What Are the Characteristics of C-U-L-T-S Such as Eastern Lightning?

Author:

Hank Hanegraaff

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Article ID:

JAF48236

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Updated: 

May 21, 2026

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Published:

May 26, 2026

This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, Special Print Issue, volume 48, number 02-03 (2025).

For further information on this issue please click here. To learn more about receiving this issue for your partnering gift please click here. 

CONTENT WARNING: GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE IN TEXT.

Throughout the duration of my ministry, I have emphasized that words and phrases are not univocal. They are equivocal. They take on the meanings poured into them. The word cult is a quintessential example. Its meaning can be rendered positively, negatively, or somewhere in-between.

Many years ago on the popular Larry King Live television broadcast, King asked me if Christianity could be positively  viewed as a “cult of Judaism.” In the same interview, we discussed the negative facets of the Heaven’s Gate cult. A cult that ended in the largest mass suicide in US history.

Due to negative connotations, the word cult is now routinely replaced by the more politically correct phrase “new religious movements.” The American scholar Holly Folk going so far as to categorize Eastern Lightning — The Church of Almighty God — as a new religious movement “in responsive dialogue with other Christianities.”1

Consequences are dramatic. In many regions of the world — particularly the West — Eastern Lightning is now viewed as just another Christian church unjustly persecuted by Chinese public security officials who prejudicially categorize it as xiejiao— a heterodox and sociologically perverted evil cult.2

Since cults run the gamut from the doctrinally perverse Mormons to the sociologically deviant and deadly Heaven’s Gate, I employ the memorable acronym C-U-L-T-S to provide an overview on what is without question, an evil cult.3

COUNTERFEIT. Google “counterfeit money” and one of the first hits that pops up is a Treasury Department posting titled, “How to Detect Counterfeit Money.” The posting conveys that you and I “can help guard against the threat from counterfeiters by becoming familiar with United States money.” How? “Compare a suspect note with a genuine note of the same denomination and series, paying attention to the quality of printing and paper characteristics. Look for differences, not similarities.”4

What is true of counterfeit currency is likewise true with respect to counterfeit religious movements such as the Eastern Lightning cult. While the list of theological and sociological corruptions of this pernicious cultic movement are many, none is more blatant and blasphemous than then claim that when Jesus spoke of His “coming” in the Olivet Discourse, He was specifically and directly referencing His reincarnation in female form.

In Eastern Lightning’s cultic bible, The Word Appears in the Flesh, the female christ overtly declares that “the first incarnation was male, the second female.”5 Had God come only as a man, “not even a single woman could be saved.”6 Were this not blasphemous enough, the self-designated female christ proceeds to define her incarnation as far greater than the first incarnation. Her “incarnation,” she declares, “is different: It is deeper.” And not just deeper but “of more profound significance.”7 For “when Lightning issues from the East, which is also precisely the moment that I begin to utter My words — when the lightning issues, the whole universe is illuminated, and a transformation occurs in all the stars.”8 Moreover, “divinity begins to wield sovereignty across the earth — this is the glowing shaft of the eastern lightning, which has ever shone upon the whole universe.”9

In impious contrast to Jesus Christ, whom John the beloved apostle rightly designated “the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” ( John 1:14),10 the counterfeit christ supposes that “she even more has the substance of obeying God’s Spirit.” That “She is full of truth and wisdom, causing the people to be convinced in the heart and in the mouth.” And that she “is the truth, the way, and the life.”11

If these latter words spoken by the usurper sound jarringly familiar, it is because they are a plagiarism of the words of the first Christ. Words spoken a full two thousand years earlier. Thomas had asked Jesus how he could know the way to the Father. In reply, Jesus memorably retorted, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” ( John 14:6).

In stark contrast to the jaded christ, the words of Jesus Christ are anything but an empty boast. For He not only claimed to be God but also provided many convincing proofs that He indeed was divine. His disciples did not merely propagate His teachings; they were absolutely certain that He had appeared to them alive in the flesh after His crucifixion, death, and burial.

Although two thousand years removed from the actual event, we too can be absolutely confident in Christ’s post-resurrection appearances. In 1 Corinthians 15:3–7, the apostle Paul reiterated a Christian creed that scholars of all stripes conclude can be dated to mere months after Messiah’s murder.12 As noted by Gary Habermas, the creed, which unambiguously affirms Christ’s post-resurrection appearances, is “free from legendary contamination” and, ultimately, is grounded in eyewitness testimony.13

No doubt the most astonishing post-resurrection appearance involves Jesus’s brother, James. As noted by William Lane Craig, before Christ’s appearances, James was embarrassed by all that his brother represented. Afterward, he was willing to die for the notion that his brother was God. The question that inevitably arises is this: What would it take for someone to willingly die for the notion that one of his family members is God? The answer can be nothing other than the post-resurrection appearances of Messiah.14

It is also instructive to underscore the salient reality that during His earthly sojourn, Jesus demonstrated supernatural authority over sickness, the forces of nature, fallen angels, and even death itself. Matthew 4 records that Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching, preaching, “and healing every disease and sickness among the people” (v. 23). Mark 4 documents Jesus rebuking the wind and the waves saying, “Quiet! Be Still!” (v. 39). In Luke 4, Jesus encountered a man possessed by an evil spirit and commanded the demon to “Come out of him!” (v. 35). And in John 4, Jesus told a royal official whose son was close to death, “Your son will live” (v. 50). And all four Gospels record how Jesus demonstrated ultimate power over death through the immutable fact of His physical resurrection.15

In sum, Christ did what a counterfeiter cannot do. He exhibited supernatural authority over disease, demons, and death itself. Ironically, the counterfeit christ has  conceded as much by admitting that during her tenure as the reincarnation of Jesus, signs and wonders would be conspicuous by their absence.16 Why? Because in contrast to the crystal Christ, she is but a cut-rate counterfeit! And enshrining a counterfeit in any country is analogous to flooding their economy with counterfeit money.17 Everything is ultimately devalued, diminished, and debased.

UNBIBLICAL REVELATIONS. Another common cultic characteristic is unbiblical revelations. Mormonism provides a classic case in point. In 1823, the angel Moroni allegedly appeared to a young boy in Palmyra, New York, named Joseph Smith. Moroni divulged the location of some golden plates on which were inscribed “a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas” containing “the fullness of the everlasting gospel.”18 These plates — abridged by Moroni and his father, Mormon, fourteen hundred years earlier — were written in what Smith claimed to be “reformed Egyptian” hieroglyphics.19 Along with the plates, Smith found a pair of magical eyeglasses with which he translated the cryptic writing into English. The result was an unbiblical revelation called the Book of Mormon and a new cult known as Mormonism.20

In similar fashion, the Eastern Lightning cult boasts a counterfeit canon they arrogantly designate, The Word Appears in the Flesh.21 Devotees hold this unbiblical revelation, originally written in the 1990s, to be the “Word of the Almighty God.” As such, it comprises a new “holy bible” perfectly befitting what the counterfeit christ has labelled the “Age of Kingdom.”22 This blasphemous extrabiblical revelation purports to eclipse The Ten Commandments with “The Ten Administrative Decrees That Must Be Obeyed by God’s Chosen People in the Age of Kingdom.”23 Worse yet, according to The Word Appears in the Flesh, “the Bible is of no great use for today’s people of the last days.”24 It is “outdated,” “low,” “moldy,”25 and thus an unreliable repository “tainted with human opinions and knowledge.”26 And replete with “human notions, human biases, and humans’ distorted comprehension.”27

Reason and evidence, however, point in precisely the opposite direction. Repeatedly, comprehensive archeological fieldwork and careful biblical interpretation affirm the reliability of the Bible. Archeological finds have, for instance, corroborated biblical details surrounding the trial that led to the fatal torment of Jesus Christ. It is telling when even secular scholars must revise their biblical criticisms in light of solid archaeological evidence.28

It is also worth noting that in stark contrast to the counterfeit bible of the Eastern Lightning cult, the Christian Bible is a divine composite of surpassing brilliance and beauty. It is simply incredible that this exquisite masterpiece is fashioned from myriad books, written by multiple authors in different languages, over a period of fifteen hundred years, on thousands of different subjects, and yet is unified and consistent throughout. How is that possible? The individual writers had no idea that their message would eventually be assembled into one Book, yet each work fits perfectly into place with a unique purpose as a synergistic component of an elegant masterpiece.

The synergistic harmony of the Bible is a powerful testimony and an enduring reminder that God has spoken — that these are His very words. Clearly the elegant tapestry of the text added to the eyewitness testimony of its authors is surpassingly powerful internal evidence to its absolute and irrevocable trustworthiness.29

Equally compelling is the reality that the Bible records prophecies of actual events that could not have been known or predicted by mere chance or common sense.30 If contrast is the conduit to clarity — and it most certainly is — one need only read the Old and New Testaments in juxtaposition to the largely incoherent ramblings of The Word Appears in the Flesh and recognize the former as genuine and the latter as a corrupt counterfeit. An unbiblical revelation.

LINGUISTIC SUBVERSION. Cults are notorious for subverting biblical language by pouring their own unique meanings into key biblical words and phrases. Thus, we must be prepared to scale the language barrier. Take the word “Jesus” for example. Mormons render Jesus the spirit brother of lucifer;31 Jehovah’s Witnesses, the archangel Michael;32 and The Church of Almighty God, a female born in China.33

In evidence, The Church of Almighty God linguistically subverts the words of Christ in the Olivet Discourse: “As the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27).34 Shamelessly, the female christ blasphemously asserts that the words of our Lord point prophetically to her birth in the East. With great bravado, she trumpets the notion that as Christ was incarnated in Bethlehem, she is the reincarnation of Christ in China. “All men,” she intones, “will see that I have already long been on earth, no longer as the Son of the Jews but as the Lightning of the East.”35

In reality, when Jesus speaks of the lightning that comes from the east and is visible even in the west, He is using a common metaphor to warn His disciples of “false Christ’s and false prophets” (v. 24). Thus, says Jesus, “if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it” (v. 26). Why? Because “as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (v. 27). Plainly put, the coming of Christ in judgment will be obvious to everyone everywhere!

To read into Christ’s metaphor the absurd notion that the lightning in view is a way of communicating that a female messiah has been born in China and eventually will be recognized throughout the West and the world is the quintessence of linguistic subversion. A biblically illiterate person might well have missed the import of Jesus’s words. His disciples did not. If ever there was a razor-sharp metaphor, this was it. It cut both friend and foe to the quick.36

THEOLOGICAL PERVERSION. From a theological perspective, cults are pseudo-Christian groups that compromise, confuse, or contradict the essentials of the historic Christian faith. Devotees become masters at taking texts out of context in order to develop pretexts for theological perversions. An apt example is Scientology. In place of resurrection, they teach devotees the unbiblical notion of reincarnation.37 All too often such notions are buttressed by a distortion of the biblical text. For instance, John the Baptist is frequently hailed as a reincarnation of the biblical prophet Elijah despite the fact that John dismissed this absurdity with three short words. When asked by the Levites if he was indeed a reincarnation of Elijah, he replied, “I am not” ( John 1:21).

Like The Church of Scientology, The Church of Almighty God holds to the convoluted theological perversion of reincarnation. According to the female christ, “some people will be reborn as birds, or ducks or geese.”38 Worse yet, she holds her own existence to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ Himself. To do so, she calls into question an inviolate essential of the historic Christian faith. “Could My resurrection from the dead during My first incarnation really be taken literally? Was the process really as it was described in those [biblical] texts?”39

Calling into question the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is no trifling matter. Nor is it unique. Rather, it is common for aberrant Christianity and cultism to compromise the physical resurrection of Christ. As a case in point, Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that Christ was resurrected an invisible, immaterial spirit. “The King Christ Jesus was put to death in the flesh and was resurrected an invisible spirit creature.”40

It is precisely because Christ’s bodily resurrection is being compromised, confused, and contradicted that authentic Christians must be ready to combat this theological perversion. To do so, we must first underscore the reality that the physical resurrection of Christ is affirmed in the canon of Scripture. In his Pentecost proclamation, the apostle Peter unambiguously declared that Christ “was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact” (Acts 2:31–32). The apostle John is equally emphatic. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which wen have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1).

Furthermore, the confessions of Christianity are replete with references to the physical resurrection of the Redeemer. Justin Martyr rebuked those who maintained that, after His resurrection, Jesus “appeared only as spiritual, and not in flesh, but presented merely the appearance of flesh.”41 In like fashion, Cyril of Jerusalem thundered, “Let no heretic ever persuade thee to speak evil of the Resurrection. For to this day the Manichees say that the resurrection of the Savior was phantom-wise, and not real.”42 Were he alive today, Justin Martyr would no doubt have rebuked the Eastern Lightning apostates in similar fashion.

Finally, it is instructive to note that the characteristics of Christ’s body bear eloquent truth to His physical resurrection. Jesus invited the disciples to examine His resurrected body so that they would know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was the exact same one that had been fatally tormented. He went so far as to say to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” ( John 20:27). Jesus also ate food as proof of the nature of His resurrected body. Dr. Luke confirms that the disciples gave Jesus “a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence” (Luke 24:42–43). Jesus provided the final exclamation mark for His physical resurrection by telling His disciples that His resurrected body was composed of “flesh and bones.” “Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Luke 24:39).43

In sum, though the theological perversions of The Church of Almighty God are many, none is more egregious than the denial of Christ’s bodily resurrection from the dead. For apart from this essential affirmation, there is no Christian faith. And no hope for our own physical resurrection from the dead.

SOCIOLOGICAL DEVIANCE. From the sociological perspective, a cult is a religious or semi-religious sect whose followers are controlled in virtually every dimension of their lives. As such, devotees characteristically display displaced loyalty for the guru and the group and are galvanized together through physical and/ or psychological intimidation tactics. Such cults display a “we/they” siege mentality and often cut off their devotees from former associations, including their immediate families.

The Church of Almighty God is a prime example of a socially deviant group that is diabolically dangerous. It not only employs socially deviant behavior in retaining devotees but in gaining new disciples as well. Those who fail the standard of unwavering obedience, and those who so much as contemplate defecting from the ranks, are threatened with inconceivable consequences. In no uncertain terms, the female christ warns devotees and detractors alike that consequences for disobedience portend disaster and death. “On the one hand, I kill all who are not in line with My intentions and who violate My administrative decrees; on the other hand, in My wrath I curse all who violate My administrative decrees.”44 Such killings and cursings are spelled out in shocking detail.

In a book titled, Typical Examples of Punishment for Resisting Almighty God, published by The Church of Almighty God, little is left to the imagination.45 In lurid detail, the female christ and her accomplices evince hundreds of examples of those who resist Almighty God and pay the ultimate price. One such example involves a fifty-four-year old Chinese pastor named Zhao who refused to convert to the cult. “Zhao was struck down by a heavy-duty-truck, and then, another heavy-duty-truck ran over her at full speed and crushed her to a bloody pulp. Her legs were separated from her body, her feet flew to the roadside, and her eyeballs were squeezed out.” The account goes on to opine that “Zhao died without a full corpse” in evidence “that Almighty God is the true God.” And that “this devil that resisted the true God finally suffered the curse!”46

In yet another sociologically deviant depiction, a local church leader named Yu purportedly resisted the female christ and experienced a ghastly consequence. According to the account, “Yu learned that a sister of his church had accepted God’s end-time work.” Yu rebuffed her, saying, “Jesus’ one crucifixion has completed the redemptive work. God will never be incarnated the second time, much less be a female Christ. This is the deception of a false prophet, a false christ, and an evil spirit.” The account goes on to say that “a brother present who believed in Almighty God exhorted him, ‘you shouldn’t blaspheme or condemn blindly since you don’t understand. The sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this life or next life.’ Yu said, ‘Don’t frighten me! I’m not afraid. I will see what your God can do to me!’”

Shortly thereafter, Yu was supposedly stricken with “intestinal cancer. His condition worsened progressively, and he even could not sleep. Later, he had his anus removed surgically, and he had to get rid of his feces and urine through plastic tubes. Because of his being bedridden for a long time, his back was covered with bedsores, and the stench in his room was so strong that no one could get close.” According to the cult, “this man blasphemed God and finally brought himself the disaster!”47

While “typical examples of punishment for resisting Almighty God” involve disaster, disease, and death, not all do. Interspersed throughout the book are accounts of those who relent and repent. Two accounts are of particular note

The first is the story of Fan. Fan is described as “a worker in the Local Church” who initially resisted Almighty God.

But after his wife died by pesticide poisoning, he recognized his error and in remorse and repentance received the female christ.48

A second and similar story involves a church leader named Liu. Liu not only rejected The Church of Almighty God but allegedly “hindered others from accepting God’s endtime work.” As a direct result, his wife suddenly died. “When I found her dead, I saw that her mouth, nose, and eyes were bleeding. Later, I received God’s revelation and realized that my wife’s death was a curse for our resisting God. I felt deep regret for our evil doings, and then I accepted Almighty God and made a resolution to do something practically to make up for my past indebtedness.”49

What is worthy of exacting emphasis is that The Church of Almighty God itself ominously describes Typical Examples of Punishment for Resisting Almighty God as “a collection of typical examples of people from various religions and denominations who were punished and cursed by God due to having resisted Almighty God’s work of the last days and attempted to thwart His will from being carried out. From these examples, we see that God’s righteous disposition does not allow offense from anyone, and that God will punish and curse all who commit evil and resist Him.”50

After careful examination of this sociopsychological manipulation masterwork, I could not help but wonder how significant religious studies specialists such as Holly Folk and colleagues have the temerity to categorize The Church of Almighty God as “very much a Christian tradition, one in responsive dialogue with other Christianities.”51 What should be blatantly obvious to any unbiased evaluator is that this cult represents the quintessence of sociological deviance. Indeed, the threats of the female christ constitute a textbook example of the informal logical fallacy of appeal to force (argumentum ad baculum, literally “argument to the stick”). In plain vernacular, this comprises the use of illicit power and threat in place of sound reason and evidence.52

In sum, the increasingly pervasive narrative that The Church of Almighty God is just another Christian group being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party is not only wrongheaded but decidedly deflective to authentic expressions of Christianity. The verdict is inescapable: The Church of Almighty God and their counterfeit christ are capriciously cultic rather than comprehensively Christian.

NOTES: 

  1. Holly Folk, “Protestant Continuities in The Church of Almighty God,” The Journal of CESNUR 2, no. 1 (2018): 73, emphasis added, https://doi.org/10.26338/tjoc.2018.2.1.4.
  2. See, e.g., Massimo Introvigne, Inside the Church of Almighty God: The Most Persecuted Religious Movement in China (Oxford University Press, 2020). For a helpful treatment of the meaning of xiejiao, see Abraham Ho and Jacob Feng, “Cult vis-à-vis Xiejiao: With a Case Study of The Church of Almighty God,” released in this same issue (please see here).
  3. This article adapts, revises, and greatly expands the text of “What Are the Characteristics of C-U-L-T-S?,” in Hank Hanegraaff, The Complete Bible Answer Book — Collector’s Edition, rev. and expanded ed. (Thomas Nelson, 2024), 292–95.
  4. “How to Detect Counterfeit Money,” Los Angeles Times, August 9, 1999, accessed September 28, 2024, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-aug-09-me-64066-story.html.
  5. “Part Three: The Words of Christ as He Walked in the Churches III ( July 1993 to March 1994): The Essence of the Flesh Inhabited by God,” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, The Appearance and Work of God, trans. The Church of Almighty God (n.p.: The Church of Almighty God, 2023), accessed September 28, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/the-essence-of-the-flesh-inhabited-by-god/.
  6. “Part Three: The Words of Christ as He Walked in the Churches II (November 1992 to June 1993): The Two Incarnations Complete the Significance of the Incarnation,” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, accessed September 20, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/the-significance-of-the-incarnation/.
  7. “The Essence of the Flesh Inhabited by God.” See note 5.
  8. “Part Two: God’s Words to the Entire Universe (February 20, 1992 to June 1, 1992): Chapter 12,” March 8, 1992, in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, accessed September 28, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/the-twelfth-utterance-2/.
  9. “Appendix: Interpretations of the Mysteries of ‘God’s Words to the Entire Universe’: Chapter 12,” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, accessed September 28, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/interpretation-of-the-twelfth-utterance/.
  10. Bible quotations cited by the author are taken from NIV1984. Emphasis in such Bible quotations are the author’s.
  11. “A Brief Introduction about the Background of the Lord’s Coming to China in a Hidden Way to Work,” The Church of Almighty God, n.d., archived on Wayback Machine July 15, 2016, https://web.archive.org/web/20160715131653/https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/about-us-02/. This document has changed over time through editing. The current version does not employ the feminine pronoun in reference to the female christ. See “A Brief Introduction about the Background of the Appearance and Work of Christ of the Last Days in China,” The Church of Almighty God, December 13, 2015, accessed September 30, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/about-us-02/. See also the self-declarations of the female christ in The Word Appears in the Flesh, in “7. How Should One Understand Christ Is the Truth, the Way, and the Life?,” The Church of Almighty God, n.d., accessed September 30, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/christ-is-the-truth-the-wayand- the-life/.
  12. Gary R. Habermas, The Historical Jesus, Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ (College Press, 1996), 154; William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, 3rd ed. (Crossway Books, 2008), 362; Craig L. Blomberg, “Where Do We Start Studying Jesus?” in Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus, ed. Michael J. Wilkins and J. P. Moreland (Zondervan, 1995), 42–43.
  13. Gary Habermas in Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ (Zondervan, 1998), 233.
  14. Craig, Reasonable Faith, 379–80.
  15. For further study on the deity of Christ, see Hanegraaff, The Complete Bible Answer Book, 246–56, from which this paragraph is adapted.
  16. The female christ declares, “In this stage of the work, God does not perform signs and wonders, so that the work will achieve its results by means of words. The reason for this, moreover, is because the work of God incarnate this time is not to heal the sick and cast out demons, but to conquer man by speaking, which is to say that the native ability possessed by this incarnate flesh of God is to speak words and to conquer man, not to heal the sick and cast out demons. His work in normal humanity is not to perform miracles, not to heal the sick and cast out demons, but to speak, and so the second incarnate flesh seems to people much more normal than the first.” “The Words of Christ as He Walked in the Churches III ( July 1993 to March 1994): The Essence of the Flesh Inhabited by God,” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, accessed September 30, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/ the-essence-of-the-flesh-inhabited-by-god/.
  17. Jay W. Richards, “To Defend Marriage, We Should Learn a Lesson from Apologetics,” Christian Research Journal 35, no. 4 (2012), https://www.equip.org/articles/to-defend-marriage/.
  18. For the full context of these quotes, see the introduction to the Book of Mormon.
  19. Book of Mormon 9:32
  20. For further study on Mormonism, see Hanegraaff, The Complete Bible Answer Book, 302–18, from which this material is largely adapted.
  21. The Word Appears in the Flesh, vols. 1–7, trans. The Church of Almighty God (n.p.: The Church of Almighty God, 2023, 2024, 2025), https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/books/.
  22. See “Preface,” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, accessed September 14, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/preface-4/.
  23. “The Words of Christ as He Walked in the Churches IV (1994 to March 23, 2010): The Ten Administrative Decrees That Must Be Obeyed by God’s Chosen People in the Age of Kingdom,” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, emphasis added, accessed September 14, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/tenadministrative/.
  24. “The Words of Christ as He Walked in the Churches II (November 1992 to June 1993): Concerning the Bible (2),” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, emphasis added, accessed September 14, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/concerning-the-bible-2/.
  25. “The Words of Christ as He Walked in the Churches II (November 1992 to June 1993): Concerning the Bible (1),” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, accessed September 20, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/concerning-the-bible-1/.
  26. “The Words of Christ as He Walked in the Churches II (November 1992 to June 1993): Concerning the Bible (3),” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, accessed September 29, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/concerning-the-bible-3/.
  27. “Concerning the Bible (3).” See note 26.
  28. For detailed argumentation, see Hank Hanegraaff, “Part Two: Archaeologist’s S-PA-D-E,” in Has God Spoken? Memorable Proofs of the Bible’s Divine Inspiration (W Publishing Group, 2011), from which this paragraph is partially adapted.
  29. For detailed argumentation on biblical interpretation and the synergistic harmony of the Bible, see Hank Hanegraaff, “Part Four: Scriptural L-I-G-H-T-S,” in Has God Spoken?, from which the two previous paragraphs are partially adapted.
  30. For detailed argumentation, see Hank Hanegraaff, “Part Three: Prophetic S-T-AR-S,” in Has God Spoken?
  31. Jess L. Christensen, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, June 1986, 25–26, accessed June 30, 2025, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1986/06/i-have-aquestion/how-can-jesus-and-lucifer-be-spirit-brothers-when-their-characters-andpurposes-are-so-utterly-opposed.html?lang=eng.
  32. “Who Is the Archangel Michael?,” Jehovah’s Witnesses, accessed September 29, 2024, https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/archangel-michael/.
  33. The Church of Almighty God explains, “Two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesus foretold His return, and now the prophecies of the Lord’s return have been basically fulfilled. The Lord Jesus, our long-awaited Savior, has come in secret, and He is Christ of the last days, Almighty God.” “The Savior Has Returned,” The Church of Almighty God, n.d. accessed March 29, 2025, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/thesecondcomingofjesus.html. See also “The Two Incarnations Complete the Significance of the Incarnation” (see note 6).
  34. “Documentary of The Church of Almighty God | The Appearance and Work of Almighty God (Part 1),” The Church of Almighty God, April 22, 2020, video, 46:12, quoted material at 44:50, emphasis added, accessed September 14, 2024, https:// www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/appearance-and-work-of-Almighty-God-part-1/. English translation in The Church of Almighty God video.
  35. “The Words of Christ as He Walked in the Churches I ( June 1992 to October 1992): The Seven Thunders Peal — Prophesying That the Gospel of the Kingdom Shall Spread Throughout the Universe,” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, emphasis added, accessed September 29, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/the-seventhunderspeal/.
  36. For further study on the Olivet Discourse, see Hank Hanegraaff, The Apocalypse Code: Find Out What the Bible Really Says about the End Times and Why It Matters Today (Thomas Nelson, 2007).
  37.  Hank Hanegraaff, “What Is Scientology? (T-E-A-R-S),” Christian Research Institute, https://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-is-scientology-cbab/.
  38. “God Himself, the Unique X: How God Rules and Administers the Spiritual Realm” (February 15, 2014), in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 2, On Knowing God, trans. The Church of Almighty God (n.p.: The Church of Almighty God, 2023), accessed September 20, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/god-himself-the-unique-x2/#sigil_toc_id_230.
  39. “Part One: Utterances of Christ in the Beginning, The Words of the Holy Spirit to the Churches (February 11, 1991 to November 20, 1991): Chapter 98,” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, accessed September 20, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/the-ninety-eighth-utterance/. The female christ further denies the bodily resurrection of Jesus by contending that neither the first nor the second incarnation is permanent. See “Part Three: The Words of Christ as He Walked in the Churches I ( June 1992 to October 1992): 40 The Essential Difference Between the Incarnate God and the People Used by God,” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, accessed March 17, 2025, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/incarnate-god-and-people-2/; “Part Three: The Words of Christ as He Walked in the Churches II (November 1992 to June 1993): 21 The Mystery of the Incarnation (2),” accessed March 26, 2025, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/the-mystery-of-theincarnation-2/.
  40. Let God Be True, 2nd ed. (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1952), 138.
  41. Justin Martyr, Fragments of the Lost Work of Justin on the Resurrection, ch. II, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. I, ed. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., reprinted 1985), 295.
  42. Cyril of Jerusalem, The Catechetical Lectures, XIV:21, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, vol. VII, ed. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., reprinted 1983), 99.
  43. For further study on the bodily resurrection of Jesus, see Hank Hanegraaff, Resurrection (Word Publishing, 2009), pt. 1 and ch. 9, from which the three previous paragraphs are largely adapted.
  44.  “Part One: Utterances of Christ in the Beginning, The Words of the Holy Spirit to the Churches (February 11, 1991 to November 20, 1991): Chapter 103,” in The Word Appears in the Flesh, vol. 1, emphasis added, accessed September 29, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/the-one-hundred-and-third-utterance/.
  45. Typical Examples of Punishment for Resisting Almighty God, trans. The Church of Almighty God (n.p.: The Church of Almighty God, 2002), accessed September 24, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/books/typical-cases-of-punishment-forresisting-almighty-god/.
  46. “Typical Cases of People from Christian Denominations and Sects and Catholic Churches in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Who Were Punished for Resisting Almighty God,” in Typical Examples of Punishment for Resisting Almighty God, emphasis added, accessed September 29, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/typical-cases-of-people-from-christian-denominations-and-sects-and-catholicchurches-in-the-inner-mongolia-autonomous-region-who-were-punishedfor-resisting-almighty-god/.
  47. “Typical Cases of People from Christian Denominations and Sects and Catholic Churches in Fujian Province Who Were Punished for Resisting Almighty God,” in Typical Examples of Punishment for Resisting Almighty God, emphasis added, accessed September 29, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/typical-cases-ofpeople- from-christian-denominations-and-sects-and-catholic-churches-in-fujianprovince-who-were-punished-for-resisting-almighty-god/.
  48. “Typical Cases of People from Christian Denominations and Sects and Catholic Churches in Henan Province Who Were Punished for Resisting Almighty God,” in Typical Examples of Punishment for Resisting Almighty God, accessed September 29, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/typical-cases-of-people-from christiandenominations-and-sects-and-catholic-churches-in-henan-province-who-werepunished-for-resisting-almighty-god/.
  49. “Typical Cases of People from Christian Denominations and Sects and Catholic Churches in Shandong Province Who Were Punished for Resisting Almighty God,” in Typical Examples of Punishment for Resisting Almighty God, emphasis added, accessed September 29, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/typical-casesof-people-from-christian-denominations-and-sects-and-catholic-churches-inshandong-province-who-were-punished-for-resisting-almighty-god/.
  50. “Typical Examples of Punishment for Resisting Almighty God (219 from over 10,000),” The Church of Almighty God, n.d., emphasis added, accessed September 29, 2024, https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/books/typical-cases-of-punishmentfor-resisting-almighty-god/.
  51. Folk, “Protestant Continuities in The Church of Almighty God,” 73, emphasis added.
  52. T. Edward Damer, Attacking Faulty Reasoning: A Practical Guide to Fallacy-Free Arguments, 5th ed. (Wadsworth, 2005), 92–93.

 

 

 

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