God’s messenger in these last days

Published in Pasugo, Jul 1999

WHENEVER WE declare our belief that Brother Felix Y. Manalo is God’s messenger in these last days, many people raise questions concerning his commission. They ask: “Why do you recognize him as God’s messenger? How could he be God’s messenger?”

To answer questions such as these, we must consult the pronouncement of God in the Holy Scriptures.

Chosen by God

Brother Felix Y. Manalo is God’s messenger in these last days because he was chosen by God. The Almighty’s prophecy recorded in the Book of Isaiah testifies thus:

“Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, am first, and will be with the last.” (Is. 41:4, New Revised Standard Version)

The word “last” refers to the last of God’s messengers. We believe Brother Felix Y. Manalo is the fulfillment of this prophecy. He is the last messenger because his time is at the last days or at the “ends of the earth.” God says:

“You whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, ‘You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off’.” (Is. 41:9, Ibid.)

The time of God’s calling of His messenger is at “the ends of the earth.” The fruits of the work of this messenger will come from the Far East:

“From the far east will I bring your offspring, and from the far west I will gather you.” (Is. 43:5, Moffatt Translation)

The people who would be the fruits of the work of the last messenger are from the Far East and are recognized by God as His sons and daughters. How about the messenger? How does God recognize him? As was cited in Isaiah 41:9, God recognizes him as His chosen servant.

God’s messenger as the ‘worm Jacob’

Another prophecy concerning God’s last messenger calls him “worm Jacob”:

“Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” (Is. 41:14, King James Version)

To be compared to a worm means to be without strength and to be despised (Ps. 22:6). In fulfillment, the last messenger of God was by himself without strength and was despised. But he was not helpless because God promised to strengthen and help him:

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Is. 41:10, KJV)

God had chosen someone who was not learned and rich in order to confound the wise and the mighty (I Cor. 1:26-29). God’s promise to help and strengthen His last messenger was proven by the result of his work. The present stature of the Church that he preached clearly proves this.

However, many contend that the “worm Jacob” mentioned in Isaiah 41:14 refers to Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. Could it be that Jacob, the son of Isaac, is the one referred to in the prophecy? Was he still alive when the prophecy was proclaimed by Isaiah?

We must remember that a prophecy pertains to an event in the future. Jacob, the seed of Abraham, lived and died during the era of the patriarchs whereas Isaiah the prophet lived and died during the time of Israel or the prophetic age. Jacob died sometime in 1689 B.C. On the other hand, Prophet Isaiah lived during the time of King Uzziah, called Azariah during the 9th century (808 B.C.). Jacob had already been dead for 881 years when Isaiah made known his prophecy concerning the “worm Jacob.” Thus, Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, could not be the “worm Jacob” prophesied by Isaiah.

When is the appointed time of this “worm Jacob”? As previously cited in the Book of Isaiah, God’s last messenger is from the “ends of the earth.” “Ends of the earth” refers to a time different from “end of the earth.” The latter is synonymous with the end of the world or the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus (Mt. 24:3). The apostles had asked Jesus the signs of the end of the world. His reply was that they would hear of wars and rumors of wars, which would be followed by a war involving nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. All these are signs that the end is at the very doors (Mt. 24:3-4, 6-8, 33). In other words, these events would happen during the time “ends of the earth” which precedes the time “end of the earth.”

Prior to, during, and after the First World War, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes occurred in various places. The Church of Christ emerged in the Far East, specifically in the Philippines, simultaneous with the commencement of the First World War on July 27, 1914. This event fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the appointed time of God’s messenger whom God called the “worm Jacob.”

‘A new threshing instrument’

God made the worm Jacob as “a new threshing instrument”:

“Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

“Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.” (Isa. 41:14-15, KJV)

The worm Jacob referred to in the prophecy is the one whom God promised to make as a new threshing instrument. He would thresh the mountains and beat them small. What would make the worm Jacob as “a new sharp threshing instrument” are the words of God which are “… powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword” (Heb. 4:12, Ibid.). The mountains that would be threshed by him through God’s words are not literal mountains but kings (Rev. 17:9-10) or rulers of darkness (Eph. 6:12). In other words, the mountains refers to false religions.

In fulfillment, Brother Felix Y. Manalo, through his preaching, exposed the errors and falsity of the doctrines of other religions. He showed that such teachings are diametrically opposed to the true teachings of God. The impact of God’s words or doctrines which he had preached is continuously being felt by other religious organizations.

The fulfillment of God’s promises to His messenger, which was clearly proven by his work and by the continuing growth of the Church that he preached, only proves that the hand of God has done this:

“That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.” (Is. 41:20, KJV)

The Church of Christ, especially during its pioneering years, experienced severe persecution from many of its detractors. Yet, they were not able to hinder the speedy growth of the Church. Many were even confounded as to how the Church of Christ, from such a small beginning, grew. This, to them, remains an enigma. But to the members of the Church of Christ, everything is the will and work of the Almighty God. It was the Lord God who has done this, He who said:

“… I work and who can hinder it?’” (Is. 43:13, NRSV)