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For thousands of years the Chinese offered a young unblemished bull to Shang Ti (Shang Di) in the Border Sacrifice which ended in 1911 AD.[1]
The Chinese term for God is Shang Ti (上帝) or
Sovereign Above or Supreme God. “Heaven”
is often used as a way to refer to God.
Some Chinese scholars explain that, “It is not lawful to use the name of
Shang Ti lightly, and therefore we name Him by His residence, which is Tien (天), or
heaven - on the principle that 'the Court' stands for 'the Emperor.'” An ancient History of China states that, “The
Yellow Emperor (2698-2598 BC) sacrificed to Shang Ti, gathered the whole
populace together, and diffused among them (the principles of) government and
religion.” The Border Sacrifice was also
led by Emperor Kù (K’u) aka Dì Kù or Gaoxin or Gāoxīn Shì or Qūn (夋), who
was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor and lived from 2435-2366 BC. K’u was the father of the much-quoted Emperor
Yao.
(Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics – Hastings,
Vol. 6, p. 272)
The Border Sacrifice is referenced by Confucius in his Shu
Jing (Book of History) where he mentions that Emperor Shun (~2230
BC) sacrificed to Shang Ti.[2]
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Mencius (孟子, Mèngzǐ), born Meng Ke (孟軻), was a Chinese Confucian philosopher and lived around 371 to 289 BC. He said, “Though a man may be wicked, yet if he adjust his thoughts, fast, and bathe, he may sacrifice to Shang-Ti” (Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics – Hastings, Vol. 8, p. 549).
During the Border Sacrifice songs are recited:
[First Song] 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 the moon to shine. In the midst thereof three existed neither
form nor sound. Thou, O Spiritual Sovereign, camest forth in Thy presidency, and first didst divide the grosser
parts from the purer. Thou madest heaven;
Thou madest earth; Thou madest man. All
things with their reproducing power, got their being.
[Second Song] O Te [Shang Ti]
when Thou hadst separated the Yin and the Yang (the heavens and the earth). Thy creating work proceeded. Thou didst produce, O Spirit, the sun and the
moon and the five planets, and pure and beautiful was their light. The vault of heaven was spread out like a
curtain, and the square earth supported all on it, and all things were happy. I, Thy servant, venture reverently to thank
Thee, and while I worship, present the notice to Thee, O Te, calling Thee
Sovereign.
(Notions of the Chinese
Concerning God and Spirits by James Legge, p. 28)
[Sixth Song] When Te, the Lord, had so decreed, He called into existence heaven, earth, and man. Between (heaven and earth) He separately disposed men and things, all overspread by the heavens. I, His unworthy servant, beg His (favoring) decree, to enlighten me His minister - so may I forever appear before Him in the empyrean [the 9th or Highest Heaven].
[Seventh Song] All the
numerous tribes of animated beings are indebted to Thy favor for their
beginning. Men and things are all
emparadised in Thy love, O Te. All
living things an indebted to Thy goodness, but who knows from whom his blessings
come to him. It is thou alone, O Lord,
who art the true parent of all things.
[Eighth Song] The precious
feat is wide displayed; the gemmeous benches an arranged; the pearly wine is
presented - with music and dances. The
spirit of harmony is collected; men and creatures are happy. The breast of His servant is troubled, that he
is unable to express his obligations.
[Ninth Song] The service of
song is completed, but our poor sincerity cannot be expressed. Thy sovereign goodness is infinite. As a potter hast Thou made all living things. Great and small are sheltered (by Thy love).
As engraven on the heart of Thy poor servant, is the sense of Thy goodness …
(Notions of the Chinese
Concerning God and Spirits by James Legge, p. 29)
Note the parallels to Genesis and other Scriptures:
Before Christ came, animal sacrifices were required (Gen.
3:21, 4:4, 8:20,21, Leviticus, Is. 53).
In the beginning, darkness before light (Gen. 1:1-5).
The Sun, Moon and Planets were made after the beginning
(Gen. 1:14-19).
Man was made after the Heavens and the Earth (Gen. 1:26-31).
The Holy Spirit’s work in creation (Gen. 1:2, Job 33:4).
“All things were happy” before the Fall and Curse (Gen.
1:31, 3:8-24; Eccl. 7:29).
God has a decree (Is. 46:10, Eph. 1:11).
The afterlife is real (Ps. 23:6, Dan. 12:1-3).
There is only one true God (Dt. 6:4,13-15; Is. 45:5)
Worship with music and dancing (Ps. 150).
God’s goodness is infinite (Ps. 147:5, Is. 40:28).
Creation Ex Nihilo (Gen. 1:1, Heb. 11:3, Ps.
33:6-9).
The Lord is the potter (Is. 64:8, Jer. 18:1-6, Rom. 9:21,
Job 10:9).
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… the story of the Flood
appeared as early as 1000 BC in the Book of Odes (Shih Ching) and the Book
of Documents (Shu Ching). This
latter contains the earliest writings in China, predating the oracle bone
inscriptions. The Flood story was also
the most pervasive of all other legends in ancient China. The Shu Ching records: “The flood
waters were everywhere, destroying everything as they rose above the hills and
swelled up to Heaven.”[3]
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Ancient Chinese Border Sacrifice:
https://tasc-creationscience.org/article/beginning-shang-di
The Original “Unknown” God of China by Dr. Ethel Nelson:
https://answersingenesis.org/genesis/the-original-unknown-god-of-china/
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Planning a visit to Beijing?
https://www.trip.com/guide/attraction/temple-of-heaven.html
Our Creation Study (via Midwest Christian Outreach) – 9
episodes so far!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJdelscNsYMszOH6dhLx4-CRMqGKfU6-z
My books challenge Darwin & Deep Time (vids &
podcasts 2):
That The World May Know:
Notes:
1) God’s Promise to the Chinese by Ethel Nelson
& Richard Broadberry (Read Books, 2014), p. 1.
2) Ibid., p. 2.
3) Ibid., p. 113.
** kudos – graphic sources:
https://chatgpt.com/c/6a71e500-2330-83ea-b2cb-fdba950fbc29
https://www.hantrainerpro.com/hanzi/shangdi_god-chinese-character.jpg
https://dimg04.tripcdn.com/images/0M70b12000lyxf5pjF167_Q60.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ae/80/fe/ae80fe13baea5868425421b66e61778b.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ce/06/4f/ce064fcc70fd2c24a3bde2852718389b.jpg
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