As I shared last week, Chairman Man-hee Lee of Shincheonji Church of Jesus gave a lecture for pastors in the Philippines on 24th January 2023. Following the monumental 100,000 Graduation Ceremony of Shincheonji in November 2022, swarms of invitations from pastors to Chairman Lee to visit the Philippines flooded in. In response, Chairman Lee travelled to the Philippines to deliver a Bible seminar, despite being advanced in age.
The Seminar is called “Grand Bible Seminar for Pastors: The Entire Book of Revelation”, which expounds the entire book of Revelation, as the title infers.
“God and Jesus will remember this day.” Greeting the audience, Chairman Lee said: “It's not just us who are present at today's event. The spirits in the spiritual realm are also with us. So please open the doors of your hearts and think of these words as words exchanged between friends.”
He began the seminar by talking about the history of the work of God, the 6,000-year work to restore the world that the devil took and corrupted. In the Old Testament, it was recorded that the son of God would come. Therefore, the believers in those days believed it. However, when Jesus came to fulfil the prophecies of the Old Testament, they did not believe in him. Rather, they killed him. Before Jesus bore the cross, he asked whether he would find faith on this earth (Lk 18:8). This means that when Jesus comes again, the religious world will be very corrupt.
In the New Testament, there is a book called Revelation. This book is about one era coming to an end and a new era being created. It is written in the four gospels that the time of recreation will be like the time of Noah and the time of Lot. (In the time of Noah, only eight people were saved and everyone else died through a flood.) Chairman Lee asked the pastors in attendance to raise their hands if they mastered the book of Revelation. He said that Revelation says that if you add or subtract from the book of Revelation, you cannot go to heaven (Rev 22:18). “Heaven is working hard to save people, but people aren’t taking any notice of it and living up to it,” Chairman Lee said. He repeatedly said that our attitude, which is the issue, must change. “We must work to earn it (salvation).”
He then introduced himself. He wasn’t a religious person, he was a farmer. Following what his grandfather was doing (praying while looking up to the sky), he prayed to God after being safely discharged from the army (he is a war veteran who fought in the Korean War). Surviving the war, he was so grateful and joyful, and that is why he prayed to God. One day, a star from the sky came to him. It was so big and bright. With the guidance of the star, he made an oath to God with his blood and started his life of faith. The journey of his life of faith has not been an easy one. Despite having to live in the mountains and eat herbs because of there being nothing to eat, he has kept his faith.
Chairman Lee repeatedly emphasised that we cannot go to heaven if we add or subtract from the book of Revelation. The reason why we can’t go to heaven if we add or subtract from Revelation is because God will fulfil every prophecy promised in the book of Revelation. With reference to the time of Noah, he further explained that not everyone goes to heaven. As it is prophesied in the Old Testament, Jesus came and sowed the good seed 2,000 years ago. After he sowed the seed, he promised to return, and then left. Because he sowed the seed of God, there will be those who are born of God’s seed, and when he comes back, the ripened wheat will be harvested. And those who are harvested will be brought to Mount Zion as promised in Rev 14 (144,000 people). Moreover, they will be sealed. The twelve tribes will thus be created and God and the kingdom of heaven will come to them according to God's promise in Revelation.
Chairman Lee said, “‘Who am I in the Bible?’ We should think about this,” and added, “We should also ask ourselves, ‘Have I been recreated according to the book of Revelation?’” He kept on asking whether we are qualified to go to heaven. He rebuked the pastors who teach that just going to church or saying 'Lord, Lord' will lead the congregation members to heaven. He said, “It's time we change our thoughts. If we add or subtract from the book of Revelation, we cannot go to heaven; yet, we have all done this. And still we say we'll go to heaven. Do you think this is how we should teach our congregation members? Those are your words. We shouldn't say such things.” He also said, “God is holy and His kingdom is the holy city. We are not holy, so we cannot be a part of it and live there.” He emphasised that the book of Revelation is comprised of only a few pages and that we must record the words of this book onto our hearts. He said we must become “a walking book of Revelation.”
Jn 1:1-4 reads that in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word is God. And there is life in the word. Chairman Lee said, “If you don’t have the word, you don’t have life. If you have the word, you have life.” Revelation promises that there will be an era that comes to an end and a new era that is created. In Mt 8:11, the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside and those from the east and the west will come and take their seats in heaven. Moreover, (in Revelation) the first heaven and first earth will disappear. Who are the subjects who are kicked out of the kingdom? He again said that we must be qualified to go to heaven. “If you find someone who comes from afar and claims that he has mastered Revelation, should you not go and listen to him and record the word onto your hearts?” he asked. “Without making this effort, do you think you can go to heaven? Do you think heaven is cheap?” Chairman Lee emphatically said.
Chairman Lee went on to explain how he has mastered the book of Revelation. In Rev 5, God held a book that was sealed with seven seals. No one has known about the contents of this book since God had it written 2,000 years ago. Jesus took this book, opened its seven seals and fulfilled everything that was recorded inside of it. However, at the time of his return, Jesus comes as a spirit. Even when Jesus fulfils the book of Revelation, people cannot perceive that it is the time of the fulfilment of the prophecies of Revelation unless we know the meaning and the actual entities of the fulfilment. In Rev 2-3, there were messengers who were appointed by Jesus. However, they betrayed and so Jesus chose another person to write letters to those messengers, urging them to repent. When the prophecy was fulfilled, there were people who received the letters and a person who wrote the letters. Chairman Lee said, “I know the reality and the actual entities from Rev 1 to Rev 22.” A war ensued between Satan’s pastors and God’s pastors. Jesus said many times to overcome Satan’s pastors. In Rev 12, Satan’s pastors are defeated, and those who were victorious appear in Rev 15. Following the will of God, they harvested the people who were born of God’s seed, sealed them, and created the twelve tribes; the promised new kingdom and new people of God.
“All of us must be created anew. Until that happens, we cannot go to heaven.” Emphasising the importance of recording the word onto our hearts, Chairman Lee, who quoted Mal 2, said that the messenger of God must walk with God and people should seek instruction from his lips. “No matter who comes and whatever question one asks about the Bible, one must be able to answer.” He clarified, “These people are priests.” Chairman then rebuked the pastors who say they are priests or pastors without having anything to do with the Bible. “Do you think God does not know when you speak falsely?” He emphasised that from now on, we must record the word onto our hearts and learn from someone who truly knows. Knowing Revelation allows us to discern between good and evil (and Satan’s pastors). It will help make us aware of the actual entities of the prophecy of Revelation. There are entities who belong to Satan and entities who belong to God. We must know how to distinguish them and protect our congregation members. We should understand how the devil works, protect our congregation members and fight and defeat the devil. He urged the pastors to make the transition from a superficial to a sincere life of faith according to the word.
Chairman Lee went on to testify that he has met and talked with God and Jesus. Though it was a fearful experience, he gave his life to God and Jesus and chose to follow their path. Even when he had to pick herbs from the ground in the mountain to survive, he said to God that he would work for Him.
He asked the pastors, “Did you fight and overcome the devil? What did he look like?” He explained that since the devil hinders the work of God, we must overcome him. To overcome the devil, one must recognise the devil and his work.
After the events of Rev 6, in Rev 7, there is the work of sealing. The twelve tribes have already been sealed. To seal means to have the word inscribed onto one’s heart. In Rev 7, there are 12,000 sealed people in each of the 12 tribes, and 144,000 people who are sealed in total. If you don’t belong to the twelve tribes, it means you cannot be sealed. This is the recreation of God’s eternal kingdom. The holy city New Jerusalem in heaven, which was created by Jesus and the twelve disciples of Jesus at Jesus' first coming, is promised to come down and become one with the twelve tribes in Rev 21. When they become one, the marriage of spirit and flesh (Rev 19) will happen and the first resurrection (Rev 20) will then take place. Those people will then be qualified to live with God forever.
In Rev 22:8, it is said, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.” Also in Rev 1:1-3, it is said that the angel was sent to John, who was told that Jesus will fulfil everything. Everything that will soon be fulfilled is to be shown to the servants. It is the twelve tribes of Rev 7 who are shown what will soon take place. Emphasising the importance of knowing everything written in Revelation, Chairman Lee said, “If you cannot get to the place of salvation, you cannot be saved. No matter what one says, one cannot get the better of God. So, we must learn from someone who knows all these things - that is, the word of prophecy, and the actual entities of the fulfilment. This person (I) can let you know all these things.”
He said that when the twelve tribes are completed and the devil comes to an end, the first heaven and the first earth will disappear and the new heaven and the new earth will be created. Rev 6 describes the sun, moon, and stars falling from heaven, meaning that the chosen people who betrayed and didn’t repent of their deeds came to an end. Rev 21 says the first heaven and the first earth disappear - one era come to an end and a new era is re-created. Only these people exist and everyone else will come to an end.
“I’d like to ask: In Mt 13:24-30 and Mt 13:37-40, Jesus sowed the seed of God. The devil also sowed his seed in the field of Jesus. The field of Jesus is the church and two kinds of seeds were sown there. At the time Jesus comes back, there is the work of harvest. Only those who are born of God’s seed are harvested. Then, those who have remained in the field are not born of God’s seed. Ask yourselves, 'Am I worthy to be harvested and taken?'”
He insisted: “If you don’t know the answer to this question, let’s not remain this way, but let’s repent. What do you think judgment is about? If we don’t know the Bible, we don’t know the time that we are in; and you don’t know who belongs to God and who belongs to the devil. Even if you've lived a long life of faith, you should know these things.” Speaking these words, he again advised the pastors to go to someone who knows and to learn these things.
At the second coming of Jesus, Jesus chose the seven messengers. Those messengers betrayed because the pastors of Satan, the Nicolaitans, invaded the first heaven. Jesus wanted them to repent; therefore, he chose another pastor and showed him the reality of the seven messengers and commanded him to send letters urging them to repent (Rev 1-3). Those messengers did not repent, so Jesus then called the new pastor to heaven. In the spiritual realm, he saw God’s throne and the spirits moving like lightning to fulfil the prophecy of Revelation. As the witness (Rev 22:8), he knows the names, faces, and everything about the promised seven messengers. Chairman Lee said that Revelation is not going to be fulfilled ‘over and over again', but that “it will come to an end.” Most of Revelation has already been fulfilled; what remains to be fulfilled is Rev 18 and Rev 19, which means the reality of these prophecies await.
There is ‘one who overcomes’ in Rev 2-3. When he appears (when he defeats the dragon), it is said (Rev 12), “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.” The child and his brothers fought against the group of the dragon and defeated them with Jesus’ blood and the word of testimony and gave their very lives (Rev 12:11). In Jn 11:25, Jesus is the life and resurrection. So, if we believe in Jesus, even if we die we will live, and even if we live by believing in Jesus, we won’t taste death. Jesus asked the disciples if they believed, and the disciples said yes. Today, we have learned much more than the disciples did 2000 years ago.
Even though Chairman Man-hee Lee is over 90 years old, he is energetic and lively. Listening to the seminar, I could feel his sincere loving heart towards fellow pastors and believers. Particularly in this seminar, he kept on emphasising the importance of knowing Revelation (more than ever, I think). I hope everyone can learn the meaning and the fulfilment of Revelation and receive salvation.
If you’re interested in learning Revelation, register here to attend a free online Bible course.
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