Shincheonji would rely on the framework of “Spirit working through flesh”, pointing to how angels would deliver messages to the prophets or Apostles, and then the people would then carry out the task and word. An example SCJ would point to would be the passage of the open scroll, starting with God -> Jesus -> Angel -> New John (servant) -> Servants (144,000).
The first issue with the above claim is that one needs to prove that there is a New John doctrinally and determine if there is a Promised Pastor of the New Testament.
Is there a Promised Pastor of the New Testament?
Second, does the spirit always work through flesh? An SCJ member may point to John the Baptist, claiming that the spirit of Elijah was working through John the Baptist in order to fulfill prophecy.
What does it mean for John the Baptist to come in the spirit and power of Elijah?
Instead of having the literal spirit of Elijah descend from Heaven and exclusively work through the Apostle John, what it meant was that John the Baptist ministered in the same integrity and character as the prophet Elijah.
Be aware that groups like Shincheonji often respond to criticism by subtly adjusting their doctrine—a common tactic involving denial, adaptation, and manipulation; is a common tactic among high-control organizations. They may gather information on critics and “flip the script,” portraying exposure as persecution or misinformation. It’s essential to carefully observe doctrinal shifts rather than accepting new explanations at face value. Stay vigilant against gaslighting through evolving teachings designed to counter today’s realities and criticisms. (Read More)
Clarifying What “Spirit Working Through Flesh” Actually Means Biblically
The phrase “spirit working through flesh” is not a biblical formula; it is a theological concept that Shincheonji constructs by combining various passages about prophetic inspiration, angelic mediation, and divine empowerment. However, when we examine Scripture as a whole, we find that the Spirit’s activity through human beings has always been about divine empowerment for a specific mission, not exclusive spiritual habitation in one chosen mediator. The biblical pattern consistently shows that God works through people to accomplish His will, but He does not limit His presence to a single person who alone becomes the conduit of revelation or salvation.
In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God would come upon individuals temporarily or situationally to equip them for a specific calling or task. The Spirit came upon Moses to lead Israel (Numbers 11:17), upon Gideon to deliver the nation from Midian (Judges 6:34), upon Samson to empower him against the Philistines (Judges 14:6), and upon David when he was anointed king (1 Samuel 16:13). Likewise, the prophets spoke by the Spirit of the Lord when delivering God’s messages to the people (2 Chronicles 24:20). In all of these examples, the Spirit’s work was functional and purpose-driven. The Spirit enabled human beings to accomplish God’s purpose, but the Spirit was not permanently bound to their flesh. God used many people across generations, demonstrating that His Spirit is sovereign and not confined to one physical body through which He must act.
In the New Testament, this pattern reaches its fulfillment and expansion. Through the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, the Holy Spirit is no longer given selectively but poured out universally upon all believers. At Pentecost, Peter quotes Joel 2:28–29, declaring, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17–18). The fulfillment of this prophecy marks a dramatic shift in how God relates to His people. The Spirit’s work is now collective and continuous, not exclusive and episodic. Every believer becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16), and the Spirit distributes gifts to each member of the body for the building up of the Church (1 Corinthians 12:4–7).
Therefore, when Shincheonji teaches that God, Jesus, and the angels must work through one “promised pastor” to accomplish the work of revelation, they are effectively reversing Pentecost. They return to an Old Testament-like hierarchy where divine revelation flows through a single chosen figure, rather than recognizing the New Testament truth that the Holy Spirit now indwells all believers equally. The New Covenant does not restrict access to God’s Spirit through an intermediary; it opens that access to all who believe in Christ. The “spirit working through flesh” in Scripture is a picture of empowerment shared across God’s people, not an argument for a monopolized spiritual authority.
Revelation 1:1 and the Transmission of Revelation
Revelation 1:1 opens the book by describing how the Apostle John received the prophetic vision:
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must soon take place. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John.”
This verse outlines a single chain of communication: from God the Father, to Jesus Christ, through an angelic messenger, to John, and finally to the churches. The purpose of this introduction is to authenticate the divine origin of John’s vision and to establish its authority as Scripture. It shows that the message John recorded did not originate from his own imagination or teaching but came directly from God through the mediation of Christ and the heavenly realm. Importantly, the verse does not prescribe a continuing pattern for how future generations will receive new revelations. It describes a specific historical event in the life of the Apostle John, not a recurring formula for salvation or doctrinal understanding.
The language of Revelation 1:1 is similar to the introductions of other biblical books that describe prophetic revelation. For example, “The word of the Lord came to Hosea” (Hosea 1:1) or “The word of the Lord came to Jonah” (Jonah 1:1) function in the same way—they identify who received the revelation and how. None of these prefaces were meant to be repeated as a timeless chain. Similarly, Revelation 1:1 validates the prophetic source of the book but gives no indication that another “John” would appear in the future to complete it. The book itself repeatedly warns against adding to or taking away from its prophecy (Revelation 22:18–19), emphasizing that this revelation is final and complete.
Across the New Testament, revelation is consistently portrayed as coming directly through the Holy Spirit, not through a perpetual human mediator. Paul writes in Galatians 1:11–12, “The gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 2:10–13, he explains that “the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God… we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit.” Both apostles—Paul and John—received their revelation directly by divine initiative, not through a human chain of succession. The Spirit’s role is personal and direct, dwelling within all believers (John 14:26; Romans 8:9–11), eliminating the need for a new prophetic intermediary.
Shincheonji, however, expands Revelation 1:1 into an ongoing organizational structure that extends the biblical chain into the present day:
God → Jesus → angel → Lee Man-Hee → Shincheonji members.
In their interpretation, every believer must come to God through the “promised pastor,” who alone receives the “opened word” from the angel and delivers it to the world. This reinterpretation transforms a single historical moment into a permanent institutional hierarchy. Yet the text itself provides no warrant for such an extension. It does not introduce a continuing office of “New John,” nor does it imply that revelation would continue through one exclusive person after the apostolic era.
In contrast, the New Testament concludes with the completed canon of Scripture, given through the apostles and sealed by the Spirit. Revelation 1:1 affirms the finality and divine origin of that revelation, not its repetition. The biblical chain points back to Christ’s finished revelation to His servants; Shincheonji’s expanded chain reopens what Scripture has already closed.
| Biblical Revelation Chain | SCJ’s Expanded Chain |
| God → Jesus → angel → John → churches | God → Jesus → angel → Lee Man-Hee → SCJ members |
| Describes one historical event | Establishes ongoing human dependency |
| Confirms Scripture’s authority | Creates new revelation outside Scripture |
| Upholds the sufficiency of Christ’s revelation | Introduces a new mediator between God and humanity |
This expansion firmly establishes that Revelation 1:1 is descriptive, not prescriptive—it explains how John received divine revelation, not how future revelations will continue. The key point is that Shincheonji turns a completed, historical communication into a perpetual spiritual hierarchy, undermining the sufficiency and finality of Christ’s revelation to His Church.