#Shincheonji_church #GraduationCeremony #NewTestament #103764Graduates #Revelation #beliefs #Christianity #Bible #Jesus #God #Truth #ShincheonjiChurch

Hello Readers,
Given the sizeable response to my last blog, I wanted to take you on a trip down memory lane to the “Unprecedented Light of the World, 100,000 Graduation Ceremony of the 12 Tribes of Shincheonji Church” that took place on November 10th 2019. This graduation ceremony marked the first time in modern history that any single religious institution had grown by over 100,000 people within just one year. The total number of graduates who took part in Shincheonji Church of Jesus' graduation ceremony was 103,764, representing 113 nationalities. 60,000 graduates had gathered for the ceremony at an indoor venue (the largest of its kind in Korea) with an additional 43,000 graduates taking part livestream in locations throughout South Korea and in dozens of countries across six continents.

Within ten months, all 103,764 graduates were evangelised, harvested and sealed with the word of Revelation through an intensive six-month Bible study course at 'Zion Mission Center', which is Shincheonji Church of Jesus' Bible-teaching institute. All 103,764 graduates completed a 300-question exam on the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, scoring a compulsory baseline mark of 90%, and demonstrating sound mastery of the 66 books of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This graduation was the largest of its kind anywhere and was publicised by over 100 news agencies in fifty countries.

How does a religious institution grow by more than 100,000 people within just ten months? This was only possible because Shincheonji Church of Jesus is the promised church recorded in the book of Revelation, which is a book of promise recorded about future events that will take place. Revelation records God's final work and these promises have already been fulfilled. This graduation ceremony for103,764 people was not simply the work of man.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus has three distinctive characteristics.

1) Promised Pastor

In chapter Revelation 10, it is recorded that the opened scroll - which is the book of Revelation - will be given to one person. In Revelation 22 (verses 8 and 16), it is recorded that Jesus will appoint one 'messenger' on his behalf to make known the reality, or fulfilment, of everything he has seen and heard at the location of the promised events to today's churches. This messenger is the pastor of promise, or the 'promised pastor'. Throughout the 6000 years of Biblical history, God has always worked in this way; choosing one person (pastor) to explain the reality of what was promised beforehand. This can be difficult to accept at first, but with the Bible as the sole standard of one's walk of faith, one can discern truth from lies amidst the confusion of the religious world today. This 'promised pastor', or 'messenger', is the chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus named Man Hee Lee. Amidst great adversity, Chairman Lee has been working tirelessly to make the reality of Revelation's promises known throughout the world according to the command he has received as recorded in the book of Revelation. From October 4^th - November 2^nd 2019, Chairman Lee delivered a series of seminars entitled ‘Open Bible Seminar: The Second Coming and Harvest’ to an audience of 30,000 people in six cities throughout South Korea. 5000 guests signed up to receive online or offline Bible teaching and 45,000 people had registered for the seminar. Chairman Lee is also a peace advocate uniting religious leaders throughout the world to cease all wars and achieve lasting peace. This will be revealed to anyone who has a sincere heart to want to understand the Bible.

2) Promised Temple

As mentioned, Shincheonji Church of Jesus is the church promised in the Bible; specifically within the book of Revelation. Its full name is Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony. 'Shincheonji' translates from Korean as 'New Heaven New Earth'; 'heaven' referring to a church and 'earth' its people - in other words, a new kingdom and new people. The reason why it has a Korean name is that the promised events recorded in the book of Revelation were fulfilled in South Korea. It is named The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony because it can give plain testimony (evidence) of the promised events in Revelation as seen and heard by Jesus’ promised messenger (Rv 22:8,16). The head of the church is Jesus, not Chairman Lee or any person. 

3) Promised Theology

Shincheonji Church of Jesus possesses the promised theology whereby one can study all 66 books of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation through an intensive six-month Bible study at one of 300+ Zion Mission Centers worldwide. The Bible study course is split into basic, intermediate and advanced levels. Basic teaches history and instruction, and the meaning of the parables about heaven which Jesus spoke and are recorded in prophecy. Intermediate covers the major events of the Bible from Genesis to the book of Jude - the penultimate book of the Bible - and prepares students to learn the prophecies of the New Testament. One is also taught how to differentiate between prophecy (what will be fulfilled) and fulfilment (what has been fulfilled). Emphasis is given on how to categorise time, place, and characters correctly. Advanced level teaches the prophecy and fulfilment recorded in the book of Revelation, which is otherwise known as 'eschatalogy', or the study of the 'end times'. While many Bible teachers teach their congregation that the number ‘666’ is a barcode, or that the red dragon and the beast with 7 heads and 10 horns represent communism and the European Union, respectively, Shincheonji Church of Jesus teaches strictly according to the Bible without any external commentaries. In fact, terms like 'rapture' do not appear anywhere in the Bible. In Revelation 22:18-19, Jesus does warn that anyone who adds to or takes words away from the meaning of the book of Revelation can not go to heaven.

While studying the Bible, I had heard of many allegations made against Shincheonji Church of Jesus, claiming that it brainwashes or 'deceives' people, and I almost fell into the trap of believing in the words of ‘people’. But the Bible teaching was so sweet and purely Bible-centred. I asked myself, "What defines a cult? Its name? Teachings? Or actions?" Having completed the study and now being a member of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, I'm so grateful to God that I saw it through. I can know God and Jesus' promise recorded in Revelation; the reason for birth, ageing, sickness and death; the promise believers must keep today; God's will and plan to restore this broken world; Jesus' anticipated second coming; and the secrets hidden in Genesis and Revelation including the true meanings of the tree of life, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the 'serpent' in Genesis. Everyday I wake up, I have a clear purpose and deep-rooted hope that I run for. I no longer cage myself in my own bubble and am determined to continue working on my life of faith. I'm also learning to love others and myself in the right way. 

In Revelation 21:4, God promises to be with His people and to end all death, mourning, crying and pain - heaven and eternal life. No death. This promise will be fulfilled in Shincheonji ('New Heaven New Earth'). Eden will be restored. All glory to God.