Shen%20Zhou%20

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• Shen Zhou The Land Of God
• by Joshua Ong

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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?
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The Beginnings of Recorded History

• According to The World Almanac and Book of Facts
  (1998, pp 551), recorded history began
  approximately 4004 BC.

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Creation Of Universe
The Fall Of Man
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Recorded History begins
Tower Of Babel
Global Flood
4000 BC
Chinese History begins
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Israel in Egypt
Jacob (Israel)
Abraham
2400 BC
King Yu?
Xia/Hsia? Dynasty
King Yao?
Shang?Dynasty
King Shun?
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Moses
Shang?Dynasty
First record of idol worship in China
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Plato
Buddha
Aristotle
Laozi??
Mencius??
Confucius ??
Zhou?Dynasty
Chin?Dynasty
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Jesus Christ
MohammedBegan Islam
Buddhism entered China ???
Three Kingdom??
Sui ?
Six Dynasties??
Han?
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2005 AD
Song?
Ming?
China Today
Tang?
Yuan?
Qing?
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The Origin Of The Chinese
Adam (4004-3074 BC)
4000 3800 3600 3400 3200 3000 2800 2600 2400 2200 2000 1800
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)
Lamech (3130-2353 BC)
Noah (2948-1998 BC)
Shem (2446-1846 BC)
Arphaxad
(2346-1943 BC)
Shelah
(2311-1908 BC)
Eber
(2281-1851 BC)
Peleg
(2247-2038 BC)
Reu
(2217-2010 BC)
Serug
(2185-1985 BC)
Nahor (2155-2036 BC)
Teruh
(2126-1921 BC)
Source http//www.earth-history.com/Pseudepigraph
a/Jas/jasher-intro.htm
Abram (2056-1881 BC)
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Flood 2348 BC
This gives approximately 40 years for a migration
of the Chinese family from the Tower of Babel in
Mesopotamia to resettlement in China.
Dispersion 2247 BC
Noah 2948 BC
First Chinese Dynasty 2205 BC
3000 2800 2600 2400 2200 2000 1800 1600 BC
Noah (2948-1998 BC)
1. Shem (2446-1846 BC)
Before the first Chinese dynasty in 2205 BC, the
Chinese recorded a mysterious Legendary Period
of Five Rulers.
2. Arphaxad (2346-1943 BC)
Could these five men be the legendary 5 rulers?
3. Shelah (2311-1908 BC)
4. Eber (2281-1851 BC)
5. Peleg (2247-2038 BC)
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Noah
Are the Chinese also Hebrews?
Shem
Arphaxad
GENESIS 11 ACCOUNT
Salah
Peleg
Reu
Serug
Nahor
Terah
Abram
Eber
GENESIS 10 ACCOUNT
Joktan
Possibly the people of East Asia including the
Chinese
Origin of Hebrews
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The Chinese Classics (????)

• Consisted of 9 books by a few authors.
• The sole purpose of these classics was to convey
  Truth, or the Dao ?(Tao, The Way and the Word.)
• Many of the authors pointed to Heaven?.

The Book Of Changes ??
The Confucian Analects ??
The Book Of Documents ??
The Great Learning ??
The Book Of Songs ??
The Doctrine Of The Mean ??
The Book Of Rites ??
The Works of Mencius ??
Autumn And Spring ??
??
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Confucius Definition of Dao ?

• Yin ? (the visible) and Yang ? (the invisible)
  are called the Dao?. 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 ?
  (the visible) and Yang ? (the invisible) is
  called God ?.
• Let the will be set on the Dao?. Let every
  action be based on morality and be firmly
  grasped. Let every work be motivated by love.

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??Mencius 2000 Year ProphecyOf A Coming King
Birth Of Jesus Christ
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Jiaguwen???

• These oracle bones revealed the creation account
  through the inscriptions and character formations.

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How Shun ?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."'

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How Shun ?got the throne by the gift of Heaven.

1. 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.
2. '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.
3. '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."'

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Heavens Decree ??

• The ancient Chinese were familiar with the nature
  of Heavens Decree.
• There is no mistake about the decree of Heaven.
  The purpose of the divine commandments are all to
  the same good effect.
• Gods 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.

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Who is Confucius ???

• 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.

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Confucius Heart Desire ????

• "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."

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Tian Tan??

• Mystery concerning the 450-year-old Temple of
  Heaven complex
• in Beijing, China.

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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 ?? '
?
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Why ??is so Important?

• The great philosopher Confucius ??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 Earthwould find the
  government of a kingdom as easy as to look into
  his palm!

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Shu Jing ??(Book of History)

• One of the earliest accounts of the Border
  Sacrifice was found in the Shu Jing??, compiled
  by Confucius ?? himself.
• Throughout the Chinese Classics (????) and
  especially in the oldest two, the Book of Odes
  (??) and the Book of Historical Documents (??),
  Confucius lifted up Heaven (?) as the Supreme God.

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Confucius Belief In ??

• 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 ?? was the account of
  Emperor Shun? (c. 2230 BC) that he sacrificed to
  ShangDi ??.

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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

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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 ?? was attributed with the making of
  the first idol image in Chinese history.

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Confucius Humility

• The Master ?? said
• "The sage and the man of perfect virtuehow 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.

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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.

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Who is ShangDi ???

• This name literally means the Heavenly Ruler??.
  By reviewing recitations used at the Border
  Sacrifice, recorded in the Statutes of the Ming
  Dynasty ????(AD 1368), one may begin to
  understand the ancient Chinese reverence for
  ShangDi.

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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!'

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Annual Dedication

• 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.'

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Similar To Genesis

• 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 11-2, 9-10, 16, 27-28)

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• El-Shaddai ShangDi
• 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?)". 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 336, 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 92) - a
  practice which began in earliest times (Genesis
  43,4 820).
• The most ancient forms of the pictographic
  Chinese writing were found the foundational
  truths of the Judeo-Christian 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 315. The
  foreshadowed sacrifice of the coming Lamb of God,
  Creator and Saviour, is as old as mankind.

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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!