The angel having the seal of the living God

Published in Pasugo, Oct 1997

TO DISPROVE THE commission of Brother Felix Y. Manalo as God’s messenger in these last days, detractors vehemently deny the teaching that the so-called “Big Four” of the First World War are the fulfillment of the “four angels” mentioned in Revelation 7:1-3.

To make our discussion clear, let us first find out the meaning of the word “angel.” Angel means “messenger,” one who is sent by God. An angel could be either a spirit or a man in state of being. Scholars and religious writers agree that the term angel denotes the office and not the state of being of the one being sent. John the Baptist, although a man, is called an angel because he was sent to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus (cf. Jn. 1:6; Mt. 11:7-10, Douay-Rheims Version).

Heads of nations are messengers

Revelation 7:1-3 which contains the biblical prophecy on the “four angels” says:

“After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.

“Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads’.” (New King James Version)

The “four angels” mentioned in the preceding verses do not refer to ministering spirits sent by God to deliver short messages to certain persons as the angel Gabriel did. Neither are they preachers of God’s teachings as John the Baptist was. Instead, they are leaders of nations sent by God to fulfill special functions.

Apostle Peter stated that even kings and governors or representatives of nations are sent by God (cf. I Pt. 2:13-14). They are also called angels in the category of messengers of nations according to the Prophet Isaiah:

“What will one then answer the messengers of the nations?” (Is. 14:32, NKJV)

Head of states are messengers and are, therefore, called angels. The “four angels” mentioned in Revelation 7:1-3 are heads of states, messengers of their respective countries, “holding the wind.” This prophecy was fulfilled by the “Big Four” of the first world war, namely, Woodrow Wilson (US president), David Lloyd George (British prime minister), Georges Clemenceau (French premier), and Vittoro Orlando (Italian premier).

Critics of the Iglesia ni Cristo, however, believe otherwise, saying that Orlando of Italy was anticlerical, and, therefore, could not have been sent by God.

The Bible, on the other hand, shows that the works of the messengers sent by God are not in all cases religious or spiritual in nature. For instance, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was a pagan; yet he was sent by God (cf. Jer. 43:10). The Persian king Cyrus, too, was sent although he did not worship God (cf. Is. 44:28; 45:1). Hence, belief in God among heads of states is not a necessary condition for them to be sent by God. A person is God’s messenger so long as God had chosen him for a specific work. Unlike those sent by God to preach the gospel, representatives of nations need not be God-fearing or believers in God in order to be called angels or messengers.

The four angels “holding the wind”

In the prophecy, the “four angels” were seen “holding the wind.” The term “wind” does not refer to a literal current of air. The wind, accompanied by chariots like whirlwind and horses swifter than eagles (cf. Jer. 4:11-13), has caused much pain to people who heard “The sound of the trumphet, The alarm of war” (cf. Jer. 4:19, NKJV). The “wind” mentioned in Revelation 7:1-3 is, therefore, a war. But, what kind of war is it? A related prophecy in Isaiah says:

“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.)

This war is global in scope because it involves the armies of all nations being delivered over to the slaughter. Some weapons of this war are even compared to “chariots like whirlwind” and to “horses swifter than eagles.” History testifies to a world war wherein the weapons used are described as such. This was the case during the First World War:

“The First World War was unlike any war in the past… This was the first war ‘in three dimensions,’ the first war in which cites ware bombed from the air and winged warriors fought among the clouds. Of course the airplanes of 1914 were not so fast, so formidable, nor so numerous as those of today. There were really more important as scouts ( a kind of aerial ‘cavalry’) … the British had invented the tank, or land battleship – an armored automobile which could move on rough ground because it was built like a tractor.” (World History, pp. 478-479)

History attests that it was during the First World War when “chariots like whirlwind” or war tanks and “horses swifter that eagles” or airplanes were first used.

This world war was halted by the “four angels” who were heads of nations. In fulfillment, the First World War ceased through the efforts of the “Big Four” who met in Paris to confer concerning the treaty of Versailles:

“Orlando of Italy, Lloyd George of Great Britain, Clemanceau of France, and Wilson of America were called the Big Four when they met in Paris to confer concerning the Treaty of Versailles.” (Ibid., caption, p. 494)

The prophecy, therefore, concerning the “four angels” holding the wind (or war) as what has been mentioned earlier was fulfilled in the persons of Orlando of Italy, Lloyd George of Great Britain, Clemenceau of France, and Wilson of America popularly known as the “Big Four.” These four leaders of nations were instrumental in putting an end to the war in 1914.

Why is the cry of the other “angel ascending from the east” to the “four angels” : ”Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees” at the time they were seen holding the wind or stopping the war? This is because the “four angels” were granted the power “to harm the earth and the sea” (cf. Rev. 7:2, NKJV) or they had the authority either to continue the war or to stop it. Such really was the case as recorded in history:

“Early in May, 1919, the representatives of Germany were invited to the Peace Conference and asked to sign the treaty which was handed to them. They objected to the hard but just conditions which the treaty imposed upon their country and spent several weeks in pleading for easier terms. Some minor changes were made in the treaty, and on June 16th the final conditions were presented to the Germans, who were told that if they did not accept them the Allies would resume operations against their country. When faced with this possibility, Germany gave way and agreed to accept the terms of the Allies.” (History of the United States, p. 594)

History affirms that it was within the power of the “Big Four” to resume military operations against Germany. Had the Germans refused to accept the provisions of the treaty, the Allied powers would have certainly resumed operations against them. Hence, the cry: “Do not harm the earth and the sea.”

Does this mean that Brother Felix Y. Manalo, whom we believe is the fulfillment of the other angel in the prophecy, personally communicated with the “Big Four”? Why does the prophecy state that the other angel or messenger of God ascending from the east cried to the “four angels”? How was this fulfilled?

The cry of the other angel

To understand this, let us refer to the preaching of John the Baptist. The preaching of John the Baptist was depicted in the prophecy of Isaiah as a cry in the wilderness. He said, “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord”,’ ” (cf. Jn. 1:23, NKJV). Why is John’s preaching depicted as a cry in the wilderness? Below is the account of the evangelist Luke:

“And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight”.’

“Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” (Lk. 3:3-4, 9, Ibid.)

John’s preaching was contrary to what the people believed during his time. Hence, his preaching was likened to a “cry in the wilderness” – a lone and righteous voice among the multitudes of his time.

In like manner, the function of the angel ascending from the east having the seal of the living God was to seal the servants of God in their foreheads for their salvation, whereas the work of the “four angels” had something to do with destruction.

What is meant by “seal” and how is “sealing” of the servants of God done? The Holy Scriptures explain, thus:

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Eph. 1:13-14, Ibid.)

The Holy Spirit is the “seal” and the act of “sealing” is the preaching of the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, unto those who believe. This sealing function is done by God’s messenger (cf. Rom. 10:14-15). “Sealing” or preaching the gospel is a work leading to salvation, unlike the work of the “four angels” or the “Big Four.”

Thus, the testimonies of history clearly conform to the prophecy of the Holy Bible regarding the “four angels” or the “Big Four.” It is, therefore, beyond doubt that the work of Brother Felix Y. Manalo as God’s messenger in these last days is the work of God (cf. Jn. 6:29)!