Ahn Sahng-hong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ahn Sahng-hong
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| Born |
Ahn Sahng-hong
13 January 1918 Myeongdeok-ri (명덕리), Gyenam-myeon, Jangsu County, North Jeolla Province, Japanese Korea
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| Died | 25 February 1985 (aged 67) Maryknoll Hospital, Busan, South Korea
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| Resting place | Seokgye Cemetery, Oeseok-ri (신전리), Sangbuk-myeon, Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea |
| Occupation | Religious leader, author |
| Years active | 1954 – 1985 |
| Known for | World Mission Society Church of God |
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Notable work
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The Mystery of God and The Spring of The Water of Life Problems with the New Jerusalem, the Bride and Women's Veils |
| Spouse(s) | Hwang Won-sun (1923–2008) (married 1958–1985, his death) |
| Children | Ahn Kwang-sup (b. 1954) Ahn Myeong-seon (b. 1957) Ahn Chang-jun (b. 1959) |
| Parent(s) | Ahn Gyujung and Lee Weoljeon |
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| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | An Sanghong |
| McCune–Reischauer | An Sangong |
Ahn Sahng-hong (Hangul: 안 상 홍; Hanja: 安 商 洪; RR: An Sanghong; 13 January 1918 – 25 February 1985) was a South Korean Christian minister. He founded the Church of God Jesus Witnesses.
In 1948, Ahn Sahng-hong was baptized by a Seventh-day Adventist priest. He believed that some Christian practices, like observing Sundays or Christmas, were not based on the Bible. Instead, he taught that people should follow the Sabbath (Saturday) and other special festivals mentioned in the Bible, such as Passover.
In 1964, he officially started his church in Busan, South Korea. After his death in 1985, his church split into two main groups. Both groups see him as their founder. One group, the New Covenant Passover Church of God, views him as a teacher. The other, the World Mission Society Church of God, believes he is God.
Contents
Early Life
Ahn Sahng-hong was born on 13 January 1918. He grew up in a small village in the North Jeolla Province of Korea. At that time, Korea was under Japanese rule. His family later moved to Busan, where he spent his childhood.
Becoming a Christian
From 1937 to 1946, Ahn Sahng-hong lived in Japan. After World War II ended, he returned to Korea. In 1947, he started attending the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Incheon.
Ahn Sahng-hong said he received special messages in 1953. He then decided to leave his Buddhist faith and was baptized as a Christian in 1954.
Starting His Own Church
Ahn Sahng-hong began to disagree with some of the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Because of these disagreements, the church removed him as a member in March 1962.
Twenty-three people who followed Ahn Sahng-hong also left the church. Two years later, on 28 April 1964, Ahn Sahng-hong officially started his own church. He named it the Church of God Jesus Witnesses. By the time he passed away in 1985, his church had grown to 13 congregations across South Korea.
Main Beliefs
Ahn Sahng-hong wrote many books and sermons explaining his beliefs. His main ideas were written in his book Doctrine Manual of the Church of God Jesus Witnesses (1972). He believed that the early Christian church's practices had changed over time. He wanted to bring back what he saw as the original ways.
His main beliefs included:
- Women should cover their heads when praying.
- Baptism is the first step to being saved.
- The Sabbath should be kept on Saturdays, not Sundays.
- Christmas should not be celebrated as Jesus' birthday.
- The Christian cross is seen as a form of idol worship.
- The Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread should be observed.
- Other feasts mentioned in the Bible, like First Fruits, Festival of Weeks, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles, should be kept.
Jesus' Second Coming
Ahn Sahng-hong believed that Jesus would return to Earth a second time. In his book The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life, he wrote about how studying the life of Moses could help understand Jesus' future work. He also mentioned that many false Christs would appear, but true salvation comes only through Jesus.
One of his teachings also spoke about the mission of Elijah. He believed that Elijah would be a prophet who would prepare the way for Jesus' second coming.
End Times Prophecies
Ahn Sahng-hong believed he was living in the "end times" and that Jesus' second coming was very near. He studied the Bible to understand when the world might end.
In his 1980 book, The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life, he connected the independence of Israel in 1948 to a Bible verse. He suggested that 40 years after 1948, which would be 1988, the world might end.
However, this nation came to independence in 1948 and the branches have become tender and the leaves lush. As He said “...you know that it is near, right at the door"., it is about time that we learn about something with more certainty. As per the research above, the Israeli nation went through major changes on a number of occasions in 40 years, so it can be ascertained that the above history accurately shows what to expect at the end. Since the Israeli nation came to independence in 1948, it makes it 1988 40 years after. Will the world really come to an end at that time? Or will there only be a minor change in the Israeli nation like what happened in the past? As Jesus said "As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door"., it will surely come to an end at that time.
He also wrote in another book, The Bridegroom Was a Long Time in Coming, and They All Became Drowsy and Fell Asleep, that other prophets also pointed to 1988 as a significant year.
I am not the only one who predicted the year 1988. The biggest author of prophecy on the earth, haringer, also said on page 191 of the world government and 666 that the year 1988 was the end of the world and would end around 1988. In addition to this book, once again the author colindige believes that Christ will come in 1988, and the Jewish glass gra also announces in a weekly trend that 1988 is seen as a turning point in global human history. In addition, there are dozens of prophets in 1988. Someone asked, "will 1988 be the end of the world? "I answered," the prophecy of the Bible cannot be destroyed. If the Bible records 1988 as the end of the world, it's over. If the Bible says it will come slowly from the date of record, you can believe it will come slowly. "
In the same book, he also suggested that the world would end in 2012. This was based on a calculation using biblical timelines.
Since the day that the Ten Commandments was received, it took 168 days to build the tabernacle and to hold the ceremony, and as the fulfillment of this prophecy, Jesus also went into the heavenly Most Holy on the tenth day of the seventh month in 1844 which is the Day of Atonement, and since then began to build the heavenly temple for 168 days namely 168 days until the ceremony. The prophecy is to be interpreted as 1 day to 1 year (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34. Therefore, adding 168 years to 1844 when Jesus entered the heavenly Most Holy, 2012 becomes the last day.
The Concept of Mother God
Ahn Sahng-hong's writings also discussed the idea of "Mother God." In his book The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life, he wrote about the "Holy Spirit and the bride" appearing in the last days. Some followers interpret this to mean a second coming of Christ and a Mother God.
However, in another sermon, "Guests Who came From the World of Angels," Ahn Sahng-hong explained that Adam represents Jesus and Eve represents the angels Jesus loved. He concluded that Jesus is the "last Adam," and saved people can be called the "last Eve."
Ahn Sahng-hong's sermon notes, "Walk with God," include a line: "Jesus keeps the Sabbath, so I keep the Sabbath; Jesus keeps the Passover, so I also keep the Passover; Jesus keeps the Feast of Tabernacles, so I also keep the shed Festival; Jesus was baptized, so I followed him to be baptized. Elisha followed Elijah; Joshua followed Moses; Peter followed Jesus; I followed mother." The World Mission Society Church of God uses this as evidence that Ahn Sahng-hong taught about a Mother God. The New Covenant Passover Church of God, however, believes "mother" refers to Sarah from the Bible, representing the New Testament.
Um Sooin and Zahng Gil-jah
Around 1978, a woman named Um Sooin, a member of the Church of God Jesus Witnesses, claimed she was the "Heavenly Jerusalem" or "Mother who has come down from Heaven." Ahn Sahng-hong disagreed with her claims. He wrote a book called Problems with the New Jerusalem, the Bride and Women's Veils (1980) to explain why her ideas were incorrect. He stated that the "New Jerusalem" is a spiritual idea, not a person. Um Sooin and her followers were then expelled from the church.
Later, the World Mission Society Church of God began to teach that Zahng Gil-jah (born 1943) was "God the Mother." They said that Ahn Sahng-hong's 1955 book "uncover seven thunder" hinted at her future appearance. They also claim that during the last Passover Assembly in 1984, Ahn Sahng-hong recognized Zahng Gil-jah as God the Mother. However, the New Covenant Passover Church of God disagrees, saying that Ahn Sahng-hong did not know Zahng Gil-jah in 1955 and that women were allowed to pray, but not preach, at that time.
Death
Ahn Sahng-hong had a heart attack on 24 February 1985. He then had a stroke while being taken to the hospital. He passed away the next day, 25 February 1985, at Maryknoll Hospital in Busan. He was 67 years old and was survived by his wife and three children.
He was buried in a public cemetery called Seokgye Cemetery, about 30 kilometers north of Busan. His first tombstone read: "The grave of the prophet Elijah Ahn Sahng-hong." After his wife, Hwang Won-sun, died in 2008, she was buried next to him. A new tombstone was placed with both their names.
Legacy
Ahn Sahng-hong's unexpected death led to disagreements within the Church of God Jesus Witnesses. Some members wanted to continue his teachings exactly as he had laid them out. Others wanted to introduce the idea of a "spiritual mother," which was connected to Zahng Gil-jah.
Because they could not agree, the church split into two main groups on 4 March 1985:
- New Covenant Passover Church of God
- Witnesses of Ahn Sahng-hong Church of God (now known as the World Mission Society Church of God)
New Covenant Passover Church of God
This group stayed in Busan, including Ahn Sahng-hong's wife and children. They renamed their church the New Covenant Passover Church of God. Ahn's son, Ahn Kwang-sup, is a leader in this church and continues to teach his father's original ideas. They do not believe in the "God the Mother" doctrine.
This church has several locations in South Korea. They observe the Sabbath on Saturdays and the seven biblical feasts, including Passover. Their services are similar to other mainstream Christian churches, and they pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
Witnesses of Ahn Sahng-hong Church of God
This group, including Kim Joo-cheol and Zahng Gil-jah, moved to Seoul. On 2 June 1985, they formed a new church called Witnesses of Ahn Sahng-hong Church of God. They introduced two major new beliefs:
- Ahn Sahng-hong is seen as Jesus Christ who has already returned. They call him Christ Ahn Sahng-hong and believe he is also the Holy Spirit and God the Father.
- Zahng Gil-jah is seen as God the Mother, a female image of God. They call her Heavenly Mother or Mother. They believe she and Ahn Sahng-hong are both God.
Because of these new beliefs, prayers in this church are now done in the name of Christ Ahn Sahng-hong instead of Jesus Christ. The idea of Ahn Sahng-hong and Zahng Gil-jah being God has led to disagreements with other Christian groups. Around 1997, this group established a non-profit organization called the World Mission Society Church of God.
Evaluation
Fulfilment of Prophecy
The New Covenant Passover Church of God believes that Ahn Sahng-hong fulfilled many prophecies from the Bible. These include prophecies about angels, Elijah's mission, and the coming of Jesus Christ. Both the New Covenant Passover Church of God and the World Mission Society Church of God agree that Ahn Sahng-hong was God.
1988 End of the World Prophecy
The Witnesses of Ahn Sahng-hong Church of God announced that the world would end in 1988. They based this on Ahn Sahng-hong's 1980 book, The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life. Thousands of members gathered on a mountain in South Korea, expecting Jesus Christ Ahn Sahng-hong to appear and for the world to end.
When nothing happened, the church updated their prediction. They then said the end of the world would come by the end of 1988, around the time of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Members gathered and preached about the end of the world. Later, the World Mission Society Church of God claimed this event was a fulfillment of the biblical story of Jonah.
See also
In Spanish: Ahn Sahng-hong para niños
- List of messiah claimants
- List of people claimed to be Jesus
