Members of the Church of Christ maintain that the testimonies in
the Bible attesting that the Church where they belong is truly of God and that
they are indeed the ones He has set apart for Himself to serve and worship Him
in these last days are firm and strong. As historical accounts in the Bible
show, it has been God's policy since the beginning to set apart people whom He
gives the exclusive privilege of being His servants. Every time a chosen
generation of people would turn away from God, He chooses and sets apart a new
group of people in place of the old. Thus, when the first-century Church of
Christ fell into apostasy after the death of the apostles, God set apart
another group of people to become His chosen servants. They are the members of
the Church of Christ in these last days, as biblical prophecies attest.
Through the prophet Isaiah, God
made known His will bring His people from the Far East, thus:
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." (Isa. 43:5-6, NKJV)
The prophecy speaks of the descendants whom God would bring from
the east and gather from the west. This. refers to His election or setting
apart of a people whom He calls His sons and daughters.
But although the Bible mentions
"east" many times with different significations, yet we can be
certain of which "east" is being referred to as the place where the
prophesied descendants or sons and daughters of God would emerge. James
Moffatt's translation of Isaiah 43:5 renders the verse, thus;
From the far east will I bring your offspring, and from the far
west I will gather you.
(James Moffatt, A New Translation of the Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments, New York: Harper Brothers Publishers, © 1954.)
(James Moffatt, A New Translation of the Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments, New York: Harper Brothers Publishers, © 1954.)
Clearly then, the people whom God
considers as His own shall come from the Far East. This prophecy was fulfilled
when the Church of Christ emerged in the Philippines, a country that according
to a Jesuit priest "stands almost at the geographical center of the Far
East" (Horacio dela Costa, SJ.
Asia and the Philippines, Manila: Solidaridad Publishing House, ©1967).
The prophecy also revealed the time
when God would start calling or electing His children. God said:
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."
(Isaiah 43:5-6, NKJV)
God's calling of His sons and
daughters from the Far East shall start at the ends of the earth. The
"ends of the earth" must be differentiated from the "end of the
earth" which is the Second Advent of Christ, thus:
Now as He sot 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?" (Matt. 24:3. ibid.)
The "ends of the earth" is the time
when the end of the world is near, even at the doors as taught by our Lord
Jesus Christ, thus:
So you also, when you see all
these things, know that it is near—at the doors!
(Matt. 24:33, ibid.)
These things that shall be seen
indicating the time when the day of Christ's Second Advent is near are what
Christ foretold in the Gospel written by Matthew, thus:
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. For nation will rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and
earthquakes in various places. (Matt. 24:6-7, ibid.)
One of the signs that the end is
near is the outbreak of a war that would be rumored or talked about. Christ's
prophecy was fulfilled when the First World War broke out on July 27, 1914—the
same date when the Church of Christ was registered with the Philippine
government.
The man likened to a bird of prey
Another biblical prophecy reveals
the one whom God would use as His instrument in bringing His children to the
Church of Christ that would emerge in the Far East The book of the prophet
Isaiah states, thus:
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
(Isa. 46:11, ibid)
This prophecy speaks of a
messenger who is likened to a bird of prey or to a ravenous bird whom God would
call from the Far East He is likened to a ravenous bird because God's sons and
daughters are being held back. They need to be taken or pulled out as they are
being held out by the north and the south, thus;
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.
(Isaiah 43:5-6, NKJV)
The north and the south mentioned
in the prophecy, which are being instructed to give up or to not keep back
God's children from the Far East, are not literal directions of the earth as shown
in a compass. Rather, they refer two large religions in the world, from which
the sons and daughters of God would be
taken so that they can be brought into the Church of Christ through the
instrumentality of the prophesied messenger. The two religions representing
"north" and "south" respectively are Protestantism and
Catholicism. This fact is attested to by a church history book, thus:
... In the north the Protestants
were in control — Lutheran churches in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the
northern and central states of Germany; Calvinist or Reformed churches in
Scotland, the Netherlands, Hesse, the Palatinate, and a few of the western
German states. In the south the
Catholics were in control — Spain, Italy, Austria, Bavaria, and elsewhere in southern
Germany. (The Reformation, by Owen Chadwick Harmondsworth. Middlesex, England:
Penguin Book,© 1972, p. 366.)
As can be gleaned from the book
cited, Protestantism represents the "north" because Protestants
dominated the north, particularly northern Europe. The Catholic Church, on the
other hand, represents the "south" as it was in control of the
southern European states, even southern Germany. As a proof of the fulfillment
of the prophecy, majority ol those who become members of the Church of Christ
in these last days come from the Catholic Church as well as from Protestant
denominations.
The name they would bear
God Himself stated in the
prophecy that there is a name by which
the chosen servants of His from the Far East in these last days would be
called. He said:
Everyone who is called by My
name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made
him. (Isa. 43:7, NKJV)
As explicitly stated God's
servants would be called by His name—the name that He gave to Christ, thus:
I will remain in the world no
longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father,
protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be
one as we are one. (John 17:11, NIV)
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know
assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and
Christ.” (Acts 2:36, New King James Version) (emphasis ours)
God's servants, His sons and
daughters from the Far East, therefore, shall be called by the name Church of
Christ, as attested to in the book of Acts of the Apostles, thus:
Take heed therefore to yourselves
and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to
feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood. (Acts 20:28,
Holy Bible from the Ancient Eastern Text, George M. Lamsa's Translation from
the Aramaic of the Peshitta, the
authorized Bible of the Church of the East by George M. Lamsa. New York:
AJ. Holman Co, ©1968.) (emphasis ours)
Hence the prophecy concerning the
emergence of the Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo) in the Philippines,
concurrent with the outbreak of the First World War or at the beginning of the
period known in the Bible as "ends of the earth" as fulfilled.
Concerning Brother Felix Y.
Manalo
"Although widely known as
the INC founder, Manalo is regarded by his flock as God's last messenger.
Well-grounded in biblical prophecies, Manalo himself believed so, too. For him
and his followers, the INC is the reemergence of the one and only true Church
founded Christ, which the first Apostles called the Church of Christ or Iglesia
ni Cristo. Total obedience to God's will is the essence of the INC faith... The
INC emerged in the darkening shadows of the first world war: Manalo was a
solitary voice preaching to the poor, whence he came. But in no time at all,
his Church grew by leaps and bounds, eliciting respect and admiration from the
leading lights of other faiths. Indeed, no other religious faith in the country
has shown more unity, purposiveness and vitality than the lNC. (Philippines
Free Press, "Chosen People" By
Edward R. Kiunisala. Date Published: January 9, 1993.)
This testimony came from
non-members of the Church of Christ. They even attest that Brother Felix Manalo
first preached about the Church of Christ that was established in the
Philippines at the outbreak of the First World War. They further attest that
the Church of Christ upholds "total obedience to God's will" and that
"no other religious faith in the country has shown more unity, purposiveness
and vitality than the [Iglesia ni Cristo]."
"Even before the demise of
the Messenger, the Church of Christ had already been recognized as one of the
biggest and most vital religious denominations in the Philippines:
Today, one of the most prominent
personalities in the country is undoubtedly Felix Y. Manalo...
"In 1914, he succeeded in
winning into the Church of Christ a handful of faithful converts. Beginning
with a small group of followers of his new religion, he bravely continued his
relentless mission despite the innumerable odds and trying difficulties along
his way.
"... As the years went by, the fruits of his labor showed in the speedy
growth of the Iglesia ni Cristo.
"For this reason, the
'lglesia ni Cristo' (Church of Christ) is admittedly one of the biggest and
most vital religious denominations in the Philippines today..." (TABLEAU.
Encyclopedia of Distinguished Personalities in the Philippines. Manila, Philippines: National Souvenir Publications
with PD. AVEO,Sr. and Sons; ©1957, p.312)
Therefore the first part of the
prophecy in Isaiah 43: 5 —"From the far east will I bring your
offspring"—was fulfilled through the instrumentality of God's Messenger in
these last days, Brother Felix Manalo. He is God's instrument for the re-emergence
of the Church of Christ in these last days and its spread throughout the
Philippines.
For almost 50 years, Brother
Felix Manalo successfully led the Church of Christ. He also labored to
strengthen the Church of Christ in the face of hindrances, trials and
persecutions. When he died on April 12,1963—a few days short of his 77th
birthday—the Church was firmly established in the whole Philippines,
On July 27, 2007, coinciding with
the 93rd Anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo, the National Historical
Institute (NHI) of the Philippines unveiled a marker on the birth place of
Felix Manalo, declaring the site as a National Historical Landmark. It is where
the ancestral home of Manalo once stood. The marker sits on a 744 square meter
plaza. The NHI recognizes the significant contributions of Ka Felix to the
Philippine society. The church he preached have changed the lives and faith of
many Filipinos and because of this, Ka Felix deserves the pride and recognition
of the people of Taguig. The official doctrine of the Iglesia ni Cristo is that
Felix Y. Manalo is the last messenger of God, sent to reestablish the first
church founded by Jesus Christ, which the INC claims to have fallen into
apostasy following the death of the Apostles
Marker on the birth place of Felix Y. Manalo.
Location: Barangay Calzada, Tipas, Taguig City.
Location: Barangay Calzada, Tipas, Taguig City.
Contrary to the expectations of
its detractors, the Church flourished and spread, grew in strength and
continued to reap success after success under the dynamic leadership of the
Messenger's successor as Executive Minister.
The flourishing of God's Mission
God's work of salvation was not meant to be
confined to Philippine shores. As to how far the work began by the Messenger
would go, the prophecy in the book of Isaiah also foretold, thus:
So shall they fear the name of
the Lord from the west. And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the
enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard
against him. (Isa. 59:19, NKJV)
According to the Prophet Isaiah,
when the glory of God from the rising of the sun or the Far East is revealed,
so shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west . Citing again the book
of Isaiah, we can glean which west is being referred to, thus:
From the far east will I bring
your offspring, and from the far west I will gather you.
(Isa. 43:5, Mofatt Translation)
As clearly stated in the
prophecy, God would gather His chosen people from the Far West. The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1976
shows whatg "Far East" signifies, thus:
"Far West"
"California, Nevada, Oregon,
Washington, Alaska, Hawaii ..."
(George L Delury, Ed. New York:
Newspaper Enterprise Association, © 1975.)
Hawaii and California are states
of the United States of America, which lie in the Far West. The prophecy that
there would be chosen people of God in these places was fulfilled, as to who
would be God's instrument in starting the gathering of scattered members of the
Church of Christ from the Far West, an unsolicited testimony runs, thus:
"As early as 1967, Iglesia
ni Cristo migrants to Hawaii began gathering other brethren in Oahu, Hawaii. In
1968, the Iglesia ni Cristo established its first overseas congregation in
Honolulu, Hawaii. After a month, Brother Erano G. Manalo proceeded to San
Francisco, California, and officially established the first INC congregation in
the continental United States (Reed 1990). In less than forty years, it has
expanded to twenty-four American states and seventy countries. Some of the
largest INC congregations in the United States are found in Bay Area. Offering
both Tagalog and English services, the INC has more than fifteen hundred
members in the San Francisco and Daly City locales alone. (Joaquin L Gonzales
III and Andrea Maison. "We Do Not Bowl Alone: Social and Cultural Capital
from Filipinos and Their Churches."
Asian American Religions: The Making and Remaking of Borders and
Boundaries. New York: New York University Press, ©2004, p. 349.)
As stated in this study, the
Church's overseas mission began when Brother Erano Manalo officiated at the
inaugural worship service of the Local Congregation of Honolulu, Hawaii in
1968, which was followed several weeks later by the establishment of the Local
Congregation of San Francisco, California. Only forty years after that
momentous occasion, the Church has spread throughout the United States and 89
other countries and territories around the world.
The second part of the prophecy
in Isaiah 43:5—"from the far west I will gather you"—was fulfilled
through the instrumentality of the Executive Minister of the Church, Brother
Erano G. Manalo. He is God's instrument in establishing the first. local
congregations of the Church in the Far West and in the Church's expansion in
various parts of the world.
Certainly, what God declared in
the prophecy has all come to pass. The
prophecy said, "From the far east will I bring your your
offspring"—this was fulfilled when the Church of Christ re-emerged in the
Philippines and spread throughout the archipelago through the instrumentality
of the Messenger, Brother Felix Manalo. Likewise, it was prophesied that
"from; the far west I will gather you"—this, too was fulfilled
through the instrumentality of Brother Erano G. Manalo, who first gathered the
brethren in Hawaii, then in San Francisco, and from thereon, the Church of
Christ has expanded throughout the world.
The handiwork of the Lord
The astounding fulfillment of the
biblical prophecy on the emergence of the Church of Christ in the Philippines
and its expansion to the west and through-out the world only goes to prove that
this is the handiwork of the Lord, thus:
That they may see and know, And
consider and understand together, That the hand of the LORD has done this, And
the Holy One of Israel has created it. (Isa. 41:20, NKJV)
Faithful members of the Church of
Christ the world over do realize, understand, and firmly believe that all the
triumphs and achievements of the Church are the handiwork of God. They know
fully well that they could not have accomplished those things by themselves.
As God fulfilled His promise to
His Messenger that He would be with him and would uphold, help, and support him
(Isa. 41:10-13), so had He and continues to do so with the present
Administration He placed in His Church
The realization and understanding
that it is the Almighty God who made all these and more possible have
cultivated in the Church of Christ members more trust, faith, confidence. love,
and hope in Him. No matter what they go through in this life, they stand their
ground and would never be shaken in their hope of God's eternal promises.
The faithful always remember that
the ancient servants of God did experience hardship and persecution. It is
their conviction that if God's early servants were able to endure so can they
as God's people in this era, whatever trials they have to bear
They are willing to sacrifice and
endure for the sake of their divine calling because they can clearly see how
the prophecies of God have been fulfilled to this Church, such as the prophecy
written in Isaiah 43:5-6. They have no doubt whatsoever that this Church is
where the chosen people of God in these last days belong. As members of this
Church, they are the ones whom God considers as His sons and daughters in these
last days, the ones whom He will bless and save come the day of Judgment.
____________________________________________________
Source: Excerpt from a special
report - 27 July 2008
Church of Christ (Iglesia ni
Cristo)
94 years in the Philippines; 40
years of Overseas Mission
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