1971 Doomsday Prophecy: The World Mission Society Church of God's First Apocalyptic Claim

The 1971 doomsday prophecy marked the first apocalyptic prediction made by Ahn Sahng-hong and the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG). After Ahn established the church in 1964 following his expulsion from the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1962, he declared that the world would end in 1971. This prophecy was based on Ahn's subjective interpretations of biblical narratives, which he manipulated to support his claims.

Ahn Sahng-hong and the Founding of WMSCOG

• Background and Early Activity:

  • Ahn Sahng-hong began his religious activities in 1954 after being baptized in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
  • In 1964, he founded the World Mission Society Church of God in Busan, South Korea, claiming to lead the "ark of salvation."

• Announcement of the 1971 Doomsday Prophecy:

  • Ahn claimed that seven years after the establishment of his church (1964), the world would end.
  • His prophecy was rooted in his unique and subjective interpretation of biblical events and symbols.

Ahn’s Biblical Interpretations and Logic

Connections Between Moses and Jesus

Ahn drew parallels between the actions of Moses in the Old Testament and the life and mission of Jesus Christ:

1. Passover and Exodus:

   • Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt after the Passover was likened to Jesus liberating believers from sin through His sacrifice.

2. Crossing the Red Sea:

   • Moses parting the Red Sea was interpreted as a foreshadowing of Jesus' resurrection.

3. Forty Days on Mount Sinai and Ascension:

   • Moses receiving the Ten Commandments after 40 days symbolized Jesus ascending to heaven 40 days after His resurrection.

4. Pentecost and Receiving the Holy Spirit:

   • Moses receiving the commandments on Pentecost was paralleled with the apostles receiving the Holy Spirit on the same day.

Religious Apostasy and the Catholic Church

• Ahn equated the breaking of the first set of tablets (when Moses descended to find the Israelites worshiping the golden calf) with the rise of heresies in the early church and the Catholic Church's establishment of the 1260-year "Dark Age" of religion.

William Miller and the Advent Movement

• Ahn compared Moses’ 10 days of intercessory prayer to William Miller’s 10 years of preaching the Advent movement.
• He claimed that the Adventist Church's establishment in 1844 was the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

167 Days and the End of the World

• Ahn noted that Moses’ second set of tablets was received 167 days before the completion of the tabernacle.
• He interpreted these 167 days as 167 years, calculating 1844 + 167 = 2011 as the year of the apocalypse.
• However, he cited Matthew 24:22 about the shortening of days for the elect, subtracting 40 years from 2011, and concluded that the world would end in 1971.

The Role of Noah's Ark

• Ahn drew inspiration from the story of Noah:
  • He interpreted the seven days Noah spent gathering animals into the ark as a symbolic "seven years."
  • Since WMSCOG was founded in 1964, Ahn declared 1971 as the year of the end, claiming that his church was the modern-day ark of salvation.

Failure of the 1971 Doomsday Prophecy

Unfulfilled Prediction and Blame Shifting:

• When the world did not end in 1971, Ahn did not take responsibility for the false prophecy.
• Instead, he blamed the Seventh-day Adventist Church, claiming their interpretations had misled him.
• Ahn refused to acknowledge the failure of his prediction and portrayed it as the fault of external influences.

Connection to Zahng Gil-ja and the Prophecy’s Influence

• Zahng Gil-ja, who joined WMSCOG around 1968, was likely influenced by Ahn’s 1971 prophecy.
• Her entry into the church coincided with the height of this doomsday movement, suggesting its significant role in her early beliefs.

Conclusion

The 1971 doomsday prophecy was WMSCOG’s first attempt to manipulate biblical texts to predict the end of the world and control its members.

• The failure of this prophecy severely damaged the church's credibility but set a pattern for future apocalyptic claims.
• WMSCOG continued to recycle similar narratives, relying on fear and manipulation to maintain influence over its followers.

This first failed prediction laid the groundwork for the church's ongoing cycle of false prophecies and unfulfilled promises, marking the beginning of its controversial history.