GOD'S PROPHECIES WILL ALWAYS FIND FULFILLMENT

GOD'S PROPHECIES WILL ALWAYS FIND FULFILLMENT

"Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it."

By TOMAS C. CATANGAY

WE BELIEVE THAT Brother Felix Y. Manalo is God's messenger in these last days prophesied to appear during the time "ends of the earth" which began concurrently with the outbreak of the First World War on July 27, 1914. Critics contradict this belief because, they say, Brother Felix Y. Manalo began preaching sometime in the latter months of 1913. They say further that his preaching started earlier or before the beginning of the time "ends of the earth," that is, prior to July 27, 1914. They even add that his membership from one religion to another allegedly disproves the claim of his being the messenger of God in these last days.

'FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH'

Tha Bible records the prophecy regarding God's Messenger in these last days. It says:

"Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it." (Is. 46:9-11, NKJV)

This prophecy in the Book of Isaiah pertains to a man from a far country in the East who was called a bird of prey. This messenger of God, therefore, would emerge from a country in the Far East. God Himself guaranteed the fulfillment of this prophecy:

"Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth—" (Is. 43:5-6, Ibid.)

"East" in this verse (where God's son and daughters would come from) is rendered in Moffatt's Translation as "far east". The prophecy specified the place - the Far East - and the time element involved - the "ends of the earth." The "ends of the earth" is the period of time before the "end of the world" or the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. His coming is "at the very doors" (Mt. 24:33, NKJV), as Christ Himself declared. He used the term "at the very doors," the time to indicate His imminent return and gave His apostles the signs heralding His Second Advent:

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all[a] these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,[b] and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. o you also, when you see all these things, know that it[a] is near—at the doors! " (Mt. 24:6-8, 33, Ibid.)

The events signifying that Christ's Second Advent is "at the very doors" are wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. Long before Christ predicted the signs that would precede His return, the prophet Isaiah distinguished the war that would occur prior to Christ's return:

"Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, The world and all things that come forth from it. For the indignation of the Lord is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter." (Is. 34:1-2, Ibid.)

The slaughter of armies involving all nations of the earth refers to a world war. The prophet Jeremiah specified the kind of weapons to be used in this war. Said he:

"Behold, he shall come up like clouds, And his chariots like a whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are plundered!
O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war. Destruction upon destruction is cried, For the whole land is plundered. Suddenly my tents are plundered, And my curtains in a moment." (Jer. 4:13, 19-20, Ibid.)

History testifies that it was during the First World War that airplanes (horses swifter than eagles) and battle tanks (chariots like whirlwind) were first used (World History, vol. 2, pp. 478-479). Thus, the First World War that started on July 27, 1914 is the beginning of the time "ends of the earth."

THE TIME OF THE MESSENGER'S PREACHING

Granting this as a historical fact, critics aver that Brother Felix Y. Manalo and the Iglesia ni Cristo emerged at the right place - the Philippines, a country in the Far East - but allegedly not at the right time. They base this conclusion from the fact that Brother Felix Y. Manalo started preaching the words of God a few months before 1914, several months earlier than the stipulated time "ends of the earth."

The preaching of the gospel before the year 1914 is God's way of preparing the emergence of the Church of Christ, for how could the Church be registered with the Philippine government so as to officially emerge in July 27, 1914 concurrent with the First World War without having gained members or converts?

THE QUEST FOR TRUTH

Detractors question the affiliation of Brother Felix Y. Manalo with various religious organizations prior to his preaching the Iglesia ni Cristo. This, to them, only shows that he is not a true messenger of God.

Paul, before, being called to Christianity as an apostle, was a zealous Pharisee who studied under Gamaliel. He was an avowed persecutor of the Christians, binding and delivering them to prison (Acts 22:3-4). In fact, when he was called by Christ to be His apostle, Paul was on his way to Damascus, with letters from the council of elders, to arrest Christ's disciples (Acts 22:5-6). Apostle Paul, a true messenger and preacher, narrates how he was called by Christ:

"And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?

"So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

"So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’" (Acts 22:7-8, 10, NKJV)

From a zealous Pharisee and an avowed persecutor of Christians, Paul became an apostle of Christ.

Brother Felix Y. Manalo's membership with various religious groups before he embarked on the work entrusted to him by God gave him the opportunity to know the erroneous doctrines of the Catholic Church and of the various Protestant denominations which he would later expose and refute. All the events in his life is God's way of preparing him for the divine mission of preaching the unadulterated words of God.

The Bible narrates that Moses was called by God and was given the task to bring Israel out of Egypt (Exo. 3:10). But Moses was not immediately mandated by God to go to Egypt before the Pharaoh to plead that Israel be allowed to leave Egypt. He was first told what he should say and do as preparation for his mission before the Pharaoh (Exo. 3:11; 4:1-17).

Foremost of God's Messenger is our Lord Jesus Christ. How was He prepared for His mission?

"And the Child grew and became strong in spirit,[a] filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him." (Lk. 2:40, NKJV)

At the age of 12, Christ was found by His parents sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions:

"And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (Lk. 2:47, 52, Ibid.)

As narrated by the Holy Scriptures, Jesus "increased in wisdom." In fact, the teachers and people who heard Him were antonished. Also, before Christ unraveled the prophecy concerning His commission as messenger of God, He allowed Himself to be baptized by John (Lk. 3:21-22). He also fasted as preparation for His divine task to be the Savior and Redeemer (Lk. 4:1-2, 16-21). The fasting that Jesus did proves that He was ready to fulfill His divine mission, to overcome all temptations, including the wiles of satan himself (Lk. 4:1-13).

The events in the life of Brother Felix Y. Manalo were in a certain way a preparation for his divine task ahead. Brother Felix Y. Manalo, prompted by his eagerness to know the truth, read the Bible owned by his priest uncle. He discovered that the teachings of the Catholic Church were against the teachings of God. He also witnessed a debate between a Catholic priest and a Protestant pastor wherein the priest miserably failed against the Protestant pastor. Right then and there he decided to know more about Protestantism.

He first joined the Methodist Church and studied at this church's theological seminary. He eventually became a Methodist pastor. Later, he decided to know the doctrines of the Presbyterian Church but was not satisfied with their teachings. He joined the Misyon Kristiyano because their baptism was by immersion which coincided with the teachings of the Bible. He became a proficient evangelist of this Protestant sect.

Brother Felix Y. Manalo later met an American who invited him to hear the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In his desire to broaden his knowledge, he joined the various meetings of this church and became a member in 1911. However, by continuously reading the Holy Scriptures, he came to know that the Sabbath, which the Seventh-day Adventist Church observed, was no longer commanded by God to observed in the Christian era. He then decided to leave the Adventist Church with the firm conviction that he cannot obey something which he knew is erroneous. Deep in his heart was the belief that the Bible alone must be the basis of his service and worship of God. With this firm conviction, he decided to study the Bible for three days and two nights with neither food nor water.

All these events in the life of Brother Felix Y. Manalo were God's way of preparing him for the great task ahead, that is, to preach the pristine gospel in order for the true Church to reemerge.

All these truths about the last messenger of God and about the emergence of the Iglesia ni Cristo in the Philippines are proofs that, indeed, God's prophecies never fail. Praise be to God, the Father Almighty, who alone knows and declares the future from the beginning of times with the explicit and firm guarantee:

"... My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure." (Is. 46:10, NKJV)

PASUGO GOD'S MESSAGE | AUGUST 1999 | PAGES 4-6