Lesson 6: Eastern Lightning

Shang Hui was a pastor in China. He began to hear of people leaving the church to join the Church of Almighty God. Even his parents had joined them. When he met the cult members, they said, “God’s name was Jehovah, but then it was Jesus on earth. God can do a new thing again, and be another Christ on the earth.” Shang was confused by their teachings. He was discouraged in his ministry because the cult was growing so rapidly.

► Read 2 Timothy 3 aloud together. Each student should write a paragraph that summarizes this scripture passage. What does this passage tell us about false Christian religions? Each student should write a list of statements. As a group, discuss what you have written.

Origin and Influence

The official name of the cult called Eastern Lightning is Church of Almighty God. The religion was started in 1989 in China. Membership estimates range from 100,000 to 1,000,000.

[1]Eastern Lightning believes that God revealed himself during Old Testament times as Jehovah, then came to the earth as Jesus, and has now come to earth in the form of a woman who calls herself Lightning Deng. Her real name was originally Yang Xiangbin. Deng does not appear publicly, and it is not publicly known what she looks like or where she is. The visible leader of the cult is Zhao Weishan, who may be Yang’s husband.

The Bible says we should not believe it when people say the Messiah is hidden on earth, see Luke 17:23.

Eastern Lightning claims that the Bible is now out of date, and that new revelation is necessary. The cult has published several books, including Lightning from the Orient, which claims to be revelation from God to the female Christ. The books speak to Christians and threaten them with detailed punishments.

Jesus said that his words would never pass away, see Mark 13:31.

Eastern Lightning teaches that the name of Jesus is now obsolete and powerless, and that Deng is now the Christ.

Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies about the life, death, and resurrection of Messiah. Therefore, a new messiah is not needed, see Luke 24:44, Matthew 16:16 and Matthew 24:4-5.

They predicted the end of the world for December 21, 2012.

► What are some things you see already that show that this organization is not Christian?

Activities and Strategy

Eastern Lightning especially targets Christian churches, even selecting the strongest Christians. Stories are told of people who had been in Christian ministries leaving the church to join them. Cult members pretend to join churches, then offer Christian pastors large amounts of money if they will convert. The cult is less interested in people of other religions or sects.

The Bible speaks of those who hate what is good, see 2 Timothy 3:3.

The cult uses prostitution to attract poten­tial converts. People who join are sep­arated from their spouses and are required to engage in sexual activities.

Christians maintain purity and protect marriage commitments, see Ephesians 5:3, Hebrews 13:4.

Members of Eastern Lightning have been known to use torture, kidnapping, and murder to accomplish their purposes. They physically attack leaders of Christian organizations. They refuse to let a convert leave their membership.

The Bible says that a Christian is to be gentle, obeying the law, and not violent, see Titus 3:1-2.

If a person seems interested in joining, they give gifts, but they threaten violence if a person does not convert. Cult members tell stories of people receiving fatal diseases from God for resisting the cult. They also try to get Christians into sexual sin, then blackmail them.

Wisdom from God is peaceable, merciful, and pure, James 3:17.

Cult participants claim that they are falsely accused of violence, but many Christians and missionaries in China have witnessed their actions.

Members are required to give everything they have to the cult. They are encouraged to leave their families and live with the cult and work at spreading the message.

Eastern Lightning has started expanding the organization in several other countries. They start by giving printed material to people at Chinese churches.

► How are the actions of the true church contrasted with the actions of Eastern Lightning?

[2]Beliefs

Followers of Eastern Lightning acknowledge that Christ died for our sins, but do not believe a person can be saved by Christ without their organization. To be saved, one must give up his faith in Jesus and instead follow Deng, the female Christ. They deny the resurrection and the second return of Christ.

[3]They believe that anyone who does not accept the message of Deng (the female Christ) will be condemned by God.

The Bible predicted people who would resist truth and try to divide the church, see Jude 1:17-19.

Now the responsibility of man is to follow the female Christ, and only if he forsakes his faith in Jesus Christ, tears his Bible in public, calls himself a “son of the devil,” is “conquered” by fully submitting himself to the spoken words of the female Christ and thus becomes a “victorious one,” can he enter the Kingdom that will be established on the earth by the female Christ.[4]

► How do we know that Jesus Christ and the Word of God are still necessary for the Christian?

The Church of Almighty God (Eastern Lightning) claims to be real Christianity. It claims that all other churches are false. But if a person understands and believes all the doctrines of Eastern Lightning, he does not believe the scriptural gospel and is not a Christian.

► Now go back and read the bold and italicized text and each scripture.

► The doctrines in the list below are all denied by Eastern Lightning. Look at the Handbook of Doctrine to see the importance of each doctrine and the evidence for it. Make sure you understand how the verses referenced prove the doctrine.

(5) Jesus is God.

(7) The Holy Spirit is God.

(8) God is a Trinity.

(9) Salvation is only by the atonement of Christ.

(11) We receive salvation by faith.

(12) We can have personal assurance of salvation.

Even though the violent, immoral, and deceptive strategies of this cult make them seem like a terrorist organization, many of their followers do not know about the leaders’ activities. Especially in countries other than China, people impressed by the cult may not believe the accusations against them. Therefore, it is important for a Christian to be able to respond to their doctrines.

It is not possible for a person who fully participates in the cult and believes their doctrines to be a Christian. Therefore, they have a spiritual hunger that is not satisfied. The priority of a Christian should be to share the gospel with them.

Many people join Eastern Lightning because of fear. We must preach that faithfulness to the truth is more important than any earthly condition. We also know that the kingdom of God will triumph.

Christianity from ancient times until now has had a great variety of beliefs. However, the foundational doctrines about the nature of God and the nature of Christ were established and defended by the church in all ages. Early councils that represented all churches wrote statements of biblical doctrine, and all gospel-preaching churches have considered these doctrines necessary. Biblical churches look very different from one another, and disagree on many things, but they agree on certain essentials.

Some cults say that all churches but their own are wrong on the essential doctrines and are not truly Christian. They disagree not just on small doctrines, but on the doctrines that are necessary to the gospel. They deny the things that distinguished Christians from other religions. A cult that denies essential Christianity is another religion and should not claim to be Christian.

When a cult says that it is right and that all other churches are wrong, we need to realize what they are implying. They are saying that the ancient councils that represented all churches were wrong. They are saying that the millions of Christians who lived in all ages were wrong. They are saying that the godly people you know who are examples of Christ are wrong. They are saying that all the men and women around the world who love God, pray, worship, testify to the grace of God, suffer persecution, follow the Bible, and share the gospel are all wrong. The cult says that all these were wrong on even the basic truth that makes a person a Christian.

If the cult is right, God did not choose to guide his church in essential gospel truth for centuries. If the cult is right, it is strange that sincere, godly people everywhere still reject their doctrines. It is true that religious organizations may become worldly, powerful, and rich and not really be interested in truth, but godly and spiritual people in churches everywhere hold to essential biblical truth.

Lia joined the Eastern Lightning cult because she thought they were Christians, but soon realized they didn’t believe in the Bible or Jesus. She decided to leave, but they beat her legs with an iron bar, so she could not walk. They said they would kill her if she left. Later she did escape with the help of a Christian. She is now in a church and seeking God’s help. She is still crippled from the injuries from Eastern Lightning.

► Now read 2 Timothy 3 again. Each student should write a paragraph explaining the message this passage has for a follower of Eastern Lightning. Several students can share what they wrote.

Try to find an opportunity to present the gospel to someone from this religious group. This cult may not exist in the country where you are studying. If not, present the material to someone else and get their response. Prepare to share with your classmates about the conversation you have had. Write your 2-page written report and turn it in to your class leader.