Short answer, no, longer answer, check out the “Promised Pastors” series on this website, where the doctrinal issues of a “Promised Pastor” is explored.
We can then see Paul write about the “last days”, and how it points to Jesus Christ in the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 1:1-3 – God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
It would be considered to be blasphemy if Shincheonji were to attempt to apply that to Lee Manhee.
When reviewing the verses that are used to show a “Promised Pastor of the New Testament“, it is clear that SCJ is just writing their own story and narrative into the Bible, side lining the important work of Jesus, and instead focusing on how we need yet another mediator between us and the Father.
Shincheonji Counter
Shincheonji might argue that the “last days” mentioned in Hebrews refer not to the time of Jesus but to a future period marked by their movement.
Christian Counter
This interpretation contradicts the broader context of Hebrews and the New Testament, which consistently presents Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as ushering in the “last days.”
Christ’s Resurrection as Affirmation of His Teachings
At most, Lee Manhee has a commentary on the Book of Revelation, and a testimony to the fulfillment that he saw and heard, which is now subject to change as an SCJ member would argue “food at the proper time”.
Just to be clear, Shincheonji, Shincheonji also believes that lying is okay as long as you further God’s kingdom, which they cite as the “wisdom of hiding”, and wants us to believe in the testimony of a man whose testimony has changed in the past with the fulfillment of the Beast of the Earth, who claims that he was never evangelized by any other church or pastor and yet was involved with at least three different cults including the Olive Tree, Tabernacle Temple, and Baek’s Recreation Sect, in the present with Revelation 7 and 18, and the in the future since he is not infallible, and at any given time his previous words or books can be deemed heresy, just like what he did with Shintan, which was published in 1985.
Verses the testimony of Jesus Christ, who boldly proclaimed that he would be killed, buried, and resurrected as seen in Mark 8:31.
Through the resurrection of Jesus, the Christians can boldly proclaim who Jesus is.
The Importance of the Resurrection
The resurrection is the ultimate proof that Jesus is who he claimed to be—the Son of God and the promised Messiah. As Romans 1:4 states, Jesus “was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.” If Jesus had remained dead, his teachings could be dismissed as those of a mere human, albeit a wise one. However, the resurrection demonstrates God’s power working through Jesus, validating his claims and establishing him as the ultimate authority.
The Resurrection Confirms the New Covenant
Shincheonji claims that Lee Man Hee extends the new covenant and fulfills it, implying that the covenant established by Jesus is somehow insufficient. However, the resurrection directly affirms the power and permanence of the covenant established through Christ’s sacrifice. Hebrews 9:15 states, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
The resurrection demonstrates that Jesus’s sacrifice was accepted by God, and the new covenant he established is in full effect. There is no need for a new covenant or a mediator other than Christ.
The resurrection is also crucial for the Christian hope of eternal life. As Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ has not been raised, then Christian preaching is in vain, and so is faith (1 Corinthians 15:14). The resurrection ensures that believers are not just following a moral teacher but are in a living relationship with a risen Lord, who has power over life and death. This belief is foundational to Christian eschatology and the promise of resurrection for all believers.
The Resurrection is a Foundation of Christian Hope
The resurrection is not merely a past event but the foundation for Christian hope for the future. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 states, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” This passage highlights the transformative power of the resurrection, extending beyond physical death to a future hope of a renewed, imperishable existence with Christ.
While Shincheonji does acknowledge the resurrection of Jesus; they also have a different resurrection than Christianity, something that will be discussed in a future document.
Shincheonji Counter
Shincheonji may claim that they also acknowledge the resurrection of Christ, and that Jesus is also their Lord and Savior; however, Jesus sent a new person to speak on his behalf to help clarify and unify his body which was lost in spiritual darkness for 2000 years.
Christian Response
While it is true that Shincheonji does acknowledge the death and resurrection of Jesus, needing another Promised Pastor diminishes the work of Christ.
If salvation hinges on a “Promised Pastor’s” interpretation of a “sealed word,” then Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection become merely steps in a process ultimately controlled by a human interpreter. This directly contradicts the Bible’s emphasis on the sufficiency and finality of Christ’s work.
Even the way that SCJ interprets John 19:30 diminishes the work Christ did on the cross. A Shincheonji member would claim that when Christ claimed that “it is finished”, it was in reference to the Old Testament prophecies.
To quickly counter the above notion that in John 19:30 that Christ only meant fulfilling prophecy, we need to look at the original Greek and historical context, something that many Christian cults often ignore. The Greek word used in the above verse is “Tetelestai”, which also translates to “It is Finished” as the text shows; historically speaking, “The word tetelestai was also stamped or written on business documents and receipts in the days of Jesus. It was meant to be evidence that the debt or bill had been “paid in full.” This connection between receipts stamped with the word tetelestai and what Jesus did on the cross was not lost by the Greek-speaking readership; it would be an unmistakable reference that Jesus died for their sins. Nor should it be lost by us.” (source)