📰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 'open door' refers to the hearts of Jesus and his disciples; that is, the 'door to the heart'"
Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony
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We meet many people as we go through life. Among those who express their sincerity and vulnerabilities, we sometimes refer to as people who have 'opened the doors of their hearts'. In life, these people may breakthrough the threshold of a difficult entrance exam and the opportunity of a secure job may knock on the door.
As such, there are several expressions with the term 'door'. In the book of Revelation in the Bible, it is said that Jesus opens the door to the angel (messenger) of the church in Philadelphia. What kind of door is this? In brief, the 'open door' in Revelation 3 refers to the hearts of Jesus and his disciples. Placing an open door in front of the church of Philadelphia makes known that a way has been made to go and find Jesus.
God said that the secrets of the kingdom of heaven in the Bible are hidden in parables, so that no one could know them. The reality of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven that are hidden in parables can only be made known when the prophecies in the Word are fulfilled at the appointed time.
The book of Revelation, which records the events at the Second Coming of the Lord, is a prophetic book in which the events of betrayal, destruction, and salvation are recorded. In Revelation 1, the seven stars and seven shepherds appeared in the tabernacle (church) of the seven golden lampstands that prepare the way for the Lord.
These destroyers fed the seven stars the food sacrificed to idols, which led to their betrayal and destruction. Then Jesus came to John and commanded him to write a letter, which John sent to the seven stars who betrayed.
The contents of John's letter to the seven stars are recorded in Revelation 2-3. Its contents are that the seven stars who betrayed must repent, fight and overcome the enemy; and if they did so, they would be blessed.
The first thing to understand is that Apostle John and the seven churches were used figuratively using the names of people and places at the time they were recorded. When the book of Revelation was written, it was not the time for it to be fulfilled, so it was prophesied in parables until the fulfilled reality would appear in the future. In Revelation 1, the seven stars and the seven churches are called a 'mystery', so they do not refer to the actual seven churches of Asia Minor at that time.
Moreover, Apostle John does not come back to life and preach the words he recorded, but a shepherd (pastor) who assumes the same position as Apostle John, whom we call the 'new John', appears to see, hear, and bear witness to the fulfilled realities. The main reference concerns the contents of the letter that Jesus sent to the angel of the church in Philadelphia through Apostle John.
Moreover, Apostle John does not come back to life and preach the words he recorded, but a shepherd (pastor) who assumes the same position as Apostle John, whom we call the 'new John', appears to see, hear, and bear witness to the fulfilled realities. The main reference concerns the contents of the letter that Jesus sent to the angel of the church in Philadelphia through Apostle John.
Jesus, who sent the letter, said that he had placed an 'open door' in front of the angel of the church in Philadelphia, which no one could shut; and when it was shut, no one could open. What is this 'open door' that Jesus placed?
Jesus said, in Revelation 3, "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
Therefore, the 'open door' is the door of the human heart. Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts so he can come and dwell within the heart of man. In John 14, which refers to the day the promise is fulfilled, it was said that we would know when the Spirit of the Lord would dwell in our hearts. As Jesus said, "On that day you will realize that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you."
In John 10, Jesus said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” Therefore, the 'door' in the main reference is the heart of Jesus that no one can shut when opened, and no one can open when shut. Furthermore, the hearts of each of Jesus' disciples also become an open door.
Therefore, to place an 'open door' in front of the angel of the church of Philadelphia means to establish a way for one to come and be with Jesus. Even though he had little strength, the angel of the church in Philadelphia had kept the word and did not betray the name of Jesus.
However, after receiving Jesus' letter, the seven messengers of the seven churches did not repent of their actions, so they were destroyed by Satan's Nicolaitans. At that time, a person appeared who fought and overcame (defeated) Satan's Nicolaitans. This 'one who overcomes' received the blessings Jesus promised in Revelation 2-3, including the food of eternal life, the kingdom of heaven, and the authority to judge and rule all nations sitting on the throne of Jesus. Therefore, the people of all nations can come to God and attain heaven and eternal life through the one who overcomes. No matter how much we search the Bible, it is of no use if we do not find the one who overcomes.
This one who overcomes is the witness who saw and heard the events of the book of Revelation at their location, the messenger of Jesus sent to the churches, and the promised shepherd 'new John', who received and ate the open book of Revelation 10.
All believers who await the coming of the Lord must judge for themselves whether the book of Revelation has been fulfilled and, above all else, find the one who overcomes, the promised pastor of Revelation 2~3. After the seven stars who worked in Jesus' right hand betrayed and were destroyed, Jesus left the seven stars and came to the one who overcomes, and said that he would be with him. Therefore, where the one who overcomes is, is an open door through which Jesus can come and go.
Jesus, who was the 'open door' at the first coming, said, "No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Therefore, only through Jesus, whom God was with, could one obtain the kingdom of heaven and salvation at that time. However, the scribes and Pharisees belonging to Satan shut the gates of heaven in people's faces, and prevented even those who wanted to enter from doing so.
In the same way, those who do not come to new John - who is the one who overcomes whom Jesus is with, and the door that is opened today - at the time of the Lord's Second Coming, are no different from the scribes and Pharisees at the time of the first coming who blocked people with their lies and persecution. Believers should discern their actions based on the Bible.
"An 'open door' is indicative of everything that is going well in one's life. The 'door' of the gospel is the 'door' to the successes in one's life"
Korean Church
Pastor A, Presbyterian Church
"It says, 'See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.' This refers to something perpetual that doesn't end. It means that things will go well because God has blessed everything."
Pastor B, Presbyterian Church
"As for the answer to the 'open door', this 'open door' refers to the open door of my life. For those who are faithful for the sake of the gospel and for Jesus Christ, Jesus opens everything. We no longer lived with blockages in our life. For these people, the doors to business, work and children are all wide open. This is the meaning of the door."
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