Who is Ahn Sahng Hong?

Ahn Sahng HongAhn Sahng Hong 안 상 홍 (January 13, 1918-February 25, 1985) was born in South Korea to Buddhist parents.  The World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG) believes that Ahn Sahng Hong is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

What Was Ahn Sahng Hong’s Religious Background?

After practicing Buddhism for all of his life, in 1946, Ahn Sahng Hong began attending the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church.  The WMSCOG claims that Ahn Sahng Hong was baptized in 1948, but the SDA church in Busan, South Korea has records that prove he was not baptized until 1954.  In 1953, Ahn Sahng Hong claimed to be receiving revelations from God.  Ahn Sahng Hong was later excommunicated from the SDA church in March of 1962 because he claimed that the truth of the Early Church would be restored through him and that the Second Coming of Jesus would occur within 10 years.  By this time, according to family census records, Ahn Sahng Hong was married to a woman named Hwang Won Soon and had a total of four children.  On April 28, 1964 Ahn Sahng Hong established his own church, the Witnesses of Jesus Church of God.  

What Were Ahn Sahng Hong’s Core Beliefs?

Though Ahn Sahng Hong established his own church in 1964, he maintained some of the SDA’s core beliefs and practices.

  1. Saturday is the sabbath not Sunday.  Sunday worship the pagan practice of worshiping the Sun god.
  2. Christmas should not be celebrated because it was not Jesus’ birthday, but a pagan holiday.  
  3. Seventh Day Adventist eschatology (end times beliefs).  Ahn Sahng Hong believed that he was living in the end times and that the Second Coming of Christ was imminent.
  4. Tithing in addition to free will offerings are mandatory practices.
  5. The Roman Catholic Church is the beast prophesied in the book of Revelation and the Pope is the antichrist.  This study is known as Daniel’s Prophecy.

Ahn Sahng Hong believed that some practices of the early Apostolic Church had been lost or distorted throughout history.  In disagreement with the SDA doctrine, Ahn Sahng Hong believed that: 

  1. Women were required to wear veils during worship.
  2. Baptism is the first step to salvation.
  3. Crosses are a form of idolatry.
  4. The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread should be kept.
  5. First Fruits, Festival of Weeks, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles should be kept.  (Leviticus 23).

Similar Doctrine Written By Sun Myung Moon (Unification Church)

Sun Myung Moon, head of the Unification Church, wrote about some unique beliefs that Ahn Sahng Hong would later write about in his books.  The guiding text in the Unification Church is the “Divine Principle.”  shared some similar beliefs with Reverend Moon Sun Myung regarding the appearance of Second Coming Christ.  Moon wrote that the Second Advent:

  1. Will come in the clouds, meaning must be born in the flesh.
  2. Must come from from the east, meaning South Korea. 

The first edition of the “Divine Principle” is said to have been written and published by Sun Myung Moon in 1945.  Ahn Sahng Hong did not denounce his Buddhist religion until 1948 and did not make the same claims about the Second Coming of Jesus until 1967 in the book titled “The Mystery and the Spring of the Water of Life.   

Ahn Sahng Hong in the NCPCOGControversial Literary Works

The Second Coming of Jesus Will Happen in 40 Years

Ahn Sahng Hong wrote about the Second Coming of Jesus being imminent in his book “The Mystery and the Spring of the Water of Life” (1967).  It is clear from his writing that Ahn Sahng Hong believed he was living in the time of the “last one generation” and that the Last Church would be “ended up within 40 years.”  These references to the Second Coming and the last one generation would later be removed from future editions of the text by the WMSCOG.

There is No God the Mother

In 1978 a member of Ahn Sahng Hong’s church named Um Soo In claimed to be the “mother god”, “heavenly Jerusalem” and “comforter” sent down from heaven.  After expelling Um Soo In and her group of followers from his church, Ahn Sahng Hong wrote a book titled “Problems with the New Jerusalem, the Bride and Women’s Veils” in 1980 that not only denounced the idea of a mother god, but claimed that it was a result of Um Soo In’s “misguided delusion” (Chapter 7).  Ahn Sahng Hong also declared Um Soo In, her beliefs and her followers, “sinful”.  

The World Will End in 2012

In the same year, Ahn Sahng Hong predicted that the world would end in 2012 in his book titled “The Bridegroom Was A Long Time In Coming, And They All Fell Asleep.”  The full text of the book is available on the NCPCOG website but is not available at any WMSCOG locations for members to access.  The WMSCOG denies ever believing or teaching that the world would end in 2012 despite evidence to the contrary.   

Ahnsahnghong's funeral
Ahn Sahng Hong’s Funeral 1985.

What happened to Ahn Sahng Hong’s Church after he died?

After Ahn Sahng Hong’s death in 1985, his church was divided.  One group became the New Covenant Passover Church of God (NCPCOG) led by Ahn Sahng Hong’s son, and the other became the Church of God Witnesses of Ahn Sahng Hong, rebranded in 1997 (p. 5) as the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG).  The WMSCOG is currently led by general pastor Joo Cheol Kim and Zhang Gil Jah.  

The NCPCOG believes that Ahn Sahng Hong was the prophet Elijah, not the Second Coming of Jesus, as is written on Ahn Sahng Hong’s tombstone.  The NCPCOG does not believe in a “mother god.”

In contravention to the NCPCOG, the WMSCOG believes that Ahn Sahng Hong was the Second Coming of Jesus and that Zhang Gil Jah is “god the mother.”  The WMSCOG now uses the same false interpretation of the same Bible verses that Um Soo In used to say that she was “god the mother,” to argue that Zhang Gil Jah is “god the mother.”  The WMSCOG claims that Ahn Sahng Hong specifically wrote Problems with the New Jerusalem, the Bride and Women’s Veils about Um Soo In and that none of what Ahn Sahng Hong wrote applies to Zhang Gil Jah.  To date, there are no published writings by Ahn Sahng Hong that specifically name Zhang Gil Jah as the real “god the mother.”  None of Ahn Sahng Hong’s books support the belief that there would ever be a “god the mother.”  

Three Failed End of the World Predictions

In addition to the aforementioned end of the world prophecies made by Ahn Sahng Hong in his books, on July 14th, 2005 the Northern Seoul Regional Court chronicled the failed doomsday predictions and the events that took place after Ahn Sahng Hong’s death in a written decision in the WMSCOG vs. Ji Won Tak case.  It is documented by the Court that the WMSCOG preached that the world would end in 1988, 1999 and 2012 (pages 4-5).     

Controversy Within the WMSCOG

Ahnsahnghong and Zahng Gil Jah
This photo is alleged by Ahn Sahng Hong’s son to have been edited by the WMSCOG for the purpose of convincing members that Ahn Sahng Hong and Zhang Gil Jah were married. The WMSCOG is not known to have made any efforts to prove the authenticity of the photo, nor is the photo openly displayed in any WMSCOG location.

WMSCOG members have been taught that Ahn Sahng Hong and Zhang Gil Jah are “god the father” and “god the mother” despite Ahn Sahng Hong never claiming to be God.  The WMSCOG claims that Ahn Sahng Hong and Zhang Gil Jah are the “spirit and the bride” in Revelation 22:17 and show the members a picture of them that suggests that they were married.  Over the last decade, it has been revealed to the WMSCOG members and the public, at least in the United States, that Ahn Sahng Hong was married and had four children.  Ahn Sahng Hong never divorced his wife and in 2008 when his wife died, she was buried next to him. Both of their names are written on a shared tombstone, with their children’s names written on the back.  This unveiling caused a lot of controversy in the WMSCOG.  The WMSCOG’s position on the issue became that the “physical” does not matter and members should focus on the “spiritual.”

What Does The World Mission Society Church of God Tell Its Members About Ahn Sahng Hong’s Life?

It seems as though the way that the WMSCOG describes Ahn Sahng Hong’s life to its members and what the actual evidence shows, just does not add up.  Let’s take a look.

Holy is Your Sacrifice - New SongIn the WMSCOG’s New Song Book, a song titled “Holy Is Your Sacrifice” claims that [AhnSahngHong],

“His whole body seemed to be shattered;  He could barely take a step.”

A WMSCOG member blog also describes AhnSahngHong’s suffering and sacrifice:

“Father Ahnsahnghong climbed rough hills and mounts; no one knew He suffered all alone, searching for us. Every step, with pain, His whole body ached as He stumbled over stone, and He was feeble with weary legs. How much in pain Father Ahnsahnghong’s feet were.”

Screenshot of the above broken link to the blog presumed to have been written by a member of their respective WMSCOG location’s “Internet team”.
Ahnsahnghong in the River
Ahn Sahng Hong (arms raised) bathing in a river.

Ahn Sahng hong hardly suffered alone as the documents shown below demonstrate, he was married and had four children.  Ahn Sahng Hong also does not appear “feeble with weary legs” in this picture of him standing in a river nor in this picture of him swimming at the beach.

Ahnsahnghong - Beach
Ahn Sahng Hong swimming at the beach.

The lyrics of “Holy Is Your Sacrifice” further claim that [Ahn Sahng Hong],

“Even a bowl of soup he would sacrifice; He saved his poor wages, skipping his poor meals…He was hungry, He was cold, for thirty seven years.” 

The same presumed member blog (see screenshot above) similarly goes on to say:

Mountain water was His only meal…Even His food He spared for the sake of the children and we steam Him not.”[sic] 

Ahnsahnghong with Hwang Won Soon
Pictured in the center are Ahn Sahng Hong, his wife Hwang Won Soon 황원순 and their four children.

Yet, Ahn Sahng Hong is seen here (left) eating a meal with his wife, children and other members of his church that clearly includes plenty of solid food.  Ahn Sahng Hong is also photographed standing behind his 3 tier birthday cake (right).Ahnsahnghong - Cake

Clearly, there are a number of inconsistencies between the WMSCOG’s portrayal of AhnSahngHong’s life and the evidence that we have available.  Yet, another contradiction stands out. WMSCOG General Pastor Joo Cheol Kim’s view on family and love being “temptations of Satan” does not reflect Ahn Sahng Hong’s actions with respect to the same issues.  Clearly Ahn Sahng Hong did not believe that family and love were temptations of the satan since he married and decided to have four children.  It would appear that the WMSCOG believes that their own leader and supposed “god”, Ahn Sahng Hong, was tempted and succumbed to Satan’s tempations.  It also is apparent that a marriage and four children did not interfere with Ahn Sahng Hong’s important work of establishing a new church, “restoring the Passover”, and preaching to the public.

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22 Comments
  1. lilme says

    how can you get ahnsahnghong books

    1. admin says

      unfortunately they are not for sale anywhere outside the church, but you can get some of his books for free online in Korean here: http://www.ncpcog.com

      1. Lawrence D Nongrum says

        Most of the comments sincerely are useless & doesn’t make any sense_

        The First thing is directly note this:
        Ahnsahnghong has wife & 4 children that clarifies He is the Anti – Christ.
        2. Jesus Christ doesn’t have a wife, else all the apostles would have married & killed Jesus by themself for they really sacrificed their passions to get to heaven.
        3. Why do Christian’s need the prophet Elijah in the New Testament
        4. Sunday observance is the evolution of God’s plan and either the Pope alright is described as the beast & 666 this happened for us to be divided as a plan to be separated in denominations for sincerely that’s not favourable else we Christian’s will become too powerful in nature.
        5. Almost every church has it’s own demerits that’s the plan of the creator.
        6. Almost Every church knows & studies in theology about the prophecies of Ellen G White
        7. The traditional practises of Christmas & The New reform ways is to worship the Supreme God for even Jesus equivalenty described His qualities in the book of Revelations & The Lords day that’s the will of God
        8. As it was so it will continue forever its call evolution of Faith by The spirit of Jesus Christ
        9. cos if we Christian’s observe the Sabbath we are no different from Judaism isn’t it_
        10. Jesus Christ our Lord & Saviour Himself created all the reformers & Lastly this must be taken very properly cos Jesus never preached about the physical feast only faith in Him is sufficient for a Christian’s salvation_ Amen

  2. Ronelle says

    hello Admin

    I spoke with my sister in regards to them celebrating Ahnsahnghong birthday on the 25th xmas. She said is because they dont want people to celebrate xmas due to the pagan traditions and they trying to stir people away from celebrating xmas

    So i said they contradict themself because firstly when i was there and they showed me the clip of xmas they said that no where in the bible does it say that Jesus’s birthday was celebrated.

    I regret getting baptized because these people really dont know

    I get so upset when they talk about how we were angels and got kicked out of heaven due to something evil we did ! where in the bible does it say that

    Please admin show me where.

    And this guy Ahnsahnghong he never proclaimed himself to be god right? or am i wrong?

    I dont get the deal with this guy when i ask my sister why they say he is the second coming Christ she says because they give hidden scriptures in the bible of how he would look

    Is this true? And not everyone will know because its only for the chosen ones that will know who he is.

    1. admin says

      Well Ronelle the Bible does NOT say that we were angles before and you can read more about that here.
      You are correct. Ahnsahnghong never claimed to be “god” and you can read more about that here.
      As far as your sister’s claim that “they give hidden scriptures in the bible of how he would look”, I’ve never heard that one before but maybe reading this will help.
      Here are other articles that explain additional WMSCOG Biblical Misinterpretations.

      1. shilpa says

        from your comments i… [moved by admin to forum here]

  3. john says

    i dont think … [moved by admin to forum here]

  4. rock says

    is this really true… [moved by admin to forum here]

  5. mark says

    i feel that i … [moved by admin to forum here]

  6. rosy says

    admin.

    i have ready … [moved by admin to forum here]

  7. cecilia says

    i got to know … [moved by admin to forum here]

  8. Abraham Allen says

    How can I order new songs book thank to father God and our mother God

  9. Austin says

    I get why u would want to reinstate passover and the veil for women that all seems good but man it sounds so much like they are piecing it together I need answers like does the Vatican say anything on the subject. And if we are angels does that mean we were kicked out with lucfier

  10. Austin says

    I get why u would want to reinstate passover and the veil for women that all seems good but man it sounds so much like they are piecing it together I need answers like does the Vatican say anything on the subject. And if we are angels does that mean we were kicked out with lucfier?

  11. John Boa says

    AHNSAHNGHONG IS TRUE GOD YOU BELEIVE OR NOT!!!!

  12. alexander nunez says

    so you guys are saying we are saved by the passover and that there is a mother ? and that we where angels ?first of alll this church take verses out of contect in the bible it dosent say that! you guys have to stop interpreting the bibble towers your way no where it say we where angels the reason you say that is because john sed here come someone greater then me that was born first so he is greater than me ! correcct but that dosent mean that we where angels if that so then the bible wont be explaining angels to us or demonds to us. open your as in the bible it saysthat in Jesus name many will come on and they will lead you astray . guys this teaching are false and very dangerous they belive on the mother no where in the bible it says that stop trying to put thing in yah word it dosent make sense the bible its a book for everyone who wants wisdom love compation courage all of this good stuff that wee need in our life not this way of thinking.

  13. Jojo says

    I currently attend this church and I have been there for 10 years, I must say that this church does show you how to be perfect in the eyes of God but I have some doubts since nobody can be perfect no matter how hard you try. But my question is that this church had an article that Ang sang hong was in stated the prophecy of King David. The article was written 3 to 4 before he passed away,He predicted that the 2nd coming must preach for 37 years… and The wmscg stated that he wrote in one of his books that there is one coming after me but she was only 12.. where they got that information from.?

  14. Iya says

    I am so ashamed of myself for believing them. I have a friend that is highly invested in wmscog. I dont know how to tell him the truth without offending him and his belief in them. I will never forgive myself if i do nothing about it.

  15. SP says

    These creeps are going around my city now.

    They got real upset that I knew about Ahn sang Hong. I got it out of them that no-one is supposed to tell anyone about this until 3 months of study. More like brainwashing.

  16. han says

    The Church of God has been in litigation with victim organizations for seven years, from December 2013 to October 2020, and currently has approximately 150 civil and criminal cases pending. South Korean courts have ruled against the Church of God as follows.

    [Case No. 2015NA2032729] The Church of God repeatedly preached the end of the world from 1988 to 2012, and trillions of dollars in assets amassed by the Church of God have been linked to the end of the world.

    [Case No. 2016DO21129] The Church of God has conducted trainings that promote divorce and family breakdown, and several divorces have occurred.

    [Case No. 2015No542] A Church of God member tied a 4-year-old child’s hands with a tie, taped his mouth shut, and assaulted his mother with a knife for over an hour in front of the child.

    [Case No. 2017NA2069268] The Church of God taught that unbelieving husbands and family members are demons and that earthly families are fake. It also taught that failure to tithe and evangelize is a curse from God.

  17. Amy says

    The Church of God has been in litigation with victim organizations for seven years, from December 2013 to October 2020, and currently has approximately 150 civil and criminal cases pending. South Korean courts have ruled against the Church of God as follows.

    [Case No. 2015NA2032729] The Church of God repeatedly preached the end of the world from 1988 to 2012, and trillions of dollars in assets amassed by the Church of God have been linked to the end of the world.

    [Case No. 2016DO21129] The Church of God has conducted trainings that promote divorce and family breakdown, and several divorces have occurred.

    [Case No. 2015No542] A Church of God member tied a 4-year-old child’s hands with a tie, taped his mouth shut, and assaulted his mother with a knife for over an hour in front of the child.

    [Case No. 2017NA2069268] The Church of God taught that unbelieving husbands and family members are demons and that earthly families are fake. It also taught that failure to tithe and evangelize is a curse from God.

  18. Kien Ian says

    My comment is short only. I believe the 2nd coming of Christ and female God.

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