Shincheonji Perspective

Hosea 12:10 – God speaking to the prophets in parables.

Shincheonji believes that the prophecies of the entire Bible are hidden away in parables, and that we need to have a divinely appointed “Promised Pastor” to explain the true meanings behind each parable.

Not every prophecy is written in a parable

There are plenty of examples throughout the Bible that show that not every prophecy was written in an obscured parable.

Isaiah’s Prophecy of Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28 – 45:1)

This prophecy names Cyrus, King of Persia, about 150 years before his birth, describing how he would be instrumental in God’s plan for the Jewish people, particularly regarding their return from exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 44:28 – “It is I [the LORD] who says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid.’”

Jeremiah’s Seventy Years Prophecy (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10)

Jeremiah prophesied that the Babylonian exile would last exactly 70 years before the people would return and rebuild Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 25:11-12 –  “This entire land will be a place of ruins and an object of horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the Lord, ‘for their wrongdoing, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation”.

Jeremiah 29:10 – “For this is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.

Jonah’s Prophecy to Nineveh (Jonah 3:4)

Jonah finally goes to Nineveh and proclaims that the city will be overthrown in forty days because of its wickedness. This is a straightforward declaration without parables.

Jonah 3:4 – “Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

We can also see Jesus make some “plain text” prophecies, like the following:

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial (Luke 22:34)

Before the events of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, he tells Peter that Peter will deny knowing him three times before the rooster crows.

Luke 22:34 – “But He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

Prediction of His Betrayal (Matthew 26:21-25)

During the Last Supper, Jesus explicitly told his disciples that one of them would betray him. This was fulfilled by Judas Iscariot.

Prophecy: In Matthew 26:21-25, during the meal, Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” He later identifies Judas more specifically by saying, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.” This prediction was straightforward, allowing all the disciples to understand that a betrayal would occur, though they were initially unsure who it would be.

Prediction of his death, burial, and resurrection (Mark 8:31)

After Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ, Jesus starts to teach his disciples about the suffering he must endure.

Mark 8:31 – “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead.”

We can see with the above examples, that not every prophecy needs to have a divinely appointed prophet, or “Promised Pastor”, to explain the prophecies, and instead can be plainly stated and understood.