed from the 12 tribes) and Revelation 14 (the 144,000 standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, singing the new song). These 12 tribes are presented as the Most Holy Place at the Second Coming — the perfected temple where God’s presence dwells directly with His people. Revelation 21:3, which says, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them,” is interpreted as the consummation of this new tabernacle: God and Jesus fully indwelling the community created through the one who overcomes. In contrast to the betrayed holy place of Christianity, the 12 tribes are seen as the true inner sanctuary, the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to dwell with His people forever.

Shincheonji places strong emphasis on Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24:29, where He declares that “immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky.” They argue that this is not to be understood as a literal astronomical phenomenon, but as symbolic language describing the spiritual collapse of God’s covenant people at the end of the age. Just as Genesis 37 sets the pattern of heavenly bodies representing the family of Israel, Jesus’ prophecy is seen as foretelling the betrayal and downfall of spiritual Israel in the New Testament era. The leaders who should shine as the sun lose their light, the congregations who should reflect God’s truth become corrupted, and the individual believers, the stars, fall from their heavenly position and are cast down to the earth.

In the same way, Revelation 6:12–13 expands this prophetic vision: the sun becomes black like sackcloth, the whole moon turns blood-red, and the stars fall to earth like figs shaken from a tree by a strong wind. For Shincheonji, these vivid symbols portray the complete spiritual judgment on a people who once belonged to God but betrayed the covenant. The “blackened sun” is the pastor or leadership who no longer shines with truth. The “bloody moon” represents the congregation that has turned from life to death. The “fallen stars” are believers who abandon their heavenly identity, collapsing into the world. In this reading, both Matthew 24 and Revelation 6 confirm that before salvation can come, there must first be the great betrayal and destruction of God’s chosen people who failed to remain faithful.

Shincheonji teaches that the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars is not only symbolic of failure but also the result of direct betrayal within God’s covenant community. This is tied to Jesus’ warning in Matthew 24:15, where He speaks of “the abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place.” SCJ interprets this as Satan’s work infiltrating the very sanctuary of God’s people, leading to spiritual defilement and collapse. The same theme appears in 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4, where Paul says the day of the Lord will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness sets himself up in God’s temple. For SCJ, this rebellion is not about outsiders but about God’s chosen people themselves betraying the covenant by allowing Satan’s rule within the holy place.

This betrayal is further described in Revelation 13:6, where the beast opens its mouth “to blaspheme God, and to slander His name and His dwelling place.” SCJ argues that the “dwelling place” is the tabernacle of God’s chosen people, which becomes corrupted when its leaders (the sun), congregations (the moon), and members (the stars) turn away from the truth. Just as John the Baptist faltered in his testimony at the First Coming, the chosen lampstands of Revelation (Rev 2–3) fail in their mission at the Second Coming by tolerating false teachings and worldly corruption. Their betrayal darkens the light of God’s word, causes the fall of spiritual Israel, and sets the stage for destruction. Yet in SCJ’s framework, this betrayal is not the end—it is the necessary precursor to God raising up a new pastor, the one who overcomes, through whom salvation and the re-creation of God’s kingdom will come.

From SCJ’s perspective, the genre of Revelation is decisive. They emphasize Revelation 1:1 — “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place” — as proof that the entire book is forward-looking, pointing to events that will unfold at the Second Coming. Therefore, even though Revelation 1:20 explicitly identifies the seven lampstands as the seven churches, SCJ argues this cannot merely apply to first-century Asia Minor. Since the book is prophetic, its imagery cannot be exhausted by history; rather, the churches serve as symbolic models that will find true fulfillment in the end times. In this way, just as Old Testament prophecies often had immediate contexts but awaited greater eschatological fulfillment — such as the fall of Babylon foreshadowing spiritual Babylon in Revelation — the seven churches may represent a future spiritual body.

Within this framework, SCJ teaches that God always establishes one chosen place in each era: Noah’s ark, Moses’ tabernacle, Solomon’s temple, and finally the church of Jesus. By extension, they argue the seven churches in Revelation symbolically point to one future chosen place — the Tabernacle Temple in South Korea — which they identify as God’s appointed organization at the Second Coming. They also appeal to historical patterns, noting how the Old Testament temple was corrupted by priests and leaders and how early churches fell into heresies. Following this pattern, they claim the Tabernacle Temple must also undergo betrayal and judgment before restoration through “the one who overcomes.” In this steelmanned view, Revelation 1:20 is not a description of local congregations in Asia Minor but a prophetic encoding of the rise, fall, and purification of God’s chosen work in the last days.

SCJ places strong emphasis on the word “mystery” (μυστήριον) in Revelation 1:20, interpreting it not as something already revealed but as a prophetic secret concealed until the time of fulfillment. They argue that prophecies are by nature hidden until the appointed time, citing Daniel 12:9 (“the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end”) as a precedent. In this framework, even though Revelation 1:20 explains the symbol (“the lampstands are the churches”), this is only the symbolic layer; the true reality — actual people, places, and events — must emerge at the Second Coming. Without this fulfillment, the “mystery” remains abstract and incomplete.

Building on this, SCJ teaches that mysteries require a revealer. Just as Jesus unveiled the hidden meaning of Old Testament parables (Matthew 13:10–11), they argue that Revelation requires a modern “promised pastor” to interpret and disclose its secrets at the time of fulfillment. Since John the Apostle saw the vision but did not live in the era of fulfillment, the mystery remained sealed in his day. For SCJ, the Bible unfolds progressively: Old Testament mysteries were revealed at the first coming of Christ, while the mysteries of Revelation remain hidden until the second coming. They conclude that a divinely appointed figure — identified as Lee Manhee — must now reveal them. Thus, in their reading, the term “mystery” in Revelation 1:20 confirms that the lampstands were never limited to the historical churches of Asia Minor but point to a hidden prophecy disclosed only now through the promised pastor.

SCJ teaches that since the seven lampstands symbolize the church, and since the Bible repeatedly shows that God’s chosen people have a tendency to fall into betrayal, Revelation 1:20 must point to a future church that undergoes the same process. In their framework, history always repeats: Israel, though chosen, betrayed God through idolatry and corrupt leadership; the early Christian church, though established by Christ and the apostles, fell into heresies and divisions. Therefore, they argue, it is inevitable that the Tabernacle Temple — the church God establishes at the time of the Second Coming — must also face betrayal, judgment, and eventual restoration.

In this pattern, the lampstands represent not merely individual churches but the one chosen organization of God in the last days, which collectively fails when its leadership is corrupted. SCJ teaches that this fall sets the stage for the appearance of “the one who overcomes,” the promised pastor, who exposes the betrayal, receives the open scroll, and restores true faith. Thus, in their eschatological logic, Revelation 1:20 is not a static description of churches in Asia Minor but a prophetic blueprint for the Tabernacle Temple: it begins chosen, falls into betrayal, and is purified to stand as God’s true dwelling in the end.

To reinforce their interpretation, SCJ appeals to a network of supporting arguments rooted in both biblical imagery and historical patterns. They begin with the idea of symbolic unity, pointing to Psalm 133:2, where oil poured on Aaron’s head flows down his beard and robe. In their view, this demonstrates how the state of the head determines the condition of the entire body. Applied to the lampstands, if the central messenger or leader becomes corrupt, then the whole church system falls into corruption. In the same vein, SCJ argues that although Revelation names seven stars (messengers) and seven lampstands (churches), these do not function as seven independent entities. Instead, they form one organizational system under a unified leadership, much like how a single body has many parts but remains governed by one head.

They also appeal to what they call the collective judgment pattern in the Old Testament. When kings or priests sinned, judgment often fell on the entire nation or sanctuary — even if a few righteous individuals, such as Jeremiah, remained faithful. SCJ applies this principle to Revelation’s lampstands, teaching that when the central leadership is compromised, God’s judgment extends to the entire body. This is further reinforced by their principle of one location fulfillment: in each biblical era, God chose one place and one leader to carry out His work — Noah’s ark in the flood, Moses’ tabernacle in the wilderness, Jesus’ church at the first coming. By this logic, the seven churches symbolize the one chosen place of the last days, identified by SCJ as the Tabernacle Temple.

Finally, SCJ ties these threads together with the symbolism of oil, which they interpret as representing God’s word and spirit. Since oil flows through one channel, they argue, the word and spirit of God can only be transmitted through a single appointed leader. If that channel becomes tainted, then the entire flow of revelation is corrupted. Thus, SCJ concludes that the betrayal of the head messenger leads to the collective fall of the whole organization, confirming their view that the lampstands in Revelation point not to diverse, independent churches, but to a unified body whose fate hinges on its central leader.

Because betrayal always leads to judgment, SCJ says God sends destruction upon the corrupted mountain. This is reflected in prophecies such as Jeremiah 51:25, where God calls Babylon a “destroying mountain” that will be rolled down from the cliffs and left desolate. In Revelation, this corresponds to the fall of Babylon (Revelation 18:2), when the corrupted dwelling place of God’s people becomes a haunt for demons. Likewise, Revelation 6:12–14 describes the sun, moon, and stars darkening and falling—God’s chosen people collapsing under judgment. For SCJ, this second mountain represents the Mountain of Destruction, where the betrayers receive the punishment of God, their lampstands removed, and their tabernacle left desolate.

Finally, God raises up a new mountain where His salvation is found. This is the Mountain of Salvation, where the one who overcomes gathers the sealed 144,000 (Revelation 7:4) and the great multitude in white (Revelation 7:9). SCJ ties this to Revelation 14:1, where the Lamb and the 144,000 stand on Mount Zion with God’s name written on their foreheads. This is understood as the recreated tabernacle of New Spiritual Israel, established through the Promised Pastor. Just as Noah built the ark after the world’s destruction, and just as Jesus raised up the 12 tribes after the fall of Jerusalem, SCJ claims that God has now established His final mountain through Lee Manhee, the one who overcomes. Here, betrayal and destruction are left behind, and salvation is given to those who recognize the new covenant fulfilled in Revelation.