The First Hijacking Attempt

The serpent approaches Eve with a question designed to plant doubt: “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1).

Notice the strategy: twist God’s words, question God’s goodness, suggest God is withholding something beneficial. Eve corrects the misquote but adds her own embellishment—God said they couldn’t even touch the fruit, when He’d only forbidden eating it.

The serpent strikes: “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).

The accusation is clear: God is lying to you. He’s threatened you with death to keep you from becoming like Him. He’s not protecting you; He’s limiting you.

Eve eats. Adam eats. And in that moment, Satan must have thought he’d won. God’s perfect creation, corrupted. God’s image-bearers, fallen. God’s plan for humanity, destroyed.

But God Had Already Planned for This

God doesn’t panic. He doesn’t scramble to create a backup plan. Instead, He speaks a curse that contains a promise—the first prophecy of redemption:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

This is called the protoevangelium—the first gospel. Right there in the garden, in the moment of humanity’s greatest failure, God announces that the woman’s offspring will crush the serpent’s head. Yes, the serpent will strike His heel (the cross), but that strike will be the very means by which the serpent’s head is crushed (the resurrection and Satan’s defeat).

Satan’s greatest victory became the setup for his ultimate defeat.

The Shincheonji Contrast

According to Shincheonji’s theology, when betrayal occurs, God must destroy the old system and create something new. The pattern is fixed: Betrayal → Destruction → Salvation through replacement.

But in the Garden, God doesn’t destroy humanity and start over with a different species. He doesn’t abandon Adam and Eve and create new image-bearers. Instead, He promises redemption through the very line that just fell. The offspring of the woman who was deceived will be the one who crushes the deceiver.

God’s plan wasn’t hijacked. It was already accounting for the fall and planning redemption through it.

Question for reflection: If God had to hide Lee Man-hee’s identity to protect His plan from Satan, why didn’t He hide the promise of Genesis 3:15? Why announce openly that the woman’s offspring would crush the serpent’s head, giving Satan thousands of years to try to prevent it?

The Second Hijacking Attempt

If the woman’s offspring will crush the serpent, then eliminate the righteous offspring. That seems to be the strategy behind Cain’s murder of Abel.

“Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him” (Genesis 4:8).

The first human born kills the second. The righteous line appears cut off. Satan must have thought: Problem solved. No righteous offspring means no one to crush my head.

But God Raises Up Seth

God doesn’t panic. He doesn’t hide the next righteous son or conceal his identity to protect him from Cain. Instead, He openly gives Adam and Eve another son:

“And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, ‘God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him'” (Genesis 4:25).

The very next verse says: “To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD“ (Genesis 4:26).

The righteous line continues. Openly. Publicly. With people calling on the LORD’s name—making it obvious who the faithful ones are.

Satan’s attempt to eliminate the righteous line only resulted in a new generation that called on the LORD’s name.

The Pattern Emerges

Notice what God doesn’t do:

• He doesn’t hide Seth’s identity
• He doesn’t conceal which line is righteous
• He doesn’t operate in fear that Satan will try again
• He doesn’t change His strategy based on Satan’s attacks

God’s plan continues openly, despite opposition.

The Third Hijacking Attempt

“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

If you can’t eliminate the righteous line, corrupt it. Make everyone wicked. If every intention of every heart is only evil continually, there’s no righteous offspring left to crush the serpent’s head.

Satan must have thought: This is it. I’ve corrupted the entire human race. God’s plan is finished.

But God Had Already Prepared Noah

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD“ (Genesis 6:8).

One righteous man. That’s all God needed. And God didn’t hide Noah. He didn’t conceal His plan. Instead, He told Noah to build a massive boat—a project that took decades and made Noah’s righteousness spectacularly obvious to everyone.

Peter tells us: “God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being built, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water” (1 Peter 3:20).

God waited. Patiently. While Noah built an enormous boat in full view of a wicked generation. God gave them decades to repent, with Noah serving as “a herald of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5).

Satan’s corruption of humanity only resulted in God demonstrating His power to save through judgment and preserve the righteous line through one faithful family.

The Shincheonji Question

If God had to hide Lee Man-hee’s identity to protect His plan, why didn’t He hide Noah? Why have Noah build a massive, obvious boat that took decades to complete, giving Satan and his followers plenty of time to try to stop it?

The answer reveals something crucial: God doesn’t operate in fear of His enemies. He operates in sovereign power that uses even their opposition to accomplish His purposes.

The Fourth Hijacking Attempt

After the flood, humanity multiplies again. But instead of spreading out and filling the earth as God commanded, they gather in one place with one purpose:

“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4).

The strategy is clear: unite humanity in rebellion. Build a monument to human achievement. Make a name for ourselves instead of calling on the LORD’s name. Refuse to scatter as God commanded.

If humanity stays united in rebellion, Satan can control the whole system. No need to track down scattered righteous individuals. Keep everyone together, keep them focused on their own glory, and God’s plan is contained.

But God Scatters Them Anyway

“So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city” (Genesis 11:8).

God doesn’t fight the tower. He doesn’t destroy it dramatically. He simply confuses their language and scatters them—accomplishing exactly what He’d commanded them to do in the first place.

Satan’s attempt to unite humanity in rebellion only resulted in God accomplishing His original command to fill the earth.

And from this scattered humanity, God calls one man: Abraham. Openly. Publicly. With clear promises about his descendants becoming a great nation and blessing all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:1-3).

The Fifth Hijacking Attempt

God promises Abraham: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2).

But there’s a problem: Sarah is barren. No children means no nation. No nation means no blessing to all families of the earth. No offspring means no one to crush the serpent’s head.

Satan must have thought: God’s promise depends on something that’s biologically impossible. The plan is dead.

But God Opens the Barren Womb

God doesn’t hide His promise. He doesn’t conceal Abraham’s identity. Instead, He makes the promise more specific and more public:

“Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them… So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:5).

Then God does the impossible: “The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age” (Genesis 21:1-2).

Isaac is born. The impossible child. The child of promise. And God doesn’t hide him. He doesn’t conceal his identity to protect him from Satan’s attacks.

In fact, God does something that seems to play right into Satan’s hands: He commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

The Test That Reveals God’s Sovereignty

“Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:2).

If Satan wanted to eliminate the promised line, this is the perfect opportunity. God Himself is commanding it. The child of promise, about to be sacrificed. The plan, apparently destroyed by God’s own command.

But Abraham understands something profound about God’s character: “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8).

And when Abraham raises the knife, God stops him: “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me” (Genesis 22:12).

Then God provides a ram caught in the thicket. And Abraham names the place: “The LORD will provide” (Genesis 22:14).

Even when it looked like God’s own command would end the promised line, God was actually demonstrating His provision and foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice of His own Son.

The Shincheonji Contrast

God openly announced His promise to Abraham. He made it more specific over time. He allowed Abraham to be tested in ways that seemed to threaten the promise. And through it all, God’s plan continued exactly as He’d determined.

But according to Shincheonji, God learned from Moses and Jesus that announcing His plans is too dangerous. So for Lee Man-hee, God hides everything—no clear prophecies, no public promises, no biblical foreshadowing that would allow Satan to identify and attack him.

This raises a crucial question: If God’s plan for Lee Man-hee is more important than His plan through Abraham (since Shincheonji claims Lee Man-hee brings the actual salvation that completes what Jesus started), why does God show less confidence in protecting it? Why does the supposedly greater work require more hiding?

The Sixth Hijacking Attempt

The Israelites multiply in Egypt. Pharaoh feels threatened: “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply” (Exodus 1:9-10).

First, Pharaoh enslaves them. When that doesn’t stop their growth, he orders the midwives to kill all Hebrew boys at birth. When the midwives fear God and refuse, Pharaoh commands: “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile“ (Exodus 1:22).

This is the incident Shincheonji points to as evidence that God must hide His chosen ones. Pharaoh tried to kill Moses as a baby, so God had to protect him through concealment.

But Look at How God Actually Protected Moses

God doesn’t hide Moses’ identity from everyone. He doesn’t operate in secret fear. Instead, He orchestrates events so that:

• Moses’ mother hides him for three months (Exodus 2:2)
• She places him in a basket in the Nile—the very place Pharaoh commanded Hebrew boys to be thrown (Exodus 2:3)
• Pharaoh’s own daughter finds him (Exodus 2:5)
• Moses is raised in Pharaoh’s palace—in the very household that ordered his death (Exodus 2:10)

Do you see the pattern? God doesn’t hide Moses from Pharaoh. He puts Moses in Pharaoh’s own house. The very person who ordered Hebrew boys killed ends up raising the deliverer who will defeat him.

Satan’s attempt to kill the deliverer only resulted in the deliverer being trained in Pharaoh’s own palace, learning everything he’d need to know to lead Israel out of Egypt.

Moses’ Identity Was Never Hidden

When Moses grows up and sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, he kills the Egyptian. The next day, when he tries to intervene in a dispute between two Hebrews, one of them says: “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” (Exodus 2:14).

Moses’ Hebrew identity was known. His actions on behalf of his people were public. When he fled to Midian, it wasn’t because God was hiding him—it was because he’d committed murder and Pharaoh sought to kill him (Exodus 2:15).

And when God calls Moses at the burning bush, He doesn’t say, “I’ve been hiding you to protect My plan.” He says: “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry… I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them“ (Exodus 3:7-8).

God comes down. God acts openly. God sends Moses back to Egypt with clear instructions to confront Pharaoh directly: “Let my people go” (Exodus 5:1).

The Shincheonji Logic Breaks Down

Shincheonji teaches that because Pharaoh tried to kill Moses, God learned He must hide His chosen ones. But the biblical account shows:

• God put Moses in Pharaoh’s own house
• Moses’ identity as a Hebrew was publicly known
• God sent Moses back to confront Pharaoh directly
• God performed public miracles that made His power obvious
• God openly defeated Pharaoh through the plagues and the Red Sea crossing

If God was operating in fear of His enemies, why did He make His plan so spectacularly public?

The Seventh Hijacking Attempt

This is the second incident Shincheonji points to as evidence that God must hide His chosen ones. Herod hears about the birth of the King of the Jews and orders all boys in Bethlehem under two years old to be killed (Matthew 2:16).

Shincheonji’s logic: God announced Jesus’ coming through prophecy. Satan used Herod to try to kill Him. Therefore, God learned He must hide the next savior (Lee Man-hee) to prevent Satan from trying the same thing.

But Look at What God Actually Did

God announced Jesus’ coming for thousands of years:

• “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him” (Genesis 49:10)
• “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel“ (Micah 5:2)
• “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel“ (Isaiah 7:14)
• “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace“ (Isaiah 9:6)

God didn’t hide Jesus’ identity. He proclaimed it for centuries. He gave specific details: the tribe (Judah), the town (Bethlehem), the manner of birth (virgin), the significance (Mighty God, Prince of Peace).

Satan Knew Exactly Who to Look For

The wise men come asking: “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2).

Herod gathers the chief priests and scribes and asks where the Christ is to be born. They quote Micah 5:2 immediately: Bethlehem (Matthew 2:5-6).

Everyone knew the prophecies. Satan had centuries to prepare. And he tried to use Herod to kill Jesus.

But God’s Plan Continued Exactly as Determined

God warns Joseph in a dream: “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him” (Matthew 2:13).

Joseph obeys. Jesus is protected. And even this flight to Egypt fulfills prophecy: “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Hosea 11:1, quoted in Matthew 2:15).

Satan’s attempt to kill Jesus only resulted in the fulfillment of another prophecy.

Jesus’ Ministry Was Completely Public

When Jesus begins His ministry, He doesn’t hide:

• He’s baptized publicly in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17)
• God speaks from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17)
• Jesus teaches in synagogues (Matthew 4:23)
• He performs miracles in front of crowds (Matthew 8-9)
• He openly claims to be the Messiah (John 4:25-26)
• He enters Jerusalem publicly, fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy about the king coming on a donkey (Matthew 21:1-11)

Multiple times, people try to kill Jesus:

• In Nazareth, they try to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:28-30)
• The religious leaders repeatedly seek to arrest Him (John 7:30, 44; 10:39)
• They pick up stones to stone Him (John 8:59; 10:31)

And every single time, Jesus escapes—not because He’s hiding, but because “his hour had not yet come” (John 7:30; 8:20).

The Ultimate Demonstration of God’s Sovereignty

When Jesus’ hour finally comes, He doesn’t hide. He goes to the garden where Judas knows to find Him. When the soldiers come to arrest Him, He asks: “Whom do you seek?” They answer, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus responds: “I am he” (John 18:4-5).

The Greek phrase is “Ego eimi”—”I AM,” the divine name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. And when Jesus says it, the soldiers fall backward to the ground (John 18:6).

Even in the moment of His arrest, Jesus demonstrates that He’s in control. No one takes His life from Him. He lays it down of His own accord (John 10:18).

The Cross: Satan’s Greatest Defeat Disguised as Victory

Satan must have thought he’d won when Jesus died on the cross. The promised Messiah, dead. The one who was supposed to crush the serpent’s head, crushed instead.

But Peter explains what actually happened: “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:23-24).

The cross wasn’t Satan hijacking God’s plan. It was God’s plan all along.

Paul writes: “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory“ (1 Corinthians 2:8).

If Satan had understood that the cross was God’s plan for salvation, he wouldn’t have orchestrated it. Satan’s greatest attack became God’s greatest victory.

Colossians describes it vividly: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15).

The cross—the moment that looked like Satan’s victory—was actually the moment of his public defeat.

The Eighth Hijacking Attempt

Jesus is dead. Buried. A stone seals the tomb. Roman guards stand watch. Satan must have thought: Finally. It’s over. The threat is eliminated.

But on the third day, exactly as Jesus predicted, “an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it” (Matthew 28:2).

The guards shake and become like dead men. The tomb is empty. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, to the disciples, to more than five hundred people at once (1 Corinthians 15:6).

Death itself couldn’t hold Him.

Jesus Declares His Authority

After the resurrection, Jesus tells His disciples: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18).

Not “I barely escaped Satan’s trap.” Not “We need to hide now so Satan doesn’t try again.” “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Then He commissions them: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Go. Publicly. Make disciples. Baptize them. Teach them. And I will be with you.

No hiding. No concealment. No fear of Satan’s response.

The Ninth Hijacking Attempt

Satan tries a new strategy: if you can’t kill the leader, kill the movement. Persecution breaks out against the early church:

• Stephen is stoned to death (Acts 7:54-60)
• James is killed with the sword (Acts 12:2)
• Peter is imprisoned (Acts 12:3-5)
• Paul is beaten, stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)

Satan must have thought: Scatter them. Terrify them. Kill their leaders. The movement will die.

But Persecution Spread the Gospel

Luke records: “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word“ (Acts 8:4).

Satan’s attempt to destroy the church through persecution only resulted in the gospel spreading faster.

Paul writes from prison: “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ“ (Philippians 1:12-13).

Paul’s imprisonment—Satan’s attempt to silence him—became the means of the gospel reaching the imperial guard.

The Pattern Holds

Every attempt to stop God’s plan advances it:

• Kill the apostles? The gospel spreads through their martyrdom
• Imprison the leaders? They preach to the guards and write letters that become Scripture
• Persecute the church? It grows stronger and multiplies

God’s sovereignty turns every attack into victory.

The Hidden Savior Paradox

Shincheonji teaches that God learned from Moses and Jesus that He must hide His chosen ones. So Lee Man-hee’s identity is concealed in parables, with no clear biblical prophecies pointing to him, to prevent Satan from trying to kill him.

But this creates several logical problems:

Problem 1: It Makes Lee Man-hee More Important Than Jesus If God had to hide Lee Man-hee more carefully than He hid Jesus, it implies Lee Man-hee’s role is more crucial. God openly proclaimed Jesus for centuries, allowed Satan multiple opportunities to attack Him, and ultimately accomplished salvation through the very death Satan orchestrated.

But God hides Lee Man-hee so completely that even sincere Bible students can’t find clear prophecies about him. Why? Because supposedly, if Satan knew who he was, the plan could be ruined.

This logic makes Lee Man-hee’s work more essential than Jesus’ cross. It suggests that what Jesus accomplished wasn’t enough, and the real salvation depends on Lee Man-hee—so God must be more careful protecting him.

Problem 2: It Suggests God Isn’t Sovereign The biblical pattern shows God openly proclaiming His plans and then accomplishing them despite all opposition. Satan tries repeatedly to hijack the plan, and every time, his attempts only advance God’s purposes.

But Shincheonji’s theology suggests God had to change His strategy because Satan was too successful at attacking openly-announced plans. This implies:

• God can learn from mistakes
• Satan can force God to adapt His methods
• God’s plans can be genuinely threatened if He’s not careful enough
• Concealment is necessary because God can’t protect His chosen ones when their identity is known

This is not the sovereign God of Scripture. This is a god who operates in fear of his enemies.

Problem 3: It Contradicts Jesus’ Own Statements Jesus said: “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father“ (John 16:25).

Jesus promised clarity, not more concealment. He said the Holy Spirit would guide believers into all truth (John 16:13). He promised that what was hidden would be revealed (Luke 8:17).

But Shincheonji teaches that the most important truth—the identity of the one who brings actual salvation—must remain hidden in parables that only Lee Man-hee can interpret.

This contradicts Jesus’ promise of increasing clarity.

Problem 4: It Ignores That Satan Is Already Defeated The New Testament is clear about Satan’s status:

• “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil“ (1 John 3:8)
• “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15)
• “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out“ (John 12:31)
• Jesus declared: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven“ (Luke 10:18).

Satan is already defeated. The cross accomplished his downfall. Why would God need to hide His plans from an enemy who’s already been disarmed and defeated?

Problem 5: The Bound Satan Contradiction Shincheonji teaches that Satan has been bound for 1,000 years since their organization was founded (based on their interpretation of Revelation 20). If Satan is bound, why does God need to hide Lee Man-hee’s identity to protect the plan?

If Satan is bound and can’t deceive the nations, then he’s not a threat. If he’s still a threat, then he’s not actually bound.

Shincheonji can’t have it both ways. Either:

• Satan is bound, in which case hiding Lee Man-hee’s identity is unnecessary
• Satan isn’t bound, in which case Shincheonji’s interpretation of Revelation 20 is wrong

Problem 6: The “Many Enemies” Dilemma If Satan is bound, but God still needs to hide His plans, it implies God has many other enemies to worry about besides Satan. But who are these enemies powerful enough to threaten God’s plans?

If there are spiritual forces powerful enough that God must hide His chosen one from them, then:

• These forces are more dangerous than Satan (who’s supposedly bound)
• God’s sovereignty is limited by their power
• The cross didn’t actually defeat all spiritual enemies

This creates a theology where God is constantly afraid of enemies who might ruin His plans—which is completely contrary to the biblical portrait of God’s absolute sovereignty.

No One Can Snatch from the Father’s Hand

Jesus makes a promise that demolishes Shincheonji’s theology of fear:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand“ (John 10:27-29).

No one. Not Satan. Not demons. Not any spiritual force. No one can snatch from the Father’s hand.

If no enemy can snatch believers from God’s hand, why would God need to hide His chosen one’s identity to protect him from enemies?

God’s Purpose Cannot Be Thwarted

Job declares: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted“ (Job 42:2).

Isaiah records God’s words: “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose“ (Isaiah 46:10).

Paul writes: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

All things. Even Satan’s attacks. Even persecution. Even what looks like defeat. All things work together for God’s purpose.

God Works All Things According to His Will

Paul explains: “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will“ (Ephesians 1:11).

God works all things according to His will. Not “God works around Satan’s interference.” Not “God hides His plans to prevent Satan from stopping them.” God works all things according to His will.

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

Paul’s declaration in Romans 8 is one of the most powerful statements of God’s sovereignty in Scripture:

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord“ (Romans 8:38-39).

Notice what’s included: rulers (spiritual authorities), powers (spiritual forces), anything else in all creation (which includes Satan and all his demons).

Nothing can separate us from God’s love. If nothing can separate believers from God, why would God need to hide His chosen one to protect him from these same powerless forces?

Jesus Seeks the Lost Sheep

Jesus tells a parable that reveals the Father’s heart: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4).

The shepherd doesn’t abandon the lost sheep. He doesn’t say, “Well, I’ve got ninety-nine others. I’ll just replace the lost one.” He doesn’t hide from potential threats. He goes after the lost sheep until he finds it.

This is the God of Scripture. Not a god who abandons when people fail. Not a god who hides in fear of his enemies. A God who actively pursues those who are lost.

God Came Down as Man

The most profound demonstration of God’s pursuit is the Incarnation itself. John writes: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

God didn’t send a message. He didn’t hide His plan. He didn’t operate through secret organizations. He came down Himself.

Paul explains: “Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7).

God became man to seek and save the lost. He made Himself vulnerable. He entered enemy territory. He allowed Himself to be arrested, beaten, and crucified.

This is not a god who operates in fear. This is a God who pursues relentlessly, regardless of the cost.

The Shincheonji Contrast

Shincheonji presents a god who:

• Learned from past failures that he must hide his plans
• Operates in fear that enemies might ruin his purposes
• Conceals his chosen one’s identity to protect him
• Requires people to join a specific organization to be saved
• Abandons those who fail to understand correctly

But the God of Scripture:

• Openly proclaims His plans for centuries
• Demonstrates sovereignty by turning every attack into victory
• Came down as man to seek and save the lost
• Pursues the one lost sheep until He finds it
• Refuses to abandon His people despite repeated failures

These are two completely different Gods.

Jesus Was Foreshadowed Throughout Scripture

From Genesis to Malachi, the Old Testament points to Jesus:

• In Genesis:
  • The offspring who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15)
  • The son of Abraham through whom all nations would be blessed (Genesis 22:18)
  • The lion of Judah who would hold the scepter (Genesis 49:10)
• In Exodus:
  • The Passover lamb whose blood saves from death (Exodus 12)
  • The manna from heaven that sustains life (Exodus 16)
• In Leviticus:
  • The scapegoat who bears away sins (Leviticus 16)
• In Deuteronomy:
  • The prophet like Moses whom God would raise up (Deuteronomy 18:15)
• In the Psalms:
  • The rejected stone that becomes the corner-stone (Psalm 118:22)
  • The one whose hands and feet are pierced (Psalm 22:16)
• In Isaiah:
  • The virgin-born Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14)
  • The child called Mighty God and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
  • The suffering servant who bears our sins (Isaiah 53)
• In Micah:
  • The ruler born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
• In Zechariah:
  • The king coming on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)

Jesus was foreshadowed throughout the entire Old Testament. Hundreds of prophecies. Centuries of preparation. Public proclamation that gave Satan every opportunity to try to stop the plan.

Jesus Himself Explained These Prophecies

After His resurrection, Jesus appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself“ (Luke 24:27).

Later, He tells the disciples: “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled“ (Luke 24:44).

Lee Man-hee Has No Clear Biblical Foreshadowing

Shincheonji claims Lee Man-hee is the promised pastor of Revelation, the one who brings actual salvation. But where is he foreshadowed in Scripture?

• No prophecies in Genesis pointing to him
• No types and shadows in Exodus, Leviticus, or Numbers
• No clear statements from Jesus about him
• No apostolic teaching preparing the church for him

Shincheonji’s explanation? God hid his identity in parables to protect him from Satan. The prophecies are there, but they’re so concealed that only Lee Man-hee himself can interpret them correctly.

The Logical Contradiction

If Lee Man-hee’s role is more important than Jesus’ (since Shincheonji teaches he completes what Jesus started and brings the actual salvation), why is he less clearly prophesied?

If God’s plan for Lee Man-hee is more crucial than His plan for Jesus, why does it require more concealment?

The answer Shincheonji gives reveals their theology of fear: God had to hide Lee Man-hee because Satan might ruin the plan if he knew who Lee Man-hee was.

But this contradicts everything the Bible shows about God’s sovereignty. God openly proclaimed Jesus for centuries, Satan tried repeatedly to stop Him, and every attempt only advanced God’s plan. The cross—Satan’s greatest attack—became God’s greatest victory.

If God could accomplish salvation through the very death Satan orchestrated, why would He need to hide the next phase of His plan?

God Announced His Coming

God didn’t sneak Jesus into the world. He announced His arrival:

• Angels appeared to shepherds: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord“ (Luke 2:11)
• A star appeared to guide wise men from the East (Matthew 2:2)
• Simeon prophesied in the temple: “My eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples…” (Luke 2:30-32)

God made Jesus’ arrival public. He announced it through angels, stars, prophets, and prophetesses.

Satan Tried to Kill Him Multiple Times

We’ve already examined Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus as an infant. But throughout Jesus’ ministry, Satan tried repeatedly:

• In the wilderness: Satan tempted Jesus to throw Himself down from the temple (Matthew 4:5-6).
• In Nazareth: The people tried to throw Jesus off a cliff (Luke 4:29-30).
• Multiple times in Jerusalem: They picked up stones to stone Him (John 8:59; 10:31).

Jesus Escaped Because of Divine Sovereignty, Not Concealment

Jesus didn’t escape these attempts because His identity was hidden. Everyone knew who He claimed to be. He escaped because “his hour had not yet come.” God’s timing is sovereign. When it wasn’t time for Jesus to die, no attack could succeed. When the time came, Jesus went willingly to the cross.

This is sovereignty, not concealment.

The Shincheonji Logic Fails

Shincheonji argues: “Satan tried to kill Moses and Jesus, so God learned He must hide His chosen ones.”

But the biblical evidence shows:

• God put Moses in Pharaoh’s own house
• God announced Jesus’ coming for centuries
• Jesus’ ministry was completely public
• Every attempt failed because of God’s sovereign timing, not because of concealment

If God had to hide Lee Man-hee to protect His plan, it means either God’s sovereignty has diminished since Jesus’ time, or Lee Man-hee’s role is more vulnerable to Satan’s attacks than Jesus’ was. None of these options align with the biblical portrait of God’s unchanging, sovereign character.

The Moment Satan Thought He Won

When Jesus hung on the cross, Satan must have thought he’d finally succeeded. The promised Messiah, dead. The plan, apparently destroyed.

The disciples thought the same thing. Two of them walking to Emmaus said: “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel“ (Luke 24:21). Past tense. Hope lost.

But It Was God’s Plan All Along

Peter preaches at Pentecost: “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23).

The cross wasn’t Satan hijacking God’s plan. It was God’s plan from the beginning.

Isaiah prophesied it 700 years earlier: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities…” (Isaiah 53:5).

The Cosmic Victory

Paul explains what actually happened at the cross: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15).

Hebrews adds: “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil“ (Hebrews 2:14).

Satan’s greatest weapon—death itself—became the means of his defeat.

Why Satan Didn’t Understand

Paul writes: “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory“ (1 Corinthians 2:8).

Satan thought he was stopping God’s plan. He was actually fulfilling it.

This is the ultimate demonstration of God’s sovereignty: God’s plan is so secure that even Satan’s attempts to destroy it only accomplish it.

The Shincheonji Contradiction

Shincheonji teaches that God must hide His plans from Satan to prevent him from ruining them. But the cross proves the opposite: God can openly proclaim His plan, Satan can do everything in his power to stop it, and the result is that Satan’s attacks accomplish God’s purposes.

If God could accomplish salvation through the very death Satan orchestrated, why would He need to hide Lee Man-hee’s identity?

Jesus’ Final Instructions

After demonstrating His sovereignty through the resurrection, Jesus gives His disciples their marching orders: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age“ (Matthew 28:18-20).

Notice the progression:

• “All authority… has been given to me” – Jesus declares His absolute sovereignty.
• “Go therefore” – Because of this authority, go publicly.
• “Make disciples of all nations” – Proclaim openly to everyone.
• “I am with you always” – Jesus promises His presence, not concealment.

Jesus says: “Go. Publicly. Make disciples. Teach them. And I will be with you.”

The Book of Acts: Public Proclamation

The early church followed Jesus’ instructions with bold, public proclamation:

• Peter at Pentecost: Stood up in front of thousands and preached: “God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36).
• Peter and John at the temple: Healed a lame man publicly, then preached to the crowd (Acts 3:13).
• Peter before the Sanhedrin: When ordered to stop teaching, Peter responded: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

The Pattern: Public Proclamation Despite Persecution

The early church faced intense persecution (beaten, imprisoned, stoned), but they never responded by hiding the message or concealing Jesus’ identity. Instead, they proclaimed more boldly.

When threatened, they prayed: “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness“ (Acts 4:29). They didn’t pray for concealment. They prayed for boldness.

The Shincheonji Contrast

Shincheonji operates through:

• Front organizations that hide their affiliation
• Deceptive recruitment
• The “wisdom of hiding” that justifies concealment

This is the opposite of the early church’s approach. If Jesus’ followers could proclaim Him openly despite persecution, why must Lee Man-hee’s identity be hidden?

God’s Declarations of Absolute Control

Throughout Scripture, God declares His absolute sovereignty in terms that leave no room for fear of enemies:

• Isaiah 14:24-27: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand… For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?”
• Isaiah 46:9-10: “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.”
• Psalm 33:10-11: “The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever…”
• Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.”
• Daniel 4:35: “…and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?'”

Jesus’ Declarations of Authority

• Matthew 28:18: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
• John 10:28-29: “no one will snatch them out of my hand… and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
• John 19:10-11: Jesus affirms that Pilate has “no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.”

Paul’s Declarations of God’s Sovereignty

• Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good…”
• Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
• Ephesians 1:11: “…him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”
• Philippians 2:9-11: “…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…”

The Contrast Is Stark

These are not the same God.

The theological portrait that emerges from Shincheonji’s system invites us to consider important questions about God’s nature and how He communicates:

• How does God typically reveal His plans in Scripture?
• What role does secrecy play in divine revelation?
• How does God validate His messengers?
• What makes salvation accessible or restrictive?

Shincheonji offers thoughtful responses to these questions:

• God speaks in parables to separate those who truly seek from those who don’t (Mt 13:10-11).
• The “proper time” for revelation has now come—what was sealed is now opened (Rv 22:10).
• The secrecy was temporary—now the “one who overcomes” (MHL) testifies openly through worldwide seminars.
• Jesus Himself said, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear” (John 16:12)—indicating progressive revelation.

These are substantial points worth considering carefully. At the same time, they invite deeper reflection:

Considering God’s Communication Style

Scripture presents a consistent pattern of how God reveals truth:

• God is not a man, that he should lie (Numbers 23:19).
• Jesus declared: “I have spoken openly to the world… I said nothing in secret” (John 18:20).
• Paul wrote: “We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception“ (2 Corinthians 4:2).

Shincheonji’s framework involves:

• Prophecies deliberately coded for 2,000 years.
• Meanings hidden from most believers until recently.
• Salvation dependent on understanding these hidden meanings.

This invites personal reflection:

• Jesus used parables during His earthly ministry, then explained them to disciples (Mark 4:34). After Pentecost, the apostles preached openly, not in continued riddles (Acts 2:14-40).
• If understanding these parables is essential for salvation, why did God wait 2,000 years to provide clarity?
• How does this align with His stated desire that “all people be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4)?

Reflecting on Divine Sovereignty

Consider the logical flow of SCJ’s timeline: God must hide His plans from Satan through coded prophecies for 2,000 years, during which Satan remains active, until the “appointed time” when God’s plan can be revealed and Satan bound.

This invites thoughtful questions:

• If God is truly omnipotent, why would He need to hide plans from Satan rather than simply exercise authority over him?
• Does this suggest God was working around Satan’s power rather than simply overcoming it?
• How do we reconcile a God who “does whatever pleases him” (Psalm 115:3) with a God who must carefully maneuver around Satan for two millennia?

Considering God’s Heart

• SCJ’s framework might see a God who values strategic victory over Satan and reveals truth progressively at the proper time.
• Traditional Christian theology might see a God who values relationship above all and works through the simple message of the cross.

Which portrait better aligns with passages like: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16)? Does God’s primary concern seem to be strategic victory through coded messages, or relational love through open invitation?

The Satan Timeline Question

Shincheonji teaches that Satan was bound in Revelation 20 during the events witnessed by Chairman Lee in the 1980s-1990s.

Shincheonji’s explanation is internally consistent: Satan was active during Revelation 6-19 (betrayal, destruction) and his “binding” in Revelation 20 occurs after these events.

Yet it invites further questions:

• Question 1: Observable Differences
  • If Satan is bound now to “keep him from deceiving the nations anymore” (Rev 20:3), why do SCJ materials continue to warn extensively about deception, false teachers, and spiritual warfare?
• Question 2: Verification
  • What evidence would demonstrate that this binding has actually occurred? If the evidence is primarily “spiritual” and requires SCJ’s framework to recognize, how can it be independently verified?
• Question 3: Timing and Purpose
  • If God’s plan was to bind Satan in the 1980s-90s, why not at the cross when Jesus declared, “It is finished”? What was accomplished by allowing 2,000 additional years of Satanic activity?

The Fulfillment Question

SCJ claims Revelation’s prophecies have been physically fulfilled at the Tabernacle Temple in South Korea.

• Observation 1: Scale Differences
  • Revelation describes cosmic, global events (stars falling, every mountain and island removed).
  • SCJ’s fulfillment involves events at one church organization in South Korea (internal conflicts, leadership changes), using symbolic interpretations of these events.
  • How do we bridge the gap between cosmic language and local events? Is symbolic interpretation of local events truly “physical fulfillment”?
• Observation 2: Recognition
  • Revelation’s events are described as unmistakable signs to the whole world.
  • Yet these “fulfillments” required extensive explanation years later and were not recognized by independent observers without SCJ’s interpretive framework.
• Observation 3: Verification Challenge
  • Can these events be independently verified without accepting SCJ’s interpretation of what was witnessed?

The Salvation Question

SCJ teaches that salvation requires:

• Recognizing Lee Man-hee as the “one who overcomes.”
• Understanding Revelation’s fulfillment through SCJ’s interpretation.
• Being “sealed” with the correct revealed knowledge.

This creates some logical tensions:

• Tension 1: Universal Access
  • God “desires all people to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4).
  • But salvation now requires access to one Korean organization’s teaching. How could God desire universal salvation while making it geographically/culturally/temporally restricted?
• Tension 2: Grace vs. Achievement
  • Scripture: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith… not by works” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
  • SCJ system: Salvation requires extensive study, correct interpretation, and cognitive achievement. Is “understanding Revelation correctly” a work or not?
• Tension 3: Simplicity vs. Complexity
  • Jesus: “Let the little children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).
  • SCJ: Salvation requires mastering complex symbolic interpretations. Can a child understand SCJ’s system, and if not, does this align with Jesus’ emphasis on childlike faith?

The Interpretation Question

SCJ’s hermeneutical method involves fixed meanings for symbols applied to events at the Tabernacle Temple.

• Question 1: Falsifiability
  • What evidence could potentially disprove SCJ’s interpretation? If outsiders don’t see the fulfillment, is the answer always that they lack revelation? Can the system be tested?
• Question 2: Circular Reasoning
  • Does the claim that the events fulfill Revelation because they match the symbols, and the claim that the symbols mean this because they match the events, create a circular logic that lacks external validation?
• Question 3: Interpretive Flexibility
  • Some prophecies are “physically fulfilled” (events), others remain symbolic (stars=pastors). Who decides which to take literally vs. symbolically?

1. Examining the Central Claim

Shincheonji’s system centers on Lee Man-hee as the “one who overcomes.”

• For reflection: How did God validate true prophets in Scripture (miraculous signs, works, fire from heaven)? What validation has been provided in this case, and does it require accepting the interpretive framework first?
• About the “fruit” of growth: Does numerical growth validate truth, or did Jesus warn that false prophets would “deceive many” (Matthew 24:11)?

2. Reflecting on Interpretation Methods

• Question 4: Historical Understanding
  • Were all Christians throughout history wrong until your group/understanding came along? Did the Holy Spirit fail to guide the church (John 16:13)?

3. Considering the Gospel Message

Compare SCJ’s presentation of salvation (requires believing the “testimony of the fulfillment of Revelation,” recognizing the “one who overcomes,” and being “sealed”) with the New Testament presentation (“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31); “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith” (Ephesians 2:8-9)).

• The Thief on the Cross: He had no understanding of Revelation and simply had faith in Jesus—and was promised immediate salvation. If this was sufficient then, when did it become insufficient?
• The Apostolic Preaching: The apostles focused on Christ died for our sins and was raised on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). If SCJ’s requirements are necessary, did the apostles preach an incomplete gospel?

4. Evaluating Practical Implications

• Questions about Authority: Who has final authority in interpreting your spiritual life? Can you disagree and remain in good standing?
• Questions about Freedom: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Do you feel free to question, examine, and test teachings, or does questioning indicate a lack of faith? The Bereans were praised for examining Paul’s teaching (Acts 17:11).
• Questions about Assurance: Does your assurance depend on Christ’s finished work, or on correct understanding/membership/sealing?

Here are questions worth considering privately and honestly:

For Everyone: Questions About Verification

• How do you verify your core beliefs? Can they be tested independently?
• What evidence could potentially show you were wrong?
• If you were in a false system, how would you know?

For Everyone: Questions About Scripture

• Can you show from Scripture alone that your core beliefs are true, without requiring a specific interpretive framework or circular reasoning?
• How do you handle passages that seem to contradict your beliefs?
• Did God leave His church in darkness for centuries?

For Everyone: Questions About Logic

• Are your beliefs internally consistent?
• Does your system require special circumstances for God to work (i.e., does God need to maneuver around obstacles)?
• Does your theology reflect divine omnipotence?

For Everyone: Questions About Practice

• Are you free to question and express doubts without consequences?
• Do you study Scripture independently, or has the framework become the lens for everything?
• Can you leave freely if you choose, without social or spiritual consequences?

For Everyone: Questions About the Gospel

• On what does your salvation ultimately rest? Christ’s finished work alone, or Christ’s work plus something else (knowledge, membership, understanding)?
• Is the gospel simple or complex? Can a child understand how to be saved?

The Most Important Question for Everyone

“Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15)

• Is Jesus sufficient for salvation, or is something else required?

This examination has been written with genuine respect for all involved.

Some Observations Worth Pondering

• About God’s Character: Scripture presents a God of truth who spoke “openly to the world” (John 18:20). Does a 2,000-year system of coded messages align with this character?
• About Divine Sovereignty: Scripture presents God as absolutely sovereign (Psalm 115:3). Does God need elaborate strategies to outmaneuver Satan?
• About Salvation’s Accessibility: Scripture emphasizes salvation’s simplicity (Acts 16:31). Has salvation become more complex than Jesus presented it?

A Balanced Perspective

• If Shincheonji’s teaching is true: It represents the most important revelation in 2,000 years, and all believers should carefully study and consider it.
• If Shincheonji’s teaching is not accurate: The simple gospel is being made more complex than needed.

An Invitation to All

• For Shincheonji members: Consider: Can you verify your core beliefs independently of SCJ’s framework? Does your salvation rest on Christ alone, or Christ plus special knowledge? The Bereans were called “noble” for examining even Paul’s teaching against Scripture (Acts 17:11).
• For critics: Have you fairly studied SCJ’s actual teachings or just critiques of them? Approach with humility and love (Ephesians 4:15).
• For inquirers: Don’t rush to judgment. Study Scripture first. Test everything against the clear teachings of the gospel.

The Path Forward for All

1. Intellectual Honesty: Examine evidence that challenges your position.
2. Logical Consistency: Apply the same standards to your own beliefs that you apply to others’.
3. Biblical Fidelity: Let Scripture speak for itself. Prioritize clear passages over obscure ones.
4. Christological Focus: Keep Christ central—not systems, not interpretations, not organizations. “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).
5. Humble Love: “Knowledge puffs up while love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1).

The Ultimate Question

Jesus asks: “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15).

Peter answered: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God“ (Matthew 16:16).

This is the gospel’s heart: knowing Jesus Christ, trusting His finished work, receiving eternal life as a gift of grace.

A Closing Prayer: May we all have wisdom to recognize truth, courage to embrace it, humility to admit when we’re wrong, and focus on Christ above all systems.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)