Prophecy and Fulfillment

If there’s one word that defines Shincheonji’s entire theology, it’s “fulfillment.”

In Shincheonji (also known as Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony), fulfillment isn’t just a concept—it’s the proof they use to claim that everything in the Bible, especially the Book of Revelation, has already happened. Not in the far-off future. Not as a spiritual idea. But in South Korea. With real people, real places, and real events.

So what exactly does Shincheonji mean by fulfillment? And why does it matter so much to their identity?

1. What Is Fulfillment in Shincheonji?

In Shincheonji’s view:

• Prophecy is a promise, and fulfillment is the reality of that promise being completed.
• Without fulfillment, prophecy is meaningless.
• Revelation is no longer mysterious—it has already been fulfilled in detail through Shincheonji’s history, especially between 1980 and 1984 in South Korea.

Shincheonji teaches that the Book of Revelation is being fulfilled physically, meaning the symbolic visions in the book (like the beast, the woman, the 144,000, Babylon) are not just metaphors. They are specific people and institutions today.

2. The Testimony That Ends All Argument

Shincheonji believes that only one person—Chairman Lee Man-hee—has seen and heard all the fulfilled events of Revelation. He is called the “Promised Pastor” or the “New John,” and he’s the one who gives the “word of testimony.”

They often say:

“This testimony ends all debate.”

Why? Because they claim the events have already happened, and you just need to be told the details—like who fulfilled what, where, and when. If someone can’t prove a different fulfillment from the Bible, then their argument has no value, according to SCJ.

3. Fulfillment and Parables

Shincheonji teaches that many of Jesus’ parables are actually prophecies in disguise. For example:

• The Wheat and Weeds (Matthew 13):
  • The wheat are Shincheonji members.
  • The weeds are Christians in traditional churches.
  • The harvest is now—the time to separate the two.
• The Seed and the Field:
  • God’s seed is Shincheonji’s teaching.
  • The field is the Christian world.
  • Only those who are “born of God’s seed” (that is, SCJ’s doctrine) are saved.

In their words, these parables are being fulfilled in Shincheonji. Converts are seen as the harvested wheat being brought into God’s barn—Shincheonji itself.

4. The Reality of Revelation Fulfilled in Korea

According to Shincheonji, Revelation began to be fulfilled when a group called the Tabernacle Temple in South Korea fell into corruption. They identify:

• The seven stars in Revelation as real pastors from that church.
• Babylon as the traditional churches, especially the Presbyterian-led alliance against SCJ.
• The beast from the sea and the earth as real figures—such as Oh Pyeong-ho, who they say led a betrayal of the church.

This timeline reaches its climax on March 14, 1984, when Lee Man-hee founded Shincheonji. That day is considered by members as the beginning of the “New Heaven and New Earth.”

5. The 2024 Slogan: “Destruction of Babylon”

Each year, Shincheonji has a motto. In 2024, the slogan was:

“Fulfillment of the Judgment on Babylon.”

To them, Babylon represents the entire world of false religion—especially traditional Christian churches. They interpret Revelation 18’s “Come out of her, my people” as a call to leave other churches and join Shincheonji.

By declaring 2024 as the year of Babylon’s judgment, Shincheonji expected that traditional Christianity would be exposed, weakened, or lose members, while SCJ would be publicly vindicated.

But as of early 2025, that didn’t really happen. Churches around the world didn’t collapse. There was no visible downfall of “Babylon.” Critics have pointed out that this seems like another failed prophecy.

Some former members online said things like:

“Babylon wasn’t judged. That prophecy didn’t come true.”

Still, Shincheonji might say the judgment is still happening behind the scenes or is spiritual, not physical. This flexibility allows them to keep the narrative going.

6. What Happens If Fulfillment Fails?

If Shincheonji’s version of fulfillment turns out to be false or unverifiable, it would seriously damage their entire belief system. Here’s why:

• Everything in Shincheonji rests on the claim that Revelation has already been fulfilled.
• If their identifications of real-life events are proven wrong, it calls into question whether they are the true church.
• Their evangelism depends on proving prophecy has been fulfilled—not just offering a good interpretation.

So when real events don’t match the prophecy, Shincheonji usually does one of three things:

1. Change the interpretation.
   For example, their explanation of the “3.5 days” in Revelation 11 used to mean 3.5 years. Now they teach it was literally 3.5 days.
2. Spiritualize the meaning.
   If something doesn’t happen physically, they might say it was fulfilled spiritually.
3. Blame outsiders or persecution.
   If an event doesn’t happen as planned (like a 2024 rally being canceled), they say it was blocked by Satan or Babylon.

7. Revisions and Doctrinal Changes

Despite claiming to have all the answers, Shincheonji has changed its interpretations over the years. Some examples:

• In the 1980s, they said the “beast from the earth” was one man (Lee Cho-joo). Later they said it was someone else (Oh Pyeong-ho).
• The number 7,000 in Revelation 11 was once explained as spiritual; now it refers to real people who “died” spiritually.
• Their understanding of the “measuring rod” in Revelation changed from the Bible to a person who does the measuring.

These changes are rarely admitted publicly. Instead, they are framed as deeper revelations.

8. What Still Hasn’t Been Fulfilled?

Even in Shincheonji’s own view, some things are still to come:

• The marriage between spirit and flesh.
• The full destruction of Babylon.
• The first resurrection.
• Eternal life without death for the 144,000.

These are huge promises. Some SCJ members believe they will literally never die. If these events don’t happen, it could cause major disappointment or confusion in the future.

9. What Do Critics Say?

External observers—including journalists and scholars—have raised concerns:

• Shincheonji often redefines or adjusts its prophecy claims when they don’t pan out.
• The promise of never dying can keep members from leaving out of fear of losing salvation.
• The group has used secretive recruitment tactics that many consider deceptive.

Steven Hassan, an expert on high-control groups, has written about Shincheonji. In his public materials, he has described it as a group that:

• Is authoritarian and centered on one man’s authority.
• Uses secretive methods to gain followers.
• Promises salvation only through the group.

While he doesn’t call them a cult directly in every case, he classifies them as using mind control methods according to his BITE model (Behavior, Information, Thought, Emotion control).

Conclusion

Fulfillment is not just a doctrine in Shincheonji—it’s the entire foundation of their message. They say that prophecy has now become reality, that their leader is the only one who saw it happen, and that their church is the result of that promise coming true.

But if their version of reality fails—or needs constant revision—then the very thing they use to end debate may reopen the biggest questions.

That’s why fulfillment matters so much in Shincheonji. It’s the key to their authority, their teaching, and their identity.

But it also means that if the “fulfilled reality” breaks down, so might everything built on it.