Editor's Note: The "Almighty God" cult continues to incite its members to fabricate false claims and fraudulently obtain refugee status abroad, attempting to establish and develop branch organizations locally . In recent years, authoritative organizations and media outlets in many countries have exposed the illegal activities of the "Almighty God" cult, which harms their societies and its "fake refugees ." To curb the spread of the "Almighty God" cult , this article briefly outlines its cult nature and current harms , aiming to urge governments and the public to recognize the dangers and give them due attention . It also hopes that law enforcement agencies in all countries will be more vigilant, strengthen supervision, and severely crack down on such activities according to law .

The "High Priest" and the "Female Christ"

"Almighty God," also known as "Eastern Lightning" or "Actual God," was founded by Zhao Weishan in the early 1990s. It is a cult that uses the guise of Christianity to carry out illegal and criminal activities.

Zhao Weishan, male, born in 1951 , is from Yagou Town, Acheng County (now Acheng District ) , Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province , China . In 1987 , he illegally established the "Yongyuan Church" in Yongyuan Village, Yongyuan Town, Acheng County . In 1991, the public security authorities shut down the illegal "Yongyuan Church" organization according to law . Zhao Weishan abandoned his wife and fled to Henan, Shanxi, Anhui and other places to continue his cult activities . During this period, Zhao Weishan met and cohabited with Yang Xiangbin, who was 22 years younger than him. Starting in the summer of 1993, Zhao Weishan began to appoint himself "High Priest," claiming that Yang Xiangbin was "Almighty God" and "Female Christ , " and formally established the "Almighty God" cult organization .

    

▲ "High Priest" Zhao Weishan ▲ "Female Christ" Yang Xiangbin

The symbol of the "Almighty God" cult

"Almighty God" refers to itself as the "Church of Almighty God" or the "Kingdom Evangelical Church," and its symbol is a pattern composed of a cross, a crescent moon, and a star. This symbol frequently appears on the "Almighty God" website, social media accounts, applications, and promotional materials.

▲ Logo of the "Almighty God" cult

 Organizational Structure in Overseas Regions

Zhao Weishan established the headquarters of "Almighty God" in the United States , with branches spread across multiple countries and regions . The "Almighty God" headquarters has functional groups such as the "Overseas Region Decision-Making Group," the "Overseas Region Gospel Expansion Decision-Making Group," the "Online Gospel Spreading Team," and the "Text Group," establishing "churches" and developing organizations in countries including the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and Malaysia. In 2014, the "Almighty God" Asian headquarters was established in Seoul, South Korea. In 2021, the "Ten Thousand People Plan" was proposed, aiming to expand the global scale of the "Almighty God" cult and enhance its "international influence." The organization has a clear division of labor. For example , the "Overseas Region Gospel Expansion Decision-Making Group" is specifically responsible for infiltration and expansion activities overseas and is directly commanded by Zhao Weishan. The two-tiered organizational system of "community" and "church" in the countries and regions involved has been adjusted to a four-tiered organizational system of "pastoral district," "district," "community," and "church."

Beware of these "Almighty God" books

Using the Bible as a front, "Almighty God" has misappropriated and distorted Christian doctrines, producing numerous books such as "The Word Appears in the Flesh," "The Word of Christ in the Last Days," "The Scroll Unfolded by the Lamb," "Judgment Begins with God's House," "God's Sheep Hear God's Voice," "Following the Lamb to Sing a New Song," "God's Three Steps of Work," "Witnesses of Christ in the Last Days," "Classic Questions and Answers on the Kingdom Gospel," "The Work in the Age of Law," and "Lightning from the East," as well as audio and video materials such as "The Kingdom Comes to Earth," "All Nations Worship the Real God," "The Holy Spirit of Almighty God Appears," and "The One Who Rules Over All."

 

▲ "Almighty God" cult books

The Main Fallacies and Heresies of the " Almighty God " Cult

They fabricated the "Second Incarnation" theory . They claimed that Jesus' first incarnation completed the "Age of Grace" and that we have now entered the "Age of Kingdom." They asserted that God incarnated a second time in the form of an Eastern woman, the so-called "Female Christ" (actually the deified Yang Xiangbin), and claimed that only by believing in this "real God" can one be saved.

Spreading "doomsday theory" and intimidation to claim salvation . They widely disseminate rumors that "the end of the world is coming," such as initially claiming December 21, 2012 as the end of the world, later changing the date to another. They declare that God will judge humanity, and only those who believe in "Almighty God" can be saved; those who do not believe will be struck dead by "lightning."

They deny the Bible and establish their own "new classics . " They claim that the Bible is outdated and completely invalid, and that only books written by "Almighty God," such as "The Word Appears in the Flesh," "Lightning from the East," and "Praise of the Kingdom," are the "latest words of God" and the only classics that believers should follow.

They fabricated a "three-stage" historical periodization theory , dividing human history into the "Age of Law" (the rule of Jehovah), the "Age of Grace" (the redemption of Jesus), and the "Age of Kingdom" (the judgment of "Almighty God"), claiming that the present is a new era of "Almighty God's" rule and that absolute obedience to its doctrines is necessary.

Attacking the government and inciting confrontation . Referring to the Chinese Communist Party as the "Great Red Dragon," advocating that "China is a cursed country," inciting believers to wage a decisive battle against the "Great Red Dragon," attempting to overthrow the government and establish a "Almighty God" ruling state, which has a strong political reactionary nature.

It emphasizes mind control and absolute obedience . Believers are required to only "eat and drink" (blindly accept) the "word of God," and are forbidden from studying or questioning it, otherwise they will be "judged." It proclaims that "human thought is a product of Satan," and that one must completely abandon one's own will and absolutely obey organizational instructions.

It denies family and kinship ties . It demands that believers abandon their families and sever ties with relatives, believing that kinship is "Satan's snare" and that only by leaving the family can one be "saved by God."

They extort money under the guise of " offering . " They promote the idea that "the more you give, the more pleased you are with God," and demand that believers hand over their property as "sacrifices" so that the organization can transfer it overseas to support cult activities.