We are pleased to announce the seventh book in our series on the mighty revival that has swept China during the past 50 years.
The China Chronicles are proving to be a great encouragement and are enriching the lives of those who read them.
Shaanxi (meaning "west of the mountain passes") is a province in north China that served as the cradle of Chinese civilization for thousands of years.
From Shaanxi came what the Chinese call 'Four Great Inventions' that changed the world-the compass, paper, printing, and gunpowder.
It is also home to the first recorded Christians in China, while the first known church building, constructed in 638, remarkably is still standing today.
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Below are excerpts from 'SHAANXI: The Cradle of Chinese Civilization: as we take a look at this fascinating part of China that has impacted world history in ways that most people don't realize.
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SADLY, HISTORY WAS THE LEAST FAVORITE SUBJECT for many people at school, because of the dry and boring way it was often presented.
In
SHAANXI: The Cradle of Chinese Civilization, the fascinating history of China is laid out in a relevant way that may amaze and surprise you, as you see how God's plan for the Chinese people has unfolded over the last several thousand years.
"Like endless boiling water, the flood is pouring forth destruction. Boundless and overwhelming, it overtops hills and mountains. Rising and ever rising, it threatens the very heavens. How the people must be groaning and suffering!"
EMPEROR SHUN AND THE 'HEAVENLY EMPEROR'
Emperor Shun lived from approximately 2317 to 2208 BC, making him a contemporary of Abraham according to some Bible timelines. Remarkably, the two patriarchs-despite living several thousand miles apart-shared many of the same characteristics in the way they sought to honor the true God of Heaven.
In a crucial decision that was to have major ramifications in China for countless generations, after ascending the throne Emperor Shun offered sacrifices to the Heavenly Emperor, Shangdi-which is the name still used for God in the Chinese Bible today.
The attributes of Shangdi include that He is the Creator of the universe, is all-knowing and all-powerful, cannot be represented by any image, and He controls all the affairs of mankind. Some have suggested the ancient Chinese must have heard of the sacrificial rites revealed by God to the Israelites, but Emperor Shun lived centuries before the Law of Moses was given.
This circular 26-foot high altar, discovered in the suburbs of Xi'an in 1999, is where Chinese emperors are believed to have offered annual sacrifices to the God of Heaven.
The earliest Chinese rulers offered their sacrifices to Shangdi atop a circular mound, during a ceremony consisting of nine stages. During the annual Border Sacrifice, musicians played tunes and ancient lyrics were sung which told of events in history dating back to God's creation. Just when these songs were composed, and how the ancient Chinese knew the information contained in them has baffled historians.
One song, the Zhonghe Zhiqu ('Song of Central Peace') said:
"In the beginning, there was great chaos, without form and dark. The five planets had not begun to revolve, nor the two lights to shine. In the midst of it there existed neither matter nor sound. You, O Spiritual Sovereign, came forth in Your sovereignty, and first did separate the impure from the pure. You made heaven; you made earth; You made man. All things became alive with reproducing power:'
A second song, Yuanhe Zhiqu ('Song of Beginning Peace'), began:
"Lord, when You separated the heavens and the earth, Your creative work had begun. You did produce, O Spirit, the seven elements. Their beautiful and brilliant lights lit up the sky and the earth. All things were good. I, Your servant, thank You fearfully, and while I worship, present this memorial to You, calling you Sovereign:'
While this worship was conducted, the emperor of China prostrated himself on the ground in sub-zero temperatures before Shangdi. In a third song, the emperor proclaimed God's love and the greatness of His Name:
"You have promised to hear us, for You are our Father. I, Your child, dull and unenlightened, am unable to show forth my dutiful feelings. I thank You that You have accepted our pronouncement. Honorable is your great Name.... As swallows rejoice in the spring, we praise Your abundant love:'
By offering an annual sacrifice, the emperor of China sought God's favor on the nation, and His blessing on their crops. Many centuries later, after China's capital was moved to Beijing, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty rekindled the annual sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven, observing rituals based on ancient records that stemmed from the time of Emperor Shun and his successors.
The annual sacrifices to the Creator continued for over one thousand years in China, until idolatry entered through the wicked Emperor Yu Di (reigned 1147-1112 BC), which started the Chinese race on a long slide into spiritual pollution and darkness.
In our next newsletter we will continue our look at the fascinating history of Shaanxi Province, which has shaped not only the direction of China but of the whole world.
We will share how the origins of some written Chinese characters reveal biblical truths that have been hidden for many centuries;
We tell how the leading astronomer in China at the time of the birth of Christ, a man named Liu Xiang, mysteriously left the imperial court for over two years after discovering a unique 'King star'. From the earliest Christian history in China, stories circulated that the Chinese were represented among the Magi who went to pay homage to the Savior of the world.
We will examine claims and physical evidence by a Chinese professor that Christians in China were present from as early as AD 86, only for his claims to be erased by the Communist Party, as an early date for the arrival of Christianity in China undermines their efforts to eradicate the faith and to label it as a tool of Western imperialism.
What People are Saying About the China Chronicles:
"These are not only really excellent books, but are rare and precious. The author goes inside the greatest revival in Christian history. Each book leaves me looking forward to the next one with greater anticipation:'
- Jeff Schuster
"These ground-breaking books are modern day Acts of the Apostles. Paul intersperses history with amazing miracles and events that make the reader want to read them again in case they read it wrong!" - Robert Johnson
"Strength for the soul, Cheer for the heart, Victory in Jesus!" - Judith Hannah
"The China Chronicles are a province-by-province, decade-by-decade account of God's astonishing work in China, 'the greatest Christian revival in history: I find each book in this series more intriguing than the last:' - Missions Catalyst Magazine
"I find The China Chronicles to be not only most informative but also fascinating and deeply moving. Hattaway's scholarship is impeccable but unobtrusive, for you are caught up in the thrilling narrative of God's work among the people of China over the centuries....
With each installment in the series, the author solidifies his position as one of the outstanding scholars of Christianity in China. Though not an academic, he is producing books of high academic value. Perhaps just as importantly, he writes with clarity, vividness, balance, accuracy, and passion....
Be careful before starting to read any of these works: You may not be able to put the book down! The energetic, vivid, and fast-moving narratives carry you along, and the telling of God's mighty acts among the Chinese never fails to grip the reader with its drama, pathos, and sheer magnitude, reflecting both the long history and great diversity of this nation and its peoples:' - G Wright Doyle (Director of Global China Center and Editor of the Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity)
