Most
of our detractors such as CATHOLIC
DEFENDERS, ANTI-INC BLOGS and WEBSITES, etc. Have a means of leading
non-INC member’s minds into the wrong direction. Most of them will attack
the INC’s doctrines based upon their WRONG
UNDERSTANDING and WRONG
INTERPRETATIONS of the Bible. One of the most popular and most
favorite of these people were the INC’s doctrine regarding the fulfillment of
the “ANOTHER ANGEL” mentioned in Revelations 7:2, which we believed was
fulfilled in the person of BROTHER FELIX Y. MANALO, and since
we also believed that JESUS CHRIST IS NOT GOD BUT HUMAN,
they have devised a means of deceiving those people who do not have a single
knowledge of the INC’s teachings and thereby convince them to hate us, because
they said we are placing Bro. Felix Y. Manalo in a stature higher than our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.
QUESTION: How they do it? At first they will use this passage:
Hebrews 2:9 Good News Bible
“But we do see JESUS, who for a little while WAS MADE LOWER THAN
THE ANGELS, so that through God's grace he should die for everyone. We see him
now crowned with glory and honor because of the death he suffered.”
Then THEY would EXCLAIM:
“See my dear friends? The Bible is clearly saying
that Jesus was made LOWER than the ANGELS, and since they believe that Felix
Manalo is an ANGEL, therefore the Iglesia
ni Cristo is teaching their members that Felix Manalo is HIGHER than our
Lord Jesus Christ, such a Blasphemy!!!”
Of
course the innocent minds that would listen to this or read this will be
convinced, since the argument that is being brought upon is quite convincing
and sounds real, with a SUPPORTING VERSE that will add
more as a PLUS FACTOR.
But
only if those people will give us the chance to explain, they would be able to
discern that this is just a product of misunderstanding and misinterpretation
of the INC’s teachings.
QUESTION: How do we counter this wrong notion? Let us start by answering this
question:
Is the ANGEL
mentioned in Hebrews 2:9 that is said to be higher than Jesus, is
the same type of ANGEL mentioned
in Revelations 7:2?
Let
us first find out what type of ANGELS are being referred to in Hebrews 2:9 which are said to be higher than
Jesus.
Hebrews 1:14 Good News Bible
“WHAT ARE THE ANGELS, THEN? THEY ARE SPIRITS WHO SERVE GOD and
are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation.”
The
ANGELS being referred to by the book
of Hebrews which are considered higher than Jesus are SPIRITS IN NATURE.
By
this point we can already understood that it is just their wrong
interpretation, because NEVER THE INC
TAUGHT THAT BRO. FELIX MANALO IS SPIRIT IN NATURE, BECAUSE HE IS A HUMAN BEING,
and a human is different from a spirit as Jesus explained:
Luke 24:39 King
James Version
“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me,
and see; FOR A SPIRIT HATH NOT FLESH AND BONES, as ye see me have.”
So
it’s quite clear then that the only reason why JESUS is
lower than the ANGELS as mentioned
in Hebrews 2:9 is because JESUS’ NATURE IS HUMAN, HE HAD FLESH AND
BONES, and ANGELS ARE SPIRITS.
And since BRO. FELIX Y. MANALO IS JUST
AN ORDINARY HUMAN AND NOT A SPIRIT IN NATURE, it is quite clear also that
the truth that the INC NEVER TEACHED AND
NEVER EVER REGARDED HIM OR CONSIDERED HIM AS HIGHER THAN JESUS CHRIST.
Because no other human being could be higher than Jesus. The truth is, it’s
only the nature of Jesus that is considered lower than the angels, but the GLORY and POWER given to Him by God, and the POSITION that HE HOLDS IN
HEAVEN MADE HIM HIGHER THAN THE ANGELS.
That
is proven by the scriptures:
1 Peter 3:22 King James Version
“Who
is gone into heaven, and IS ON THE RIGHT HAND OF
GOD; ANGELS AND AUTHORITIES AND POWERS BEING MADE SUBJECT UNTO HIM.”
See
my dear friends, JESUS IS HIGHER than
the ANGELS by the GLORY,
RIGHTS and POWER, given to him by GOD
THE FATHER, and because of this the ANGELS WERE COMMANDED TO WORSHIP HIM:
Hebrews 1:6 Good News Bible
“But when God was about
to send his first-born Son into the world, he said, "ALL OF GOD'S ANGELS
MUST WORSHIP HIM."
So
if we’re going to go back with their argument, since Bro. Felix Y. Manalo is an
angel as the way they understood it, and from this verse it is clearly stated
that God commanded the angels to worship Jesus, that would appear then that
Jesus is indeed higher than Bro. Felix after all, isn’t it?
But
what kind of an ANGEL is Bro. Felix
Y. Manalo? It is quite clear to everyone that he is only a human
being and not spirit in nature. Can a human being be called an angel?
The Meaning of the word “ANGEL”
This
is what our detractors seem to have overlooked, the meaning of the word “ANGEL”, from which they would avoid
saying, try to ask them.
WHAT IS THE MEANING
OF THE WORD “ANGEL”?
And look at the reactions in their faces. Because if they would tell you it’s true meaning, you will be able to caught them that what they’re saying is just an act of prejudice against the INC. That’s why even you squeeze them they will never tell you.
QUESTION: What is the meaning of the word “ANGEL” then?
Easton’s
Bible Dictionary
ANGEL - A word signifying, both in the Hebrew and
Greek, a “MESSENGER,” and HENCE EMPLOYED TO DENOTE ANY AGENT GOD
SENDS FORTH TO EXECUTE HIS PURPOSES. It is used of an ordinary messenger
(Job_1:14; 1Sa_11:3; Luk_7:24; Luk_9:52), of prophets (Isa_42:19; Hag_1:13), of
priests (Mal_2:7), and MINISTERS of the New Testament (Rev_1:20)… THE NAME
DOES NOT DENOTE THEIR NATURE BUT THEIR OFFICE AS MESSENGERS.
The
word “ANGEL” simply means either in HEBREW and in GREEK
a “MESSENGER”, and the dictionary clearly emphasized that: “THE NAME DOES NOT DENOTE THEIR NATURE BUT THEIR OFFICE
AS MESSENGERS”, so it is not wrong then to
call a human being an angel, since that name got nothing to do with their
nature, but their OFFICE or POSITIONS AS MESSENGERS SENT BY GOD.
The dictionary had given the MINISTERS as one of the example that can be
called an angel.
Our
detractors again would say:
“Why are you basing your interpretation in a
Dictionary”?
So
we need a BIBLICAL PROOF
to support this, and so we must find one…
And
here it is:
Mark 1:2-3 Douay Rhimes Version
“As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: BEHOLD I SEND
MY ANGEL BEFORE THY FACE, who shall prepare the way before thee. A
VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE DESERT: PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD; MAKE
STRAIGHT HIS PATHS.”
This
passage clearly called someone here an “ANGEL”, which is mentioned in
the prophecy of PROPHET ISAIAH which says: “A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE
DESERT: PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD; MAKE STRAIGHT HIS PATHS”, and who
was this angel? Was this fellow a spirit in nature?
Read
these for yourself:
John 1:19 and 23 Douay Rhimes Version
“And this is the TESTIMONY OF JOHN, when
the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: Who art
thou?...He said: I AM THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, MAKE
STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD, AS SAID THE PROPHET ISAIAS.”
It
was JOHN THE BAPTIST, my dear friends was the ANGEL mentioned in Mark 1:2-3. A very clear example of the
Bible, that indeed what is mentioned by the DICTIONARY is
Biblically true and accurate: that the word “ANGEL” DOES NOT DENOTES THE NATURE OF BEING BUT THE OFFICE OR
POSITIONS AS MESSENGER OF GOD.
That’s
why also we can find a BIBLE TRANSLATION that used the
word “MESSENGER” instead of “ANGEL” in Revelations 7:2:
Revelations 7:2 Young’s Literal Translation
“AND I SAW ANOTHER MESSENGER GOING UP FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN,
having a seal of the living God, and
he did cry with a great voice to the four messengers, to whom it was given to
injure the land and the sea, saying,”
This
will prove once again the BIBLICAL ACCURATENESS of
the INC’s teachings on this issue, and will placed our detractors again and as
usual, in grave humiliation and shame.
So
the next time an anti-INC fellow opens you this argument, ask him right away “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE WORD ANGEL?”.
Believe me you’re at a great advantage…because this would surely cut the
argument short…
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