📰The Bible is one of the best-selling and most widely distributed books in history, yet it is also considered to be among the least understood. The Bible, which is referred to as the New Covenant and Promise of God, in which 'the way to heaven and salvation' is presented, differs in theologians' interpretations that make it difficult to understand. These differing interpretations have been the cause of the rise of denominations with each one establishing their own doctrine. With the increase in online church services and gatherings resulting from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, there has been growing interest in the comparison of various church doctrine. This paper, therefore, attempts to provide readers with the opportunity to compare differing Biblical teachings without interpretation. Among a host of online sermons and Bible-based teachings, the contrasting doctrine between the established Church and Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which has drawn public interest throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, is hereby compared and summarised. Best efforts have been made to provide a summary of Shincheonji Church of Jesus' understanding of the Bible. Judgment as to what is right or wrong is left to the reader’s discernment.
"The sun of righteousness is the light of the world, Jesus Christ. Its healing rays are the words of Jesus"
Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony
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In Malachi 4:2, it is written that the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays on those who fear God's name. The sun of righteousness is Jesus the light, and the healing rays are the words of life given by Jesus as the light who heals the spirit of a sinner.
In the Bible, there are spiritual as well as physical rays. Malachi 4:2 uses literal rays as a metaphor for spiritual rays. Psalm 84:11 says that the LORD God is the sun. Just as the sun in the sky freely sheds its light on people and all creation to give life, God, who is the source of life, is figuratively likened to the sun.
In Malachi 4:5, it is written that before God (the sun) comes, the prophet Elijah would be sent. 2000 years ago, the spirit of Elijah, whom Jesus said would come, came to John the Baptist. We can see that this word in Malachi was the word that was fulfilled at the first coming. In Isaiah 9 of the Old Testament, it was prophesied that a great light would shine upon people walking in darkness who were living in the land of death.
700 years after the prophet Isaiah, and 400 years after the prophet Malachi, God, who was figuratively likened to the sun, came to Judea to shed the light of life on the people walking in darkness living in the land of death. However, the Jews were in spiritual darkness, and no one realised that God had come (John 1:1-5). Since God (the sun) had come to Jesus, the sun of righteousness had finally risen in the land of darkness and death.
Just as God has life in Himself, so He gave life to Jesus the Son (John 5:26). This life was the light of men (John 1:4). Through Jesus, God did the work of salvation by shining the light on the darkened hearts of the Jews.
Healing rays are emitted from the sun of righteousness; rays not from the literal, physical sun, but from Jesus, whose words of life heal. In Psalm 119:105, it is written that the word of the Lord is a lamp to one's feet and the light for one's path. In verse 130, it says that the opening of the word of the Lord will shine upon the foolish to help them understand.
Jesus, who possesses the light of the word, used the analogy of a doctor who heal sickness, at the time of the first coming. Jesus said that a doctor was useless to the healthy, and was needed for the sick, and that he had come to call sinners who were righteous in their own eyes. We can see that Jesus is a spiritual counsellor who heals and saves sinners. Of course, through God's words, Jesus also carried out miracles to heal many physical ailments. Just as Jesus restores physically, Jesus also heals the spirit of a sinner with the words of eternal life, saving and restoring that person from death to life.
In John 8:12, Jesus said 'I am the light of the world', and that those who followed him would not walk in darkness but would possess the light of life. Jesus also said that he had come into the world as the light (John 9:4-5). While Jesus was in the world it was day, but when he left night would come.
2000 years have passed since Jesus left and night has ruled, and believers are waiting for the Lord's Second Coming. Today's Christians, who are spiritual Israel, cry out 'Lord Lord' with their lips, but their hearts are corrupt, like the chosen people of physical Israel. As a result, Jesus' words that he would come like a thief at night (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2) will come true in today's era. As stated in 1 Thessalonians 5, believers must examine their faith to check whether they are children of the light - that is, children of the day - or children of darkness and the night.
Today, Jesus sends a messenger for the churches and is carrying out the work of salvation (Revelation 22:16). According to the words of Revelation 19:17, he is the shepherd (pastor) with the light like that of the sun. At the Second Coming of the Lord, the word of Jesus testified through this promised pastor becomes the light that heals all nations deceived by Satan, and becomes the work of salvation that heals believers living in darkness.
According to the words of Revelation 14, Jesus, who is light, is with the 144,000 ripened firstfruits of the 12 tribes at Mount Zion. These God-fearing people of today's Second Coming are a new kingdom and a new people, Shincheonji, who have been healed by the rays of the sun of righteousness, and are forgiven and sealed.
"The sun of righteousness is referring to the physical sun. Its infrared and ultraviolet rays heal and treat"
Korean Church
Pastor A of the Korean Full Gospel Church
"The benefits of natural sunlight for us are indescribable. But what do these righteous rays from the sun of righteousness that speak to us refer to? This righteous sun is a light that shines on those who fear God.
In other words, as the sun's infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, X-rays and gamma rays play a specific role through the characteristics of these rays, the sun of righteousness plays the role of emitting rays of healing to those who fear God.
People out in the world don't say that this is officially 'the sun of righteousness that shines on those who serve God', but there are certainly stories of people who believe in Jesus and have lived healthier and longer lives for at least 7-8 years more. Just by looking at this, God's invisible and righteous sunlight shines on those who believe in Jesus, so that we can be healed and our health restored in order to live longer."
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