Hong Xiuquan (1814-1864), founder of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement
For the benefit of the historically unaware Christian reader, Hong Xiuquan (1814-1864) was the leader of a peasant revolt that nearly destroyed the existing Chinese government under the Ching or Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). He founded the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement (Tai Ping Tian Guo), which misused the name of Christianity for its political agendas. He also was responsible for the founding of the “God Worshipping Society” (Bai Shang Di Hui) before founding the Taiping movement. He was originally a Hakka who was trying to pass the imperial examinations to enter the position of a government official. This failed miserably and he came into contact with the publications of a Chinese Protestant missionary Liang A-Fa, which led to his “conversion”. However, as will be demonstrated, the “conversion” was superficial, since he never accepted true Christian teaching when shown to him, and was subject to consistent demonic practices of deception. His movement died with him, despite survivors regrouping with other rebels, but its wickedness did not. The Chinese Communist Party sought to exonerate him and imitate the policies of Hong Xiuquan in terms of land and property, etc. Like the Taiping movement, the Communists also caused the deaths of many without care. A tree is known by its fruit! The Taiping movement was such a threat to China that even Western military forces had to be called in to quell its rebellion. A number of the Western military forces refused to help Hong in the beginning and helped the Chinese government, since there were a number of sound Christians who knew what the heretical teachings of the movement were and would stay clear away from it. This essay will demonstrate what the actual heresies of the movement was that merited such opposition from all.
A common assertation by many of our history books tend to say that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement of the mid 19th century was a “Christian” movement. What those who make such statements do not realize is that the actual beliefs of the Taipings, and more importantly, their leader, are anything but Christian. In fact, the beliefs of the Taiping movement were totally heretical and contrary to Christianity. To understand this, the actual teachings and beliefs of the Taiping movement, as well as Hong Xiuquan1 himself must be actually considered.
St. Ignatius Brianchianinov (1807-1867). An Orthodox Father and Theologian that gave many helpful ways of discerning prelist/demonic deception.
Those well meaning Christians who believe that his movement was actually Christian will begin by objecting: “Consider what his movement did throughout China. They did a lot to rid China from her superstition and idolatry. They destroyed those pagan houses of worship and brought many people to believe in the one God. They also got rid of many wicked habits such as foot binding and the like.” However, it is not the good works that are being placed under scrutiny here, but the doctrines of the movement and the leader. If good works were to be the means of examining one’s Christianity alone, then Arius would not be counted a heretic, even though he clearly taught the denial of the Trinity and the Deity of Christ as well as denial of the Deity of the Holy Spirit. If the criteria in the statement by objectors were to be the standard then you may as well count Muhammad, the founder of Islam, as a Christian, even though he clearly denied every fundamental teaching of Christianity. If one was to make such a statement to judge Christianity, then every known heretic under the sun would fit into that qualification of Christianity. However, people do not realize that heretics can also do good deeds, even at times to the shame of many Christians. Nevertheless, this alone cannot be the criteria for Christianity, let alone salvation. Christianity is unlike any other religion since salvation is not based on works but on grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, Christianity unlike any other religion, cannot have an incorrect understanding or removal of its founder, our Lord Jesus Christ and expect everything to remain intact. A beloved saint and theologian in the Russian Orthodox Church, Saint Ignatius Brianchianinov expressed it well in a letter to one of his spiritual children when he stated: “Take a good look at the New Testament and in general all of Holy Scripture: you will find that it demands fulfillment of the commandments of God, that this fulfillment is called works, that from this fulfillment of God’s commandments faith in God comes to life, as functioning; without works faith is dead, lacking any movement. And contrary to this, you will find that virtuous works of the fallen state, done out of feeling, blood, impulses or tenderheartedness– are prohibited, repudiated!” and also: “You are blessed if you recognize the difference between the virtuous of the spirit and of the heart, between the virtuous peculiar solely to the New Adam, and virtuous which the old Adam is capable of joining: between the virtuous of the Gospel and the virtuous of our fallen state, the virtuous to whom are not strange idolaters, Muslims and all such people who shun the following of sacred Truth… Faith is sacred and true only when it is faith in the sacred Truth, when it is faith which yields on the earth the human form of divine Truth, our Lord Jesus Christ. Any other faith, except faith in the sacred Truth, is superstition. The fruits of superstition are ruin. Such faith is condemned by God: it is the faith of idolaters in their idols, Muslims in their false prophet Mohammed and in the Qu’ran, heretics in their blasphemous dogmas and in their heresiarchs, and rationalists in their fallen human intellect. With this faith will the Antichrist be believed by his followers.”2 [Emphasis mine]. We also have the witness of the Holy Scripture on this matter which clearly teaches that salvation is only attainable in Christ and the correct Christ for that matter. (John 14:6; 8:24, 58; Romans 3:24, 25; Galatians 1:8, 9; Ephesians 2:1-10; I Corinthians 12:3; II Corinthians 11:4, 13-15). This objection thus answered, it is best to proceed to the actual beliefs of Hong Xiuquan.
The first thing that ought to cause one to cringe in their stomach is the assertation of Hong Xiuquan that he was the “younger brother of Jesus”3 This was not meant in the spiritual context that Christians understand it, that is in accordance with I John 3:1, that is by adoption into the family of God by faith, but rather in a context intended to elevate himself. By this, Hong Xiuquan intended to say that he was rather a second Messiah, someone directly in the bloodline of Christ, and thus worthy to be revered as such. This basis came as a result of a dream that he had when he had just failed the Imperial examinations in China, whereby he dreamt that God the Father and Jesus Christ had appointed him to rid the earth as a ‘second brother of Christ’ of what he termed “Yama demons” (a reference to the Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist religions and practices).4 The Holy Scriptures make it clear that even Satan can manifest himself as an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14, 15) and thus deceive many. What is also evident is that a man such as Hong Xiuquan was not intent on actually accepting the Truth but rather as with all false teachers, looking for something to confirm their sinful thoughts and imaginations. Of such, Satan and his devils look for to deceive under the guise of ‘searching’ that never leads to eternal life and away from the source, our Lord Jesus Christ. In Orthodox Christian teaching, there is a word that best describes such deception, which has no equivalent translation in a single word in English. It is the Russian word: prelest. Prelest is an all encompassing word regarding deception which includes primarily self-deception and most importantly demonic deception which includes certain kinds of dreams, visions and ‘prophecies’ as well as certain kinds of knowledge or ‘science falsely so called’ as the Holy Scriptures put it. (I Timothy 6:20). Hong Xiuquan was absolutely no exception to this and in fact, the Taiping movement tended to operate on the basis of continual ‘prophecies’ some of which were faked and others plain demonic throughout their entire life. As a warning regarding the nature of prelest, Hong Xiuquan and the Taipings by having such continual revelations that often served to boost the ego and deceive many, were no different from a certain monk in the 11th century, who later became St. Nicetas, Bishop of Novgorod in Russia. Before St. Nicetas became a saint, he was a monk who against the advice of his abbot, went into total solitary life in a cave. He then heard a manifestation that posed itself as “the Lord” which spoke to him and sent “an angel” to pray in his place. This manifestation then went on to tell him to only read books instead of praying, and people would come to be taught by him. He would always see “the angel” praying in his stead and also he would perform certain “gifts of the Spirit” [not much different from the Charismatic movement of today] along with reciting ‘prophecies’, some of which came true. Unexpectedly, he was able to recite the whole Old Testament by heart, even though he never read it. However, the deception was then uncovered when the fathers in the monastery noticed that he had an aversion to the New Testament. Through much prayer and fasting, the fathers of the monastery were able to not only uncover the deception, but also cause all the demonic activity (that was posing in the forms of ‘miracles’ and ‘prophecies’ along with ability to quote Scripture, which the devil also can do) to cease. He came to true repentance and achieved genuine sanctity.5 However, and sad to say, Hong Xiuquan and his Taipings never saw any error in his state of deception and never came to repentance unlike St. Nicetas. Even more tragic is the fact that he expected the whole Christian world to kowtow to his state of deception. Sounds very much like many of the pseudo-Christian cults with their doctrines and approaches throughout history! As an extension of this state of prelest, it was a known common practice among the Taipings and all their leaders, to fall into a state of trance to summon either “Heavenly Father” or “Heavenly Brother” (referring to our Lord Jesus Christ) to state a prophecy or assert authority of a leader6. There were times when fakery was involved but nonetheless, the diabolical also managed to penetrate through, as is typical of Satan manifesting himself as “an angel of light” (II Corinthians 11:14, 15). This is not much different from certain pseudo-Christians cults and occultic movements that resort to such measures, which is nothing short of mediumism. Prelest indeed has a very strong root in the Taipings!
If that were not serious enough as it is, then the fact that Hong Xiuquan deliberately denied and changed all biblical references to the deity of Christ and also the Trinity should be enough to shock any serious minded Christian. Hong along with all the other Taipings consistently denied the Trinity and the deity of Christ point blank.7 In fact, when approached by an American Baptist missionary to China, who hoped to correct his heresy to the orthodox path, he refused to accept correction and not only said that Arius was right in denying the Trinity and the deity of Christ, but went so far as to arrogantly claim that this missionary should have submitted to him as the hope for all Christians throughout the world.8 This smells not only of the spirit of Papism (some of whom had Arians for Popes), but more blatantly of the spirit of Antichrist and of Satan. I Corinthians 12:3 states that no one can confess that Jesus is the Lord except by the Spirit of God. I John 4:1-3 makes it clear that anyone who denies the deity of Christ by denying Christ is God in the flesh, is of the spirit of Antichrist. Arius, Charles Taze Russell(founder of Jehovah’s Witnesses and other like movements). Brother John Thomas (founder of Christadelphians), William Branham (a Pentecostal preacher that denied the Trinity) and Hong Xiuquan most definitely fit into this category as clearly stated in the Holy Scriptures. Hong Xiuquan not only denies these core truths, but goes so far as to deliberately ‘correct’ all the Bible verses that disagreed with his theology9, not very different from the Jehovah’s Witnesses with their so-called ‘corrections’ in their perverted “New World Translation”. In fact, the whole Taiping movement under the instruction and guidance of Hong Xiuquan set out to actually ‘correct’ any Bible verses not to their liking and come out with their own perverted ‘bible’.10 In fact, to make matters worse, Hong Xiuquan himself stated that all of the Old and New Testaments contain “numerous falsehoods” that they must correct in a new format “so that they become both polished and complete.”11 This is a very serious matter since the Holy Scriptures contain numerous warnings on people who are involved in directly changing the Scriptures. Deuteronomy 4:2 and 12:32 make it clear that the Scriptures are not to be altered by either subtractions or additions. Proverbs 30:5, 6 make it clear that because the Word of God is pure, then anyone who adds to it will be found to be a liar. Revelation 22:18, 19 lists the consequences of anyone who is guilty of such: their names shall be removed from the Book of Life and also their plagues (in eternity) shall have some additional plagues to it. Hong Xiuquan has already placed himself on the damnation list by already denying the deity of Christ and the Trinity since the Lord Jesus Himself has said in John 8:24 that anyone who refuses to believe that he is the “I Am” (a name meant exclusively for Jehovah), will die in their sins. He deepens the suffering of his damnation along with that of his followers, when they deliberately go out of their way to change the Holy Scriptures, as shown from the Scriptures already.
Since those heresies and demonic teachings as espoused by Hong Xiuquan and the Taipings are already bad enough, it is made worse when Hong Xiuquan inserts himself in the place of Christ and his colleague in the place of the Holy Spirit. The same Antichrist spirit that causes one to deny the deity of the Son also causes the same to assert his own self in place. This is very typical of the “man of sin” and “son of perdition” as described in II Thessalonians 2:1-7. Although this Scriptural passage is clearly a reference to the final Antichrist who will be world dictator, yet the parallel is seen in the life of Hong Xiuquan in asserting his own importance over that of Christ Himself. In his own commentaries on his own perverted ‘bible’, when making reference to Hebrews 7:3, a clear reference that belongs only to Christ, he calls himself by the title of ‘Melchizedek’ and to make matters worse, he calls himself pre-existent before all creation.12 How interesting to note that such a person would go out of his way to deny the deity of Christ and call himself on the level of deity! So typical of the Antichrist, whom the Holy Scriptures warn us will be like this: “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (II Thessalonians 2:4) Just as the Antichrist will negate true deity (Christ, the Father and the Holy Spirit) and other false deities to affirm his own, so too did Hong Xiuquan do the same for himself. Such was the case with Hong Xiuquan.
Yang Xiuqing (?-1856), heretical associate of Hong Xiuquan and was blasphemously referred to as “the Holy Ghost” by Hong Xiuquan. Was killed off by Hong Xiuquan in a power struggle.
In regards to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, Hong Xiuquan went so far as to not only deny the deity of the Holy Spirit as do the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their Russellite cousins, but added blasphemy upon blasphemy by calling one of his associates, Yang Xiuqing as the Holy Spirit.13 In fact, Yang Xiuqing was not only called the Holy Spirit but also “the Comforter”, a title that is exclusive to the Holy Spirit.14 When those who visited the Taipings came to ask “Who is the Holy Spirit?”, the common reply would be: “Of course, this would be none other than Yang Xiuqing.”15 In accordance with the Holy Scripture, the Taipings and their leaders, especially Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing are guilty of the unpardonable sin: blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 12:32) For that matter, there are many who have committed this unpardonable sin in history such as Muhammad, the founder of Islam, by calling himself by the same promise in John 14:16, 17 that was meant exclusively for the Holy Ghost; Charles Taze Russell by denying both the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit altogether; along with many of the other founders of pseudo-Christian cults. Hence, in accordance with the Holy Scripture plus the clear teachings of the Church Fathers [Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Basil the Great, John Chrysostomos (a.k.a Chrysostom), and others], the Taipings along with all the other pseudo-Christian cults have been guilty of commiting heresy that is damnable when denying the deity of Christ, the Trinity, the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit plus any other doctrine core to Christianity. Hence without apology, the Taipings have thus committed sins, which have made them current inhabitants of hell, promised to the Devil and his angels in rebellion.
Having discussed all the above, it must be pointed out that it is obvious that Hong Xiuquan and his Taiping followers were anything but Christian. In fact, bluntly stated, they are damnable heretics along with the Arians, Gnostics and other false religions and pseudo-Christian cults. Is it therefore little wonder that Western Christians [who although may not be Orthodox but nonetheless have enough Christian truth and doctrine to be accepted as Christians] such as Queen Victoria I and General Gordon16 went against the Taipings rather than with them, when it came to helping the Chinese government of the day to put down this civil rebellion? It would be obvious to all as to why these people along with many other Christian peoples in the West and for that matter, the East as well, would refuse to give support to the Taipings, let alone Hong Xiuquan himself.
Charles “Chinese” George Gordon (1833-1885), the British General that fought both Hong Xiuquan and the “Mahdi” in Sudan. A committed Christian man and fighter of antichrists.
The Holy Scriptures make it clear that a tree is known by its fruit, whether good or bad (Matthew 7:16-20) and it is evident not just to Christians, but the whole world, that the fruits of Hong Xiuquan and his Taipings were evil. A corrupt tree brings forth corrupt fruit. The Taipings along with any other heretic is in that category. The roots of the Taipings was not Christian revival, but rather rebellion against all authority, some of which is clearly given by God. (Romans 13:1-7). Their roots as a result was rooted in egotism of their leader, Hong Xiuquan, as well as heresies of various sorts. The fruit stemming from such corrupt roots are armed rebellions against the government; the oppression of people when in control17; the falsification of Scripture; internal strife and rivalry to the point where even leaders were killing each other off;18 and when the days of the Taipings were truly numbered, their leader led them out of their city into a wilderness, and made balls of weeds, which he mockingly called: “manna” and made the people eat it, which resulted in many deaths more than the sword of the government alone.19 If those evils were not enough, many of the surviving Taipings after the death of Hong Xiuquan, went to the aid of the wicked Islamic forces in China who were staging a rebellion against the government to establish an Islamic state!20 Indeed, the wicked assist the wicked, and heretics help infidels. The Taipings were definitely no exception! In fact, the works of the Taipings make John Calvin and Martin Luther smell more fragrant!21 Those works clearly are manifestations of deception and their fruits in play. In fact, this is one of the worst consequences on earth for following prelest to its end degree. Prelest always leads to self-pride, self allusion, and not to mention the destruction of lives in the process. More importantly, prelest leads to damnation of the soul as well as the damnation of many others.
The final defeat of the Taipings in the battle of Nanjing/Nanking in 1864.
In conclusion, the Taipings have been shown to be downright heretics and their leader and founder, Hong Xiuquan shall receive greater damnation for his role in leading men into this damnation movement. (James 3:1) This should serve as a severe warning to Christians not to deviate from the proper guidelines in the Scriptures as well as the proper guidelines to be found in Patristic teaching. When those professing Christianity depart from correct guidelines, they fall into the gutter in the wayside of heresy as did the founders of the various pseudo-Christian cults. (Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons or Latter Day Saints, Christadelphians, Seventh Day Adventists, Iglesia Ni Cristo, Children of God, Branhamites, Armstrongites or Worldwide Church of God and all other heresies). A word from Father Seraphim Rose regarding the nature of deception and how an Orthodox Christian, or for that matter, any sound minded Christian person should approach this age of deception and our fallen human natures subject to deception, would be timely:
Father Seraphim Rose (1934-1982). Orthodox monk and priest who wrote many works, amongst which is highly recommended Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future (1978-First Edition)
“The conscious Orthodox Christian lives in a world that is clearly fallen, both the earth below and the stars above, all being equally far from the lost paradise for which he is striving. He is part of a suffering mankind all descended from the one Adam, the first man, and all alike in need of the redemption offered freely by the Son of God by His saving Sacrifice on the Cross…He knows that man, out of self-love and weakness, is easily inclined to follow error and believe in ‘fairy tales’ that promise contact with a ‘higher state’ or ‘higher beings’ without the struggle of Christian life-in fact, precisely as an escape from the struggle of Christian life. He distrusts his own ability to see through the deceptions of the demons, and therefore clings all the more firmly to the Scriptural and Patristic guidelines which the Church of Christ provides for his life.”22 [Emphasis mine]
Glory be to our God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Both now and unto the ages of ages. Amen. (Doxa Theos Imon: ton Patri kai Yiou kai Hagiou Pneumati. Nin kai Aei kai eis tous Aeonas ton Aeonon. Amen).
1 I have used the Pinyin system for the pronunciation of names rather than the Wade-Gilles system which the old Western textbooks tend to use.
2 http://www.geocities.com/umaximov/ignat.htm
3 Jonathan Spence, God’s Chinese Son (1997), Flamingo, London, Chapter 20, p287-297
4 Ibid. all throughout book, this is consistently referred to. This was originally a Chinese Buddhist and Taoist reference to the King of Hell, better known as Yama (borrowed from Hinduism and filtered into Chinese Buddhism) or in the Chinese tongue “Yuan Lo Wang”.
5 This is a well known life story of Saint Nicetas, which many Orthodox publications have made note of. This has been well applied to a book by Father Seraphim Rose (1934-1982) called Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future, (2004), Fifth Edition, St Herman of Alaska Press, Plantina, California p144. This book is a must for the Orthodox Christian in this modern age filled with deception.
6 Spence, op.cit. all throughout.
7 Spence, op.cit.
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.p251-260
11 Ibid. p232, 233
12 Ibid. p297
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid. p232
15 Ibid. p293
16 I do not refer to Queen Victoria I and General Gordon loosely as Christians. They lived up to their names as Christians. The former was known to have consistently read the Scriptures throughout her life and advocated it to an Indian man who asked her about the secret of Britain’s success as an Empire. General Gordon was likewise a known Bible reading and practicing man. He even went out of his way to do Biblical research into the actual tomb of Christ in accordance with the Scriptures and archaeology. To this day, there is much mention of “Gordon’s Tomb” referring not to his own but to that of what he believed to be our Lord’s tomb. He did this not out of unbelief and spite, but to support the biblical truth of the resurrection of Christ.
17 At one stage, they made it a rule that men had to live separately from the women, even if they were husband and wife. This later changed. Furthermore, anyone who did not attend any meeting, even if ill, was punished severely. Much of their behaviour was not much different from the Communist Party in China. No wonder the Chinese Communist Party looks up to them! Birds of a feather flock together!
18 Even Hong Xiuquan went against the very associate whom the termed as “the Holy Spirit” and “Comforter”, Yang Xiuqing! In fact, there was a period where leaders were simply trying to get rid of the other using the name of “Heavenly Father”. This damaged the movement severely. This reveals what sort of spirit was behind the movement: Satan, since Satan is a murderer and liar from the beginning. (John 8:44)
19 See Spence, in his book for the last 2 chapters which discuss this in greater length than I am allowed to go into.
20 Spence, op.cit., last chapter and also on p297. It must be noted that the Taipings attacked every other professing non-Christian holy places (i.e Buddhist and Taoist temples) but for some ‘unknown’ reason, they left the Muslim mosques and Muslims in China alone. Talk about inconsistency in trying to wipe out anything that is not of the “true God” of the Taipings. They did not even spare professing Christian churches at certain points!
21 Lest anyone think of John Calvin and Martin Luther in a glowing light, they too caused the deaths of many also. Calvin had a downright heretic, Servetus burned at the stake. (Not even Orthodox Christians burn heretics or kill heretics. They are simply removed from the Church and anathematized but not killed with state machinery on the basis of being heretics). Luther had Anabaptists murdered and drowned. Calvin also when in control of Geneva, was using the sword to threaten the populace to conversion to Calvinism. Luther advocated similar measures, and even advocated state machinery to destroy Jewish synagogues. Not even St. John Chrysostom, with his sermons and homilies against Judaizers and Jewish practices, ever advocated any of the methods of these Reformers! However, the Taipings had exceeded cruelty and brutality, not to mention heresy, than the Reformers!
22 Rose, op.cit. p113-114
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