There is a church that holds weekly Bible exams, with all of its members mastering the Book of Revelation. It is the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Chairman Lee Man-hee, hereafter Shincheonji Church of Jesus).
From the moment of enrollment, members must attend the Zion Christian Mission Center, where they study elementary, middle, and high school-level courses and pass a graduation exam (about 100 questions) before becoming members. The church, which has conducted four consecutive graduation ceremonies with over 100,000 graduates, is famous worldwide.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus Chairman Lee Man-hee has been traveling across South Korea, preaching from the pulpit and frequently citing Rv 22:18-19, saying, ‘Do not add or subtract from the Book of Revelation, for those who do will not enter the kingdom of heaven.’ He emphasizes that the Book of Revelation must be recorded in one’s thoughts and heart.
In line with this, the Shincheonji Church’s General Assembly Education Department, following Chairman Lee Man-hee’s intentions to ensure all members qualify for entrance into heaven, is currently administering the ‘Sealing Confirmation Test’ to all Shincheonji members worldwide. This test, which started online during the global difficulties caused by COVID-19, is now being conducted in person at the temples, with weekly exams to ensure that the members of Shincheonji become walking Bible.
A representative of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus stated, “The only true way to understand the true meaning and reality of the Book of Revelation is through the testimony of witnesses who saw and heard the events as they unfolded when the prophecy of Revelation was fulfilled. Today, the global Christian community has neither seen nor heard the reality of the Book of Revelation, which is why both pastors and congregants have added to or subtracted from it. Among all the Christians worldwide, except for the members of Shincheonji, there is not a single person who has not altered the Book of Revelation. Rv 22:18-19 clearly states that anyone who adds to or takes away from the Book of Revelation will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Yet, pastors and their congregations are not concerned even alter adding to or subtracting from Book of Revelation. How can this be called true faith?
He continued, “Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which is considered a cult by both the Catholic Church and Protestantism, has all its members mastering the Book of Revelation. However, both the Catholic and Protestant churches, including their pastors and congregation, have added to or subtracted from the Book of Revelation. So, I urge you to judge who is truly orthodox and who is truly a heretic based on the Bible.”
At Shincheonji Church of Jesus, all members take weekly Bible exams, which focus on the prophecies in the Four Gospels of the New Testament and the entire Book of Revelation. Shincheonji Church explains that these exams are a form of training to record God’s word in the heart and to keep the New Covenant Revelation.
According to the General Assembly Education Department of Shincheonji, the overall average score for the “‘Sealing Confirmation Test” taken by all members from January to April this year is 99, with a participation rate of 97%. Furthermore, 99.9% of the test-takers scored above 90. This statistic demonstrates the congregation’s dedication to the Word and their high level of faith awareness.
A representative of Shincheonji Church of Jesus stated, “Today, most Christians are neither aware of nor interested in the prophecies of the Four Gospels in the New Testament or the teachings of the Book of Revelation. Yet, they blindly label Shincheonji as a cult. However, when asked to explain why Shincheonji is considered a cult based on the Bible, they cannot provide an answer. This situation is similar to the one during Jesus’ First Coming.” He continued, “If the teachings of Shincheonji Church of Jesus are wrong, please provide evidence from the Bible. It is not right to persecute Shincheonji just because members from other churches follow the truth and join Shincheonji. Did Jesus teach us in the New Testament to persecute our neighbors?
Despite the ongoing controversy over Shincheonji being labeled a cult, former pastors who have joined the Shincheonji Church of Jesus unanimously testify, “The church that teaches and practices the Word according to the Bible is Shincheonji Church of Jesus.” They argue that instead of blindly condemning the church, it should be evaluated based on the Bible.
Pastor Kim, who came to recognize the teachings of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, said, “In Christianity, Shincheonji is considered a cult, but after coming here, I realized that there is no church that practices the Bible more faithfully than Shincheonji.” He continued, “Shincheonji helps its members master the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, so their knowledge of the Bible is even greater than mine as a pastor. I’ve left everything I knew before and am starting my faith anew.”
Pastor Choi Kwang-sun also said, “I taught the Word as a pastor, but after coming to Shincheonji Church of Jesus, I realized how ignorant I was. The church community should not just defame Shincheonji but give members the opportunity to hear and make their own judgment.” He added, “It is dereliction of duty for churches not to teach the Bible properly. Christian leaders should listen to the Word so that all people on earth can know about God’s final work.”
A representative of Shincheonji Church of Jesus emphasized, “Just as a thirsty person searches for water, those seeking the truth are gathering where the truth is found. What the global community of believers should focus on now is distinguishing between truth and falsehood based on God’s Word, and determining who has truly been created according to the New Testament and the Book of Revelation, and who has mastered the Book of Revelation.”
