📰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.
"What does it mean to be weighed on a scale? It means to have one's faith and deeds measured according to the Word"
Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony
===========================
In Revelation 6, it is prophesied that a black horse will appear, and that the rider on it will hold a pair of scales in his hand, and that a denarius will be used to measure two pounds of wheat and also six pounds of barley.
The first thing to know is that the prophecies in the Bible are hidden in parables. 2000 years ago, Jesus fulfilled the prophecies made through the Old Testament prophets and spoke of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven in parables, and he promised that a time would come when they would be fulfilled. When the fulfilled reality of the hidden prophecies of the kingdom of heaven is revealed, all the words that were sealed are opened, and the spiritual (figurative) meaning of the words hidden in parables can be opened and plainly understood.
The first thing to know is that the prophecies in the Bible are hidden in parables. 2000 years ago, Jesus fulfilled the prophecies made through the Old Testament prophets and spoke of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven in parables, and he promised that a time would come when they would be fulfilled. When the fulfilled reality of the hidden prophecies of the kingdom of heaven is revealed, all the words that were sealed are opened, and the spiritual (figurative) meaning of the words hidden in parables can be opened and plainly understood.
Then, what do the scales prophesied in Revelation really mean? Physical scales are used as an instrument for weighing. Moreover, if you go to court, you can see a picture of a person holding a scale, which means that a person's wrongdoings are weighed according to the law. The scale in the text is a spiritual scale that is compared to a physical scale.
1 Samuel 2:3 says that God measures man's deeds, and Proverbs 24:12 says that God measures man's heart. This is a spiritual scale.
How does God measure a person's heart and actions? In John 12:48, Jesus promised that in the last days judgment will be carried out by the words of Jesus, so the standard of judgment can only be the Word of the Bible. The figurative scales prophesied in the Book of Revelation refer to the Word of God that weighs people's faith and deeds.
However, Hosea 12:7 prophesied that there are some who defraud with false scales, so we must be able to distinguish between God's scales and Satan's scales. The scales of God are the words of God - that is, the truth - while the scales of Satan are the false doctrines, or untruths, of Satan.
What does it mean to say that a denarius weighed on a scale equals two pounds of wheat or six pounds of barley? In Roman times, one denarius was equivalent to the daily wage of a worker, so to say that one denarius equals two pounds of wheat and six pounds of barley means that the cost is very high for only a small amount of food to be obtained. These are all terms used figuratively.
What does it mean to say that a denarius weighed on a scale equals two pounds of wheat or six pounds of barley? In Roman times, one denarius was equivalent to the daily wage of a worker, so to say that one denarius equals two pounds of wheat and six pounds of barley means that the cost is very high for only a small amount of food to be obtained. These are all terms used figuratively.
In Psalm 12:6, God's word is like silver that has been refined seven times in a crucible, and as precious as gold. Therefore, it can be understood that the denarius in the text means the unchanging word of God.
Wheat and barley are types of grain, and refer to true believers who remain as seeds of faith. In Luke 8:11, the word of God is the seed, and in Matthew 13, it is said that the wheat born of the good seed are the sons of heaven.
What is the famine where there is no food? In Matthew 24, there is a promise that there will be famines in various places at the end of the age when the Lord returns. In the words of Amos 8:11-12, the famine that God sends is not a physical famine of food or water, but a famine of hearing the word of God that people can never find though they may look for it in all places. In this way, when the Lord returns, he prophesied that a famine of hearing the truth would occur irrespective of how much we try to understand the word of God.
Regarding the text of Revelation chapter 6, let's first look at the background of the event in order to find out who the two pounds of wheat and six pounds of barley weighed on the scales were, and why they appeared in this way.
The book of Revelation is a prophecy of the New Testament and a promise concerning the time of the Lord's Second Coming. Just like John the Baptist who prepared the way for the Lord at the first coming, the seven angels (messengers) of the tabernacle (church) of the seven golden lampstands appear to prepare the way for the Lord at the time of the second coming, as promised in Revelation 1. However, as seen in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, they broke the covenant with God, and Jesus sent them several letters through the Prophet John, urging them to repent. Yet they did not repent of their betrayal. Therefore, through the four living creatures seen before the throne of God in Revelation 4, Jesus would judge the chosen people of the tabernacle of the seven golden lampstands who had betrayed and become corrupt.
This is the event that occurred in Revelation 6. In Revelation 6, whenever Jesus, the Lamb, opened one of the seals of the sealed book, four living creatures appeared, and upon the command of these four living creatures, horses and riders came out, and those who sat on the horses held instruments of judgment - that is, a bow, a large sword, scales, and the beasts of the earth. The beast brought disaster on the chosen people who betrayed. Here, the horses refer to the flesh, and the riders are angels who belong to the four living creatures. In every era, the spirit raises and works through the flesh, like the rider on a horse.
The disaster at the opening of the third seal was God leaving the chosen people due to their betrayal, and the era of spiritual famine where there was no word. There are such few faithful believers that they are likened to a mere measure of wheat and barley. This small group of people did not receive the judgment of Revelation 6, but rather kept their faith until the former world that betrayed was judged and brought to an end. They became the seeds of salvation that created the new kingdom of God in Revelation 7, thereby ushering in a new era.
Just as a farmer cultivates land after clearing and levelling the land, Jesus judged the chosen people who betrayed as well as the corrupt religious world, as seen in the text. Jesus is cultivating the land to create a new nation. Therefore, all believers must check whether the prophecies in this chapter have been fulfilled; and if they have, they must know whether they are someone who has received judgment, or someone who is the remnant seed of faith, or neither and become a faithful believer.
"Scales are symbolic tools used to assess economic activity. Its rising value results from famine"
Korean Church
Pastor A, Presbyterian Church
"A scale is predominantly an object used as representative of economic activity. The one denarius is used as the minimum wage that a worker receives a day's labour. With one denarius, you can buy eight pounds of wheat. How many times is it described in the Bible? And with another denarius, how many bars of barley can you buy? Three or four. However, in this case, with one denarius, you can buy 48 pounds of barley, as much as you can buy at the normal market value. Now these two figures are talking about the skyrocketing price of food within the context of commodity values.
In today's economic terms, this is called inflation. What will happen to the whole earth in the last days? Famine is coming through inflation. This is the symbol the black horse wants to express."
Pastor B, Full Gospel Church
"One denarius is the daily wage of a worker. Then, if you earn all day long, you can only buy one pound of wheat or one pound of barley. This is a situation of high inflation."
===========================
Related Bible Blogs
What is the 'Large Sword' in Revelation 6:3-4?
What are the 'Red Horse' and 'Black Horse' in Revelation 6?
What does it mean that Jesus 'rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest' in Revelation 6:2?
What is the 'Book Sealed with Seven Seals' in Revelation 5:1?
What are the 'Seven Seals' in Revelation Chapter 5?
What are the 'Seven Horns of the Lamb' in Revelation 5?
Who are the '24 elders' in Revelation 4?
What is 'Ascending to Heaven' and the 'Open Door' in Revelation 4?
Who is the 'One who Overcomes' who Sits on the Throne of Jesus in Revelation 3?
What is the 'Pillar in the Temple of God' in Revelation 3?
What is 'Salve' that Opens the Eyes of the Blind in Revelation 3?
What are the 'white clothes' Jesus gives in Revelation 3?
Who are the 'Rich' in Revelation 3?
⇨https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/09/who-is-rich-in-revelation-3.html
⇨https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/09/who-is-rich-in-revelation-3.html
What is the True Meaning of the 'Open Door' in Revelation 3?
Who is the Woman 'Jezebel' in Revelation 2?
What is the 'food sacrificed to idols' that should not be eaten in Revelation 2?
What does, 'I will remove your lampstand', mean in Revelation 2?
What is the 'Sword of My Mouth' in Revelation 2?
Who is the 'One who Overcomes' in Revelation 2 and 3?
Who are 'Those Who Pierced' the Lord in Revelation 1:7?
What is the 'Mystery' of the Seven Stars in Revelation 1:20?
Where are the Seven Churches in Revelation 1?
What does 'It is finished' mean in John 19?
How can I get to Heaven at the Second Coming of the Lord in John 14?
What are the 'Dry Bones' and the 'Resurrection' in Ezekiel 37?
Who is the 'one who reads', and who are those who 'hear' and 'keep' its words in Revelation 1?
Who are the 'Servants' in Revelation 1?
Is the Book of Revelation Really an 'Epistle'?
What is the 'iron sceptre' that Jesus gives in Revelation 2?
What is the 'white stone' that Jesus gives in Revelation 2?
What is the 'hidden manna' in Revelation 2?
What is the 'abomination that causes desolation' in Matthew 24:15?
Who are the 'pregnant women' and 'nursing mothers' in Matthew 24?
Who are the Two People in the Field in the Last Days of the Second Coming?
Who is 'someone like a son of man' in Revelation 1?
Who are the 'Kings of the Earth' in Revelation 1?
What does it mean that Jesus 'is coming on the clouds' in Revelation 1:7?
Who are the 'Children of the Light' in 1 Thessalonians 5?
What is the Spring of Water that Wells Up to Eternal life in John 4:14?
What is the 'Expanse of the Sky' (Firmament) in Genesis 1:6?
Who Are Those Who Invaded the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 11?
Who is the Merchant Who Finds Fine Pearls in Matthew 13?
Where is 'Heaven' in John 14?
Who are the 'Two Witnesses' in Revelation 11?
Who is the 'Rider on the White Horse' in Revelation 6?
Where is the 'Mountain' We Must Flee to to be Saved in the Last Days?
Where is the 'East' from which the Angel Comes Up in Revelation 7?
What is the 'Key of the Kingdom of Heaven' that Jesus gave Peter in Matthew 16?
What is the 'Kingdom of Heaven' in Matthew 13, where the Mustard Seed is Sown to Become the Largest of Trees for Birds to Nest?
What is the 'New Thing' in Jeremiah 31:22?
What is the 'Book of Life' in the Book of Revelation?
What is the True Meaning of 'Hades' in Revelation Chapter 6?
What is the True Meaning of the 'Sun of Righteousness' and the 'Healing in its Rays' in Malachi 4?
What Kind of Place is the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Revelation 15?
Where is Mount Zion in Revelation 14?
What is the 'first heaven and first earth', and the 'New Heaven and New Earth' in Revelation 21?
What is the 'Temptation and Distress' Recorded in Matthew 24 at the Time of Jesus' Second Coming?
Who or What is "The Man of Lawlessness" in 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2?
Who was John the Baptist who Appeared at the First Coming?
Who are the 'Spirit' and the 'Bride' in Revelation 22?
What is the True Meaning of the 'Advocate' Recorded in John 14?
Who is the One Who Gives 'Food at the Proper Time' at the Second Coming of the Lord?
Who are the Nicolaitans who Destroy God's Kingdom in the Book of Revelation?
What is the True Meaning of 'Idol' Recorded by the Old Testament Prophets and in the New Testament?
Who can call God 'Father' and What is the Qualification for doing so?
What is the True Meaning of 'Your Kingdom Come' in the Lord's Prayer Jesus Taught?
Why did Jesus Speak about the Secrets of Heaven in Parables at the First Coming?
What is the 'Israel' Recorded in Chapter 7 of the Book of Revelation?
What are the 'Four Living Creatures' Centred Around God's Throne?
Where Are the 'Seven Spirits' Recorded in the Book of Revelation?
What is the Reality of the 'Four Beasts from the Sea' Recorded in the Book of Daniel?
What are the 'Tree of Life' and the 'Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil' in the Centre of the Garden of Eden, and their Fruits?
How did "Satan" Come to Be According to the Bible?
What is the True Meaning of the 'Two Seeds' in Jeremiah 31:27? (Shincheonji Church)
What is the True Meaning of 'Circumcision' Recorded in the Bible?
What is the True Meaning of the 'Light' Created on Day One in Genesis 1?
What is the "Earthquake" at the Lord's Second Coming in Matthew 24?
Where is the 'Wilderness' that the Woman Clothed with the Sun, Moon and Stars Flees to in Revelation Chapter 12?
What is a 'Liar' Who Lives Outside the City of Heaven?
What and Where is the 'Paradise' Jesus Spoke of?
What is the True Meaning of 'Eternal Life' Recorded in the Gospel of John Chapter 6?⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-is-true-meaning-of-eternal-life.html
What Really is the 'Serpent' that Deceived Adam and Eve into Eating the Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?
What is the True Meaning of the 'Famine' Promised to Occur at the End Times and the Second Coming?⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-is-true-meaning-of-famine-promised.html
What are the Biblical Characteristics of Speaking in Tongues and Why were Tongues Given?⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/03/speaking-in-tongues-and-reason-they.html
What is the True Meaning of the Sacrament of 'Communion' Eating the Bread and Wine?⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-is-true-meaning-of-sacrament-of.html
What is the True Meaning of the 'Talents' in the Parable of Matthew 25?⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-is-true-meaning-of-talents-in.html
What is the True 'War' in Matthew 24?
What is the True Meaning of 'Rapture' and 'Being Caught Up in the Clouds to Meet the Lord in the Air'?⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-is-true-meaning-of-rapture-and.html
Where is 'Armageddon' in Revelation 16?
What is the Reality of '666' in Revelation Chapter 13?⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-is-reality-of-666-in-revelation.html
How and When Will Jesus' Promised 'Time of Harvest' Appear?⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/03/how-and-when-will-jesus-promised-time.html
When will the Promised 'End Times' recorded in Matthew 24 Fulfil, and What will Be its Signs?⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/03/when-will-promised-end-times-recorded.html
What are the 'Four Fields' recorded in Matthew Chapter 13?⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/02/what-are-four-fields-recorded-in.html
What is the Biblical Significance of Jesus' Birth?
What is the True Meaning of 'Being Born Again with Water and the Holy Spirit?' Is it a Condition to Go to Heaven?
The 'Trinity' - What is It and How Did It Originate?
What is the 'Daily Bread' Recorded in The Lord's Prayer, and Where Can I Find It?
No comments:
Post a Comment