Shincheonji (SCJ) frames all of biblical history and prophecy as a recurring cycle of betrayal, destruction, and salvation. They argue that God always begins by establishing a covenant with His chosen people through a representative leader (a “pastor”). However, the people inevitably betray that covenant, Adam disobeying God, Israel turning to idols, the Jewish leaders rejecting Jesus, and, in their view, Christian pastors today misinterpreting Revelation and “marrying the devil.” This betrayal leads to destruction, where God’s dwelling place is judged and overtaken by false shepherds. Finally, salvation comes when God raises a new leader (the “promised pastor”) who overcomes the betrayers and destroyers, re-establishes God’s kingdom, and creates a new covenant.

SCJ applies this cycle to the end times using passages like 2 Thessalonians 2 and Matthew 24, teaching that the Day of the Lord must follow this order: first betrayal (the rebellion in God’s temple), then destruction (the man of lawlessness taking control), and finally salvation through the appearance of the overcomer. They claim Lee Man-Hee is this “overcomer,” the one who received the open scroll of Revelation 10 and established the 12 tribes of New Spiritual Israel. Thus, SCJ concludes that true salvation at the Second Coming is found exclusively in their organization.

Shincheonji’s Perspective:

Shincheonji’s Perspective of Betrayal, Destruction, Salvation

A Christian Response

Shincheonji’s cycle of Betrayal, Destruction, Salvation breaks the promises that were clearly made throughout the New Testament.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus plainly makes a promise, that the Gates of Hades would not overcome the “rock” of what Peter testified to.

Matthew 16:18 –

And I tell you that you are Peter,^[a] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades^[b] will not overcome it.

And yet, Shincheonji insists that in the very same gospel, Jesus contradicted Himself by teaching that the sun, moon, and stars — symbols they apply to “Spiritual Israel,” the church — would fall into complete darkness (Matt. 24:29). This interpretation effectively says that the gates of Hades did overcome the church, directly contradicting Jesus’ own promise.

SCJ’s framework of how prophecy and fulfillment occurs also contradicts Jude 1:3, where it states:

Jude 1:3

³ Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.

A few things to take into consideration:

1. We already had salvation 2000 years ago, and that this same salvation is something that we need to contend for.
2. This saving faith was already delivered to us 2000 years ago.

Salvation was secured through Christ’s death and resurrection, as seen in John 19:30

And yet, according to Shincheonji, apparently, we need to have the same faith delivered to us three times. According to Shincheonji, the faith was delivered:

1. During the first coming in the sealed state
2. To the Tabernacle Temple in 1966, a doomsday cult that allegedly represented all of Christianity, yet betrayed a year later.
3. To Lee Manhee through an angel in the spring of 1980.

This repeated cycle contradicts the “once for all” delivery of faith (Jude 1:3).

To make matters worse, the delivery of how the new revelation was given to Lee Manhee should immediately ring the alarms of Galatians 1:6-8, where it states:

Galatians 1:6-8 –

⁶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷ which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!

According to Shincheonji, in order for our sins to be atoned in the era of the fulfillment of Revelation, one must believe in the testimony of Lee Manhee and the reality of the fulfillment of Revelation, and one must also believe in the commentary of Lee Manhee in order for your sins to be atoned for. This is further explored in the examination article, “The Promised Pastor of the New Testament“.

Articles in this Series

1. Shincheonji Gets Matthew 16:18 Wrong

2. The Abomination and the Man of Lawlessness

3. John the Baptist Did Not Betray

4. The Tabernacle and the Cycle of Betrayal to Salvation

5. Shincheonji Gets Revelation 1:20 Wrong

6. The Woman in Revelation 12: Protected by God, Not a Betrayer

7. The First War: Persecution, Not the Church’s Betrayal

8. Light and Darkness: God Preserves, Not Betrayal