Would Jesus abandon His sheep?

There are even more doctrinal issues with the concept that Jesus would allow his Church to fall into darkness for 2000 years, to the point that whenever a Christian would die, they would have to be taught in Spirit the “truth”.

First of all, it doesn’t make sense for God to send his Son to be sacrificed on the cross for our sins, call for all for repentance, and then just to hide the truth from mankind for another 2000 years.

But, even ignoring this logic, we can see further issues with SCJ’s claim that Jesus would abandon his church shortly after his ascension.

This interpretation seems to be in tension with Jesus’ promises, such as:

1. Matthew 16:18 –  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
   1. This verse is often interpreted to mean that the church will endure and not be overcome by evil forces, implying that a complete apostasy is not possible.
2. Matthew 24:35 – Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
   1. This verse suggests the enduring nature of Jesus’ teachings and the gospel, indicating that the core message of Christianity would not be lost or corrupted.
3. Ephesians 2:19-21 – 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
   1. This passage emphasizes the stability and continuity of the church, built on a strong foundation that includes Christ and the apostles
4. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 – The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
   1. While this verse acknowledges that some will depart from the faith, it does not suggest a total collapse of the church but rather warns of partial apostasy and false teachings.
   2. This also suggests that the Spirit is still working with the church, despite the apostates.
5. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 – 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
   1. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” This passage also warns of false teachings but does not imply a complete apostasy of the entire church

Over and over again, Jesus and the Apostles continuously tell us that even though there may be false teachers, and even large-scale apostasy, Jesus will never abandon his sheep.

Jesus letting his church fall into complete darkness would also contradict his character:

1. Jesus being the good shepherd:
   1. John 10:11-15 –  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
      1. Jesus would lay his life down for his sheep, then let the same sheep wander into darkness after he leaves?
   2. Matthew 18:12-14 –  “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
      1. Jesus would abandon the 99 sheep for the 1 sheep.

Shincheonji Response

A Shincheonji member may respond to verses like Matthew 16:18 with the following

Why did Jesus give wormwood the key of hades, Revelation 1:18, Revelation 9:1?

What does “rock” mean? What about “hades”?

The purpose is to then show that the Christian perspective is inconsistent with the Book of Revelation.

Christian Response

For the first question about Wormwood and Hades:

Revelation 9:4 – They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

Pairing with the fact that Jesus wouldn’t let Hades overcome his church as explicitly promised in Matthew 16:18, one can reasonably conclude that this judgment wasn’t against the Christian church. While I do understand that SCJ has a different perspective, and believe that the church of Christianity fell to Satan officially when the Sun, Moon, and Stars darkened and fell away after the 6th seal of Revelation 6, a Christian would instead re-affirm the straight forward promise Jesus made to Peter.

What is the seal of God? Is it a secret, hidden message that needs to be revealed? Let us use the Bible to answer this question.

Both Ephesians 1:13-14  and 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 describe believers as being sealed with the Holy Spirit, which serves as a guarantee of their inheritance and a mark of their belonging to God. This sealing signifies a transformation and sanctification process that begins at conversion and should be evident in a godly life.

As for the second question, what does “rock” mean, and what does “Hades” mean? 

Just 2 verses before in Matthew 16:16-18, Jesus makes another relatively straight forward reference.

Now when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets.” 15 He *said to them, “But who do you yourselves say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Jesus was speaking to Peter, whose faith and confession are foundational to the Christian church. This view acknowledges Peter’s role as a leader and his significant confession, which is the bedrock of Christian faith.

As for Hades, In the New Testament, Hades is depicted as the realm of the dead, distinct from Gehenna, which is often translated as “hell” in the context of final judgment. The “gates of Hades” thus represent the power of death and the grave.

The promise that “the gates of Hades will not overcome it” signifies that the Church, built on the foundation of Jesus’ identity and the faith of believers, will not be defeated by death or any demonic powers. This assurance underscores the Church’s eternal nature and its ultimate victory over death through Christ.

One thing to take note: the Shincheonji response didn’t actually address the initial claim of the Christian response, which was how Jesus plainly promised Peter that Hades would not overcome the church established by Peter and the Apostles. 

When interacting with Shincheonji, this is a very common tactic that they would use if and when they do not have the answer to your question.

Conclusion

With the above verses alone, it would not make sense to suggest that Jesus would allow the entire world of Christianity to fall into darkness. In fact, it would contradict the words of Jesus himself.