Born in 1918
Christ Ahnsahnghong was born in the Republic of Korea (hereinafter after, “Korea,”) the country at the ends of the earth in the east, just as the Bible prophesied. His life on the earth began at a humble place in an abandoned mining town in Myeongdeok-ri, Gyenam-myeon, Jangsu-gun, Jeollabuk-do, Korea, on a cold winter day (January 13, 1918).
Japanese Colonial Period and World War I
It was a period of absolute darkness. More than 20 million people were killed in World War I (1914–1918), which was waged by imperial powers. On top of that, up to 100 million people died from the Spanish flu, the worst pandemic of the 20th century. The fear of death swept through the entire world. The Korean Peninsula was no exception. During the period of Japanese colonial rule, 7.6 million people, almost half of Korea’s population, were infected with the Spanish flu, which caused 140,000 deaths.
World War II and Gloomy Life of the Age
In 1939, World War II broke out. Bloody battles raged between the Axis powers led by Germany, Italy, and Japan, and the Allied powers led by Great Britain, France, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. World War II produced the largest number of casualties in human history. The Korean Peninsula was subject to colonial rule by Japan that forcibly mobilized human and material resources. During this period, Christ Ahnsahnghong lived a hard life, being deprived of freedom and enduring persecution, poverty, and exploitation.
In 1948, Christ Ahnsahnghong was baptized and began His ministry.
The life of Christ Ahnsahnghong is closely related to the mainstream of world history as well as that of Korean history. In 1948, three years after the end of World War II, Israel miraculously gained its independence, which put an end to their painful journey as stateless people over a period of 1,900 years. This was the fulfillment of the parable of the fig tree. According to the Bible, Israel’s independence was the sign of Christ’s second coming; in the year it became independent, Christ Ahnsahnghong began His ministry.
The gospel of the New Covenant, which Jesus established 2,000 years ago, disappeared from the world through the Dark Ages. Only the truth of the Sabbath was vaguely revealed. Christ Ahnsahnghong joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1947, and He was baptized at Nakseom, Incheon, in 1948 when He was 30 years old, according to the prophecy of David’s throne. From then on, He taught the truth and the law of the New Covenant.
The Republic of Korea (South Korea) had been going through turbulent times since its liberation, and the country was devastated again by the Korean War that broke out in 1950. In an attempt to communize the Korean Peninsula, North Korea immediately occupied Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and moved south; however, North Korean troops failed to capture Busan where Christ Ahnsahnghong was preaching the gospel, and they were pushed back by UN and South Korean forces into their territory. After three years of war, an armistice was finally signed. In the country that was devastated by the successive wars, Christ Ahnsahnghong suffered from extreme poverty and hunger. Under these life-threatening circumstances, He showed mercy to people in need and set the example of keeping the Sabbath holy, one of God’s commandments. In His handwritten notes showing the situation of that time, He said, “I never gave in to life’s temptations even despite deadly suffering during the Korean War and all the hard work in the mountains of Byeonnae, Yangsan, nor did I violate the Sabbath in My workplace.”
Establishment of the Church of God in 1964
When the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church was completed, Christ Ahnsahnghong rebuilt the Church of God in 1964. The Church of God follows the truth and tradition of the early Church. In its early days, the Church of God was small and weak as a house church. The sacrifice and devotion of Christ Ahnsahnghong became the foundation for the seeds of the gospel to be planted and grow in many of the capital and local regions. Christ Ahnsahnghong restored all the truths of salvation, including the New Covenant Passover, which Jesus Himself observed and the apostles kept. He laid the right foundation of faith in God by breaking down the non-biblical doctrines.
His Sacrificial Life for the Sake of the Gospel
In the age of spiritual desolation as well as physical desolation in every aspect of society and the economy, Christ Ahnsahnghong lived a poor and humble life, going through suffering throughout His life to rebuild the foundation for the gospel of the New Covenant. He had no choice but to do difficult and unpleasant jobs in order to keep the commandments of God, including the Sabbath, and to preach the gospel. He was willing to do dangerous jobs, such as breaking rocks and carrying them as well as cutting down big trees in the mountains. He barely managed to eat barley porridge for lunch or often skipped meals as He devoted Himself to writing Truth Books with His hard-earned money. He did not care about His own suffering, but took pity on those who were living in hardship without knowing the truth. He never stopped sacrificing Himself to save humankind, spending many days praying and fasting in some places such as Mt. Geumjeong in Busan, Korea.
Christ Ahnsahnghong continued living a life of suffering. Instead of caring about His own safety, He took care of the church, the members, and neighbors, considering their pain and suffering, with the heart of a father who loves and cares for his family. He was respected by His neighbors as well as the members because He never showed signs of tiredness but always wore a gentle smile, having a warm personality. He treated everyone with humility and consideration, regardless of age and gender, and helped those in need immediately when He saw them. Carrying a bag filled with books, including the Bible, on His shoulders, He traveled all over the country to the remote countryside and small seaside villages, earnestly preaching the truth to whomever He met. He only devoted Himself to preaching the gospel, enduring all kinds of hardships, and wrote the teachings of salvation all night through under a dim light: Unsealing the Seven Thunders, Visitors From the Angelic World, The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Gospel, The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ, The Last Plagues and the Seal of God, Explanations of the Trinity, and The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life. Every book was written by the sacrifice of Christ Ahnsahnghong.
