[Cheonji Ilbo = Correspondent Su-kyung Kang] Within many churches of the established denominations in South Korea, you will find signs that read 'Shincheonji Harvesters Prohibited'. These signs have been put up in response to the fact proclaimed by Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji Church of Jesus, Chairman Man-hee Lee) that today is the time of harvest, which informs the established denominations that those born of God's seed should be harvested. However, the established Church is distributing these signs to churches throughout Korea and is refusing to even engage in dialogue. Nevertheless, within the Christian world, the interest in the meaning of the 'harvest' is on the rise.

Recently, Shincheonji Church of Jesus released a video on YouTube emphasising that today is the time of harvest based on the Bible, and it has been well received by netizens. The 2 minute and 7 second 'Are You Harvested? (1)' video, released on the 10th via the Shincheonji Church of Jesus YouTube account, surpassed 12,500 views within 3 days of posting, and the 7 minutes and 18 seconds long video released on the 12th, 'Are You Harvested? (2)', surpassed 15,000 views in just one day after it was published. Most videos dealing with religion do not have a high number of views. Considering that views of pastors' sermons and special lectures rarely exceed 10,000, the fact that it surpassed 15,000 views within just one day is evidence of there being serious interest.

This newspaper has analysed the content of this two-part video that has become a hot topic. Is a biblical explanation possible for the controversial 'harvest' among believers? In the video, theology lecturer Yun-ji Chu of Bartholomew tribe of Shincheonji Church of Jesus explains the harvest in a simple and concise way according to the Bible.

According to the lecture, 'harvest' is an expression that is figuratively used according to the logic of farming and, in the Bible, it is recorded that God is the farmer. Moreover, the creation of God's kingdom through Jesus Christ and the 12 disciples, who are likened to trees and branches, is explained, as is the term 'farming' that dates back 6000 years.

6000 years ago, God, who created all things, left Adam and Eve to rule the Garden of Eden. However, with the appearance of the serpent, Adam sinned, and God departed from this earth. God, who had entrusted everything to Adam, was betrayed by man. God chose Noah and started anew. However, not long after, sin again found its way into Noah's son Ham. Nevertheless, God did not give up and made yet another plan, making and keeping covenants with Israel throughout the eras of Abraham and Moses. However, during the reign of King Solomon, King Solomon ignored God's warning and eventually betrayed God. The Bible records this event as the breaking of the covenant, like Adam.

After that, Israel was divided into North and South, and gradually fell into calamity. In this situation, God planned something different from before: the prophecy of the creation of a new thing and the sowing of the two kinds of seed. The new work began about 600 years later through the birth of Jesus Christ. This signalled the creation of a new nation of those born of God's seed, not of the bloodline of the former Israelites. If the seed is the word, then those born of God's seed refer to those who keep the word of God in their heart.

In other words, the kingdom of God is created by people who have the inner faith to keep the Word of God, not the superficial faith according to physical lineage. Jesus likened this to farming and harvesting, which he spoke about in parables in Matthew 13.

If you sow seeds while farming, you will also unintentionally grow weeds, and this situation is mentioned in Matthew 13 as well. Jesus sowed the good seed, but other seeds that he had not sown also grew. The Bible tells us that this other seed was planted by the devil. The purpose of farming is to reap, or harvest. The Bible prophesies that the fruits of the seeds sown in this way will be harvested and gathered into a barn. In this way, it was made known through the Bible that the kingdom of God would be created. It is also recorded that today's time of harvest is 'the end of the age'. Some established denominations explain this as being the end of the earth and an era of nuclear warfare, but in the Bible, it is recorded that it is the time when the work of harvest is carried out. The video explains that the seed of God has been preached for 2000 years, and Jesus wanted believers living today to know this fact. It is also said that this was the gospel Jesus told the 12 disciples to preach.

Lecturer Chu said, “It is important to eat and live well, but the key message Jesus wanted to convey is the actual time of harvest.” She asked, “Could this be the case?”

Then she emphatically said, in reference to the content in Matthew 13, “This world is the field where Jesus sowed.” That is, the 'end of the world' of Jesus, the Church of Jesus where the Gospel of Jesus was preached, which is the religious world, and it is definite that the field has already fulfilled its purpose (Matthew 13:40-42). The conclusion is the creation of a new world (kingdom) with those who are harvested.

Lecturer Chu said, “When someone does the work of harvest, we should not put up signs saying that the harvesters are not allowed to enter, but we need to check whether our present time is really the time of harvest. People who do not recognise the time are called immature believers. I invite you to think about whether you are mature.”

She also made the following appeal: “I hope that today's video will serve as an opportunity to reflect on the time we are living in today, and the kind of faith we should have.”