Bible Questions and Answers

Please explain Isaiah 46:11. Is the INC (Philippine based, "Iglesia ni Cristo") correct in their interpretation? This is what they say. Who is the ravenous bird in Isaiah 46:11? Various are the ways and means employed by the enemies of tryth in order to hinder people from accepting the commission of Bro. Felix Manalo as God’s last messenger. We sincerely believe that Bro. Felix Manalo is the fulfillment of the prophecy mentioned in Isaiah 46:11. Lately, our critics have found, allegedly, a prima facie evidence to prove that Cyrus is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s concerning the ravenous bird. The evidence, they aver, is Isaiah 46:11 itself. They cite The living bible thus: ”I will call the swift bird of prey from the east—that man Cyrus from far away.” At first glance, it seems that our critics are justified in believing that Cyrus is the ravenous bird mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah. Our readers must take note of the fact that our detractors conveniently used Isaiah 46:11 of the living bible which was translated in a paraphrase style. What are paraphrases, by the way? “To paraphrase is to say something in different words than the author used. It is a restatement of an author’s thoughts, using different words than he did.” (Preface, The living Bible) Take note to that, Is there any danger in this style of translation? “There are dangers in paraphrases, as well as values. For whenever the author’s exact words are not translated from the original languages, there is a possibility that the translator, however honest, may be giving the English reader something that the original writer did not mean to say.” If there is danger whenever the author’s exact words are not translated from the original language, thus giving the readers something the original writer did not mean to say, how much more when the translator inserted something that the original author did not say. Most of the translations and versions of the bible do not contain the name Cyrus as far as Isaiah 46:11 is concerned. The conclusion is inevitable—the name Cyrus was inserted by the translator of The living bible. Such an actuation is extremely dangerous. We are not against from The living bible or any translations or versions of the bible per se, but we reject and do not use any verse erroneously translated. Is our rejection of Cyrus as the alleged fulfillment of Isaiah 46:11 merely based on our refusal to accept Isaiah 46:11 of the living bible because it was erroneously translated? What differentiates the Ravenous Bird from Cyrus?

It makes no sense to suppose that that Felix Manalo is 'God's last messenger' on the basis of a quotation from Isaiah 46:11 taken out of context.

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and his apostles preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Only by understanding, believing, and obeying this Gospel can we be saved from eternal death.

Jesus and the Apostles warned that there would be false prophets: Matthew 24:24; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Galatians 1:6-9.

Every single person who has claimed to be a new prophet or messenger from God since the end of the first century AD has been a charlatan - deceiving both themselves and those who believe them.

I hope this helps,
Glenn