Is the name Felix Y. Manalo in the Bible?
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Brother Bob Pellien: Welcome, everyone to this program That’s in the Bible. Today, we will address a question that comes in from so many around the world. We won’t just mention one who posed the question, but rather today, this time, we’ll summarize it all like this—as it was written into our God’s Message Magazine Question and Answer Department. The question went like this:
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Voiceover: I have been reading the Bible since I was 15 years old. But since then, I have never encountered even a single verse in the Old Testament or in the New Testament that mentions the name of Felix Y. Manalo, whom you regard to be God’s messenger. The names of messengers like Moses, Elijah, David, and the rest of the prophets are found in the Bible. And so are the names of John the Baptist, Angel Gabriel, and the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ—but not the name of Felix Y. Manalo. So is he the true messenger of God?
Brother Bob: Thanks to all of you who have asked that question regarding the name of Brother Felix Y. Manalo, not being in the Bible.
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The Old Testament is the written record of God’s early people
Brother Bob: Inasmuch as the Old Testament is the written record of God’s early people. Therefore, it’s expected that the names of God’s messengers of those times, such as Moses, David, and Elijah, and the others that were mentioned there in the Old Testament. That’s expected.
Bible prophecies fulfilled by messengers
Brother Bob: However, there are other messengers whose authority and right to preach rests not on whether their names are written in the Bible, but rather on the fulfillment of the prophecies written about them.
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There are other messengers whose authority and right to preach rests, not on whether their names are written in the Bible, but rather on the fulfillment of the prophecies written about them.
Brother Bob: It has never been our stand that Brother Felix Manalo is a true messenger of God because his name is written in the Bible. Why do I say that? Well, because our basis in believing that Brother Felix Manalo is the Messenger of God in these last days, is founded upon a much more profound basis, much more so than simply a name. What do I mean by this?
Let’s take a look at some examples of what I’m referring to. For one is John the Baptist, another, the Lord Jesus Himself, Apostle Paul, and the Messenger of God in these last days, Brother Felix Y. Manalo.
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John the Baptist
Lord Jesus Christ
Apostle Paul
Felix Y. Manalo
Brother Bob: They all have similar circumstances that apply to them all. Let’s make together a brief study of those circumstances here today. What should we all notice and remember?
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The Old Testament prophecies about the messengers whose works were fulfilled in the New Testament times do not mention the names of the messengers concerned.
Brother Bob: It should be noticed that the Old Testament prophecies about the messengers whose works were fulfilled in the New Testament times, they also do not mention the name of the messenger concerned. For instance, the prophecy of the famous Prophet Isaiah concerning the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. What does it say? Let’s read that prophecy. It’s recorded in the writings of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah, chapter 61, beginning in verse 1:
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
[Isaiah 61:1-2 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: Dear friends, was this prophecy fulfilled? Absolutely. This prophecy was fulfilled in none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. “How do we know that?”, one may ask. It does not mention His name because of whom the fulfillment can be seen. Take a look at the fulfillment. It’s recorded here. Luke, chapter 4, verses 16 through 20:
So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
[Luke 4:16-20 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: We know this prophecy refers to Jesus, not because His name was mentioned in the ancient prophecy, His name was not mentioned. His name is not there. But rather because the mission was recorded there. The mission mentioned in the prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus.
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The mission mentioned in the prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus.
Brother Bob: He’s the One who did the work. No one could claim it for themselves. And that’s better evidence for sure, than merely a name. A name that could be copied anyway. Here’s another example of what we’re talking about. John the Baptist has a prophecy from Isaiah, the same prophet as well, to prove his commission too. What was the prophecy? It’s recorded also in the, as I said, in the writings of the Prophet, Isaiah chapter 40, verse 3:
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.
[Isaiah 40:3 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: The fulfillment of this is John the Baptist. And in John chapter 1, verses 19 through 23, we can read the fulfillment:
Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
[John 1:19-23 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: Dear friends, what could we notice?
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The prophecy of Isaiah did not mention a name
Brother Bob: But there’s no question about who is the fulfillment, why?
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John the Baptist is the one who fulfilled the mission.
Brother Bob: Because he’s the one who did the work. He’s the one who prepared for the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the same is true for Apostle Paul who testified that he was the fulfillment of the light to the Gentiles, as was recorded in the book of Isaiah. And let’s let’s go ahead and read that as well. That’s recorded in Isaiah 49 verse 6. Here’s how the prophecy reads:
he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
[Isaiah 49: 6 New International Version]
Brother Bob: Same thing here, dear friends,
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The name of Apostle Paul was not mentioned in the Bible prophecy.
Brother Bob: So how would we know then who’s being referred to there? How would we know that it’s being that it’s referring to Apostle Paul? Back to the Bible for the answer, of course. And we can read that in Acts chapter 13, verses 46 and 47:
Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
[Acts 13:46-47 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: Paul was the one who actually went to the Gentile lands. He was the one who spread the gospel of salvation there. Proving what? He fulfilled this prophetic mission. No one can hitchhike on that prophecy and claim it for themselves. His name was not there.
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The name is not the evidence.
Brother Bob: But he did the mission. They did not.
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The fulfillment of the assigned mission is.
Brother Bob: The name is not the evidence, the fulfillment of the assigned mission is. Should you further ask, like, “Why the names of these messengers are found later in the New Testament?” The answer is obvious. It’s because the New Testament was written at a later time when the Old Testament prophecies and these various messengers had already been fulfilled.
The name “Felix Y. Manalo” cannot be found in the Old or New Testaments
Brother Bob: The commission and the work [of] Brother Felix Y. Manalo [is] also prophesied in the Old Testament and even in the New Testament. But his name can never appear in the Old Testament.
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Bro. Felix Y. Manalo’s name can never appear in the Old Testament
Brother Bob: It’s impossible for it to also appear in the New Testament. Why?
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The fulfillment of his work was to take place at the ends of the earth, a period of time when both the Old Testament and New Testament had already been completed.
Brother Bob: Because the fulfillment of his work was to take place at the prophetic time called ends of the earth. A period of time when both the Old and the New Testaments have already been completed.
So common sense tells us it’s impossible for his name to have been recorded there. The Bible’s already done. Through Prophet Isaiah, God said that He would call His servant. He likened that servant to a bird of prey, who would come from a far country in the East at the time called ends of the earth. Isaiah 46:11- 13.
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. “Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, Who are far from righteousness: I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory.
[Isaiah 46:11-13 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: And that bird of prey, the man from the far country in the East, would execute His counsel. Isaiah 46: 11 and Isaiah 41: 9-10.
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And 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 right hand.’
[Isaiah 41:9-10 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: And dear friends, the far country where this servant of God would emerge is in the Far East. Isaiah 43: 5:
From the far east will I bring your offspring, and from the far west I will gather you.
[Isaiah 43:5 Moffatt]
Brother Bob: We’ve studied all of this before in this program. Geographically speaking, where is the fulfillment of this place that the Bible prophecy speaks of when they said Far East? If we were to cite such books as Asia and the Philippines, we’ve read these here before, page 169:
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“It cannot be without significance that the country which stands almost at the geographical center of the Far East, the Philippines, should also be that in which Christianity has taken the deepest root…”
Brother Bob: That’s the Philippines. The Philippines is in the Far East. We have also studied on this program that time element called “ends of the earth,” wherein it’s been proven to refer to a time when the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is so very near. And Jesus gave the signals, gave the signs. He described those signs in Matthew chapter 24.
Now as He sat 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?”…So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!…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. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
[Matthew 24:3, 33, 6-8 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: A war wherein the nations and kingdoms of the world would be in battle against one another, Matthew 24, verses 6-8. And that kind of war, dear friends, that Jesus was describing there cannot be denied. It cannot be confused with just any other war that may have taken place at other times in human history. This was a war Jesus described as the nations and the kingdoms of the world were embattled against each other. And we are sure that this is a very unique kind of war. Why? It was further described in prophecy. And here is one of those. I’d like to read to you the description of that war in Isaiah the Prophet 34 verses 1 and 2:
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.
[Isaiah 34:1-2 New King James Version]
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Question: What kind of [war] was given by Jesus to signal the time called “ends of the earth?”
Brother Bob: What kind of [war] was given by Jesus to signal the time called “ends of the earth” or a time when the end is near?
“The first great campaign on the southeastern battlegrounds of the Great War began on July 27, 1914, when the Austrian troops undertook their first invasion of Serbia.”
[The Story of the Great War, Vol. 2, Edited by Francis J. Reynolds, et al. p. 291]
Brother Bob: It was a war that involved all the armies and all the nations of the world. Do we have such a thing having transpired in history? Absolutely. On July 27, 1914, the First World War broke out. Dear friends, this was also the date that the Iglesia Ni Cristo, the Church Of Christ, was registered by Brother Felix Y. Manalo with the Philippine Government there in the Far East. He is the Messenger of God and proven to be so not because his name is in the Bible, but rather because he fulfilled the prophecy, these that we’ve mentioned in so many others, all concerning his mission. Brother Felix Y. Manalo. Right mission, right place, right time, right way, and thus the Church Of Christ, God’s nation, flourishes still. Join with us. The works that Brother Felix Y. Manalo performed are the very proofs of his commissioning as Messenger of God.
Friends, when you’re ready to learn more about the fundamental teachings found here inside the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ, please visit us, incmedia.org.
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Learn more at incmedia.org
Brother Bob: There you’ll find various series of programs dedicated to answering your spiritual questions. You can also follow our Facebook page at:
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Follow us on Facebook:
/IglesiaNiCristoNewsandUpdates
Brother Bob: There you can view more of our shows and you are able to also see how we get involved and how you can join with us getting involved in community projects. We can learn all about those on incgiving.org.
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Learn more at incgiving.org
Brother Bob: And to find the house of worship that is nearest to you, where you can go ask questions to the minister, learn more about the Church Of Christ, go to IglesiaNiCristo.net.
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Find a house of worship near you: IglesiaNiCristo.net/directory
There you will see the directory of the Houses of Worship that will be near very near to your own home.
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Do you have any questions about the Bible? answers@incmedia.org
And if you have questions that you would like answered here, on this program, please just email them to us at answers@incmedia.org. Thank you all for joining with us in our program today and we’ll see you again next time on That’s in the Bible.
