Ancient Chinese Astronomers Knew About Christ's Death

We celebrate our Lord's Resurrection this coming Sunday—the hope of every believer. But did you know that ancient China appeared to be aware of Christ's death?

The Chinese who lived at the time of Christ's death and resurrection noted that celestial signs took place and wrote about them in their records.

This is an excerpt from the article, “The Case of Christ and the Chinese Emperor”:

Emperor Guang Wu reigned during the time of Christ’s death and resurrection. The fact that he and astronomers knew Christ was God is shown in Chinese historical records dated around A.D 31.

“Yin and Yang have mistakenly switched, and the sun and moon were eclipsed. The sins of all the people are now on one man. Pardon is proclaimed to all under heaven.” History of Latter Han Dynasty, Volume 1, Chronicles of Emperor Guang Wu, 7th year.

“In the day of Gui Hai, the last day of the month, there was a solar eclipse. [The emperor] avoided the Throne Room, suspended all military activities and did not handle official business for five days.” History of Latter Han Dynasty, Vol. 1, Chronicles of Emperor Guang Wu, 7th year”.

Another historical record says:

“Eclipse on the day of Gui Hai, Man from Heaven died”. History of Latter Han, Annals, No. 18, Gui Hai...

Some say that the emperor's words, "The sins of all the people are now on one man. Pardon is proclaimed to all under heaven," were referring to himself. The theory is that when the solar eclipse occurred, he believed he must have done something dreadfully wrong and in penitence offered a liberal pardon to everyone.

But, “Eclipse on the day of Gui Hai, Man from Heaven died" lends itself to a Christian interpretation of the Chinese recording of the event. Is it true they recognized that the King of heaven had died?

It's definitely an interesting theory to explore. And it's bolstered by the fact that ancient Chinese script reflects Old Testament truths.¹

For example, their word "boat" is made up of three symbols: vessel + eight + people.

"To covet or desire" is made up of two symbols: two trees + women.

"To create" is made up of four symbols: speak + dust/mud + life + walk.

"Forbidden/to warn" is made of two symbols: two trees + God (in abbreviated form)

"Garden" is made of four symbols: dust + breath + two persons + enclosure.

And so on. So they knew about the flood of Noah, the garden of Eden, etc. Four thousand years ago they were even offering a bull for a sacrifice (yearly) with an invocation to a ShangDi—who sounds very much like the Creator. Or perhaps he was their "unknown God" in the way the Greeks in Paul's day worshiped one.

It's noteworthy that the Chinese characters I mentioned are the traditional ones, which their Communist government has sought to revise. Dennis Peterson, who wrote Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation, says they did this for two reasons: to make typesetting easier, and to remove built-in references to God in their language.

Remember the Magi from the East? They were probably from Persia, and so traveled 800 or 900 miles to see Christ. They were alerted to his birth by the signs in the heavens (they likely also had Daniel's prophecies): “We have seen his star.”

How many other ancient peoples saw celestial signs or knew of prophecies related to the birth or death of Christ, and passed down oral or written traditions from one generation to the next? It’s fascinating to consider.

Both general and special revelation attest to God. Truly, man is without excuse: God has made himself known.

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Acts 17:22-31

He has raised him from the dead. The death and resurrection of Christ is a literal, historical event, with significance for every tribe and nation under heaven.

He lives!

1. There is a brief section on this in the book, Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation by Dennis Petersen. He cites for his sources:

The Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage by Will Durant (1942)

The Discovery of Genesis by Ethel Nelson and C. H. Kang (1979)

God's Promise to the Chinese by Ethel Nelson (1997)

The Notions of the Chinese Concerning God and Spirits by James Legge (1852)

Genesis, Finding Our Roots by Ruth Beechick (1997)

See also the book, Genesis in Ancient China: The Creation Story in China’s Earliest Script by Ginger Tong Chock (this is one my teen recently read!)