📰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.
"Heaven is wherever God dwells. It is the place God comes to according to the promise of the Bible"
Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony
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In the Bible, heaven is described as the 'kingdom of heaven'. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, the place where God Most High is is heaven. The one true God created the spiritual world, and then created the physical world accordingly. God's will is for both the spiritual and physical worlds that He created to live as one. The kingdom of heaven where God - who is Spirit - is, is the kingdom of the spiritual world; and the kingdom of God created on this earth where God comes becomes God's kingdom in the physical world. Therefore, there is a heaven in the spiritual world and a heaven in the physical world. The kingdom of heaven in the spiritual world is created on this earth as it has been created in heaven.
Through the 6,000-year history of the Bible, let's understand where the heaven of the spiritual realm is on this earth.
God, whose intent since the creation of the heavens and the earth was to live with man, created Adam, placed him in the Garden of Eden, and was with him. The Garden of Eden was where God was - the paradise of heaven on earth where heaven in the spiritual and physical worlds coexisted. However, because of Adam's transgression, the Spirit of God had to leave people.
In Exodus 25, God, who had left because of sin, showed Moses the things of heaven in order that Moses build a sanctuary (tabernacle) for God to dwell in on this earth. This was so that God, who is Spirit, could dwell not only in the spiritual world, but also with His chosen people here on the earth. Therefore, Moses' tabernacle, which was built according to what he saw in heaven, was the kingdom of heaven on the earth where God dwelled.
However, because Solomon served a foreign god, the people of Israel began to sin again. God again had to leave the people of Israel who sinned. After that, God made a promise through the Old Testament prophets and came to Jesus Christ at the first coming, just as he had foretold through the prophets. Thus, Jesus, who was with the Holy Spirit of God, cried out saying that the kingdom of heaven was near.
Jesus spoke about the kingdom of heaven in several parables. First, he said that the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. This parable refers to the word of God, and the person who sowed the good seed is Jesus, the Son of Man. Therefore, Jesus, who preached the word of God, was the literal kingdom of heaven on this earth.
Jesus also said that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that he took and planted in his field, which grew into a tree where the birds nest. This is a parable and the tree refers to the inner spirit which grows through the Word sown in the field of one's heart. In John 15, Jesus is called the true vine and the 12 disciples are the branches attached to that tree. Jesus also said that the chosen believers born of the word are the firstfruits.
Then, what does it mean for the bird to nest in this tree? In Matthew 3:16, it is recorded that after Jesus was baptised, the Holy Spirit came upon Him like a dove. The Holy Spirit was being likened to a bird. Therefore, this parable means that the kingdom of heaven in the spiritual world came down upon Jesus and his disciples, who had the word of God, the seed of heaven. Therefore, going to Jesus at the first coming was going to heaven.
However, at the time of the first coming, the Israelites did not believe in Jesus. That is why Jesus, who died for the sins of the world, said in Matthew 21:41-45 that the kingdom of heaven would be taken away from them and given to people who would bear its fruit. Before he left, Jesus said that he would go and prepare a place for his disciples and come again. The dwelling place that Jesus spoke of is the Jerusalem above which, in Revelation 21, is described as the holy city, New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven in the spiritual realm.
This city is an organisation of God, Jesus, the 12 apostles and many spirits who follow them, and is the city of the 12 tribes of spiritual new Israel with the 12 apostles as the foundation stones. This holy city, New Jerusalem is the nation prepared since the foundation of the world that will be given to sheep-like believers who keep the word of promise at the time of the Lord's return.
The book of Revelation, which records events at the Second Coming of the Lord, records the events of betrayal, destruction and salvation. In Revelation 1, the seven stars and seven messengers of the seven golden lampstands that prepare the way for the Lord appeared. In Revelation chapter 2, we see that Satan's Nicolaitans entered that place and fed the messengers and congregation food sacrificed to idols. This signalled the betrayal of the seven stars. Satan's Nicolaitans is the group of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that came up from the sea in Revelation 13, who captured the believers of the tabernacle of the seven golden lampstands.
At that time, the one who overcomes appeared and fought and overcame this group with the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony, to the point of death. As promised in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, the one who overcomes receives the bread of eternal life, the iron sceptre to rule over all nations, and the white stone to judge. Moreover, God, Jesus and heaven comes to and dwells with this person. The one who overcomes and his brothers gather in Revelation 15 where the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony is opened. This is the new heaven and new earth where the holy city, New Jerusalem of Revelation 21 will come. God, Jesus and the kingdom of heaven will come to this new heaven and new earth, where the one who overcomes is.
Wherever God chooses to dwell is where Heaven is. And Heaven is not only above. Heaven is the place where God comes as promised in the Bible. At the first coming, heaven was the place where Jesus was; and at the second coming, the new heaven and new earth, where there are those who overcome, becomes the kingdom of heaven.
"Heaven is only up above, not on the earth. Those who want to attain heaven on the earth are communists"
Korean Church
Pastor A of the Baptist Church
"Where is heaven? If heaven is a real place, then where is it? Some people have fantastical explanations. There are people who say, 'Heaven can be achieved on this earth through people's efforts'. These people are communists. People who believe in heaven on this earth are communists. They are communists speaking in vain. It's as good as nonsense. It's only nonsense. Heaven doesn't appear on this earth. There is no heaven on the earth. So, where does the Bible say heaven is? The Bible is clear. Heaven is only up above"
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