The term has two meanings. One is the supreme ruler of the universe, also known as the Ruler of Heaven. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, wizards were the intermediaries between humans and the supreme ruler. They asked for his orders by means of divination and conveyed them to humans. The other meaning is the supreme ruler of an empire or dynasty, that is, the emperor or monarch, including those of remote antiquity and those who had died; each was referred to as Son of Heaven. After Christianity was introduced to China, missionaries used this term as a translation of the word “God.”
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【引例】
先王以作樂崇德,殷薦之上帝,以配祖考。(《周易•彖上》)
皇矣上帝,臨下有赫。監觀四方,求民之莫。(《詩經•大雅•皇矣》)
Former kings thus created music to extol virtue, conducted grand ceremonies to honor the Ruler of Heaven, and worshipped ancestral tablets. (The Book of Changes)
August is the Ruler of Heaven, beholding the mortal world in majesty. He surveys and watches the four quarters, bringing peace and stability to the people. (The Book of Songs)