Ten Prophetic Blunders of the Iglesia Ni Cristo

Ten Prophetic Blunders of the Iglesia Ni Cristo

Discuss Here.

In order to justify the divine calling of their founder Felix Y. Manalo, the Iglesia Ni Cristo (1914) appeals to Revelation 7 as a biblical prophecy about him. In their Pasugo magazine we read,

A Church minister says that Manalo?s ?commission? was in accordance with biblical prophecies pertaining to God?s calling a ?messenger from the Far East? (Rev. 7:2-3), who would preach to God?s sons and daughters (Isaiah 43:5-6; 46:11; 41:9-11). His task would involve stamping the seal of the living God on the foreheads of God?s servants, and the bringing of the ?other sheep? which were not within the Church during the time of Christ into the fold so that ?there shall be one flock, one shepherd?[1]

Take note that they regard Revelation 7:2-3 as a prophecy about Felix Y. Manalo, that such a prophecy states that a messenger shall rise from the Far East to preach to God?s sons and daughters, and that such a messenger would stamp the seal of the living God on the servants foreheads bringing in the other sheep of John 10:16 into one fold, the Iglesia Ni Cristo (1914).

In this document we will present to you ten biblical and historical truths that would expose the INC (1914) fallacy that Felix Y. Manalo is the other angel in Revelation 7:

1. Heads of state were never called angels in the Bible.
2. Even if the heads of state may be called angels, there was really no Big Four, there was actually only a Big Three.
3. If there was supposed to be a Big Four, it should have been the Big Five.
4. Revelation 6:14-15 does not describe men of war hidden in trenches but people of every class hiding in rocks of mountains in fear of the Lamb’s wrath. There was no description of a World War in Revelation 6:14-17,? the description rather was about a divinely caused catastrophe as corroborated by what happened after the 144,000 children of Israel were sealed (Revelation 8:7-11).
5. ?East? not ?Far East? is stated in Revelation 7:1.
6. The seal in Revelation 7 cannot be the mystery of Romans 16:25 because v.26 says the mystery was already unveiled.
7. The simile of II Peter 3:8 cannot be put asunder to give way to a whimsical prophetic calculations.
8. Even if the simile of II Peter 3:8? can be put asunder, the selection of the end dates of World War I and the start dates of World War II are highly suspect?using the significant date of World War I which involves the Big Three (or Four) and true start date of World War II (when it REALLY turned global) will give huge discrepancy at the expense of putting Peter?s simile asunder.
9. The other angel in Revelation 7 cried with a loud voice to the four angels. Felix Y. Manalo never communicated to the Wilson, Lloyd George and Clemenceau much less shouted to them to end World War I
10. The servants of God in Revelation 7 refers to the children of Israel (Jews) not the Gentiles, nor Filipinos.

John 10:16 explained

But before we go on, let?s study what John 10:16 says and determine it fulfilment. It says,

?And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.?

The Lord Jesus spoke of this fold, other sheep, and one fold.? The one fold the Lord was speaking of is non-other than the Church, also called the Body. The Church is the one fold by which he is the head (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18) or the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). ?In the Church is the unity of Jews and Gentiles (1 Corinthians 10:32). The Jews is what the Lord referred to as ?this fold? and the Gentiles are the ?other sheep.? Through the Holy Spirit, both that fold (Jews or children of Israel) and the other sheep (non-Jews; Gentiles) are baptized into the one fold (the Church; the body), see 1 Corinthians 12:13,

?For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.?

In other words, the Lord?s prophecy was actually fulfilled during the lifetime of the Apostles, when the Gentiles were graffed in (Romans 11:17-25) with the Jews in the Church. Apostle Paul explained,

?Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.? (Ephesians 2:11-13)

According to the Apostle Paul, in the past the Gentiles are without Christ and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, that they were in the past strangers from the covenants of promise, without hope and without God. But with Christ that is no longer true, because the Gentiles who were then a far off are now made closer by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in Ephesians 3:6 he went on to say,

?That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.?

Therefore this fold when Jesus said what is written in John 10:16 refers to the Jewish believers, while the other sheep refers to those who were far off the covenants of promise–the Gentile believers, while the one fold refers to none other than the Church where in both the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers are baptized by the Holy Spirit. This was fulfilled in the time of the Apostles, not after 1,800+ years later.

Revelation 7:1 says,

?And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.?

They reason that the word ?angel? came from the Greek word aggelos which means messenger, with this, they interpret the four angels as the Big Four of the Versailles Peace Conference at the end of World War I, namely Wilson (US President), Lloyd George (UK Prime Minister), Clemenceau (France Prime Minister) and Orlando (of Italy). This interpretation?s problem is three-fold:

Even if the heads of state may be called angels, there was really no Big Four, because there was actually only a Big Three

First, it can be contested that there was no Big Four that there was only the Big Three, history shows that Orlando walked out of the Conference. Furthermore history tell us that major decisions in that Peace Conference were taken by the Big Three, not by the Big Four.[2]?

If there was supposed to be a Big Four, it should have been the Big Five

Secondly, history also shows that Count Makino from Japan also took part of that Conference[3], and so it appears that inclusion of Orlando of Italy was their convenient way of having a fourth angel.

Heads of state were never called angels in the Bible

The third problem is none of the scripture ever called a head of state an angel. It is true that the Greek aggelos and the Hebrew malak may be interpreted as a supernatural or human messenger, that is not the case for English word angel, thus we say most angels are aggelos, however, not all aggelos are angels or aggelos may mean messenger but not all messengers are literally angels.

The April 1997 issue of the Pasugo magazine reasoned,

Leaders of nations are also called by the Bible as “ministers of God” (Romans 13:3-4). They are sent neither to preach the gospel nor to establish a nation of God, but to serve God’s purpose similar to that which was fulfilled by leaders of ancient nations who, whether they acknowledged Him or not, were sent by God and called by Him as His servants.?

The pagan Nebuchadnezzar was sent by God: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant…” (Jer. 43:10-11)

Of Cyrus, God said,

“He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure” (Is. 44:28.)

“Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue the nations before him…” (Is.45:1.)

Babylon and Persia were not the chosen nations of God in ancient times. And yet their leaders had once served God’s purpose.

While Nebuchadnezzar was sent by God and while Cyrus was called shepherd, neither Nezzar nor Cyrus were ever called malak or angel. The INC (1914) seems to be too engrossed with this fable that they would prefer a flight of fancy than to take the angels for what they really are, angels or supernatural creatures of God.

Revelation 6:14-15 does not describe men of war hidden in trenches but people of every class hiding in rocks of mountains in fear of the Lamb’s wrath.

They also interpret the four winds as symbolic of the first World War (according to them Jeremiah. 4:11-13, 19 suggests that). They claim that this prophecy in Revelation states that war first broke out before the four angels were seen holding the winds, for this they appeal to Revelation 6:14-17,

?And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand??

From this passage, they reasoned out that during World War I, men of war hid in trenches and caves, but, a close look at this scripture reveals that not only men of war hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains but rather all classes of people: kings of the earth, great men, rich men, chief captains, mighty men, every bondman and every free man would do so. This interpretation does not conform well with history for Wilson, Lloyd George (or the monarch he represented), Clemenceau, and Orlando and their likes never hid in trenches nor the rocky caves in fear of the Lamb’s wrath.? More on this below (Revelation 6:14-17 describe no war).

Revelation 7:2a says,

?And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God.?

?East? not ?Far East? is stated in Revelation 7:1

Since they think that any man can be angels for being sent by God, and that since Felix Y. Manalo came from the Far Eastern islands of the Philippines, they regard him as the other angel who ascended from the Far East. They also say that he was entrusted the right to know the Gospel (Mark 4:11-12) which was a mystery kept secret according to Romans 16:25. ?This interpretation has two-fold problem as well.

First, we read no ?Far East? in the Greek text of Revelation 7:2, instead we read only ?East? or the Greek anatolees.

The seal in Revelation 7 cannot be the mystery of Romans 16:25 because v.26 says the mystery was already unveiled

Secondly, in just another verse succeeding Romans 6:25 we read,

?But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.?[4]

According to this scripture, the mystery was unveiled in the time of the Apostles, long before the Iglesia Ni Cristo (1914) was established or even long before Felix Y. Manalo was born. When this is pointed out, expect them to make another claim that the Church was prophesied to total apostasy, however such a claim is also not warranted by the scriptures in fact it is even refuted by Matthew 16:18. In their further defense, they tie up Revelation 7:2-3 with Isaiah 43:5 and say,

The Hebrew word “mizrach” means the place of the sun’s rising and refers to the “far east,” as in Isaiah 43:5 and Revelation 7:2-3, both prophecies concerning the call of God’s messenger in the last days, fulfilled in the person of Brother Felix Y. Manalo when he preached the gospel and became God’s instrument in the emergence of the Iglesia Ni Cristo from the Philippines, a far east country.

Do Revelation 7:2-3 and Isaiah 43:5 speak of one event? Does it speak of Filipinos at all? Let’s see,

“Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east [Heb., mimizraach], and gather thee from the west [Heb., uwmimaaraab]; I will say to the north [Heb. latsaapown], Give up; and [say] to the south [Heb., uwlteeymaan], Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth [Heb., miqtseeh]; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” (Isaiah 43:5-7)

The LORD said, He will bring Jacob’s seed (see v.1) from the East (not Far East take note) and gather thee (Jacob or Israel) from the West. This is not to be separated from the LORD saying to the North and to the South to give up and not to hold back His sons and daughters from a far, or from the ends (take note plural) of the earth. This passage is not about the East or Far East alone. The prophecy is for the gathering of Jacob’s seed, of Israel and of every one that is called by God’s name. All about God’s sons and daughters from the ends of the earth or the four corners: the West, the North, the South and the East. It was so worded in in a poetic tone that isolating Isaiah 43:5 destroys the intended meaning of the prophecy. Sadly, this is what the INC (1914) did when they wrongly stitched Isaiah 43:5 with Revelation 7:2-3 when in fact neither these two suggest an emergence of a Filipino church from the Far East alone. No! Both prophecies speak of Israel while Isaiah 43:5 of everyone that is called by the LORD’s name.

Even if the simile of II Peter 3:8? can be put asunder, the selection of the end dates of World War I and the start dates of World War II are highly suspect

Revelation 8:1 says,

?And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.?

They also reason that the space of half an hour in the above scripture represents the time gap between the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II. They say the half an hour space actually means 20.833 years of peace time between the two world wars. With the word ?about? suggesting an approximation, they place the end date of World War I on the 11^th of November, 1918 and the start of World War II on the 1^st of September 1939. These dates are highly suspect. For one, that Second War only officially turned global when the United States entered it on the 7^th of December 1941[5]. Two, the so-called Big Four were not present in the November 1918 Armistice. Anyway, why are these dates significant in their claim?

They argue that by using 2 Peter 3:8 which says, ?But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.? They say that the ratio of 1000 years to a 1 day can be used to calculate the half-an-hour gap stated in Revelation 8:1. Their computations are as follows:

Given:

• One-day (24-hr) divine reckoning = 1000 earthly years (based on 2 Pet. 3:8)
• WW1end = 11-11-1918
• WW2start = 9-1-1939
• There was a silence of half an hour says Rev 8:1

Computation:

• Based on the given above, the 24-hr divine reckoning is equivalent to 1000 earthly years. By ration and proportion, this give us 1000/24 or 41.666667 years to a (divine) day. Divide 41.66667 by 2 to get the half an hour equivalent, we get 20.833333 years as the interpretation of the phrase about the space of half an hour.
• Now The gap between two world wars based on the end and start dates given above is 7599 days. Divide it by 365.25 we arrive at 20.80549775 years.
• Since the discrepancy is merely 0.027835578 years or 10 days (rounded off) this is goes well as the phrase about the space of half an hour.

But the dates they used are questionable, we will show here the correction to calculations above.? Take note that this seal cannot be about what they tell us (that the mystery the late Felix Y Manalo revealed) since we already know from Romans 16:26 that such ?mystery was already unveiled before Manalo was even born. Also take note that according to Revelation 8:1, ?And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.?

Now, as per Revelation 8:1, when the seventh seal was opened, the other angel who ascended from the East (not Far East) already? cried with a loud voice to the four angels (see Revelation 7:2-3). If the four angels were the so-called Big Four, then the calculation of the silence in heaven cannot be based on November 11, 1918 because there was no meeting of the so-called Big Four in that Armistice (Wilson was only present then). The so-called Big-Four were only present in the Peace Treaty of Versailles, therefore we may use the date when the treaty was signed, on June 28, 1919.

Revelation 8:1 also tells us that only after the opening of the seventh seal was there a silence in heaven of about the space of half an hour, since it is in the scriptures, then our calculation must be based on a date after the four angels were seen holding the winds. This cannot be overemphasized, the silence happened only after the opening of the seventh seal; the opening of the seventh seal happened after the four angels were told to hold the winds. If we base our calculation on a date before the four angels were holding the winds then we succumb to further biblical error and historical.

But more problem arise, the opening of the seventh seal leading to the silence in heaven occurred after the sealing of the 144,000 (Revelation 7:4-17)! What a mess they gotten themselves into!

Anyway, if the four angels were really the Big Four (granting that I am agreeing with this fable), we’ll use the date when the Versailles Treaty was signed. June 28, 1919. With this “corrected” date, the gap would then be 7370 days or 20.17796030 years! Compared to their interpretation of 2 Peter 3:8 this will give us a discrepancy of 0.66 years or 239 days. Way off the mark!

Here’s more, since the Second War officially became global upon the entrance of the United States, the correct start date should be December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor ushering the indifferent United States to join the War. If we use these “corrected” dates together, the space of half an hour would be 8,198 days or 22.4449 years. The discrepancy with their interpretation of 2 Peter 3:8 would be 1.611 years or 588 days. Way way off the mark!

The simile of II Peter 3:8 cannot be put asunder to give way to a whimsical prophetic calculations

The INC (1914) dilemma on the space of half an hour does not end here. If you read 2 Peter 3:8 you’ll find out that they only considered the first part of it. They only used the phrase ?one day is with the Lord as a thousand years? and abandoned the other phrase ?a thousand years as one day.? Peter on the other hand, treated both phrases as a ONE THING idiom or a simile. An idiom is a an expression of a given language peculiar to itself grammatically, it cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its element.[6] ?Their computation has put this idiomatic expression asunder, the true meaning of that ONE THING was compromised in order to justify their prophetic claim for Felix Y. Manalo. But actually, this idiom of Apostle Peter has nothing to do with the half an hour space stated in Revelation 8:1. It is a simile which speaks of ?the eternity of God and the shortness of human life to ?the impatience of human expectations; about the second coming of Christ:’?[7] This ONE THING means, God?s schedule is not man?s schedule especially as far as the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus is concerned. As the Lord himself puts it, ?My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.?[8]

It is also worth nothing how the Good News Bible translation renders 2 Peter 3:8, it says, “But do not forget one thing, my dear friends! There is no difference in the Lord’s sight between one day and a thousand years; to him the two are the same.” This is also in accordance to Psalms 90:4 which says, “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” (KJV)

The other angel in Revelation 7 cried with a loud voice to the four angels

Revelation 7:2b says,

?And he [the other angel] cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea.?

If Felix Y. Manalo was truly the other angel, the INC (1914) would have to bear the burden of proof how he cried with a loud voice to Wilson, Lloyd George, Clemenceau, and Orlando. Again history will be their enemy because it will prove that Felix Y. Manalo was never consulted by the so-called Big Four. They were never even acquainted!

In the April 1997 issue of the Pasugo magazine they reasoned,

We do not teach that [Felix Manalo speaking to the Big Four] We have never said that Brother Felix Manalo communicated with any of the Big Four nor did we ever say that the Big Four acknowledged that they were the four angels mentioned in Revelation 7:1.

But of course! How could they teach Manalo spoke to the Big Four? They cannot because he was never involved in ending World War I. However since the Holy Scripture speaks of the other angel crying with a loud voice to the angels from the four corners of the earth, would it not make a more biblical sense that Felix Manalo was not that angel and that the Big Four were not the four angels? What then is the sense of saying, ?He cried with a loud voice to the four angels?? Remember that the Lord Jesus said, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18). The Lord in his scripture tells us that even the smallest letter or the least stroke of pen making up the prophecy of God’ Word are significant. Why then do they explain away Revelation 7:2b? Out of convience.

The same Pasugo reasoned,

The cry of the other angel should not be taken literally. It signifies the stark contrast between his work which is evangelization and salvation and that of the four angels which was purely secular and had something to do with the destruction through war. Whether or not the Big Four acknowledge that they were the four angels mentioned in the prophecy does not alter the truth that they fulfilled the prophecy concerning the angels that held the winds in Revelation 7:1

This type of reasoning was alluded to by the beloved Apostle Paul, he said,

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. ?And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Let us all remember that “God is not the author of confusion.”[9] The Holy Spirit must have some reason why in Revelation 7:5b the other angel is said to have cried with a loud voice to the four angels. If it is not to be taken literally then what does it mean? How will it fit the fable they invented? It wouldn’t make sense for the Holy Scripture to say something but in the fulfillment what was actually said would not happen.

In Revelation 7:3, the other angel said,

?Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.?

The context of this passage does not in anyway suggest there was already a ?hurting? going on. Since the INC (1914) claims Revelation 7:1-3 was about the end of World War I, they will have to explain why it is not said, ?Stop hurting the earth, the sea and the trees.? The scripture does not suggest that there was already an on going or an incurred damage on the earth, the sea and the trees as what we know to be the effect of any war, especially of a global one. Contrary to their interpretation, the words do convey that the earth, the sea and the trees were? not yet ?hurt? not yet until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. More on this below (Revelation 6:14-17 describe no war).

The servants of God in Revelation 7 refers to the children of Israel (Jews) not the Gentiles, nor Filipinos

Another impasse for the INC (1914) is in Revelation 7:4-8–the sealing of the 144,000 children of Israel.? They have a lot of explaining to do here, they have to prove that Felix Y. Manalo was able to seal 144,000 Jews between the two global wars or in his lifetime or in the lifetime of the sect he has founded.? In the 1997 issue of the Pasugo, they reasoned,

Note how Apostle John narrated in Revelation 7:2 the vision he had seen concerning God’s work in these last days: “And I saw another angel…”

In verse 4, there was a remarkable shift in the point of view, he said: “And I heard…” This is not part of the vision, and yet Apostle John mentioned the sealing done during the time of Christ and His Apostles so he can show the link between the first century Church and the Church in these last days. Both are act of sealing and both are God’s work for man’s salvation.

This is nothing but another convenient excuse, because verses 3-4 says, ?Hurt not the earth,? till we have sealed the servants of our God? And I heard the number of THEM which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four.? The THEM in verse 4 refers to the children of Israel in verse 3. Verses 3 and 4 make up one context. Verses 3-4 describe two consequent events sandwiched between the holding of the four winds and the hurting of the elements (earth, seas, and trees). The context of this prophecy tells us, the four winds were to be held until the sealing is done (vv. 1-4) after which John heard the number of 144,000 of them sealed? (vv. 5-8) and after that catastrophe started to come upon the earth, the seas and the trees (Revelation 8:7-13).

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is one unforgettable experienced for John in the Island of Patmos one glorious Sunday (Revelation 1:1-10) by which he did not only see but he also heard (Revelation 1:10; 3:3; 4:1; 5:11, 13; etc.) of things or events that make up one glorious and apocalyptic vision. For instance in Revelation 6:1?we read, “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.” This one particular event in that vision was not only received by John by seeing (“the Lamb opened one of the seals”) but also by hearing (“as it were the noise of thunder”). Does the seeing and the hearing of this event mean these are supposed two separate and distant events? NO! The same is true with verses 3-4, which describes one series of events: he saw the angels, then he heard the other commanding the other four not to hurt the elements until the sealing of the servants is done and then he heard the number of Israelites who were sealed.

Revelation 6:14-17 describe no war

Now let us backtrack and study the events preceding the rising of the other angel.? In the 1997 issue of their magazine Pasugo we read,

The prophecy states that war would have first broken out before the four angels were seen holding the winds, meaning war. The preceding verses (chapter 6 verses 14-17) speak of the departing of the heaven which caused all kinds of people – king, great men, rich men, chief captains, mighty men, every bondman and every free man – to hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains because of that conflagration which historians dubbed the Great War or the First World War.?

After these things so the prophecy continued. the four angels were seen holding the winds. In fact the conference of the Big Four took place after the war had been waged, for had it not yet broken out, what winds would these angels be holding?

According to Revelation 6:14-17:

• Every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
• Kings, great men, rich men, leaders all of them hid in dens and in rocks of mountains
• They fear Lamb they would rather have the rocks and mountains fall on them
• They fear the impending wrath of the Lamb.

These description of events preceding to the rising of the other angel in Revelation 7 does not describe a war at all. Instead the above list is descriptive of the following:

• There will be massive earthquakes or landslide, what ever it is, such natural calamities were not regarded by the people as man made.
• Such a calamity brought terror to all persons, seeking shelters, they sought shelter among the rocks probably because they think it will protect them from the mountains that are moved moved out of place. Not in trenches but in real solid shelters as rocky caves.
• Since it cannot be attributed as man-made, they will be convinced at something or someone that tells them it is the wrath of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
• They will then fear Him.

True enough after the space of about half an hour, the seven angels were revealed with seven trumpets (Revelation 8:2). When the first of the seven sounded, the scripture tells us how the earth, the seas and the trees were hurt after the 144,000 children of Israel were sealed:

• ?[T]here followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.? (Revelation 8:7)
• ?And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood.? (v.8)
• ?And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.? (v.9)
• ?And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters.? (v.10)
• ?And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.? (v.11)

The four winds held has nothing to do with the generally peaceful coexistence of nations between World War I and World War II, nothing at all. The four winds held from hurting the earth, the seas and the trees is nothing short of a divinely caused global catastrophe attributed to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb feared by the kings of the earth, great men, rich men, chief captains, mighty men, every bondman and every free man.

Conclusion:? After thoroughly subjecting the prophetic claim of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (1914) through the historic and biblical test, we come to the conclusion that such a claim is just a product of a sophisticated human fancy–this is the only credit we can confer to them. As Dr. William Smith once put it, we should “interpret prophecy by history, not by speculation, conjecture and fancy.” And by Benjamin Jowett, “For though we may interpret prophecy by history, we must no interpret history by prophecy.” Let us all be warned that such an endeavor finds no merit in the scriptures. Let us also be reminded of what Apostle Peter said, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:20)

Discuss Here.

Notes:

[1]? Pasugo magazine, May/June 1986 issue, p.6 as cited in the Examine the Iglesia Ni Cristo website. URL: http://www.examineiglesianicristo.com/honesty5.html.

[2]?GCSE History by Richard P. Fuller. URL: http://www.rpfuller.com/gcse/history/2.html. Also see the Virginian Pilot Newspaper obituaries and news articles. URL: files.usgwarchives.org/va/virginiabeach/obits/obitso.txt??It says, “Italy had demanded inclusion of Fiume in her post-war kingdom. WILSON declared this was an unjustifiable claim. [Vittorio Emanuele] ORLANDO walked out of the conference, but he returned later to oppose the treaty. On June 19, 1919, he resigned as premier and years later said he did this so that he would not have to sign the pact.” Some angel huh?

[3] Wikipedia: The Free Encylopedia. URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles.

[4]? Romans 16:26, KJV.?

[5]? The National Geographic website stated in their World War II timeline, “For Americans, World War II began on December 7, 1941. But war had been going on for years elsewhere. For the Chinese, war began in 1931, when Japan invaded northeastern China, setting up a Japanese state called Manchukuo. By 1938 Japan occupied much of China and had taken Nanking, longtime capital of China, where Japanese troops killed more than 42,000 civilians. For Europeans, war began in 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. The war in Europe would end in May 1945 and in the Pacific in August 1945.” URL:http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/history/wwii_timeline.html. It cannot really be global (from four corners) if it isn’t really global.

[6]? Dictionary.COM.? URL: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=idiom.

[7]? Robertson?s Word Pictures in the New Testament. A public document.

[8]?John 7:6, KJV.?

[9] ?1 Corinthians 14:33, KJV.