Cults, False Gods & Apocalyptic End Times

The Moonies, the Branch Davidians and the Awaken Church of San Diego have a few bizarre and frightening things in common...

Apr 05, 2023

Religious Cults

They are usually Apocalyptic. Predicting the ultimate battle of good vs evil. The Second Coming of Christ. Armageddon. The End Times.

Their leaders are inevitably charismatic narcissists who claim to be directly in touch with God. Some even think they are God… or Christ reincarnate.

In our times, they are typically uber right-wing Christian Nationalist or Christo-Fascist cults, convinced that the government, or “deep state”, is the mortal enemy. That our democracy must be replaced with a theocracy… their fundamentalist theocracy.

The Unification Church

Reverend Sun Myung Moon thought he was the Messiah. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Destined to build God’s Kingdom on Earth by phasing out democracy for theocracy.

He also was an ardent supporter of right wing politics and even believed that Richard Nixon was “the Archangel Nixon.”

In 1973, Moon launched plans to prevent the President’s imminent impeachment. Moon and his Unification Church followers (often called “Moonies”) enlisted conservative media and members of Congress in support of their efforts, dubbed “Project Watergate.”

Moonies Pray & Fast for Nixon on Capitol Hill | Nixon and Moon at White House

Despite “God’s Mandate,” Reverend Moon failed to save Nixon and would later be imprisoned himself after being found guilty of filing false federal income tax returns.

The Branch Davidians

The Branch Davidians cult operated just outside Waco, Texas.

Like Moon, cult leader David Koresh also claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. He took many of the wives of cult members for his own sexual pleasure and abused children as well.

Anticipating Armageddon., the Branch Davidians were stockpiling and manufacturing weapons, including machine guns, bombs and grenades.

On February 28, 1993, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms descended on the compound. A 51-day siege ensued. On the final day of the siege, the compound was reportedly burned to the ground by the Davidians themselves as most remained inside to be consumed by the flames. All told, four federal agents and 82 Branch Davidians died, 28 of whom were children.

The “Waco Siege” was mythologized by the right wing, and arguably became the single most important spark igniting the radical militia movement of the 1990s.

Waco was cited by Timothy McVeigh as the reason he murdered 168 people in an Oklahoma City bombing of a federal office building on the second anniversary of the siege.

I Am Your Retribution

Donald Trump chose to hold his first major rally for his 2024 Presidential Election bid last month in Waco, Texas, on the 30th anniversary of the siege. It was not a random choice.

With Branch Davidians, Christian Nationalists, members of Militia groups, QAnon conspiracy theorists and MAGA devotees cheering him on, he crowed, “I am your warrior… I am your justice… I am your retribution.”

Awaken Church

Founder and lead pastor of Awaken Church, Jurgen Matthesius, also claims to have a direct channel to God. That the Holy Ghost works through him. That Jurgen himself is capable of performing astonishing miracles… including his stunningly outlandish claims that he stopped the tanks in the Tiananmen Square protests and healed a child’s cancer overnight by speaking in tongues.

Leanne and Jurgen Matthesius with Donald Trump

Pastor Jurgen and his wife, Leanne (also an Awaken pastor), ardently maintain that Donald Trump won the last election. Everything was rigged. They idolize him as the Chosen One. Heaven Sent by God to usher in the End Times.

This theme is the uniting factor for a host of radical, anti-government groups in America today. And they want power at any cost.

The crowd at the January 6, 2021, capitol insurrection included people bearing insignias, slogans, symbols, and flags relating to extremist groups such as the Proud Boys, QAnon conspiracy theorists, and white nationalist movements. It also included people bearing messages often associated with Evangelical Christians: “Are YOU RIGHT with GOD?” University of St. Thomas Journal of Law and Public Policy

Here’s My Take

Elements of the radical politics, cultish practices and extreme beliefs of Awaken Church echo earlier infamous cults.

Its playbook is aligned with MAGA loyalists, QAnon, Christian Nationalism and neo-fascist organizations including the Proud Boys, Three Percenters and Oath Keepers.

As mentioned in recent blog posts, Awaken appears to be preparing for a Holy War to impose its vision of dominance on the world.

Side images from Awaken’s annual military-themed Emerge Camp | Center image of Pastor Jurgen on Awaken social media

While Awaken has not been involved in anything like the Waco Siege, it did have pastors attend the January 6th Insurrection Protest at the Capitol, and it is reportedly on the watchlist of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Pastor Jurgen himself posts an endless stream of hate on the right wing social media platform GETTR, including suggesting torture, public hangings and execution for those whose politics he dislikes.