The Year of the Sheep or Goat?

At the End of Days, God will not only judge each individual person, but will also judge nations. Jesus said in Matthew 25:31-33:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

The sheep represent the righteous who gave the hungry something to eat, the thirsty something to drink, invited strangers in, clothed the naked, looked after the sick and visited those in prison. The goats, on the other hand, represent the wicked who did none of such things.

In this year of Jubilee, will Singapore be a sheep nation or a goat nation?

Remarkably, this coming Chinese New Year will mark the beginning of the Year of the "羊" (yang). The term is broad enough to encompass goats (山羊), sheep （绵羊） or gazelle (羚羊). The article in the Sunday Times, "Sheep muscle in on Year of the Goat" (25 January 2015), explores these different interpretations:

Technically speaking, the different interpretations are not wrong. 

Assistant professor Lee Cheuk Yin, who heads the Department of Chinese Studies at the National University of Singapore, says: "As the Chinese character is yang, the zodiac sign could be interpreted as either shanyang (mountain goat), mianyang (sheep) or lingyang (gazelle) and still be technically correct."

If that is the case, how did the goat claim the coveted spot in the traditional Chinese zodiac in the first place?

The simple answer is that sheep and gazelles were not commonly found in ancient China, so the Chinese were not familiar with these other breeds.

Geomancer Thomas T., 50, who owns Geomancy Hut consultancy, says: "This is why, from a traditional perspective, it's inaccurate to call this the Year of the Sheep or Ram because the zodiac sign has always been associated with the mountain goat."

Another geomancer, Mr Kevin Foong, 35, agrees that the traditional Chinese zodiac is not open to interpretation.

"A goat's horns are a sign of strength, which makes it more majestic compared with the more docile sheep," he explains.

So traditionally, "羊" refers to the goat (山羊) rather than any other breed.

 

羊

 

Other sources have also highlighted that the pictogram "羊" resembles the face of a goat, rather than a sheep, thus supporting the view that "羊" refers to goat rather than sheep.

But the point of the article, as is obvious from its title, is that people are opting for sheep instead. The Sunday Times report reads:

A tour around Chinatown bears this out, with cartoony interpretations of fluffy sheep plastered on everything from red packets to banners and lanterns.  

At Chinatown store Giftmaster, which is selling mainly sheep soft toys for Chinese New Year, sales assistant Ivy Koh, 24, says: "Customers generally prefer sheep to goats as they're more adorable, so we stock more of those."  

Ms Angelia Lim, 50, manager of another store in the area called Feng Shui Specialist, has stocked both goat and sheep merchandise for Chinese New Year.  

While she has seen equal demand for both animals, she says: "It's usually middle- aged customers who opt for traditional goat merchandise, while the younger ones gravitate towards the sheep toys."  

Ms Camille Lin, 33, a Taiwanese tourist who was shopping in Chinatown, says sheep are also beating out the goats in the marketplace at home.  

"We have lots of cute sheep plush toys in Taiwan too. I don't think it dilutes the culture just because the zodiac sign is interpreted differently," adds the waitress.  

Businesses seem to agree. SundayLife! found more than 10 companies who have opted to market and design their festive merchandise or promotional materials around sheep or rams instead of the traditional goat.  

These include Nets, Starbucks, Schroders Investment Management and online retailer Zalora, as well as hotels such as Marina Mandarin, Hotel Jen, Hotel Re! and Royal Plaza on Scotts.  

Lego also has a limited-edition Year of the Sheep set, which comes with a matching hongbao.  

For Schroders Investment Management, choosing a sheep design for its corporate hongbao lent a contemporary touch.  

Mr Jerry Low, its head of marketing, says: "During conceptualisation, we found references to goats, sheep and rams and, after researching the provenance of each, decided to give our design a more modern twist by featuring sheep instead of the more conventional goat."  

Over at Royal Plaza on Scotts, general manager Patrick Fiat says the hotel opted to go with sheep for its marketing campaign as "their shape is rounder, which we felt was symbolic of fulfilment, unity and coming full circle in the Chinese culture". The hotel has also included lamb as part of its festive yu sheng (raw fish salad) special this year.  

Do not let the proliferation of sheep get your goat though, as there is still plenty of merchandise that is sticking to tradition.  

Both Singapore Post and The Singapore Mint have stuck to the classic interpretations of the goat for their official Chinese New Year stamp and coin collections.  

But The Singapore Mint has gone one step further to cater to different tastes and generations. While it uses the mountain goat for its official coin design, a spokesman says the mint has also produced cute money boxes in the shape of sheep that are pitched at kids.  

"The fluffy sheep seemed more relatable to prosperity and we thought it would appeal more to the younger generation," she adds.  

Brands such as BreadTalk have also stayed loyal, naming its festive goat-shaped buns Happy Goat Luck.  

At the end of the day, it does not matter whether you plump for the sheep or stick to the goat.  

As undergraduate Natasha Chong, 20, puts it: "The most important Chinese New Year tradition is to celebrate with your family, no matter the animal on your red packet."

One cannot help but to see the prophetic significance of this, not least due to the title of the article in the Sunday Times, about how sheep have "muscled in". Jesus said, "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it." (Matthew 11:12) The Book of Revelation tells of the ultimate triumph of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

Yet, as both Scripture and the article attest, both sheep and goats will remain. Prophetically speaking, there will be great confusion in the land, with both great light and great darkness, both contending for the destiny of the nation.

This year of Jubilee will be a year of choosing for Singapore.

Jesus the Returning Warrior, Lover and King

The Bible is a love story from start to beginning, despite the ups and downs, the betrayals and the persecution.

So key to the Biblical narrative is the passionate love between a man and a woman in marriage that the Bible begins and ends with a wedding. In the Garden of Eden, God made male and female, and united them as "one flesh" in marriage (Genesis 2:24). Likewise, the Bible ends with the marriage supper of the Lamb.

David and Michal

One passionate love story that began well but unfortunately ended badly is the story of David and Michal.

When King Saul noticed that his daughter Michal was "in love with David" (1 Samuel 18:20), he promised the hand of his daughter to David for the bride price of one hundred Philistine foreskins. (The choice of foreskins as a "trophy" was due to the fact that the Philistines were uncircumcised, unlike the Jews.) Though it was meant to be a trap so that David would be killed by the Philistines, God was with David and David more than succeeded in his task.

Instead of just one hundred Philistine foreskins, the returning warrior, lover and king (by this time, Samuel had anointed David) came back with two hundred foreskins, and "Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage" (1 Samuel 18:27). Once again, the Bible records that "Michal loved David" (1 Samuel 18:28). So strong was her passion for David that Michal helped David to escape from her father's jealous rage and lied to her father for the sake of her husband.

But this love story did not have a happy ending. While fleeing from Saul, David took other women in marriage as his wives. On the other hand, Michal was given away in marriage to Paltiel son of Laish.

By the time after Saul's death, and after David brought Michal back to him and returned to Jerusalem as king, Michal's disposition towards David had changed. The when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord at the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, "she despised him in her heart" (2 Samuel 6:16). David made sacrifices and burnt offerings, and blessed the people, but was confronted by Michal when he returned home:

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" (2 Samuel 6:20)

David did not appreciate the remark, and the Bible records that "Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death" (2 Samuel 6:23); though it is not clear why this was so, it is more likely than not that David ceased to have conjugal relations with her.

Jesus and His Church

The Book of Revelation tells of a much more beautiful love story of Jesus Christ - the Son of David as he was known to the people at the time - and His bride the Church.

Jesus Christ "loved the Church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." (Ephesians 5:25-27)

In the last days, the Church will be subject to intense persecution at the hands of the woman Mystery Babylon and the Beast. The Book of Revelation records that Mystery Babylon "was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus" (Revelation 17:6). But the Beast eventually betrayed and destroyed her.

The great multitude declares, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Revelation 19:7-9)

It is at this point we see Jesus come forth as a passionate Warrior, Lover and King:

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

(Revelation 19:11-16)

Jesus Christ and His army captures the Beast and the false prophet and throw them into the fiery lake of burning sulphur, and defeats the kings of the earth and their armies. Satan is defeated, the dead are judged, and then here comes the Bride:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

The Returning Warrior, Lover and King

Like David returning for his bride Michal, Jesus Christ fights the good fight and returns as a triumphant warrior king for His Church. But unlike David, Jesus Christ is not a fallen man, nor would he take additional wives. Unlike Michal, the Church is a Bride who loves her husband and willingly submits to His loving headship.

Here is a marriage covenant that will last forever. It is the beautiful Biblical love story of Jesus Christ, the passionate lover, the rider on the horse who judges and makes war, and who finally returns to marry His beloved Bride.

Circumcision, Not Castration

I recently heard a message preached from 2 Kings about the story of Hezekiah and his big mistake towards the end of his life.

The Book of 2 Kings 20:12-19 records:

At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah's illness. Hezekiah received the messengers and showed them all that was in his storehouses--the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine oil--his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, "What did those men say, and where did they come from?" "From a distant land," Hezekiah replied. "They came from Babylon."

The prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?"

"They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them."

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, that will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."

"The word of the LORD you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?"

The blindness and folly of King Hezekiah was utterly remarkable. How could the invasion and plunder by the Babylonians of the palace, or the forceful subjugation and castration of his own descendants be called "good"?

King Hezekiah's comment showed the utter selfishness and self-centredness of his own heart. It cared nothing for the welfare of his own descendants, but cared only about his own wealth and temporary "peace and security" during his lifetime.

This, the preacher explained, seems to be the attitude of many parents towards the education of our children, who are being castrated in their hearts and minds by worldviews and philosophies utterly opposed to the things of God.

Nothing destroys the future generation more than castration. Yet in the same way, in the Old Testament at least, God's covenant from one generation to the next is marked by circumcision. It is not merely a bodily circumcision, but a circumcision of the heart that God calls for, as exhorted in Deuteronomy 10:16, "Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer."

Likewise, Paul emphasised in Romans 2:28-29:

A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

A couple of chapters down, Paul urged, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

Ultimately, Christians should at all times be aware that this is a spiritual battle being waged on all fronts against a relentless enemy whose goal is none other than to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

Former Lebanese ambassador Charles Malik, said in his address "The Two Tasks" delivered at the dedication ceremony of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College on 13 September 1980:

Responsible Christians face two tasks - that of saving the soul, and that of saving the mind... The mind is desperately disordered today. I am pleading that a tiny fraction of Christian care be extended to the mind too. If it is the will of the Holy Spirit that we attend to the soul, certainly it is not his will that we neglect the mind. No civilization can endure with its mind being as confused and disordered as ours is today. All ills stem proximately from the false philosophies that have been let loose in the world and that are now being taught in the universities, and ultimately of course... from the devil, whether or not the human agents know it.

As Christians, we cannot possibly neglect the mind, including the spiritual, emotional and intellectual education of our children. We are called to "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God", and "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). In Ephesians 6:4, Paul writes, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

Our children need to be circumcised in their hearts and minds, not castrated.