THE END OF THE SECOND WOE
The second woe began when the four angels were released from the Euphrates River. This happened when Germany faced four powerful countries (US, Russia, Britain, and France). What event took place that signifies the end of the second woe which also signifies the end of the sixth trumpet? Let’s go back to the prophecy.
Revelation 11:13-15 RSV
“And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come. Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
The event that would take place at the end of the blowing of the sixth trumpet, which also signifies the end of the second woe, is a devastating earthquake. It happened on December 26, 2004, in Sumatra, Indonesia. The prophecy mentioned 7,000 as the death toll; 7,000 was also the initial count that appeared in the early headlines of ‘Inquirer‘. But later on, the estimated number of casualty from the earthquake reached 227, 898! According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake, was approximated to be 9.3 on the Richter Scale, had a force equivalent to 23,000 atomic bombs while the height of the subsequent tsunami reached up to 39 meters (127 feet) and traveled as fast as a jet airliner.
This powerful earthquake was recorded as follows:
“This is the third largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and is the largest since 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska earthquake. In total 227,898 people were killed or were missing and presumed dead and about 1.7 million people were displaced by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 14 countries in South Asia and East Africa.”
The second woe has ended; and according to the prophecy, the third woe is soon to come. The third woe is the end of the world or the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ that will be heralded by the sounding of the seventh angel’s trumpet.
Is there anyone who knows the exact day and time of the end of the world?
Matthew 24:36 RSV
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.“
Only the Father knows the exact day and time of the end of the world! Even the Son (Christ) does not know it. And in what situation will the people be when that day comes?
Matthew 24:37-39 NIV
“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.“
Many will be surprised because they are not prepared, but the true disciples of Christ are blessed for they know that the end is near. In a related prophecy, what else is given as a sign aside from the events forewarned by our Lord Jesus Christ?
Daniel 12:6-7 NIV
“One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.“
We have already discussed parts of this prophecy. As to where and when will “a time, times, and half a time“ happen?
Daniel 8:17, 19 NASB
“So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.”
“He said, “Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.“
Through a vision, our Lord God also revealed the “time of the end” to Prophet Daniel. The “time of the end” is the seventh seal which has been divided into the sounding of seven trumpets.
We already had a detailed discussion of the events that happened in the seventh seal. Let us go back to the initial event before the sound of the first trumpet.
Revelation 8:1
“When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.“
We have studied this before. The silence for about half an hour lasted for 20 years, 9 months, and 20 days (the exact half is 20 years and 10 months) — the elapsed time between the First and the Second World War. This is the equivalent of “a time” that is also included in the seventh seal. The events that follows comprises the first and the second woe. These events are referred to as the “times” that is mentioned in the prophecy of Daniel pertaining to the “time of the end”; it started with the outbreak of the Second World War on September 1, 1939.
The first woe concluded at the end of the fifth trumpet. The second woe begun when the four angels mentioned at the start of the sixth trumpet were released. The second woe ended as the blow of the sixth trumpet also ended. The last event was the extremely strong earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia on December 26, 2004.
If we compute for “half a time“, it’s equal to 10 years and 5 months. Therefore, adding this length of time to the date of the powerful earthquake will give us May 26, 2015.
Will this be the end of the wonders revealed to Prophet Daniel? Not yet, because although the third woe, which is the end or conclusion, follows and is soon to come, there is still something that will come to pass.
“… It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”
God will permit “the power of the holy people” to be broken. To understand this, we need to refer to the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ about the signs before the end comes.
Matthew 24:14-16
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.“
When Jesus said, “when you see the abomination of desolation … flee to the mountain”, what was implied here? What does it mean to “flee”, and who should flee?
II Peter 2:20 NIV
“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.“
The fleeing referred to is the escape from the corruptions of this world. The faithful and true disciples of Christ should flee from it.
In the past, we have studied the meaning of “mountain“. It refers to a king or ruler. Therefore, the mountain referred to in Matthew’s prophecy is a leader or an administrator. Let us clarify what our Lord Jesus Christ said about “the abomination of desolation“ spoken by Prophet Daniel.
Daniel 12:9-11 NASB
“And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.“
Daniel 11:31 KJV
“…and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place there the abomination that maketh desolate.”
According to the prophecy, the sanctuary would be desecrated and the regular sacrifice for God would be done away with. Remember that the desolation of abomination is about the offerings to God. Is there any more indication as to how this would happen?
Mark 13:14 NASB
“But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.“
Therefore, the harbinger of the abomination of desolation is “standing “where it should not be”. In other words, he is usurping the power or responsibility from someone! How and why was he able to perpetrate this desecration of the sanctuary in the Church?
Daniel 11:36 (a) NIV; 39 (b) LB
“The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god…“
“He will honor those who submit to him, appointing them to positions of authority and dividing the land to them as their reward.“
The king or leader will do what he pleases and exalt or elevate himself. The devil’s bait is also his weakness, even if these are just worldly gains. (The instigator of the abomination of desolation took advantage of this!) At present, the Church is undergoing severe trials. This is an unprecedented trial, for the guardians who were supposed to take care of our spiritual welfare are utilized by the devil to deceive and mislead God’s people. How could God be pleased with this?
What did the last messenger of God promote in his ministry to please God?
Isaiah 42:21 RSV
“The LORD was pleased, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify His law and make it glorious.“
The messenger of God in these last days magnified God’s Laws or commandments. He exalted God’s pristine Truths so that believers would obey them for God’s glory.
The unrighteous administrator and his supporters, on the other hand, were turning to a different direction. They are not exalting nor giving honor to the pristine words of God! They turned away from the sanctification of the Church! They are the primary perpetrators in impairing the faith of the members. And they are deceiving them through twisted teachings and promoting impious activities and programs that lead them to blind obedience and to be more worldly.
To avoid being misled, it is important that we remain true to the teachings and commandments of God. We should exemplify faithful obedience to God’s commandments for His glory! And to further understand how the present leadership corrupted what was once righteous teachings in the Church, let us excerpt from Ka Erdy’s lecture to all ministers, especially to the district ministers from the book entitled, “Take Care of the Flock” (translated to English).
Let us ask ourselves: “Where are our eyes and ears focused? What are we used to?” For others, their only concern is whether the offerings are abundant. It is not because they want to take the money. Their purpose is also clean; but money is their only focus.
I Samuel 15:21-22 TEV
“But my men did not kill the best sheep and cattle that they captured; instead, they brought them here to Gilgal to offer as a sacrifice to the LORD your God.” Samuel said, “Which does the LORD prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey Him than to sacrifice the best to Him.”
What should we notice here? God does not pay heed to people’s alibis. That’s why the Bible says, God prefers obedience. It does not mean however, that God is not pleased with offerings. To put it clearly, “The offerings will please Him, only if it conforms with His law.” Thanksgivings are only right if it is based on God’s law. Offerings are only right if they are according to God’s commandments. But if it isn’t, it is no longer an offering.
The application for us is not to add to God’s teachings. For example, the lessons about thanksgiving, offering, gathering for worship services. Indeed, we can find God’s commandments to bring offerings, be thankful to Him, to set aside for our voluntary offerings in the Bible. But, we should not fabricate whenever we teach all these things. The Bible doesn’t taught us to assign pledges. That is prohibited. That will destroy the sanctity of our teachings. A true preacher is merely a vessel to convey the true teachings from God to His Church or His chosen people. He does not add to or subtract anything. He teaches God’s commandments with all sincerity.
Let us remember the prophecy of Prophet Daniel, “The king will do what he pleases and exalt himself, and he will reward those who will acknowledged him.”
After our Lord God had laid brother Eraño G. Manalo to rest in 2009, the new Executive Minister took charge. Since then, gradual changes in the Church’s movement begun. Unbeknownst to many, before the Church’s centennial arrived, a lot of changes had been made in the former prudent spending of the church’s offerings (this is where the controversy started). The most prominent expenditure of offerings was the construction of the Philippine Arena as well as the other structures around it. There’s no need to itemize other extravagant spending that also consumes huge amount from the Church Treasury.
Back then, the Church’s focus was on constructing and renovating places of worship. A large portion of our offerings were spent for this purpose. We also do not closely monitor the amount individual members or households were giving for their offerings as if it was the main concern of the Church. There is no indication of extravagance in the life of the last messenger (FYM) because he had lived modestly; even Ka Erdy did not aspire more than enough in upholding a decent way of life. Members were informed of the successes reaped by the Church, not to boast publicly or to announce it worldwide (propaganda), but to commemorate God’s blessings for the Church, to return all glory to Him, and to please God on fitting occasions such as on the anniversary of the Church or on Thanksgiving. They did not involve the Church in any form of business, because the apostles instructed us to keep away from people who think that “religion is a way to become rich…”.
In worship services back then, we have heard lessons criticizing other religions of their worldly activities, such as the Mormon’s business ventures. The Church even created a TV segment to castigate the unreasonable and irreligious activities of ADD — like their endless thanksgiving offerings, various donations, and different businesses put up by their founder inside their very own convention center; hence, their members became the captive market and are devastated with burdens of expenses.
And since Ka Erdy knew that the majority of the members of the Church of Christ are from the poor sector of society, they did not give any additional burden, like the apostles’ instruction through the guidance of the Holy Spirit:
Acts 15:27-29 TEV
“We send you, then, Judas and Silas, who will tell you in person the same things we are writing. The Holy Spirit and we have agreed not to put any other burden on you besides these necessary rules: eat no food that has been offered to idols; eat no blood; eat no animal that has been strangled; and keep yourselves from sexual immorality. You will do well if you take care not to do these things. With our best wishes.”
Neither the last messenger nor Ka Erdy got involved in any government positions or responsibilities. Primarily, because this was not in accordance with the will of God, moreover, they devoted themselves to shepherding God’s people. In our Fundamental Doctrines, it is pointed out that the Church does not intervene in political matters nor does it allow any brethren, especially the officers of the Church, to run in politics. But this was totally disregarded by the current leader when he accepted a government position. This posed a serious threat of turning back from God. And in this condition, the sanctification of the Church to prepare for the coming salvation will fail. This will endanger not only the faith of the brethren, but will also lead many to damnation.
Back then, we prioritized “quality [faith]” in propagation activities. We never offered material gain to entice non-members in joining the Church, unlike what’s being done nowadays through Lingap or INC Giving and livelihood programs. The last messenger (FYM) and Ka Erdy forbade church members to employ this means, because this is not the biblical way of sowing the Words of God in a person’s heart and mind. “Lingap” and livelihood programs do not give emphasis to God’s Truth, as a matter of fact, it is a plain act of bribing and highlighting material benefits. And it is entirely different from faith.
We reproach and shun wrong practices of false religions when it comes to offerings. In the past, we adhered and strictly upheld God’s righteous mandate written in the Bible — God’s will for voluntary offering is to give willingly according to the generosity of our heart and not as a grudging obligation!
Now, God’s pristine teachings are distorted to conform to their selfish and personal motives. Under threats and intimidation, probing for answers about recent changes in the activities is strictly prohibited. To become a critic means to put one’s own membership in jeopardy. Wholehearted submission to the new leader is now compulsory (with intimidation) hence, no longer willful and out of faith. If this new rule is to be strictly enforced, then, all irregularities and wrongdoings would be completely obscured and hidden from the brethren’s view.
Eventually, changes in the behavior of many members became noticeable as well. They were supposed to exemplify a life in accordance with God’s laws and commandments, to set a good example before non-members. But their claim of being true Christians is only in their mouths and minds because it is not manifested in their life.
II Timothy 2:22-25 God’s Word
“Stay away from lusts which tempt young people. Pursue what has God’s approval. Pursue faith, love and peace together with those who worship the Lord with a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments. You know they cause quarrels. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel. Instead, he must be kind to everyone. He must be a good teacher. He must be willing to suffer wrong. He must be gentle in correcting those who oppose the Good News. Maybe God will allow them to change the way they think and act and lead them to know the truth.”
The apostles taught the righteous way of life that befits the true and faithful servants of God, even in the midst of this present world. They also taught the Christian way of dealing with one another.
Titus 2:12-13 Webster
“Teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and piously, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our saviour Jesus Christ.”
Before the Church’s 101st anniversary, church members were shocked by the scandal that led to the expulsion of Ka Tenny and her three children. Long-time members of the Church were greatly surprised, especially those who were close to them or those who personally knew them. This action also offended some members and resulted in confusion and disunity among affected members. Afterwards, successive expulsions of those who were accused of rebelling against the Church Administration followed, along with their families. Even the members whose pure intention were to offer a helping hand to those in need were not spared.
Because of these series of unjust expulsions, more members became offended. Those who harbored reservations and were long offended in the past, exploited this situation to advance their selfish goals — to criticize the Church’s rules and regulations and to humiliate the Church before non-members. Many members who were confused became apprehensive but chose to remain silent rather than put themselves under suspicion and suffer under the prevailing “iron hand” of the current leader.
Lies, fraud, harassment, and threats were utilized by the new leadership to obscure and cover up their wicked deeds. Thus, sowing fear to members who later became blind followers. There were others who took advantage of the situation to pursue their personal interests, both on the side of expelled members and those still listed in the Church’s registry. Summing up, God’s people suffer and endure hardships with this abuse of power and exploitation of unsuspecting members.
It is sad to say that the image of the Church today is very different from what it was before. The ministerial workers swiftly drifted with the corrupt ‘bureaucratic system’ of the country. Locale assignments, positions or offices, and the likes can be bought with a price but it requires maintenance to their superiors. And to please the leaders, regular reports from locales and districts were tainted with lies and fabrications to make it look good (brother Eraño G. Manalo vehemently denounced these practices in his lectures). Because of these changes, evangelical workers who longed to have a break were literally pushed to use anomalies, corruptions, and provide grease money to earn favors from their superior or officers in high positions.
What else seems invisible to many naive members? They were duped to believe that the work of propagation overseas is reaping great successes for the Church. The truth is, they merely subdivided the already small locales into even smaller ones (e.g. a locale with a serial number of 400 will be divided into four with 100 members ), thus, justifying the need for more evangelical workers overseas. The uninitiated thought that there is truly an influx of more members in many countries, and there is an urgency for additional evangelical workers for assignment in different countries. They also used this as bait to lure young men in joining the ministry and to gain control over these evangelical workers who loyally do their bidding for their own personal ambitions.
Are the brethren in other countries ready for these changes? No! How can it be proven? Several rented halls and flats used as places of worships were closed because they cannot generate enough money for the rent. The high rent of flats can no longer be sustained by their funds, hence, the locale leaderships (especially bigger locales) were instructed to look for flats and halls which are smaller and less expensive. There is an upsurge in the cost of maintenance due to subdividing further to smaller locales and assigning more ministers and district staffs for the newly formed districts. Besides, their funds have been exhausted by the endless visitation of the Church Administration, usually held in expensive hotels, such that the locale’s officers were even tasked to shoulder other additional expenses and help sustain arrival of more ministers and their families.
On 2015, a circular letter was read in places of worships of several districts near Metro Manila, enjoining the members to participate in a rally allegedly to pressure the government officials in enforcing the separation of Church and State; but, when the Church Leader accepted the position as the country’s envoy, from the President himself, suddenly they became silent on this issue. The new leadership corrupted the whole Church in transgressing God’s teachings, such as staging different activities for the Guinness World Record to secure honors that are were good for nothing. These things would not lead to holiness, but the members were being pushed to participate for they believe it is pleasing to God. Afterwards, they would proudly say it is for the glory of God. Things that give glory to God is different from the glory of man! God doesn’t need the Guinness World Record! They not only have committed the abomination of desolation but, even blasphemous acts against our Lord God!
Why do we need to uncover the true state of the Church at present? Is it to degrade the Church? No! What is the reason? The once clean and respectable Church we loved so dearly was now perpetrated with abuse and hypocrisy. Does it have anything to do with the Biblical teachings and the rest of the Church?
Isaiah 5:20 TEV
“You are doomed! You call evil good and call good evil. You turn darkness into light and light into darkness. You make what is bitter sweet, and what is sweet you make bitter.“
This was the sad state of ancient Israel that led to their downfall. What was Apostle Paul’s warning to all preachers of the gospel?
Romans 2:18-24 NLT
“You know what He wants; you know what is right because you have been taught His law. You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth. Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”
It is a great blasphemy before our Lord God that His laws and commandments are being broken by the very leader and preacher of His gospel.
Therefore, what is the meaning of our Lord Jesus Christ’s instruction that concerns Prophet Daniel’s vision?
Matthew 24:15-16
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.“
The instruction “to flee” means not to condone nor to conform with any form of wrongdoing and wickedness by the present Church leadership. Let us not be overcome by fear or threat; we must keep our loyalty to our Lord God and to our Lord Jesus Christ. However, it does not mean leaving the Church or doing away with any church office for that sake; though being against wrong activities may lead to unjust expulsion. For those who suffered unjust expulsion, do not stumble, do not diminish your faith or completely neglect worshiping God.
Let us not harbor anger or wrath, nor join the expelled rebels whose focus is to denounce the Church. More especially, we should not join and conform with their made-up teachings that are different from what we already received.
We should not imitate those who use social media to persecute or humiliate other members for their faults, corruption, and personal flaws. No holiness comes out of this endeavor. God does not instruct His servants to expose the shame and mischief of His people to the world, for it is not the manifestation of love. It only goes to show that they were offended and have lost their trust in God and Christ. To those who participate in these misdeeds, do they think they will become worthy before God by exposing corruptions on social media? And is it right to assume that they are the ones truly righteous before God?
Let us be on guard; in order for us not to be influenced or be in accord with any kind of corruption and evil work. Let us put all our hope and trust in God; faithfully following His teachings and commandments. Live our life as the true disciple of Christ. Allow our love for God to reign completely over our life. Let us emulate our Lord Jesus Christ and not waste the grace of his redemption for us.
The Last Chronicles 