Mother In The Bible: Country Or Korean Lady? Galatians 4:26

The World Mission Society Church of God believes that Zahng Gil Jah is both the “mother” and “bride” described in the Bible.  How does the WMSCOG arrive at this conclusion?  How do WMSCOG recruiters present this conclusion to potential new recruits?

How They Recruit Using Galatians 4:26

When recruiting in shopping malls, heavily populated areas, or on college campuses, WMSCOG recruiters approach people and ask, “have you ever heard of god the mother in the Bible?”  Regardless of what the person says, as long as they are not immediately shunned away, recruiters quickly open the Bible and begin to explain how they arrive at their conclusion that there is a “female god”.  (When I was a member, I was taught to recruit this way).  The WMSCOG “logic” goes something like this:

  1. Revelation 22:17 – WMSCOG recruiters point out that the “Spirit” is capitalized and therefore refers to the Holy Spirit.  The bride has to be “god” because no one else can give us eternal life (as in water of life).  Then, who is the bride?
  2. Revelation 21:2 – The holy city, new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven prepared as a bride for her husband.  Who is the bride’s husband?
  3. Revelation 21:9 – The bride is the wife of the Lamb.  Who is the Lamb?
  4. John 1:29 – The Lamb is Jesus.  Then who is mother in the bible?
  5. Galatians 4:26 – The Jerusalem that is above is our mother.  (I know it’s confusing, hang in there):

So, according to the WMSCOG formula:

mother in the Bible (Galatians 4:26) = Jerusalem above (Galatians 4:26) = Jerusalem bride (Revelation 21:2) = bride wife of Jesus (Revelation 21:9) = bride gives water of life (Revelation 22:17, just like Jesus in John 4:14) =

Therefore, bride is mother god

Clear as mud right?  Anyone can clearly see that this does grave violence to the original meaning of the Scriptures.  If you skip around in the Bible this way doing a keyword search, you can make it say anything you want to.  Unfortunately for the WMSCOG, this interpretation easily fails when we read the verses in their proper context (and by the way, if you thought you could make sense of any book by jumping around all over it, grabbing a line from this chapter and another line from another chapter, you should try this with some other book in your library you’ve read before and see how it very poorly communicates the underlying story).

Problems With The WMSCOG Interpretation

  1. While the WMSCOG does not believe that the “bride” in the Bible represents the church, they contradict their own founder, a Korean man named Ahnsahnghong, when he writes that the bride does represent the church.
  2. While the WMSCOG believes that the “mother” in Galatians 4:26 represents a “mother god” (whom they also claim is a lady living in Korea named Zahng Gil-Jah), they again contradict their own founder Ahnsahnghong who wrote a book denouncing the idea of a “mother god”.

Galatians 4:26 Grossly Misinterpreted

The WMSCOG continues their pattern of misinterpreting Scripture by completely ignoring the context surrounding their cherry-picked verses.  A person can be seriously mislead by this sort of thinking if the context surrounding Galatians 4:26 is not examined.  Considering the context of Galatians 4 in its entirety, it becomes clear that the apostle Paul was not referring to a “female god”.  Let us read the text as it is written.

Paul begins the chapter by comparing Christians to heirs of their father’s estate (Galatians 4:1-2).  In continuing with this analogy, Paul goes on to explain how we were slaves under the law until Jesus, also born under the law, came to redeem us and adopt us as God’s children, making us heirs of our Father’s Kingdom.

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Galatians 4:4-7

Paul goes on to express his concern for the Galatians because they had turned back to observing “special days and months and seasons and years” (Galatians 4:9-10).  It is clear that Paul is quite disturbed by the behavior of the Galatians when he says “I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you” (Galatians 4:11) and “I am perplexed about you!” (Galatians 4:20). The Galatians seemed to have turned back to observing the ceremonial law of Moses, (“Tell me, you who want to be under the lawGalatians 4:21) despite having learned about redemption through Jesus Christ.

Paul uses the story of Abraham and his two sons to illustrate his point.  Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman (Hagar) and one by a free woman (Sarah).  As we read on in Galatians 4, Paul tells us that what he is about to say should be taken figuratively  (aka metaphorically, allegorically, NOT literally).  

These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

Galatians 4:24-26

Ahn Sahng Hong also agreed with this interpretation.

When interpreting the above verses figuratively as Paul intended (and flat out says), the following becomes clear:

  1. Hagar represents the present city Jerusalem, the old covenant, and therefore her children are slaves.
  2. Sarah represents the heavenly city Jerusalem, the new covenant, and therefore her children are free.

Therefore, in Galatians 4:26, it is clear that when Paul says that the “new Jerusalem is our mother” he is referring to the heavenly country Jerusalem as our motherland.  In order to illustrate this more clearly, here are some additional Biblical examples of the word “mother” being used to refer to a country.

We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel…
(In this verse, mother represents a city in Israel.)

2 Samuel 20:19

You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother…
(It is clear, after reading the entire chapter, that mother in this verse refers to Israel as well.)

Hosea 4:5

For more information on what the word “mother” is used to represent in the Bible, please view this excellent article.

Conclusion

As you can see, Galatians 4:26 taken out of context can mean anything.  However, when we read the verse in context, it is abundantly clear that this verse does not refer to a mother god and Ahn Sahng Hong agreed.  When I was in the WMSCOG, they discouraged us from reading outside the verses they wanted us to memorize because they said we would not be able to understand the Bible on our own.  Actually, I can see another reason why–because doing so quickly leads one to leave the WMSCOG.

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29 Comments
  1. Hurt says

    This is great… so much useful information thank you so much… you are doing the world a favor by keeping this website running

  2. Israel says

    Very useful information – they are still going strong and door knocking – in this case with a questionnaire. Made me think they were students doing study research, not the cult members they are trying to recruit. Leaves a bad taste when you realise they truth, especially when you were just trying to be helpful. But as mentioned it does clearly illustrate the danger of hopping from verse to verse without taking them in full context.

  3. JUSTME says

    wow this is exactly the way i see it too!

  4. libby says

    Wow, I had two people come by knocking on my door today talking about mother God. I’m not a current church goer but had never heard of such a thing. So, I googled it to make it a little more clear. They had highlighted verses and were skipping throughout the Bible the entire time.

  5. vio says

    that’s also what’s happening with my brother and his mother. they are really into it that my brother almost came to a point of not going to school because he believes that end of the world is near and he will not be able to experience graduating from college.

  6. JohnnyNexus says

    A pair of ladies came by my home tonite proselytizing the message of the WMSCOG. It was quite disturbing to see a beautiful young lady confuse herself with theological explanations about “God the mother” while also trying to please her Korean handler. If she had continued for another minute, I believe she may have lost consciousness. That is how emotionally worked up she had become. To me, I think the religious control applied to her during her door to door presentations prevents consideration of actual truth. And the feelings she mistakenly experiences during these emotional states only reinforce her belief that what she is feeling is, perhaps, divine intervention of God the mother. When they left I prayed to Christ the Lord that their eyes would be opened to Jesus.

  7. KPS says

    Thank you for this! People are meant to believe what they think is real. But God the mother, LIVING and BREATHING in korea is just plain weird. A lot of my schoolmates are recruiting outside our campus and it is really disturbing. Even if you say no, they’d consistently tell you that God the mother is real. I also heard that they have a notebook where they have names of people on it telling that those names will be saved, and all those who are not will be damned. I pray to Jesus Christ that my schoolmates and the other people who are blinded by the belief would be blessed and would be able to find the right path…

  8. The Maze says

    I’m actually going to teach ion this over the next two weeks in our weekly campus sessions. This site gave me lots of assistance. WMSCOG has become quite a thing here, and it is even causing the churches to react.

  9. bk says

    i came across 2 of them yesterday and was really shocked by what they shared with me. so i did a internet search and found this site. thank you for the clear explanation.

  10. Wera says

    I also have been approached by this church… I attended their bible study for weeks.. they never revealed their belief until after I went along with their baptism.. I was under the impression this was a Christ based Christian church.. Once they revealed their belief in Ahn Song Hong being the 2nd coming of Christ and God the Mother I was very upset and told them I know longer wanted to attend the studies.,, they are a very persistent and bossy group.. they proceeded to come by and call my house… I gave it another try to see if maybe there was some truth to it but still am not convinced,,, they only show u bits and pieces of the Bible to go along with what they want you to believe.. They have tried to impose guilt on me for not wanting to attend their services twice a week,,, after reading this article and many others on the internet today is the day I must put my foot down and tell them to leave me alone.. I believe solely in Jesus Christ and I do not think its right that they would want people living in fear.. telling us we will not die without seeing the end … and will only be saved so long as we are baptized through their church and attend all services as well as celebrate the passover…God does not want his children living in fear like that

    1. Lari says

      The same thing happened to me, but I left Two weeks after going to their Bible studies and once to their service, I felt tricked into getting baptized again, but my boyfriend told that they sound like a cult and once I realized it, I was gone.

  11. Elohist says

    This website is falsehood and I am sorry you all feel this way towards our church. But learning the truth from the internet is not the way to go about it. Jesus had only a group of believers at his 1st coming while so many Jews hated him. It is the same now just through the internet. People please wake up and see the falsehood in every Sunday going, cheistmas, Easter, etc celebrating church and know that is not the teachings of Jesus Christ. Those are pagan rituals which was introduced into the churches after Christ an the early apostles returned back to heaven. If the church doesn’t follow Jesus’s teachings, how do you expect to find truth from that church or their teachings. Please don’t turn away from God following mans traditions. Understand Jesus he would have a new name at his return to this earth. Do not be mislead by those who don’t follow the teachings of Christ.
    In conclusion: pay attention to what is taught at churches and what is taught through the Bible, if they do not match, you must think about how you are going to follow the true teachings of Christ which will lead you to the kingdom of Heaven. People please wake up. God Bless you all.

    1. Charles says

      Amen

      1. Mother's Love says

        ABSOLUTELY!

        1. Mountainmom says

          Did you read my comment, Mother’s Love? I met people personally, face to face, and also talked to even more on the phone. It isn’t from the internet that I learned the most. Their stories matched exactly what my experiences have been. You need to get out of the snow globe the Wms puts you in when you become a member. You actually need to see what is out there.

          So sad when people waste their time in this scam of a group. That seems to be what they are most angry about after they discover they were lied to. And who is the Father of Lies, Mother’s Love? You know the answer.

    2. Mountainmom says

      Pretty much everyone here has learned from the Bible before we ever looked at the internet. We don’t hate your church or the people in it. We hate the lies the leaders of your church try to feed innocent people. Do your research. I have. I don’t just look at the internet for my information, either. I meet people face to face and talk to them. I also talk to them on the phone. I have met many over the years I have dealt with this. Their stories and mine match about the lies and exploitation by the leaders of the Wms. Most of us know there are good people in the Wms, we are just very aware that they are being lied to, cheated of their money, and also of their futures. If the internet is so bad, then why does your church have websites and youtube videos up? Doesn’t that seem like a contradiction to you? It’s so very bad, well, unless WE are doing it?

  12. Tom says

    So in revaluations the bible speaks that no one can interpret the bible correctly only the root of david meaning 2nd coming Christ. So if you trying to understand the bible you need to know the spiritual root of David thats in the last days. He is the only one with the correct interpretation. The bible is sealed. That root of David came and interpreted the bible correctly explaining we have a spiritual Mother. Why would God the Father want to be called Father wothout a mother being involved. But it was an appointed time for her to be reveled, just like everything in the bible . So when Chris came the second time and said No spiritual mother it wasnt time for her to be revealed , he never said a church is mother. Think what church keeps God commanments? Such as Sabbath day , Passover, all the feast of God ? Those qho dont practice man made traditions such as Christmas, easter, Halloween. Paganism! Who sets up a cross in there churches witch is an idol ! Who worships God on sunday. Who sanctified sunday service, no one did . God sanctified saturday,’Sabbath’ 7 day of the week . Who revealed all this in one church . Saten distorts the scriptures! As prophesied! God to bring it all back in the last days witch is happening as we speak!

    1. T.H. says

      Tom, you have made assumptions here! The Bible speaks that the root of David will be able to teach us the meaning of Gods Word. The one who did this was Jesus! Not the second or third coming of Jesus. Even the WMSCOG teaches that Jesus is God. God came down to Earth to reestablish a relationship with mankind. In order for Him to do this He felt that we needed to understand what He meant by His words. At the time it was taught that we should not commit murder but Jesus taught us what He really meant when He said that if you hate someone in your heart then you have committed murder against them. This is only one example of how Jesus, the root of David, interpreted the Bible in a way that we did not understand. Ahn has no lineage to David or even to the Jewish people for that matter. God made the rules by which we would recognize Him and for anyone or any group to twist and bend those rules to try to fit what they want to believe is just plain wrong! I have only addressed your first assumption but I know for a fact that this is not even yours. You have been taught this and convinced of it by others just like you. God did not reveal this to you in any way shape or form! The Bible is NOT sealed off from us. God reveals things in His own timing. Anyone can read a set of scriptures and understand it as it is written and then at a future time reread the same scriptures and God will show us something different about it. For a great example of this got to the forum and find “What really happened at the last Passover.” It is awesome! Your alternative is to remain trapped in the false teachings and doctrines of the WMSCOG. There is so much more I could dispute about your post but if you take the time to read some of the other forum post you will find that everything you have mentioned has been discussed many times and pretty thouroughly. The truth stands on its own and endures through any scrutiny. The teachings of the WMSCOG has too many flaws to be the truth much less Gods Word. Time for you to do some real research on your own.

  13. Asheer says

    I’ve been reading all the information and I shared this to one of my best friend who just like me were part of this religion and she said that. OH MY GOSH THAT IS INTERNET!!! ANYONE CAN POST FALSE INFO IN THERE AND IT IS THE WAY OF SATAN. And I said. Why am i not convince? And she said you’re being brainwashed. Whoa!!!! Im really confused. I just ask God if what to do because I can’t think clearly of what to ignore and not. I’ve gone so far on their bible studies. we studied about Abraham family the copy and shadow about heavenly mother and boy I really believed in that one and upon reading this I don’t really know what to believe now. there are contradictions in my brain that is happening right now.

    1. Joshua says

      Hello Asheer, I don’t normally post like this in the comment section and I invite you to come check out the forum. Over the years members of this website, both members of the WMSCOG and non-members, have discussed almost all of the teachings that the WMSCOG likes to use to control their members. Yes, I did say control.

      I want to address the studies that you mentioned here. Again you will find a lot more information about these in the forum. The Abraham and Sarah story and the idea of copy and shadow are foundational to the doctrine of the WMSCOG. Is the foundation solid? You decide! Abraham represents god the father and Sarah represents god the mother hypothetically according to the WMSCOG teachings. Sarah represents the free woman and we are all supposed to be of the free woman. Hagar is their servant and is a slave. Anyone who doesn’t believe in elohim god is of the slave woman according to the WMSCOG. Keep in mind that god the mother is the bride of Lamb and the Lamb is Jesus Christ. Lets see how this works. God the mother (Sarah) tells god the father (Abraham) to have sex with her servant (Hagar). Would God ever do this? I don’t think so but you decide. Then god the father does cheat on his wife with the servant and gets her pregnant. Shortly after that god the mother gets pregnant with the child of promise, gods son who represents Jesus Christ. Does this story sound like anything that God would be a party to? Now we are to a very difficult part and that is the fact that the bride (god the mother) is to marry Jesus. Incest? Really? I’ve heard it argued that God can do whatever He wants and that we are not to question it. We don’t know Gods mind. Do as I say not as I do mentality. This idea is NOT biblical or rational. We are not supposed to be fools and this kind of idea tells us that we need to be. NOT GODS PLAN! This is a part of the copy and shadow that the WMSCOG wants you to follow. They want you to believe that God can lie and do whatever and you are not to question it. What does the Bible say about it? Revelation 21:8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and ALL LIARS, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” The gods of the WMSCOG will not be in Heaven! There destination is somewhere else completely. Do you still want to follow them? We’re here to help and we are not trying to get you money or make you gather fruit. We are simply here to help. Many of our members were in the exact same place that you are right now. Not many people can understand what it’s like for you but believe me when I tell you that we can. Please let us help. Come read the forum and ask your questions. Unlike the WMSCOG websites, anyone can post here.

  14. zhinaera says

    This information is very helpful. Now I can see things clearly and understand it very well. The first time I heard “God the mother” made some confusions in my mind, I was too curious about it. When they asked me if I can come to their church, my curiousity made me said yes. I really had a badtime wondering and thinking about it. So to feed my curiousity, I needed to come there.
    The one who invited me took me there. When were inside, I felt like more curious. People inside there are weird, in my mind. The first thing I noticed was their logical in scanning the bible. Next thing is that they keep on saying “bless you” whenever they met someone (and honestly it made me feel cold to realize where is ‘God’ in it..) And all of them have the same pattern in scanning the bible. They tried to explain to me even harder to make me say yes to the passover. You know what happened next? They pass me to another ‘sister’ and to another and another.. They’re just repeatedly explaning to me why should I have the passover… when one cannot take me, she would leave and another will come.. I understand them. Their point of views, their explanation.. But they failed to take me in their passover ..
    They asked me if Ihave questions, I asked them “what is your purpose of this?” no clear answer from them, they said we will find after we study the bible. Then I asked “where are your breads and wine came from?” then they aswered me that they made it. But I was expecting them to answer me of how teyare sure that it was the real flesh and blood of god, I cannot take their answer like by blessing it on their an dI will finally have eternal life after it. Then I said that it was all my questions. Then they asked me what was holding me back from receiving th passover, the they asked like ‘ why don’t you want to have eternal life?’ ‘Dont uou believe in God?’ ‘Dont you believe in bible?’. Their questions are risky to answer, I know my situation. I told them that I will think first the passover thing. They are good people, nice, smiles a lot and kind. But I guess I just cant be what they believe, because I already know whom to bbelieve. I realized it more when I encountered them. And now to speak, everything would depend on you.

  15. Jeff says

    I came from this Church to have a Bible study when a Friend, a member from WMSCOG,invited me join their Passover and to have a bible study after. they are nice people, they shook hands to me. During the bible study,a brother taught me about mother of God, started from Revelations 22:17,21:2, 21:9, then John 1:29 then, to Genesis 1:26, then Galatians 4:26. Then after that, they taught also about me the Passover.
    Then after 2 hours of study,a brother asked me, ” Do you want to be Baptized?”
    sounds great… right? But then I answered them that I am already Baptized on my own church. But then a Friend of mine who was sitting next to me, asked me while she was scanning and searching for the context of “What authority… blah blah blah…”. I was thinking that time whether they are really serious of that question, ” Do you want to be Baptized?” eventhough it’s my first time to be on their church. He really wanted my answer and he keeps on repeating that question. I am pressured to give my answer and I speak to them my answer, and I my answer is ” I WANT TO KNOW AHN-SANG-HONG”. They were surprised that I knew Anh-Sang Hong. Everytime he asked his question ” Do you want to be Baptized?” I answered him ” I want to know Anh-Sang Hong”. That question was repeatedly asked for almost 5 times and my answer is the same for that question. It is as if they know what’s on my mind and I knew everything about that man and that they were hesitant to answer that.In fact I dont know that man and so I answered them that I want to know Anh Sang Hong. I knew that Anh was claimed by WMSCOG as God so I want to know why he was God. What’s on him that He was claimed as God. I love my friend and I am worried now that she is getting married n to their pastor.

  16. jeff says

    its God the mother, not mother of God, that we studied, i know their different. i made a mistake. sorry.

  17. John says

    Had a door knocking experience with them in Australia. They seem to think that the passover cleanses all sin, and that you commit sin after the passover again and have it cleansed at next year’s passover.

    The bible is explicitly clear that you have to be worthy of passover in the first instance.

    This is a heretic cult that professes that you can continue living in conscious sin and attain eternal life

  18. Shashi G. says

    very interesting to read and understand the facts of people’s life. If we read BIBLE and study and meditate will never fail in the cults. Let us read and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray for lost brothers and sisters…

  19. Jeff says

    Sounds like a big crock of shit to me

  20. Brandon says

    You are forgetting that in Revelations 21 also calls the Bride the “Heavenly Jerusalem” which Galatians 4:26 also calls the mother since calls the Jersusalem that is above is free and she is our mother, this is to be a spirtual mother not a physical Jerusalem or city. So if gonna cite a verse should tell the whole verse not one little part.

  21. DinoZEd says

    I was approached recently by a member of this community. Thank you for keeping this site up to decipher their mission, and for me to easily be ready next time. Reading the Bible out of context is VERY dangerous and can lead you wayward.

  22. Azraeel says

    I got a women invite in the street of Deajeon, South Korea. I was soo much out of mind! What? A women is the bride of Jesus?!!! She had a husband also! She is what?! Why she born in Korea?! Where jesus then!
    Is it all the false mesiha stuff here! Shit she try to brain wash me
    I am Muslim and I believe is jesus as god chosen one. But here I see jesus family.

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