Shincheonji Destruction Teaching vs the Record: Oh Pyeong-ho

The events, side by side

Shincheonji's own books and course do not always agree with each other. Some cards below include a "How SCJ's account changed" row, listing each version from oldest to newest. Where those versions disagree, the row is marked Contradiction or Inconsistency. Where a teaching grows across editions without a direct clash, it is marked Developed doctrine. Caution still applies to outside claims, unverified allegations and second-hand quotes.

Contradiction SCJ’s own books give different dates or facts for the same point. Inconsistency SCJ’s accounts describe the same thing in ways that don’t line up. Developed doctrine A teaching, title or dated claim that appears only in later SCJ sources.

On this page: 5 Contradictions (Isaac Church, Stewardship Education Center, Ordination, Detention), 1 Inconsistency (Detention), 1 Developed doctrine.

1. 14 Sep 1980 or 20 Sep 1981Oh Pyeong-ho’s takeover and the “Isaac Church” renaming

   What Shincheonji teaches

   SCJ’s own account

   14 Sep 1980

   Shincheonji’s newcomers course says that on 14 Sep 1980 Oh Pyeong-ho changed the Tabernacle Temple’s name to Isaac Church, and that 10 of the 12 elders signed an agreement with him. The book 신탄 (Shintan, p. 279) calls 14 Sep 1980 the day “the organization of the new god with seven heads entered and confiscated church authority (staff, cord, seal)”. Shintan names no one. Lee Man-hee’s 1985 book instead dates the signboard change to 2 PM on 20 Sep 1981.

   What Shincheonji teaches: Lee Man-hee’s 1985 book

   SCJ’s own account

   “Thus in 1980, the 14th year since its founding, the Tabernacle Temple, spread out by covenant, came to hand over its church authority and denomination completely to a gentile denomination. A pastor from an established denomination joined this church, and it was pledged under Presbyterian law based on the Westminster constitution and creed.”

   Source: 계시록의 진상 (The Reality of Revelation), 1985, pp. 361–364

   The book refers only to “a pastor” (한 목자). It does not name Oh Pyeong-ho and does not mention an “Isaac church”.

   Evidence: the book’s Korean text

   이리하여 언약으로 펼친 장막성전이 창립 14년이 되는 1980년 교권과 교단을 송두리째 이방의 교단으로 넘겨주는 사태가 발생하게 된다. 기성 교단에서 목사직에 있었던 한 목자가 이 교회에 입교하여 이 웨스트 민스턴의 헌장과 신조에 입각한 장로교법으로 서약한 것이었다.

   English rendering: “Thus in 1980, the 14th year since its founding, the Tabernacle Temple, spread out by covenant, came to hand over its church authority and denomination completely to a gentile denomination. A pastor from an established denomination joined this church, and it was pledged under Presbyterian law based on the Westminster constitution and creed.”

   What Shincheonji teaches: Lee Man-hee’s 1985 book

   SCJ’s own account

   “In 1981, the year God set, in September, the month he set, on the 20th, the day he set, at 2 PM, the hour he set, they seized the Jerusalem temple … made all officers resign en masse and changed the signboard.”

   Source: 계시록의 진상 (The Reality of Revelation), 1985, ch. 9, section 5, pp. 138–141

   The book dates the signboard change to 20 Sep 1981, not 14 Sep 1980.

   Evidence: the book’s Korean text

   하나님께서 정하신 해인 1981년, 정하신 달 9월, 정하신 날 20일, 정하신 시각 하오 2시에 예루살렘 성전을 장악하고 … 모든 재직을 총사퇴 시켰고 간판을 바꾸어 버린 것이다.

   English rendering: “In 1981, the year God set, in September, the month he set, on the 20th, the day he set, at 2 PM, the hour he set, they seized the Jerusalem temple … made all officers resign en masse and changed the signboard.”

   What the record shows

   Sources differ

   14 Sep 1980 or 20 Sep 1981

   The Beast of the Earth: A Changed Identity

   Shincheonji’s later teaching identifies Oh Pyeong-ho as the beast that comes out of the earth in Revelation 13:11. The examination reproduced in What it Took for me to Leave names “Oh ○ Ho” as its actual entity, and the newcomers course likewise identifies Oh with this beast.

   However, the Google document reproduces passages attributed to Lee Man-hee’s December 1985 book, Revelation’s Reality, that identify someone else. These passages describe the earth beast as one of the seventeen newly ordained pastors—specifically, the pastor who delivered the benediction.

   The reproduced ordination program names that speaker as Lee Cho-joo (이초주). Oh is separately listed as moderator, rather than as one of the seventeen ordination candidates.

   Who the earth beast is, by source

   Evidence	Person identified
   Earlier book passages reproduced in the Google document	The newly ordained pastor who gave the benediction
   Reproduced ceremony program	Lee Cho-joo gave the benediction
   Later examination and newcomers teaching	Oh Pyeong-ho is the earth beast

   The Korean term 축도 means the concluding benediction. It should not be confused with the ordination prayer or laying on of hands. The earlier passages specifically connect the beast’s identity with the newly ordained pastor who performed that concluding role.

   On the face of the reproduced evidence, the identity changes from Lee Cho-joo to Oh Pyeong-ho. This concerns the identity of an alleged prophetic fulfillment, not merely a difference in spelling or terminology. If Lee’s testimony rests on having witnessed and received the explanation of Revelation’s fulfillment, SCJ needs to explain why these accounts identify different people.

   The comparison remains subject to authentication of the complete early edition and its surrounding context. The evidence supports a serious documentary discrepancy; it does not, by itself, establish deliberate falsification.

   Source: What it Took for me to Leave, “The Beast of the Earth” (opens in new tab), including its reproduced book excerpts, examination question 49, and ordination program; newcomers course, slide 37.

   Sources (2)

   Evidence

   The 14 Sep 1980 date comes from Shintan, as quoted by Church and Faith and Bible and Church. Naming Oh and Tak Myung-hwan as the people who “entered” is Shincheonji’s interpretation; Shintan itself names no one.

   How SCJ’s account changedCompare what SCJ’s books said over time — tap to openContradictionOpenClose

   When the destruction started Contradiction

   1. 1985 · 계시록의 진상

      20 Sep 1981, 2 p.m.: Presbyterian signboard change / fall of the first tabernacle. ch. 11, pp. 138–141, 155–159

   2. 1995 · The Reality of the RevelationEnglish translation of the 1993 Korean

      No day given; events realized since 1980. p. 330Quoted from a scanned copy, being checked against print

   3. 2014 · The Creation of Heaven and Earth

      No start day. Prison in fall 1980, release in 1981, a horrible battle from the end of 1982 through 1983, founding in 1984. pp. 210–211

   4. 2015 · The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation

      No start day.

   5. Current course

      14 Sep 1980: Isaac Church renaming; destruction runs 14 Sep 1980 to 14 Mar 1984, 42 months. course, pp. 46–47

   Contradiction The 1985 book dates the Presbyterian signboard change to 20 Sep 1981; the course dates the Isaac Church renaming to 14 Sep 1980.

   Developed doctrine See how this changed on the Salvation page: 1984 Shincheonji founding

2. 1980–1981The Stewardship Education Center as an “all-powerful” government arm

   What Shincheonji teaches

   SCJ’s own account

   1980

   Shincheonji teaches that after Chun Doo-hwan came to power in 1980 and wanted to purify Korea of cults, the Stewardship Education Center (청지기 교육원) held authority over Korea’s churches: all pastors had to study its doctrine, and its power was “far greater than any other institution”. It names seven “heads” of the organization, with Oh Pyeong-ho as the “eighth king”.

   What the record shows

   VerifiedCritics’ claim

   1980–1981

   We found no record that the government gave the Center this authority. The advertisement Shincheonji shows is a schedule for regional training sessions in June 1981, with lecturers, fees and how to apply. The organizer is the Christian Stewardship Education Center and the sponsor the International Religious Issues Research Institute. It shows no presidential order, jurisdiction, compulsory attendance or power to close churches, and lecturers named in an advertisement are not the same as governing “heads”.

   Verified

   Shincheonji counts seven “heads”; the Center’s own published listings name fewer. According to Closer Look Initiative, the Center “does not even have 7 pastors to begin with”. The article reproduces the Center’s listings, one labelled as a copy of a May–June 1981 periodical issue. One names four officers: director Tak Sung-hwan, vice director Kim Jung-doo, Oh Pyeong-ho and Kim Bong-kwan. Another adds Han Eui-taek and, as full-time lecturer, Won Se-ho, six names in all; the article itself says “at most, there are only 5 people”. It says Tak Myung-hwan was “a guest lecturer and a supporter of the Center”, not a member, and that Baek Dong-seop was not affiliated with it. Disclosure: Bible Vaccine Center and Closer Look Initiative are run by the same team.

   Verified

   Chun Doo-hwan was elected on 27 Aug 1980 and inaugurated as 11th president on 1 Sep 1980 (Presidential Archives).

   Verified

   Religious repression did take place in 1980: on 27 Oct 1980 the authorities moved against Buddhist clergy and temples (the 10·27 Buddhist persecution), per the National Institute of Korean History. This contradicts the critics’ BDS report, which says there was no religious suppression. It is not evidence of a mandate over churches.

   Critics’ claim

   Church and Faith printed a note saying the Center never carried out a purification movement in Yoo Jae-yeol’s Tabernacle Temple. Oh Pyeong-ho says the Center had “no relation” to him and that Tak Myung-hwan was “not affiliated” with it.

   Sources (8)

   Evidence

   A Center textbook dated 31 Mar 1981 shows its material was published by then; it does not show when the organization began. The advertisement does not show whether pastors felt pressure to attend, either way. The 1981 ordination program names a presbytery, not the Center, as the ordaining body (Kukmin Ilbo, 6 Feb 2020).

   How SCJ’s account changedCompare what SCJ’s books said over time — tap to openDeveloped doctrineContradictionOpenClose

   Seven heads; Center; government Developed doctrine

   1. 1985 · 계시록의 진상

      Seven heads; leaders of 새신 청지기 교육원, on the pretext of cleansing pseudo-religion. pp. 361–364

   2. 1995 · The Reality of the RevelationEnglish translation of the 1993 Korean

      Seven priests and ten presbyters of The Academy of The Doorkeepers; unnamed. pp. 16, 328Quoted from a scanned copy, being checked against print

   3. 2014 · The Creation of Heaven and Earth

      Seven pastors of seven denominations; unnamed. p. 238

   4. 2015 · The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation

      seven pastors (seven heads) from the world; no Center, no Chun. p. 309

   5. Current course

      Seven named pastors, government authority and Chun Doo-hwan. course, pp. 41, 51–58

   Developed doctrine Government authority and Chun Doo-hwan appear only in the course; the books keep seven unnamed pastors / Center language without naming the government.

   Has Revelation 18 been fulfilled? Contradiction

   1. 1985 · 계시록의 진상

      Fulfilled (past tense): 음녀와 그의 조직이 망하여 큰 성 바벨론이 무너진 후에 발생한 사건이 이 18장의 일이다. (“The events of this chapter 18 are what happened after the harlot and her organization were destroyed and the great city Babylon fell.”) ch. 18, §1, after pp. 271–272; PDF p. 182

   2. 2014 · The Creation of Heaven and Earth

      The events prophesied in Rv 18 have already been physically fulfilled. (2014 printing, p. 244; 1st English ed. 2009 — we have not seen a 2009 copy.) 2014 printing, p. 244

   3. 2015 · The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation

      Today, the fulfillment of these prophecies has come. p. 453

   4. 2021 · 천지일보 (SCJ’s newspaper)

      Speaker: the Thomas tribe leader at an official SCJ seminar. 그런 바벨론이 무너졌다는 의미는 건물이 무너지는 차원이 아니라 음녀의 조직체인 청지기 교육원이 심판을 받아서 끝이 난 것 (“Babylon falling doesn’t mean a building collapsing. It means the Stewardship Education Center, the harlot’s organization, was judged and came to an end.”) 천지일보, 10 Dec 2021↗ (opens in new tab)

   5. 2023 · 천지일보 (SCJ’s newspaper)

      Speaker: Lee Man-hee himself. 계시록이 17장까지 이뤄졌고, 18장 이후가 남았다 (“Revelation has been fulfilled up to chapter 17; chapter 18 onward remains.”) 천지일보, 21 Sep 2023↗ (opens in new tab)

   6. Current course

      “7 Years of Judgment lasted from 1984 – 1991 (… Rv 18:6)”. course, p. 70

   Contradiction Every SCJ book, and an SCJ tribe leader in 2021, call Revelation 18 fulfilled; in 2023 Lee said chapter 18 onward remains.

3. 20 Sep 1981The 1981 ordination as the “mark of the beast”

   What Shincheonji teaches

   SCJ’s own account

   20 Sep 1981

   Shincheonji teaches that the ordination of 17 pastors at Isaac Central Church on 20 Sep 1981 was the event of the “mark of the beast” (Revelation 13). Its newcomers course now identifies Oh Pyeong-ho as the beast from the earth.

   What Shincheonji teaches: Lee Man-hee’s 1985 book

   SCJ’s own account

   “That is, he called back the founder who was abroad and appealed for his support, while retiring all of the church’s officers and turning out 17 fake pastors.”

   Source: 계시록의 진상 (The Reality of Revelation), 1985, ch. 13, section 4, pp. 200–204

   The book gives 17, the same number as the later copies of the candidate list. It gives no year here and names no one.

   Evidence: the book’s Korean text

   그것은 해외에 있는 교주를 불러들여 자기에 대한 지지를 호소하는 한편 전 교회의 임원을 전원 퇴임시키고 17명의 가짜 목사를 양산해 낸 것이다.

   English rendering: “That is, he called back the founder who was abroad and appealed for his support, while retiring all of the church’s officers and turning out 17 fake pastors.”

   What Shincheonji teaches: Lee Man-hee’s 1985 book

   SCJ’s own account

   “He then stood one of the 17 new pastors at the pulpit as representative to give the benediction, so making the lamb(-like) beast that had received laying-on of hands from the beast come up from the earth onto the platform.”

   Source: 계시록의 진상 (The Reality of Revelation), 1985, ch. 13, section 4, pp. 200–204

   The book identifies the beast from the earth as the new pastor who gave the benediction (축도), without naming him.

   Evidence: the book’s Korean text

   그리고 그 17인의 신임 목사 가운데서 한 사람을 대표로 강단에 세워 축도를 하게 함으로써 짐승으로부터 안수를 받은 새끼(양) 짐승을 즉 땅에서 단상으로 올라오게 한 것이다.

   English rendering: “He then stood one of the 17 new pastors at the pulpit as representative to give the benediction, so making the lamb(-like) beast that had received laying-on of hands from the beast come up from the earth onto the platform.”

   What the record shows

   VerifiedSources differ

   20 Sep 1981

   The ordination itself is corroborated. Church and Faith (Lim Woong-ki, 2008) and an earlier Church and Faith report, both drawing on Oh, say 17 pastors were ordained on 20 Sep 1981. The program shows 20 Sep 1981 at 14:00, Isaac Central Church, and names the Central Presbytery, not the Stewardship Education Center, as the ordaining body (Kukmin Ilbo, 6 Feb 2020).

   Sources differ

   One reproduction of the candidate list, from an earlier edition of 종교세계의 관심사, has 15 names; later reproductions have 17. The two added names are 김민호 (Kim Min-ho) and 김인규 (Kim In-gyu). Lee Man-hee’s 1985 book also gives 17, matching the 17-name list. We have not seen the original program.

   Sources differ

   Lee’s 1985 book identifies the earth-beast as the new pastor who gave the benediction (pp. 200–204). The 1981 program names 이초주 (Lee Cho-joo) for that role. The newcomers course names Oh Pyeong-ho.

   The Baek Dong-seop ruling

   Verified

   An appeal court (reported 15 Oct 2025) awarded damages for false factual claims that Rev. Baek Dong-seop attended the ordination and received money to ordain unqualified candidates, and distinguished these from symbolic religious language. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, as reported on 19 and 25 Feb 2026, so the civil outcome is final. Joint compensation was ₩5 million; CBS also reports ₩1 million per breach of an education prohibition. It was a civil case, not a criminal one, and it is not a ban on the word “destroyer”. The critics’ BDS report still calls the case “ongoing”.

   Critics’ claim

   Oh Pyeong-ho testified on 7 Dec 2023 that he had never met Baek or Lee Man-hee.

   Sources (6)

   Evidence

   The ruling is known from news reports; we have not retrieved the full judgment. Oh’s testimony is a participant’s account.

   How SCJ’s account changedCompare what SCJ’s books said over time — tap to openContradictionOpenClose

   Who the beast from the earth is Contradiction

   1. 1985 · 계시록의 진상

      Newly ordained pastor who gave the benediction; unnamed. ch. 13, pp. 200–204

   2. 1995 · The Reality of the RevelationEnglish translation of the 1993 Korean

      The betrayer who became one with the sea beast; unnamed. p. 180

   3. 2014 · The Creation of Heaven and Earth

      the beast from the earth already belongs to the Tabernacle Temple; unnamed. p. 218

   4. 2015 · The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation

      The man who becomes the head pastor of the Tabernacle Temple and performs the laying on of hands; unnamed. p. 314

   5. Current course

      Oh Pyeong-ho, named. course, pp. 37, 61–62

   1985

   Newly ordained pastor who gave the benediction

   2015 · p. 314

   Man who becomes head pastor and lays hands on members

   Contradiction The course assigns this role to Oh Pyeong-ho.

4. 27 Oct 1980 – 2 Feb 1981Lee Man-hee’s 1980–81 detention

   What Shincheonji teaches

   SCJ’s own account

   1980–1981

   Shincheonji’s newcomers course says Lee Man-hee was imprisoned for 98 days, from 27 Oct 1980 to 2 Feb 1981, for slander and defamation.

   What the record shows

   Sources differ

   27 Oct 1980 – 2 Feb 1981

   This chapter does not repeat the detention. The dates, the sentence and the sources are set out in the Betrayal chapter.

   Read the lawsuits card in Betrayal →

   Sources (1)

   Evidence

   Church and Faith (2008) gives 27 Oct 1980 to 2 Feb 1981. Shincheonji’s own publications give different sentence lengths; see the Betrayal chapter.

   How SCJ’s account changedCompare what SCJ’s books said over time — tap to openContradictionInconsistencyOpenClose

   Lee's detention and sentence Contradiction

   1. 1985 · 계시록의 진상

      2.5-year suspended sentence (2년 6개월의 형기). ch. 11, §3 and §5, pp. 163–171; PDF pp. 106, 110

   2. 1997 · 신천지 발전사

      3.5 years (suspended). 신천지 발전사 (1997)Quoted by Former member’s Google document “What it Took for me to Leave”; we haven’t seen the original

   3. 2014 · The Creation of Heaven and Earth

      Prison in fall 1980; released in 1981. pp. 210–211

   4. Current course

      98 days (27 Oct 1980 – 2 Feb 1981); restriction ending 7 Feb 1984. course, p. 57

   Contradiction The 1985 book says a 2.5-year suspended sentence; the course ends the restriction on 7 Feb 1984, about 3 years after 2 Feb 1981.

   Who was imprisoned Inconsistency

   1. 1985 · 계시록의 진상

      “The two witnesses” arrested, 100 days; both restored. pp. 163–167

   2. 1995 · The Reality of the RevelationEnglish translation of the 1993 Korean

      Both witnesses lose authority. p. 156

   3. 2014 · The Creation of Heaven and Earth

      First person: prison fall 1980. pp. 210–211

   4. 2015 · The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation

      Two witnesses silenced when the beast uses the laws of the world. p. 241

   5. Current course

      “New John imprisoned … 98 days”; “2 Witnesses couldn’t testify”. course, p. 57

   Inconsistency The books speak of two witnesses imprisoned; the course centres New John for 98 days while still mentioning that the two witnesses could not testify.

   Two witnesses' 3.5 days Contradiction

   1. 1985 · 계시록의 진상

      3.5 years (the prison term plus the suspended period). pp. 165–167, as reproduced

   2. 1995 · The Reality of the RevelationEnglish translation of the 1993 Korean

      Loss of authority to prophesy for 1,260 days; no conversion of the 3.5 days. p. 156

   3. 2014 · The Creation of Heaven and Earth

      Not mentioned

   4. 2015 · The Physical Fulfillment of Revelation

      A specific and literal length of time. p. 244

   5. Current course

      Not mentioned

   Contradiction The 1985 book reads the 3.5 days as 3.5 years; the 2015 book calls them a specific and literal length of time.

5. 1977–1984The demolition and the “exact place is now a zoo” claim

   What Shincheonji teaches

   SCJ’s own account

   1980–1981

   Shincheonji teaches that the “destroyers” physically destroyed the Tabernacle Temple in 1980–81, fulfilling Matthew 24:2 (“not one stone shall be left here upon another”), and that today the site is a theme park “with the exact place being a zoo”.

   What Shincheonji teaches: Lee Man-hee’s 1985 book

   SCJ’s own account

   “After this he tore down the hut on the hill where the seven messengers had been trained. Finally, under the Grand Park construction plan, the temple too was torn down like the hut, with not one stone left on another, and it all became ruins. … the land centered on the temple turned into a zoo where all kinds of birds and wild animals came to live.”

   Source: 계시록의 진상 (The Reality of Revelation), 1985, pp. 361–364

   The book gives no year for the demolition and names no one.

   Evidence: the book’s Korean text

   이후 그는 일곱 사자가 양육을 받았던 동산의 초막을 헐었으며 마침내 대공원 건설 계획에 따라 성전도 동산의 초막처럼 헐리어 돌 하나도 돌 위에 남지 않고 모두가 폐허가 되고 말았다. … 성전을 중심으로 한 그 땅엔 각종 새들과 들짐승이 들어와 사는 동물원으로 변하였다.

   English rendering: “After this he tore down the hut on the hill where the seven messengers had been trained. Finally, under the Grand Park construction plan, the temple too was torn down like the hut, with not one stone left on another, and it all became ruins. … the land centered on the temple turned into a zoo where all kinds of birds and wild animals came to live.”

   What Shincheonji teaches: Lee Man-hee’s 1985 book

   SCJ’s own account

   “… the heavenly tabernacle was destroyed and all their property was transferred into the enemy’s name.”

   Source: 계시록의 진상 (The Reality of Revelation), 1985, PDF p. 237 (printed page range to be added)

   The book gives no date for this.

   Evidence: the book’s Korean text

   하늘의 장막은 멸망 당하고 그들의 모든 소유는 대적의 이름으로 이전 되었던 것이다.

   English rendering: “… the heavenly tabernacle was destroyed and all their property was transferred into the enemy’s name.”

   What the record shows

   VerifiedCritics’ claim

   1977–1984

   The site was slated for Seoul Grand Park in 1977, and construction began in October 1978, before Lee’s 1980 protest. Seoul publicly announced the South Seoul Grand Park construction plan on 10 Jan 1977 (Makgye-ri village history). Ground was broken on 30 Oct 1978, and the park and zoo opened on 1 May 1984 (Seoul Metropolitan Archives). Son Jeong-mok’s history of Seoul’s urban planning records Tabernacle Temple followers still living on the site and disputing the relocation. It gives no demolition date. The Makgye-ri village history, below, says demolition was fully completed in Nov 1984.

   Comparing the dates

   In Shincheonji’s teaching, “destruction” mainly means the takeover of church authority, the renaming and the ordination. The building’s demolition comes after that.

   See the timeline below this card ↓

   Sources differ

   Lee’s own 1985 book dates the fall to 20 Sep 1981; the newcomers course starts it on 14 Sep 1980.

   1. 1985 · Lee Man-hee’s book

      20 Sep 1981

      1981년 9월 20일 하오 2시, 이 날이 첫 장막 곧 예비한 제단이 짐승의 군대들에 의하여 처참하게 무너진 비극의 날이다.

      English rendering: “2 PM, 20 Sep 1981: this is the tragic day when the first tabernacle, the prepared altar, was terribly destroyed by the armies of the beast.”

      계시록의 진상 (1985), ch. 11, approx. pp. 155–159

   2. 1986 · 신탄 (background)

      14 Sep 1980

      1980년 9월14일, 이날은 … 새 신 일곱 머리의 조직이 장막성전에 들어와 교권(지팡이, 끈, 도장)을 몰수한 날

      English rendering: “14 Sep 1980: this day is … the day the organization of the new god with seven heads entered the Tabernacle Temple and confiscated church authority (staff, cord, seal).”

      신탄 (1986, by 김건남 and 김병희), an early book circulated in Shincheonji; Shincheonji has since distanced itself from it. Cited second-hand.

   3. SCJ newcomers course

      14 Sep 1980

      “Destruction (14 September 1980 – 14 March 1984) / 42 months / 14 September 1980 / Mr. Oh changed name of Tabernacle Temple to Isaac Church (Presbyterian)”

      SCJ newcomers course (circulated by former members)

   Shincheonji presents the temple’s destruction by the “destroyers” in 1980–81 as fulfilled prophecy. The park record dates the project on this land to 1977, with construction from October 1978, before Lee Man-hee’s 1980 protest. Shincheonji’s own 1985 account ties the demolition to the Grand Park plan, which the record dates to 10 Jan 1977, with construction from Oct 1978. This is a comparison of dates. It does not show when, or by whom, the building itself was demolished.

   Critics’ claim

   Critics say the Tabernacle Temple property had already been sold and the temple was gone before Lee returned in 1980. A building register entry shown by critics reads “1977년12월20일 매매“ (sale, 20 Dec 1977); we have no readable scan of the full document.

   Critics’ claim

   That the exact spot of the temple is now under the zoo is not proven. We have found no parcel numbers, land-registry extract, demolition record or georeferenced map. A 27 Dec 1977 transfer of title to the city is known only from a land-register image posted on a blog.

   Verified

   The Makgye-ri village history records that Seoul publicly announced the South Seoul Grand Park construction plan on 10 Jan 1977, and that on 27 May 1977 a Ministry of Construction notice (No. 89) designated the Cheonggyesan area, including Makgye-ri, as park land. It shows the government organizing the community’s relocation in 1979, before Lee Man-hee’s 1980 protests and the Sept 1980 change of church authority. It reproduces a 5 Mar 1979 notice from the South Seoul Grand Park Construction Office urging a Makgye-ri resident to apply for a plot in the relocation estate, and a 24 Sep 1979 land-sale agreement between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and a Makgye-ri resident. Non-farming households such as the Tabernacle Temple followers in Makgye 2-ri were given 40-pyeong plots, about 500 in all. The book says the construction office pressed ahead with demolishing the church building and homes over the followers’ objections, and that demolition was fully completed in Nov 1984; some compensation and rehousing issues continued into 1985. It does not give the date the church building itself came down.

   서울시가 ‘남서울대공원 건설계획’을 대대적으로 발표한 것은 1977년 1월 10일이었다.

   English translation: “It was on 10 January 1977 that Seoul City publicly announced the “South Seoul Grand Park construction plan” on a grand scale.”

   p. 81

   1977년 5월 27일 건설부의 제89호 고시에 의해 막계리를 포함한 청계산 일대가 공원지역으로 정해지면서

   English translation: “When, by Ministry of Construction Notice No. 89 of 27 May 1977, the Cheonggyesan area including Makgye-ri was designated as park land”

   p. 84

   1979년 3월 5일자로 남서울대공원건설사업소에서 막계리 거주 최종선 앞으로 보낸 공문으로 이주 단지 분양신청을 서둘러 줄 것을 촉구하는 내용이다.

   English translation: “An official letter sent on 5 March 1979 by the South Seoul Grand Park Construction Office to Choi Jong-seon of Makgye-ri, urging him to hurry his application for a plot in the relocation estate.”

   photo caption, p. 85

   1979년 9월 24일에 서울특별시와 막계리 거주 최종선 간에 이루어진 분양 계약서로 문원리 단지 내 247.5㎡가 30만 8,000원에 매매되었다.

   English translation: “A sale agreement made on 24 September 1979 between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Choi Jong-seon of Makgye-ri, under which 247.5 m² in the Munwon-ri estate was sold for 308,000 won.”

   photo caption, p. 85

   막계2리에 있던 장막성전 교인과 같은 비농가에게는 2단지에 각 40평의 택지를 분양하였는데, 모두 500호 규모였다.

   English translation: “Non-farming households, such as the Tabernacle Temple members who had been in Makgye 2-ri, were each given a 40-pyeong plot in Estate 2, about 500 households in all.”

   p. 85

   서울대공원건설사업소 측은 장막성전 신도들의 반대를 무릅쓰고 교당과 주택철거를 강행했다.

   English translation: “The Seoul Grand Park Construction Office pressed ahead with demolishing the church building and the houses despite the opposition of the Tabernacle Temple followers.”

   p. 83

   철거를 완전히 마친 것은 1984년 11월이다. 즉 이주가 완전히 정리된 것이다. 그러나 세입자 보상과 관련해서는 집이 완공이 되지 않아 1985년까지 끌었다.

   English translation: “Demolition was fully completed in November 1984; that is, the relocation was fully settled. But tenant compensation dragged on until 1985, because the houses had not been completed.”

   p. 84

   Source: Makgye-ri Village History (막계리 마을지), Gwacheon Cultural Center and the Makgye Village History Compilation Committee, 2010, “Makgye-ri: Yesterday and Today,” pp. 81–85 (archive record)↗ (opens in new tab) · Makgye-ri Village History (막계리 마을지), 2010, “Makgye-ri: Yesterday and Today” (PDF, Gyeonggi Memory archive)↗ (opens in new tab)

   Verified

   Seoul Land, the amusement park, opened in 1988 (11 May 1988), not in 1984 as the critics’ BDS report says. The 1 May 1984 date is the Grand Park and zoo.

   Sources (6)

   Evidence

   JoongAng Ilbo reports that the city took over the wider Makgye-ri site at the end of Dec 1980; the temple parcel may have been handled separately. The two 1977–78 Maeil Business Newspaper clippings below show the park plan and its early delays.

   Tap to enlarge

   총466만坪에 143억 投入 / 서울市, 南서울大公園건설계획 확정 / 창경원動物園이전 / 어린이王國등 건설

   English translation: “₩14.3 billion for 4.66 million pyeong in total / Seoul City finalises plan to build Namseoul Grand Park / Changgyeongwon zoo to move / A children’s kingdom and more to be built”

   View the original page↗ (opens in new tab)

   Tap to enlarge

   南서울대공원 1차공사 年內착공 어려워 / 土地買入·墳墓移葬부진

   English translation: “Namseoul Grand Park first-phase work unlikely to start this year / Land purchases and grave relocations lagging”

   View the original page↗ (opens in new tab)

   Timeline: Shincheonji’s stages beside the record

   1. Shincheonji’s stages of destruction (Shincheonji’s own account)

      1. 14 Mar 1980SCJ’s own accountYoo Jae-yeol entrusts the Tabernacle Temple to Mr. Oh. The course still counts this as part of “Betrayal”.Newcomers course
      2. 14 Sep 1980SCJ’s own account“Destruction” begins (42 months). Mr. Oh renames the Tabernacle Temple Isaac Church.Newcomers course; 신탄, p. 279 (quoted second-hand)
      3. Mar 1981 – 14 Mar 1984SCJ’s own accountStewardship Education Center rule over the churches.Newcomers course
      4. 20 Sep 1981, 2 PMSCJ’s own accountOrdination of 17 pastors, the “mark of the beast”.1981년 9월 20일 하오 2시, 이 날이 첫 장막 곧 예비한 제단이 짐승의 군대들에 의하여 처참하게 무너진 비극의 날이다. English rendering: “2 PM, 20 Sep 1981: this is the tragic day when the first tabernacle, the prepared altar, was terribly destroyed by the armies of the beast.”계시록의 진상 (1985), ch. 11, approx. pp. 155–159
      5. 14 Mar 1984SCJ’s own account“Destruction” ends; Shincheonji dates its own founding to this day.Newcomers course
      6. No date givenSCJ’s own accountPhysical demolition of the building, and the site becoming a zoo. No Shincheonji source we checked dates it.Newcomers course; 계시록의 진상 (1985), pp. 361–364

   2. The record

      1. 10 Jan 1977Seoul Grand Park plan announced
      2. Dec 1977Sale recorded (critics’ claim) (building register entry on the Betrayal page)
      3. 30 Oct 1978Ground broken for the park
      4. 1980Lee Man-hee’s protest
      5. 1 May 1984Grand Park and zoo open
      6. Date not yet foundBuilding demolished: date not yet found

6. Oct 1980 – Apr 1984Was Yoo Jae-yeol in the US from Oct 1980 to Apr 1984?

   What Shincheonji teaches

   SCJ’s own account

   Oct 1980 – Apr 1984

   Shincheonji’s newcomers course says Yoo Jae-yeol left for America from October 1980 to April 1984 to study Presbyterian doctrine, fulfilling Revelation 12:6 and 12:14, where the woman flees into the wilderness.

   What the record shows

   VerifiedCritics’ claim

   Oct 1980 – Apr 1984

   Shincheonji’s book The Development of Shincheonji (신천지 발전사, p. 44) said Yoo went to the US in late October 1980, earned a doctorate in theology at Westminster Theological Seminary and returned three and a half years later, in 1984.

   Verified

   According to Closer Look Initiative, which reproduces the letter, Westminster Theological Seminary’s registrar replied to an enquiry from South Korea about enrollment from 1 Oct 1980 to 30 Apr 1984. The letter, dated 15 Apr 2009 and signed by Melinda Dugan, Registrar and Director of Financial Aid, says: “According to our records, the following people were never enrolled as students at Westminster Theological Seminary: Jae Yul You, Jae Yeol Ryu.” Disclosure: Bible Vaccine Center and Closer Look Initiative are run by the same team.

   Critics’ claim

   A 1995 Church and Faith report, drawing on Oh, says Yoo preached at the Sept 1981 ordination, which does not fit a continuous US stay from Oct 1980, and calls the trip only a rumour. Lim Woong-ki (Church and Faith, 2008) reports the Oct 1980 departure and 1984 return as Lee Man-hee’s claim.

   Critics’ claim

   Church and Faith (2008) says that when Yoo came back from the US he dismissed Oh; it gives no date.

   Sources (4)

   Evidence

   We do not have a link to the 1995 Church and Faith report; it is known from our research notes. For the claimed Westminster degree, see the Betrayal chapter. The images below are reproduced by Closer Look Initiative.

   Tap to enlarge

   Red underlines were added later for emphasis.

   미국의 웨스트민스트 신학교에서 신학 박사학위를 받아 3년 6개월후인 1984년에 돌아온다.

   English translation: “He received a doctorate in theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in the US and returns in 1984, three years and six months later.”

   View the original page↗ (opens in new tab)

   Tap to enlarge

   View the original page↗ (opens in new tab)

   Tap to enlarge

   Red underlines were added later for emphasis.

   View the original page↗ (opens in new tab)

Sourcing noteWe have not yet asked Shincheonji for comment. Disclosure: Bible Vaccine Center and Closer Look Initiative are run by the same team.

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