After centuries of slavery in Egypt, God sent Moses to lead His people out through miraculous signs and wonders. The defining moment came at the Red Sea: the waters parted for Israel and then closed over Pharaoh’s pursuing army. Once Israel stood safely on the other side, after deliverance had been completed, Moses and the Israelites broke into song.

The prophecy can be seen in Genesis 15:13-14, where God would deliver the descendants of Abraham out of the hands of the foreign land that enslaved his descendants.

Genesis 15:13-14 – 13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.

Then, God saved the Israelites and delivered them from Egypt, resulting in the Song of Moses in Exodus 15:

“I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously;

the horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea.”

It celebrates what God has done — salvation already achieved. The song is retrospective worship, not prophetic revelation.

Centuries later, Israel had entered the Promised Land, yet disobedience led them into cycles of oppression. Under Deborah’s leadership, God granted victory over the Canaanite general Sisera (Judges 4). After the battle, Deborah and Barak sang a song of triumph.

This fulfilled God’s covenant promise to protect and deliver His people when they turned back to Him (Deuteronomy 30:1–3). God had again shown Himself faithful to His covenant despite Israel’s failures.

Judges 5 celebrates the Lord’s intervention:

“When the princes in Israel take the lead… praise the Lord!”

It recounts the battle, names those who stood firm, and glorifies the Lord as Deliverer. The song follows victory — it is praise for fulfillment, not a coded revelation predicting it.

David, chosen as Israel’s king, experienced countless deliverances—from Saul’s persecution to foreign wars. Each triumph was a demonstration of God’s promise that He would establish David’s throne and give him rest from his enemies (2 Samuel 7:8–16).

Through these victories, God kept His word to raise David and secure His people under a righteous king. David’s life was marked by God’s ongoing faithfulness to His covenant.

David wrote many psalms reflecting on those fulfillments:

“I love You, O Lord, my strength… He rescued me from my strong enemy” (Psalm 18).

We can already see how David’s “songs” looked back retrospectively on something that was already experienced.

Revisiting the “New Song” of Revelation 5:

In John’s vision, the apostle sees the heavenly throne room. A scroll sealed with seven seals lies in God’s hand, and no one is worthy to open it—until the Lamb, Jesus Christ, appears. The moment the Lamb takes the scroll, heaven erupts in a new song.

This scene proclaims the ultimate fulfillment of all God’s redemptive promises. The Lamb’s worthiness comes from His sacrifice — “You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased for God persons from every tribe…” (Revelation 5:9). The redemption promised through the prophets and accomplished at the cross has been completed.

The new song celebrates that redemption is finished and the kingdom is secured. It mirrors the songs of Moses, Deborah, and David — praise that follows divine victory. The worship is directed to the Lamb alone, not to any human interpreter or prophet.

This is also proven with the fact that Jesus already claimed to have all authority after his resurrection, and when he met the disciples again and gave them the great commission of Matthew 28:18-19.

The 144,000 of SCJ are singing a “different” New Song

The New Song of Revelation 5 is clearly about Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, and has nothing to do with Lee Man-hee, or the Tabernacle Temple in Gwacheon, South Korea.

This leads to the next point of how Shincheonji’s 144,000 doctrine is incorrect: they have a different “song”.

We can plainly see throughout the book of Revelation what is required for salvation, the blood of Christ. We see this in Revelation 1:5-6 –

5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Revelation 5:9-10 –

9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll

    and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

 and with your blood you purchased for God

    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

    and they will reign on the earth.”

This is the same “new song” that is referenced in Revelation 14:3 – 

3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one would learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

This is also reinforced throughout the New Testament, with John 19:30 and the blood of Christ being able to atone for our sins, and how in Luke 22:14-20 is about the blood of Jesus on the cross.  To explore this concept further – Already Not Yet

By the time the Apostle John received the Book of Revelation, we can already see that the blood of Christ was already applied for his sins. This is why he was able to approach the Father without any issue, unlike Isaiah.

The Old Covenant and Isaiah

In Isaiah 6, we can see that an angel needed to touch his lips with coal in order for his sins to be forgiven, and so that he could stand before the glory of God, even if it is in vision.

In Isaiah 6:5 – “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips…” (Isaiah 6:5)

Because the redemptive work of Christ had not yet occurred, Isaiah stood under the old covenant sacrificial system, which pointed forward to the ultimate atonement yet to come. When the seraph touches his lips with a live coal from the altar, it symbolizes temporary cleansing and divine preparation for service. The altar represents sacrifice — foreshadowing the cross — but at that moment, Isaiah’s sin is covered through symbolic purification, not permanently removed (cf. Hebrews 10:1–4). He can stand before God only after this act of grace mediated by the angel.

Isaiah 6:6- 7 – 

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

The New Covenant and the Apostle John

We can already see that the Apostle John was already before the throne of God without needing any special intervention from an angel, becuase he already received the ultimate atonement, the blood of Christ, which is mentioned in Revelation 1:5-6.

This is also why in Revelation 1:17, Jesus says not to be afraid, because He is the “First and the Last”.

John’s ability to stand in the presence of God’s glory — to see the throne, the Lamb, and the heavenly host — comes not through ritual purification but through the finished work of Christ’s blood. His sins had already been atoned for once and for all (Hebrews 10:10, 14). Because John was under the new covenant, he could approach the throne of God with confidence, just as Hebrews 4:16 proclaims:

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

In other words, John didn’t need an intermediary angel to cleanse him, because Jesus Himself is the mediator and the Lamb who “has freed us from our sins by His blood” (Revelation 1:5).

Isaiah’s coal came from the altar of sacrifice — a type or shadow of what Christ would accomplish centuries later on Calvary. John, however, witnessed the heavenly reality that those symbols had pointed to:

“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne…” (Revelation 5:6)

This Lamb, who was slain and now lives, is the reason John could stand before the throne without fear or purification rituals. The difference between Isaiah and John reveals the transition from the shadow of atonement to its fulfillment. Isaiah saw a glimpse of what was coming; John saw the result of it completed.

When approaching the Book of Revelation, the intent of Revelation is to show the shift from the Old Covenant, to the New Covenant. This is something to keep in mind when reading.

To take a closer look, no pun intended, at the New Song, we should also review the Greek behind the wording.

The Greek word used in Revelation 14:3 for “learn” is μανθάνω (manthanō). This word never means to “interpret prophecy” or “receive hidden revelation.” Instead, it means to learn through experience, practice, or participation.

It is the root of the word mathētēs (disciple), literally “one who learns.” The focus of manthanō is not cognitive understanding of mysteries, but formation through relationship or action.

We can also see this reinforced with the following scripture:Matthew 11:29 – “Learn (manthanō) from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.”

→ Learning here means following Jesus’ example — living out His character.

Philippians 4:11–12 – Paul says, “I have learned (manthanō) to be content…”

→ Paul didn’t interpret contentment; he experienced it through walking with Christ.

Therefore, when Revelation 14:3 says, “No one could learn the song except the 144,000,” it means only those who have been redeemed through Christ’s blood can participate in this song — they have personally experienced the redemption being celebrated.

The 144,000 learn the song because they belong to the redeemed (Revelation 14:4–5), not because they possess special doctrinal insight. They “follow the Lamb wherever He goes,” which demonstrates faithfulness and moral purity — not secret understanding.

This mirrors the Exodus pattern:

Only those who experienced deliverance from Egypt could sing the Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1–2).

Outsiders could hear it, but only those who walked through the Red Sea could truly sing it with conviction and gratitude.

In the same way, only those who have been purchased by the Lamb’s blood (Revelation 5:9) can join the “New Song.” The learning is experiential — participation in the life of redemption, not intellectual decoding of prophecy.

Throughout Scripture, “singing” represents internalized worship — an expression of the heart that flows from knowing God personally (Psalm 40:3, Ephesians 5:19).

Thus, the 144,000 “learning” the song signifies that their lives resonate with the truth of redemption. Their hearts echo heaven’s praise, because they share in Christ’s victory. This is why no one outside that redeemed community can learn it — the unredeemed cannot participate in the worship of salvation they have not experienced.

Unfortunately, SCJ conflates the idea of redemption with having the correct, esoteric hidden knowledge, and they redefine spiritual rebirth as intellectual knowledge. However, scripture consistently teaches:

“No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3).

In Revelation 14:3, the 144,000 sing “a new song” that no one else can learn. Shincheonji claims this refers to their exclusive doctrinal knowledge revealed by their leader. Yet Scripture consistently defines a new song as a song of praise for God’s redemptive work — not secret knowledge (see Psalm 96:1, Psalm 98:1, Isaiah 42:10).

The “new song” is learned not through hidden teaching but through redemption itself — only those who have been purchased by the Lamb can truly sing it. This parallels the Exodus song of Moses and the Lamb in Revelation 15:3, celebrating deliverance from sin and judgment, not special revelation from a man.

As already discussed here, Shincheonji gets the “figurative horn” incorrect.

In Scripture, horns consistently symbolize power, strength, and authority (Deuteronomy 33:17; 1 Samuel 2:10; Daniel 7:24). When Revelation 5:6 depicts the Lamb with seven horns, the number seven conveys fullness and perfection, representing complete and unlimited authority. This imagery communicates that Jesus possesses all power in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), a power that belongs exclusively to God.

No created being in Scripture is ever described with perfect or complete authority. Angels, prophets, and all other servants act under God’s command, never as bearers of divine sovereignty. The Lamb’s seven horns, therefore, reveal His divine nature and role as the sovereign executor of God’s will. He alone is worthy to open the scroll and unfold the divine plan of history, not as a messenger or subordinate, but as God Himself acting in perfect unity with the Father.

Eyes in Scripture consistently symbolize knowledge, perception, and divine omniscience (2 Chronicles 16:9; Zechariah 4:10). In Revelation 5:6, John explicitly explains that the Lamb’s seven eyes are “the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” This same phrase appears in Revelation 4:5, where the seven lamps before God’s throne represent the seven Spirits of God. The connection reveals that the Lamb shares in the very Spirit that proceeds from God’s throne, signifying that He perceives and acts with divine awareness through the Spirit’s operation in the world.

This image beautifully illustrates the unity of action within the Trinity. The Spirit proceeds from the throne of God, through the Lamb, and into all the earth to carry out the divine will. The Lamb is not merely aided by the Spirit but is intrinsically united with Him — the Spirit is described as the Lamb’s own eyes, His means of seeing and working. Such a description cannot apply to any created being. It affirms that the Lamb possesses the attributes of deity, sharing fully in the divine nature and authority of God.

Zechariah 3:9 presents a prophetic image that anticipates the coming Messiah: “For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in one day.” This vision unites several theological themes that later find their fulfillment in Christ. The stone represents the Messiah, the cornerstone of God’s redemptive work (Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22), upon whom God builds His spiritual temple.

The seven eyes upon the stone symbolize complete perception and divine wisdom, reflecting attributes belonging only to God (2 Chronicles 16:9). The imagery of seven eyes portrays the fullness of divine awareness operating through the Messiah. The inscription and the removal of iniquity in a single day point unmistakably to Christ’s atoning death, through which sin was decisively dealt with once and for all.

Thus, Zechariah’s vision reveals that the fullness of God’s Spirit and wisdom would rest upon one person — the promised Messiah. This prophetic image anticipates the Lamb of Revelation 5, who likewise bears seven eyes as the embodiment of divine omniscience and redemptive power.

Zechariah 4:2–10 builds on the vision of chapter 3 by expanding the imagery of the seven eyes into the context of the golden lampstand. Zechariah describes seeing “a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on top of it, and seven lamps on it,” and the angel explains, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (verses 2, 6). When Zechariah asks what the lamps signify, the angel clarifies, “These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth” (verse 10).

This vision ties together three interconnected symbols: the seven eyes, the seven lamps, and the Spirit of the Lord. Each represents a different aspect of the same divine reality — the omniscient and active Spirit of God. The seven eyes symbolize the Lord’s all-seeing awareness throughout the earth. The lampstand signifies the continual illumination of God’s presence. And the divine explanation “by My Spirit” makes explicit that the power and work being described belong to the Holy Spirit Himself.

Together, these symbols depict the fullness of the Spirit’s operation in creation, reflecting divine knowledge, power, and presence. In the New Testament, this imagery finds its fulfillment in the Lamb of Revelation 5:6, who possesses the seven eyes — the seven Spirits of God — showing that the Spirit proceeds from God’s throne through the Lamb to accomplish the divine will across the earth.

Revelation 5:6 intentionally echoes the language and imagery of Zechariah 4:10: “The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” This parallel is striking, as Zechariah described “the eyes of the Lord that range through the whole earth.” John draws on this Old Testament symbolism to reveal a profound theological truth — the Spirit active in Zechariah’s vision is the same Spirit revealed in Revelation, but now His relationship to the Son is made explicit.

In Zechariah, the seven eyes represent the omniscient Spirit of the Lord at work throughout the world. In Revelation, those same seven eyes are said to belong to the Lamb, who sends the Spirit into all the earth. The Spirit now proceeds not only from the throne of God but also from the Lamb who shares that throne. This establishes a distinctly Trinitarian vision: the Father and the Son together send the Spirit in perfect unity of will and purpose. The Spirit’s mission and power flow from both, confirming the divinity of Christ and His full participation in the life and authority of God.

In Revelation 5, we can see that the Lamb, Jesus, is now accepting the same worship as the Father.

In order to understand the significance, we need to flesh out the concept of idolatry from Exodus 20:4 –

You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God…

The Historical Context of Exodus 20:4

During the time of Moses, the nations surrounding Israel would have carved out physical idols or images of their gods, and then worship the spirit that the carved out image or idol represented.

In other words, the surrounding nations would worship the “spirits” behind the idols. By forbidding the making of images, Yahweh was setting Himself apart from all other deities. Israel was not to worship a created form or any intermediary spirit, but the invisible, uncreated God Himself. The commandment protected the uniqueness and exclusivity of divine worship: only God deserves worship, and giving it to anyone or anything else is idolatry.

Yet, we can see in Revelation 5, Jesus, who according to Shincheonji is a creature, is accepting the same worship as the Father. 

To break down the worship found in Revelation, we can see:

The worship in Revelation 5 is directed to both the Father and the Son equally.

Revelation 5:13 declares, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and power forever and ever.” The conjunction “and” unites both the One seated on the throne and the Lamb as co-recipients of a single doxology. This grammatical and theological structure underscores their shared divinity and equality within the act of worship. The same language of eternal praise—“forever and ever”—is applied equally to both, leaving no distinction in the nature or duration of the glory they receive.

The heavenly host’s worship reveals that the Lamb is not a mere intermediary through whom worship is offered but the rightful object of worship Himself. The praise directed “to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb” flows seamlessly as one act, affirming that divine honor belongs to both. Revelation thus presents a unified vision of worship in which Christ shares in the full majesty and authority of God, confirming the Lamb’s co-regency and eternal participation in the divine glory.

Throughout Scripture, God does not share His worship with another.

Isaiah 42:8 declares, “My glory I will not give to another, nor my praise to idols,” emphasizing God’s exclusive right to worship. Throughout Scripture, whenever worship is directed toward angels, prophets, or apostles, it is immediately rejected and redirected to God alone, as seen in Revelation 19:10 and Acts 10:25–26. This consistent pattern demonstrates the absolute distinction between the Creator, who alone is worthy of worship, and all created beings who serve Him.

In Revelation 5, however, the scene is entirely different. The Lamb receives the same worship, glory, and honor as the One seated on the throne, and there is no correction or rebuke. Instead, the worship is affirmed and expanded by every creature in heaven and on earth. This distinction is crucial: the worship of the Lamb is accepted because the Lamb shares the very nature, authority, and divinity of God. Revelation thus reinforces the deity of Christ, showing that the Lamb is not another being separate from God but one with Him in essence and worthy of eternal praise.

This shows the deity of Christ

The only coherent interpretation of Revelation 5 is that Jesus shares the same divine essence as the Father. The text does not portray worship being offered to the Father through the Son but to both the Father and the Son together as one God. The unified doxology and shared attributes of glory, honor, and eternal power affirm that the Lamb is not a subordinate being but fully divine, participating in the same worship due to God alone.

This understanding exposes the theological inconsistency within Shincheonji’s framework, which claims that Jesus is a created being. If that were true, then Revelation 5 would depict the Father permitting idolatry in the very throne room of heaven—a contradiction to His own declaration in Isaiah 42:8. However, if Jesus is indeed of one essence with the Father, then Revelation 5 becomes a powerful revelation of the triune God: the Father, Son, and Spirit united in redemptive glory as all creation worships the One God who redeems through the Lamb.

Throughout the Old Testament, we can see God being exalted by his creation whenever He accomplished a task of salvation. We can see this in the following verses:

Exodus 15:1–2, 6, 11

“I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously…

The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation…

Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power…

Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

This is the Song of Moses after the Red Sea crossing. God is exalted through His saving act. The Hebrew verb ga’ah (גָּאָה) used here means to rise up, be lifted high, i.e., exalted.

1 Samuel 2:1–2, 10 (Hannah’s song)

“My heart exults in the LORD;
My horn is exalted in the LORD…
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Here, God is exalted for reversing human fortunes — lifting the lowly and bringing down the proud — again tied to salvation and kingship.

Psalm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”

This verse directly connects God’s exaltation with His victory over the nations — His saving rule being established publicly after judgment and deliverance.

Isaiah 33:5

“The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.”

Here, His exaltation is connected to His restoration of Zion — a saving act.

Isaiah 52:13 (The Servant Song)

“Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.”

This verse is especially profound: it describes the Suffering Servant (Messiah) who will be exalted after suffering (fulfilled in Christ; see Philippians 2:8–9). So even the divine Servant is exalted after accomplishing salvation — a perfect foreshadowing of Christ.

We can also see the parallel with Revelation 5, and how Christ is now being exalted for the ultimate plan of salvation, what he did on the cross.

When the Old Testament says that God “became” Israel’s God after an act of deliverance, it doesn’t mean God became divine or started existing in a new way. Rather, it describes a renewed covenantal relationship — where His people recognize and submit to Him as their Redeemer and King.

God is always God, whether His people acknowledge Him or not (cf. Psalm 90:2; Malachi 3:6). His being never changes, but the people’s relationship and response to Him does.

This is why the “becoming” language in Scripture reflects relational restoration, not divine transformation.

God Was Always Israel’s God — Even When They Rejected Him

1 Samuel 8:7

“They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”
God remained their King, but the people refused to acknowledge Him. His kingship was constant; their obedience was not.

Hosea 11:1–4
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son… I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love.”
God’s covenant love continued even when Israel turned away (v. 7). His identity as their God did not cease because of their rebellion.

Isaiah 63:16
“For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us… you, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from of old is your name.”
Even in exile, Isaiah confesses that the LORD is still their Father and Redeemer — His covenant identity remains intact.

When God declares, “I will be your God, and you shall be my people” (Exodus 6:7), He is using covenantal language that expresses the fulfillment of promises already made to Abraham (Genesis 17:7–8). This statement is not the beginning of a new relationship but the realization of one already established by divine commitment. God’s promise to Abraham anticipated a people set apart for Himself, and the Exodus marks the historical moment when that promise takes visible form through redemption.

Following Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, the covenant is publicly confirmed as the nation comes to live under God’s direct and visible rule. Passages such as Exodus 6:6–7 and 2 Samuel 7:23–24 do not suggest a change in God’s nature or His relationship to creation, but rather a change in human experience and acknowledgment of His authority and mercy. God remains constant, while His redemptive work unfolds progressively in history, bringing His people to a fuller understanding of who He is.

When Scripture speaks of God being “exalted,” it does not imply that He becomes divine but that His inherent glory is revealed and recognized following His acts of salvation. In Exodus 15:1–2, after the deliverance at the Red Sea, Moses declares, “I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously.” God’s exaltation in this context is the public acknowledgment of His supremacy over all other powers, displayed through His redemptive victory.

Similarly, Psalm 46:10 states, “I will be exalted among the nations,” emphasizing that exaltation refers to recognition rather than an increase in God’s essence or status. God is eternally sovereign; exaltation simply marks the moment when His authority is made manifest to creation. In the same way, Christ’s exaltation in Philippians 2:9–11 reveals His eternal divine authority after His work of redemption. The Son did not become more divine at His exaltation — rather, His divine nature, long veiled in human form, was unveiled and proclaimed to all creation through His resurrection and ascension.