Shincheonji Church of Jesus Hosts 1st Continental Bible Seminar (Philippines)

LONDON, UK. April 22nd, 2024 - "It is the mission of this person to convey what has been reported and heard from the events of Revelation chapters 1 to 22. What I have seen and heard, what I have touched and what exists in reality, that is what I am here to share with you. Now is not the time to say anything and simply agree with 'Amen'. You must understand the era of reality. It is the era when promises have been fulfilled," said Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee.

In an indoor lecture hall in the Philippines, applause filled the vast space, which seemed to seat thousands at first glance. The strong voice and confident lecture coming from a small stature, which seemed unlikely for someone well over ninety years old, made expressions so simple even a child could understand. In an instant, the atmosphere heated up intensely. The person who made this happen was none other than Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony Chairman Lee Man-hee.

◆Chairman Lee introduces himself first, like the prophets

On the 20th, Chairman Lee visited the Philippines. This was his twelfth visit since his first in 2013.

That day, Chairman Lee kicked off the ‘2024 Shincheonji’s Bible Seminars by Continent Asia Ⅰ' with a visit to the Philippine International Convention Center. The lecture series will continue throughout the year in Europe, Africa, America, Oceania, and conclude again in Asia II. The Shincheonji Church of Jesus organised this Word Seminar due to explosive responses and earnest requests from numerous pastors and believers worldwide following the 'Shincheonji Revelation Word Seminar'.

With a lecture hall that seats 4,000 packed with people, Chairman Lee took to the stage and first introduced himself and what led him to faith. It gave an impression similar to how biblical writers would introduce their lineage and era before the main content.

According to Chairman Lee's introduction, he was born in 1931 in Cheongdo County, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Influenced by World War II, Korea fell under Japanese colonial rule, followed by the Korean War, where he experienced the tragedy of fratricidal warfare as a combatant on the front lines. Grateful for surviving in places where not a single blade of grass could live due to relentless gunfire from both allies and enemies, he prayed to the God of heaven every evening.

Later, guided by a star (a great light), he made a covenant with God through blood and entered the path of faith. Following the star's guidance, he practised faith at a church with seven shepherds but returned home after witnessing corruption. He then participated in the Saemaul (New Village) Movement for seven years.

Afterward, he met a spiritual being from heaven and began his faith journey anew. Initially worshipping in the mountains, he eventually drew followers with the revelation he received, leading to what is now the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.

◆ "Jesus Commands the Witness of Revelation to Testify"

Chairman Lee explained the direct reason why he came to testify about the words of Revelation. He stated, "The majority of the events from chapters 1 to 22 of Revelation were shown and given to one person by Jesus." He continued, "This one person will speak of everything he has seen and heard up to chapter 22." He emphasised again that it was "one person who saw everything from chapters 1 to 22 of Revelation," explaining that when these prophecies are fulfilled, it is not Jesus who testifies, but Jesus commands the witness to testify to the churches, citing Revelation 22:16 and 8. Revelation 22:16 records that Jesus sends 'my angel' for the churches, and verse 8 refers to 'I, John,' indicating the one who has seen and heard the events of the entire book of Revelation.

Chairman Lee stated, "There is a time for prophecy and a time when it will be fulfilled," and "when it is fulfilled, we are to see and believe, which is why it was prophesied in advance."

Chairman Lee said, "With the thought 'I must tell all these things to everyone, not just keep it to myself,' I travelled around the world delivering the message," and "I testified by going around 32 times just to convey what I had seen and heard."

◆ "To Enter Heaven, One Must Verify Reality and Receive the Seal"

Furthermore, Chairman Lee asserted that this era is 'the time when Revelation is being fulfilled.'

Chairman Lee declared, "The world is in deep sleep, not knowing whether the book of Revelation from God is being fulfilled or not," and asserted, "More than half of Revelation has already been fulfilled."

Chairman Lee stated forcefully, "Now is not the time to say anything and simply agree with 'Amen,'" and, "You must understand the era of reality. It is the era when promises have been fulfilled." He stressed, "Revelation includes a beast with seven heads and ten horns, and also seven stars. It's about understanding what these actual appearances represent," and reiterated that, "when God records such people's emergence, it is so that today they may be seen, heard, and believed."

Referring to Revelation 22:18-19, Chairman Lee repeatedly emphasised that one cannot enter heaven if they add to or take away from the Book of Revelation. In doing so, he awakened a sense of urgency in faith by saying, "one must know everything without omission. It's difficult enough to practise even when knowing everything; without knowledge, one would lose hope."

Chairman Lee also said that if one desires heaven and eternal life, they must go to the ends of the earth if necessary to find out whether it is a reality fulfilled according to the Bible. Chairman Lee stressed, "Faith is not for making money," and, “it's not the time to have faith with the old mentality. One must verify. After verifying, one must decide whether to believe or not."

He also emphasised once again that one must fully grasp Revelation and receive the seal as if being stamped with a seal. Chairman Lee asked, "Why do you think it is written in Revelation 22:18-19 that one will not enter the kingdom of heaven and will be cursed if they add or subtract from it?" He answered, "It is because these words are to be fulfilled as if stamped with a seal."

Chairman Lee stressed the importance of engraving the words in one's heart, becoming a 'walking Bible' and a 'living word.' He mentioned that those who do so become the sealed ones spoken of in Revelation 7, who are saved. Chairman Lee declared, "There is no talk of salvation except for the 144,000 sealed ones and the great multitude in white; anyone who is not sealed becomes like a clump of soil, having nothing to do with it. Only those who are sealed can enter the kingdom of heaven." He also firmly stated, "those who are sealed can live in heaven, have eternal life, and be part of God's family, but those who are not have no relation to God."

To the local people, Chairman Lee frequently conveyed greetings such as "I have a deep connection with the Philippines," "The Philippines was the first place I came to testify after receiving the word," and, "I hold affection for the Philippines."

In fact, the Philippines has maintained a relationship with Chairman Lee for over a decade. Apart from his religious activities, as the representative of the non-governmental international organisation HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light), he visited the Philippines and mediated the first civilian peace agreement in Mindanao, which had been in conflict for over 40 years. Following this, peace was established in the region, and this news received global attention.

Meanwhile, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 when borders were closed, Shincheonji Church of Jesus held an online Word Seminar and shocked religious communities worldwide. After being exposed to the words of Shincheonji, numerous other denominations flooded them with requests for exchange, leading to MOUs for word exchange with 443 domestic churches and 9,462 churches in 77 countries overseas. In particular, after the exchange of words, 1,382 churches in 38 countries abroad changed their signs to Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus announced, "due to the explosive response and earnest requests from numerous pastors and believers worldwide, we will host the '2024 Continental Shincheonji Word Seminar' starting with Asia (I) on April 20th. The Word Seminars are scheduled to take place throughout the year in Europe, Africa, America, Oceania, and Asia (II). The seminars will be live-streamed in multiple languages on YouTube for anyone around the world to watch."