The World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG) teaches that the prophecies regarding Jesus “coming on the clouds of heaven” are completely unrelated to judgment. According to them, Jesus coming “on a cloud” and His coming in final judgment are two completely separate things with no connection to one another. As they explain:

“Christians commonly believe and teach that when Jesus Christ comes on a cloud, the earth will be immediately destroyed, Judgment Day will come and God’s children will enter the kingdom of heaven. But if we take a close look at the Scriptures, Jesus coming on a cloud and Judgment Day are two separate occurrences.”¹https://www.wmscog.com/christ-ahnsahnghong/jesus-Christ-coming-in-the-clouds-ahnsahnghong-came-as-a-man/ (accessed 11/12/18)

It is important for them to make this distinction as they claim that their founder, Ahnsahnghong, was the literal return of Jesus and his birth was the second coming of Christ. Yet, Ahnsahnghong died in 1985 (a fact that itself already proves that he was not the real Jesus) and thus this supposed “second coming” ended without judgment being poured out on the wicked or God’s people being fully and finally delivered. Thus, the WMSCOG is forced to create an additional “coming.” Jesus was to come “on the clouds,” which He now has allegedly already done, and then He will come yet again with fire and judgment. This scheme, however, contradicts the plain statements of Scripture.

See, Mourn, and Fear

The WMSCOG needs the “coming on the clouds” to be a simple human birth, largely unnoticed by most of the world and insignificant even to those who would become the WMSCOG faithful until later into Ahnsahnghong’s adulthood. The New Testament, however, is clear that when Jesus comes on the clouds of heaven, it’s not going to be anything like His quiet birth in Bethlehem that ushered in His first coming. Instead, we are told:

“Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen,” (Revelation 1:7).

Nothing like this happened at the birth or even during the life of Ahnsahnghong. Most of the world never saw him. The vast majority have still never even heard of him. They certainly did not mourn him. Ahnsahnghong was not seen or recognized by those who pierced Jesus. Nothing that was supposed to happen when Jesus came on the clouds of heaven happened during the life of Ahnsahnghong. The “coming on the clouds” was to be something seen and recognized by all, something that would bring grief and mourning. Jesus Himself elaborates on this further in Luke’s gospel:

“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near,” (Luke 21:27).

Even if one takes the language of heavenly catastrophe to be symbolism, the symbols point to an event of terror and judgment. When these events take place, even Jesus’ followers might be tempted to despair, which is why they are assured that they ought to straighten up their heads and be confident amidst the turmoil because their redemption is drawing near. Jesus comes on a cloud in visible power and great glory. His coming is known to sinful men, and they are fainting for fear! This is certainly describing a time of judgment. If that were not already clear enough, Jesus continues His point by warning:

“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man,” (Luke 21:34-36).

So, Jesus’ “coming on the clouds” is going to spring upon everyone who dwells on the face of the earth like a trap. If you are not ready, you will not be able to escape what will take place when He comes. You will not be able to “stand before the Son of Man.” This is not a description of an obscure birth in Korea or the founding of a new modern religion that will slowly expand after the founder’s quiet death. This is the description of a grand judgment that one desperately wishes to avoid. That is what the New Testament means by Jesus’ coming on the clouds.

Coming on the Clouds and Matthew 24-25

Perhaps the clearest discussion, however, is in the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24. Here, Jesus again speaks similarly to what we read both in Revelation and in Luke:

“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory,” (Matthew 24:30).

Expanding on what this “coming on the clouds of the sky” will be, Jesus explains:

“For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming,” (Matthew 24:37-42).

Thus, Jesus compares the “coming on the clouds” to the global judgment of the great flood in Noah’s day and describes it in terms of people being seized unexpectedly wherever they may be. Similar to what we see in Luke, Jesus again goes on to warn His disciples:

“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will,” (Matthew 24:42-44).

He explains this warning even further:

“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” (Matthew 24:45-51).

When He comes, the ready one is immediately rewarded, and the one who was not is swiftly and fiercely punished. He is not only cut to pieces but is afterward assigned to a place of torment with the hypocrites. Thus, Jesus “coming on the clouds” brings with it death and hell upon those who did not believe and were not ready. The coming on the clouds is identified directly with the final reward of God’s people and the final judgment of the unbelieving world. We also have to remember that chapter numbers are a later addition. Originally, there was no break between Matthew 24 and Matthew 25. The context doesn’t stop at the end of chapter 24. Jesus continues to give more parables on the subject, all warning about this same “coming” which will bring with it immediate punishment described in words like:

“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” (Matthew 25:30).

Jesus concludes the discourse by stating plainly:

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left,” (Matthew 25:31-33).

And, after dividing them, He renders the verdict:

“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life,” (Matthew 25:46).

Thus, it is clear that the “coming on the clouds” does indeed entail the final judgment. One cannot separate these two. The New Testament does not allow it. The normal and relatively unknown earthly life and death of Ahnsahnghong in the 20th century did not in any way fulfill the promise (and warning) of Jesus’ coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory to grant His people eternal life and punish the nations. As Jesus also warned in the very same discourse:

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be,” (Matthew 24:23-27).

Ahnsahnghong was a false Christ. Do not be deceived.