📰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.
"Jesus comes as spirit, invisible to the naked eye, to the one who overcomes"
Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony
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The Bible records that when Jesus comes again, He will come on the clouds. Does this mean that Jesus will come riding on the clouds of the sky? It is a scientific fact, which children even know, that a cloud can not be ridden on because it is made up of numerous water droplets. The expression 'coming on the clouds' is figurative (a parable) to mean that Jesus will come in spirit with countless angels.
In order to welcome Jesus today, who comes on the cloud, we need to understand how God came on a cloud at the first coming. In Isaiah 19, the prophecy reads that God would come riding on a swift cloud. The words of this prophecy were fulfilled when God came to Jesus at the first coming.
Believers at the first coming, who were eagerly hoping for the fulfilment of this prophecy and had learnt the word, did not recognise Jesus, whom God was with, but crucified Him, even though God had come to the earth.
Why did they do this? At the First Coming, believers only looked at the words of the prophets, believing that God would literally come in full view on the clouds of the skies. However, as written in Matthew 3:16, God came to Jesus as a Holy Spirit in the form of a dove; God came invisibly and not on a cloud. Believers who did not believe in this reality did not fully receive God and Jesus.
The 'clouds' that are spoken of in the Bible act as an invisible cloak. God, who came on the cloud, could not be seen with the naked eye (Job 22:14, Matthew 17:4, Luke 9:34, Acts 1:9).
In Acts 1, it is recorded that Jesus, who was taken up to heaven in spirit covered by a cloud, would return in the same way, invisible to the naked eye. Also, in Luke 17, it is written that people would long to see the Lord but would not see him (Luke 17:22-24).
In this way, we can see that Jesus, who comes on a figurative cloud, does not come visible to the naked eye.
If Jesus comes invisibly, where should we look and wait for Jesus? The book of Revelation records when and where Jesus will return and what He will do. Let's learn about Jesus' return through the fulfilled realities of the book of Revelation today.
At what point will Jesus come, according to 2 Thessalonians 2 which records God's blueprint for the salvation of God's people? Before the salvation of Jesus takes place, the events of betrayal and destruction first happen (2 Thessalonians 2:1~3). In Matthew 24:29 and on, it is written that the sun, moon and stars darken and fall. In 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 2, it is recorded that Jesus comes like a thief in the night.
These verses refer to today's event of the seven pastors and congregation members of the Tabernacle Temple, who had made a covenant with God and belonged to God, betraying God and falling from heaven (Rev 1:20, Rev 6:12~16). Because these seven pastors betrayed, they were all destroyed by the words of lies of the Nicolaitans - that is, the organisation of Satan. It is at the time of betrayal and destruction, when the light of the word disappears and it becomes as dark as night, that Jesus comes as a thief, in spirit, and fulfils the promised work of salvation.
Where does Jesus come? Jesus' work of salvation begins through the messenger Jesus sent for the churches in Revelation 22:16. This messenger sent letters to the tabernacle of the chosen people who betrayed, urging for their repentance, fought against Satan's words of lies and overcame them with the blood of Jesus and the word of testimony. Jesus, who is spirit, has come to the one who overcomes, as recorded in Revelation 3:12. Again, Jesus has come to this one who overcomes.
Then, what has Jesus come to this one who overcomes today to accomplish? As recorded in Revelation 6, Jesus judged the kingdom and people due to their betrayal, and as recorded in Revelation 7 and 21, has come to create the new kingdom and new people.
This new kingdom and new people of the 12 tribes is created through Jesus and the one who overcomes. These 12 tribes are the people gathered from the north, south, east and west by Jesus who has come on the clouds, as written in Matthew 24. They are the ripened firstfruits who have been harvested as recorded in Revelation 14. They are the people purchased by the blood of Jesus - that is, the 144,000 priests and the multitude in white washed by the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus was not shed for the betrayers and the destroyers, but for the new kingdom and new people of God in our time today. Ultimately, one must perceive that Jesus' return is also for the creation of God's new kingdom and new people.
In summary, the words that Jesus 'is coming on the clouds' means that, just as God came to Jesus as a Holy Spirit in the form of a dove at the first coming, Jesus comes as a Spirit, invisible to the naked eye, to those who have overcome.
"To 'come on the clouds' is to come among the cheers and fanfare of trumpets upon a physical cloud for everyone to witness"
Korean Church
Pastor A, Presbyterian Church
"Let's read Revelation 1:7 together - 'Behold, he is coming with the clouds.' Hallelujah!
A cloud is simply a cloud. The book of Revelation is hard to see and understand because it is covered by this cloud. (Therefore) minimal interpretation is necessary. It's not telling us to prepare for the clouds. What's so important about the 'clouds'? If it says he's coming on the clouds, then he's coming on the clouds."
Pastor B, Presbyterian Church
"The Lord will come on the clouds in full view of all. He does not come in secret, but with a loud shout and with the sound of the trumpet of glory so great that the heavens and the earth shake."
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