The preface of Ahn Sahng-hong’s 1955 booklet, “The Opening of Seven Thunders,” includes the following:
“There is another person who is still a little child. This person will come after me, and when the time comes, this person will appear.”
The World Mission Society Church of God explains the phrase “little child” as referring to Jang Gil-jah.
Now, in this analysis, we will examine the related materials to explain in detail why that interpretation is wrong. After looking through all four documents, you will clearly see that their argument lacks basis and runs counter to the Bible.
The four documents presented are
texts that went through multiple step-by-step revisions in the process of
forming the 1960 booklet “Letter to the Church of Laodicea.” The first document
records a dream that Ahn Sahng-hong had in 1953 while living as a refugee in
the city of Busan during the Korean War. This text was later rewritten as the
preface to the 1955 booklet “The Opening of Seven Thunders,” then revised once
more for the 1958 draft of “Letter to the Church of Laodicea.” Finally, when
“Letter to the Church of Laodicea” was officially published in 1960, the
preface was finalized.
By comparing these four documents,
which were revised and refined over time, it becomes clear that the “little
child” mentioned in the 1955 preface refers to new believers who accept the
truth with a pure heart. However, the World Mission Society Church of God
selects a single sentence from the preface to deify Jang Gil-jah.
To begin, please read the four
documents below carefully and consider their interrelation. Although this
process may seem meticulous, reading all four in full is essential. Pay
attention to how Ahn Sahng-hong’s Korean War dream is expressed differently over
time yet retains its original meaning. The mention of the “little child” is the
same; it always carries the same meaning across all four texts, with only
slight differences in wording.
A dream Ahn Sahnghong saw: During
the Korean War in 1953
[Translation from images]
In early January 1953, one night,
the earth suddenly experienced earthquakes from every direction. The earth
began to move away from the sun, and as it moved away, the sunlight gradually
dimmed, leaving only the largest stars visible. The moon also lost its light. I
thought this might be the end of the world and was deeply troubled about my own
shortcomings, wondering how I could be saved. After witnessing this scene, I
felt my own deficiency and began to devote myself to studying the Bible. During
this time, I was moved by the Holy Spirit and saw the important matters that we
must prepare for as we await the Lord’s second coming.
Then, on the night of May 17, 1953,
I saw another vision that seemed to continue the previous one. The earth was
drifting endlessly in the dark universe, and as it drifted, nothing could be
seen. I feared that the earth would collide with something and shatter. Then,
in the distance, I saw a large sphere faintly, which grew larger as it drew
near, appearing like the earth we live on. On one side, I saw a great
stronghold like the walls of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, our earth remained
motionless, not moving. At that time, many people said that whoever measured
the land first could claim that portion as their own farm, and they fiercely
competed to do so. After seeing this, I realized that today, God’s people are
aiming for the heavenly kingdom but are too entangled with worldly things and
material desires.
Next, I saw in the sky a beautiful
deer with brilliant colors suddenly fall to the earth. A man dressed in white
caught the deer and handed it to me. I thought that since I had received it
freely, I should also give it freely, so I passed it to another. Unexpectedly,
it turned into a little child who came before me and began to walk. I followed
the child, and from the clouds above, a figure resembling Jesus shone a bright
beam of light down to the earth. The earth was in darkness, but the light shone
in all directions. However, no one reflected that light, and finally, the light
turned toward me and the child, shining upon us.
After that, in early August 1954, one night, I saw many chickens. The large ones looked thin and drowsy, while the small chicks about the size of quail were lively, full of vigor, and skipped with joy. When I fed them rough rice, the old chickens only slept, while the chicks came to eat the rice. I worried whether the small chicks could digest the rough rice.
Chickens have the role of
announcing the hour, always letting everyone know when dawn breaks. Therefore,
the chickens I saw in the vision symbolize the people of the Second Coming
today. The message I am now sharing will not be warmly received by the elder
church leaders, but will be joyfully accepted by ordinary believers who thirst
for the truth.
“The Opening of Seven Thunders,”
published in 1955
[Translation from images]
Beloved brothers and sisters,
I am compelled to share with you
the message from God, and I cannot remain silent about the secret of the seven
thunders. I urge you who are reading these words to consider carefully what is
written in the text with a serious heart. O you who love the truth and have a
firm faith, I believe that God will open the eyes of your hearts.
This message is not something I
spoke of myself or learned from anyone. It is only because our Lord Jesus
Christ shone His guiding light upon me. At the time He granted that light, the
whole world looked like a dark night. He spread His brilliant light over the
earth, but no one received it. Therefore, in the end He shone that light upon
me.
There is also another person, still
a little child, who will come after me. When the time comes, this person will
appear.
Draft for “Letter to the Church of Laodicea” — Sermon notes, 1958
I want to share with you what God
has shown me and what the Holy Spirit has spoken, so please do not take these
words lightly. Rather, come with humility like a child, eager to learn anew
from the beginning.
In the past, King Solomon of Israel
said: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to
counsel” (Proverbs 12:15). Therefore, stubbornness and pride become sin, for
satisfaction with one’s own knowledge can blind our eyes, leading us into the
depths of death (Proverbs 1:30–33, Job 32:7–9). Only those who accept the
message of this church will enter into full life, and they will surely
understand that this testimony determines the destiny of the church.
These words are not spoken by me,
but by our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shone the light of truth upon me. This
testimony is hidden in the Bible, just as the gospel was revealed to many
prophets, and it was foretold in the visions of Ellen G. White. However, the
meaning of those visions is often overlooked, but when the time comes, people
will understand and be amazed.
Even if you read the Bible a
million times, it is useless if you do not understand that every word in it is
the truth. If you read it only once and understand every word as truth, that is
better than someone who reads it a million times. The truth of the Bible is
like a vein of gold that a miner cannot find, even if he digs up the whole
mine. Likewise, if you do not find the thread of truth in the Bible, you will
not grasp the true meaning, even if you have read all 66 books.
The sixty-six books of the Bible
are like beads strung on a thread. When you find that thread of truth, leaving
out not a single verse, you will understand the past, present, and future.
Therefore, I hope this testimony will serve as a compass to teach you the truth
of the whole Bible. I ask you to examine thoroughly all the Bible verses
testified in this book, not leaving out a single verse.
Preface of “Letter to the Church of Laodicea,” 1962 edition
[Translation from images]
This message allows us to study in
depth the three groups of feasts consisting of seven appointed times recorded
in the Law of Moses, thereby confirming that Christ, the true offering of every
feast, is our Savior. Through the books of the prophets from Genesis onward, we
recognize Jesus Christ as the clear truth. The message also helps us understand
how the truth about the work of the Gospel in the future will unfold through
many stages. Even if you search all the prophecies and Bible verses about Christ
in the Old Testament, you may find only a part. However, you should know that
the entire Bible testifies about Christ and is a mirror for all future events.
Finding Jesus in the Bible and understanding how the future prophecies will be
fulfilled is the truth.
Finding this truth is like
discovering a hidden vein of gold in a mine. Just as a miner may turn over an
entire mountain and not find gold if he does not locate the vein, reading the
Bible countless times is useless if you do not uncover the truth. This message
is like finding the hidden vein of truth in the Bible.
I have been able to share the truth
that God has shown with many brothers and sisters, and I hope you will examine
it carefully with a spirit ready to learn from the beginning. This content
reveals the mysterious truth that the system of the seven appointed feasts
recorded in the Law of Moses has been transformed into a spiritual system
through Christ, our High Priest, and that every rite once performed in the
earthly sanctuary is now fulfilled in the heavenly sanctuary until He returns.
Therefore, I hope no one will be complacent with their current understanding,
but will carefully consider this message. As it is written: “The way of a fool
is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel” (Proverbs 12:15).
Pride and stubbornness are sins, and satisfaction with one’s own knowledge can
blind the eyes, leading to spiritual death. Therefore, I earnestly ask everyone
studying the Bible to set aside their existing knowledge and approach this with
a new heart and a deep desire to learn.
There may be many matters in this
book that cause you to raise questions, but as you read to the end, the things
you initially doubted will become clear one by one, and the light will shine
brighter with each reading. I fear that some will dismiss this message based on
the outward appearance of the one presenting it. However, mankind can do
nothing; God chooses servants for His work. It is not strange that an imperfect
person should discover new truths. Even in the last days, if God’s chosen
servants do not obey Him, He used even a dumb donkey to rebuke the foolish act
of a prophet (Numbers 22:28–30; 2 Peter 2:16), and He declared that if people
do not do what they ought, even the stones will cry out (Luke 19:40).
Therefore, I sincerely ask all brothers and sisters studying the Bible to focus
on the words of truth and not on outward appearances, as it is written: “Man
looks at the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks at the heart” (1 Samuel
16:7).
Some sentences in this book mention
“the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit” to provide additional perspective for
learners. The book quotes many passages of Scripture, so I hope you will
carefully examine each verse and find the corresponding parallels.
Comparative analysis of the four
writings above
At this point, you have carefully
examined the four documents. You may recognize that these four are not
disconnected; on the contrary, they are closely linked. At first, the writings
focus on mystical experiences, but over time they gradually shift toward
content that directs the message.
The narratives about the “Little
Child” follow a similar pattern. In the first part, the story begins with the
“Heavenly Deer,” then develops into a mystical story about the Little Child. In
the second part, only the Little Child is mentioned, with a brief note about
receiving light. In the third part, the Little Child is described as a saint
obedient to God’s word. Finally, in the fourth part, the phrase “Little Child”
no longer appears; instead, the text encourages the reader to open their heart
and receive God’s word like pure gold.
The meaning of the phrase “Little
Child” remains consistent across all four documents. Clearly this is a common
theme. According to Ahn Sahng-hong, the phrase refers to saints with pure
hearts who readily accept the truth of the New Covenant. The difference lies in
expression: the earlier writings use mystical and metaphorical language, while
the later writings are more straightforward and narrative.
Let us look more closely at the
writings in the first piece.
In the first section, it is
described that a figure dressed in white received a deer that came down from
heaven. This can be understood as a metaphor for Jesus Christ. The figure in
white symbolizes Jesus, while the heavenly deer symbolizes the truth of the New
Covenant. Then, the text says that this heavenly deer was handed to Ahn
Sahng-hong, showing that the truth of the New Covenant that Jesus had received
was entrusted to Ahn Sahng-hong. The mention that the heavenly deer was
received freely and therefore given freely alludes to the “living water,” or
the truth of the New Covenant, which is given without price. When Ahn
Sahng-hong shared the heavenly deer with others, they became like the Little
Child—symbolizing believers who accept the truth of the New Covenant with
sincerity and purity, without doubt.
In a subsequent revelation, the
light descending from heaven is described as symbolizing the Holy Spirit. That
light shone upon Ahn Sahng-hong and also upon the believers who embraced the
truth of the New Covenant. This shows that the Holy Spirit dwells in those who
have been cleansed through the Passover of the New Covenant, which grants the
forgiveness of sins. As stated, the “Little Child” symbolizes believers who
accept the truth with a pure heart and without doubt through Ahn Sahng-hong’s
teachings. This concept becomes even clearer in another revelation.
In this revelation, large roosters
(old roosters) and chicks (young roosters) appear in a scene where they are fed
rice. The chicks eagerly eat the rice that Ahn Sahng-hong gives, while the
large roosters refuse to eat even when it is offered. The large roosters are
understood to be church leaders, while the chicks symbolize laypeople. The
chicks who willingly eat the rice correspond to the “Little Child” mentioned
above, namely those who accept the truth of the New Covenant with all their
hearts.
Let us examine the writings in the
second piece
This time, we will look at the
writings in the second part. The issue focuses on the preface of a booklet
titled “The Opening of Seven Thunders.” The author of this writing personally
read this booklet, and on the second page after the publicly released first
page of the preface, there is a prophecy related to the chickens. In other
words, the prophecy in the preface of the first section, interpreted during the
Korean War, and the preface of “The Opening of Seven Thunders,” published in
1955, have the same content. The references to the “Little Child” in these
writings have the same meaning, differing only in expression. Unfortunately,
Jang Gil-ja only released the first page of the preface without releasing the
rest of the document, even to church leaders.
The first writing says that the one
who received the heavenly deer became a Little Child, and the second writing
says that someone who received the light is still called a Little Child; these
cannot be interpreted differently. All these writings convey the same meaning.
Looking at the third and fourth
writings
The question of whom the “little
child” symbolizes becomes clearer in the third part. This section states: “I
want to convey to you what God has revealed and what the Holy Spirit has
spoken. Please do not take this lightly, but meditate carefully on these words
with a heart ready to learn anew, like a little child.” This shows that when
Ahn Sahng-hong shared the truth he had realized, he emphasized that the
brothers and sisters should approach it with the mindset of a child, ready to
learn and receive with humility.
In the fourth part, it can be seen
that metaphorical expressions such as “heavenly deer” or “Little Child” were
ultimately omitted when the booklet “Message to the Church of Laodicea” was
completed. Instead, the preface was rewritten in a more accessible way.
Literally: “To all brothers and sisters studying the words of the Bible, I
earnestly ask you not to judge by outward appearances but to focus only on the
words of truth when studying and discerning.” This is a call to consider the
truth of the New Covenant with a pure, childlike heart.
What role does the booklet “The
Opening of Seven Thunders” play?
Friends, the booklet 「The Opening of
Seven Thunders」 is an intermediate publication created in
the process of completing the book 「Letter to the
Church of Laodicea」. After 「Letter to the
Church of Laodicea」 was completed, Pastor Ahn Sahng-hong no
longer needed 「The Opening of Seven Thunders」, so he did not
reprint it. This collection, published in 1955, was poorly edited and hardly
qualified as a formal publication. Although it was created temporarily for
evangelistic work, based on my memory of reading it, the seven feasts were not
well organized. The Sabbath Day was included as part of the seven feasts. In
other words, it was an unfinished draft in the process of creating “Letter to
the Church of Laodicea.”
Therefore, the meaning of the term
“little child” in this text becomes clearer when considering the introduction
before and after. In fact, if the entire booklet 「The Opening of
Seven Thunders」 were revealed, all answers would be
contained within. However, Jang Gil-jah and Kim Joo-cheol have not released the
latter part of the booklet to anyone. On the second page, it is clearly
recorded that the “little child” refers to the saints who will accept the truth
of the New Covenant with pure hearts, as mentioned on the first page.
Everyone, why can’t Jang Gil-jah
and Kim Joo-cheol release the entire booklet 「The Opening of
Seven Thunders」? Although they claim that the “little
child” refers to none other than Jang Gil-jah, why do they only copy or edit a
few words on the first page without publicly sharing the rest of the booklet,
even with church leaders? Do I need to explain the obvious reason to you?
Because the “little child” does not refer to Jang Gil-jah but to the saints who
accepted the truth through Pastor Ahn Sahng-hong. If you have the opportunity
to read the entire booklet, the meaning will become clear, and you will see
that it contains content similar to “Letter to the Church of Laodicea.”
Wmscog has deceived its members
When I refuted the content of the
booklet titled 「The Opening of Seven Thunders,」 Kim Joo-cheol and
Jang Gil-jah responded with the following excuses: “In the Bible, ‘lamb’ can
refer to Jesus or to believers. Similarly, ‘bride’ can refer to Jang Gil-jah or
to believers. Likewise, ‘child’ can refer to Jang Gil-jah or to believers.” They
continued to offer these feeble excuses.
It is true that “lamb” can refer to
Jesus or to believers. However, the Bible never says that “bride” refers to
Jang Gil-jah, nor is there any place that says “child” refers to Jang Gil-jah.
Everyone, please examine carefully
the four texts mentioned above. Clearly they are consistent in meaning
throughout, without shifting from one meaning to another. If the Holy Spirit is
guiding you, and not a deceiving spirit, you will discern whether the recent
claims of Jang Gil-jah and Kim Joo-cheol are true or deliberate lies. May God’s
guidance be with you.
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