Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

A Prophetic Vision For The Philippines

In a previous article I took a look at several alleged prophecies concerning the Philippines. All but one was anything close to being a prophecy. It is that prophetic vision which I will be reviewing in this article. 

https://harvestseedoflight.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/a-propetic-vision-for-the-philippines/

Published in 1992 by Rev. Bill Perry this slim volume is the culmination of the author's many years of mediations upon and subsequent visions of the Philippines. The gist of it is that the Philippines will be used by God to spread  the Gospel across the globe in an End Times Army. What follows are some of the more pertinent passages and my commentary upon them. 

            It is my desire through this book to challenge people to make an impact on the “10/40 Window” with the Good News of the Gospel.  This window is a geographic area defined as the countries within an imaginary line starting at the 10th Degree Parallel North to the 40th Degree Parallel North stretching from N. W. Africa eastward to Japan.  Approximately 97% of the “Unreached People,” in the world needing to be touched by the power of the Gospel live within this window.  Also it is my purpose to encourage the Filipinos especially, to recognize their destiny and strategic geographic location as a doorway into this “10/40 Window.”  I believe they have an important work to do along within their Asian brothers and sisters.  They have a significant role to play in the tremendous revival that is happening in this part of the world!

Until the 10/40 window has been effectively evangelized, the Great Commission will remain significantly unfulfilled.  Nations still must be discipled and their nationals must begin teaching others to teach others.  Until then, most of the 1.3 billion “Unreached People” plus the 1.2 billion “Partially Reached People” in this region will remain isolated from the power and demonstration of the  Gospel.  This includes the Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and other Eastern religions predominant in this “10/40 Window.”

Jesus, the highest authority of all, said, “And the Full Gospel of power and demonstrationof the kingdom” (the Gospel that Jesus preached) “shall be preached in all the world and then shall the end come!  (Matt. 24: 14, italics are my implied emphasis). This “world” includes the masses of the unreached in this “10/40 Window.”

The 10/40 window is as follows:


In a burst of end times evangelism Filipinos will be sending missionaries to this part of the world to preach the Gospel. The end cannot come before this happens. 

            So also, we as the Church must realize that a great End-Time spiritual war is about to take place.  We are hearing it in the spirit and in the message that the Holy Spirit is sounding throughout the earth in prophetic words and in the songs coming forth.  In the coming chapters, we will see that it is time for the Army of the Lord to begin rising up and preparing to take the Gospel throughout all the world.  Many agree that God is raising up an Army in this day and that it will be an End-Time Army doing those things which God has ordained.  Truly an Army is arising!

An end times army is rising.

            As Joel had prophesied, the Church was birthed in the flames of the Holy Spirit.  In fact, there was a time when every church as “Full Gospel,” practice power evangelism and moved in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  The early Church had great power and great grace (Acts 4: 33).  The Church continued this way through the next couple of centuries or so.  Then Constantine became a Christian and made a decree that everybody was suddenly a “Christian.”  The only problem was that you cannot legislate Christians!  You cannot make everyone a Christian by law.  It has to be the result of a change of the heart through the blood of Jesus Christ.

            In the flow of events after 325 A.D., the Church started losing its power.  A structural church with the blessing of the state began to emerge and the spiritual Church began to loose its supernatural power.  One cause of this was that the pagan influence prevalent at that time was accommodated by the Church and encouraged by the State.  The Church began celebrating pagan holidays and observances and introduced idols into the Church.  Many traditions of men were also added to the Church.  The “spiritual” Church continued to “fall away” getting further and further from God’s pattern found in the New Testament.

            By the early 1500’s, near the end of the Dark Ages, the only vestige of New Testament Christianity left in the Church was the Apostles’ Creed.  Then God broke through and brought “Justification by Faith” back into understanding and spiritual experience.  God started a two-fold process.  First, He had to restore the Church once again to a full power Church.  Secondly, He had to prepare a mature bride, without spot or wrinkle, which would become the powerful End-Time Army.  THIS SO FAR HAS BEEN A 500-YEAR PROCESS!1

According to Bill Perry the Church lost its mojo after Constantine came to power, converted to Christianity, and declared everyone to be a Christian.  The power of the Church declined steadily until the Reformation. Since then the End Times Army has been in preparation. 

Of course the army will be deployed to a war zone which is the 10/40 window.

            When there is going to be a war, you want to know where the war zone is. If you don’t know where the war zone is, then you are likely to end up stepping into a minefield, or find yourself in serious trouble somewhere or you could even miss the war altogether.  I would like to suggest that the war zone can be found in the “10/40 Window.”  The term “10/40 Window” originated with Luis Bush, Argentine-born mission executive and International Director of AD2000 Movement and Beyond.  He introduced the concept at the Lausanne II Conference in Manila in July 1989 and missiologists have been using it ever since.  It refers to an imaginary line from the 10th Degree Parallel North to the 40thDegree Parallel North and covers the area from Japan over to Northwest Africa.  IT IS IN THIS AREA WHERE NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE UNREACHED PEOPLE OF THE WORLD LIVE  (Fig. 1).  This is why I call it the “War Zone.”  This is a war zone for which we need to pray and into which we should take our “Swords of the Spirit” and take a harvest.

I was so excited when I saw this, because I realized the relevance of the “10/40 Window” in relation to the prophetic words coming forth over the Philippines and to what I have been sensing in my spirit for the past 5 years.  There is indeed a battle zone in the spiritual realm over this area.  Creation and the Garden of Eden, according to many scholars, happened almost in the center of this war zone.  Jerusalem is also near its center, as are Iraq and Iran.  Much of Ancient History and future history lies here.  It all began here and Scripture tells us that it will all end here.  Jesus’ return to earth will occur in the center of this war zone.  Perhaps this is the reason there is such an intense spiritual battle raging over the region and incredible spiritual darkness and strongholds dominating the area.

This “10/40” War Zone is composed of the areas we know as the “Near East,” the “Middle East” and then the “Far East” where the Philippines is geographically located.  It includes the nations of China, Japan, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Kampuchea (Cambodia), Myanmar (Burma), Thailand and many other Asian, Arabian and African countries.  Let us look at the position of the Philippines in this war zone and the critical part the Filipinos are destined to play.

The Philippines is the 14th largest country, population wise, in the world.  However, it has been like Gideon, who considered himself the smallest, youngest and poorest among the brothers, and from the least of families, yet he was mighty when used by God!  Even young David, the youngest, smallest and weakest, was mightily used of God with his small sling shot and five stones.  The Philippines has an abundance of natural resources.  Although much of the profits have been taken from the country through graft, corruption and exploitation, there are still great amounts of natural resources being discovered and potential wealth yet to be developed.  But I feel perhaps the Philippines’ greatest resource is its 68 million people, an untapped treasure of underemployed PEOPLE POWER.

Bill Perry says when he first came to the Philippines in 1987 he quickly realized how strategically located the Philippines really is, both geographically and spiritually. 

             In January 1987, when the Lord opened the door for me to come to the Philippines for the first time, I became aware of the strategic location of the Philippines in the natural.  Also during the trip I began to realize in the spirit how the Philippines was spiritually strategic as well.  I was surprised to find that so many people lived in the Philippines and that it was the 14th largest in population in the world and the second largest group of English speaking people.  I was amazed that it was less than 1000 miles to Vietnam, only 700 miles to Hong Kong and even closer to Borneo and parts of Indonesia (Fig. 2).

In fact as I studied the airline map of the Asia-Pacific area, I came to realize that two-thirds of the world’s population can be reached in about 2-5 hours by plane from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport.  (You can’t say that about the United States or Europe.  Trips from the East Coast of the United States to this strategic area often take 26 hours.)  With Indonesia to the South, China to the Northwest, Japan and Korea to the Northeast and the Indo-China countries and India to the West, the Philippines is in the center!  I was excited to realize that this is less than one-half to two-third distance from New York State to California.  It was also the first time I comprehended that the land space containing two-thirds the population of the world wasn’t much bigger than the United States and Canada.  I began to see in the spirit that the Philippines was indeed a spiritual launching pad or stepping stone to Asia and I began to understand the spiritual destiny of this country tucked between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.  Excitement welled up in my spirit with unexpected joy and anticipation as I landed in Manila that January morning.  Having lived in the Philippines for five years, that excitement is still there and is growing as I witness the seeds of this vision already starting to come forth and grow.

Bill goes on to explain his vision of the Philippines as a man in military armor with a flaming sword which he reaches out towards Vietnam, China, and Hong Kong.


Then something happened.  Flames started blazing up in various areas of the Philippines, in Manila, Baguio and other parts of Luzon:  Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and other parts of the Visayas: and Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga City and other parts of Mindanao (Fig. 4).  Then it became the burning bush of Asia with the flames of God’s glory all over the islands (Fig. 5).

Then in the vision an interesting thing happened.  The sword that was Palawan reached out and touched Vietnam and then flames burst forth in Vietnam also.  Then he saw the sword move on and touch China and Hong Kong and flames burst forth in these areas, too (Figs. 6 and 7).

Then the sword continued to touch other parts of Asia and Southeast Asia was ablazed in the Spirit, as was the Philippines (Fig. 8).

Bill Perry says that in 1991 the Lord brought to mind five reasons why Filipinos are strategically placed to be in this army. 

In the Spring of 1991, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind several reasons the Filipinos are in this strategic position and how they have everything needed to go into this area as an army.  The Filipinos can go in as an army of spies, like Joshua and Caleb went into Canaan.  They can also go in just as the children went into Jericho, fully seen and waging war!

The Filipinos can do both because they blend in so well.  First, as Asians, they have black hair!  Nearly everyone in the “10/40 Window” has black hair.  Blondes just don’t fit in.  Most of the people of the “10/40 Window” have brown skin and black hair.  Those with black hair and brown skin blend in better and are more quickly accepted than foreigners with the lighter hair and skin of European and Western origins.  They can move around without drawing much attention and without being noticed.  When traveling to Hong Kong and China with a Filipino team, I would often be asked to stay behind in Hong Kong, so as not to attract attention when they made critical trips to visit the underground church inside Mainland China.

Second, Filipinos eat rice that is a major food of most people of this area and Filipinos can handle eating rice three meals a day!

Third, the Philippines offers a microcosm (a miniature world) of preparation.  There are the cold mountainous areas of Benguet and Mountain Province to prepare them for cold countries like Tibet, Mongolia and Nepal and all those countries on the Northern edge of the “10/40 Window.”  We have personally experienced almost freezing in those mountains doing ministry in the Northern part of the Philippines during the cold months.  On the other extreme, there is hot Manila, the lowlands of Southern Luzon, and the thousands of Philippine islands to the South toward the equator to help them adapt well to all the other hot humid areas of the “10/40 Window.”

As there are still areas of unreached tribal people, Buddhists, Muslims and others to be evangelized there are many opportunities for learning to minister to these hard to reach people.  Many Filipinos have had experience as missionaries to their own country.

Fourthly, Filipinos have a natural ability with languages.  Most of them speak two, three or more different languages.  Everyone has his own dialect that his family taught him.  If this dialect is different from the major regional language, he will endeavor to learn that language as well.  Then there is Tagalog, the national language, taught in all the schools as a common language with which everyone communicates.  Throughout the Philippines there are one hundred and seventeen or more different dialects.  Also, most geographical moves by a family require them learning another language.  Clearly, God has given the Filipinos a bi-lingual and multi-lingual gifting.  Because they have well-exercised and developed their language gifting, most Filipinos can learn languages faster than Westerners can.

Finally, what is most important is that most Filipinos also speak English, the market language of almost every single country that the “10/40 Window” war zone.  English is the medium of instruction in most Filipino schools and is often used on television and radio as well as on street signs and billboards all over the Philippines.  South Korea is an Asian nation with about 30-35% born again Christians, but most cannot go out of their country to minister the Gospel effectively, because they do not speak English.  However, the Filipinos know and speak English well.  The importance of this cannot be overlooked as a command of the English is not only a requirement for many opportunities, but even the door-opener.  The former Eastern Block Communist countries and even the Russians are making the learning of English a priority in order to be able to communicate and get into the world market.  Even China has opened its doors to foreigners who can teach English.

Unlike most Asians, the Filipinos have not only the ability to read and write English, but they are easily understood when speaking the language.   I have English speaking friends from other Asian countries, but I sometimes have great difficulty understanding their English and often that of Africans and Europeans who do not speak English as their native language.  You sometimes have to listen three or four times to understand their sentences.  But the Filipino speaks very understandable English.  Very clearly God has equipped them to take an Army into the war zone this year, next year and the coming years.  As it is often heard in the Philippines and I know it to be true, “Yes, the Filipino can!”

Filipinos have black hair, eat rice, live in a varied climate, can speak multiple languages, and most importantly they speak English. Those are the five reasons Bill says the Filipinos have been chosen to be a part of this end time Army. 

Sadly though missions work costs money and the Philippines is poor. Therefore we need to pray that God will supply the dough. 

The Philippines has had an economic challenge.  However, while many are willing to go on missions, they are hindered by weak economy.  I believe that God can use a transfer of funds to the Philippines, through both supernatural and natural economic means to put things into place.  Let us pray that the Philippines will prosper and that the Church and Christian businesses will flourish.  We need to pray, act and believe that God will bless the Philippines in this way.  As mentioned in the Bible, God has given us the power to create wealth and jobs.  The Philippines’ resources are rich, but they have been exploited.  Let us “in Jesus’ Name,” claim this country’s wealth for the people and to send the Filipinos into the harvest.  Let us pray that many more people will have businesses and that as the Bible says…the wealth of the wicked will be transferred into the hands of the righteous (Prov. 13: 22).  Pray that they will get their funds and we will experience the Biblical promise of the blessing of God, because God has given us the ability to create wealth (Deut. 8: 18).  Then as a people of God, who have learned to give biblically, the Filipinos will spread the Gospel throughout Asia and the world.  Even as I am writing this book, I am encouraged by the news of rich oil finds here in the Philippines.

Please just give 1% of your earnings and the 10/40 window can be conquered for Christ. 

             The “10/40 Window” is the last frontier to conquer.  We must penetrate and establish beachheads for the Gospel in this war zone, but it cannot be done without money.  I would like to challenge every individual reading this book, every church and every businessman to give just 1% of their monthly or annual revenues, over and above their tithes and current giving to help take and evangelize this final frontier.  If we start now and give until the job is finished, the Gospel will go forth and the harvest will be completed.  It doesn’t matter into which organization or ministry involved in the “10/40 Window” you plant your money.  It will assist the common effort and ultimately will help to impact and reach 95% of the unreached people in the world with the Gospel.  The important thing is to decide to “make a difference” by giving your 1% to those ministering in the “10/40 Window.”

Though the “10/40 Window” may appear to be an overwhelming giant, an empowered Church, focused on its target like David with the stone in his sling, will cause this last great giant, the “10/40 Window” to fall.  We will see it ablaze with the Spirit and real Holy Ghost revival.

That is the sum and substance of this so-called prophetic vision for the Philippines. Filipinos will evangelize the 10/40 window as an End Times Army. They are fit to do this because they have black hair. eat rice, live in a varied climate, speak many languages, speak English, and are conveniently situated only a plane ride away. But this cannot be done without money which YOU need to send.

This is laughable. This is offensive auto anyone who understands the Bible, Church history, and Filipinos. Jesus Christ said he would build his Church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it and yet Bill Perry wants us to think the Church lost its Holy Spirit power after the conversion of Constantine. It's blasphemous. 

Not to mention there has historically been a lot of missionary activity in the 10/40 window. That is the area where the Church was born and where missionaries have been continually sent. This nonsense is the fruit of Bill's Pentecostalism which is a denial of the fulfillment of the book of Joel on the day of Pentecost 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and seeks signs and wonders. That search leads for outright lies such as the following:

The American church has tried at various times to have effective missionary work to reach the Navajo people but without much success.  Recently, some Filipinos tried to do the same thing.  This time the Indians related better because of their own Asian roots, and a more similar skin color and of course the same black hair.  But most importantly they heard the Gospel fluently presented in their own language for the first time.  The Filipino team learned Navajo in less than 6 months and have been able to start a growing church! Because of their natural gifting the Filipinos have turned a difficult situation into a success!

The first Christian missions to the Navajos began in the late 1800's and the Bible was fully translated into Navajo by 1986.

https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/20/us/navajos-welcome-a-native-american-bible.html

They were copies of the first complete Bible to be translated into a language of people who were the original natives of what is now the United States. And as the sun set behind the sandstone bluffs around this little reservation town Saturday night, several hundred of the Navajo faithful gathered in the basketball bleachers of the community center to receive them.

''It's done,'' said Lois Martin, the widow of Geronimo Martin, one of the pioneer Navajo translators who began the project 40 years ago. ''It does my heart good to see the complete word of God in Navajo hands at last.'' 

The New Testament was finished first and was published in 1955 with help from the Wycliffe Bible Translators, a California society that promotes the translation of Bibles into different languages.

''The Lord supported us, but Wycliffe helped pay for it,'' Miss Hill said.

So, the line about Filipinos being able to reach the Navajos because they look similar is total bunk. 

It has been 30 years since this book was published and this vision has yet to come to pass. There is no reason to think it ever will.

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Prophetic Visions of the Philippines

I found this list of prophetic visions of the Philippines on Facebook. Let's check it out.

PROPHETIC VISION OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROPHETIC VISION OF THE PHILIPPINES:

1. PEARL OF THE ORIENT SEAS (Dr. Jose P. Rizal)
2. APOSTLES OF THE LAST DAYS (Dr. Sonia M. Zaide)
3. EAGLE OF THE ENDTIME HARVEST (Rev. Herbie Carmona)
4. THE BURNING BUSH OF ASIA (Bishop Dan Balais)
5. THE WARRIOR OF GOD IN THE FAR EAST (Rev. Bill Perry)
6. THE NEW COVENANT KINGDOM NATION (Pastor Isabelo Meraña)
7. THE FINANCIAL CENTER OF THE WORLD (Ex-Pres. Ronald Reagan)
8. THE LAST SPIRITUAL AND ECONOMIC SAVIOUR (Rev. Ramil Lunajo)
9. THE RIGHTEOUS PRIEST /REGION OF LIGHT (TGC-Bro Timothy Schwab)
10. THE GARDEN OF EDEN (Dr Richard Vincent Narag)
11. THE BEACON OF LIGHT TO THE WORLD (Prophet Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj)
12. THIS NATION WILL BE GREAT AGAIN (APO LAKAY)

What an interesting list. Does anyone believe Ronald Reagan called the Philippines "The Financial Center of the world?" What a total crock! Or is it? Let's find out. 

1. PEARL OF THE ORIENT SEAS (Dr. Jose P. Rizal)

This so-called prophecy originates from the first stanza of Rizal's final poem Mi Ultimo Adios, My Last Farewell.

Farewell, my adored Land, region of the sun caressed,
Pearl of the Orient Sea, our Eden lost,
With gladness I give you my Life, sad and repressed;
And were it more brilliant, more fresh and at its best,
I would still give it to you for your welfare at most.

https://www.kapitbisig.com/philippines/poems-written-by-dr-jose-rizal-my-last-farewell-by-dr-jose-rizal-english-version-of-mi-ultimo-adios_87.html

This poem is not a prophecy at all. It is Rizal longing for his homeland written the night before he was executed. However, some read this as if Rizal thought the Philippines was the actual Biblical Garden of Eden. That is clearly not what is being said. Eden is a metaphor for paradise. He is calling his homeland paradise in an obviously metaphorical way.

2. APOSTLES OF THE LAST DAYS (Dr. Sonia M. Zaide)

"Apostles of the Last Days" is actually part of the title of a book written by Dr. Zaide. She believes that Filipinos have been strategically placed to spread the Gospel far and wide throughout Asia in these "last days."

The Philippines is the only Christian nation in Asia. But is that just a part of this nations history or part of a divine calling? Many Christian leaders say the Philippines is strategically located to take the light of the gospel to the populous Muslim and communist regions of Asia.

"I believe that the mantle of missions which was on America at the turn of the century, which was the result of the Great Awakening during the 19th century, is now upon the Philippines," said historian Dr. Sonia Zaide.

In her book, The Filipinos as Apostles for the Last Days, Dr. Zaide says the Philippines has been described as the "light of Asia," the "key to the 10/40 window" which makes up the least evangelized group of countries in the world.

She says missionaries have described visions of the Philippines as a "flaming sword" of the Holy Spirit touching nearby Asian countries, or as an erupting volcano spewing forth, not lava but men and women armed with Bibles going to the closed countries of Asia and the Middle East.

Christian leaders here in the Philippines say it is not a coincidence that they are the only Christian nation in Asia. In fact, many believe it is their divine calling, that they, not westerners, are the ones to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the closed countries of Asia.

Ray Corpus, head of the Philippines Missions Alliance, believes the Philippines must shine the light of Christ because, "Theres so much darkness in Asia."

The Philippines Missions Alliance oversees more than 100 missions agencies, and Corpus believes God is preparing to use the Philippines as a missionary launching pad to the rest of Asia.

Corpus believes the flexibility of Filipinos will enable them to spread the Gospel under many different conditions. "I believe the Philippines can play a major role because we are multi-lingual, we can sleep on the floor, sleep on the couch, we can stay in 5-star hotels," he said.

"I believe God is going to manifest His tremendous power through this nation, our economy is going to turn around because how else can God finance His own mission work in the Philippines if we're not going to be blessed," Corpus continued. "We're not going to ask money from America or other countries, God is going to bless us here so we can become a blessing."

So Corpus offers this challenge to believers, not just in the Philippines but worldwide: "God has never given the church such a tremendous time to expand our borders more than ever, and this is the time. And I believe, as the United States stages a war against terrorism, we are also staging a war against the heavenlies. And God's going to open doors of opportunities for Christians, and it takes believers who are serious to say, Yes Lord, I'm gonna be a witness! Yes Lord, I'm gonna be a light of the world."

Dr. Zaide says even the name "Philippines" is prophetic. The Philippines was named in honor of Crown Prince Philip of Asturia, who later became the greatest missionary king of Spain in the 16th century.

https://www2.cbn.com/article/christian-life/light-asia

That last paragraph is terribly ironic seeing as the people who post these kinds of "prophecies" about the Philippines think the name Philippines is a shameful way to hide the "real" name of these islands which they claim is  Ophir or Maharlika. Strangely enough this book is not available anywhere. There is not even a picture of the cover nor is it listed in Sonia Zaide's bibliography on Goodreads. The only proof this book exists is a listing in the National Library of the Philippines. At 20 pages it is basically a pamphlet and not a book. There is also no video of Zaide on the 700 Club. All we have is this article and it's hardly a prophecy. It is more like a report of prophecies about the Philippines. The bulk of it seems to have come from Bill Perry who is mentioned below. 

3. EAGLE OF THE ENDTIME HARVEST (Rev. Herbie Carmona)

Herbie Carmona is the chairman of Church Planters League International Inc. I am unable to find the origin of this "prophecy."



4. THE BURNING BUSH OF ASIA (Bishop Dan Balais)

Bishop Dan Balais is the national chairman of Intercessors for the Philippines and Senior Pastor of Christ the Living Stone Fellowship. 

It is not clear where this so-called prophecy originates. It might be Dan Balais lifted it from Rev. Bill Perry.


5. THE WARRIOR OF GOD IN THE FAR EAST (Rev. Bill Perry)

William Perry was an American evangelist who had a prophetic vision about the Philippines. He subsequently travelled to the Philippines and published his vision in a book titled "A Prophectic Vision For the Philippines." 


In this book he describes the Philippines as both "a man in military armor" and a burning bush.

In this fast moving vision, the nation of the Philippines (Fig. 3) was not just the 7,000 islands that comprise the archipelago.  It appeared as a man in military armor (Fig. 3A), perhaps like what King David or the warriors of the Middle Ages had worn.  Northern Luzon was the helmet and plume of this man of war, Palawan was the sword in his hand.  The Visayas formed the chest and heart area and Mindanao was the lower part of the body with Zamboanga and Sulu forming the legs.  The problem was the military man was in total darkness.


Then something happened.  Flames started blazing up in various areas of the Philippines, in Manila, Baguio and other parts of Luzon:  Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and other parts of the Visayas: and Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga City and other parts of Mindanao (Fig. 4).  Then it became the burning bush of Asia with the flames of God’s glory all over the islands (Fig. 5).



This book is available in full at the above link. 

6. THE NEW COVENANT KINGDOM NATION (Pastor Isabelo Meraña)

Googling "Pastor Isabelo Meraña" brings up no hits. However, there is a Facebook profile for an Isabelo Meraña who runs a Facebook group called "Ophir Philippines As The New Covenant Kingdom Nation." 


The About section for the group reads as follows:
This is a controversial claim of replacing ISRAEL in time by a New Covenant Spiritual Kingdom Nation, Philippines...TO PROVOKE THEM UNTO JEALOUSY with a prayer that could be resulted unto their salvation on these last days.
This is not a prophecy at all. It's a controversial statement to stir up people to think.

7. THE FINANCIAL CENTER OF THE WORLD (Ex-Pres. Ronald Reagan)

I am unable to find any proof that Ronald Reagan ever called the Philippines a current or future "financial center of the world. Using those search terms brings up this same prophetic list which has been published on several Facebook sites. There is also this picture:



8. THE LAST SPIRITUAL AND ECONOMIC SAVIOUR (Rev. Ramil Lunajo)

There is no information about Rev. Ramil Lunajo except for his being listed on the board of directors for Citigates Philippines International Ministries.

Searching for "THE LAST SPIRITUAL AND ECONOMIC SAVIOUR" only brings up the list of alleged prophecies at the beginning of the article.

9. THE RIGHTEOUS PRIEST /REGION OF LIGHT (TGC-Bro Timothy Schwab)

I have written at length about what Timothy Jay Schwab has to say about the Philippines. His prophetic vision is that Filipinos (righteous priests) shall rise up in the last days and condemn the New World Order. He also teaches that the Philippines is where light was created. Everything he writes about the Philippines and the Bible is a total lie and he is best ignored. 


10. THE GARDEN OF EDEN (Dr Richard Vincent Narag)

"Garden of Eden is in Philippines" is the title of a book written by Dr. Richard Vincent Narag.



I haven't read it and I don't know what it says but it sounds like a history more than a prophetic vision.


11. THE BEACON OF LIGHT TO THE WORLD (Prophet Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj)

Sadhu Sundar delivered an alarming "prophecy" about the Philippines way back in 2013. He claimed all sorts of disasters would befall these islands.

God is going to pour out His anointings in 7 cities of this nation like never done before anywhere else in the world. You will be the first nation and the first people in the world to receive that kind of an anointing.

If you remember clearly… [another prophet] saw a huge menorah, and from the menorah the seven spirits of the Lord came forth, and the seven spirits of the Lord will be poured upon the Philippines, the first of its kind in the world. Because you receive like the firstfruits anointing, the punishment will also be the first of its kind in the world. Blessings first of its kind, and the punishment the first of its kind. So the plagues that will strike Pangasinan will be nothing that the world has ever seen. The skin, the flesh, and the bones will be corrupted. They melt and will rot away.

Next, Cebu. Another peculiar disease, a plague will arise from Cebu and will spread all over the land and then spread all over the world. And Bohol. From Bohol another plague another disease will arise and spread all over the land and all over the world.

So the first is the destruction through winds. The second is the destruction through diseases. The third destruction through floods. You have experienced many floods in the history of your nation, but that which is to come has no precedent in the past… Specifically, the areas that will experience this flooding: Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Cebu.

And some hundreds of places, small places, will experience flooding. These are destructions that will come upon your land….

As I am speaking these words, I perceive very strongly in my spirit… take this word seriously. Take your call seriously, for there has not been another nation like your nation that has received such a call as you have received. There has not been another nation like your nation where even the churches of God, the army of God, will come and be stationed in this land. The armies will be stationed in this land, and they will wage war against the enemies of God. The kingdom of God, the angels of God, the saints of God—forget about the Catholic teaching of praying to the saints; I’m not talking about that now; I’m talking about the true ministry of angels and the true ministry of saints–They will come down [to assist the army of God]….

What a great and awesome privilege you have received from the Almighty God. But at the same time, if you will fail in your calling, great will be your judgment…. 

Fleshing eating diseases? Viruses that will spread from the Philippines around the world? It's all bunk. I cannot find where he called the Philippines "The Beacon Light to the World" but it does not matter because based on these prophecies alone the man is a liar. 


12. THIS NATION WILL BE GREAT AGAIN (APO LAKAY)

Apo Lakay is President Ferdinand Marcos. In his inaugural speech he said:

This nation can be great again. This I have said over and over. It is my article of faith, and Divine Providence has willed that you and I can now translate this faith into deeds.

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1965/12/30/inaugural-address-of-president-marcos-december-30-1965/

And then he proceeded to rob the nation blind. 

What are we to make of all these so-called prophetic visions? At best they are hopefully delusions and at worst (especially with Timothy Jay Schwab) it's a long con and willful deception. There is really only one prophetic vision here and that is the one given by Bill Perry. Several of these prophecies appear to be derived from his book. It is a unique and detailed vision very much worth reviewing in detail. I will be doing that the next time I cover this topic.

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Puerto Princesa: City of the Living God?

Did you know that Puerto Princesa is nicknamed City of the Living God? That sobriquet was bestowed upon the city in June of 2012. Now, for the second time, lawmakers are hoping to make March 30th an annual non-working holiday to celebrate that designation. 

https://palawan-news.com/bill-filed-to-set-march-30-as-city-of-the-living-god-observance-in-puerto-princesa/

The House of Representatives has received a new version of a bill that seeks to designate March 30 as an annual non-working holiday in honor of Puerto Princesa’s status as the “City of the Living God.”

Rep. Edward Hagedorn of the 3rd District of Palawan reintroduced House Bill No. 4885, which his late brother Douglas Hagedorn had sponsored in the 16th Congress, along with Rep. Eddie Villanueva of the Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) Party-list.

Hagedorn stated on Friday at the general membership meeting of the Puerto Princesa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. that aside from his brother’s justification that the city is away from the earthquake fault line and the ring of fire, it is a diligent, God-fearing, and environmentally conscious land.

Forgetting to give it importance, he explained, could be the reason why the city has become a cyclone pathway, such as when Typhoon Odette wreaked havoc and damaged numerous properties.

"You know, we can be laughed at here, but I can't ignore it-I remember when we declared it as the city of the living God, we don't experience deluges," Rep. Hagedorn said.

"When that disappeared and was ignored, even typhoons that used to not pass through us, become more frequent. So I said, there is nothing wrong if we make it a city of the living God. There is a city of flowers, it's not bad," he said.

Puerto Princesa was named as “City of the Living God” via Executive Order No. 13 and by the Sangguniang Panlungsod through Resolution Nos. 770-2010 and 579-2012 dated June 4, 2012. They were in view of the fact that it is endowed with abundant resources and is home to one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, the Puerto Princesa Underground River.

The bill stated in the explanatory note that if March 30 falls on a Saturday or Monday, the observance will be held on the Monday that follows.

Sadly enough the original executive order and resolutions from 2012 are not available online. However, the text of both bills from 2016 and 2019 fill us in on just what it means for Puerto Princesa to be designated City of the Living God. 

2016:

Of all places in the country, only Puerto Princesa City is away from the ring of fire and the fault line, thereby spared from the "Big One," which is feared to strike In the future. In recent events, we have read, heard and seen reports of continuing shaking in all parts of the world — varying from tolerable to catastrophic, with some claiming thousands of lives in seconds. 

The City is home of one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature of the World, the St. Paul Subterranean River National Park, more popularly known as the Underground River. The longest underghround river does not only boast of beautifully-shaped stalactites and stalagmites, including the famed Cathedral in the inside and the limestones that rose over the rainforest on the outside. The place is also the haven of various species endemic to Palawan. 

As the City of the Living God, the City will achieve its full potential, and not ony limit itself to being known as a city in a forest and sports tourism capital of the Philippines. 

God has done it in the past. When this place was upgraded to be a City and allowed the Spirit of God in the place of power, He has done more marvelous things. Definitely God can and will do more for people who honor His name. 

March 30 of every year would encourage residents to celebrate the milestones achieved by the City and to reflect on the duties called upon them as the people of the City of the Living God. 

2022:

This Bill is a re-filed Bill from the 16th Congress, sponsored by Congressman Douglas S. Hagedorn, seeking to designate March 30 of every year as a special non-working holiday in the City of Puerto Princesa in observance of the Anniversary of its declaration as the "City dew Living God." 

Puerto Princesa City was declared by the City Government through Sangsummg Panglungsod Resolution Nos. 770.2010 raid 579-2012 dated June 4, 2012, and preceded by Executive Order No. 13, as the "City of the Living God." The declaration was in view of the fact that the City of Puerto Princesa is blessed with rich natural resources, opulent flora and fauna, and a home to one of the New Severs Wonders of Nature - the Puerto Princesa Underground River. Likewise, the city is surrounded with pristine white beaches and natural water falls which we cannot attribute to anybody but the Living God. Indeed, Puerto Princesa, with all its beauty and attributes, is the City of the Living God. More than any of that the  city is so safely situated in the island which is away from the ring of fire. Hence researchers believe that the city is one of the safest in the country, as it can be spared from the "Big One", which is feared to strike in the near future. 

Recently, deep-focus earthquakes with a magnitude ranging from 4 to 7 occur frequently jolting many parts of the country. Despite those thousands of earthquakes recorded, none was ever felt in the city. The presence of mangrove-rich areas and vast coral reefs likewise protects the city from the occurrence of tsunami. Thus, the City being sheltered from said natural calamities, it is but important for the people to remember. fool and celebrate God's fortification at least once every year. 

Did you notice what both of these propositions have in common? They list the fact that Puerto Princesa has many beautiful natural resources and is protected since it is outside of the ring of fire. That means the "Big One" will not hit the island. It is also protected from tsunamis because of mangroves and coral reefs. Thus Puerto Princesa has God's favor because the island is protected from natural disasters. 

What about the rest of the Philippines with all of its many natural resources and devout people? Screw them, right? Only Puerto Princesa is the City of the Living God because every other island in the archipelago is in the midst of the ring of fire and prone to earthquakes and tsunamis. They are declaring that Puerto Princesa is in some way more loved than the rest of the Philippines. However during the most recent typhoon the Sierra Madre actually protected Luzon from what could have been an even more devastating storm.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1670951/netizens-hail-sierra-madre-for-taming-typhoon

Sierra Madre, the country’s longest mountain range located in the eastern corridor of Luzon island, became a trending topic on Twitter during the onslaught of Supertyphoon “Karding” (international name: Noru) as netizens called attention to how it protected Metro Manila and several provinces from calamities.

Netizens reminded their followers of its important role as an effective barrier against storms coming from the Pacific Ocean before heading for Luzon. The topic had 78,500 tweets as of Monday morning.

The mountains reduced the strength of Karding and shielded millions of residents in the typhoon’s path from a far worse catastrophe.

“It was one of the factors that weakened the typhoon because a storm weakens after a land interaction. Sierra Madre is a rugged terrain so Karding naturally lost some strength,” weather specialist Vanessa Torres told the Inquirer.

“The government must work on measures to address climate change in the long-term such as building appropriate infrastructure and rehabilitation and conservation of natural barriers such as the Sierra Madre,” KPNE national coordinator Jon Bonifacio told the Inquirer.

“The Sierra Madre has once again shown just how crucial it is in protecting us against extreme weather events,” Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe Nograles said on Monday, as he renewed his push for the immediate passage of House Bill No. 1972, which would create a Sierra Madre Development Authority (SMDA).“Many are saying ‘we got lucky’ and [were] spared the worst of the disaster brought by Karding. But we cannot just rely on luck when it comes to our welfare. We must act and must act now,” he said in a statement on Monday.

Take that City of the Living God!

What a blasphemous joke. Who told the government of Puerto Princesa to bestow the nickname City of the Living God? Did God say he would put his name in Puerto Princesa? Have these lawmakers ever read the Bible?

God put his name in one city and that is Jerusalem. After the nation of Israel proved unfaithful he sent them into captivity and destroyed the city. Twice! Once in 587 BC and again in 70 AD. The City of the Living God is now his church and people and the Heavenly Jerusalem to come.

What about Job? He was a very righteous man and yet God put him through an awful test with many sufferings. Yet these lawmakers claim Puerto Princesa is the City of the Living God because the city is protected from earthquakes and tsunamis. As if tsunamis and earthquakes only happen to the wicked. Try reading the words of Jesus in Luke 13.

Luke 13:And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

This whole endeavor is ridiculous and is founded upon superstition.  Listen to what Rep. Hagedorn said:

"You know, we can be laughed at here, but I can't ignore it-I remember when we declared it as the city of the living God, we don't experience deluges," Rep. Hagedorn said.

"When that disappeared and was ignored, even typhoons that used to not pass through us, become more frequent. So I said, there is nothing wrong if we make it a city of the living God. There is a city of flowers, it's not bad," he said.

I'd like to see the statistics on that. Can he even provide them? Can he prove that there is flooding in Puerto Princesa BECAUSE the city has not been celebrating its status as City of the Living God? 

If the theological issues surrounding this self-designation as City of the Living God are not enough lawmakers, for the second time, want this status to be recognized by the national government in the form of an annual special non-working holiday. Sheer hubris! What that means is that in Puerto Princesa alone every March 30th will be a holiday for all government employees and likely bank employees who will receive their pay despite not working.

There are 96 local holidays in the Philippines! Some are working and some not. That is in addition to the 19 regular and special holidays recognized nationwide which include Christmas, New Years Day, and National Heroes Day. The Philippines is the ranked fourth globally in the number of holidays it has.

http://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Economic-Class/regular-breaks,788

The bottom line is there are too many holidays in the Philippines and the designation of Puerto Princesa as City of the Living God is theologically troubling. To adapt St. Augustine:


Puerto Princesa, Augustine argues, is quintessentially a city of man. It is ephemeral, earthly, and – like all other cities – destined to eventually pass away. The City of God, on the other hand, is stable, eternal, and the source of ultimate consolation. It is the city under God’s command, and hence the city that will ultimately come to triumph.

https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/content/city-god/context

Go read St. Augustine's The City of God and then get back to me!