Who We Worship

Gucheon Sangje (九天上帝, 1871~1909)

▲ Gang Jeungsan Gucheon Sangje (1871~1909),

Sangje's own handwriting engraved on wooden post of Donggok Yakbang
Gucheon Eungwon Noeseong Bohwa Cheonjon Gang Seong Sangje, Gucheon(the Ninth Heaven) indicates the place where all the gods pleaded to the Lord of Heaven, the One who is on the highest status, superintending and controlling Samgye(Heaven, Earth and Mankind).

Eungwon(Responding to the Origin) means, no creation can be made without responding to the Heavenly order.

Noeseong(Thunder/Sound) is the Heavenly order and humane sound. Noe (Thunder) becomes conspicuous with a combination of both yin and yang chi. Noe is the essence of Seong (Sound) and Seong is the phenomenon of Noe. It divides heaven and earth. With moving, standing, advancing and withdrawing, it makes the chi of heaven and earth rise and fall, controlling all creatures’ formation, regeneration, and change.
Bohwa(Universal Grace) signifies the fact that all creatures in the universe are conceived into material or immaterial shapes by the grace of the Cheonjon.

Cheonjon(Lord of the Heavens) means, the Almighty, Holy, receiving the utmost respect of Samgye, encompasses all living things and matter created by Noeseong (Thunder).

Gangseong Sangje is the honorific title of the Omnipotent Being who superintends and examines all creations of the universe.

Gucheon Sangje incarnated in the Gang's family on November 1 in the year of Sinmi (September 19, the 8th year of Emperor Gojong during the end of Choseon Dynasty) in Gaekmang-ri Wudeok-myeon Gobu-gun Jeollabuk-do. His jonho (honorific title) is Jeungsan.

▲ Silu Mountain and the house of Sangje's Incarnation

Jeollabuk-do Jeongeup-si Deokcheon-myeon Sinweol-li
From the early years of His age, He was virtuous and had a keen insight. He displayed His natural spirit of the Heaven and the Earth. He also showed super human ability.

Faced with the period of extremely aggravated religious, political, and social misery, He decided to save mankind and traveled around the world to do so. Finally, He opened up Cheonji Daedo (the order of universe) with the protection of the Five Guardian Dragons from the heavens that blew the great wind. During Gongbu (meditation for the universe), He never drank nor ate at Daewon Temple on Mt. Moak for 49 days.

Although Gang Jeungsan Sangje had a human body, He held the Infinite Power as Gucheon Sangje. Sangje exerted the supreme power of Samgye (Heaven, Earth, Mankind) anywhere and anytime without restriction. For instance, if He wanted to stop heavy rain, He ordered His disciples to put fire lump into a charcoal burner, or place a liquor glass in that burner, or He just did it through His words. Further more, when He performed the Great Power of Heaven to make wind-rain, frost-snow, or thunder-lightening He did not show any fixed principle or pattern. (Gongsa 1:4) Sometimes when He turned His cigarette pipe in the direction of the sun, clouds would gather and block the sun, or would move away from the sun toward the west or east on His command. (Gwonji 2:11) He even brought life back from the dead. (Jesaeng 9).
In addition, He showed the high authority to stop the sun. He said, “Now, at this difficult time in our nation, how can I even think to stabilize the situation without the authority to stop the sun? Now I will test myself.” He wetted His cigarette and smoked three of them without stopping. The rising sun could not move up above the top of the mountain. Then smiling, He threw the cigarette pipe on the ground, and only then did the sun rise up again. (Gwonji 1:27). This is what His disciples described.

Examining these accounts and more, it can be seen that Gang Jeungsan Sangje crossed over the limitation of human ability by descending into the human world as the Divinity of Gucheon Sangje However, the more important part is Cheonji Gongsa (Reconstruction of Heaven and Earth) with His duty to save the entire world and greatly relieve all people rather than the super human ability that He showed us. He came down to the human world to save all creatures fallen into chaos, and lead mankind to the new earthly paradise in the future by opening up Cheonji Daedo (the Great law of Heaven and Earth).

As aforementioned statements indicate, Sangje made great history. This we call Cheonji Gongsa (the Reconstruction of Heaven and Earth) or Samgye Gaebyeok Gongsa (the Creation of the Three World: Heaven, Earth and Mankind).

He ascended to the Heaven on June 24, 1909 after accomplishing Samkye-gongsa for the 50 year's itineration.

Cheonji Gongsa (Reconstruction of Heaven and Earth, 天地工事)

In the beginning of the 20th century, from 1901 to 1909, the nine-year Reconstruction of Heaven and Earth was only possible through the Powers of Gucheon Sangje, which yielded a new turn of events in human civilization. The significance of the Reconstructions of Heaven and Earth were spoken by Sangje to Gim, Hyeong-Ryeol in Jeon Gyeong as follows: Sangje said, “In the Former World [the world before Gaebyeok (the creation of a new world)], matters in the human world were dominated by conflict. The world has accumulated conflict and Samgye (Heaven, Earth, and Mankind) is also filled with it. Losing the Way of the Universal Law awakened various kinds of disasters making the world miserable. So, I adjusted the order of the Heaven and the Earth and harmonized the spirits and resolved imperishable grievances with Dao of Compatibility and raised the Later World heavenly paradise on earth to save the people of the world. Generally, grudges must be resolved in the order of gods unconcerned with big or small tasks. First, steadying and harmonizing the order becomes the basis to work automatically.” (Gongsa 1:3) This shows a part of the ‘Reconstruction of the Other World’ was done.

As we can see, the Reconstruction of Heaven and Earth is ‘adjusting the order of Heaven and Earth and harmonizing the spirits and resolving imperishable grievances with Compatibility and raising the Later Day heavenly paradise on earth to save the people of the world.’

In other words, with the Former World of Incompatibility ended, the Later World of Compatibility of the promised eternal peace begins, transforming the world into a paradise, which is the Reconstruction of Heaven and Earth.