Eastern Lightning
Encyclopedia
Eastern Lightning or Dongfang Shandian (东方闪电, "Oriental Lightning") is a cult offshoot of Christianity in China
. It is also known as Seven Spirits Sect (七灵派), Second Saviour Sect (二次救主派), New Power Lord's Church (新能力主教会), True Light Sect (真光派) and True Way Sect (真道派). The official name for the group is the Church of Almighty God. The group is number 2 on the cult hit-list of the Chinese Communist Party for its subversive aims and activities.
They believe that God has returned to earth as a woman, "born to an ordinary family in the Northern part of China"
to guide mankind for the third and last time. According to the group, the first and second times of active guidance of mankind were as Jehovah
of the Old Testament
and as Jesus
in the New Testament
.
The group teaches that a woman self-styled "Lightning Deng
" (邓闪电), from Zhengzhou
, Henan
is the second Christ. Her most widely distributed book, Lightning from the Orient (《东方发出的闪电》) is the Word of God
. The book claimed the first coming of Christ was to redeem humanity, while the second is to conquer men's hearts and defeat Satan. Those who do not accept her words would die a terrible death or receive severe punishment.
theology tends to take an explicitly anti-government stance.
Christian groups tend to be among the best-informed of all Western reporters on the movement, though they, like the government, regard the group as a heretical sect that deserves the label "cult
" due to the radical differences that separate Eastern Lightning teaching from orthodox Christian doctrine. There have been reports of Eastern Lightning members attacking, kidnapping, and/or harassing leaders and members of other church groups in China.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It is also known as Seven Spirits Sect (七灵派), Second Saviour Sect (二次救主派), New Power Lord's Church (新能力主教会), True Light Sect (真光派) and True Way Sect (真道派). The official name for the group is the Church of Almighty God. The group is number 2 on the cult hit-list of the Chinese Communist Party for its subversive aims and activities.
History and beliefs
The group was founded in 1989 in Heilongjiang Province by Zhao Weishan.They believe that God has returned to earth as a woman, "born to an ordinary family in the Northern part of China"
to guide mankind for the third and last time. According to the group, the first and second times of active guidance of mankind were as Jehovah
Jehovah
Jehovah is an anglicized representation of Hebrew , a vocalization of the Tetragrammaton , the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible....
of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and as Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
The group teaches that a woman self-styled "Lightning Deng
Deng
Deng refers to:*The Chinese surname Deng**Deng Xiaoping, de facto leader of China from 1979 or 1980 until his death in 1997* Dèng Lìjūn, an Asian singer, from Taipei, Taiwan**Deng Yingchao, Chinese communist leader and wife of Zhou Enlai...
" (邓闪电), from Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
is the second Christ. Her most widely distributed book, Lightning from the Orient (《东方发出的闪电》) is the Word of God
Word of God
Word of God or God's Word may refer to:*Divine revelation**certain Religious texts**Prophecy**Biblical literalism*Logos as "divine word"** in biblical creation, see Genesis creation narrative**in trinitarianism, see Jesus Christ the Logos...
. The book claimed the first coming of Christ was to redeem humanity, while the second is to conquer men's hearts and defeat Satan. Those who do not accept her words would die a terrible death or receive severe punishment.
Cult accusations
Most of the information available on Eastern Lightning comes from human rights organizations, the Chinese government, and international Christian groups with connections to Christian communities in China. The Chinese government lists the group as a "cult" and has actively tried to suppress it, especially since its millenarianMillenarianism
Millenarianism is the belief by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming major transformation of society, after which all things will be changed, based on a one-thousand-year cycle. The term is more generically used to refer to any belief centered around 1000 year intervals...
theology tends to take an explicitly anti-government stance.
Christian groups tend to be among the best-informed of all Western reporters on the movement, though they, like the government, regard the group as a heretical sect that deserves the label "cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
" due to the radical differences that separate Eastern Lightning teaching from orthodox Christian doctrine. There have been reports of Eastern Lightning members attacking, kidnapping, and/or harassing leaders and members of other church groups in China.