The Discovery of Genesis (20 page)

Interestingly, the three mouths written as an independent word in a different form
mean
conduct or actions.
Supposedly the ancient Chinese accepted the words spoken by the three mouths with authority as their rule of conduct.

The final component of
Spirit
, written
, is made up of three radicals,
, signifying
man, work, man.
Notice also that a third
man
is inside the word
work
.
²
In its original composition, the upper horizontal stroke represented
heaven
, while the one at the base indicated the
earth.
The vertical stroke joining them together depicted a person
working.
Therefore, there are really three persons working together under heaven upon the earth
, illustrating again the concept of three personages operating together in the creation of the earth. Three
men
have three
mouths
.

However the whole character
means a
worker of magic.
What more descriptive title could be given to the Spirit of God in that first week of creation? “By faith we understand that the world was created by the
word of
God, so that
what is seen was made out of things which do not appear
” (Hebrews 11:3). Today the Chinese also apply this word
to a
witch, wizard, or one devil-possessed.
What a pity that the spirit of the devil has replaced the Spirit of God in the interpretation of this symbol!

As one contemplates the entire character for the
Spirit
,
³
one might well marvel at its composition. This word alone profoundly reveals the history of the Spirit of God: His “moving upon the face of the deep” at the time of creation, and His work through the different ages as the representative of the God-head to this earth. This would seem to indicate that the Chinese had a true concept of the Trinity.