One of the many characteristics of a cult is the incessant use of deception. Deception is initially used to recruit members and is required to retain and control them. One of the ways that cults accomplish this is by discouraging questions about the group’s foundation or the leader’s personal life, beyond what is established to be the approved narrative. But what happens when details about the group or its leader(s) that do not fit this narrative begin to surface? In order to keep the deception going, cults must adapt by changing the narrative or simply lying.

The World Mission Society Church of God has had to change their narrative numerous times over recent years in an attempt to maintain blind obedience from their members. This is largely due to the diligent efforts of former members and other concerned members of the public, to uncover information that the WMSCOG did not want their members to ever become aware of. The information was then made available to the public on websites such as this one, and on other platforms including YouTube, Instagram and Podcasts. In this article we will discuss how the WMSCOG’s attempts to do damage control have backfired, causing members to leave this cult speak publicly out about their negative experiences.

1. The Application For Tax Exempt Status Filed In California

In January 1999, the World Mission Society Church of God submitted their application for tax exemption to the IRS for their Los Angeles, California location. The application that the WMSCOG filed is riddled with information that is not only inconsistent with what members of the group have been taught, but also with what the group claims on its own website. The most glaring example is the WMSCOG’s description of how the organization was formed. The application which can be accessed here, reads as follows:

Firstly, it appears that the WMSCOG was not certain of the date that Joo Cheol Kim (WMSCOG general pastor) allegedly received this “divine revelation from God.” Nevertheless, the World Mission Society Church of God teaches that the church was established in 1964 by Ahn Sahng Hong, who they believe was the Second Coming of Jesus. Also noteworthy is the WMSCOG’s omission of Zhang Gil Jah, who they claim is “God the Mother.”

Secondly, included in their application submitted to the IRS was a budget for the pastor’s payroll. Members and former members who have read the application are particularly disturbed by this because the church teaches that no one in the WMSCOG leadership is paid. It is important to note that it is not being suggested here that church leadership should not be paid. In fact it is very common for pastors of Christian churches to receive a modest salary and in some instances even free housing. The issue here is that the World Mission Society Church of God chose to lie to their congregation about it.

2. Use Of The Courts To Intimidate Former Members & Other Critics

In attempts to silence former members and other critics, the World Mission Society Church of God has, quite unsuccessfully, pursued legal action in various States and in South Korea. The World Mission Society Church of God in New Jersey attempted to silence the creators of this website not once, but twice. The WMSCOG voluntarily dropped their own case in Virginia after receiving an unfavorable ruling from the Court, and the case that the WMSCOG subsequently filed in New Jersey was dismissed on summary judgement. The World Mission Society Church of God in California also voluntarily dismissed their own case against protestors after receiving an unfavorable ruling from the Court denying two of their motions. The World Mission Society Church of God in South Korea also unsuccessfully sued critics. More information and the rulings in those cases are available here.

Following the two failed attempts to silence the creators of this website, legal action was filed against the World Mission Society Church of God in New Jersey and is currently scheduled for trial in September of 2022. In 2014, a second former member filed a lawsuit against the Ridgewood, NJ location in Federal Court. The case is still pending.

3. Use Of Non-Disclosure Agreements To Silence Members

In 2018, yet another lawsuit was filed against the World Mission Society Church of God in Ridgewood, NJ by a third former member. As this written opinion issued by the Appellate Court of New Jersey outlines, various members of the World Mission Society Church of God’s Ridgewood, NJ location were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) under the threat of expulsion from the group (page 5). These NDAs, if enforceable, would prohibit members who signed it from ever discussing anything related to the WMSCOG or their experience with the group. In a lawsuit brought by a former member, a trial court in Bergen County, New Jersey declared the non-disclosure agreement unenforceable. In May of 2019, the trial court issued a comprehensive 52 page opinion in that case which is well worth the read and can be accessed here. The World Mission Society Church of God filed an appeal of the decision in that case which was denied and reads in relevant part:

Even the Court realized that the World Mission Society Church of God in NJ is, quite frankly, full of it. The Court’s ruling and written opinion are available here.

4. Attempt To Silence Critics On YouTube

In 2020, the World Mission Society Church of God in Ridgewood, NJ served subpoenas on YouTube and Zoom after critics used the platforms to publish a livestream video. The subpoenas sought to obtain communications and private information of nine WMSCOG critics, most of whom are former members (page 8 of the subpoena). A response to the subpoena from Google reads in relevant part:

In response, some of the former members and critics posted another livestream video. The video and more information on this epic failure by the World Mission Society Church of God in NJ to intimidate those who chose to speak out, is available here.

5. False End Of The World Predictions

Ahn Sahng Hong and the World Mission Society Church of God have erroneously predicted that the world would end numerous times. There is a Korean news broadcast about the WMSCOG’s false prediction in 1999 available here and you can read about Ahn Sahng Hong’s 1988 false prediction here. Of course the World Mission Society Church of God denies these claims. Yet, there is evidence that references to when the world would end have been removed from Ahn Sahng Hong’s writings. Many former members have come forward and admitted that the WMSCOG did in fact teach that the world would end in 2012. In the comments section of a recent YouTube community post on the Great Light Studios channel, a presumed current WMSCOG member named Melodie Martinez had this to say:

Setting aside the presumptuous nature of this comment, Melodie clearly implies that she believes that the world will end in less than one year (before the next Passover observance in 2023). Will the World Mission Society Church of God claim that Melodie is not a member, or that Melodie misunderstood the teachings of the group? Perhaps. What can be said with a high degree of certainty is that fear mongering and doomsday references have been a long standing part of this group’s modus operandi. Evidence of this can be seen in these World Mission Society Church of God recruitment brochures, and in this video of Joo Cheol Kim discussing disasters and supposed prophecies about the world being destroyed by fire. Instilling a sense of fear and dread in members is a common cult tactic. But the effectiveness of this tactic is often waning. When a group predicts that the world will end on a certain date or within a particular year, and it does not come to pass, at least some members will leave. Unfortunately, by this time members have lost years of their lives, donated their life savings, sold their property and belongings, lost contact with family and friends, dropped out of school, given up on goals for the future…the list goes on.

6. Lies About Ahn Sahng Hong’s Life

Prior to the surfacing of evidence to the contrary, members of the World Mission Society Church of God were taught that Ahn Sahng Hong preached his version of the gospel alone and while suffering in abject poverty. Members would later discover that Ahn Sahng Hong was married, had four children, would go swimming, enjoyed a 3-tier birthday cake and was buried in a shared grave next to his late wife, whom he never divorced.

The World Mission Society Church of God claims that Ahn Sahng Hong was baptized in 1948. That was proven to be false when Ahn Sahng Hong’s baptism record was published online along with a series of photos of the Seventh Day Adventist church where his baptism took place. Recently, former members have come forward and said that when they asked for proof of Ahn Sahng Hong’s baptism date, they were told by the leadership that the baptism records were destroyed in a fire. Despite the lack of evidence of a fire, if there had been a fire in the church where Ahn Sahng Hong was baptized, clearly the baptism book survived. Here, you can see photographs of the church and Ahn Sahng Hong’s baptism records which prove that he was baptized in 1954, not 1948. If you believe in the WMSCOG’s manufactured prophecies of King David and of the fig tree, Ahn Sahng Hong did not fulfill them simply because the math, which relies on his alleged baptism date, does not add up. Therefore, according to the WMSCOG’s own doctrine, Ahn Sahng Hong could not have been the Second Coming of Jesus.

7. Claim That Ahn Sahng Hong Believed In A “God The Mother”

If you insist on believing that Ahn Sahng Hong was the Second Coming of Jesus despite all of the evidence to the contrary, a plethora of evidence exists that proves that Ahn Sahng Hong never believed in a “god the mother.” In the Preface of his book titled “Problems With New Jerusalem, The Bride and Women’s Veils,” Ahn Sahng Hong writes:

Members claim that the book was written about Um Soon In and does not apply to Zahng Gil Jah. In addition to Ahn Sahng Hong clearly stating that what he wrote was “the unchanging truth,” his misogynistic views about women in general contradict the idea of a female deity and are made abundantly clear in Chapter 19 of his book.

Note that Ahn Sahng Hong said “the Devil will utilize women” not one woman, namely Um Soon In, as the WMSCOG would have their members believe. Not only has the WMSCOG claimed that Ahn Sahng Hong wrote this book about Um Soon In specifically, but also that the book only applied to the church at that time, and that the books were later destroyed. The World Mission Society Church of God calls this a special measures law, which basically means that they have the ability to make any of Ahn Sahng Hong’s teachings obsolete whenever they please. Ahn Sahng Hong also said “whenever a woman…” which proves that he did not intend for this teaching to be temporary. Add this to the long list of failures by the man that WMSCOG believes was “god” because we know that at least one copy of the book survived the alleged destruction. For further proof and more contradictions between Ahn Sahng Hong’s teachings and those of the World Mission Society Church of God, click here.

8. Deleted Chapters & Revisions To Ahn Sahng Hong’s Books

The World Mission Society Church of God frequently references verse Revelation 22:18-19, yet numerous revisions and deletions were made to Ahn Sahng Hongs books. In the “Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life,” commonly known as “The Green Book”, references to Ahn Sahng Hong speaking about the Second Coming of Jesus in the “future,” were omitted. Therefore, Ahn Sahng Hong did not believe, and certainly did not intend for others reading his books to believe, that he was the Second Coming of Jesus. Ahn Sahng Hong’s book was so contradictory to the World Mission Society Church of God’s doctrine, that the WMSCOG would eventually remove three entire chapters from the original text. Chapter 1: Restoration of Jerusalem and the Prophecy of 40 Years, was removed because it revealed Ahn Sahng Hong’s prediction that the world would end in 1988 (pages 3-4). Chapter 36: Elijah Will Be Sent, was removed because it provided evidence that Ahn Sahng Hong believed that he was Elijah preparing the way for the Second Coming of Jesus and that Elijah would ascend alive into heaven with the 144,000 chosen ones. It is 2022 at the time of this writing and none of those things have happened.

9. Claim That The Passover Protects Members From Disasters

Potential recruits of the World Mission Society Church of God are pressured to be baptized shortly after the first bible study. Former members have reported that the church would teach recruits that they had to “be baptized immediately” in order to celebrate the Passover and be protected from disasters such as illness or death due to an accident, if they left the church without the participating in the ceremony. This belief was amplified during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. Members of the World Mission Society Church of God took to social media to boast about their belief that Passover observance in the WMSCOG somehow protected them from the virus, and to mock the Catholic Church after news reports that members of the Vatican had become infected were released. These posts were taken down shortly after they were published, presumably because the members were rebuked for making such claims on public forums, but screenshots of the posts can be viewed here. Perhaps the World Mission Society Church of God leadership did not share the same conviction in their own doctrine.

10. Claim That Zhang Gil Jah Will Not Die

In 2013, a major news network reported that the World Mission Society Church of God claimed that Zahng Gil Jah would not die, and instead would ascend to heaven with her faithful followers. Former members have confirmed that the WMSCOG leadership taught that “mother would not die,” and that the 144,000 chosen ones that would not experience death would ascend along with her. The rest of her followers who do not make the cut, the great multitude, will experience death and ascend sometime after.

Evidence of this teaching can be found in older versions of the WMSCOG hymnal, the New Song book. The 2001 release of the hymnal included the words “only for the 144,000” on the cover. In the 2010 version, New Song 184 “My Home Is Heaven” has two lines that state, “Holding hands of one hundred and forty four thousand…” In the 2020 version, the same New Song, this time number 188, the aforementioned lines were changed to “Holding hands of my loving brothers and sisters…” See images below.

New Song 208, “O My Dear Heavenly Home!” says that Zhang Gil Jah “cannot go home before [s]he finds all [h]er loving children, the one hundred forty four thousand.” In the 2020 version, the same New Song, this time number 213, the aforementioned line was changed to “[s]he cannot go home until [s]he finds all [h]er loving children.”

New Song 205, “We Are Going to Heaven” was completely removed from the hymnal. The lyrics of this song say that “One hundred and forty four thousand will gather and go to heaven with our Mother.” The 2020 version’s table of contents is shown below and does not include a song called “We Are Going to Heaven.”

These changes and omissions provide evidence that the World Mission Society Church of God was aware of the problems that the teachings documented in these songs would cause when Zhang Gil Jah inevitably dies. The removal of the problematic songs and revisions of the related lyrics, allows the WMSCOG to deny that they ever taught that Zhang Gil Jah will not die. Gaslight much?

Here you can see that members in at least one location were instructed to destroy the old New Song books, though we suspect that in the spirit of effectiveness, this type of damage control was done in other locations as well.

In describing one of the many characteristics of a cult, Dr. Steve Eichel writes,

As evidenced throughout this article, the World Mission Society Church of God has changed their doctrine and policy numerous times over the years and undoubtedly will continue to do so. If you are a member reading this article, how much more of your time, energy and resources will you continue to give to the World Mission Society Church of God before you realize that this cult has everything to gain and you have everything to lose?

On June 2, 2020, the World Mission Society Church of God in New Jersey served subpoenas on YouTube and Zoom in two pending cases against them in the Superior Court of New Jersey. The subpoenas sought to obtain communications and private information of nine WMSCOG critics, most of whom are former members. Watch a Zoom meeting between some of the individuals subpoenaed, with a guest appearance by attorney Peter L. Skolnik, recorded prior to receiving YouTube’s response today.

Copies of both subpoenas and YouTube’s response are available below.

How did Google respond to the World Mission Society Church of God’s subpoena? With this letter.

Subpoenas to YouTube and Zoom

According to the World Health Organization, 264 million people globally suffer from depression. Depression is believed to be caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. A study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2010, determined that in 2007 the United States national treatment rate for depression was less than 3%.

In a sermon titled, “We can do everything in God” presumably authored by WMSCOG pastor Joo Cheol Kim, dated August 18, 2012 (embedded below), he discusses depression among members, but begins with two versions the same infantile story about an “arrogant rabbit” and a “slow turtle” that engage in a race to the finish line. The turtle wins the race in both versions because the rabbit decides to take a nap halfway through. The moral of the more widely known version of this story is, never underestimate the weakest opponent. In the strange “new version,” according to Joo Cheol Kim, the “slow turtle” is bullied by other animals, and the rabbit, while remaining “arrogant,” develops a sense of empathy and purposely allows the turtle to win the race. In an even stranger segue into the topic of depression, Joo Cheol Kim suggests that the moral of this new version is that there is a “story behind the story” in the Bible.

It is not clear what the story about the rabbit and the turtle have to do with depression, but we will come back to this later.

What does the World Mission Society Church of God teach its members about depression?

As in any cult group, any feelings of unhappiness experienced by the member (or victim) are never the fault of the organization or leader. Instead, the blame is shifted solely onto the member‘s “doubts,” lack of faith, or other perceived weaknesses. A practice otherwise commonly known as victim-blaming. Clearly the World Mission Society Church of God is aware that some of their members are unhappy. So what is the WMSCOG’s solution to this problem?

What is the solution for depression according to the World Mission Society Church of God?

According to Joo Cheol Kim, the solution to depression and “all the problems,” is not to seek medical attention or psychotherapy, but instead to recruit more members for the organization. While the “high” induced by the love-bombing a member is likely to receive from the leadership as a result of successful recruitment of more members may provide temporary relief of depressive symptoms, underlying depression will not be cured by this so-called “spiritual serotonin.” Instead, if left untreated members may experience long term effects of depression. Depression not only increases suicide risk, but is a known risk factor for the development of physiological conditions such as coronary artery disease, diabetes and uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure).

Let’s Fact Check the “True Church”

While serotonin may be the neurotransmitter most commonly associated with depression, serotonin is only one of numerous neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and dopamine, that may be “lacking” in someone suffering from depression. You would think that “god,” and “creator of all things” including the neurological system, would have informed Joo Cheol Kim of this fact.

The suicide rates reported by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2012 demonstrate that Lithuania had a higher suicide rate than South Korea in 2012. Surely the all-knowing “god” would not have to wait for a worldly organization such as the OECD to compile their data in order for the information communicated to members in the sermon to be accurate.

But what about the Rabbit and the Turtle?

After reading the above statement by Joo Cheol Kim, it becomes clear that the WMSCOG’s expectation is that the member sacrifice him or herself so that the organization “wins the race.” To do so is a demonstration of “that kind of faith” that requires the member to essentially ignore their own emotions.

In addition, Joo Cheol Kim provides yet another example of blame shifting. The statement above clearly implies that if a member is unhappy, he or she has failed to view their depression or “negative things” with a “positive point of view.” Therefore, by this twisted logic, if a member experiences depression, they have brought it onto themselves as a result of their own failing to follow the cult leadership’s instructions and demands.

Why is this important?

In essence, membership within a totalistic, controlling, coercive group such as the WMSCOG, creates the perfect storm for members who are experiencing feelings of depression. Lack of sleep, stress, adverse life events, such as unemployment, loss of a loved one, break up or divorce, illness or psychological trauma are just some of the contributing factors to depression. The World Mission Society has a long history of divisiveness among families, marriages, friendships and other types of interpersonal relationships. Members have reported sleep deprivation, stress and loss of employment due to the cult’s extreme demand for their time and energy. And yet the World Mission Society Church of God, amidst the internal chaos created by their own teachings, and in a blatant show of hypocrisy, urges members to “be joyful always.”  

If you or someone you know is dealing with depression, call 1−800−273−TALK (8255) to reach a 24−hour crisis center or dial 911. 1−800−273−TALK is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

The World Mission Society Church of God believes that Ahn Sahng Hong was the Second Coming of Jesus. The Bible clearly says, so does the World Mission Society Church of God for that matter, do not add or take away from the Bible (Revelation 22:19).  Yet, the WMSCOG deleted three chapters from The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life (1980), by Ahn Sahng Hong, a man the WMSCOG’s claims was God. The 1980 version has 38 chapters, while the 2007 Korean/English version of the book has 35 chapters. This is not the first time we see the WMSCOG making critical edits to Ahn Sahng Hong’s writings. Why would the WMSCOG delete entire chapters from a book written by someone they believe was God?

The names of the missing chapters are:

• Chapter 1: Restoration of Jerusalem and the Prophecy of 40 Years (On page 3 below, Ahn Sahng Hong predicted that the world would end in 1988).
• Chapter 11: Let Us Reveal the Truth from the History Books About the Church
• Chapter 36: Elijah Will Be Sent

All three chapters are available below. They are available in Korean here and here. Articles about the possible reasons why these chapters were removed and the obvious contradictions between what Ahn Sahng Hong wrote in these chapters and what the World Mission Society Church of God teaches, will be posted over the next few weeks.

The World Mission Society Church of God in California filed a complaint in Los Angeles County for injunctive relief (a court ordered prohibition of an act, in this case to stop protesting in front of the church) against protestors on April 12, 2013. The complaint alleges that protestors “engaged in a concerted effort to harass, annoy, and intimidate Church members who had come to observe the Sabbath” (page 6). According to the complaint, Diane Sims (former Deaconess of the WMSCOG in Los Angeles and Denver) her husband Jeff Sims, Renita Payno and other former members gathered to protest outside of the Reseda, California location on more than one occasion.

What was the reason for the protests?

Generally, both Mrs. Sims and Ms. Payno, expressed that the protests were to raise public awareness about what they experienced in the World Mission Society Church of God (see their combined response pages 202 and 228 respectively).

Here is a video of Mrs. Sims speaking about her experience as a deaconess in the World Mission Society Church of God and the reasons she ultimately left the organization. The video was released on YouTube in February of 2013, but was taken down some months later.

Here is a video that Ms. Payno shared on YouTube. Judge for yourself if their protesting efforts were anything like what the World Mission Society Church of God described to the Court.

Did the World Mission Society Church of God win this case?

No. The motions filed by the World Mission Society Church of God were denied by the Court on June 20, 2013 (pages 258-261). Then the World Mission Society Church of God requested that their case be dismissed by the Court on January 14, 2014 (page 306). The preceding case summary and the following analysis are for informational purposes only. The entire case file is available below.

The Complaint

The WMSCOG asked the Court for an order to stop protestors from:

• trespassing on Plaintiffs property, including but not limited to the Reseda Church, the Sunland Church, and the LA Church;
• obstructing Church members who are attempting to enter or exit Church property;
• congregating, marching, or otherwise protesting on the sidewalk adjacent to any Church property. Instead, Defendants may congregate, march, and otherwise protest at an alternative site on the sidewalk or paved shoulder area across the street from any Church property;
• shouting, yelling, or chanting in front of any Church property in a manner or at a volume or decibel level that interferes with normal Church activities; (pages 9-10)

Application for a Temporary Restraining Order

On April 12, 2013, the Court held a hearing on the ex-parte (emergency order) applications for a temporary restraining order (TRO) filed along with the complaint by the World Mission Society Church of God (page 25). Several WMSCOG members filed declarations (sworn statements) in support of the application filed by the group ((Treavor Sellnow (page 40), Anthony Martin (deacon) (page 43) and Rudy Molina (deacon) (page 45)). The Order states:

Pursuant to the stipulation of the Defendants, the Court orders the following: The Defendants are not to interfere with the congregations entrance and exit from the church, they are to stand away from the front of the church and they are to keep their voices down in a quiet, non-offensive manner.

page 3

But does this mean that the WMSCOG was granted injunctive relief, as members have said on social media? No. It would appear from the record that the Defendants and the WMSCOG agreed to terms during the hearing that were then memorialized in the Court’s order but ultimately, the WMSCOG’s requests for a restraining order were denied.

Application for “Contempt”

The WMSCOG’s application to find the Defendants in contempt for alleged violations of the April 12, 2013 order (page 3), was denied on April 30, 2013 (page 58).

Multiple Applications Filed Requesting the Court to Find the Defendants in Contempt and for Sanctions

The World Mission Society Church of God was very persistent in its excessive filings with the Court. Despite their ex-parte applications for contempt and for a TRO being denied, they continued repeatedly filling almost identical motions.

• On April 30, 2013, the WMSCOG filed motions against Ms. Payno (page 59) and Mrs. Sims (page 82) for contempt and this time for attorneys fees in the amount of $3,150.
• On May 3, 2013, the WMSCOG filed motions against Ms. Payno (page 100) and Mrs. Sims (page 126) for contempt, attorneys fees and this time for sanctions in the amount of $1,500.

On May 3, 2013, the Court ruled:

The ex parte applications are denied. This is a quasi criminal matter and needs to be set as a noticed request for contempt hearing. Defendants are entitled to a hearing as opposed to an ex parte on a quasi criminal matter.

page 145

California court rules state that notice to the opposing party on an ex-parte (emergency) application can be given as late as 10:00am the day before the hearing on the matter is scheduled to take place. Because ex-parte applications are done on short notice, the opposing party does not get a chance to fully oppose the motion ahead of time. The Court ruled that since the matter seeks sanctions and attorneys fees, the other side is entitled to have time to respond (due process). The Court reiterated this in an order entered on May 23, 2013 (page 152).

The Defendants’ Combined Declaration in Response to the Motions

The named Defendants denied all allegations made by the World Mission Society Church of God. In a combined declaration, the Defendants stated in part:

‘WE’ request the court orders an immediate cest [sic] and desist of the slanderous allegations made against any x-member, such as teaching the members, including children that those who leave the church are ‘demons’ predestined for ‘Hell’ and go as far as to tell children if they look at us they will die. The children walk into church with their heads down and their hands covering the sides of their faces.

pages 147-148

The Defendants describe the motivation behind their public protests of the World Mission Society Church of God:

It is our intention to provide public information to current church members. Church members are forbidden to look at the internet although, the Plaintiff ,uses the internet as a social media marketing tool to gain members. Because of this sheltering the members are not aware of why so many people are leaving this church and told slanderous lies instead. Our intention again, is to inform the public of factual information.

page 148

The World Mission Society Church of God Re-files the Motions

The World Mission Society Church of God re-filed their motions on June 20, 2013 (pages 154, 173). Mrs. Sims filed her opposition to the WMSCOG’s motion on June 14, 2013 (page 202). In addition to describing the reasons why Mrs. Sims ultimately left the WMSCOG, she stated:

I am seeking to exercise my constitutional right to free speech, press and assembly. As stated herein below, the California Legislature has found and declared that there has been a disturbing increase in lawsuits brought primarily to chill the valid exercise of the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and petition for the redress of grievances. Therefore it has found and declared that it is in the public interest to encourage continued participation in matters of public significance, and that this participation should not be chilled through abuse of Judicial process.

pages 205-206

Ms. Payno filed her opposition to the WMSCOG’s motion on June 19, 2013 (page 228) and stated in part:

Plaintiff’s fraudulent, misleading, concealing, manipulative, and cultlike activities, which caused Defendant to disaffiliate herself from Plaintiff and its members constitutes any other conduct in furtherance of the exercise of the constitutional right of petition or the constitutional right of free speech in connection with a public issue or an issue of public interest.

page 235

Both Mrs. Sims and Ms. Payno argued that when they protested outside of the World Mission Society Church of God, they assembled in a peaceful manner.

What Did the Court Conclude?

On June 20, 2013, a tentative decision regarding contempt and sanctions filed by the World Mission Society Church of God (page 258). The Court opined:

Nonetheless, the motion must be denied because neither Defendant Sims nor Payno willfully failed to comply with the order. It is undisputed that both Defendants complied with the ingress/egress requirement…The issue for contempt/sanctions is whether they were so loud and disruptive as to willfully violate the injunction. They were not…Both motions are denied.

page 260

The tentative Order was then finalized by the Court (page 261).

Clearly, the WMSCOG’s case fell apart after this decision from the Judge and even though a trial date was set for June 25, 2014 (page 289), the World Mission Society Church of God requested that their case be dismissed by the Court on January 14, 2014 (page 306). Any supposed “injunctive relief” that the WMSCOG thinks they were granted, could have easily been turned over on appeal or by some other legal remedy, had the case gone forward.

The World Mission Society Church of God has raised many concerns within their local communities over recent years. The WMSCOG has thrust itself into the public eye in efforts to improve its already tarnished reputation, and with this has come a lot of criticism. While the WMSCOG would prefer to boast about its many awards and volunteer efforts, critics would consider this as a smoke screen for what really goes on within the group.

What should you be concerned about if you are a current member of the World Mission Society Church of God, who perhaps has recently joined?

The World Mission Society Church of God is known to tell new members to “keep studying” when they have questions that the WMSCOG is not willing to answer. If the WMSCOG was transparent up front about the membership requirements, many people would simply not join in the first place. It is of course this way by design. Here is a list of some of the things that the WMSCOG does not tell you until you are fully indoctrinated:

• Extreme, non-negotiable time commitment.
• Required participation in all WMSCOG activities (i.e. holidays, seminars, events).
• Perfect attendance for all worship services (4 services a week minimum).
• Pressure to replace the “self” identity with the WMSCOG “group” identity.
• Possible pressure into an arranged marriage, potentially with someone who is not fluent in English.
• Must prioritize WMSCOG holidays and events over work, family and friend events (i.e. weddings, birthday parties, family reunions).
• Donate minimum 10% of gross monthly earnings to the WMSCOG.
• Make other offerings (Zion offering, general church offering, construction offering, food offering, seminar offering).
• Participation in fasting (without food or water) is required when the leadership tells you to.
• Must accept all WMSCOG teachings without question.
• Searching about the WMSCOG on the internet is strictly prohibited.
• Must wear a suit to every service. If you do not have one, you will need rent or borrow one.
• Confiding in general WMSCOG members who are not designated leaders is prohibited.
• Showing emotions such as sadness, grief and anger is prohibited.
• Discussing non-WMSOG matters is prohibited.
• Criticism of leadership is prohibited.
• Watching television/movies, reading books/magazines that are not approved by the WMSCOG is prohibited.
• Once you join the WMSCOG, they will inform you that if you leave you are destined to hell.
• Spending time with other WMSCOG members outside of the church is prohibited.
• Male and female interactions, unless with spouse or family in the group, are prohibited.
• Dating someone within the group who the Pastor has not approved is prohibited.
• Dating outside of WMSCOG will subject you to intense scrutiny.
• If you fail to obey the doctrine of the WMSCOG, you will likely face expulsion.

What should you be concerned about if your friend or loved one is a member or has recently joined the World Mission Society Church of God?

Has your friend or loved one experienced a sudden and drastic personality change? Have they lost interest in hobbies, friendships and other activities? Has your friend or family member invited you for a Bible study at the World Mission Society Church of God? Here is a list of things that you should be concerned about if your friend or family member has joined the WMSCOG. Your loved one:

• Will pressure you into joining the WMSCOG.
• May distance themselves from you or provide you with an ultimatum in order to emotionally blackmail you into joining.
• May threaten to cut off complete contact if with you if you do not join the church, criticize the church, or at a minimum do not support their decision to remain a member.
• Will miss family events that take place during WMSCOG holidays/events or that take place in other non-WMSCOG churches (i.e. weddings, funerals, birthday celebrations, family reunions).
• Will not celebrate holidays with you (New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.)
• Will devote a lot of time and money in the WMSCOG so they may request your financial assistance.
• May suddenly give up their career in order to dedicate more time to the WMSCOG.
• May suddenly drop out of school in order to dedicate more time to the WMSCOG.
• May donate their entire 401K, savings, property, to the church.
• May announce a sudden (arranged) engagement/wedding or inform you they are already married.
• May divorce a non-WMSCOG spouse if they were married before joining the group or if their spouse was a member of the WMSCOG and decides to leave.
• Will keep children in the church for long hours while he or she participates in church activities such as recruiting new members.
• May baptize children without the non-WMSCOG member parent’s permission.

What concerns should the community at large have about the World Mission Society Church of God?

If you have been approached by a World Mission Society Church of God member in a public place such as a shopping mall, bookstore, college campus, etc., these are the things you should be concerned about.

• The WMSCOG has been labeled a cult.
• Recruitment efforts in the community target 18-30 yrs old with no children.
• The WMSCOG heavily recruits on college campuses.
• The WMSCOG does not attempt to recruit the homeless, disabled or elderly.
• The WMSCOG has been accused of being racist.
• The WMSCOG performs volunteer activities with the purpose of recruiting new members and in attempts to legitimize the organization.
• The WMSCOG will occasionally ask for outside donations through various front groups (i.e. We Love U Foundation USA, New Song Radio).
• WMSCOG volunteer groups often do not openly associate themselves with the church, but are almost exclusively made up of WMSCOG members.
• Businesses that are owned and operated by WMSCOG members pay employees below minimum wage and do not pay overtime as required by local labor laws (i.e. Lincoln Avenue Grill in New Jersey).
• There is a lack of financial transparency within the group.
• The group has sued critics for exercising their right to free speech.

List of WMSCOG front groups:

• WeLoveU USA
• International We Love U Foundation
• New Life Foundation
• Daejayeon
• ASEZ
• ASEZ WAO
• Elohim Academy (WMSCOG Bible Study club on college campuses; also name of “sermon class” program within the WMSCOG).
• Elohist Club, WMSCOG Bible Study club on college campuses. 
  • Bakersfield, CA: Inside the Elohist Club: a Bible study group with a twist
  • Fresno, CA
  • Riverside, CA
  • San Bernadino, CA
  • Manoa, HI
  • Detroit, MI
  • Las Vegas, NV
  • Reno, NV

“Tithe is a minimum rent to be paid to God in this world.”
My Sheep Listen To My Voice by General Pastor Joo Cheol Kim p. 297

Over the years, the financial status and practices of the World Mission Society Church of God have been an issue of contention not only on this site, but on other blogs (here and here for example) that date back approximately 10 years.  In July of this year, the judge in the case of World Mission Society Church of God vs. Colón revised a Confidentiality Order which previously prohibited the dissemination of financial documents produced by the WMSCOG in the discovery process.  (A copy of the revised court order is available below).  The documents produced by the WMSCOG in Ridgewood, NJ (also available below) provide an overview of the profits and losses between 2009 and 2012.  A review of the financial documents produced raises some serious questions.

1.  The total assets and cash increased exponentially between 2009 and 2012, despite the WMSCOG’s claim for $25 Million in damages (loss) in the lawsuit they filed in Virginia in 2011.  The WMSCOG reported a gain of over $10 Million dollars more in cash and assets in 2012 than in 2009.

In 2012, the WMSCOG in Ridgewood, NJ claimed to have over $10 Million dollars in cash and over $20 Million in total cash and assets (this includes property).  It is unclear as to which other WMSCOG locations may be included in these figures.  Why would an organization that has reportedly claimed that the world was going to end in 2012, accumulate this kind of wealth?  Have other main WMSCOG locations like California, Illinois, and South Korea accumulated the same?  Where is this money going?

2.  In each of the four years covered in the financial documents, the Ridgewood location claims an amount listed as “Support to other Churches”.  During the Tithes & Offerings study, former members have reported being told that all money donated to the church was sent to South Korea to be distributed to other churches by the General Assembly.  Not only was the WMSCOG in Ridgewood, NJ distributing money to other locations, but the amount of money reportedly distributed increased from $58,821 in 2009 to $1,084,877 in 2012.  So is the money sent to South Korea or is it distributed directly to other churches?

3.  In each of the four years covered, the WMSCOG listed an expense for “Books and tapes”.  Interestingly, in 2009 there was no expense listed for books and tapes and this expense later claimed increased from a mere $1,275 in 2010 to $80,491 in 2012.  Former members reported having to buy their church related books and music CDs.  If the church is buying these items or paying the cost to produce them and then charging the members money to buy them, where is the amount of cash generated in the sale of these books and tapeslisted?

4.  In 2012 the WMSCOG in Ridgewood, NJ claims to have spent $100,000 in Payroll and $7,223 in Payroll taxes.  Former members that attended this location reported being told that “no one gets paid”.  Organizations only pay payroll taxes if they have employees.  Therefore, to whom is this WMSCOG location paying a salary?

5.  In 2010 the WMSCOG in Ridgewood, NJ claimed an expense of $100,000 for a “Contribution”.  The WMSCOG reportedly made a $100,000 donation to the UN for hurricane relief in Haiti.  The UN website and the official World Mission Society Church of God website state that the money was raised “through ‘The Messiah Orchestra Concert’ held in Busan”.  If the money for the contribution was raised during a concert in South Korea, how can the Ridgewood, NJ location claim this contribution as an expense?  Did the WMSCOG in Ridgewood make a separate donation to another organization in 2010?  An online search for information such as a press release detailing another $100,000 contribution made by the WMSCOG in 2010 did not produce any results.  The WMSCOG’s public relations campaign has been quite active in recent years, so it seems unlikely that they would let an opportunity for public praise slip away.  (If you have a link to a press release that was written about a separate donation by this organization in 2010, please comment below).  It is also noted that 2010 was the only year where a contribution was listed as an expense.

6.  The WMSCOG also listed the following expenses for “Meals”.

Former members have reported having to pay for and prepare meals when their respective teams are assigned to cook for the congregation.  So who’s meals is the WMSCOG in Ridgewood claiming to pay for?  Why is there no expense for meals listed for 2009?

7.  The WMSCOG in Ridgewood, NJ also claimed the following amounts in “Miscellaneous” and “Other” expenses.

Over the span of four years, $698,412 is designated as miscellaneous and other?  Current members should seriously consider the information that was submitted to the court by the World Mission Society Church of God in Ridgewood, NJ before possibly signing away their tax refund, emptying out their retirement account, maxing out their credit cards, selling their property, writing another check or putting another dollar into any WMSCOG tithe, other offering, or brown envelopes.

The church that Ahn Sahng Hong started, the NCPCOG, has posted a full translation of Problems With the New Jerusalem, the Bride and Women’s Veils online in English.  Read the full translation below [emphasis added].

Interpretation on the New Jerusalem and the Issue of the Head Covering of Brides

Preface

This booklet was published to prevent troublemakers who misinterpret and behave fanatically, explain the errors in the books that Um Soo In published and testify of the unchanging truth of the Church of our God.

Our Church of God was founded by all of the prophecies of the prophets and our Church of God is a church in which any faults cannot be found even if an attempt was made to do so. In spite of this, women like Um Soo In have caused a great problem to arise with her corrupt ideas and how can they be forgiven? They have spoken insolently with their own lips and through books and have spoken corruptly by interpreting the Book of Revelation as they please. What will become of their sin? It is not a small problem. They will continue on in their stubbornness and will be captivated by Satan and will gradually acquire more misguided ideas and will eventually be led by Satan into the way of destruction. It is now almost impossible for them to escape from the pit of ruin. It is truly difficult as they can only possibly be able to return if they completely cast away their arrogance and pride and repent and turn away from their sins.

Believers who are across the nation, this occurrence is a great lesson for all of you.  You must take special care not to be deceived by these corrupt people ever again.  The cause of these incidents is criticism of the Church and slander of leaders. Criticism of the Church and slander of leaders can be an invitation for Satan to enter our hearts.  When Satan enters our hearts, it is difficult for us to escape the snares of Satan even if our spiritual condition is excellent.  We can only survive if we adamantly repudiate a person who criticizes and slanders the Church and its leaders.  We will at this time study each of the errors that are in the books that Um Soo In wrote.

Author Ahn Sahng Hong

Chapter 1 Only Those Who are Written in the Book of Life

Jesus stated, as in the following, that those who have their names written in the Book of Life must greatly rejoice.

【Luke 10:17-20】「The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”  He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”」

We must rejoice above all that our names are written in the Book of Life of Heaven and there is nothing that can be nothing that is a greater cause of joy than our names being written in the Book of Life whether it be miracles, wealth or authority.

Worldly power and wealth is possessed by the people of this world and miraculous signs are performed by many false prophets, but my name can only be written in the Book of Life after I have been baptized in a Church that has received the authority of God and Jesus Christ.  It is written:

【Matthew 16:19】「I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”」

In this passage, Jesus is speaking to Peter but it does not apply only to him but Jesus has given all authority to all the apostles who follow after Peter.  It is written:

【Matthew 18:18】 「”I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.」

This means that even if my name is written in the Book of Life it can be blotted out if there is wrongdoing.  It is written as follows:

【Matthew 18장 15-18】「”If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.  If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.  “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.」

This means that if we treat a person like a Gentile and a tax collector this same person will be regarded in Heaven as a Gentile and tax collector.  It is written in the Bible about this type of person as follows:

【Psalms 69:27-28】「Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation.  May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.」

Even if my name is written in the Book of Life, my name can be blotted out or it can become unclear whether my name is in the Book of Life.  If a person is deceived by lies and is not able to overcome falsehood, his or her name can be blotted out or appear unclearly in the Book of Life.

【Revelation 3:5】 「He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.」

In addition, it is written of those who work diligently and preach the Gospel well:

【Philippians 4:3】「Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 」

Those who do not wear their head covering and act arrogantly have their names erased and blotted out from the Book of Life.

【Isaiah 4:3-4】「Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.  The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.」(Isaiah 3:22-26)

In the Last Judgment, only those who have their names written in the Book of Life will be saved.

【Daniel 12:1】「”At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.  There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.  But at that time your people–everyone whose name is found written in the book–will be delivered.」It is written:

【Revelation 20:14-15】「Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  The lake of fire is the second death.  If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.」

We must not be deceived by the Um Soo In group and, according to what is recorded in Isaiah 4:3-4, we must act with caution and remain as we are so that our names that are written in the Book of Life do not become blotted out.  God has said that if it is bound in the Church (written in the Book of Life) it will be bound in Heaven (it will be written in the Book of Life of Heaven).  If is is loosed in the Church (expelled) then it will be loosed in Heaven (expelled from Heaven) as well.  All those who have fallen aside by believing in the words of Um Soo In have been expelled so they will be blotted out of the Book of Life in Heaven as well.

Chapter 2 The Church of the Apostolic Age and the Last Days Have the Same Gospel

Um Soo In says that the Church of the Apostolic Age and the Church of the Last Days are different.  In addition, Um Soo In states that the Apostle Paul claims that Paul is someone who is not does not clearly understand this issue, but she has said this because she is not aware of the background of the Apostle Paul.  Paul’s calling is explained in the following passage:

【Acts 9:1-15】「But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.」

Paul’s previous name was Saul.  Before he was called, he was excessive in his belief in Judaism and he strived greatly according to his faith.  “But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.”  But, he went into Arabia and returned after practicing asceticism for three years. (reference Gal. 1:13-17)

Furthermore, Paul boldly declared that the Gospel that he preached was according to the revelation that he had received from Christ.

【Galatians 1:11-12】「I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.」Also,

【1 Corinthians 2:10】「but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 」Also,

【1 Corinthians 11:23】「For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,」Also,

【1 Corinthians 14:37】「If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.」Also,

【2 Corinthians 12:1】「I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.」Also,

【Ephesians 3:2-4】「Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.  In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,」

The Apostle Paul had made up his mind to have knowledge of nothing other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

【1 Corinthians 1:17】「For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel–not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.」Also,

【1 Corinthians 2:1-5】「When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and his crucifixion.  I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.  My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. 」The testimony is thorough. Paul testifies of those act unlawfully:

【2 Thessalonians 2:3, 2:7-8】「Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 」Also,

「For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 」

Paul prophesied that the lawless one will appear.  (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) As a person who prophesied that the lawless one is evil, he is not someone who is going to declare that any day is good while having disregard for the Sabbath. It is recorded that the passage of Romans 14:5-6 was the subject of dispute for a long period in regards to the issue of Easter on pages 125-126 in the doctrinal book of the Roman Catholic Church.

The subject of dispute had to do with whether Easter was three days after Jesus died on the cross or whether it was the first Sunday after his death. The Apostle Paul did not consider this to be of great importance so he tells each church to act in whatever way they wish concerning this matter.  Thus, Easter was commemorated 3 days after the Passover until it was decided upon that Easter would be remembered on the first Sunday after the Passover at the Council of Nicea of A.D. 325.

【1 Corinthians 3:10-15】「By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.  It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 」

Just because it says this, it must not be mistaken that all churches have been saved.

The above passage is a prophecy that the truth of the Early Church would be downtrodden during the Dark Ages for a long period of approximately 1,260 years until the 16th century Reformation when the reformers would rise up and point out the errors of the Roman Catholic Church.  It refers to the fact that there will be salvation by resurrection from the dead just as there is salvation from the fire because the truth was not discovered although religious reformation did occur.

Chapter 3 When That Which is Perfect Comes That Which is Not Perfect Will Cease

In addition, Um Soo In states that that which is perfect has come as if she is a perfect person but let us examine this Bible passage once again.

【1 Corinthians 13:8-10】「Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 」

We must understand what this passage means.  We must also consider well what time period this passage is referring to.

This passage illustrates that, even if we claim to understand many things, we actually really comprehend only one-thousandth of what we think we know now.  The time when prophecy, tongues and knowledge ceases is the time after the world has ended.

Even at this time, the Apostle Paul has not been resurrected and is with the spirits of righteous men in the Heavenly Jerusalem (reference Heb. 12:22-24) and so he honestly prophesied that he would “see face to face.  Now I know in part [Paul himself only knew partially but at the time of the resurrection); then I (Paul himself) shall know fully, even as I (Paul) am fully known” when he would be resurrected with the saints who are asleep in Christ. It is written:

【1 Corinthians 13:12】「Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. (Revelation 22:4)  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 」

Even the Apostle Paul prophesied that even though he only knew in part now he would know fully when he would get to Heaven.  How can someone does not even understand context in the Bible claim to know anything at all?  For this reason, the Apostle Paul prophesied as follows:

【1 Corinthians 14:34-37, 1 Timothy 2:11-14】「A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.  I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.  For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 」

Furthermore, the Apostle Peter prophesied as follows:

【2 Peter 3:15-16】「Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.  He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters.  His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 」

As Um Soo In has interpreted everything in this manner, what will become of not only her soul but the souls of her followers? (reference Isaiah 9:16)

Let us look at the commentary of the Japanese person, Kurosaki, in regards to this issue in which Paul remarks that he knows in part.

Chapter 4 The Commentary of Kurosaki

【Verse 8 : Love never fails.】

[Commentary] This can be seen as a title to the explanation that will follow this single statement.

This emphasizes the eternity and perfection of love and reveals the superiority of love compared to all gifts that are temporary.

[Verse 8: Prophecy, tongues and knowledge will cease]

[Commentary] In contrast to love which is eternal, all things of which importance in being placed on at the present in the Corinthian Church such as prophecy, tongues and knowledge are temporary.  Unfortunately, the Corinthian Church had reverence for these temporary things while disregarding love which is eternal.

[Verse 9: We know in part and prophecy in part]

[Verse 10: When completeness comes, what is in part disappears]

[Commentary] That which is perfect finally appears when Jesus Christ returns and our knowledge and prophecy is only partial knowledge until then. On one hand, our knowledge can be described as being proper but it is not perfect in any way.  This imperfection will be done away with at the time of the return of Christ and prophecy will be fulfilled and knowledge will change to the perfect knowledge of God. (speaking of the period of resurrection.)

[Verse 11: When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.]

[Commentary] “Talking,” “thinking” and “reasoning” refers to the gifts of language, spirituality and knowledge.  During the developmental age of a young child, all three were imperfect but, after becoming an adult, they were all cast away.  There is a sense of being an entirely different person as an adult compared to the period of being a child.  There will be this type of difference for us as well before and after the resurrection.  In addition, the imperfect things being cast away and disappearing without a trace at the time of the resurrection will be like an adult casting away the things of a child.

In addition, when Jesus returns, that which is imperfect will be cast away and will disappear without a trace.  It will be as an adult throws away the things of a child.

[Verse 12: For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.]

[Commentary] Kurosaki interpreted that we have received revelation and prophecy in regards to God’s work but His work is like a riddle and appears faintly and is like taking a look into a metallic mirror of times past.  Also, although our knowledge (Paul represents this as his personal experience instead of ours) of God and Christ is partial and imperfect, during the resurrection of the Lord, we will be resurrected and will know Him perfectly.

Do not be mislead by this falsehood and come back to the Truth as soon as possible.

【1 Corinthians 8:2】「The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 」Um Soo In, who begged that she would be saved at first, after she had been welcomed in the Church, her heart changed and she claimed that she was the only bride. When it was revealed that the bride is the Heavenly Jerusalem, she asserted that she was now the Heavenly Jerusalem and the New Jerusalem that had come down from Heaven. She has now become proud to the point that she claims to be the Comforter that God has sent.

She claims that she is the Comforter because it is written in John 15:26 that the Comforter would come and testify of Jesus. She claims that she is the Comforter because she has testified of Jesus.

If this is the case, John the Baptist, the two demon possessed men of the Gadara region, Peter, Martha and Thomas are also the Comforter because they testified that Jesus was the Christ (reference John 1:31-36, 8:28-29, 11:24-27). Are all these people the Comforter as well?

The Comforter is the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. This issue will be explained later on.

Chapter 5 The Apostle Paul is a Priest of the Gospel

According to the words of Um Soo In, it seems as if she does not deny the Gospel of Jesus.  And, if she does not deny the Gospel of Jesus, she cannot deny the letters of Paul.  The reason is that Paul stated that all of his letters are the Gospel truth and he also said that he is a priest of the Gospel.

【Romans 15:16】「to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.」

Where is there a clearer record than this?  Let’s examine the writings on the Gospel by the Apostle Paul. In all of the epistles of the Apostle Paul, 13 out of the 14 epistles all mention the importance of the Gospel.  Paul was not only a priest of the Gospel but he went to prison many times because of the Gospel.

【2 Timothy 2:9】「for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.」(reference Philemon 1:13)

【1 Timothy 1:11】「that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.」

【2 Thessalonians 1:10-11】「on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.  This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.」In addition, it is written:

【Ephesians 1:13】「And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,」

【Ephesians 3:7】「I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.」Also,

【Colossians 1:23】「if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.  This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.」

【1 Corinthians 1:17】「For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel–not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.」Also,

【1 Thessalonians 2:2-4】「We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.  For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.  On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.」Also,

【2 Thessalonians 1:7-9】「and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.  He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power」Also,

【Romans 1:1-16】「I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.  That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.  I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.」

How will God forgive this woman who claims that a person who was imprisoned for the Gospel and sacrificed his entire life for the Gospel is not sound?  The Apostle Paul gave this oath with confidence:

【Acts 20:24】「However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. 」

In addition to this, there are dozens of verses that testify of the Gospel, but they will but omitted for the sake of conciseness of length.

Chapter 6 Is the New Jerusalem in Heaven Material or Immaterial?

【Isaiah 66:1】「This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me?  Where will my resting place be?」There are some people who ask, “How could there be houses in Heaven and where can we find the New Jerusalem?”  Isaiah 66:1 states that God does not abide in houses built by men.

【Acts 7:48-50】「”However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: ”  ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord.  Or where will my resting place be?  Has not my hand made all these things?’」

The reason that Deacon Stephen used Isaiah 66:1 to testify to the Scribes and Pharisees was to clearly bear witness that God does not abide in the Jerusalem on this earth that is built by men but in the Heavenly New Jerusalem that God Himself has built. It is written:

[Isa. 65:17-19; reference the Common English Bible]

It is clear that the prophecy above is connected with the passage in Revelation 21:1-4.  God does not abide in a house built by the hands of men but in the New Jerusalem that He Himself has built.  We ourselves will go there when this world comes to an end.

Chapter 7 The Jerusalem in Heaven is Our Mother

【Revelation 21:1-2】「Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 」

Um Soo In speaks as if she is out of her mind when she claims that the New Jerusalem is herself.  They use the following verses to support their claims:

【Galatians 4:22-26】「For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.  His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.  These things may be taken figuratively, for 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. 」

They use this passage to assert that Um Soo In is our mother who has come down from Heaven.  Um Soo In truly believe that Hagar is the earthly Jerusalem while Sarah is the Heavenly Jerusalem.  The only reason that the Apostle Paul wrote Galatians 4:22-26 is to clarify that the history of the family of Abraham is a prophecy.

【Galatians 4:24】「These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 」

This is a prophecy of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.  Hagar refers to the Law of Moses received on Mount Sinai and the Israelites of the flesh of the earthly Jerusalem while Sarah refers to the New Covenant that Jesus Christ established in the Mark’s attic and the spiritual Israelites.  The Apostle Paul is speaking of the Heavenly Jerusalem.

Nevertheless, Um Soo In claims that she is the Heavenly Jerusalem and that she has come down to earth.  According to the prophecy of Galatians 4:22-24, Sarah is the Heavenly Jerusalem.  However, if the New Jerusalem is Um Soo In, she has then married her son.  The reason for this is that Isaac is the son of Sarah, and it is said that Isaac is also Christ. (Gal. 3:16)

Um Soo In has then become the mother of Christ as well as the bride (wife) of Christ.

Um Soo In states that I am Isaac with weakness of sight while claiming that she is Sarah, who is the Heavenly Jerusalem.  She is then saying that she will live with Isaac who is her son.  How extremely scandalous is this?  With this type of misguided delusion, she has become a false prophet and has attempted to gain power.  Please think of what will become of her sin and the sin of those who follow after her. (Isa. 9:16)

Chapter 8 The Heavenly New Jerusalem is Real and Material

144,000 saints are included in the New Jerusalem and there is a material New City of Jerusalem. If there is not an actual New Jerusalem, where and how will the 144,000 saints live in Heaven?

Jesus clearly stated:

【John 14:1-3】「”Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 」

(In the Common Translation Bible it says, “If that weren’t the case, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you?”  This means that it clearly exists.)  How clearly has this been spoken?

[Jn. 14:2; reference the Common English Bible]

Even here, there is not any possible way to deny that an actual New Jerusalem exists in Heaven.

The Apostle Paul wrote the following about the Heavenly New Jerusalem after seeing the tremendous view of the grandness of the New Jerusalem including the 10,000 angels, the future assembly, the justified saints and spirits, the throne of God and the throne of the Lamb.

[Heb. 12:22-24; reference the Common English Bible]

The above passage records a definite truth in the form of a letter.  It also mentions that Jesus Christ died once and for all with His blood.

【Hebrews 9:11-12】「When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation.  He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.」

The temple on earth that was built in Judea could be seen by the human eye and could be felt by human hands.  However, the temple in Heaven cannot be seen with the eyes of this world and cannot be touched by unclean hands.  Because it is a holy temple, whether it exists or does not cannot even be imagined with the human mind.

The New Jerusalem which is written of in Revelation 21:1-4, the tabernacle of God, abides with human beings.  However, this tabernacle is a spiritual building not a person.  Then, why does our church assert that the New Jerusalem is the saints or the Church, the 144,000 saints?  The reason is that all churches think that the building is the church and the New Jerusalem. However, I am definitely testifying so that it is more clear that the place where the saints gather is the church and the place where the 144,000 saints would enter is the New Jerusalem.

However, Jesus built the Heavenly New Jerusalem before the 144,000 saints came into existence.  It is written:

【Hebrews 8:1-2】「The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.」

It was revealed that this tabernacle would came down from Heaven after the work on earth had been completed and the 1,000 years had passed.

Chapter 9 The Name of Those Who Overcome Will Be Written in the Book of Life

【Revelation 3:12】「Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it.  I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.」

Um Soo In is saying that she is the Heavenly New Jerusalem and her name should be marked on the foreheads of people who are saved. Nevertheless, “the one who overcomes” is mentioned 7 times in Revelations 2-3.  There are different rewards given to those who overcome for each of the Seven Churches (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; Rev. 3:5, 12, 21). In addition, if the Seven Church are divided into seven ages from the Apostolic Church to the Church of Laodicea, which is the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the interpretation is as follows:

1. The Church of Ephesus is the Apostolic Church [A.D. 31-106]

2. The Church of Smyrna refers to the period of the polytheistic Roman persecution [A.D. 106-313]

3. The Church of Pergamon is the age of the worldliness [A.D. 313-538]

4. The Church of Thyratira is the Papal Age [A.D. 538-1798]

5. The Church of Sardis refers to the Age of the Reformation [A.D. 1798-1834]

6. The Church of Philadelphia is the Second Coming Movement Period [A.D. 1834-1844]

7. The Church of Laodicea is the age when preparation is made to enter the Kingdom of Grace [A.D. 1844-1964]

It is the prophecy of history that the Church Age when the name of the New Jerusalem would be used refers to the period of the Age of the Church of Philadelphia.  The names of all saints will not be written in the New Jerusalem.

【Revelation 21:14】「The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 」

In this manner, among those who overcome as in Revelation 3:12 there will be some who will have their names written in the New Jerusalem. Nevertheless, there will not be anything written on the foreheads of the 144,000 saints other than the name of the Lamb of God and the Father.

It is not proper to state that something that does not exist really exists and to claim that something that exists does not exist.  It is must be clearly stated that what is really exists and what is not should clearly be stated as truly not being in existence in order to not be guilty of sin.  It is written:

【Revelation 22:18-19】「I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.  And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.」

It is written that the name of the New Jerusalem is not on the foreheads of the 144,000 saints, but one adds something, this person become one who adds to the book of the prophecy.  One must obey and not say useless things if one does not desire to receive the seven plagues. It is written:

【Revelation 14:1】「Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 」

Their names are not written in the New Jerusalem.  If anyone is to add names that are not recorded, then he or she will receive all of the plagues.

Chapter 10 The Heaven of Grace Which is Forever

【Matthew 3:2】「and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”」

【Matthew 4:17】「From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”」

The Heaven mentioned above is the Heaven of grace.  When Jesus was asking a question of the Pharisees regarding the coming of the Kingdom of God,  He said:

【Luke 17:20-24】「Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied,  “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”  Then he said to his disciples,  “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.」

[nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”]  Jesus was speaking of the Heaven of grace that is received through receiving His grace (in preparation of going to Heaven).

【1 Corinthians 3:16】「Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?」It is also written:

【Luke 11:20】「But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.」This means that the Kingdom of God is the Heaven of grace.  People who lived within the Heaven of grace have all died. Can one die in Heaven?  As Um Soo In is saying, the Heavenly New Jerusalem has come down to earth now and our Church is Heaven at the present. Nevertheless, there were many people who have died in our church and there will be many people who will die in our church as well. A place where people die is not the everlasting Heaven.  It is written:

【Ephesians 2:5-8】「made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– 」

【Colossians 1:13-14】「For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.」It also is written:

【Hebrews 12:22-24】「But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.  You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.」

【Revelation 14:1-5】「The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.  He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,」

【Isaiah 33:20】「Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.」

【Luke 22:7-20】「For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”」These passages reveal that all of this will be fulfilled in the Heaven of grace.

This Heaven of grace is a place where all die.  The 144,000 saints will die and will be transformed and they must be resurrected in order to enter the Eternal Heaven.

Chapter 11 Regarding Entering the Eternal Heaven

【1 Corinthians 15:50-53】「I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery:  We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed– in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 」It is also written:

【1 Thessalonians 4:15-18】「According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage each other with these words.」It is also written:

【Revelation 20:4-6】「I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.  And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God.  They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands.  They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.)  This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.  The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. 」

If one studies I Corinthians 15:50-53 and I Thessalonians 4:15-17 together, it can be seen that everyone must experience the eternal resurrection during the Last Days.  In addition, it is written as follows concerning the New Heaven and New Earth.

【Revelation 21:1-2】「Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.」The Prophet Isaiah states:

【Isaiah 65:17-18】「”Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth.  The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.  But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.」The Apostle Peter writes:

【2 Peter 3:12-13】「So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.  I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,」

All of the above Scripture refers to the time when we will encounter the Eternal Heaven as the New Heaven and the New Earth and also the New Paradise.

However, Um Soo In is stating that the New Heaven and New Earth is here now and the New Jerusalem is living now on this earth.  Nobody except someone who is not in their right state of mind can believe and follow after this.  Please think of this carefully.

Chapter 12 Revelation 20: Regarding the Millennial Kingdom

After the proclamation of the Gospel for 6,000 years, the dragon will be captured and will be thrown and locked in the Abyss.  Nevertheless, the thousand years are prophesied in the Old Testament (Ex. 23:10-11; Lev. 25:2-5) and, if we examine the passages above carefully, the land is to be worked for 6 years and then the 7th year becomes the Sabbath year.  The fulfillment of this prophecy is the Millennial Kingdom.  This earth will become a wasteland during 1,000 years and Satan will be imprisoned on this earth for 1,000 years.  The bottomless pit refers to this land becoming a wasteland. (Reference Rev. 20:1-3; Lev. 26:33-35)  In Revelation 20:4, it is revealed that immediately after the work on earth has been completed over 6,000 years people who are dead will be resurrected and those who are still alive will be transformed.  They will judge the sins of the evil and will reign as kings for 1,000 years.  At this time, we will read each verse of the Bible passages and interpret the meanings of the verses.

【Revelation 20:1-3】「And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.  He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.  He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.  After that, he must be set free for a short time. 」

As soon as the 6,000 years are over, there will be a resurrection of those who are dead and those of us who are still alive will be transformed.

【Revelation 20:4】「I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.」

These saints will be transformed and will sit on thrones and judge the evil who are dead.  They are the 144,000 saints who have not died and have been transformed.

【Revelation 20:4】「 And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God.  They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands.  They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.」

【Revelation 20:5】「(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.)  This is the first resurrection. 」

【Revelation 20:7-10】「When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth–Gog and Magog–to gather them for battle.  In number they are like the sand on the seashore.  They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.  And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.  They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.」

[Commentary] When the 6,000 years until the end of the earth has come to pass, the earth will become an ocean of fire and will become a bottomless pit like the Arabian desert.  Immediately before this time comes to pass, we the 144,000 saints will be transformed into bodies that will not decay.

【Matthew 22:20】「At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 」We will become angels. Furthermore, the bodies of those who have believed in the Gospel over 2,000 years and have died in Christ will first be resurrected.  Soon after this, they will meet the Lord in the sky along with the 144,000 saints and will go to the place that the Lord has prepared for us.  (reference John 14:1-3)

The Apostle Paul wrote the following about the transformation of those who are living and the resurrection of the dead.

【1 Corinthians 15:51-53】「Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed– in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.」Also,

【1 Thessalonians 4:15-17】「According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.」

Chapter 13 This Earth Will Become a Wasteland and Will Rest

In the Law of Moses, there is a Sabbath year.  During 6 years, the land was to be plowed and work done on the land and then the law said that there should be a year of rest during the 7th year. It is written:

【Leviticus 25:2-5】「”Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the LORD.  For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.  But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD.  Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.  Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines.  The land is to have a year of rest.」 The Apostle Paul writes:

【Hebrews 10:1】「In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,」It is clear that the Sabbath year is a shadow of what is to come.  Therefore, after the 6,000 years from Adam to the Last Days has passed, the 1,000 years of Sabbath will begin and the earth will rest as the land will turn to a wasteland for 1,000 years.  Also, even if the end of the 6,000 years is not the Last Days, the Bible says that if the Israelites disobey the will of God and sin, they will be invaded by other nations and will become enslaved even though they are the people of God.  The land will then become a wasteland and the land will experience rest.  It is written:

【Leviticus 26:32-35】「I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled.  I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you.  Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.  Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths.  All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.」

The prophet Jeremiah prophesied concerning this same matter:

【Jeremiah 25:11-13】「This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.」Why was 70 years mentioned?

When we examine history, the Monarchy lasted for approximately 490 years from the time of King Saul around 1095 B.C. until the time of Jehoikim, the King of Judah, around 605 B.C.  During the years that compose the period of 70 Sabbath years over 490 years, the land of Israel experiences rest and the people of Israel live life as sinners (life of captives) as a consequence for their sins. (II Chron. 36:1-33)

【2 Chronicles 36:20-22】「He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power.  The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.  In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:」

In this manner, when 6,000 years of this earth passes after the time of Adam, it is prophesied that there will be 1,000 Sabbath years.  The earth will become a wasteland (a bottomless pit) and the Devil will be imprisoned in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years while the saints will go to the place that the Lord has prepared and will judge and reign as kings along with Christ for 1,000 years.  The evil will be lock in Hell for 1,000 years and will be resurrected along with Satan the Devil.  They will be tempted by the guiles of Satan and will attack the camp of the saints and and the city that God loves.  However, they will be destroyed by the fire that comes down from heaven.  The Devil, the Beast and the False Prophet that deceives them will be cast into the Sulfur Pit and will receive agony day and night for eternity.

Chapter 14 An Interpretation on the Chronology of the Millennial Kingdom

Since the time of Abraham, all times and places were fulfilled exactly without fail according to the set year, month and day.

【Psalms 139:16】「your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.」

【Job 14:5】「When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.”  This was Job’s regular custom.」

The days prophesied in the Bible were fulfilled without any single minor error. The prophesied time and day came to pass.  It is written:

【Genesis 7:4】「Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”」

【Genesis 7:10】「And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.」This prophecy was fulfilled.

【Genesis 15:13-14】「Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.  But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 」 According to this prophecy, 400 years later,

【Exodus 12:40-42】「Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years.  At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD’s divisions left Egypt.  Because the LORD kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the LORD for the generations to come. 」Just as it was prophesied that the army would come forth 400 years later, the prophecy was fulfilled.

【Jeremiah 25:11-13】「This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.」

【Daniel 9:1-2】「In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom- in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 」Also,

【2 Chronicles 36:21】「The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah. 」

【Daniel 7:25】「He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws.  The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. 」

【Daniel 8:14】「He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”」

【Revelation 12:6】「The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.」

【Revelation 13:5】「The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months.」

Since there are many prophesies in the Bible of these many days, how can these prophesies be trusted if it is claimed that these prophesies were fulfilled during three years?  Furthermore, how can such incredible interpretations be made?

However, on page 13 of a book published by Um Soo In, Zion and Jerusalem, it states that “the Millennial Kingdom is the time when Jesus was baptized at 30 years of age and preached the Gospel.”  In addition, on page 51 of another book published by Um Soo In, The Issue of the Kingdom of God, the same interpretation is given.  If prophecy is interpreted in this manner, who can believe this prophecy and who can say that the prophecy is accurate?  It is said that prophecy should not be interpreted trivially.

【2 Peter 1:20-21】「Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation.  For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.」

The interpreter must be inspired by the Holy Spirit who inspired the writings in order to interpret prophesies accurately.

Because the interpretation of Um Soo In was made to match their claims, they have made these ridiculous interpretations.

The reason that they have made this incredible interpretation is because they claim that the passage of Revelation 21:2-3 that says that “the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” refers to Um Soo In. Thus, they have interpreted Revelation 20:1-6 to be a prophecy of the First Coming of Jesus 1900 years ago.

When Jesus was showing his revelation to John, he clearly stated that this prophecy was to be fulfilled later in time.

【Revelation 4:1】「After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”」

This means that He will reveal things to come not things that have passed.  John received the revelation on the Island of Patmos around A.D. 95 and the First Coming of Jesus was around A.D. 30.  There was not any reason for John to receive a revelation of things that were said to come in the future in a vision about 65 years after the First Coming of Jesus.  There are occasions in which past history beginning from Genesis were written in Revelation but this was done to give the lesson to clearly show that prophecy had been fulfilled spiritually.  Nevertheless, things that were passed would not be mentioned as things to come.

【Revelation 2:14, 20】「Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.」and 「Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess.  By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.」 The Churches at Thyratira and Pergamon being in this state is shown by giving the examples of past history.

Nevertheless, Revelation 20 does not give a lesson through such examples but things that were to come were revealed just the way they will come to pass.

This earth will become a wasteland when 6,000 years are past.  The dragon will be imprisoned and locked away for 1,000 years in the wasteland (bottomless pit) of this earth and the saints who are asleep (the dead) will be resurrected with the angels.  The saints who are alive will be transformed like the angels and will go to the place that the Lord has prepared.  They will judge the evil for 1,000 years and reign as kings along with Christ.

Chapter 15 A Study on the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21

【Revelation 21:2-3】「I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.」It is also written:

【Revelation 21:9-10】「One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.」It is also written:

【Revelation 19:7-8】「Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”  (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) 」In the same way, the Apostle Paul says:

【2 Corinthians 11:2-3】「I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.  But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.」

The bride of the Lamb are the 144,000 saints who have accepted the Gospel. In addition, it is stated that there is an actual tabernacle (New Jerusalem) that the Lord has prepared.

【Hebrews 8:1-2】「The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.」Also, the Apostle John says:

【Revelation 21:3-4】「And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”」

Therefore, it is difficult for us as humans to even imagine the scale and size of the tabernacle (New Jerusalem) that the Lord has prepared.

【Revelation 21:16】「The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide.  He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.」

A approximate map of the New Jerusalem will be drawn.

A Comparison of the Size of the Jerusalem in Revelation and Korea (reference the booklet)

The New Jerusalem will come down to this earth from Heaven 1,000 years from now. (reference the booklet)

Chapter 16 She Claims to be the Only Bride

Let’s read the Bible passages that Um Soo In uses to claim that she is the only bride.  If the matter at hand proves to be false, we must know that everything that she says is false.  Um Soo In refers to the Biblical passage of Revelation 22:17.

Um Soo In claims that she is the bride in the passage “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come!’.”  Furthermore, it is incredible that Um Soo In says that the voice in the passage “and I heard a loud voice from the throne” is Um Soo In herself.

The Throne of God is a place that only He abides and the Lamb of God is at the right hand of God.  The loud voice coming from the throne cannot come except from the Lamb of God.  Nevertheless, the fact that Um Soo In arrogantly states that she has made the loud voice reveals that she is extremely mentally ill.

These arrogant words were written on pages 22-23 of a book that Um Soo In has published.

Then, we must seriously examine whether the words that Um Soo In has spoken are true or false.  If what she has claimed is not true, it is an obvious act of blasphemy and both her and her followers will not be able to escape great punishment (reference Isa. 9:16).

Next, let’s examine the Biblical passages on the issue of the bride.

It is written that “the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!'” (Rev. 22:17).  It is true that the bride here is the same bride found in Revelation 21:9-10.  Since it is written, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb,” the wife of the Lamb is the saints.

compare

[Rev. 19:7-8; reference the Bible] with

[Rev. 19:7-8; reference the Common English Bible]

Therefore, just as the prophecy of the bride, the bride stands for the New Jerusalem in Heaven and the New Jerusalem stands for the 144,000 saints.

The 144,000 saints are all brides and the bridegroom is the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is spoken of also as the Tabernacle of God (reference Rev. 21:3) and this tabernacle was prepared by the Lord 1,900 years ago (reference Heb. 8:1-2).

When this tabernacle (reference Rev. 21:3, 9-10) comes down to this earth, it will be 1,000 years after the world has ended.  [Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.]

When continuing to examine Revelation 20:1-15 carefully, it is seen that the prophecy will come to pass 1000 years after the world has ended. Nevertheless, the prophecy of Revelation 21:1-10 is mentioned falsely as if she is speaking the prophecy with a loud voice in pages 22-23 of a book that she has published.  There cannot be such an insolent act like this.

The events mentioned in Revelation 20:21-22 come to pass after the Millennial Kingdom so this special attention must be paid to this point.  The new heavens and the new earth in Revelation 21:1 are mentioned in I Peter 3:6-13 as well.

[as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.  That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.]

Therefore, the new heavens and the new earth (Revelation 21:1) are created after the whole world has been burned up and the Millennial Kingdom has passed.

Chapter 17 A Curse is Received by Making an Offering to the Queen of Heaven

Um Soo In fulfills the prophecy of the Jeremiah by claiming that she alone came down to this earth from the New Jerusalem and that people must serve her in order to receive great blessings.

【Jeremiah 7:18】「The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger.」

Um Soo In claims that she is the only bride, the new heavens and the New Jerusalem.  Through this, she becomes a queen and she receive tithes that should be given to Melchizedek.  She raises herself up as if she is greater than God.

How arrogant and insolent an act is this? How long will God be patient with her?

【Jeremiah 7:18-20】「The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven.  They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger.  But am I the one they are provoking? declares the LORD.  Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame? ” ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be quenched. 」

This prophecy is said to refer to the Roman Catholic Church worshipping Mary but it becomes more clearer evidence against Um Soo In.

Chapter 18 What is the Biblical Church?

The reason that the work of preaching the Gospel is called building the temple is because the Church is called the Body of Christ and the saints are called parts of the body that are attached to the Body of Christ.

【Colossians 1:18】「And he is the head of the body, the church;」

【Ephesians 4:15-16】「Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 」

【1 Corinthians 12:27】「Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.」The Church does not refer only to the building on earth but to the saints who are united to Christ.  We are all materials for building the Heavenly Temple.

【Revelation 3:12】「Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it.  I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. 」

【Ephesians 2:20-22】「built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 」

【1 Corinthians 3:16-17】「If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.」

【2 Corinthians 6:16】「What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.  As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 」

Therefore, through the work of preaching the Gospel in each age, the building of the temple is completed by the number of the saints on earth reaching their full number.

No matter how well a building of a church is built on earth, it will be destroyed at the end of the times.  Nevertheless, the saints who represent the temple will meet the bridegroom as holy brides when the bridegroom comes as the final ruler.

【2 Corinthians 11:2】「I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 」

Therefore, the church is represented as a bride and the saints as the bride. Thus, the last 144,000 are the materials for building the New Jerusalem. When the full number is reached, the New Jerusalem temple will be completed.

【Ephesians 2:20-22】「which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,」

Chapter 19 The Claim of the Woman is the Temptation of the Devil

There is never a time when the activity of Satan is cut off in the true Church.  The Apostle Paul has written as follows that the Devil will utilize women to cause confusion inside the Church.

【1 Timothy 2:11-14】「A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.  I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.  For Adam was formed first, then Eve.  And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 」

Through the prophecy of I Timothy 2:11-14 mentioning Adam and Eve, it is evident that this prophecy was made without doubt of our Church during this present time.

By observing the claims of Um Soo In that she is Eve, it can be seen that it was stated that “a woman should learn in quietness and full submission” and “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet” looking ahead to when Um Soo In (the woman) would claim that she is the bride and the New Jerusalem that has come down from Heaven.  By seeing that it was said of Adam and Eve in Genesis that “for Adam was formed first, then Eve” and “Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner,” it is clear that it is a prophecy of Um Soo In.  It is a prophecy that if the claims of Um Soo In (the woman) are followed the Church will come to ruin under the deception of the Devil.

In other words, whenever a woman makes assertions in the Church, the Church will fall under the deception of the Devil.  There was a time when women in the Corinthian Church spoke out on the issue of head covering.  This is the reason that the Church at Corinth gave a warning to women to be silent.

【1 Corinthians 4:34-37】「women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. Did the word of God originate with you?  Or are you the only people it has reached? If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.」

(It is a Biblical passage that states that women should know that wearing head covering is the command of the Lord.)

Chapter 20 The Issue of Head Covering

【1 Corinthians 11:3-15】「Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.

And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head–it is just as though her head were shaved.  If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.  A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.  For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.  For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.  In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.  For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman.  But everything comes from God. Judge for yourselves:  Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?  Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?  For long hair is given to her as a covering.」

(reference Gen. 2:21-23) (reference Gen. 2:18)

(In the Greek original manuscripts, it says that head covering was given in order to cover long hair.)

Even if a person has ignorance in regards to the Bible, by making a connection to I Corinthians 11:5-13, it is proper to interpret wearing head covering as a principle if one is not stubborn.

【1 Corinthians 11:16】「If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice–nor do the churches of God.」

It says in the Common Translation Bible that “But if someone wants to argue about this, we don’t have such a custom, nor do God’s churches.”  This means that this custom, or the claims of the women, cannot absolutely be tolerated within the Church of God (I Cor. 14:34; I Tim 2:11-14).

Because the Corinthian women caused a commotion and spoke out about equal rights between men and women, a stern warning was given as follows.

【1 Corinthians 14:33-37】「For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches.  They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says.  If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.  Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?  If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.」

(This means that the issue of wearing head covering is the command of the Lord.)

Also, the beginning part of the Common English Bible states:

[1Co. 1:1; reference the Common English Bible]

Also, the lesson given in II Corinthians 3:13-16 is as follows:

【2 Corinthians 3:13-16】「We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.  But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read.  It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.

Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.  But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.」

The above passage refers to when Moses went up on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments and stayed with God for 40 days.  The shining of God’s glory was reflected onto Moses and the people of Israel could not look at the face of Moses because of the shining of his face and Moses spoke to the Israelites while covering his face with a veil (reference Ex. 34:28-35).

Nevertheless, when the conversation was ended, Moses took off the veil when going to meet God and took it off when he returned to meet the people of Israel and began to speak to them.  This became a precedent and people did not take off the veil even until the time of First Coming of Jesus when reading the Writings of Moses.

This is not head covering for women but head covering that is to be worn when reading the writings of Moses or during worship.

Therefore, it states in I Corinthians 11:4, “Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him?”

Thus, I Corinthians 11:3-15 deals with the issue of the head covering of women.  The head covering of II Corinthians 3:13-16 is the cloth that covers the faces of men. One must simply know how to make a distinction between the covering of women and men.  Also, the source of truth is Jesus.  Women definitely wore head covering during the time of Jesus without doubt.  All women wore head covering including Mary, the mother of Jesus.  The fact that the women during the time of Jesus wore head covering cannot be denied.  Then what can be claimed as being incorrect at this point in time?  Um Soo In states that head covering for women was a custom of the time of Jesus.  Nevertheless, Paul does not say that head covering is a custom but he states, “But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved” (I Cor. 11:5).  There is a difference in stating that head covering should be worn while praying and prophesying in contrast to head covering to be worn because it is a local custom.

In addition, on page 7 of The Issue of Head Covering by Um Soo In, it is stated that the Four Gospels do not state that a women should wear head covering.  However, since women in the time of Jesus already wore head covering, there was not any reason to mention redundantly that women should wear head covering.  Also, on the other hand, Jesus never mentioned that women should take off their head covering.  If it was a sin to wear head covering, Jesus would have absolutely stated that women should not wear head covering.

Furthermore, on page 15 of a book published by Um Soo In, during the wedding ceremony of the people of this world, the bridegroom takes off the head covering of the bride.  This is also a lie.  The bride does not take off the head covering but only raises the veil that covers the face and raises it above the head of the bride.  Do not lie to the young sheep by ignorant lies!

In reference to the wedding ceremony, the young women of this world do not always wear veils on their head.  However, during the wedding ceremony, when being married before God, they wear the veil and then take the veil off after the ceremony.

All of things written in the books of Um Soo In are lies.  There are many other lies other than the ones discusses but they will be omitted for time sake.

However, since the head of the woman is the man, it is stated that women must wear the sign of authority in the sight of the angels (Heb. 1:14).

In regards to the issue of head covering, as women wear head covering at a wedding when being married before God, women must wear head covering like those who attend the Wedding Feast of the Lamb wear veils.

The Wedding Feast has not ended yet.  Head covering is holy covering that women are to wear.  If they do not wear wedding robes, they will be cast away (reference Matt. 22:8-13)

There must be a distinction made between head covering for women and the covering that is used to cover the faces of men.

[Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.]

(reference II Cor. 3:15-16) This refers to the piece of clothing that covers a man’s face.

Um Soo In, with an opposing view, gives an opposite explanation of the passage of Ezekiel 13:17-21.  If the issue of head covering of Ezekiel 13 is applicable to the Church of God today, there must be a prophecy in regards to it somewhere in the New Testament.  If the Bible passages written in the Old Testament are all lessons for the New Testament, it must be taken into consideration that it says in the Old Testament to not light a fire during the Sabbath and “do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day” (reference Ex. 35:3; Lev. 19:27).  It also stats that “whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death” (reference Ex. 31:15).

There are innumerable instances where there are places where things that are opposite from the New Testament are mentioned.  For this reason, the Apostle Peter wrote the following passage.

『Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.  He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters.  His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.』(2 Peter 3:15-16)

“The other Scriptures” refers to the Old Testament.  A clear distinction must be made Old Testament and the New Testament.  The reason for this is that the Old Testament stands for the Old Covenant while the New Testament refers to the New Covenant.

『For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.  But God found fault with the people and said: “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.』

『By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear. 』

(Hebrews 8:7-8, 13)

This means that the Old Testament becomes null by the New Testament coming to pass.  Therefore, even if there is a prophecy in the Old Testament to wear head covering, if there is nothing mentioned about wearing head covering in the New Testament, there is not any need to wear head covering.  Even if it says that those who wear head covering will be put to death, if the New Testament states that head covering should be worn, it is proper to wear head covering.

If this is not so, then the fire that was commanded not to be lit during the Sabbath should not be lit as well.  Furthermore, since it is said that those who do not keep the Sabbath should be put to death (Ex. 31:15, 35:3) should not people who do not keep the Passover during this present day be put to death?  If the prophecy of the Old Testament is not mentioned in the New Testament, then there is not any connection to us.

When examining the prophecy of Ezekiel, it can be seen that it is a prophecy of the Roman Catholic Church that worships Baal.  When studying Ezekiel 13, Ezekiel 8 must be studied first in order to accurately interpret the passage.

【Ezekiel 8:15-16】「He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”  He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.」What does this prophecy mean?

This was a prophecy of the worshippers of the sun god (Sunday) and thus there is a connection to the prophecy of Ezekiel 13:17-21.  It was written as a prophecy of the Roman Catholic Church.

Chapter 21 The Issue of the Wedding Robes, Linen Cloth and Head Covering

【Isaiah 3:22-26】「the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.  Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.  Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle. The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.」 The reason that this curse was given was because the Israelites were proud and had done evil in the sight of God.

【Isaiah 3:16-17】「The LORD says, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles.  Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the LORD will make their scalps bald.”」

(In the Common English Bible, it says that the daughters of Zion applaud themselves, walking with their chins in the air, flirting with their eyes, tiptoeing as they walk, feet jingling.)

Thus, it means that wedding robes, linens cloths and head covering would be taken away.

【Hosea 2:11-13】「I will stop all her celebrations: her yearly festivals, her New Moons, her Sabbath days–all her appointed feasts.」

The Feasts and the Sabbath would not be ended because they were wrong but, because the Israelites were serving idols and Baal, the holy feasts and the Sabbath could not be provided to them.  The feasts of God and the Sabbath would be taken away from them.

【1 Corinthians 10:21】「You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 」

The above passage means that the holy feasts, the Sabbath, head covering, wedding robes and linen cloths would be cut off because they could not be provided to idol worshippers or those who were proud.

After taking away wedding robes, linen cloths and head covering, rotten smell replaced incense, ropes replaced gird-loins, bald heads replaced full heads of hair and thick robes replaced fancy clothing.  Also, the young men would die of the sword and warriors would come to ruin by war.  The city gates would be sad and there would be weeping and Zion would become a wasteland.

In other words, this passage means that the wedding robes, linen cloths and head covering would be taken away because of the curse and rotten smell and ruin would come about because of the curse after the this apparel was taken away.  Nevertheless, the prophecy states that if people repent and submit and ask for forgiveness of the one man, Christ, they will be forgiven. It is written:

【Isaiah 4:1-4】「In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!” In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.  Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.  The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy.  It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.」

If the head covering was not needed and was taken off, then wouldn’t the wedding robes and linen cloths not be needed as well?  Nevertheless, one would be cast out of the wedding feast without wedding robes.

【Matthew 22:11-13】「”But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’  The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 」It is also written:

【Revelation 19:7-8】「Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) 」

Head covering must be worn until the wedding feast is over in order to be considered holy brides.  If the head covering in Isaiah 3:22-26 or Ezekiel 13:17-21 is considered a sin, then Jesus who came 500-700 afterwards would be considered a person who caused others to sin.  It cannot be denied that women wore head covering during the time of Jesus.  It can be known through the history of the Roman Catholic Church that history does not lie. The Roman Catholic Church confidently asserts that head covering was a practice that was continued from the time of the mother of Jesus Christ.

Chapter 22 Let’s Consider the Commentary of Kurosaki

The Commentary of Kurosaki is a commentary by a Japanese person who is famous worldwide.

Now let’s examine the interpretation of I Corinthians 11:3-16.

[content]『Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.』(1 Corinthians 11:3)

[Commentary] It could not be expected by Paul for the wealthy Corinthian saints who were lacking in knowledge to understand this precious truth. For this reason, Paul attempts to explain this truth in three aspects.  First, he gives evidence of this truth through the order of the spiritual world (I Cor. 11:3-6) and, secondly, significance was verified through the creation of the man and the woman (I Cor. 11:7-12).  Third, he explains this truth by appealing to the instincts of nature (I Cor. 11:13-16).

Thus, in regards to order on this earth, the woman has received her husband as her head through marriage and the man has received Christ as his head through faith.  In addition, there is the relationship of the father and the son that has been established between God and Christ in which God is the head and Christ submits to the Father.  The practice of life on this earth in which God is the head and He is obeyed is a reflection of life in Heaven.  It is the duty of believers to bring about this heavenly relationship on earth as well.

However, in the relationship that is connected to Christ in faith, it is evident that the man and the woman are directly connected to God without distinction between the man and the woman.

◎ Interpretation The word “head” has a close relationship to the three aspects and reveals a distinction in inequality of authority at the same time.

[content]『Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.』(1 Corinthians 11:4)

[Commentary] Even during worship, 조en a man covers his head by wearing head covering when praying or prophesying, it symbolizes submission or obedience towards mankind and this act represents bringing shame upon Christ who is the true head of mankind.

The reason for this is that Christ abides where we cannot see Him.  Thus, a man has the right attitude when not wearing anything on this head. This was not because a Corinthian man prayed or prophesied with something on his head.  Nevertheless, this lesson was explained by giving an example involving men in order to teach women in the next verse.

Interpretation “Head covered.” It was the custom of the Greeks for the man to not wear anything and for the woman to cover her head.

The Jews had a custom of wearing something on their heads when praying to God.  Paul revealed his respect for this custom to the Greeks and brought out the intrinsic meaning from this custom.

[content]『And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head–it is just as though her head were shaved. 』(1 Corinthians 11:5)

[Commentary] In contrast to a man, it is proper for a woman to wear something on her head in order to represent the fact of submission to the man.  Taking off head covering represents abandoning the act of submission.  There were women among Christians at the time who applied the truth mentioned by Paul in which he says that “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” in regards to relationships on this earth and prayed and prophesied with the same attitude of men even though they were women.  Paul was giving a warning towards this type of attitude.

Warning later in I Corinthians 14:34-35, although it seems that there is a discrepancy with the command for the woman to be silent in the church, this refers to the inspiration that a woman has received through prayer or prophecy and situations when a woman exercises the attitude of teaching a man (I Corinthians 14:34-35).  This is the same act as shaving off the hair on a man’s head.

[content]『If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. 』(1 Corinthians 11:6)

[Commentary] It was shameful for a woman to not wear anything on her head. Women who were slaves cut off all of their hair.  In addition, a woman who committed adultery among the Jews received the penalty of having her hair cut off (Numbers 5:18-22).  It is mentioned here that a woman having her hair cut off was shameful because, not only did it hide the beauty of the woman, it brought about comparisons to these shameful acts mentioned above.

Paul understood that this certain woman was ashamed and did not wear anything on her head due to feeling uncomfortable or for reasons of custom.  Paul reveals that it is a shameful act like shaving off one’s head to pray or prophecy without wearing something upon the head and he teaches what must be worn if this result was undesired.

[content]『man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 』(1 Corinthians 11:7)

[Commentary] Paul is attempting to prove the issue of head covering through appealing to the creation of the man and the woman.  Thus, based on Genesis 1:27, the man was created in the image of God and he has the right to exercise dominion over the earth.  From this standpoint, he is the glory of God.  Therefore, a man should not cover the glory of God by wearing something on his head and must not cover the symbol of authority that he has received by God by wearing a form of submission on his head.  However, although a woman receives a different prize than man, she becomes the glory of man by her beautiful act of submission.

[content]『For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 』(1 Corinthians 11:8-9)

[Commentary] As the passage of Genesis 2:18-24 states, the woman was created from the rib of the man in order to be his helper.  It is the original status of the woman to receive the authority of the man and the man and the woman do not have equal rights.  Thus, a woman becomes the glory of man through submission.

[content]『For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.』(1 Corinthians 11:10)

[Commentary] The woman becomes the glory of man through submission and this is because the angels attend the meetings and observe this behavior (Luke 15:7, 10; Eph. 3:10; I Tim. 5:21).  The woman must have the symbol of submission and authority.

[content]『In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman.  But everything comes from God.』(1 Corinthians 11:11-12)

[Commentary] Although the relationship between a man and a woman is a relationship of authority and submission, the relationship with Christ is the same relationship that is helpful to each other and connected to Christ.  There is not any discrimination between the two sexes. As in the creation of mankind, Eve was given to Adam and the man came from the woman through reproduction after this.  In this manner, both sexes were created by God and there is not any discrimination between the two sexes.

Here, Paul utilizes this biological fact and skillfully explains the spiritual equality of men and women.

[content]『Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 』(1 Corinthians 11:13)

[Commentary] Paul considers this issue by appealing to the above argument based on human instinct and stating “judge for yourselves.”

Here, it poses a question to consider whether it is essential or not in the most solemn occasion of praying to God to have an imprudent attitude of not wearing head covering.

[content]『Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.』(1 Corinthians 11:14-15)

[Commentary] Even by our natural instincts, it is shameful for a man to have long hair.  On the other hand, isn’t it for the same reason that we feel that it is honorable for a woman to have long hair because there is a distinction made between men and women.  In addition, it reveals that it is necessary for a woman to wear something on her head even by the fact that head covering was given to be worn by the woman.  This custom is shared in common by every race except for the Chinese who wear pigtails and this provides support for the words of Paul.

[content]『If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice–nor do the churches of God. 』(1 Corinthians 11:16)

[Commentary] After making his argument up until this point, Paul makes this remark as if he cannot stand the inconvenience of this argument which seemed to be like the rhetorical questioning of the Greeks who enjoy asking questions.

Whatever the logic, it is clearly stated that without question a woman was not to pray in church without head covering in their midst (among Paul and his many colleagues) or in the various churches.

There has been some controversy online regarding Zahng Gil Jah‘s (Jang Gil Ja) first marriage.  When I was in the World Mission Society Church Of God, I asked members if Zahng Gil Jah had been married prior to being involved with Ahn Sahng Hong and my question was dismissed with the following answer:  “Satan always tries to spread lies about our heavenly mother”.  Clearly that was not a valid answer to the question.

In South Korea, there is a popular account from Zahng Gil Jah’s ex-husband Jae Hoon Kim on many web sites.  You can read the article found on a Korean website here.  While the validity of the article cannot be absolutely proven, we have translated the article into English below for our readers who would like to read what it says (but do not speak Korean).  Here is what the article says:

A statement by Jae Hoon Kim, first husband of Zahng Gil Jah aka “Heavenly Mother”

I was married to Zahng (Jang Gil Ja) in 1966. We had 2 children by our marriage. During our marriage, we began to go to a church that was introduced to us by by a Christian man with surname, Roe. This church was in Pusan. (Editors Note: This was the original church founded by Ahnsahnghong).

We became very active, devoted Christians, missionaries and evangelists for this church after becoming members.

While I spent much time overseas working, my wife underwent many changes and became a different person than the one I married.

My wife, Zahng (Gil Jah), claimed that as a part of our devotedness to Jesus, she sold our house (paid for with hard earned money I made overseas) and donated all our family’s assets to Ahnsahnghong and his church.

I also saw that my wife did not properly care for my family while I was away. Therefore I, the husband, requested that my wife be responsible for family matters while she is working for the church. However, my wife refused to listen to me and asked me for a divorce. When she made this request I begged her to think carefully before making the commitment to divorce.

During this time my wife continued to go on missions without me to even remote regional locations. She would be in a group of people from the church, which included both men and women. If the group was made up of all women I could understand. But these groups also included men. What kind of husband could put up with this behavior from his wife? Think about it….

So, I finally agreed to let her be free and we divorced. I lost my wife, money, and kids to this church. I also became ill with a liver disease. Gradually I decided it was wrong to end my life. I realized eventually I needed to look after myself. Slowly my health returned. Once I regained my health I went to find my children.

By then, however, my children were totally under the control of my ex-wife, Zahng Gil Jah. My children asked me not to visit them as it made them feel ashamed.

Soon after our divorce, Zahng immediately married Ahn. Within the church, Zahng became known as God’s Bride. How can Ahn, if he is an honest person, tell the church that Zahng is his Bride? Everyone knows he was married and had children. This is insane. I wanted to tell everyone in the church the truth! I nearly exploded with rage!

However, I restrained myself because I didn’t want to shame my children who were members of this church. After this incident, I suffered insomnia, neurasthenia and became ill again. In order to recover myself, I have gone into rehab several times, but I could not recover, because I was too angry and heart-broken.

This cult teaches that the end of the world is in 1988. I tell all members, do not believe what this cult is saying to you. I want you all get out of this immediately and come back to real Jesus and get your life back in order.

(This statement was written by Mr. Jae Hoon Kim sometime in 1987.)

This information, if true, does not support Zahng Gil Jah being divine in any way, because the Bible speaks strongly against divorce.

Therefore, since Zahng Gil Jah divorced her husband, not only is she guilty of adultery, but is Ahn Sahng Hong if he married her after her divorce, albeit “spiritually.”  Would God come to the earth and commit acts that speak against His Word?  Absolutely not.