God

1
Gods Chinese Son
Hóng Xiùquán (???, born Hong Renkun ???, Courtesy
name Huoxiu ?? (January 10, 1812-June 1, 1864)
was a Hakka Chinese Christian who led the Taiping
Rebellion and established the Heavenly Kingdom of
Great Peace, in which he was known as the
Heavenly King (??, Tian wáng).
2
Protestant Christianity in China

• Robert Morrison (1782-1834) of the London
  Missionary Society came to Hong Kong in September
  1807.
• Morrison worked in Hong Kong from 1807 until his
  death in 1834, studying the language, compiling a
  Chinese dictionary and grammar and translating
  the Bible.
• Liang Afa was one of the Society's first
  converts.
• Morrison says, "Leang Afa is busy on the
  Scripture Lessons, but I am in constant fear
  for his safety, as he is carrying on the printing
  in the city of Canton (present day Guangzhou)."
• In September 1828 Liang wrote to Morrison "But
  the people here are all deceived and sunk in
  stupidity, respecting vain idols. Although I take
  the truth and exhort them, all my strength is too
  small to overcome such a multitude."
• Nevertheless it was Liang's tracts in Chinese
  which first introduced Hong Xiuquan to
  Christianity in 1836.

3
On the Street Where the Dragon Hides

• In 1832, only a handful of Westerners lived in
  China. Edwin Stevens was in Canton (Guangzhou)
  evangelizing.
• Stevens was a graduate of Yale College and the
  New Haven Theological Seminary, and chaplain of
  the American Seaman's Friend Society. He often
  gave bribes to the guards of Canton in order to
  distribute religious tracts.
• He began to work with Liang Afa giving tracts to
  candidates taking the Confucian exams.
• On Longcang Jie, the street where the dragon
  hides Hong Xiuquan was given a set of Liang
  Afas Christian tracts called, Good Words for
  Exhorting the Age.

4
The Religious World of Hong XiuquanYan Luo, Lord
of the Hellsfrom The Jade Record
5
The Religious World of Hong XiuquanThe Wheel of
Rebirth
6
Meeting the Heavenly Family

• 1837 and the failure of the Provincial Confucian
  Examination for the third time
• The Dream of Remembrance
• The Father and Mother
• The Elder Brother
• The Heavenly Sister
• A New Name from Hong Huoxiu to Hong Xiuquan
• A New Title Heavenly King, Lord of the Kingly
  Way, Quan

7
Guanyin ?? was originally known as the
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and was depicted in
the male form. Gradually, the image became that
of a woman, and eventually, since the Yuan
Dynasty, the image became predominantly that of a
young woman known as the Goddess of
Mercy. According to Chinese tradition, Guanyin
was born on the nineteenth of the second lunar
month, achieved enlightenment on the nineteenth
of the sixth lunar month and achieved nirvana on
the nineteenth of the ninth lunar month. She is
usually portrayed in a trinity beside Shakyamuni
Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha. It is believed that
any sentient being who recites her name during a
disaster will be heard and helped by her. It is
said that Guanyin "observes the sounds,
suggesting she would always give attention to all
the pleas from the world and always listen to
requests from her worshippers. Although usually
depicted as the image of an ordinary woman,
Guanyin was believed to present herself in 33
different forms in order to save sentient beings
from the 12 disasters. Some images portray her
with 1000 hands, 1000 eyes, and with the 11 looks.
The Sister of Jesus and Hong
8
Scriptures Given to Hong How Hong
Interpreted the Scriptures

• The Qing Manchu rulers and the British foreign
  imperialists.
• The Confucians, Daoists, and Buddhists with their
  idols and ceremonies

• Your country is desolate, strangers devour your
  land Isa. 17
• Beware of false prophets, which come to you in
  sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
  wolves Matt. 715

9
Destroying the Demon Devils

• As a symbolic gesture to purge China of
  Confucianism, in 1843, Hong asked for two giant
  three-chi (?) long and nine-jin (?) heavy swords,
  called the "Swords that Execute the Vicious"
  (???) to be forged. He used these in smashing
  Confucian temples.
• In the same year, he also officially changed the
  name of the Buddhist Nine Immortals Temple (???)
  of Wuxuan District (???) to Nine Demons Temple
  (???).
• The Taiping forces destroyed hundreds of Buddhist
  and Daoist temples and forced many monks and
  Daoist priests out of their callings.

10
The Judgment of Confucius

• Jesus Speaking with Hong about Confucius
• Heavenly King (Hong) asked Heavenly Brother
  (Jesus) How is Confucius doing in Heaven?
• Heavenly Brother Before you ascended to
  Heaven, there were a few occasions on which
  Confucius was bound and whipped by Heavenly
  Father. He once descended unto the world and
  instructed people with his writings. Although he
  had some good points he often made great
  mistakes. All his books should be burnt during
  the Age of Great Peace (Taiping) However, since
  Confucius can be generally regarded as a good
  person, he is allowed to enjoy happiness in
  Heaven, so long as he does not descend again.
• Hong Xiuquan, Tianxiong shengzhi
• ????

11
Revision of the Ten Commandments Hongs
Exhortations to Worship the One True Godc. 1844

• Never follow lust, for it changes us into demons
• Always obey your parents
• Do not kill
• Do not steal
• Do not practice witchcraft and sorcery, trying to
  control ghosts (gui shen ??).
• Do not gamble, drink wine, or smoke opium

12
Becoming a Citizen of the Kingdom of Great Peace
(Taiping)

• I, your unworthy son/daughter insert name,
  kneeling on the ground with true heart repent of
  my sins.
• I pray to the Heavenly Father and Great God of
  extraordinary goodness and mercy to forgive my
  former ignorance and frequent transgressions of
  the Heavenly Commandments.
• I earnestly beseech the HF and GG, to extend His
  grace and pardon all my former sins, and permit
  me to reform my faults and renew myself, so that
  my soul may ascend to heaven.
• May I henceforth sincerely repent and reform, not
  worshipping false spirits nor practicing perverse
  things, but obeying the Heavenly Commandments.
• I also earnestly pray to the HF and GG, to bestow
  on me constantly His Holy Spirit, to change my
  wicked heart and never to allow the devilish
  demons to deceive me.
• I am blessed that every day there is food and
  clothing, and neither calamity nor hardship.
• In this world, may I enjoy peace, and in
  ascending to Heaven, may I enjoy eternal bliss.
• Blessed by the merits of the Savior and Heavenly
  Elder Brother, Jesus, who has redeemed us from
  sin, we pray through him to our HF, the GG who
  is in Heaven that His will be done on earth as
  it is in Heaven.
• Look down and grant my request. Amen.

13
The Taiping Society

• Within the land that the Taiping controlled, a
  theocratic and highly militarized rule was
  established.
• The subject of study for the examinations for
  officials (formerly civil service exams) changed
  from the Confucian classics to the Christian
  Bible.
• Private property ownership was abolished and all
  land was held and distributed by the Heavenly
  Kingdom.
• A solar calendar replaced the lunar calendar.
• The society was declared classless and the sexes
  were declared equal. It was the first Chinese
  regime ever to admit women into examinations for
  rulership.
• Foot binding was banned.
• Monogamy was promoted and having concubines
  outlawed.
• Other new laws were promulgated including the
  prohibition of opium, gambling, tobacco, alcohol,
  slavery, and prostitution.

14
Marching Orders for the Taiping Army

• Each of you who believes in the Spiritual
  Father will be a bold warrior.
• High Heaven has appointed you to slay the demon
  devils the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Elder
  Brother constantly watch over you. All men and
  women officers, grasp your swords, and give no
  heed to changing whatever clothes you happen to
  be wearing now.
• Untie your hearts, rouse your courage, and
  together slay the demons. Forget about your
  valuables and your bundles of possessions.
  Divest yourselves of worldly affections and
  uphold High Heaven.
• In High Heaven, in majestic splendor, you will
  enjoy happiness. The least and the lowliest
  shall all don silks and satins. The men will
  wear dragon robes and the women will be garlanded
  with flowers. Let each be a faithful officer,
  glorying in the battle.
• Hong Xiuquan, Tianming zhaozhi shu
• ?????

15
Vision for the Coming Kingdom

• How can it be that this perverse and unfeeling
  world cannot in a day be transformed into an
  honest and upright world? How can it be that
  this age so full of insults and violations,
  fighting and killing, cannot in a day be changed
  into a world where the strong no more oppress the
  weak, the many overwhelm the few, the wise delude
  the simple, or the bold annoy the fearful.
• Hong Xiuquan,
• Taiping zhaoshu
• ????

16
Taiping Tianguo (????)Nanjing the Heavenly City
17
Hongs Bible

• The first step in block printing uses the
  original document. It is laid on a large, smooth
  wooden block and fixed into place, reversed.
• Next, craftsmen of various skill levels, ranging
  from master carvers for the fine work, to less
  talented artisans for cheaper blocks or less
  important sections, carve the original painted,
  drawn or written image into the block of wood.
• The block can now be covered with ink and used in
  a press to create duplicates of the original.

18
On Correcting the Bible

• Your God has come down to you today for one
  reason and one reason only namely to inform you
  that both the Old Testament and the New
  Testament, which have been preserved in foreign
  lands, contain numerous falsehoodsit is no
  longer useful to propagate these books
• Nanjing, July 7, 1854

19

• Hongs Bible
• Gen. 1 26, God said, I will make man.
• Gen. 191, And the Lord True God came to Sodom
• Gen. 2732, Who are you? He answered, I am
  your second son Jacob. Please sit up, and eat
  this savory food, and give me your blessing.
• Ex. 2216-17, And if a man entice a maid that is
  not betrothed, and lie with her, he is breaking
  the seventh commandment. If her father knows of
  the matter, then he must hand over both the woman
  and her seducer to the officials, to be executed
  on no account may he, knowing what has happened,
  attempt to conceal it.
• Lk. 214, Glory to God in the highest and on
  earth taiping!
• Jn. 316, gave his eldest son, that whosoever

• Received Text
• Gen. 1 26, God said, Let us make man
• Gen. 191, And there came two angels to Sodom
• Gen. 2732, Who are you? He answered, I am
  your firstborn son, Esau.
• Ex. 2216-17, And if a man entice a maid that is
  not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely
  endow her to be his wife. If her father refuse
  to give her to him, he shall pay money according
  to the dowry of virgins.
• Lk. 214, Glory to God in the highest and on
  earth peace, good will toward men.
• Jn. 316, gave his only begotten Son, that
  whosoever

20
Hong and Western Missionaries

• Issachar Roberts, Baptist missionary from
  Shelbyville, TN, in Canton, 1837
• Joseph Edkins, Nanjing (Taiping Tianguo), 1861

• Hong inserts xiong ? for elder brother,
  crossing out only son.
• Marks through yu ?for figurative and writing in
  shi ? for real
• Adds But Christ and myself were begotten by the
  Father, and we saw God.

21
The Fall of the Taiping

• The Taiping Rebellion (18511864) was one of the
  bloodiest conflicts in history. At least 20
  million Chinese perished directly and indirectly
  from the Taiping Civil War.
• An attempt bv the Taiping to take Shanghai in
  August 1860 was repulsed by forces under the
  command of Frederick Townsend Ward, a force that
  would later become the 'Ever Victorious Army' led
  by 'Chinese' Gordon. Imperial Qing forces were
  reorganized under the command of Zeng Guofan and
  Li Hongzhang. The Imperial reconquest then began
  in earnest.
• By early 1864, Imperial Qing control in most
  areas was well reestablished. Hong declared that
  God would defend the Heavenly City Tianjing, but
  Hong died as the Imperial forces approached
  Nanjing in June 1864.

22
Uses of the Taiping Revolution in China