Fulfillment of the Death of the Witnesses

In Rev 11:9 and Rev 11:11 it mentions three and a half days in which the two witnesses are dead and denied burial. What could the reality of these 3.5 days be? Let’s take a look at what Lee Manhee wrote in ‘Revelation’s Reality’ (1985) to find the answer.

	Excerpt from page 167 Translation: After three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood up on their feet, and the onlookers were greatly afraid. When they heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Come up here, they ascended on clouds into heaven. Even the enemies watched (Rev 11:11-12)The three-and-a-half days suggested in the text means three and a half years, the sum of the actual sentences received by the two witnesses and the probation period.
	Excerpt from page 165 Translation: In this way, they have repeatedly called for repentance and awakening by repeating the same evidence. However, the messengers of the reserve altar and the people would have dismissed it at first, thinking it was just a talk of a poor man. With patience and perseverance, the Witness continued to send letters of testimony. Later, the Seven Heads of Enemies and the group of apostates began to protest, and finally, as described above, they filed a complaint with the prosecution. As a result, the beast that came up from the abyss started a war between the two witnesses.  As already recorded, the two witnesses were detained by the prosecution and sentenced to one hundred days in prison. One thing we need to understand here is the passage that prevented the burial of his body for three and a half days. In conclusion, prohibiting the burial of the bodies of the two witnesses does not mean killing their bodies or imprisoning them in a brigade for three and a half years, equivalent to three and a half days. Since the two witnesses were detained at the protests that year they began and finished their witnesses, in effect a year passed.
	Excerpt from page 166 Translation: He was released in February of the following year. However, when released, the sentence was suspended for two and a half years, and the period of disciplinary action reached three and a half years. Also, the word “killed” does not mean physical death, and the suspension was given so that he could not testify to the word, so he ended up in a dead position.In other words, the Word is life. The fact that the missionary who had to bear witness to this word of life became unable to do the work was virtually the same as losing his life.

From this it is quite clear to understand what Lee Manhee is saying. The two witnesses dying is not them physically being killed or even being imprisoned for 3.5 years. Instead, Lee Manhee explains that the two witnesses were imprisoned for 100 days followed by 2.5 years of probation during which they couldn’t testify the word, making them effectively dead. However, because they were imprisoned near the end of the year, it was the next year by the time they were released on probation, so Lee Manhee says this counts as a year. Then it’s clear to see that 1 + 2.5 = 3.5 years, and those 3.5 years are the fulfillment of the 3.5 days in Rev 11. This is summarised on page 167, “The three-and-a-half days suggested in the text means three and a half years, the sum of the actual sentences received by the two witnesses and the probation period.”

Then let’s take a look at the current doctrine regarding the 3.5 days in Rev 11. If Lee Manhee received the complete understanding of Revelation like he claims then it should still be the same right? Especially since both these teachings (1985 and today) are after the fulfillment has taken place, meaning the prophecy has been “unlocked”.

This screenshot is taken from the Revelation 11 lecture published on Youtube by Shincheonji. Interestingly, it states that the reality of the 3.5 days was actually 3.5 days from 30 Jan 1981 to 2 Feb 1981, rather than the 3.5 years taught in 1985. But, perhaps this tribe leader made a mistake. Let’s take a look at what Lee Manhee himself wrote in ‘Physical Fulfillment of Revelation’ page 245.

It seems that Lee Manhee has changed his explanation and the tribe leader wasn’t mistaken. Why would it change from 3.5 years to 3.5 days?

The 7,000 Killed

In Rev 11:13 there are 7,000 people killed in an earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. What does this mean? Let’s once again turn to ‘Revelation’s Reality’ (1985) to see Lee Manhee’s explanation.

Excerpt from page 171 Translation: Now, the meaning of the number seven thousand is as follows. The seven shepherds and the ten elders united, gathered their counsel and wisdom, and did their best, but in the end they collapsed when the time came. This relationship can be explained as an equation as follows. 7 (Shepherd) X10 (Elder) x 100 (Full of Wisdom) = 7,000 (Babylon) Therefore, the symbolic meaning of the saying that the seven thousand died is not the erroneous seven thousand who suffered physical death, but the elements of Babylon indicates that the bar is broken and thus the steering is sounded. Here, 100 with all wisdom and scheming is the number 10 multiplied by 10, the perfect number containing the highest and best meanings. When an organization or individual sets a goal and fully achieves it, it is expressed as 100% achieved. This means that everything has been accomplished. Thus, seven thousand is obtained by multiplying the number by 100.

So, Lee Manhee explains that the 7,000 killed in an earthquake is symbolic of the leaders of the Tabernacle Temple, the 7 lampstands and the 10 elders (12 elders – 2 who left), not achieving their goal because they betrayed. This is represented as an equation with the product being 7,000. Have you ever heard of this explanation? Let’s see if the same thing is still being taught today.

This screenshot is taken from the Revelation 11 lecture published on Youtube by Shincheonji. 

Here it says that the 7,000 people killed are the congregation members of the seven golden lampstands. What happened to the equation with the leaders and the 100%? Maybe the explanation is still the same in CHJN’s book. Let’s take a look at ‘Physical Fulfillment of Revelation’ page 247.

It seems like Lee Manhee has changed his explanation for the 7,000 killed in an earthquake too. Now he says that it refers to the congregation of the tabernacle of the seven golden lampstands. That’s completely different to the equation with the leaders not achieving 100%. Does it make sense for someone who has received the complete understanding of Revelation from God to change their testimony?

A Reed Like a Measuring Rod

In Rev 11:1 John is given a reed like a measuring rod and told to measure the temple of God and the altar, and to count the worshippers there. I’m sure everyone who is a member of SCJ knows the reality of this reed like a measuring rod. Let’s take a look at what CHJN writes in ‘Physical Fulfillment of Revelation’ pages 229-230 to confirm.

I assume you were already familiar with this, but Lee Manhee teaches that the reed like a measuring rod was the second witness, Mr Hong. Then let’s compare this with what Lee Manhee wrote in ‘Revelation’s Reality’ (1985) and see if the reed like a measuring rod has always been the second witness.

Excerpt from page 155 Translation: 1. The staff, the reed, and the forty-two months of punishment And he gave me a reed like a measuring rod, and said, Arise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship in it; but do not measure the court outside the temple, but leave it alone. (Rev 11:1~2) Apostle John received and ate the little book in chapter 10. This time he receives a reed like a measuring rod. Receiving the little book and receiving the measuring rod and reeds are related, and they are both words from God. It refers to measuring the faith and maturity of the faith of the saints in the temple and the altar with the Word. Strictly speaking, this measure is synonymous with judgment, meaning the judgment of fire, the word of God.

Here Lee Manhee says that the reed like a measuring rod is the word from God, similar to the open scroll in Rev 10. Considering the teaching today, it would be wrong to say the reed like a measuring rod was the word from God because the nature of the reed is that it is weak and cannot be relied upon. But this is exactly what Lee Manhee taught back in 1985. With all the previous changes in mind we should once again consider Rev 22:18-19, and question why the testimony of someone who received complete understanding of Revelation and saw and heard the physical fulfillment of all the events of the entire Book of Revelation would ever change.

What did the two witnesses testify about?

The Reality of Revelation p.226-227 states that the two witnesses are calling the apostates (the Tabernacle Temple) who are being trampled on by the Gentiles (the Stewardship School) to repentance, while also announcing the future.

Did the two witnesses really live up to their books? Below are some captures from a 2007 interview with one of the two witnesses, Hong Jong-hyo.

To summarize.

1. Until Mr. Hong’s departure from Shincheonji, the Chairman did not refer to himself as the Comforter.
2. Prior to that, Lee Man-hee had asked Hong Jong-hyo to become two witnesses, so he became one of the two witnesses and Hong Jong-hyo was the other. (Not by revelation)
3. In the early stages of SCJ, the island of Patmos in Rev 1 was referred to as Banpo(a neighborhood in Seoul called Banpo).
4. It is a lie that they were severely persecuted in the Tabernacle temple.
5. The time of sending the letter (not a letter of repentance) was after the failure of Baek Man bong’s Re-creation Church, and the letter was sent by Mr. Hong Jong Hyo first and sent a lot, and the Chairman sent a little later. (It was only sent to Yoo Jae-yeol, and this was covered earlier).
6. Until March 14, 1980, the Chairman was one of the twelve apostles in Baek Man-bong’s Re-creation Church.

	Q : When you left Shincheonji, it was 1987, right? Before that, did he not say that he was the Comforter?
	A : No, I didn’t! After I came out, he said he was the Comforter…
	A : One of the two witnesses is himself (Lee Man-hee) and the other is me.
	Q : And you heard him(LMH) refer to the island of Batmo in Revelation as Banpo in Korea? A : Yes
	Q : Was he assaulted at the Tabernacle temple and had his teeth broken? A : “Don’t be ridiculous”
	Q : It’s a lie that Lee Man-hee was beaten at the Tabernacle temple, right? A : “That’s a lie”
	Q : “Lee Man-Hee started writing to Tabernacle Temple in 1980, right?” A : “I was the first one to send a letter.”
	Q : “Do you remember when that was?” A : “Since March 14, 1980”
	” Lee Man-hee’s wife wants me to bring all the letters.”
	“I gave her the letters and she burned them, saying we shouldn’t have left them.”
	“(Lee Man-hee) was one of the twelve apostles under the Baek Man-bong”

The above is the testimony of one of the two witnesses. And for two witnesses, the Shincheonji’s representation of Hong Jong-hyo before and after his departure is also different.

	<The reality of the Revelation 1985> I am afraid that this book will hurt those who read it because it is so shocking, but I urge you to examine it through the Bible and accept it as a seed of faith. Just as one of Adam’s ribs became his helper, Lot was by Abraham’s side, Aaron was by Moses’ side, and Peter was by Jesus’ side. In this way, the same history will be repeated in the last days.
	천지창조(2007, 이만희 저) The reed-like rod given to John by the angel is neither a physical rod nor a reed, but a person. Later, the rod (a spiritual helper), like the reed, wavered and apostatized.