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The Ming Dynasty lasted from 1368 to 1644 AD. From the Han 漢 Dynasty until the end of the Yuan
元 Dynasty, the emperors of China sacrificed to the five Ti's and six Heavens, rituals that began with
the corruption of the First Emperor of Qin. However, the Ming desired to return to their true religious and
spiritual roots. So they appointed two committees at the beginning of their dynasty to investigate topics
pertaining to the corruption of the rites and music. After they had completed their research, the Ming family
altered the rituals that had been transmitted from preceding dynasties. They abolished the sacrifices to the
six heavens and to the five Ti's. These sacrifices, they maintained, had been added to the original rituals
performed by the Xia, Shang, and early Zhou, which knew of only two great border sacrifices -- those to Heaven
and earth. It was the Ming who researched their ancient beliefs and restored the emperor's worship of Shang-ti,
as close as they could, to its original form under the Xia, Shang, and early Zhou emperors. Based on their
research, they then built the Temple/Altar of Heaven for the worship of Shang-ti (i.e. Heaven) and attempted to
re-establish the rituals and music as close to its original form as possible.11 We can learn a lot about what
the ancient Chinese believed by Shang-ti by examining these rituals.
Located in southeast Beijing stands the monument called "Tian Tan" 天壇, built
specifically for the emperor's worship of Shang-ti. Although in English we know this monument as the "
Temple of Heaven," the word "tan" (altar = 壇 ) means "altar," not "temple
" (temple = 廟). Therefore, we can more accurately refer to it as the "Altar of Heaven."
This monument consists of several distinct structures that can be seen in the accompanying aerial photograph.
Notice the Circular Mound Altar 圜丘壇, Fasting Palace 齋宮, Danbi Bridge
丹陛橋, Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests 祈年殿, Imperial Vault of Heaven
皇穹宇, and Butcher Pavilion 宰牲亭. Among all the sights and wonders in
China, only the Great Wall rivals the Temple of Heaven in popularity as a tourist attraction.
After its completion in 1420 AD, the Altar of Heaven was repaired and expanded many times in the following 300 years. The two main builders were Emperor Jia Jing 嘉靖 and Emperor Qian Long 乾隆. It was here that the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties offered sacrifices to worship Shang-ti once a year on the winter solstice (approximately December 22). So important was this sacrifice that Confucius himself, when asked about the meaning of the "great sacrifice" 大 祭, replied: "I do not know. He who knew its meaning would find it as easy to govern the kingdom as to look on this; -- 'pointing to his palm.' " 12 We see that the meaning of these sacrifices to Shang-ti had already been lost by the time of Confucius. The rituals remained in tact, but its meaning was lost. The good news is that because Shang-ti is also the same God of Christianity, we can re-discover the meaning of these Heaven-worshipping rituals by comparing them with the revelation within the Bible!  The annual Heaven-worshipping ceremony began at the
Hanqiu Tan 圜丘壇, or Circular Mound Altar. The origin of this altar extends at least as far
back as the time of King Shun 舜, who offered sacrifices to Shang-ti at the Round Mound upon ascending the
throne. It was the Ming who had embellished this Round Mound into the Circular Mound Altar for offering
sacrifices to Shang-ti. Every year on the winter solstice the emperor would come in person to this particular
altar to pray and present sacrifices to Shang-ti. The sacrifice usually consisted of a "calf-bull, of
unmixed colour and without flaw." 13 It was here that the emperor reported to Heaven of the year's good
harvest and the country's prosperity, and asked Shang-ti to grant prosperity and peace for the coming year. But
why was the sacrifice supposed to be of unmixed color and without flaw? And why must it be offered upon an altar?
Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and
offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma.." Genesis 8:20-21 If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, you shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish… and he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Leviticus 1:2-4 And he said to Aaron, 'Take for yourself a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. Leviticus 9:2 We see here that the historical account found in the Holy Bible agrees amazingly well with the account
found in Chinese history! In fact, even the Chinese word for sacrifice 犧 bears witness to this truth.
。
These practices of offering burnt sacrifices began with Noah's sacrifice to the God of Heaven upon
exiting the ark after the Flood. The Bible clearly states that the sacrificial animals used in the burnt
sacrifices symbolize Jesus Christ. The sacrifice was usually either a lamb or an ox, and must be without flaw to
symbolize Jesus' perfection and sinless life. "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world!'" John 1:29
It became known as the Gate of Hell because all animals that went through it must die. None of the sacrificial
animals were allowed to walk on the Danbi Bridge. Perhaps the Chinese had some understanding that these
sacrificial animals symbolically took the penalty for their sin. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ was the
sinless sacrifice who took the penalty of our sins by suffering and dying a horrible death on the cross. On the
third day, he rose from the dead never to die again! If we only would believe in Him, we shall be saved, and have
eternal life.
A close up view of the Danbi Bridge.
The Gate of Hell, an arched gateway located beneath the Danbi Bridge
The Zhai Gong 齋宮, or Fasting Palace, was located near the West Gate. It was at the Zhai Gong
that the emperor fasted for three days before he was allowed to worship Heaven. In addition to fasting, he also
abstained from recreation, women, and handling of criminal cases. The emperor must demonstrate his humility and
pure heart toward Shang-ti before he can worship him. Shang-ti would accept nothing less than the emperor's whole
heart, mind, and soul. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Psalms 66:18
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." Mark 12:30
Exterior view of the Imperial Vault of Heaven
The Imperial Vault of Heaven 皇穹宇, located directly north of the Circular Mound Altar,
was used exclusively to house the sacred tablets of Shang-ti and the ancestors of the royal family. Inside the
Imperial Vault of Heaven, the throne at the center served as the shrine of Shang-ti. A tablet with Chinese and
Manchu inscriptions engraved in gold is found erected upon this throne. These inscriptions read 皇天
上帝, or "Heavenly Sovereign Shang-ti", with its equivalent translation in Manchu on the
left side of the tablet. Although the Manchurians were a small minority in China, they somehow managed to
overthrow the Ming 明 Dynasty to establish the Qing/Ching 清 Dynasty. The Manchurians were not
Chinese, yet they acknowledged Shang-ti as the Supreme God of the Universe! We see here that Shang-ti is not only
the Supreme God of the Chinese, but also the Supreme God of all peoples!
"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?"
Jeremiah 32:27
On either side of the throne are lesser shrines of the ancestors of the royal family. The emperor came to the
Imperial Vault of Heaven on the day before the Heaven-worshipping ceremony to read prayers for blessing and burn
incense, respectfully inviting all his ancestors to worship Heaven before the official ceremony.
Fanchai Stove 燔柴爐, or Firewood Stove. It was here that the emperor would burn the
sacrifices that his officials had prepared and slaughtered for him in the Butcher Pavilion. Displayed on top of
this stove is a reproduction of a sacrificial ox. The practice of offering burnt sacrifices stems at least as far
back as the time of Shun 舜, who also presents burnt offerings to Heaven after ascending the throne. But
where did Shun get the notion of offering burnt sacrifices to Heaven? "If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, you shall bring your offering of the
cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a
male without blemish…and he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make
atonement for him" Leviticus 1:2-4
Photo of a Firewood Stove used to offer burnt sacrifices to Heaven.
Exterior of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest The Qiniandian 祈年殿, or Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, was also known as Qigutan
祈榖壇, or the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests. The entire structure was built one layer upon
another without a single brick or nail. It is renowned as an architectural masterpiece around the world. The Hall
of Prayer for Good Harvests was the sacred place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties prayed to
Shang-ti for good harvests. Because China was an agricultural society for thousands of years, fruitful harvests were vital to the prosperity of the people. The emperor openly acknowledged his dependence on the Heavenly Sovereign Shang-ti for his country's agricultural prosperity. According to the Bible, one way God reveals himself to other nations is through good harvests. "We also are men with like passions with you, and preach unto you that you should turn from
these vanities unto the living God, who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in it: Who
in times past allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness,
in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and
gladness." Acts 14:15-17 Although in the past, God allowed all nations to "walk in their own ways," yet he did not turn his
back on them. He still gave us rain and fruitful harvests. It was Shang-ti who has provided for our needs
throughout our five thousand years of Chinese history! It is Shang-ti who has made the Chinese the most populous
people in the world!
Interior of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, resides no idols but the throne of Shang-ti.
It is the only temple in all of China without an idol. Inside the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests resides no idols but the throne of Shang-ti at the center. On top
of this throne, the emperor placed the tablet of Shang-ti, which he took from the Imperial Vault of Heaven. It is
the only known temple in all of China without an idol. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (i.e. idols)" Exodus 20:4 How did the Chinese know that Shang-ti accepted only blood and burnt sacrifices? How is it possible that the
Chinese have a custom of offering sacrifices to Shang-ti so similar to the Jews' sacrifices to Jehovah? How did
the Chinese know that they were NOT to make an idol of Shang-ti? We see here that the historical account found in
the Holy Bible agrees amazingly well with the account found in Chinese history! These practices began with Noah's
sacrifice to the God of Heaven upon exiting the ark after the Flood. The God of Christianity did NOT ignore the
Chinese for 5,000 years of their history! He has always been there, and has always left a witness of Himself that
we might come to know Him personally!
In times past, God has allowed us to "walk in our own ways" by pursuing false religions, vain philosophies, and idol worship. He has overlooked our ignorance in the past, but now is commanding us to repent and receive his only begotten son Jesus Christ as our personal savior. "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world!'" John 1:29 Even the Chinese character for righteousness 義 shows us the truth of how we can be made righteous in
the sight of God.
In the Chinese word righteousness 義, notice that the character for lamb 羊 is on top of the
character for me 我. It is the lamb over me that makes me righteous! It is the lamb covering over me, and
especially my sins, that makes me righteous! That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God
has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10
The beginning of the Qing Dynasty, which lasted from 1644 to 1911 AD, marked the end of the Ming Dynasty.
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty in Chinese history. The Qing emperors left the rituals and music associated
with the annual sacrifice at the Altar of Heaven virtually unchanged from the Ming.
Emperor Kang Xi/Kang-hsi 康熙 Emperor Kang Xi of the Qing Dynasty was considered one of the greatest and wisest emperors in Chinese
history. He reigned from 1661 AD to 1722 AD. During his reign, a controversy raged among the missionaries
concerning the correct rendering of the Christian God into the Chinese language. The Jesuits wanted to use the
terms Tian 天 and Shang-ti 上帝 for the one true God. The Dominicans and Franciscans objected.
In fact, even one of the Catholic Bishops by the name Maigrotasserted asserted that Heaven was a material thing
and should not be worshipped. This controversy was eventually presented to emperor Kang Xi, who issued the
following statement:
"I had agreed with the formulation the Peking fathers (i.e. Jesuit Missionaries) had drawn up in 1700: that Confucius was honored by the Chinese as a master, but his name was not invoked in prayer for the purpose of gaining happiness, rank, or wealth; that worship of the ancestors was an expression of love and filial remembrance, not intended to bring protection to the worshiper; and that there was no idea, when an ancestral tablet was erected, that the soul of the ancestor dwelt in the tablet. And when sacrifices were offered to Heaven it was not the blue existent sky that was addressed, but the Lord and Creator of all things. If the ruler Shang-ti ( 上帝) was sometimes called Heaven, Tien ( 天), that had no more significance than giving honorific names to the emperor." 14 Later, when Kang Xi was pressured by missionaries to accept baptism, "he always excused himself by saying that he worshipped the same God as the Christians." 15 We see that Emperor Kang Xi understood that both Shang-ti 上帝 and Heaven 天 to stand for the one Supreme Being, the same God of Christianity! From our brief study of Chinese history, we can clearly see that the Supreme God Shang-ti 上帝 has
always left himself a witness from the very beginning to the present day so that we might know come to know him
personally. He has never ignored nor forsaken the Chinese people. He is the sovereign God who has created all
things, and has made the Chinese the most populous people group in the world. God must love the Chinese very much!
Throughout our history, we drank from the river of God's abundant blessing. The famous Chinese proverb 飲
水思源 literally means "when you drink water, remember the source". We have taken
Shang-ti's abundant blessings, but we have neglected and forgotten him.
Man was created to worship and have fellowship with his Creator God. When we cannot or will not do that, we will very quickly find other things to fill the spiritual void in our lives, but they never can. Only the one true Creator God, Shang-ti, can fill the deepest voids in the human heart! Throughout our history, we have pursued vain philosophies and religions through Buddhism, Taoism, Atheism, ancestral worship, agnosticism, idol worship, and the mere worship of human beings whom we made into gods. We have turned our backs on our true roots in Shang-ti. It is time to acknowledge the true source of all our blessings in the eternal God Shang-ti. Will you return to your roots now in the Eternal God, Shang-ti? Shang-ti sent His one and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for your sins and mine. God did not ignore the Chinese for 5,000 years of their history. Christianity is not a western religion. Will you repent of your sins and put your faith in the Supreme God Shang-ti, who has always watched over the Chinese people for thousands of years? We must each personally receive Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord of our lives to be saved from the penalties of our sins. Shang-ti knows your heart, and is not concerned with your words as much as He is concerned with the attitude and sincerity within your heart. Jesus said: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will
come in to him and dine with him, and he with me."
Revelations 3:20 Jesus Christ is asking you to open the door of your heart. Will you repent of your sins now and ask Christ
to come into your life? The following is a suggested prayer: "Heavenly Father, I realize now that you are the true source of all the blessings in my life. I never
thanked you as I should have. I've never worshipped you as the one true God of all creation. Yet you still
blessed me. I realize that my sin deserves to be punished. I believe that you sent your only begotten son, the
Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for my sins. I know I am a sinner. I believe you died for me and
resurrected from the dead. I trust in you alone as my Savior. I open the door of my heart and life to receive
you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
"
Does this prayer express the desires of your heart? If so, please pray this prayer right now. If you have prayed this prayer, or would like someone to lead you through this prayer, please contact us. Our contact information is provided below. email: Chinese4Jesus@yahoo.com web: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~davytong/publications/ If you are interested in learning more about your Chinese roots, about our church, or about how to become a Christian, please give us a call, or come and visit! Thank you for taking the time to read this pamphlet. You may also contact the person or church group that gave you this pamphlet at the following address: Shangti-Research Dept. |
