Prophecies in the Church of Christ fulfilled!

Nonmembers doubt the authenticity of prophecies concerning the Iglesia ni Cristo, and other things that interpreted by the INC as PROPHECIES.

By the way, let us look up the meaning of the word prophecy:

prophecy
noun

1. the foretelling or prediction of what is to come.

2. something that is declared by a prophet, especially a divinely inspired prediction, instruction, or exhortation.

3. a divinely inspired utterance or revelation: oracular prophecies.

4. the action, function, or faculty of a prophet.

source: dictionary.reference.com

For me, prophecy is not just a prediction, but something that will surely happen in the future, especially it came from the BIBLE. This church, which is also prophesied in the bible was fulfilled when God used Bro. Felix Manalo to preach the true gospel in the last days as the Church in the 1st century was apostatized when new and unbiblical doctrines, practices, dogmas and traditions came in.

You may question the prophecies concerning the INC, but let me show those first, and in the part2 of this post, i will answer your misunderstandings and questions that make you doubt about prophecies that CAME FROM THE BIBLE.


Prophecies and its fulfillment

prophecy: "I have other sheep too. They are not in this flock here. I must lead them also. They will listen to my voice. In the future there will be one flock and one shepherd." John 10:16 ERV

Fulfillment: Christ said, there will be one flock and one shepherd IN THE FUTURE, then this is fulfilled when Bro. Felix was used as an instrument to preach the true gospel and true Church of Christ, he being the one shepherd and the Church of Christ as the one flock.

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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.” Isa. 43:5-6

Fulfillment: God's sons and daughters will be bring from afar and from the ENDS OF THE EARTH. We believe that this phrase refers to a period of time when the END OF THE WORLD is near, or what we call "last days". In able to know when is this period of time, we should know the signs of Christ's second coming, in the book of Matthew it is said:

“And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world?” Matt. 24:3

“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

The signs as stated "were wars and rumors of wars, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,..." We believe that this is fulfilled when World War I happened, which:

"World War I (WWI), which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939 (World War II), and the First World War or World War I thereafter, wasa major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It involved all the world's great powers,..." source: wikipedia

Well, about famines, pestilences and earthquakes, i think i dont need to show evidences because we are all aware that this is happening in places around the world. Other signs and their fulfillment about the war:

sign: it would involve nations and armies of nations war, (Matt. 24:6, 33; Isa. 34:1-2)
fulfillment: Unlike any war in the past, the first world which broke out in 1914, was named as such for its global scope (Arthur Boak,Preston Slosson and Howard Anderson. World History, p. 478)


sign: it would break out at a time when “many shall run to and fro, Knowledge shall increase,” Would be rumored or widely known (Dan. 12:4; Matt. 24:6)
fulfillment: With the invention of the telephone, and telegram, and radio, as well as the airplane, thus the news about the war quickly spread to diff. parts of the world. (pp. 542-544)


sign: “horses swifter than eagles” and “whirlwind-like chariots” Used (jer. 4:13, 19)
fulfillment: WWI first made use of modern weaponry would be in warfare. Airplanes were likened to “a kind of aerial cavalry”, while tanks to modern Version of ancient chariots (pp. 478-479; David M. Howard Jr. Fascinating bible Facts, p. 216)


sign: Different kinds of people would Hide in caves to cover themselves (Rev. 6:15-16)
fulfillment: Millions of soldiers and civilians were responded to have taken cover in trenches and subterranean caves (H.W Wilson. The great war, p.225)


sign: Four messengers “standing upon The four corners of the earth” Stop the war “land” (Rev. 7:1, young’s literal translation; Jer. 4:11, 19)
fulfillment: Four leaders representing four powerful would nations met and agreed to make a treaty from blowing upon the officially ending WWI (world history,p.494)

Going back to the topic...

Upon knowing the signs, we already know that the time of the re-emergence of the Church of Christ in the phrase "ends of the earth" is the time when World War I broke out, which is fulfilled when Iglesia ni Cristo, Church of Christ through Bro. Felix Manalo was registered in the Philippine government in July 27, 1914. Some says World War I broke out in July 28, 1914, some says its July 27, but its not a big deal, it doesnt matter, as prophecies in the bible does not predict an EXACT TIME or location, in fact, the bible doesnt contain exact dates. What matter is that the prophecy concerning the re-emergence of Christ's church in the time of the "ENDS OF THE EARTH" FULFILLED!

Do you also know that besides the prophecy about World War I, also known as "the great war", there is also a prophecy concerning the period of time between World War I and World War II?

prophecy: "When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." Rev. 8:1

The prophecy states that, "there was silence in heaven for about half an hour", to know how long it is, let us read II Peter 3:8 for clarification:

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."

To God, 1 day is equivalent to 1 thousand years to us.
The prophecy said that there will be silence for about half an hour.
If we will compute this, 1hr to God is equivalent to 41 years and 8 months to us, but the verse said it happened only half an hour, so if we will calculate this, the result will be: 1/2 hr to God is equivalent to 20 years and 10 months to us.

Let us check:
1/2 hr to God= 20 years and 10 months to us

20 years x 2= 40 years
10 months x 2= 20 months-12months(1 year)= 8 months so,
40 years + (1 year) + 8 months= 41 years and 8 months is 1hr to God

World War I ended in Nov. 11, 1918 and the second world war started in Sep. 1, 1939, so theres no war for about 20 years, 9 months and 20 days to be exact. Thinking that if we add 10 days more, there will be exactly silence for about 20 years and 10 months which is prophesied from the bible! Wow!

prophecy #1: There will be one flock and shepherd in the future or one church and one pastor.

prophecy #2: The re-emergence of the church will be in the "ends of the earth" or in the time the great war broke out.

Let us now know WHERE Christ's church will re-emerge...

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Going back to the book of Isaiah:

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.” Isa. 43:5-6

“From the Far East will I bring your offspring and from the far west I will gather you.” Isa. 43:5 (Moffat translation)

Far East
Fulfillment: This is fulfilled when the Church of Christ, Iglesia ni Cristo was registered in the Philippine government (which is a country in the Far East) and not to other countries in the Far East.


Proof:



"The Far East is an English term (with equivalents in various other languages of Europe and Asia, Chinese 遠東 yuǎn dōng literally translating to "far east") mostly describing East Asia (including the Russian Far East) and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century, denoting East Asia as the "farthest" of the three "easts", beyond the Near East and the Middle East..."

Countries and territories included in the term Far East

China
Hongkong
Macau
Japan
Mongolia
North Korea
South Korea
Taiwan
Brunei
Cambodia
East Timor
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
Russian Far East

source: wikipedia

One of the countries in the Far East is the Philippines, what other proof i can give that it is really the Philippines the re-emergence of Christ's Church will take place? I should say that not all countries are candidates, because the bible further stressed:

"Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord; exalt the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea." Isaiah 24:15

The bible give us more clue, the country which re-emergence will take place is an island country, in the list of island countries in wikipedia, only japan, indonesia, and philippines are candidates for the country which is composed of many islands.

Religion in Japan

"Upper estimates suggest that 84–96 percent of the Japanese population subscribe to Buddhism or Shinto, including a large number of followers of a syncretism of both religions. However, these estimates are based on people affiliated with a temple, rather than the number of true believers. Other studies have suggested that only 30 percent of the population identify themselves as belonging to a religion.

Nevertheless the level of participation remains high, especially during festivals and occasions such as the first shrine visit of the New Year. Taoism and Confucianism from China have also influenced Japanese beliefs and customs. Fewer than one percent of Japanese are Christian. In addition, since the mid-19th century numerous new religious movements have emerged in Japan."

Religion in Indonesia

"The majority of Muslims in Indonesia are Sunni. 9% of the population was Christian, 3% Hindu, and 2% Buddhist or other."


Religion in the Philippines

"The Philippines is a secular nation having a constitution separating the state and church. However, a large percentage of the Filipino people identify themselves as religious. More than 90% of the population are Christians: about 80% belong to the Roman Catholic Church while 10% belong to other Christian denominations, such as the Iglesia ni Cristo, the Philippine Independent Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, and Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Philippines is one of two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in Asia, the other being East Timor. Between five and ten percent of the population are Muslim, most of whom live in parts of Mindanao, Palawan, and the Sulu Archipelago—an area known as Bangsamoro or the Moro region..."

Do you think Christ's church will re-emerge in Japan, where Christianity is less than one percent in their population? Do you think it is in Indonesia, where only 9% of the population were Christians?

Or do you believe, it is in the Philippines, which composed of 7,107 islands, geographically in the center of Far East, composed of 90% Christians, and a predominantly Catholic country(which we believe the Church of Christ in the 1st century became the Catholic Church as it was apostatized)?

The very proof that it is in the Philippines where Christ's church will be re-established is because of the fact that Church of Christ or Iglesia ni Cristo is registered in the Philippines, not in Japan, and not in Indonesia. Another thing is that there is no Church of Christ that established and its origin is Japan or Indonesia. There is none.


Far West
Fulfillment: The verse said "in the far west i will gather you" in moffat translation, this is fulfilled when the Iglesia ni Cristo, which came from the far east, traveled in Hawaii, which is a country in the west, established the first ever local congregation there.

How? The story goes like this:

There are brethren who immigrated to Hawaii wanting of a locale there (they want to continue maintain being a member of the church), they requested it to the Central Office, and it was permitted.

"Brethren from Hawaii cried "What now brother? Are we not going to be saved? We have not been able to worship" When the Executive Minister this, he told them to set devotional prayers and God would make a way if it is his will that a congregation of the church be established in Hawaii." "...Thus, on July 27, 1968, the Executive Minister, Brother Erano Manalo, along with his small entourage, went to Hawaii. They looked for the brethren and gathered them in a small house at Ewa, Honolulu and there Bro. Erano officiated at the very first worship service of the Church of Christ in the Far West." source: pasugo issue July 2008, Editorial

I just found out, surprised and shocked to my amazement that the first gathering of the brethren outside the Philippines took place in Honolulu, Hawaii in Oahu island which is known as "The gathering place" (source: wikipedia) remembering the prophecy about the Church “From the Far East will I bring your offspring and from the far west I will gather you.” Isa. 43:5 (Moffat translation)

I think i dont need to give proofs that Hawaii is a country not just in the west but in the Far West, just by looking in the map:


From Hawaii, Bro. Erano Manalo went to San Francisco, California then New York (countries in the West) to gather brethren. It was the start of the expansion of Iglesia ni Cristo World Wide.


Prophecies concerning God's Last Messenger

prophecy: “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

Fulfillment: With the establishment of the Church of Christ in the Philippines, God used an instrument to do it, it is Bro. Felix Manalo who is from the east, from a far country. God said "I have spoken it... I have purposed it; I will also do it".

Another proof:

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. Isaiah 41:9

The start of his work is in "ends of the earth" or the time World War I broke out, "from its farthest corners i called you" it is said, like what is being prophesied in the re-emergence of the Church of Christ, it is also the same with God's instrument, that both will came from the east, from afar country, and can be mean far east.

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prophecy: Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 41:14

Fulfillment: God promised that he will help Bro. Felix Manalo the "worm Jacob".

Why worm Jacob?

because he was mocked, belittled, and despised by the people just like Christ, who is alluded to as “a worm” and would be “scorned by men and despised by the people” (Ps. 22:6-7). Indeed, harsh were the insults and severe were the persecutions hurdled against Brother Felix Manalo and the Iglesia Ni Critso especially during its early years.

“Felix Manalo formally started the INC in a makeshift bamboo chapel… he and the church were ridiculed and looked upon with scorn by the predominantly Catholic populace. …But gallant as he was, Manalo preserved though all the mockery.”

“Slowly, the Iglesia ni Cristo gained recognition and following that unbelievably spread afar and wide, around the country and all the way to the west.” (p.33) “Iglesia ni Cristo: from ridicule to reverence” 1983, Manila Magazine

But as what he had promised, he will help him:

“You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, And is said to you, ‘you are my servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: 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 hand’.” Isa. 41:9-10

“… the Iglesia ni Cristo has shown a phenomenal growth. Starting from Manalo who, in 1914, constituted a religious hierarchy of one, the church has grown into a nation-wide organization noted for its ornate cathedrals, centrally located chapels and well knit ministers and members. A kind of organization like it had never before been known in the Philippines. That Manalo made such an organization possible in the country is remarkable; that he was able to make it a great social force is a tribute to his indigenous aspiration and spiritual leadership.” Mac A. Fabian “Felix Manalo (A great Spiritual leader)”, 1969, p.9

to be continued...


I will make a part2 of this post for the questions and so on of nonmembers concerning the prophecies in the Iglesia ni Cristo. What we can see is that it is indeed the church has a God, and God is working, doing his promises unto this Church.