Ahn Sahng-hong

Ahn Sahng-hong (13 January 1918 – 25 February 1985) was a South Korean religious leader and founder of the Church of God.

He was born to non-christian parents on 13 January 1918 in the small, rural village of Myeongdeok-ri in the North Jeolla Province at a time when Korea was under Japanese rule.

From 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II, Ahn and his mother lived in Japan over a nine-year period.

All attendees confirmed the evidence left by Ahn Sahng-hong, recognizing Kim Joo-cheol as his successor and Zahng Gil-jah (born 1943) as the spiritual bride established by Ahn Sahng-hong.

However, in April, members of two out of the thirteen churches refused to acknowledge Ahn Sahng-hong and Zahng Gil-jah as God.

They separated and formed the New Covenant Passover Church of God.

Both groups claim him as their founder and Christ.

However, while the World Mission Society Church of God refers to him as God, the New Covenant Passover Church of God calls him a teacher.

One group, consisting of 11 out of the 13 churches, recognized Kim Joo-cheol as the successor and Zahng Gil-jah as the spiritual bride.

Kim Joo-cheol declared Ahn Sahng-hong as the Second Coming Christ.

He returned to Korea in 1946.

The family migrated to Busan, the city in which he would later found his church.

Ahn began attending the local congregation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1947 and received baptism in 1948.

In 1948, after receiving baptism from a Seventh-day Adventist minister, he began to call for the restoration of the truth of the New Covenant and the last religious reformation.

Ahn said he received revelation in 1953.

He became critical of the teachings in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the church disfellowshipped him in March 1962.

Twenty-three people followed him and left the church.

In 1964, he established the Church of God in Busan.

During his lifetime, Ahn had 13 churches in Korea.

After Ahn Sahng-hong's passing, the World Mission Society Church of God declared him as the Second Coming Christ.

Two years later, on 28 April 1964, He established his church named the 'Church of God' in Haeundae District of Busan.

His teachings are complied in his representative book, 'The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life', published in 1980.

Ahn claimed the restoration of the New Covenant of the Early Church, insisting that the truth of the Apostolic early church had been distorted.

Ahn wrote various interpretations of Bible prophecies about the second coming of Jesus, in his book 'The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life.'

Ahn says that human souls are angels who sinned in Heaven and were cast out, and that the New Covenant Passover is the way to receive the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ and to return to Heaven.

The basis for this is Ahn Sahng-hong's interpretation of the Bible prophecy related to King David and an interview article published in a weekly religious newspaper on 18 March 1981.

Ahn Sahng-hong claimed that King David is a prophecy about Jesus Christ, the spiritual King David.

and that David's reign of 40 years after being anointed at the age of 30 is a prophecy that Christ would receive baptism, a spiritual anointing at the age of 30 and carry out the ministry of salvation for 40 years.

He said that since Jesus preached the gospel for 3 years and ascended, he must appear in flesh again to fulfill the remaining 37 years of the 40-year reign on the throne of David and then die.

Therefore, his followers claim that he prophesied his own death during an interview with a weekly religious newspaper in 1981 and they believe that his death fulfilled the prophecy of King David.

He cites the First Epistle to the Corinthians and the First Epistle to Timothy as the sources for the name 'Church of God.' On 15 April 1984, the last Passover ceremony was held in Gangdong District, Seoul.

On 10 January 1985, the last Provisional General Assembly took place in Seoul.

Church of God expanded to 13 congregations in South Korea before Ahn's death in 1985.

He published his claims in more than two dozen books.

He collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage after lunch on 24 February 1985, and passed away the following day, 25 February at the Maryknoll Hospital, at the age of 67.

He was buried at Seokgye Cemetery, located 30 km away from Busan.

Ahn Sang-hong's followers believe that his death fulfilled a biblical prophecy regarding King David.

He died in 1985, 37 years after he was baptized at the age of 30 in 1948.

The unexpected death of Ahn gave rise to a power struggle within Church of God: After Ahn Sahng-hong's death on February 25, 1985, an extraordinary general assembly was held in Busan on March 4, including Ahn Sahng-hong's family.

On a meeting in Seoul on 2 June 1985, they discussed how to call Zahng Gil-jah, and changed the church's name to Witnesses of Ahn Sahng-hong Church of God.