The Balfour Declaration
(In Chinese)
(可 惜 這 頁 沒 有 中 文 繙 譯)
The following is an experiment in Chinese on the Balfour Declaration. If the Balfour Declaration was translated into Chinese, could numeric features be found?
***Special Note On The Odds For Chinese: The numeric system for Chinese characters is of consecutive numbers. This major difference from all other gematria systems changes the odds. I'm not sure how far the influence extends, and I'm not clever enough to figure it out. When reading the odds on pages dealing with Chinese, please bear this in mind. For more on this, see Second Experiment: It's Not Easy.***
The Declaration's Significance
Believers see the Balfour Declaration of 1917, and Israel's return to nation status in 1948 as the fulfillment of prophecy. The two are also seen as signs of God’s enduring love for the Jewish people. As a nexus point of history, politics and religion the Balfour Declaration has become one of modern Israel's founding documents. That is why numeric features were found in the declaration itself.
Hypothesis
The Balfour Declaration begins with "His majesty's government—." Believers can almost hear an angel reading the statement and conveying God’s approval. In such a case, His majesty
does not refer to the British government, but the supreme government of God’s kingdom. The British are only the mouthpiece. They were chosen as the instrument because they were the only ones with the largest world empire at that time, and their constitutional monarch was therefore the figurehead and emperor of that empire. (It is fitting that an emperor on earth represent the true Emperor of Heaven.)
If the Balfour Declaration is very important, then God would want His great work known. Translating the original English into another language would widen the audience. And this translation should still retain numeric features. To ensure this is not coincidence, the number of numeric features has to be high enough to render the odds unlikely, and the features themselves must be interrelated to show structure.
(Caution: There are many ways a single phrase can be translated, and the difference between translation and interpretation can be blurry. No matter the result, this would not be categorical proof.)
The Experiment
The Balfour Declaration is translated into Chinese first by seven web based translators.
Variations from each translation, and alternate phrases chosen by the experimenter are mixed and combined by a computer to generate complete phrases.
Each phrase is checked for interrelated numeric features, features that demonstrate structure, order and or organization. This is the only way to reduce the possibility of coincidence. Only those with twelve or more features divisible by 7 are to be considered.
712 is 13,841,287,201. Finding anything with this would be highly unlikely, but not impossible. People do win the lottery despite terrible odds. However, I don't think any current lottery has a grand prize with odds of one in thirteen billion!
If something is found, this would add to the importance of the Balfour Declaration, and if nothing is found, this would detract from the declaration.
Why Chinese?
- There is a prophecy of China in Isaiah 18.
- China is the world's most populous nation and has the second largest economy, making it one of the major world powers.
- Its written language is understood in neighbouring countries. The Balfour Declaration in Chinese would be accessible to even more people.
- Most importantly, since it has no alphabet, and no varying forms of grammar agreement (e.g. plural, gender, tense) it is much easier to work with in units for this experiment.
English Text
His majesty’s government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing nonjewish communities in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.1
Web Translations Into Chinese
國王陛下的政府主張在巴勒斯坦建立一個猶太人的民族之家，並將竭盡全力促進這一目標的實現，人們清楚地理解，不應採取任何可能損害公民權利和宗教權利的行動巴勒斯坦現有的非猶太社區，或其他任何國家的猶太人享有的權利和政治地位 (Google Translate)
國王陛下政府贊成在巴勒斯坦建立一個猶太民族的家園，並將盡最大努力促進實現這一目標，但人們清楚地認識到，不應採取任何可能損害巴勒斯坦現有非猶太人社區的公民權利和宗教權利，或猶太人在任何其他國家享有的權利和政治地位。(Bing Translate)
有利於在國家家庭猶太人民的巴勒斯坦建立，並會盡最大努力，以促進這一目標的實現陛下的政府認為，它被清楚地理解，沒有什麼應該做這可能損害公民和宗教權利在巴勒斯坦現有非猶太社區，或權利和政治地位的任何其他國家所享有的猶太人。(https://en.eprevodilac.com/prevodilac-engleski-kineskitradicionalni)
國王陛下政府贊成在巴勒斯坦建立一個猶太民族的家園，並將盡最大努力促進實現這一目標，但人們清楚地認識到，不應採取任何可能損害巴勒斯坦現有非猶太人社區的公民權利和宗教權利，或猶太人在任何其他國家享有的權利和政治地位。(http://webtranslation.paralink.com/Chinese-Traditional-English-Translation/)
國王陛下政府認為，在巴勒斯坦設立一個猶太人國民之家，並將盡最大努力促進這一目標的實現，但它顯然明白，任何事情都不可能損害巴勒斯坦現有非猶太社群的公民權利和宗教權利，也不可能損害猶太人在任何其他國家享有的權利和政治地位。 (https://www.stars21.com/translator/english_to_taiwanese.html (powered by IBM))
國王陛下政府贊成在巴勒斯坦建立猶太人民的國傢傢园，并將竭盡全力促進實現這一目標因此，人們清楚地認識到，不采取任何可能損害巴勒斯坦現有非猶太社區的公民和宗教權利或損害猶太人在任何其他國傢享有的權利和政治地位的行動 (https://translate.systran.net/translationTools/) simplified characters replaced by traditional characters
國王陛下政府主張在巴勒斯坦爲猶太人建立一個民族傢园，并將盡儘最大努力促進實現這一目標，但明確地認識到，任何事情都不得損害巴勒斯坦現有非猶太人社區的公民權利和宗教權利，也不得損害猶太人在任何其他國傢所享有的權利和政治地位 (https://translate.yandex.com/?lang=en-zh& simplified characters replaced by traditional characters)
國王陛下政府贊成在巴勒斯坦建立一個猶太民族的家園，並將盡最大努力促進實現這一目標，但人們清楚地認識到，不應採取任何可能損害巴勒斯坦現有非猶太人社區的公民權利和宗教權利，或猶太人在任何其他國家享有的權利和政治地位。(https://www.translator.eu/)3
Combining The Variants Into One Data Set
A preliminary translation of the declaration was first made to build sentence structure. The variations from the web translations were then added to this basic structure in the format just below.
皇帝陛下的政府|喜歡看見 看重 贊成|在巴勒斯坦 巴勒斯坦內|成 立 成立 立成 建立|一個|國 國土 家 國家 家園 國家家庭 國民之家|給猶太|人 民族 人民族|並將盡努力這目標|便利順行 順行 順利實現 順利成功|但它顯然明白不會作出|侵害破犯 侵害 破犯 損害 害|其他巴勒斯坦人|和非猶太社群的公民 0|的 0|權和 民權和 權利和|宗教 教|利 權 權利|或其他國家的猶太人享有的權利和政治地位
Data Explanation: The entire phrase is separated into sections with the |
pipe character (highlighted in red for visibility). Within each section (coloured blue and green) are alternate words and or phrases separated by a space. The computer can try each alternate in turn. Where there is a zero, the entire section could be omitted.
N.B. Obviously there are practically an infinite number of ways the various alternatives could have been combined. This is just one. Some words and phrases were left out because they would not fit into the sense of the current structure. Everything could have been structured differently in which case those words could have been chosen. One example is the second section.
The second section of the data set refers to the English phrase view with favour.
Web translations have these Chinese words: 主張 (intend to), 贊成 (approve/support), 有利 (consider beneficial), and 認為 (consider). Only 贊成 and 有利 convey the sense of favour
and none convey the word view.
Accordingly, I have introduced 喜歡看見 (like to see) and 看重 (see as important) as alternates with 贊成 (approve/support).
All the web translations use 國王陛下 to translate His majesty—.
Instead, I have chosen 皇帝陛下, which also means His majesty
except that 皇帝 (Cantonese: wohngdai, Mandarin: huangdi) is the title of Chinese emperors and thus more accurately reflects the British Empire at that time with the sense of His (imperial) majesty.
Result
By trying each alternative in each section of the data set the computer generated a total of 907,200 phrases. It found two phrases, one with twelve features divisible by 7, and one with thirteen. The odds of finding a phrase with twelve or thirteen features among 907, 200 is given below.
a) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 b) 129600 18514 2645 378 54 7.7 1.1 .16 .02 .003 .0004 .00006 .000009 a) Number of features divisible by 7. b) Number possible according to the odds in 907,200 tries.
In other words, the chance of finding a single phrase with thirteen features divisible by 7 among the 907,200 is one in 106,800. The interesting thing is that this succeeded on the very first try. Later we will see how running 900,000 combinations to these odds is not a guarantee for finding anything.
The phrase the computer put together
is given below.
皇帝陛下的政府喜歡看見巴勒斯坦內建立一個國家家庭給猶太人，並將盡努力這目標順利成功，但它顯然明白不會作出侵害其他巴勒斯坦人的權利和教利，或其他國家的猶太人享有的權利和政治地位。Hover mouse over coloured sections for an explanation of the Chinese.
皇 帝 陛 下 的 政 府 喜 歡 看 見 巴 勒 斯 坦 2196 1939 3170 22 1659 2055 1395 4000 8504 2206 1124 155 3208 4214 1307 內 建 立 一 個 國 家 家 庭 給 猶 太 人 並 將 123 1945 416 1 2452 3243 2594 2594 2617 4474 4372 148 9 1156 3343 盡 努 力 這 目 標 順 利 成 功 但 它 顯 然 明 5770 791 16 3888 409 6289 4727 786 617 285 702 359 8612 4366 1467 白 不 會 作 出 侵 害 其 他 巴 勒 斯 坦 人 的 406 100 4925 769 281 1802 2593 1189 269 155 3208 4214 1307 9 1659 權 利 和 教 利 或 其 他 國 家 的 猶 太 人 享 8503 786 1294 3473 786 1423 1189 269 3243 2594 1659 4372 148 9 1162 有 的 權 利 和 政 治 地 位 628 1659 8503 786 1294 2055 1591 546 685
Each feature is paired and balanced with another, and each pair fits into the whole which is divisible by 7. Although the computer was set to search only for a combination with more than eleven features, and tabulated 13 features, the end result was a phrase with way more than 13 features.
1) 84 words 2) Total: 177268 = 2 x 2 x 7 x 13 x 487 3) Odd positioned words: 89712 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 x 7 x 89 4) Even positioned words: 87556 = 2 x 2 x 7 x 53 x 59 5) First half of the words: 91280 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 5 x 7 x 163 6) Last half of the words: 85988 = 2 x 2 x 7 x 37 x 83 7) Odd segments of 2 words each: 99204 = 2 x 2 x 3 x 7 x 1181 8) Even segments of 2 words each: 78064 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 7 x 17 x 41 9) Odd segments of 4 words each: 80899 = 7 x 7 x 13 x 127 10) Even segments of 4 words each: 96369 = 3 x 7 x 13 x 353 11) Odd valued words: 82152 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 x 7 x 163 12) Even valued words: 95116 = 2 x 2 x 7 x 43 x 79 13) Odd segments of 3 words each: 102942 = 2 x 3 x 3 x 7 x 19 x 43 14) Even segments of 3 words each: 74326 = 2 x 7 x 5309 15) First and last thirds of the passage: 117988 = 2 x 2 x 13 x 2269 16) Middle third of the passage: 59280 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 5 x 13 x 19
There are many more numeric coincidences that can be discovered in this text using the principles found in Revelation 1:8. Since this is something I discovered with a computer, I will not go deeper with this because the real interesting part is not how many features can be found, but whether anything like this could be found at all!
Only one phrase had thirteen features divisible by 7, but there was also a second phrase with twelve.
皇帝陛下的政府贊成在巴勒斯坦成立一個家園給猶太人，並將盡努力這目標順利實現，但它顯然明白不會作出侵害破犯其他巴勒斯坦人和非猶太社群的公民權利和教利，或其他國家的猶太人享有的權利和政治地位.
This version loses view with favour
喜歡看見 for a simple approval
贊成, but strengthens the idea of finishing the task by the words 成立 (completely finishing) and 實現 (concrete appearance). Rather than a national home
國家家庭 as before, this one has a home garden
家園. The prohibition against damaging Palestinian and non-Jewish rights is stronger here with 侵害破犯.
皇 帝 陛 下 的 政 府 贊 成 在 巴 勒 斯 坦 成 2196 1939 3170 22 1659 2055 1395 8090 617 547 155 3208 4214 1307 617 立 一 個 家 園 給 猶 太 人 並 將 盡 努 力 這 416 1 2452 2594 4778 4474 4372 148 9 1156 3343 5770 791 16 3888 目 標 順 利 實 現 但 它 顯 然 明 白 不 會 作 409 6289 4727 786 5547 3644 702 359 8612 4366 1467 406 100 4925 769 出 侵 害 破 犯 其 他 巴 勒 斯 坦 人 和 非 猶 281 1802 2593 2878 392 1189 269 155 3208 4214 1307 9 1294 1797 4372 太 社 群 的 公 民 權 利 和 教 利 或 其 他 國 148 1665 5172 1659 126 386 8503 786 1294 3473 786 1423 1189 269 3243 家 的 猶 太 人 享 有 的 權 利 和 政 治 地 位 2594 1659 4372 148 9 1162 628 1659 8503 786 1294 2055 1591 546 685
Number of characters: 90. (NF) Total: 192080 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 5 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 Odd positioned words: 91035 = 3 x 3 x 5 x 7 x 17 x 17 Even positioned words: 101045 = 5 x 7 x 2887 First half: 108507 = 3 x 7 x 5167 Last half: 83573 = 7 x 11939 Odd positioned segments of two: 71351 = 7 x 10193. Even positioned segments of two: 120729 = 3 x 7 x 5749 Odd valued words: 84112 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 7 x 751 Even valued words: 107968 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 7 x 241 Odd segments of three: 110264 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 7 x 11 x 179 Even segments of three: 81816 = 81816 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 7 x 487 Last third: 57813 = 3 x 7 x 2753
The number of features, and the features are not as impressive as the other phrase above, but the phrase total is divisible by seven four times.
To reduce the possibility that this chance sentence construction is accidentally structured to produce favourable outcomes, a negative outcome has to be seen.
Producing A Negative Result
The Chinese Balfour Declaration
data set is now changed in favour of a Palestinian state.
皇帝陛下的政府|喜歡看見 看重 贊成|在巴勒斯坦 巴勒斯坦內|成 立 成立 建立| 一個|國 國土 家 國家 家園 國家家庭 國民之家|給巴勒斯坦|人 民族 人民族| 並將盡努力這目標|便利順行 順行 順利實現 順利成功|但它顯然明白不會作出| 侵害破犯 侵害 破犯 損害 害|猶太人 猶太民族|的 0|權和 民權和 權利和|宗教 教| 利 權 權利|或其他國家的猶太人享有的權利和政治地位
This data line generated 725,760 phrases, but not one phrase came close. The highest number of standard features found was ten.
I tried a second time after I realized I had missed a possible alternative in the fourth section.
皇帝陛下的政府|喜歡看見 看重 贊成|在巴勒斯坦 巴勒斯坦內|成 立 成立 立成 建立| 一個|國 國土 家 國家 家園 國家家庭 國民之家|給巴勒斯坦|人 民族 人民族| 並將盡努力這目標|便利順行 順行 順利實現 順利成功|但它顯然明白不會作出| 侵害破犯 侵害 破犯 損害 害|猶太人 猶太民族|的 0|權和 民權和 權利和|宗教 教| 利 權 權利|或其他國家的猶太人享有的權利和政治地位
This data line generated 907,200 possible phrases, but once again not one phrase had more than eleven standard features.
Finally, I tried a third time, a radical re-writing of the Balfour Declaration. I removed the phrases for the protection of Jewish rights, and all mention of Jewish people.
皇帝陛下的政府|喜歡看見 看重 贊成 贊有利|在巴勒斯坦 巴勒斯坦內| 成 立 成立 立成 建立|一個|國 國土 家 國家 家園 國家家庭 國民之家| 給巴勒斯坦|人 民族 人民族|並將盡努力這目標|便利順行 順行 順利實現 順利成功| 但它顯然明白不會作出|侵害破犯 侵害 破犯 損害 害| 其他國家的巴勒斯坦人享有的權利和政治地位
This data line is much shorter, and generated 16,800 possible phrases.
The computer still failed to find any phrase with thirteen features, but it finally managed to find one with twelve (a one in 823,886 chance in this case):
皇帝陛下的政府看重巴勒斯坦內成立一個國民之家給巴勒斯坦民族，並將盡努力這目標便利順行，但它顯然明白不會作出害其他國家的巴勒斯坦人享有的權利和政治地位
A one in 800,000 chance is much rarer than a one in 15,000 chance, but it had one less feature, and it took three tries before anything could be found. And all of this was based on a fictitious phrase.
Experiment Conclusion
The fact that two Chinese phrases of the Balfour Declaration could be found despite the odds is a reassuring sign of the declaration's enduring importance. Skeptics will continue to attribute this to chance and manipulation, but believers can see how coincidences continue to pile up over and over confirming prophecy.
Reading Deeper Into The Results
The numbers themselves support the reality of a Jewish homeland. Furthermore, they point out that a Palestinian state can only exist if Israel is not there at all. This actually mirrors Palestinian attitudes.
A July 15, 2011 Jerusalem Post article by Gil Stern Hoffman quoted a poll by Stanley Greenberg concluding that only 34% of Palestinians accepted a two state solution. 66% held that if there were two states, it should become one state. 72% supported denial of thousands of years of Jewish history in Jerusalem. The sample size of the poll was small (just over a thousand people), but the results were in line with historical Palestinian attitudes towards Israel.
In other words, Palestinians consider a two state solution as the first step to the eventual destruction and removal of Israel so that there would be only one state in the end.
The United Nations has never been in favour of any one member state extinguishing the existence of another member. And it is highly unlikely this attitude will change among the majority of the nations. This alone runs counter to Palestinian wishes. The number experiment agrees with reality and prophecy. There is one state, Israel, and the Palestinian state remains fiction.
If we accept a 1 in 15,000 chance for Israel, shouldn't we accept the much greater 1 in 800,000 chance for the Palestinians even if it is from a fictitious statement? Is God condemning an entire people? The answer is more unexpected than most people realize.
Just as the Mongols with their smaller population could not absorb the China they conquered, so the Arabs from the Saudi peninsula were unable to absorb the peoples of the Palestine region. Large populations absorb smaller populations; not the other way around. The Palestine region gradually became Muslim because the conquerors demanded it, not because their population was displaced by Arabs. Thus the people of Palestine remain the same as those before the coming of Islam.
Who were these people? In Jesus' time there were Greeks around the region called Decapolis (ten cities), and there were Romans in Capernaum. There were Jews, Samaritans, and there were still Canaanites in the north by Tyre and Sidon. When Rome took up Christianity there was an influx of Christians from all over the Roman Empire. From this melting pot, with a mix of Arabs, came the Palestinians of today.
The ancient kingdom of Israel had a habit of forgetting their heritage. This is well documented by the prophets in the Old Testament. (For more on this, see: Israel & The Palestinians.) This means a good portion of Palestinians are of Israelite origin. That is why the prophecy in Isaiah 49:20-21 mentions unknown descendants. The portion of Israelite descent among Palestinians might be larger than any other group simply by God’s providence.
Now it becomes understandable why the highly unlikely 1 in 800,000 chance was so quickly and easily found. If the Palestinians are Israelite, then the land naturally belongs to them too, and they are all part of the modern nation of Israel. There is no separation, no need to distinguish between Jew and non-Jew, and no need to mention Jewish rights because they are all included.
This also explains why the 1 in 800,000 chance was found in a fictitious statement. In forgetting their origins, the Palestinians have accepted what is untrue, an alien god, a different religion, and a different racial background. They have literally entered the realm of fiction. Until they realize this, and return to the God of their heritage, there will be no peace in the Middle East.
And now that Israel has returned, other prophecies await fulfillment. One of these is that God has made Jerusalem a heavy stone, a dangerous burden for the nations of the world.
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (Zechariah 12:3)2
Consider what has happened in the 70 years since Israel returned. The nations around Israel sought to destroy her, but failed. It was easier for many Muslim leaders to direct their people's anger against Israel rather than take care of their own nations. Syria is now a mess, as is Iraq. Egypt wisely signed a peace treaty. Lebanon is a fractured state. Even Saudi Arabia now has trouble to the south of her. These nations did not heed Zechariah's prophecy.
Zechariah's prophetic warning is clear. We don't know or understand what God is planning or doing! The nations that do not believe in God, or believe they understand prophecy will inevitably feel they can fix
the problems in the Middle East. The wise nation should take Zechariah's prophecy to heart and steer clear of Jerusalem and Israel. Until the Palestinians wake up, there is little to be gained by foreign intervention.
The world belongs to God (Genesis 1:1; Ezekiel 29:9) and He has claimed the land of Israel especially for Himself and His people (Leviticus 25:23). People should avoid making statements about what should be done with it, whether it be a two state solution, one state, or even criticizing how Israel currently handles problems. It is hypocrisy. No nation's hands are clean. Jesus' advice is more than applicable (Luke 6:42; John 8:7). Only God has the right to decide what to do with the land of Palestine.
In my opinion, Zechariah's warning would be good advice for China. It is my hope that the number experiment here will show Chinese believers the importance of the Balfour Declaration, of prophecy, and the importance of Israel. And if they have any influence with their government, they should encourage their politicians to avoid entangling themselves in matters relating to Israel, Jerusalem and the Palestinians. They should even refrain from making statements about that problem since no one knows what God intends, and God will hold every word to account (Matthew 12:36).
Notes
- The Timetables Of Jewish History by Judah Gribetz, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1993; page 368.
- Unless otherwise noted, scriptural quotes are from the King James Version.
- Google Translate, Bing Translate, Systran, eprevodilac.com, paralink.com, www.stars21.com, yandex.com and www.translator.eu are all registered trademarks of their respective companies. (N.B. www.stars21.com was
powered by IBM
but a few days later when I returned to that site, it waspowered by Microsoft.
The web changes so quickly and improvements are always ongoing it may be impossible to have anything translated the same way twice.)