How the Chinese Came to Know the Eternal God

Introduction

Hello, when we started in Allanism, we thought it was a new religion with no connection to other religions, but the Eternal began to show us that He had already manifested Himself in various eras and to various peoples, as proof that He is the unique truth. 

This makes sense, after all, if He is the true God, He doesn't need missionaries, churches, or large sums of money to be known; He clearly manifests Himself throughout history, and today we have one more proof of His presence in the direction of human civilizations.

The Chinese and the True God

Long before the arrival of Buddhism, systematized Confucianism, or Taoism, the Chinese already conceived of a supreme and transcendent divinity, creator and orderer of the universe. This divinity was known by different names — Sh'An'gdi (上帝), Ti'An' (天), and Sh'En' (神) — each revealing a specific dimension of the same divine principle. 

Over millennia, this faith in a God of Heaven, just and sovereign, shaped the religious, moral, and political foundations of China. The worship of Tian and Shangdi predates philosophy and deeply influenced later thought, from Confucianism to Taoist cosmology.

1. Shangdi (上帝): The “Lord on High”

The oldest records of Chinese religion come from the oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang dynasty (17th–11th centuries B.C.). In them, the name Shangdi (上帝) appears repeatedly as the supreme deity — a spiritual being who governs the heavens and controls the destiny of kings and peoples. 

Shangdi is described as a celestial sovereign, lord of natural forces, and moral judge. The prayers of the Shang kings reveal a relationship of dependence and reverence, similar to the worship of a personal and transcendent God.

> “I dare not not serve Shangdi; may He grant me life and virtue.”

> — Oracle inscription, c. 1200 B.C.

> 

These records show that Shangdi was not a local deity, but the God of the heavens, above all spirits and ancestors. His worship was reserved for the king — the mediator between Heaven and Earth — which reinforced the sacred nature of primitive Chinese political power. However, this political use eventually distanced common people from the worship of the Eternal.

2. Tian (天): The Moral Heaven

With the rise of the Zhou dynasty (11th–3rd centuries B.C.), the term Tian (天) became central. Although it originally meant “sky” or “celestial vault,” the concept gained spiritual depth and came to designate a moral and conscious entity. 

The Zhou kings claimed to have received the Mandate of Heaven (Tiānmìng, 天命) to govern, which legitimized their authority while also conditioning it on virtue.

In the Book of Documents (Shujing), one of the Confucian classics, King Tang declares:

> “It is not for me, the little man, that I dare undertake such a mission, but it is Heaven (Tian) who commands me to destroy the wicked.”

> — Shujing, “Tang Shi” (Tang’s Discourse), 11th century B.C.

> 

This verse marks a decisive turn: Tian replaces Shangdi as the predominant name for the supreme deity. Heaven is not merely physical, but ethical and personal, a distributor of justice and a maintainer of cosmic harmony. 

Thus, the idea was born that Heaven rewards virtue and punishes tyranny, which would become a pillar of Chinese morality and politics. Faith in Tian implies obedience to moral laws and respect for the natural order — a spiritual link between humanity and divinity.

3. Shen (神): The Divine Spirit

The term Shen (神), generally translated as “spirit” or “divinity,” is more comprehensive and expresses the dynamic and active aspect of Heaven. In ancient texts, Shen represents both the creative power of the universe and the spiritual manifestations emanating from Tian and Shangdi.

In the Classic of Rites (Liji), it is read:

> “Heaven produces the spirits (shen) and the laws; the sages follow the ways of Heaven and preserve them among men.”

> — Liji, 6th century B.C.

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In this way, Shen is how the divine acts in the world. While Tian represents supreme authority and the moral principle, and Shangdi the transcendent Lord, Shen indicates the living and spiritual presence of the divine in created things. 

Chinese tradition did not conceive of a rigid separation between Heaven and Earth: the spirit (shen) permeates all dimensions of being, serving as the invisible link between the human and the divine.

4. Spiritual Unity: From Heaven as Space to Heaven as God

Over the centuries, the concepts of Shangdi, Tian, and Shen were reinterpreted but never entirely separated. In many traditions, Tian became the impersonal name for a universal principle, while Shangdi continued to be remembered as the sovereign God of the ancestors. 

Shen remained the active spiritual force of the cosmos. For Confucius, Heaven was the foundation of moral order and providence. He affirmed:

> “At fifty, I came to know the decrees of Heaven.”

> — Analects, II, 4.

> And also:

> “Heaven knows me.”

> — Analects, XIV, 35.

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These words reveal a profound personal relationship and trust between the sage and Heaven, reaffirming that Tian was not merely an abstraction, but a Being who guides and judges.

5. An Eternal and Transcendent God

Observing the primitive Chinese tradition, it is clear that Shangdi, Tian, and Shen express complementary dimensions of the same eternal and transcendent God:

 * Shangdi — the Supreme Sovereign, creator and legislator.

 * Tian — the moral Heaven, judge and maintainer of universal order.

 * Shen — the vital and immanent Spirit that sustains life and harmony.

Long before contact with the West, the Chinese already recognized a supreme, morally perfect, and omnipotent Being, whose will governed kings and peasants, nature and cosmos. 

This recognition, even if shrouded in ancient symbols and rites, reveals a deep intuition that there is a God above time, eternal, invisible, and transcendent, but also present in all creation.

Conclusion

The study of ancient Chinese traditions shows that the people of China, since the beginnings of their civilization, have kept alive the consciousness of a God of Heaven — the same eternal principle that inspires order, virtue, and justice. 

Shangdi, Tian, and Shen are not just historical names, but testimonies to a universal human quest: to understand the mystery of the divine. Thus, when the Chinese looked to the Heavens and invoked Tian, they already recognized — perhaps without fully naming Him — the transcendent and eternal God who governs the universe and dwells within the human heart. 

Not only that, but the names themselves allude to the Eternal God Áll, since the name Tian (天), Shangdi, and Shen contain the Eternal name Áll in their compositions (an, en), the same can be said of the graphic representation for Tian which mentions the sacred name Áll~. 

Thus, we conclude our study today, and soon we will show how the Eternal manifested Himself in several other peoples throughout human history.

"May the Eternal bless us every day with His wonderful knowledge!"

Aisi~