“God the Mother?” Refuting the World Mission Society Church of God
I have recently been made aware of a group known as the World Mission Society Church of God
(WMSCOG) through a brother in my home church. The teachings of this group are peculiar, to say the
least – the most unique of which is the idea that there is a figure called, “God the Mother,” who
presently lives embodied as a Korean woman named Zhang Gil-Ja. It is the position of the World
Mission Society that, “we can only receive eternal life through God the Mother,” and that, “…(her)
existence can be clearly seen not only through the creation but also throughout the Bible.”
This will be the first in a series of videos examining the claims of
the World Mission Society to see just how biblical they really are.
This group has a reputation for attempting to copyright claim anyone who offers criticism of
their teachings based on their own materials – even though this falls under fair use laws.
To save myself the headache and to preserve the life of this video & the rest in this short
series, I won’t be using any screenshots or video clips from the World Mission Society’s website or
social media outlets. I will provide links to the respective pages in the description of each video.
This first video will concentrate on their doctrine of, “God the Mother.”
On their website page titled, “God the Mother,” there are 5 scripture passages
offered to substantiate this doctrine: Revelation 4:11,
Romans 1:19-20, Genesis 1:26-27, Revelation 22:17 and Galatians 4:26.
Proceeding in the order listed, Revelation 4:11 is the adoration the 24 elders give to God
as they remove their crowns before His throne. The World Mission Society’s website cites this
verse to support the idea that, “God the Mother,” gives life to creation. But, literally the only
thing this verse says is that God, “…created all things, and because of (His) will they existed,
and were created.” There is nothing in this verse about, “God the Mother.” Seriously…that’s
the end of the story. No Greek words that are mistranslated, no textual variants…nothing.
Romans 1’s reference to God being known among mankind is with regards to man refusing to
acknowledge God as Creator and the One from Whom all things good, right and orderly proceed.
Again, there is nothing in this passage, or anywhere else in this chapter that speaks of
or even hints at, “God the Mother.” If anything, Paul’s references to God according to masculine
pronouns (His, Him, etc.) refutes the presence of any mother god or other goddess figure here.
The World Mission Society cites Genesis 1:26-27 as evidence, “from the first chapter,”
of the Bible of, “God the Mother’s,” existence.
As with Revelation and Romans, a straightforward reading of this passage does not present
anything that would indicate this to be true. However, the World Mission Society argues that:
“When God created human beings, He said, ‘Let us.’ This shows that God is more than one.
God created males and females as a reflection of the male and female
images of God: God the Father and God the Mother.
That is why the original Hebrew text refers to God as Elohim, which means Gods. Elohim—God the Father
and God the Mother—have been working together for our salvation since the creation of the world…”
As many of you are aware, the word translated as, “God,” or, “gods,” in the Bible is the
word אֱלֹהִ֔ים (elohim). This word is used both in reference to the One True God (i.e.
the LORD God) but it is also used in reference to other created entities who are not the True God.
A good example of this is found 1 Samuel 28:13,
when King Saul has gone looking for a medium to call up the deceased prophet, Samuel. In verse 13,
Saul asks the woman what she sees coming out of the earth. The Bible records her response as,
“I see an elohim.” The King James Bible translated this verse as, “…I saw gods ascending out of the
earth,” while the the English Standard Version reads, “…I see a god coming up out of the earth.”
Most other translations say something like, “a spirit,” or, “a divine being.”
No ancient Israelite upon reading this passage would have considered the dead Samuel as the true
God. That is not what the Biblical author is attempting to say. The reference to the deceased
Samuel as an elohim is to indicate that he is now a disembodied spirit rather than a living man.
For purposes of this video, the translational discrepancy between the KJV’s and the ESV’s
rendering of elohim has to do with the form of the word vs its contextual use.
The word אֱלֹהִ֔ים is plural in form. However, this does not necessarily mean
that it is plural in reference – that would be dictated by the context of the passage (usually,
the form of the verb that is in reference to אֱלֹהִ֔ים.) The KJV rendered אֱלֹהִ֔ים as,
“gods,” in accordance with its form, but the ESV rendered it as, “a god,”
according to its reference – that being the deceased Samuel (a single entity).
In Genesis 1:26, the verb, “to make,” (Hebrew נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה) is in a first person plural form.
This is why אֱלֹהִ֔ים (God) says, “Let us make…” because the verb is plural. There is
some speculation on the part of Bible scholars as to why Genesis 1:26 uses a plural verb here.
A popular proposal in Christianity is that this is a covert reference to the three Persons of the
Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Certainly the Bible does testify to the three Persons being
active in creation (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:30; John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:15-16).
Strictly based on the Hebrew grammar of Genesis 1, however, this interpretation is only speculative.
Another interpretation is that אֱלֹהִ֔ים is used in reference to what’s called the
divine council – the class of “archangel” like creatures that God (אֱלֹהִ֔ים) rules
over. Substance to this interpretation would be the, “sons of God,” referenced in Job 38:7.
Again, the native grammar of Genesis 1 limits this interpretation to speculation.
Regardless of which of these views is correct,
there is nothing in Genesis 1 that would indicate that the plural verb in verse 26 is in reference
to a, “God the Mother.” This is substantiated by the reference to God as, “He,” and,
“His,” in the very next verse – “…male and female He created them.” The Bible’s clear testimony is
that women are made in God’s image not because they are the product of a mother goddess,
but because God’s creative power transcends the limits of male & female gender distinctions.
This view is echoed by Paul in the restoration of God’s people with Him in Christ – “There is
neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ
Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28). The Triune God (Father, Son and Spirit) Who consistently refers to Himself as,
“I Am He,” (Is. 43:10) is the author of life – not a separate mother goddess:
“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,
‘I, the LORD, am the maker of all things,
stretching out the heavens by Myself and spreading out the earth all alone,” (Isaiah 44:24).
With reference to Revelation 22:17, the World Mission Society’s website says:
“In the last days, the Spirit, who is God the Father, and the Bride
are to appear together and call Their children to receive the water of life—eternal
life. According to Revelation, the Bride is Jerusalem our Mother.”
This statement is conflating Revelation 22 with Galatians 4. We’ll address Galatians
4 momentarily. First, the Bride being referenced here in Revelation 22:17 is the bride of Christ.
If the World Mission Society’s assertion that the Bride is a reference to, “God the
Mother,” then this means that Christ’s marriage to His bride would be some kind of weird, divine
incest – after all, “God the Mother,” is supposed to be Jesus’ mother in the same way as God the
Father is His father according to their doctrine. This is why the website says, “Their children,”
in reference to God the Father and the Bride. Is this weird, incestuous, divine love triangle
that the World Mission Society teaches what John is telling us about in Revelation 22? No.
The Bride of verse 17 is not, “God the Mother.” The Bride is the Church – all of God’s covenant
people (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23, Revelation 19:7). John uses this
language in verses 9-10 of the previous chapter when he refers to, “the bride,
the wife of the Lamb,” as the new Jerusalem – a representation
of God’s covenant dwelling with the fullness of His people in eternity.
This brings us to Galatians 4:26, which states, “the Jerusalem above…she is our mother.” This
verse lies in the middle of an analogy Paul is making to contrast God’s faithful – children of
the, “free woman,” (v.21, 23; i.e. Sarah) with those who are attempting to be justified by
law – children of the, “bondwoman,” (v.21, 23), “Hagar,” (v.24, 25). Paul says that these women
are an allegory for the old and new covenants. Hagar corresponds to the, “present Jerusalem,”
the capital of Judaism; the old covenant which rules by law. The, “free woman,” (i.e. Sarah)
is the allegory for the, “Jerusalem above,” the new covenant dwelling of God’s people
through faith – “…those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham,” (Gal. 3:7). Abraham
is not a stand-in for God the Father; likewise, the, “Jerusalem above,” (Sarah, the “free woman”)
is not a stand-in for, “God the Mother.” Paul is speaking of the covenant dwelling place of God
with His people – the place accessible by faith alone, not by works of law.
The World Mission Society’s doctrine of, “God the Mother,” is blasphemous false-teaching.
It is also one of the most grotesque distortions of what the Bible says
about God and Who He is. During the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, the nation fell under
the influence of Egypt in the reign of pharaoh Necho II. As part of this cultural influence,
Jeremiah records that the people of Judah attempted to offer worship to, “the queen
of heaven,” (probably Judah’s version of the Egyptian goddess Neith). God said in response,
“Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and on beast and on
the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and not be quenched.”
The Bible’s clear testimony is that there is only one True God:
“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me. Who is like Me?
Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order,
from the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things
that are coming and the events that are going to take place. Do not tremble and do not be afraid;
have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses.
Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none.’” (Isaiah 44:6-8)
If you are currently a member of the World Mission Society Church of God, please,
read the Bible for yourself and examine it’s clear, consistent teaching of Who God really is.