Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, starting with Seoul on the 22nd of last month, Busan on the 30th and Daejeon on the 6th May, held its concluding lecture, 'Shincheonji Bible Seminar: Testimony on the Fulfillment of Revelation', in Incheon on the 13th. Each lecture drew in a significant number of ministers, including pastors, evangelists, elders and preachers, in Seoul (500), Busan (150) and Daejeon (500). According to an official from Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the concluding lecture in Incheon, which filled the banquet hall of Ramada Songdo Hotel, drew in “about 1,300 people, including 300 pastors, seminarians, journalists, and people from all walks of life.” Thousands of people also watched each lecture online, simultaneously broadcast live in nine languages including English, Chinese, Japanese, French, Mongolian, Spanish, and Russian, via the official YouTube channel of Shincheonji Church of Jesus.

Chairman Man-hee Lee, who has just delivered the first in-person lecture in 4 years owing to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, said, “Today is the time of Revelation's fulfilment” and stressed, “It has to be made known and testified.” It is written in Revelation 22:18, 'If you add to or subtract from this book, you will receive curses', yet the general awareness among church pastors in Korea on the importance of Revelation is poor.

Chairman Lee also emphasised that the Korean church should acknowledge what should be acknowledged, accept what is correct and engage in 'open dialogue' based on mutual trust.

Following the inaugural Seoul Bible Seminar last month, a separate follow-up consultative educational window for further study was opened up. Pastors who want to study the Bible more systematically and easily based on the 5W1H principle, from Genesis to Revelation, can receive education upon submission of application. An official from Shincheonji Church of Jesus said, “The pastors who have come to know Shincheonji are enthusiastic about attending.”

Many pastors who did not know the Book of Revelation even after serving for decades and regarded Shincheonji as a heresy, responded with shock at the testimony of Revelation given at the Shincheonji Bible Seminar, repenting of their thoughts and expressing their desire to quench their thirst for the Word.

Pastor Kim, who attended the Incheon Bible Seminar, said, “The Book of Revelation records words that every pastor fears.”

Pastors from outside Korea also spoke out. Pastor A, who came to Korea from Pakistan six years ago and now does pastoral work, said, “It was so good that I wanted to forget what I knew and learn the word (revealed theology of Shincheonji) again. I want to keep learning and tell others.”

Shincheonji Church of Jesus is the only denomination that has shown growth amid a decline in the religious community due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the Shincheonji 100,000 graduation ceremony in November 2019, the religious community was stunned by yet another 100,000 graduation ceremony in November 2022 of last year, three years later.

Outside South Korea, pastors from around the world who have come into contact with Shincheonji's revealed theology through online seminars have entered into an MOU agreement to have the word of Shincheonji taught to their congregations, and are even changing their church signboards to Shincheonji. One such individual is Pastor Payne Tutala (France) who said, “The more I listened to the words of Shincheonji, the more I felt that these words were true.”

Despite the strong antipathy towards Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the religious world, many analysts say that the reason why so many pastors flocked to the Shincheonji Bible Seminar is because they eagerly desire to know the secret of Shincheonji's growth. In addition, the Book of Revelation presents a 'challenge' in the religious world, as most of Revelation is recorded in figurative language (metaphors) that are difficult to understand and cannot be easily interpreted. Even the interpretations among well-known pastors are very different, adding to the confusion among believers.

Regarding this, a religious official said, “The Korean church is too passive in interpreting the Book of Revelation and teaching about the end times. Since the mention itself is taboo, it's not only church members who are curious and looking for teachings but also pastors, and so they are taking this step forward to the Open Bible Seminar.” He emphasised, “The fact that pastors are flocking to the 'Shincheonji Bible Seminar on the Testimony on the Fulfillment of Revelation' held by the Chairman of Shincheonji is a phenomenon that the religious world needs to wake up to.”