Shincheonji, Adam and Eve, Nakedness and Clothing

 
Shincheonji Teaching: Adam & Eve

Nakedness and Clothing

The word nakedness implies that a person was at one point dressed. The plants and animals God created do not wear clothes, but we do not say they are naked. People, on the other hand, wear clothes. The Bible even talks about how God, the angels, and the spiritual body of Jesus are dressed (Mt 17:2; Rv 1:13; Rv 4:4; Rv 15:6). Adam and Eve were not ashamed of their nakedness until they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gn 2:25; Gn 3:6-7).

As we discussed above, eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil is the same as hearing and accepting the words of the devil. Adam and Eve realized they were naked and felt shame only after they heard and accepted the words of the serpent (Gn 3:1-13).

Let us first understand what it means to be naked. We should look to the Bible as we consider expressions like “hidden things of old” (Ps 78:2), “parables” (Mt 13:34-35), and “the account of creation” (Gn 2:4).

• “The one born by natural descent persecuted the one born according to the spirit.” (Gal 4:29)
• The sons of God are different from mere men (Ps 82:6-7).
• “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Gal 3:27)
• Only people wearing white clothes are worthy (Rv 3:4), so we must buy and wear white clothes to avoid being shamefully exposed (Rv 3:18; Rv 16:15).
• “For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens. For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be found naked. For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the spirit as a down payment.” (2 Cor 5:1-5)
• “We must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light.” (Rom 13:12)
• “In him you also were circumcised?not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshly body, that is, through the circumcision done by Christ.” (Col 2:11)
• “Since you have put off the old man with its practices and have been clothed with the new man …” (Col 3:9-10)
• “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away?look, what is new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17)

Thus, when Adam and Eve took off what was of the flesh and became living spirits, they were new creations. They rid themselves of all that was shameful (Gn 2:25). After they received and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, however, they were ashamed of their nakedness. They were so afraid that they hid themselves among the trees of the Garden (Gn 3:10). Although they began with the holy spirit, they returned to flesh (Gal 3:3) when they accepted the serpent’s lies. They were dust (mere flesh) that became living beings by receiving the holy spirit, but ultimately they lost the holy spirit and returned to the flesh?they took off their clothes. Clothes represent the word of God (i.e. the holy spirit) and righteous deeds done according to the word of God (Rev 19:8).

The holy spirit of God planted the seed of the living word into a field?the heart of his chosen pastor (1 Cor 3:9). After the seed was planted, it sprouted and grew up into a big tree where birds could come and perch. This tree of life yields the fruit of life, which according to Mt 13, represent people born of the word of truth. This tree is himself a child and fruit of God. Others can attain eternal life by eating this fruit of the word of life (Gn 3:22).

Babylon, on the other hand, is the kingdom of demons. Demons plant the seeds of weeds (i.e. the devil’s lies) in their fields?the hearts of Babylon’s pastors. Those seeds grow to become trees of the knowledge of good and evil. The evil birds representing evil spirits come to perch in these trees (Rv 18:2). The fruits of these trees of evil spirits contain the seeds of the devil’s words. The living spirits of those who hear and accept (eat) these fruits of Satan will die. The venom of the serpent (i.e. the words of the evil spirits) kill them (Ez 18:4).

The Bible testifies that the two trees in the Garden of Eden re-appear in the times of Moses, Jesus’ first coming, and Jesus’ second coming, which is the time of Revelation’s fulfillment. Babylon is the kingdom of the serpent and the dragon. The beast with seven heads and ten horns mentioned in Revelation symbolizes a pastor of Babylon. The fruit of this beast represents his words. Those who eat the fruit of the beast return to the flesh even if they began with the holy spirit. These people fall from heaven and are cast down to the earth. Since people have taken off the holy, living spirit and clothed themselves with the flesh, they are asked to repent and again clothe themselves with the holy spirit (Rv 3:18). We must be awake and stand firmly on the truth so we will not go naked and be shamefully exposed.