Shincheonji View
Shincheonji views Ezekiel’s act of eating the scroll as a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ embodying and fulfilling the Word of God. Just as Ezekiel internalized the scroll to speak to Israel, Jesus embodied God’s word to bring salvation to the house of Israel.
Both Ezekiel and Jesus dealt with a “rebellious house” of Israel. Shincheonji might argue that this continual theme of rebellion highlights the need for renewed prophecy and guidance, which they claim is fulfilled in their own leader’s mission in contemporary times.
Shincheonji claims that just as Ezekiel was sent specifically to Israel, despite their rebellion, so was Jesus’ mission focused on the lost sheep of Israel, underscoring a divine pattern of God sending messengers specifically to those who have strayed from His teachings.
Doctrinal Issues of the Open Scroll
There are certainly a lot of doctrinal issues with how Shincheonji ties Ezekiel 3 with Jesus Christ.
Misuse of Prophetic Symbolism
Ezekiel’s Scroll vs. Jesus as the Word: In Ezekiel 3, the act of eating the scroll is a symbolic gesture that indicates Ezekiel’s reception of God’s message for a specific prophetic mission to the rebellious house of Israel during his time. This scroll contained messages of lament, mourning, and woe, suggesting a focus on judgment and repentance.
Issue: While Shincheonji might attempt to connect this with Jesus being the Word made flesh (John 1:14), the contexts are very different.
Ezekiel’s prophetic commission is about judgment on Israel for a particular historical moment, while Jesus’ mission is about redemption and salvation through Himself as the incarnate Word. The two roles should not be conflated.
Doctrinal Concern: Jesus is not merely a new Ezekiel figure delivering judgment. He is the fulfillment of the entire biblical narrative of salvation, something much greater than a prophet delivering God’s words. Shincheonji’s connection may undermine the unique and central role of Christ as Savior, reducing Him to a mere messenger figure.
Distortion of Jesus’s mission
Jesus’ focus on Israel in Matthew 15:24: When Jesus states that He was sent to “the lost sheep of Israel,” it emphasizes His initial focus on bringing the gospel to the Jewish people. However, the broader context of Jesus’ ministry, especially in the New Testament, shows that His mission extended beyond Israel to all nations (as seen in Matthew 28:19).
Issue: Shincheonji’s attempt to emphasize the “rebellious house of Israel” in both Ezekiel’s and Jesus’ ministries could suggest that Jesus’ mission was ultimately about judgment, similar to Ezekiel’s. However, Jesus’ mission was primarily about salvation, grace, and fulfillment of the covenant promises, not merely condemning rebellion.
Doctrinal Concern: This misrepresents the scope of Jesus’ mission. While Jesus initially came to Israel, His redemptive work extended to Gentiles as well. Shincheonji’s interpretation risks downplaying the universal nature of Christ’s redemptive work and the inclusivity of the gospel message.
Problematic View of Prophetic Fulfillment
Ezekiel’s Prophecy and Jesus’ Fulfillment: Ezekiel’s prophetic ministry dealt with a specific context of exile and Israel’s rebellion at the time, pointing to a need for repentance and restoration. It cannot be directly equated with Jesus’ role, which is about bringing a new covenant.
Issue: Shincheonji might present Ezekiel as a type of Christ or foreshadowing of their leader, Lee Man-Hee, which distorts the specific historical and theological roles of both Ezekiel and Jesus. They claim to be the “modern fulfillment” of these prophecies in their church, which is not supported by mainstream Christian doctrine.
Doctrinal Concern: Christianity teaches that Jesus fulfilled the prophetic promises of the Old Testament, especially through His death and resurrection, establishing a new covenant that does not require further “new” revelations or modern fulfillment through someone like Lee Man-Hee. The idea that there is still a prophetic role of a “Promised Pastor of a New Testament” to be fulfilled after Christ undermines the sufficiency of His work.
Limiting the Scope of Christ’s Identity
Jesus as God’s Final Revelation: Hebrews 1:1-3 emphasizes that while God spoke through the prophets in the past, He has now spoken definitively through His Son. The New Testament presents Jesus as the culmination of God’s revelation.
Issue: Shincheonji’s linkage between Ezekiel’s prophetic act and Jesus, and their interpretation that this process continues through their leader, conflicts with the Christian understanding that Jesus is the final and complete revelation of God.
Doctrinal Concern: By claiming their leader is the fulfillment of these prophecies and that Jesus is just another figure in an ongoing chain of revelation, Shincheonji diminishes Jesus’ unique role as the ultimate revelation of God and the final authority on salvation.