PureInsight | October 22, 2007
[PureInsight.org] The
"Revelations of John" is a collection of prophetic visions as seen by
the apostle John and the last book in the Bible. The name is a
translation of the Greek "Apokalypsis Joannou," and that's why the book
is sometimes also called the "Apocalypse." Actually it would have been
more correct to title the book "Revelations of Jesus," for it actually
concerns, as mentioned in its introduction, revelations made by
Jesus to the apostle John.
The revelations have been interpreted in many ways. When we take a look
at this book, and compare its content with the occurrences surrounding
the persecution of Falun Gong in today's China, we can find quite a few
parallels.
However first I would like to apologize in advance should anyone take
offence over this essay. It is not my intention to be disrespectful
towards the Bible, its contents or interpretations thereof. I simply
wish to present here some facts and similarities that I myself, as a
Falun Gong practitioner, find remarkable. I will mainly focus on Book
13 and leave it to the reader to decide whether these things are merely
coincidences or not.
The Red Dragon
Revelations 12:3 speaks of: "...a great red dragon, having seven heads
... and seven crowns upon his heads." The colour of communism is red,
as is the flag of the People's Republic of China. During the period
after the 15th Party Congress (from 1997 till 2002) the Central
Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) counted seven heads. The
members of the Central Committee are the supreme rulers within the CCP;
hence the heads wearing crowns. Given its history of bloodshed and
suppression, it is not unbefitting call the CCP a 'dragon."
The Beast
(13:1) "And I saw a beast
rising up out of the sea ..." Former Party Secretary Jiang Zemin was
born in the city of Shanghai, where he also began his political career.
Shanghai in Chinese literally means "rise from the sea."
(13:2) "Now the beast which I
saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his
mouth like the mouth of a lion." In literary circles, the old
communist bloc has often been nicknamed "a leopard." The grizzly bear
was the mascot of the Soviet Union. Thus, having the feet of a bear may
symbolize the beast walking down the same path as the old communists.
The verse continues: "And the dragon gave him his strength, and his
throne, and great authority." In those days Jiang was supreme military
commander (strength), head of state (throne) and Party Secretary of the
CCP (great authority).
Just like the dragon, the beast also has seven heads (13:1): "Having
seven heads ... and upon its heads the name of blasphemy." This
probably refers to the seven main culprits of the persecution, namely
Jiang Zemin and his henchmen Luo Gan (head of national security), Li
Lanqing (head of the 610 office, a Gestapo-like organization created to
eliminate Falun Gong), Liu Jing (vice head of the 610 office), Ding
Guangen (minister of propaganda), Zhou Yongkang (governor of
Sichuan province) and Zeng Qinghong (head of organization CCP).
As for blasphemy, Falun Gong practitioners believe that the principles
of truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance are the principles that
govern both heaven and earth; they represent the nature of all that is
good and divine. Truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance were
criticized by Jiang's regime, as "having nothing in common with the
Socialist and cultural development that the CCP pursues." A hate
campaign followed, ridiculing these principles, theism, and the like.
(13:3) "One of his heads ...
had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the
world marvelled and followed the beast." In 1999, minister of
propaganda Ding Guangen temporarily retreated from politics due to
illness and disagreements with Jiang Zemin over economic reforms. For a
while it looked like his career would be over, but Ding returned as a
member of the Politburo and vice head of the 610 office. After opening
up the Chinese economy, "all the world marvelled and followed the
beast."
(13:4) "...and they worshiped
the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with
him?" Opening up the Chinese economy after 50 years of isolation was
met with cheers the world over. As a nuclear force with an army of over
2 million soldiers, who would dare to attack Jiang's regime?
(13:5) "And [the beast] was
given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given
authority to continue for forty-two months." As party Secretary, Jiang
had the CCP's enormous propaganda machine at his control, which he used
to smear and demonize Truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance. A
typical aspect of propaganda is its inflated rhetorical style, hence
"speaking great things."
On June 13, 1999, the Central Committee issued an official document,
pressed by Jiang, which ordered all of the CCP's departments throughout
China "to engage in combat with Falun Gong." In the days that followed,
the CCP's propaganda machine began with the preparations for a
full-blown nationwide hate campaign against Falun Gong and all that it
represents: truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance.
Exactly forty-two months later, on November 15, 2002, during the 16th
Party Congress of the CCP, Jiang resigned as Party Secretary. For Jiang
it meant the end of his authority over the CCP's propaganda machine.
(13:7) "It was granted to him
to make war with the saints..." The definition of a saint is someone
who has overcome the evil inside himself and has attained great wisdom
or ascended to heaven; in other words someone who has succeeded in
cultivation practice. What has been called "a Saint" in the West, has
always been called an "Enlightened One" in the East. Both are the same.
Falun Gong practitioners also practice cultivation. They believe that
leading a life strictly according to the principles of truthfulness,
benevolence and forbearance, will lead them to overcome their negative
side and human shortcomings and enable them to achieve enlightenment in
the end.
Falun Gong practitioners believe in the principle that good is rewarded
and evil meets with retribution. Therefore they adhere to the principle
"don't hit back when beaten, don't talk back when scolded." Perhaps
this is what is referred to in verse 13:10: "He who leads into
captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be
killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the
saints." Even after eight years of persecution, Falun Gong
practitioners have never used violence or force against their
oppressors, which can be considered proof of their faith and
extraordinary forbearance.
Verse 13:7 proceeds: "And power was given [to the beast] over all
kindreds, and tongues, and nations." At the outset of the persecution,
nearly all the world's press and media unwittingly copied the lies and
slander of the CCP's hate campaign against Falun Gong. Jiang travelled
all over the world and personally handed out propaganda leaflets to
various heads of states, thereby misleading the whole world. Through
its embassies and consulates, the CCP has slandered and harassed Falun
Gong practitioners and intimidated government officials worldwide.
Fortunately the tide has turned, and everyone can now clearly see who
the wicked ones truly are.
The Second Beast
Verse 13:11 speaks of a second
beast: "Then I saw another beast ... and he had two horns like a lamb
and spoke like a dragon." This wouldn't be referring to the present
Chinese leader Hu Jintao, who has always ignored the persecution. A
better candidate would be Zeng Qinghong, vice secretary of the CCP, and
this for three reasons. One, the two dashes above the Chinese character
of his last name Zeng (曾) Resemble the horns of a lamb. Two, "speaking
like a dragon" refers to Zeng being a hard-line communist. Three, Zeng
is one of Jiang's closest trustees; he is the second most powerful man
in the CCP at present. Verse 13:15 says: "He was granted power to give
breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should
both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the
beast to be killed." It is mainly Zeng who keeps Jiang's persecution
policy going.
(13:13) "He performs great
signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in
the sight of men." The Olympic flame is ignited with the aid of
sunbeams and a lens. It was Zeng Qinghong who officially unveiled the
Olympic mascot in Beijing on September 6, 2007.
(13:16-17) "He causes all, both
small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on
their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell
except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of
his name." This is similar to the way the CCP issues economic licenses.
Such licenses can often only be obtained when one is affiliated with
the CCP or has performed certain duties for the CCP or has bribed a CCP
official. One is admitted to some companies or schools only when one is
a member of the CCP. In some companies everyone or even young children
in schools are forced to join the CCP. The initiation ceremony has the
new CCP member raise his right fist as he pledges his willingness to
give his life for "the Party."
The hats of the Chinese police and military have a red star, the symbol of the CCP, "on their foreheads."
666 - The Number of the Beast
Book 13 of the revelations concludes with quite a cryptic puzzle in
verse 18: "This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding
calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and
his number is 666." The Chinese language is quite unique as it makes
use of pictographic characters. The two Chinese characters that mean
"communism," are both made of six strokes. The character "Jiang" also has six strokes. Three times six strokes make for the Chinese
phrase, which can be accurately translated as "Jiang's communism".
In Conclusion
This essay is mostly a selection and compilation of earlier research published on Falun Gong websites like PureInsight and
Falun Dafa Australia, supplemented with personal research. In light of
presenting a convincing article, I have tried to compile as many facts
as possible and avoid looking for all too far-fetched interpretations.
I've mostly been quoting from the New King James Version.
Given that this affair is still in progress, it is impossible to
decipher the entire prophecy. I'm sure there are more things to be
found for the careful researcher.
[Author's Note: A previous article omitted Liu Jing and Zeng
Qinghong from the list of the seven heads of the beast (Jiang's regime). Instead
He Zouxiu and Bo
Xilai were mentioned. Given their part in the persecution, it seems only just to
include Liu and Zeng in this list. Even though He Zouxiu was a puppet of the
propagandamachine, he certainly wasn't a leading CCP official. Minister of
Commerce Bo Xilai is renowned for his diligence in executing Jiang's persecution
policy, yet he cant' be counted as one of the beast's heads because he did not
belong to Jiang's political fraction: Jiang twice
severely
hindered Bo's
political career.]
