Transcript Shen Zhou - The Josh Link

Shen Zhou – The Land Of God
by Joshua Ong
Introduction
For five thousand years, the Chinese people had called their
native land "Shen Zhou" - the Land of God.
Strong traditional and archeological evidence suggested the early
Chinese were once devoted to one heavenly God.
The history of Israel began with Abraham, while China's history
commenced with Emperors Yan and Huang.
Could the two ancient cultures of Israel and China be linked?
Could the wondrous tales of God and man told along Jordan River
and Yellow River be flowing from the same source?
If not, how could the Chinese ancient language and history be
explained?
The Beginnings of Recorded History

According to The World Almanac and Book
of Facts (1998, pp 551), recorded history
began approximately 4004 BC.
Biblical History
4000 BC
3000 BC
2000 BC
1000 BC
Chinese History
Creation
The Fall
Of
Universe Of Man
4000 BC
Recorded
History
begins
4000 BC
Tower Of
Babel
Global
Noah Flood
3000 BC
Chinese
History
begins
Israel in
Egypt
Abraham Jacob
(Israel)
2400 BC
King Yao
尧
7 years
famine in
Middle East
2000 BC 1766 BC
King YuXia/Hsia
禹
King Shun
舜
夏
Dynasty
7 years
famine in
China
Shang商
Dynasty
Moses
1800 BC
1400 BC
King Wu Yi
Shang商
Dynasty
武乙
First record of
idol worship
in China
Plato
Buddha
1000 BC
Aristotle
600 BC
Laozi
老子
Confucius Mencius
Zhou周
Dynasty
孔子
孟子
Chin秦
Dynasty
Jesus
Christ
Mohammed
Began Islam
200 BC 0 AD
200 AD
Buddhism
entered
China
Three Kingdom
西游记
三国
Han汉
Sui 随
Six
Dynasties
六期
2005 AD
600 AD 1000
Song宋
Tang唐
1400
1800
Ming明
Yuan元
Qing清
China
Today
The Origin Of The Chinese
Adam (4004-3074 BC)
4000
3800
3600
Chinese History Begins
3400
3200
3000
2800
2600
Seth (3874-2962 BC)
Enosh (3769-2864 BC)
Kenan (3679-2769 BC)
Mahalalel (3609-2714 BC)
Jared (3544-2582 BC)
Enoch (3382-3017 BC)
Methuselah (3317-2348 BC)
2400
2200
2000
1800
1766 BC
7 years’
famine
2348 BC
The Flood
Lamech (3130-2353 BC)
Noah (2948-1998 BC)
Shem (2446-1846 BC)
Arphaxad (2346-1943 BC)
Shem
Shelah
(2311-1908 BC)
(Chinese)
Eber
(2281-1851 BC)
Japheth
(European)
Peleg
Ham (African)
Source: http://www.earth-history.com/Pseudepigrapha/Jas/jasher-intro.htm
(2247-2038 BC)
(2217-2010 BC)
Reu
Serug (2185-1985 BC)
Nahor (2155-2036 BC)
Teruh (2126-1921 BC)
Abram (2056-1881 BC)
Flood
2348 BC
Dispersion
2247 BC
Noah
First
Chinese
Dynasty
2948 BC
2205 BC
3000
2800
2600
2400
2200
2000
This gives
approximately 40
years for a
migration of the
Chinese family
from the Tower of
Babel in
Mesopotamia to
resettlement in
China.
1800
1600 BC
Noah (2948-1998 BC)
Could these five
men be the
legendary 5
rulers?
1. Shem (2446-1846 BC)
2. Arphaxad (2346-1943 BC)
3. Shelah (2311-1908 BC)
4. Eber (2281-1851 BC)
5. Peleg (2247-2038 BC)
Before the first
Chinese dynasty in
2205 BC, the
Chinese recorded
a mysterious
“Legendary Period
of Five Rulers.”
Noah
Shem
Are the Chinese also Hebrews?
Arphaxad
GENESIS 11 ACCOUNT
Salah
Peleg
Eber
Origin of
Hebrews
Reu
Serug Nahor
Terah
Abram
GENESIS 10 ACCOUNT
Joktan
Possibly the people of East Asia
including the Chinese
The Chinese Classics (四书五经)

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
Consisted of 9 books by a few authors.
The sole purpose of these classics was to convey Truth,
or the Dao 道(Tao, The Way and the Word.)
Many of the authors pointed to Heaven天.
The Confucian Analects 论语
The Book Of Changes 易经
The Great Learning 大学
The Book Of Documents
The Doctrine Of The Mean 中庸
The Book Of Songs
The Works of Mencius 孟子
The Book Of Rites
诗经
礼记
Autumn And Spring
四书
书经
春秋
五经
Confucius’ Definition of Dao 道

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
“Yin 阴 (the visible) and Yang 阳 (the invisible)
are called the Dao道. The loving one discovered
it and calls it love; the wise man discovers it and
calls it wisdom.”
“That which cannot be fathoned in terms of Yin
阴 (the visible) and Yang 阳 (the invisible) is
called God 神.”
“Let the will be set on the Dao道. Let every
action be based on morality and be firmly
grasped. Let every work be motivated by love.”
孟子Mencius’ 2000 Year Prophecy
Of A Coming King
From Yao &
Shun down to
Tang were
500 years and
more
Yao &
Shun’s
Rule
2253
From Tang to
King Wen
were 500
years and
more
King
Tang’s
Death
King
Wen’s
Birth
1753
2000 BC
1500 BC
From King
Wen to
Confucius
were 500
years and
more
The King
would arise in
the course of
500 years
Confucius’
Birth
King
Wen’s
Death
1229 1132
1000 BC
551
Begin
To
Expect
The
Arrival
Of The
King
Confucius’
Death
479
500 BC
22 AD
0 BC/AD
Birth Of Jesus Christ
Jiaguwen甲骨文

These oracle bones revealed the
creation account through the
inscriptions and character
formations.
How Shun 舜got the throne by the gift of Heaven.
1. Wan Chang said, 'Was it the case that Yao gave the throne to
Shun?' Mencius said, 'No. The sovereign cannot give the throne to
another.'
2. 'Yes;-- but Shun had the throne. Who gave it to him?' 'Heaven gave
it to him,' was the answer.
3. '" Heaven gave it to him:"-- did Heaven confer its appointment on
him with specific injunctions?'
4. Mencius replied, 'No. Heaven does not speak. It simply showed its
will by his personal conduct and his conduct of affairs.‘
5. '"It showed its will by his personal conduct and his conduct of
affairs:"-- how was this?' Mencius's answer was, 'The sovereign can
present a man to Heaven, but he cannot make Heaven give that
man the throne. A prince can present a man to the sovereign, but
he cannot cause the sovereign to make that man a prince. A great
officer can present a man to his prince, but he cannot cause the
prince to make that man a great officer. Yao presented Shun to
Heaven, and Heaven accepted him. He presented him to the people,
and the people accepted him. Therefore I say, "Heaven does not
speak. It simply indicated its will by his personal conduct and his
conduct of affairs."'
How Shun 舜got the throne by the gift of Heaven.
6. Chang said, 'I presume to ask how it was that Yao presented Shun to
Heaven, and Heaven accepted him; and that he exhibited him to the
people, and the people accepted him.' Mencius replied, 'He caused him to
preside over the sacrifices, and all the spirits were well pleased with them;-thus Heaven accepted him. He caused him to preside over the conduct of
affairs, and affairs were well administered, so that the people reposed
under him;-- thus the people accepted him. Heaven gave the throne to him.
The people gave it to him. Therefore I said, "The sovereign cannot give the
throne to another.“
7. 'Shun assisted Yao in the government for twenty and eight years;-- this was
more than man could have done, and was from Heaven. After the death of
Yao, when the three years' mourning was completed, Shun withdrew from
the son of Yao to the south of South river. The princes of the kingdom,
however, repairing to court, went not to the son of Yao, but they went to
Shun. Litigants went not to the son of Yao, but they went to Shun. Singers
sang not the son of Yao, but they sang Shun. Therefore I said, "Heaven
gave him the throne." It was after these things that he went to the Middle
Kingdom, and occupied the seat of the Son of Heaven. If he had, before
these things, taken up his residence in the palace of Yao, and had applied
pressure to the son of Yao, it would have been an act of usurpation, and
not the gift of Heaven.
8. 'This sentiment is expressed in the words of The Great Declaration,-"Heaven sees according as my people see; Heaven hears according as my
people hear."'
Heaven’s Decree 天命

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
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
The ancient Chinese were familiar with the nature of
Heaven’s Decree.
“There is no mistake about the decree of Heaven. The
purpose of the divine commandments are all to the same
good effect.”
God’s commandments are based on His love. The
ancient Chinese believed that ShangDi was a God of love.
“Heaven loves the people, and the sovereign should
reverence this mind of Heaven.”
“There is the great God. Does He hate any one? God
does not hate any man.”
Who is Confucius
孔子?




Confucius (born Kong Qiu, styled Zhong Ni) lived in 551 B.C. - 479 B.C.,
China. The Chinese people called him Kong Fuzi or Kong Zi or Master
Kong.
To learn Chinese culture, it is good to learn some Confucianism since it
has been well integrated in Chinese culture, and was the official state
philosophy for over 2000 years.
Confucianism was part of the Chinese people's daily life as it was the
foundation of Chinese family structure, and the guidance for personal
attitudes and behaviors.
Confucius' contribution was in his ideas about the government, school,
family and ethics, and in his teachings.
Confucius’ Heart Desire
孔子心愿

"At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. At
thirty, I stood firm. At forty, I had no doubts. At
fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. At sixty, my
ear was an obedient organ for the reception of
truth. At seventy, I could follow what my heart
desired, without transgressing what was right."
Tian Tan天壇
Mystery concerning the 450-year-old
Temple of Heaven complex
in Beijing, China.
Why did the emperors sacrifice a
bull on the great white marble Altar
of Heaven at an annual ceremony,
the year's most important and
colourful celebration, the so-called
'Border Sacrifice 郊祀 ' ?
Why 郊祀
is so Important?


The great philosopher Confucius 孔子esteemed this
Border Sacrifice highly that he said a comprehension of
this ritual would lead to the efficient ruling of the
Chinese empire:
“He who understands the ceremonies of the sacrifices to
Heaven and Earth…would find the government of a
kingdom as easy as to look into his palm!”
Shu Jing 书经(Book of History)


One of the earliest accounts of the Border Sacrifice
was found in the Shu Jing书经, compiled by
Confucius 孔子 himself.
Throughout the Chinese Classics (四书五经) and
especially in the oldest two, the Book of Odes (诗经)
and the Book of Historical Documents (书经),
Confucius lifted up Heaven (天) as the Supreme God.
Confucius’ Belief In 上帝



The following texts revealed the original Confucian belief
in God as the Creator:
“How vast is ShangDi, the ruler of men below. How
arrayed in terrors is ShangDi: His ordinances are full of
irregularities. Heaven gave birth to the multitudes of
people.”
Recorded also in Shu Jing 书经 was the account of
Emperor Shun舜 (c. 2230 BC) that he sacrificed to
ShangDi 上帝.
Moral Law


Confucius believed in Heaven as the
source of all power, the authority of moral
law, and a personal God who protected
not only as a Ruler, but also as a Parent:
“Oh vast and distant Heaven, [You] who
are called Father and Mother…”
One God




For Confucius, there was no other God other
than ShangDi:
“He who offends against Heaven has none to
whom he can pray.”
In fact, between 2400 BC and 1116 BC, there
was no record of the Chinese ever worshipping
any idol images.
King Wu Yi 武乙 was attributed with the making
of the first idol image in Chinese history.
Confucius’ Humility




The Master 孔子 said:
"The sage and the man of perfect virtue;—how
dare I rank myself with them? It may simply be
said of me, that I strive to become such without
satiety, and teach others without weariness."
"When I walk along with two others, they may
serve me as my teachers. I will select their good
qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and
avoid them.“
"Heaven produced the virtue that is in me.”
How Did Confucius Know
About ShangDi?




In Confucius’ day, about 500 BC, at least 1700
years had passed since the history of China
began.
These early rulers understood the religious
principles that had been handed down by word
of mouth from the time of creation.
The ancient sage who had invented the written
language also had the true concepts of the
history of the world.
He recorded this knowledge for all time in his
pictographic characters.
Who is ShangDi 上帝?

This name literally means ‘the Heavenly
Ruler皇天’. By reviewing recitations
used at the Border Sacrifice, recorded in
the Statutes of the Ming Dynasty 大明会
典(AD 1368), one may begin to
understand the ancient Chinese
reverence for ShangDi.
A Chinese Prayer


Participating in this rite, the emperor first meditated at the Temple
of Heaven (the Imperial Vault), while costumed singers,
accompanied by musicians, intoned:
'To Thee, O mysteriously-working Maker, I look up in thought.
...With the great ceremonies I reverently honor Thee. Thy servant, I
am but a reed or willow; my heart is but that of an ant; yet have I
received Thy favouring decree, appointing me to the government of
the empire. I deeply cherish a sense of my ignorance and blindness,
and am afraid, lest I prove unworthy of Thy great favours.
Therefore will I observe all the rules and statutes, striving,
insignificant as I am, to discharge my loyal duty. Far distant here, I
look up to Thy heavenly palace. Come in Thy precious chariot to the
altar. Thy servant, I bow my head to the earth reverently, expecting
Thine abundant grace. ...O that Thou wouldest vouchsafe to accept
our offerings, and regard us, while thus we worship Thee, whose
goodness is inexhaustible!'
Annual Dedication

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Thus we find the emperor worshipping ShangDi. Can we
possible trace the original intention of this magnificent
ceremony of antiquity? As the emperor took part in this
annual service dedicated to ShangDi, the following
words were recited, clearly showing that he considered
ShangDi the Creator of the world:
'Of old in the beginning, there was the great chaos,
without form and dark. The five elements [planets] had
not begun to revolve, nor the sun and moon to shine.
You, O Spiritual Sovereign, first divided the grosser parts
from the purer. You made heaven. You made earth. You
made man. All things with their reproducing power got
their being.'
Similar To Genesis
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For the Jews and Christians, the above recitation sounds strangely
familiar. How closely it reads to the opening chapter of the Biblical
Genesis! Note the similarity with excerpts from the more detailed
story as recorded in the Hebrew writings:
'In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The earth
was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the
deep. ...
And God said, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered
together unto one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was
so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of
the waters called He Seas. ...
And God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also. ...
So God created man in His own image; ...' (Genesis 1:1-2, 9-10, 16,
27-28)
El-Shaddai & ShangDi
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ShangDi, the Creator-God of the Chinese, surely appears to be one and
the same as the Creator-God of the Hebrews. In fact, one of the Hebraic
names for God was El Shaddai, which is phonetically similar to ShangDi.
Even more similar is the Early Shou pronunciation of ShangDi which is
'djanh-tigh' [Zhan-dai].
Another name for their God which the ancient Chinese used
interchangeable with ShangDi was Heaven (Tian). Zheng Xuan, a
scholar of the early Han dynasty said, "ShangDi is another name for
Heaven (Tian天)". The great philosopher Motze (408-382 BC) also
thought of Heaven (Tian) as the Creator-God:
'I know Heaven loves men dearly not without reason. Heaven ordered
the sun, the moon, and the stars to enlighten and guide them. Heaven
ordained the four seasons, Spring, Autumn, Winter, and Summer, to
regulate them. Heaven sent down snow, frost, rain, and dew to grow
the five grains and flax and silk so that the people could use and enjoy
them. Heaven established the hills and river, ravines and valleys, and
arranged many things to minister to man's good or bring him evil.'
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How did ShangDi create all things? Here is one further
recitation from the ancient Border Sacrifice rite:
'When Te [ShangDi], the Lord, had so decreed, He called
into existence [originated] heaven, earth, and man.
Between heaven and earth He separately placed in order
men and things, all overspread by the heavens.'
Note that ShangDi 'called into existence', or commanded
heaven and earth to appear.
Compare this with the way the Hebrew text described
the method of creation by El Shaddai, who, we suspect,
was identical with ShangDi, and the similarity in name
and role would suggest:
'...by the word of the LORD were the heavens made;
and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. ...
For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it
stood fast' (Psalm 33:6, 9).
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We have not yet explained the reason for the emperors'
bull sacrifice to ShangDi. Let us compare this Chinese
sacrifice with the instruction given by God to the
Hebrews:
'Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a
burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before
the LORD' (Leviticus 9:2) - a practice which began in
earliest times (Genesis 4:3,4; 8:20).
The most ancient forms of the pictographic Chinese
writing were found the foundational truths of the JudeoChristian faith.
In these ideograms, which dated from before the time of
Moses - we have the entire story of creation, the
temptation and fall of man into sin, and God's remedy
for sin in the animal sacrifices, which pointed to the
coming Savior, Jesus Christ. All the elements of the
Genesis narrative were found recorded, and still in use,
in the Chinese character-writing.
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These findings show some startling realities
about the written Chinese language. All people
in the world, not just the Chinese, are
descended from the inhabitants of Babel, the
first civilization after the Flood.
God first gave His promise of a coming Saviour,
the 'Seed of the Woman', in Genesis 3:15. The
foreshadowed sacrifice of the coming Lamb of
God, Creator and Saviour, is as old as mankind.
Conclusion:
In the twenty-first century, as Israel is returning back to their Promised
Land, China is returning back to their ShangDi. Shen Zhou is destined
to once again be called the Land of God!
Fifty years ago, there were just over a million Christians in China.
Today their numbers grew beyond hundreds of millions.
Their faith grew not in favorable conditions but under tremendous
persecutions. Not in laughter but in tears. Not by strength but by
meekness. Not in beautiful cathedrals but in smelly dungeons.
Many Chinese people, who are overseas, fill churches, fellowships,
Bible study groups and evangelical meetings. After thousands of
years, modern China is now thirsting for truth, and tasting truth again!