They’ll insist that “the Lamb” doesn’t literally descend from heaven but works through the Overcomer (Lee Man Hee) at the time of fulfillment, who opens the scroll on Christ’s behalf.

The context of Revelation 5:7 makes clear that the scene takes place entirely in heaven, where “He went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.” The Lamb’s action occurs before the elders and living creatures, with no indication of any transition to an earthly setting. This heavenly context emphasizes that the authority to take and open the scroll belongs solely to the Lamb, not to any earthly representative.

Grammatically, the Greek verbs in this passage are in the third-person singular and refer directly to the Lamb Himself. The text gives no support for the idea of another acting in His place or on His behalf. This is further confirmed in Revelation 6:1–2, where the Lamb personally opens each seal. The continuity of subject and action leaves no room for a secondary mediator.

Theologically, the Lamb’s role is unique and non-transferable. Revelation 5:9 explicitly states that He alone is worthy “because You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God.” The basis of His authority rests on His atoning sacrifice — an act that no one else can replicate. The right to open the scroll belongs exclusively to the crucified and risen Christ.

They’ll argue that the scroll symbolizes hidden doctrines sealed since Jesus’ first coming, now opened through their promised pastor.

In Revelation 5, the scroll is not a text to be interpreted or taught but a divine decree that, when opened, initiates the unfolding of history in Revelation 6. The breaking of its seals releases events of judgment and redemption, demonstrating Christ’s sovereign authority over creation. This is an act of divine execution, not biblical exposition. The imagery points to the Lamb’s unique role in bringing God’s redemptive plan to completion, not to any later figure claiming new revelation.

The concept of an “unopened Bible” misrepresents the purpose of Scripture in Revelation. Revelation 1:3 already commands believers to “read aloud,” “hear,” and “keep” the words of the prophecy, showing that the message is accessible to the faithful. The book is not sealed from understanding but calls for obedience and faithfulness to its truths.

Likewise, Daniel 12:4’s instruction to “seal up the words of the scroll until the time of the end” refers to God’s appointed timing for fulfillment, not to a lack of comprehension. The Lamb alone opens what Daniel saw, revealing that the authority to unveil God’s plan belongs entirely to Christ. The “sealing” motif highlights divine control over revelation, not human ignorance or interpretive limitation.

They often quote Psalm 149:1 (“Sing to the Lord a new song”) to argue that a “new song” always means new teaching.

In every biblical instance where a “new song” is mentioned (Psalm 33, 40, 96, 98, 149; Isaiah 42), the song arises in response to God’s completed acts of salvation. The newness does not refer to fresh revelation or new teaching but to the celebration of God’s redemptive work in history. Each “new song” marks a new demonstration of God’s deliverance and faithfulness, prompting renewed praise from His people.

Revelation 5:9 continues this pattern. The heavenly hosts sing a new song “for you were slain,” explicitly identifying Christ’s sacrificial death as the reason for praise. The song’s newness corresponds to the decisive act of redemption accomplished through the Lamb, not to the unveiling of secret doctrines or interpretations. It celebrates the completed work of Christ that inaugurates a new covenant reality.

Thus, the “new song” in Revelation expresses worship for what Christ has done — His death, resurrection, and the redemption of people from every nation — not the discovery of hidden knowledge. It proclaims the fulfillment of salvation, not the creation of new teaching.

They’ll reinterpret Philippians 2 and Revelation 3:21 to say the one who overcomes (Lee Man Hee) is exalted and sits on the throne with Jesus, fulfilling Rev 5’s heavenly scene.

Revelation 3:21 presents a comparison rather than an equation: “As I also overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne.” The Greek phrase kathōs kagō enikēsa (“just as I overcame”) clearly distinguishes Christ’s victory from that of believers. The promise is one of participation, not replacement. Believers are invited to share in the benefits of His triumph, but His overcoming remains unique, rooted in His perfect obedience and atoning death.

This distinction is reinforced by Revelation 5, where the heavenly vision centers entirely on the Lamb. All creation directs its worship toward Him alone, acknowledging His exclusive worth and authority. No other figures are enthroned beside Him in this scene, and no shared participation dilutes His glory. The Lamb stands as the singular object of universal worship, confirming that believers share in His victory through union with Him — not by assuming His role or authority.

They’ll say these figures symbolize the structure of their church.

The 24 elders appear in Revelation 4:4 before any supposed earthly fulfillment, meaning their existence precedes historical events claimed by later interpreters. Their crowns and white garments symbolize victory and completed redemption, not an ongoing or future administrative office. These are marks of those who have already overcome through faith and now share in the heavenly reality of Christ’s accomplished work.

In Revelation 5:8–10, the elders’ song confirms their identity among the redeemed, as they sing, “You have made them [or us] a kingdom and priests to our God.” This language makes it clear that the elders are not living humans on earth but representatives of the redeemed community in heaven. Their worship centers on the Lamb’s completed act of salvation, not on a continuing earthly mission.

Old Testament parallels further clarify the symbolism. In 1 Chronicles 24 and 25, the number 24 is used to represent the divisions of the priesthood and the courses of temple service. John’s vision draws from this imagery to depict the completeness and order of heavenly worship, not to outline a modern organizational hierarchy. The elders symbolize the unified, priestly people of God, perfected through the Lamb’s redemption.

They teach that the throne in Revelation 4 is transferred to the place where the Overcomer dwells.

Revelation 4:1–2 establishes the setting of John’s vision: “A door standing open in heaven… and behold, a throne was set in heaven.” From that point onward, the scene remains in heaven; there is no transition to an earthly location. The same throne reappears throughout the book — in Revelation 7:9–11, 19:4, and 22:1 — always described as being in heaven, consistently portraying the center of divine rule and worship.

God’s throne represents His universal sovereignty, not a physical or localized headquarters. Isaiah 66:1 affirms this truth: “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.” The throne imagery in Revelation points to God’s transcendence and authority over all creation. It is the place from which His redemptive and judicial decrees proceed, not an earthly structure or human institution. The heavenly throne thus underscores God’s reign as absolute and eternal, far beyond the boundaries of geography or human organization.

They’ll cite verses about God being “exalted among the nations” (Ps 46:10) and claim it applies to Lee Man Hee’s global recognition.

Psalm 46 celebrates Yahweh’s deliverance of Jerusalem as the work of God alone, not the exaltation of human figures or achievements. The psalm’s focus is on divine protection and sovereignty — “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” — highlighting that salvation and glory belong entirely to God, not to any human instrument.

In Revelation 5:13–14, the same theme reaches its ultimate fulfillment. Every creature in heaven, on earth, and under the earth worships “Him who sits on the throne and the Lamb,” acknowledging their united authority and eternal reign. There is no mention of a third figure sharing in this worship or receiving recognition alongside them.

Any theology that redirects worship or honor away from the Lamb contradicts the central message of Revelation. The book culminates in Revelation 22:3–4, where God and the Lamb share one throne, and His servants see His face and bear His name. The focus of all creation’s worship is singular — the glory of God revealed in the Lamb who was slain and now reigns forever.

SCJ may cite Exodus 25:9 and Hebrews 8:5 to argue that just as Moses built a copy of the heavenly things, the One Who Overcomes (Lee Manhee) must build the final heavenly copy on earth.

Hebrews does not call for another earthly replica — it declares that Christ Himself has fulfilled the heavenly reality:

“They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5).

“But Christ entered… into heaven itself” (Hebrews 9:24).

The author’s argument moves from shadow → reality, not from shadow → new copy.

The point is that the earthly copy has served its purpose. The “true tabernacle” is already established in heaven and accessed spiritually through Christ. To build another copy after Christ’s fulfillment is to rebuild the shadow. This reverses God’s redemptive direction — dragging heaven down to earth when Scripture declares the heavenly reality has already come down in Christ (John 1:14).

They interpret Revelation 21 as proof that heaven must descend and be organized physically through Shincheonji.

Revelation 21:3 describes the ultimate fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan after the old creation has passed away, not an organizational structure formed within history. The vision of “a new heaven and a new earth” signals the complete renewal of creation, where the former order of things no longer exists. The descent of the New Jerusalem is therefore eschatological, pointing to the culmination of God’s work at the end of the age, rather than an administrative development within human history. It is God’s sovereign act, not the achievement of any institution or movement.

The “dwelling of God” (Greek: skēnē, meaning tabernacle) emphasizes relationship rather than institution. God presently dwells with His people through the Holy Spirit, as affirmed in Ephesians 2:22 and 1 Corinthians 3:16, and this spiritual reality will one day become visible in the new creation. To claim that Shincheonji’s headquarters fulfills Revelation 21:3 is to confuse the eternal dwelling of God with a temporary human organization, reducing the heavenly promise to an earthly construct.

They interpret Revelation 2–3, 12, and 21:7 as prophecies of their leader building heaven on earth.

The phrase “he who overcomes” in Revelation 2–3 refers to every believer who remains faithful to Christ until the end, as seen in 1 John 5:4–5. There is no textual or contextual basis for interpreting this promise as pointing to a single eschatological figure. The language of overcoming consistently applies to the perseverance of the saints, not the elevation of one man above others within the church.

Christ alone is the One who has overcome the world, as He declares in John 16:33 and as Revelation 5:5 confirms when He is called the Lion of Judah who has triumphed. Believers participate in His victory by union with Him through faith; they do not continue or complete His work through new mediators. To claim that a human “overcomer” serves as the foundation of heaven’s structure displaces Christ from His rightful place. Revelation 5 depicts the Lamb standing in the very center of the throne, showing that all authority and glory belong to Him, not to any earthly representative.

Is there a Promised Pastor of the New Testament – The One who Overcomes

They use Revelation 4–7 to argue that the heavenly pattern is realized through their organizational order.

Revelation’s imagery communicates symbolic theology rather than an institutional blueprint. The vision of the 24 elders represents the unity and completeness of the redeemed people of God: the 12 tribes of Israel from the Old Covenant and the 12 apostles from the New Covenant. Together, they signify the full community of those who belong to God, as reflected again in Revelation 21:12–14.

Similarly, the 12 tribes in Revelation 7 are sealed by God, not organized by human authority. Their number conveys the idea of divine completeness and protection rather than a literal headcount or earthly registry. When groups like Shincheonji attempt to institutionalize these symbols into organizational structures, they repeat the same mistake condemned in Acts 7:44–48, where ancient Israel mistook the model or temple for God’s actual presence. Revelation points to spiritual realities fulfilled by God Himself, not to human systems claiming to embody them.

Matthew 6:10 is a prayer for God’s rule to be established through the spread of His kingdom in human hearts, not the formation of an organizational heaven.
The parallelism (“your kingdom come, your will be done”) shows this is about obedience and submission, not architecture.

The kingdom comes through the Spirit’s reign (Luke 17:21), not through human construction.
The prayer anticipates the ultimate fulfillment when heaven and earth are renewed — not a human replica.

The visible form of the Old Testament tabernacle reflected its temporary nature rather than its permanence. Hebrews 9:8 makes this clear, explaining that “the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing.” The tabernacle and its divisions symbolized humanity’s limited access to God before the coming of Christ. It served as a shadow pointing to a greater reality that would be fulfilled through Jesus.

When Christ died, the veil of the temple was torn in two (Matthew 27:51), signifying that direct access to God had been opened through His sacrifice. The barrier between God and humanity was permanently removed. Any attempt to rebuild a visible or institutional “holy structure” misunderstands the nature of Christ’s finished work, effectively reestablishing the very separation He came to abolish. The true dwelling of God is now within His people through the Spirit, not within man-made structures.

The redemptive movement of Scripture progresses from mediated revelation to direct communion with God. Moses served as a type or foreshadowing of Christ, pointing forward to the perfect mediator who would come. Christ fulfilled this role completely, as Hebrews 8:6 and 9:15 affirm, establishing a new and better covenant through His own blood. Under this covenant, believers no longer depend on a human intermediary, for the Holy Spirit now dwells within them directly, as Jesus promised in John 14:26.

To introduce a new human mediator after Christ is to reverse the direction of redemption and return to the shadows of the Old Covenant. Jesus Himself warned His followers not to create hierarchical systems of spiritual authority, saying, “You are not to be called rabbi, for you have one Teacher… Neither be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ” (Matthew 23:8–10). Shincheonji’s structure contradicts this command by placing ultimate authority in one man rather than in Christ alone, undermining the very essence of the New Covenant’s direct relationship between God and His people.

The New Testament consistently shifts the concept of fulfillment from physical forms to spiritual realities that find their completion in Christ. Circumcision becomes circumcision of the heart (Romans 2:28–29), the temple is revealed to be the body of Christ (John 2:19–21), sacrifice is fulfilled through the cross (Hebrews 10:10), and Israel is redefined as the people of faith (Romans 9:6–8). Each transformation highlights how the external signs of the Old Covenant were always intended to point toward their deeper spiritual realities.

This progression shows that the physical was never the ultimate goal but a temporary shadow of the truth realized in Christ. To insist on physical or organizational fulfillment is to overlook this movement of revelation and to repeat Israel’s mistake of seeking a political or earthly kingdom rather than recognizing the spiritual kingdom of the Messiah. As Jesus declared, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). The New Testament fulfillment centers on Christ’s redemptive work, not on visible structures or institutions.