This article is dedicated to all of those who were taught the world would end in 2012.

In his book The Bridegroom Was A Long Time In Coming, And They All Fell Asleep, Ahn Sahng Hong, the man the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG) claims was the Second Coming of Jesus, predicted the end of the world in 2012.  These writings are in line with others that have been removed from WMSCOG books.  The Bible tells us that failed predictions are the sign of a false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) and besides Ahn Sahng Hong contradicting Scripture in numerous places, his 2012 failed prediction is yet another very clear indication that he could not have been Jesus.

The New Covenant Passover Church of God (NCPCOG), the original church founded by Ahn Sahng Hong of which his son is an elder, has made the book, among others, available on their website in Korean.  (Incidentally they have another website with pictures of Ahn Sahng Hong with his original church, his family, his handwritten notes that the WMSCOG does not have, etc).  We have taken the liberty of providing a translation out of the original book, and the failed 2012 prediction from Chapter 5, below:

제5 장 모세가 십계명을 두 번째 받은 것과 예언
Chapter 5, Moses receiving the Ten Commandments for the second time and the prophecy

[Paragraph 1]
모세가 두 번째 십계명을 받은 때로부터 성막을 건축하였으니 이예언의 실상은 예수께서 하늘 지성소에 두 번째 들어가시던 서기1844년 10월 22일, 즉 성력 7월 10일 대속죄일에 대한 예언입니다.
They built the tabernacle when Moses received the Ten Commandments for the second time, as a prophetic foreshadow of Jesus entering the heavenly Most Holy for the second time on October 22, 1844, which is the Day of Atonement on the 10thday of the 7th month (referring to the Hebrew calendar).

모세가 십계명을 받은 날이 성력 7월 10일인 바 그 후로 성막 짓기시작하여 다음해 정윌 초하루날에 성막을 세우고 법궤를 들여놓고 준공식을 거행하였습니다. (출40장1-17절 참고)
Moses received the Ten Commandments on the 10th day of the 7th month (Biblical/Hebrew calendar) and began to build the tabernacle and on the first day of the following year the ceremony of laying the ark in the tabernacle was held. (Exodus 40:1-17)

[Paragraph 2]
모세가 두 번째 십계명을 받은 것은 예수님께서 두 번째 하늘 지성소에 들어가시는 것의 예언이 됩니다.
Moses receiving the Ten Commandments for the second time is prophesying that Jesus will enter a second time into the heavenly Most Holy.

모세가 성력 7월 10일에 십계명을 받고 성막 건축하기 시작하여 다음해 정월 초일일에 성막 곧회막을 세우고 또 증거궤를 들여놓고 준공식을 거행하였습니다.
Moses received the second Ten Commandments on the 10th day of the 7th month and began to build the tabernacle, and on the first day of the following year the ceremony was held for laying the ark of the testimony in the tabernacle.

십계명을 받은 다음 날부터 성막 건축 시작하여 168일만에 준공식을 거행하였으니 이 예언의 성취가 예수님께서 이루어지게 되었으니, 예수님께서도 서기 1844년 성력 7월 10일 대속죄일에 하늘 지성소에 들어가심으로 그 때부터 하늘 성전을 건축하기 시작하여 168일 즉 168년만에 준공식이 되는 것으로 보여주고 있습니다.
Since the day that the Ten Commandments was received, it took 168 days to build the tabernacle and to hold the ceremony, and as the fulfillment of this prophecy, Jesus also went into the heavenly Most Holy on the 10th day of the 7th month in 1844 which is the Day of Atonement, and since then began to build the heavenly temple for 168 days namely 168 days until the ceremony.

[Paragraph 3]
예언성 1일을 1년으로(겔4장6절, 민14장34절) 해석하게 됩니다.
The prophecy is to be interpreted as 1 day to 1 year (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34).

그런고로 예수님이 하늘 지성소에 들어가시던 1844년에서 168년을 합하면 서기 2012년이 마지막 끝날이 되겠습니다.
Therefore, adding 168 years to 1844 when Jesus entered the heavenly Most Holy, 2012 becomes the last day.

[Paragraph 4]
그러나 택하신 자들을 위하여 그 날들을 감하시리라 하신 그 말씀을 생각하지 않을 수 없습니다. (마24장22절)
But you cannot help thinking about the words that the days will be shortened for the sake of the elect. (Matthew 24:22)

그리고 서기 1844년에 대한 문제는 전국에 계시는 성경학자들이 인정하는 안병한 저서 “성경보감” 315페이지에도 기록도어 있고 또 시조사 발행책 “각시대의 대쟁투 하권” 205페이지에도 자세히 기록되어 있습니다.
For the year 1844 issue, it’s specifically recorded on page 315 of “Bible Handbook” authored by Ahn Byung Han who is recognized by other biblical scholars, also on page 205 of “Great conflict of each era II”

[Paragraph 5, top of page 17. Passages translated from NIV version.]
(마24장22절) “그 날들을 감하지 아니할 것이면 모든 육체가 구원을 얻지 못할 것이나 그러나 택하신 자들을 위하여 그 날들을 감하시리라”
(Matthew 24:22) “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.”

하신 그 말씀의 내용의 뜻은 분명히 정한 날짜가 있다는 것이 분명하고 또는 기록된 바,
By the content of these words’ meaning it is clearly apparent that there is a set date, and as it is written,

[Paragraph 6]
(마25장5-6절) “신랑이 더디 오므로 다 졸며 잘새 밤중에 소리가 나되 보라 신랑이로다 맞으러 나오라”
(Matthew 25:5-6) “The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.”

하신 그 말씀 중에도 분명히 정한 날짜가 있다는 것이 분명합니다.
in this verse, it is certainly clear that the date is set.

[Paragraph 7]
그래서 그 사실을 해명하기 위하여 위에 기록한 첫 번째 것에 대한 모세의 행적과 그 예언 성취를 해명해 드렸습니다.
So, as recorded above, first, the works of Moses and the fulfillment of the prophecies were explained.

[Paragraph 8]
이제는 그 다음 두 번째 것, 즉 “신랑이 더디 오므로” 하신 이문제를 해명해 드리겠습니다.
Now I will explain the second issue , namely, “the bridegroom was a long time in coming.”

[Paragraph 9]
이 두 번째 것을 해명하기 전에 “하나님의 비밀과 생명수의 샘” 책 7-12페이지에 (’04년도 “하나님의 비밀과 생명수의 샘” 1-6페이지) 기록된 40년의 예언, 서기 1988년이 세상 끝이 될 것이다한 문제를 먼저 연구해 보시고 “신랑이 더디 오므로” 하신 그 말씀이 어느 날짜에서 더디 오신다 라고 하셨는지 연구해 보시기를 바랍니다.
Before I explain the second issue, analyze the prophecy of 40 years and the year 1988 as the last day as recorded in “The mystery of God and the fountain of life” book on pages 7-12 (Pages 1-6 of the 2004 edition of “The mystery of God and the fountain of life”) also study the verse, “the bridegroom was a long time in coming” and the date he will be delayed .

[Paragraph 10]
성경에 예언하신 말씀이 다 정확하게 맞지 않으면 안됩니다.
All of the prophecies in the Bible must fit correctly.

예수 께서 말씀하시기를
Jesus said

[Paragraph 11]
(마24장35절) “천지는 없어지겠으나 내 말은 없어지지 아니하리라” 하셨습니다. 그러면 “허나님의 비밀과 생명수의 샘” 책 7-12페이 지에 (’04년도 “하나님의 비밀과 생명수의 샘” 1-6페이지) 기록한 말씀을 먼저 읽어 보도록 하십시다.
(Matthew 24:35) “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Let’s first read what’s written on pages 7-12 of “The mystery of God and the fountain of life” (pages 1-6 of the 2004 edition of “The mystery of God and the fountain of life”).

[New section, page 18]
예루살렘 회복과 40년의 예언
Restoration of Jerusalem and the prophesy of 40 years.

Conclusion

Despite multiple failed end of the word predictions, some members of the WMSCOG hold fast to their beliefs.  Other members have awoken and realized that these failed predictions and any denials that they were ever made, are indicative of errors that exist within the doctrine, and have decided to free themselves of the spiritual captivity they once experienced.

The WMSCOG has predicted the end of the world incorrectly at least three times, and 2012 will be next. Even though the WMSCOG predicted the end of the world in 2012, and numerous members have said so, some members are denying ever having said it.

Actually, the WMSCOG did say the world would end in 1988, 1999 and 2012.  It also came out during the fact finding stage of Church of God World Gospel Association vs. Ji Won Tak as recorded by the Northern Seoul Regional Court of South Korea in 2005.  (Church of God World Gospel Association is the direct Korean translation for WMSCOG). A news station in South Korea broadcasted an investigative report on the WMSCOG’s prediction that the world would end in 1999.

Failed Predictions of 1988 and 1999

The judgement in the case of Church of God World Gospel Association vs. Ji Won Tak proves that the WMSCOG predicted the end in 1988 and 1999.

The judgement in the case of WMSCOG v. Kang Geun Byeong & Jo Seong Geun also proves that the WMSCOG predicted the end in 1988, 1999 and 2012.

Some members of the WMSCOG have gone so far as to tell me that the failed 1988 prediction was a “prophesy”.  Alright, I’m sure members will find some way to dismiss one or more failed predictions, but you cannot dismiss all three failed predictions.  Were all three end of the world claims that didn’t come true “prophecy”?

Is the WMSCOG Different From Other Controversial Groups?

The WMSCOG is not the only controversial religious group that has a history of failed predictions.  The Watch Tower Society, or Jehovah’s Witnesses, falsely predicted the end of the world in 1914, 1918, 1925 and 1975.  It is a well-documented fact that the Watch Tower Society subsequently altered their doctrine and deleted the predicted dates from their literature.  William Miller, pioneer of the Adventist movement, also falsely predicted that Jesus would return in 1844.  This caused three divisions in the Millerite movement; each with three separate explanations for the Great Disappointment of 1844.  The third group explained the failed prediction away by claiming that the cleansing of the sanctuary that was predicted to happen on earth in 1844, actually “took place in heaven”.  More recently, Harold Camping falsely predicted that the rapture would occur on May 21, 2011 and when his prediction failed to materialize, he revised his prediction and claimed that what had occurred was a “spiritual” rapture and that the “physical” rapture would happen on October 21, 2011.  News 24 reported a decrease in the number of Camping’s followers following the failed prediction in May of 2011.  We all know that his second prediction did not occur either.

The WMSCOG seems to already be doing some damage control in advance of 2012.  In 2010, it was stated on one of their many member-run Internet blogs in an article titled “Heavenly Mother Jerusalem and 2012” that:

Rumors?  It appears to be documented by the court in Church of God World Gospel Association vs. Ji Won Tak.

Bringing You The Information

One of the great things about this site (www.examiningthewmscog.com) is that we obtain the information directly from South Korea, and have it translate into English for you to read.  If there was less of a  language barrier you would know much more about this group and their history.  For instance, you would have known about:

• Their three failed end-of-the-world predictions (see the Ji Won Tak case pages 3, 5-6 and the Kang/Jo case page 5)
• 300 of their members causing disruption outside a man’s store and with some members assaulting him after he chose to leave the WMSCOG and speak out against the organization according to this court case pages 4, 7-8.
• That Ahn Sahng Hong is buried in a cemetery where at least two other people who claim to be Jesus are buried.. and that’s just one cemetery
• That there was a split in the church that Ahnsahnghong established (New Covenant Passover Church of God) after he died, and that his original church is still active (see the court case pages 3, 6-7)

In fact, if you could read Korean, you would know that Ahn Sahn Hong’s own son isn’t even a member of the WMSCOG. He is a leader in the NCPCOG.  

Unfortunately, the WMSCOG has incorrectly predicted the end of the world at least three times now.  Failed predictions are the sign of a false prophet. Deuteronomy 18:21-22 says:

This should be sufficient proof that Ahn Sahng Hong was not god. If you are looking for more evidence, click here.

*The photo above is licensed under the Creative Commons license, available here.

On July 14th, 2005 the Northern Seoul Regional Court ruled against the WMSCOG in WMSCOG vs Ji Won Tak.  We obtained a copy of the court case from Korea and have made a translation available for you below:

Download the court case in English

Download the court case in Korean

There are many interesting points documented by the court, including:

• The WMSCOG predicted the end of the world in 1988, 1999, and 2012.  p. 5-6
• Um Soo In was kicked out of Ahnsahnghong’s church for claiming to be the “spiritual mother” (and, by the way, Ahnsahnghong said that “the idea of a mother god was delusional” in response to Um Soo In).  p. 6-7
• Ahnsahnghong’s original church was indeed divided between the NCPCOG and the WMSCOG, which was the result of these two sects’ argument over making Zhang Gil Jah the “spiritual mother.”  p. 7
• The WMSCOG changed their name from “Church of God Ahnsahnghong Witness Association” to the WMSCOG in 1997.  p. 6
• Some 300 WMSCOG members disrupted a business, with some members engaging in an altercation.  p 7-8
• The WMSCOG says (direct quote) — “we would like to be understood and accepted as a new religion and not as another denomination of the existing Protestant church.”  p. 5

You can download the court case in English (pdf), Korean, or read it below:

Update on Jan 23, 2012 – Some WMSCOG members claim that this court case is one in a series of court cases involving the WMSCOG and Ji Won Tak.  WMSCOG members claim that a later court overturned this court’s ruling.  When I have obtained the additional court cases, I will post them here.

English Translation of WMSCOG vs Ji Won Tak – July 14, 2005

Translated from Korean

Northern Seoul Regional Court
Civil Section Number 11
Judgment

Case 2003 Gahap 6020 Damage Compensation (Gi)

Plaintiff
Church of God World Gospel Association
395-67 Sindaebang-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul
Chairman Joo Cheol Kim
Legal Counsel, Kyung Yong Park, esq.
Co-counsel, Yong Gi Ryu, esq.

Defendant
Ji Won Tak
115-1401 Jugong APT., Sanggye-6dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul
Legal Counsel, Gi Joon Park, esq.
Defense Ending Date June 24, 2005

Judgment Date July 8, 2005

Main Decision
1. The claims by plaintiff are all dismissed.
2. Plaintiff shall pay for all legal costs.

Page 1 of 11

Claims Plaintiff seeks defendant to pay plaintiff 20,000,000 won and interest calculated by 5% a year for the period from the day after this copy of lawsuit was delivered and until the judgment date and 20% a year from the following day until entire amount is paid.  Plaintiff seeks defendant to designate a newspaper among the papers published and distributed nationwide within ten days of the final decision and post a correction at the bottom of the page with 38 font size in gothic font with a title of correction and an article underneath with a 14 font size in (myungjo) font at the expense of defendant.

Reasons
1. Basic Facts
The following facts are undisputed by the parties, or can be acknowledged as facts by concluding from all of the intentions in the arguments listed in the evidence (Article) numbers 1 through 3.
A. Plaintiff is the church Sang Hong Ahn (deceased) established in 1948 (referred as
“plaintiff church” hereinafter), and defendant is the publisher and editor of the monthly magazine (Hyudae Jongyo).
B. Defendant has published about 2,000 copies of a book titled “Researches on the New
Religions of Korea 2002, Collection I (subtitled, Self-Claimed Reborn Jesus Christ of Korea) and distributed about 500 copies to the Christian bookstores nationwide. On pages 145 to 168 of the book, the following text is listed about the plaintiff church: Under the title of “The Church of God (World Gospel Association)”, and underneath it, it describes, “The Church of God is an organization that stemmed from the Adventist Church. But unlike the Adventist church which acknowledges general Christian beliefs of judgment, ethical salvation, as well as resurrection, eternal life, trinity, atonement of the cross, and Jesus Christ’s redemption, this organization believes that Sang Hong Ahn who died

Page 2 of 11

in 1985 is God, and as they have proclaimed that they are not Christians, they are actually not part of Christianity”. It goes on to say, “Aware that the continuing failures of the many end of the world theories that continued in 1988 and 1994 as well as the critical views of the society, as they all came to be not true, they have changed their name to the Church of God World Gospel Association to continue their activities. In 1999, particularly, they again came up with another end of the world theory by jumping on the wagon of the Y2K phenomenon, which they insisted to their believers, but it too also backfired and along with reports of the Church of God Sang Hong Ahn Witness Association, what went on in their organization was reported by the media. In 1988, they were reported to have proclaimed an end of the world theory, and after this year, they have continued to claim these theories every year to their believers, some of which resulted in some of their believers leaving their families, which resulted in the family members making petitions each year. They then changed their name to Sang Hong Ahn Witness Association, but after it caused troubles in their missionary work, they changed their name to the Church of God. According to the teachings of Sang Hong Ahn Witness Association, the end of the world would come in 1988 at which time the world will disappear without a trace and except for 144,000 people who have been granted with God’s special protection, everything will be destroyed. It was believed that the first wife of Sang Hong Ahn, who was his so called spiritual wife, was Soo In Um. Um divorced her former husband before she began seeing Ahn, and she was the one who proclaimed that Ahn was Jesus Christ in 1978. After Ahn died, the Sang Hong Ahn Witness Association was divided into a sect called New Covenant Passover Church of God that worshipped Um as the wife of God and another sect that chose Gil Ja Chang as the wife of God in 1981 and believed the second spiritual wife as Mother. They wore white clothes that Ahn always wore when he was alive and insisted on living in shacks in the slums of Haewoondae. At worship meetings, they could not get into the building while wearing shoes, and women were required to wear veils on their head just like the Roman Catholic Church, all of which were some of their major

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doctrines. The Sang Hong Ahn Witness Association interpreted some of the Bible verses on their own in discretion in order to match with their claims, some of which were that in Psalms 132:10-18, there is a prophecy that David will grow horns. They insisted that the seven horns in the verse symbolize seven seasonal periods, and Ahn insisted after finding a doctrine about the periods that he was the little lamb in the last period. We must know that cults and heresies always target and approach people who are not satisfied and complain about their lives. What they are insisting are clearly pseudo-religious heresies that can only be accepted by someone with little knowledge about Christian beliefs, but they do not focus on Ahn being God to other people when they start missionary work. In February 29, 2000, a former member of the association named Chung left the organization and disclosed the truth about it after which he was surrounded by some 400 members and assaulted.”
C. As such, the plaintiff church claimed that the defendant published untruthful facts about the plaintiff church which resulted in damage to their reputation and honor by which it filed an injunction on producing, selling, and distributing published materials, followed by a libel and slander by publication lawsuit against the defendant around June, 2002.
2. Decision on the Claims of Plaintiff
A. Claims
All of the contents of the book about the plaintiff church describe untruthful facts, by which the plaintiff church’s reputation has been damaged due to such illegal acts committed by the defendant against the plaintiff, therefore the defendant must pay for the damages and is obligated to publish an appropriate correction in a newspaper in order to recover the damaged reputation as listed in the attachment.
B. Decision

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(1) First of all, we shall take a look at the book (referred to as “the book in this case” hereinafter) about the plaintiff, published by the defendant, and decide if the contents were describing all untruthful facts.
(A) In looking at page 145 of the book in this case in which the defendant states that the, “church rejects the Christian doctrines,” and proclaims, “they are not Christians,” according to the combined arguments made in the evidence documents 1 and 2 of (Article) number 3, (Article) numbers 4 and 5, 4 of (Article) number 7, and 1 and 2 of (Article) number 19, the plaintiff church does indicate the church leader Sang Hong Ahn as the holy God or the reborn Jesus Christ in their doctrines, dogma and in one of their hymns, “New Song”, and Gil Ja Chang as the Mother God. Also as described later, they did insist on their end of the world theories, not to mention the church officials having described their religion as “God’s church different from the Catholic church and with different characteristics from many protestant churches as well.” They also stated, “we would like to be understood and accepted as a new religion and not as another denomination of the existing protestant church.” Considering these acknowledged facts and statements, it can be interpreted that they in fact were rejecting the basic Christian doctrines from the point of Christianity, therefore, it can only be said that these were not untruthful facts.
(B) In looking at the parts where the book described how the plaintiff church first proclaimed its end of the world theory in 1988, by which the members of the families of some of the believers who left their families pleaded every year, according to the combined arguments made in the documents 7 of (Article) number 7 and (Article) numbers 8 through 13 (including serial numbers), the plaintiff church did make a missionary paper which stated that the world will end in 1988, which was three years after the death of Sang Hong Ahn, and in 1999, it also conducted a survey about their prophecy of the end of the world in 1999 on their believers. Also within the church, there is another claim being proposed that the world will end in 2012. Additionally, the broadcasting stations KBS, SBS and MBC have collected information and tried to broadcast about the plaintiff church’s end of the world theory

Page 5 of 11

in their programs of “60 Minutes America”, “Cases and People”, and “PD Memos” respectively, and there is now an organization formed by husbands of the victims who have said that they were victimized by the plaintiff church’s end of the world theory. Considering all these acknowledged facts, it cannot be conclusively said that the book’s descriptions are untruthful facts even if there may be some incorrect or a little excessive expressions about how the end of the world theory was described.
(C) In looking at the parts where it said the plaintiff church changed its name to the Church of God World Gospel Association because of how their end of the world theory did not materialize or the critical opinion from the society, and it changed its name to the Church of God from Sang Hong Ahn Witness Association because its name didn’t fit well with their missionary attempts, according to the combined arguments made in the documents and videos of (Article) numbers 5 and 7 (including serial numbers), the plaintiff church in fact has been using its title of Sang Hong Ahn Witness Association or the Church of God short for the Church of God Sang Hong Ahn Witness Association since the death of Sang Hong Ahn in 1985, and around 1997, it established a non-profit organization titled the Church of God World Gospel Association for the purpose of registering and managing the organization’s assets. Additionally, as described earlier, it did in fact proclaim the end of the world theory which resulted in critical opinion from the society – which was all true, and it seems that the plaintiff church does most of its external activities in the name of Church of God World Gospel Association, not to mention the fact that it almost does not use the Sang Hong Ahn Witness Association name when it does missionary work. Therefore considering all of these actual facts, it cannot be concluded that what the defendant described about these parts are all not true.
(D) In looking at the parts where the book described the spiritual wife Soo In Um and the divided sects of the plaintiff church, according to the combined arguments made in the documents 1 and 2 of (Article) number 14, Soo Im Un was expelled from the church after she did missionary work and claimed that

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she was spiritual mother, and after the death of Sang Hong Ahn, the church was indeed divided into the New Covenant Passover Church of God based in Busan and the plaintiff church based in Seoul which was the result of these two sects’ argument over making Gil Ja Chang the spiritual mother. Therefore, the book’s descriptions about these parts cannot be concluded as untruthful facts.
(E) In looking at the parts about the life of Sang Hong Ahn and worship rituals such as requiring to take off shoes, according to the combined arguments made in documents 4 of (Article) number 20 and (Article) numbers 5 and 15, these descriptions were based on an article published in the December 1985 issue of (Hyundae Jongyo) which was written by the magazine’s reporter, Chung Kim, who actually visited the plaintiff church to experience the church and did interviews. Therefore it cannot be concluded that these were untrue, or that the defendant wrote it thinking it was all untrue, and furthermore, it cannot be concluded that the descriptions about the life of Sang Hong Ahn and the worship rituals damaged the plaintiff church’s social reputation.
(F) In looking at the church’s own interpretation about the doctrines, according to the arguments made in documents 1 and 2 of (Article) number 17, it is true that there is no mention of seven horns symbolizing seven seasonal periods in the book Sang Hon Ahn wrote titled, “The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life”, but the book indeed mentions about “David’s horns” and “the little lamb during the last period”, and additionally, the above descriptions are based on the July and August 1994 issues of the Seventh Day Adventist Church’s magazine (Mokyangja). Therefore, the above parts about the doctrine and the following mentioning of cult and heresy seem to be opinions by defendant on the plaintiff church’s doctrines, cults and heresies from the defendant’s point of view. Considering these points, it cannot be concluded that these descriptions are untruthful facts either.
(G) In looking at the parts about Chung who was a member of the plaintiff church and suffered assault after he left the church, according to the combined arguments made in the documents 1, 2, and 3 of (Article) number 16, these parts were written by the defendant based on the March 8, 2000 issue of

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Gidok Sinmun (Christian Newspaper) and testimony by In Ja Chung. Even though the newspaper later replied to the article, it was only a reply made by the newspaper and cannot be interpreted as the newspaper admitting the article as untrue or having errors, and furthermore, in the summary order related to the above article (Seoul Regional Court Northern Branch 2000 Goyak No. 22814), it was acknowledged that some 300 members of the plaintiff church disrupted business in front of In Ja Chung’s video rental store and some of the members and In Ja Chung engaged in altercations which resulted in an indictment. Therefore these parts also cannot be concluded as describing truthful facts.
(H) In so far it has been looked into, the contents of the book in this case, published by the defendant, may have some parts where its expressions were not entirely correct or a little excessive, and it can be said especially from the plaintiff church’s point of view that there are parts where misunderstanding can result from how one interprets them, but in looking at the overall picture of the book, the main contents of the book do match with actual objective facts, therefore it is hard to determine that the contents are untrue, and furthermore, even if some of the details do not match with the objective facts, the defendant wrote the book based on the combination of studying the various doctrines and books published by the plaintiff church, the research data of the defendant’s father, Myung Hwan Tak (deceased), articles written by the reporters of the publishing house that the defendant operates who visited the plaintiff church and collected data, reports of various newspapers and broadcasting stations, testimonies by pastors and members who were once members of the plaintiff church and later left, as well as individual tips the plaintiff church and outcome of consultations with victims of the church, and considering all of how the book in this case was written, it is reasonably believed that the defendant believed what he found out to be true and there is no evidence that proves the defendant otherwise recognized them to be untrue.
(2) In addition, Article 20, Paraphrase 1 of Constitution states, “All people have the rights to religious freedom,” which means religious freedom includes the freedom to promote the religion one believes in

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and do missionary work in order to recruit new members, and the freedom of missionary work includes criticizing other religions and recommending that members of another religion convert to one’s own religion, therefore the rights to promote a religion and criticize other religions are subject to protection as rights to free expression at the same time as well. In such a case, it is interpreted that Article 20, Paraphrase 1 of Constitution about religious freedom has special aspect on Article 21, Paraphrase 1 of Constitution about freedom of expression, therefore, press and publication for the purposes of religion should be protected even more than other general press and publication. As such, in protecting the rights to criticize other religions or religious organizations to the maximum extent, in cases where another’s reputation or honor are damaged and as to how to decide over the two conflicting interests of protecting one’s right to religious freedom and one’s reputation, it must be decided by considering the general conditions on the act of criticizing itself such as benefits by the act of criticizing, the breadth of range of value and publication, and its ways of expression, and at the same time, comparing and considering the degree to which how such criticizing has damaged or may damage another’s reputation (Supreme Court September 6, 1996 decision, 96Da19246.) According to the combined arguments made in the evidence document number 18, the facts are that the book in this case was published as a collection of research based on the results of the outsourced research on Korea’s religious organization sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, the main contents of the book criticizes the problems of the plaintiff church’s faith and doctrines from the point of view of traditional Christianity, the purpose of which the defendant published this book was to provide information about the doctrines of traditional Christianity and religious organizations that have different doctrines than the traditional Christian churches and their members so that they can be prevented from joining the different organizations (refer to the foreword of the book), and the book in this case was mainly distributed and sold to the members of traditional Christian churches through traditional Christian bookstores, therefore, considering the purpose, the steps taken to publish the

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books, contents, characteristics, expressions and methods, and the range of audience for the publication, it can be said that the plaintiff church was attacked for its characteristics of being a cult by the defendant in terms of its doctrines, therefore its degree of libel and slander is not comparatively significant. Moreover, considering how cults in today’s society have so many negative effects, the way how the defendant inappropriately and excessively described and severely and harshly criticized the plaintiff church in the book cannot be said as out of the range of expressing religious criticism in principle. Therefore, it is concluded that there is no ground for any illegality by the defendant and the defendant is not liable for committing any illegal acts to the plaintiff. In conclusion, the claims made by the plaintiff based on accusations against the defendant’s illegal acts against the plaintiff church, have no ground to be sustained.
3. Conclusion
Therefore, the claims by the plaintiff are hereby all dismissed and the decision is made as stated in the main decision.
Presiding Judge
Judge Han Sik Hwang_______________
Judge Dong Wook Lee______________
Judge Yu Kyung Kim_______________

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This is an original copy.
July 14, 2005
Northern Seoul Regional Court
Court Clerk
Byung Il Min [seal]
Information on Appeals
If you do not agree with the decision, you must submit an appeal form
within two weeks of receiving this original copy to the Northern Seoul
Regional Court (civil cases department).
Civil Litigation Article 162 (3)
2-139

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“There are many gods and Jesuses in Korea”

Professor Ji Il Tark

Professor Tark teaches Religion at Busan Presbyterian University.  His website in Korean is at hdjongkyo.co.kr.

The World Mission Society Church of God members that I have spoken to, all claim that the “end of the world is coming soon”.  So I ask them, “when?”.  Usually get really vague answers like “really soon“, “the disasters are the signs of the end“, or “maybe even this year“.  I recently heard from a WMSCOG member in the Seattle, Washington who claimed that the end of the world will occur in 2018.  Ahnsahnghong already predicted the end in 1988 and possibly 2012, and that didn’t go so well did it?.  If the rumors about 2018 are true, it appears to me that the WMSCOG would then be revising a prediction that the man they believe to be “god” made.

What’s the Official Teaching?

The World Mission Society Church of God, as an organization, does not appear to be concerned with the imminent end of the world.  There is no mention of any particular year on their official web site.  Also their “church” history doesn’t have an end date.  So the only chatter that I’ve heard concerning a possible end date is from members directly involved in the group.  Where are all the members getting this idea from then?

What’s With All the Construction?

On June 22, 2001 the Ridgewood Patch published an article titled, “Church of God Expansion Hearing Delayed, Neighbors Concerned They Won’t Be Heard“.  The WMSCOG, located at 305 Godwin Avenue in Ridgewood, New Jersey, has filed for construction permits.  According to the Ridgewood Patch, the WMSCOG plans to potentially build two two-story additions for a pastor’s residence, several rooms and a re-striping of the existing parking area.  Why would the WMSCOG invest time, money and resources expanding their property when their members claim that the world will end soon?  It just doesn’t make sense.  To me, it sounds like they’re expanding a business.                 

Would a WMSCOG member please clarify this issue by commenting below or in our forum?  Thank you.

Many people predicted that Jesus would return in 1988.  It appears that 1988 was a popular year for many false prophets.  Predictions included the return of Jesus Christ, the rapture, and the end of the world.  Here is a list:

1. Edgar C. Whisenant predicted that the Rapture would occur in 1988 in his book “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988”.  When his prediction did not materialize, Whisenant wrote “89 Reasons why the Rapture is in 1989”.
2. Colin Deal authored a book called, “Christ Returns by 1988”.
3. J R Church clearly writes that 1988 would be the year that Christ would return in his book “Hidden Prophecies in the Psalms”.

Ahn Sahng Hong’s Failed Prediction

It turns out that Ahn Sahng Hong predicted that Christ would return in 1988 as well.

Recorded in his own writings

Ahn Sahng Hong’s prediction was recorded in his own writing which you can read here (Chapter 1). 

Recorded in his church’s publications

Above, is a pamphlet that the WMSCOG circulated in 1988 warning the public in South Korea about the end of the world. A South Korean Court also documented the 1988 failed doomsday prediction. Click here.

Recorded by other members

Here is a website posted by a World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG) member which talks about it.  The author of this site claims that Ahn Sahng Hong made this false prediction of Christ’s return in order to fulfill the “prophecy of Jonah”.  The post has since been deleted so here is a screenshot of the post from an Internet archive. A missionary’s notes on the prophecy of Jonah are also embedded below.

This doesn’t make any sense.  Were the other three false prophets listed above also fulfilling the same prophecy right along with Ahn Sahng Hong?  No.  They are false prophets, and so is Ahn Sahng Hong.

Sermons I heard on the topic

In my experience in the WMSCOG, the pastor spent an entire service explaining why Ahn Sahng Hong predicted that the world would end in 1988.  The pastor, like the blogger referenced in the previous paragraph, also explained that this prediction fulfilled the “prophecy of Jonah“.

What Does the Bible Say?

Jesus said in Matthew 24:36 that no one knows the day nor the hour, only the Father.  Therefore, since Ahn Sahng Hong 1988 prediction did not materialize, not only is he not the “father” as some WMSCOG members refer to him, but he also clearly violated Matthew 24:36, by claiming to know when Christ would return.

For more information on the multitude of failed apocalyptic predictions visit http://www.bible.ca/pre-date-setters.htm

In July, 2010, Professor Tark, professor of Religion at Busan Presbyterian University, discussed the WMSCOG’s activities in South Korea during a conference attended by former members of various mind control groups.

During his lecture, Professor Tark showed a brochure in which the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG), or Ahn Sahng Hong Witnesses according to the brochure cover, predicted that Jesus or “the husband” would return on “the last day of the year 2012 A.D.”  Skip to 21:07 in the video to see the brochure.

While we can not verify the authenticity of the brochure, we do find what it has to say interesting.

The Year 1844

Of note in the calculations within the brochure is the year 1844.  William Miller, the heresiarch responsible for Seventh Day Adventism (of which Ahn Sahng Hong was a part of, and where he got many of his beliefs from),  predicted that Jesus Christ would return between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844.

When Jesus did not return within Miller’s predicted time frame, Samuel S. Snow, another Millerite preacher, revised the date to October 22, 1844.  Again, Jesus did not return.  This was dubbed the Great Disappointment and was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement.  The Millerites faced great criticism from the public.  One group of Millerites revised their views on the event claiming that the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8:14 did not refer to the sanctuary on earth but to the sanctuary in heaven, therefore making the prophesied event invisible. From this group of Millerites emerged The Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Ahn Sahng Hong and Seventh Day Adventism

The World Mission Society Church of God claims that Ahn Sahng Hong was baptized into the Seventh Day Adventist religion in 1948 at age 30, and remained a follower for 16 years.  (Update: This claim has been debunked, click here). Ahn Sahng Hong decided to form his own church in 1964, which is known today as the World Mission Society Church Of God. Therefore, it is not surprising that if the brochure was indeed published by the WMSCOG, who follow some Seventh Day Adventist doctrines, that they would have included the year 1844 in their calculation of Jesus’s return.  On their website, the WMSCOG recognizes the 1844 movement led by William Miller in their explanation of The Feast of Trumpets.

How the Brochure Calculates 2012

According to the brochure “the construction of the heavenly temple was started and completed in 168 days, in other words in 168 years”. The brochure uses a conversion of one day to one year (Ezekiel 4:6, Numbers 14:34). The calculation begins on the Day of Atonement (10th day of the 7th month) when Moses received the 10 commandments for the second time (Exodus 34) and ends on the day that the tabernacle was finished (1st day of the 1st month of the 2nd year Exodus 40:17). Here it is broken down:

• 20 days left in the 7th month
• 8th and 9th months together have 59 days
• 10th month has 29 days
• 11th month has 30 days
• 12th month has 29 days
• then 1 day in the first month

and you get 168 days

The brochure proposes that Jesus will complete the heavenly tabernacle in 168 years, just like the earthly tabernacle was completed in 168 days in the time of Moses.  The brochure arrives at 2012 by adding 168 years to the year 1844.

Is This The Official Teaching?

The World Mission Society Church of God has denied that they ever taught that Jesus Christ will return in 2012.  A Court in South Korea documented that the WMSCOG has had numerous failed doomsday predictions. This brochure provides corroborating evidence that at one time someone printed a brochure in the name of the WMSCOG that did in fact claim that Jesus would return in 2012.  Former WMSCOG members have also provided corroboration for the WMSCOG’s 2012 failed end of the world predictions.

One Other Observation

The headline on the front of the brochure states, “The husband is late getting in here, so everyone is sleeping.”  If Jesus Christ is our husband, then doesn’t that make those who are waiting for him the bride?  Then how can Zhang Gil Jah be the bride?  Click here to find out who Ahn Sahng Hong believed to be the bride.

Should You Be Concerned?

Jesus said that no one knows the hour nor the day that the world will end (Matthew 24:36).  So you do not need to be concerned. One thing is for sure, as soon as anyone predicts they know when the end of the world will be, they are directly going against what Jesus said in Matthew 24:36.  So who do you believe? Jesus Christ, or someone else?