God Lands in Garland, Texas, at 10 a.m., March 31, 1998
'At 10 A.M. on March 31, 1998, God Shall Make His Appearance' at 3513 Ridgedale Dr., Garland. He Did Not
Chen Tao's leader put God's arrival in writing, with a street address and a guarantee. A Channel 18 broadcast was meant to come first. Neither showed.
What was said
“At 10 A.M. on March 31, 1998, God shall make His appearance in the Holy Land of the Kingdom of God: 3513 Ridgedale Dr., Garland, TX. 75041 U.S.A.”
— Hon-Ming Chen ('Teacher Chen', leader of Chen Tao / God's Salvation Church) · said 1998 · due 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 31, 1998 (Garland, Texas)
At 10 a.m. there was 'little indication of any divine arrival'. Chen's new explanation was that God had entered everyone present. A week earlier, Channel 18 had shown nothing either.
The fine print
The quote is from page 176 of Chen's guide 'God's Descending in Clouds (Flying Saucers) on Earth to Save People', as quoted by The New York Times, which adds his line: 'I guarantee this on my life.' His timetable also had God announcing His arrival on Channel 18 on every TV set in the world on March 25. On March 25 nothing aired, and Chen told reporters: 'Since God's appearance on television has not been realized, you can take what we have preached as nonsense' (SFGate). On March 31 at 10 a.m. CT there was 'little indication of any divine arrival'; Chen said God had entered the bodies and souls of all those present and invited them to shake their own hands. The NYT also reported his forecast of nuclear annihilation for Asia in 1999. His follow-on forecast of a nuclear holocaust in late 1999.
Later spin
March 31, 1998: Chen said God had entered everyone present: 'You yourself are God... This is a chance given to us to play the role of God.' He suggested people shake their right hands with their left.
Sources
- Taiwanese Group Prepares to Meet God -- in Texas - The New York Times (March 4, 1998)accessed 2026-10-09
- God a no-show for Taiwanese sect in Texas - San Francisco Examiner/SFGate (March 25, 1998)accessed 2026-10-09
- Taiwanese sect says that God landed after all (March 31, 1998 news report, archived by Cult Education Institute)accessed 2026-10-09
As of Oct 9, 2026
since it didn't happen
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