Photo: How could Brother Felix Y. Manalo be a true messsenger of God when his name is never mentioned in the Holy Bible? Editors reply: In as much as the Old Testament is the written Record of God’s early People, it therefore is expected that the names of God’s messengers such as Moses, David, and Elijah are mentioned therein. However, there are other messengers whose authority and right to preach rest on the fulfillment of the prophecies about them. Among them are John the Baptist, The Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles, and the messenger of God in these last days. It must be noticed that the Old Testament prophecies about the messengers whose works were fulfilled in New Testament times do not mention the names of the messengers concerned. For instance, the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the Lord Jesus Christ says: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; “to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.” (Is. 61:1-2, NKJV) This prophecy, fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ (Lk. 4:16-21) does not mention His name. 16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21, NKJV) John the Baptist has a prophecy from Isaiah to prove his commission, too: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’.” (Is. 40:3, NKJV) The fulfillment of this is John the Baptist (Jn. 1:19-23). Yet, the prophecy does not mention his name. 19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:19-23, NKJV) The same is true for Apostle Paul who testified that he was the fulfillment of the “light to the Gentiles” in the book of Isaiah (Is. 49:6; Acts 13:46-47). Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Isaiah 49:6, NKJV) The fulfillment of this is Apostle Paul (Acts 13:46-47). Yet, the prophecy does not mention his name. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Acts 13:46-47, NKJV) Should you further ask why the names of these messengers are found in the New Testament, it is because the New Testament was written at a later time when the Old Testaments prophecies on these messengers had already been fulfilled. The commission and the work of Brother Felix Y. Manalo are likewise prophesied in the Old Testament and even in the New Testament. His name can never appear in the Old Testament and the New Testament because the fulfillment of his work was to take place at the ends of the earth, a period of time when both the Old and the New Testaments had already been completed. Through Prophet Isaiah God said that He would call His servant who is likened to a ravenous bird, who would come from a far country in the East at the time ends of the earth, and who would execute His counsel (Is. 41:9-10; 46:11). You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: 10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ (Isaiah 41:9-10, NKJV) (emphasis ours) 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. (Isaiah 46:11, NKJV) (emphasis ours) The far country where this servant of God would emerge is in the Far East (Is. 43:5, Moffatt Translation), the fulfillment of which is the Philippines (Asia and the Philippines, p.169). From the far east will I bring your offspring, and from the far west I will gather you (Isaiah 43:5, James Moffatt Translation) (emphasis ours) As a historian and Jesuit Priest Horacio dela Costa wrote in his book Asia and the Philippines: It cannot be without significance that the country which stands almost at the geographical center of the Far East, the Philippines, should also be that in which Christianity has taken the deepest root. (page.169) “Ends of the earth” refers to the time when the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is near, its beginning signified by a world war (Mt. 24:3, 33, 6-7; Is. 34:1-2). 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Mt. 24:3, 33, 6-7; Is. 34:1-2, NKJV). (emphasis ours) In July 27, 1914, the First World War broke out (The Nations at War, p. 8). This was also the date the Iglesia Ni Cristo was registered by Brother Felix Y. Manalo with the Philippine government. The works that Brother Felix Y. Manalo had performed are the very proofs of his commissioning as a messenger of God.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 07:38:39 +0000
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