The INC teaches that the “ends of the earth” refers to time, it is the time when the end is near. It is the First World War or July 27, 1914 [history books date on FWW I is July 28, 1914 Hungary time], the time when the Church was registered in the Philippine government in fulfillment of the prophesy according to Church doctrines. There are two verses used: Isaiah 41:9 “You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,….” and Isaiah 43:6 “…. Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth—”
Theory of Equivocation
The Church refer to the “ends of the earth” as a time, not a place. The time is very important to the Church teachings because it is part of the re-emergence of the first century Church of Christ which according to INC doctrines was apostatized when the first century Christians died. If the teachings are wrong, then it all becomes a fallacy. I searched most of occurrences of “ends of the earth” in the New King James Version (NKJV) none of them I can simply translate to time.
Firstly, Isaiah 41:8 clearly refers the “you” to Israel. If the Minister of the Church argue Israel refers to the Church members, how can you argue that?
8 “But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My friend.
9
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:
Secondly, If we read Isaiah 45:1-6, is it not the context of “you” referred to Israel again? Let us check where else prophet Isaiah used “ends of the earth“.
Our focus in this article is the “ends of the earth” if that is actually referring to time or place so let’s leave who the “you” for now.
Definition of “Ends of the Earth”
Wikipedia– The Ends of the Earth is a figurative expression based on the geographical reality of the most distant parts of the earth from whatever point may be treated as central.
Dictionary.com – The utmost limit, as in She would go to the ends of the earth for him. This usage was once literal (referring to the farthest reaches of the planet) but now is used only figuratively.
http://www.phrases.org.uk – The furthest reaches of the land.
Merriam-Webster – the most remote places in the world
www.urbandictionary.com – Places far away, all over the place
Collins Dictionary – remote regions
Dictionary.Babylon-software.com – most distant regions of the earth
Now let us again test the spirit if the teaching on ends of the earth as a “time” is correct.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
And speak, O Israel:
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
And my just claim is passed over by my God”?28
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
Isaiah 40-27-28 again referring to Israel before referencing the “ends of the earth“. Would it be logical to say “the Creator of WW I in 1914” than “the Creator created the extreme corners of the earth”?
Isaiah 41:5 speaking of coast lands, an expanse of land near the sea [Philippines is surrounded by the sea so it is wrong to say it is near the sea], then the ends of the earth were afraid. “ends of the earth” here is more logical to refer to the people of the ends of the earth as a place because of the word coast lands [a land] , “near and came” referring to the people. It is possible to interpret like “the people from the coast lands during the war in 1914 were afraid”.
Isaiah 42:10 again relate coast lands to the “ends of the earth” and refers to “you” inhabitants [a person or animal that lives in or occupies a place.] of them. No doubt these verses are talking about places.
And His praise from the ends of the earth,
You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
Isaiah 49:6 speaking of the “You” as light to the Gentiles so the “you” cannot be referring to the iNC members now since the Church teaches the Gentiles are the first converts in the first century and the current INC are the people from “afar off”. It will be like a back to the future movie. The context of Isaiah 49:6 is the restoration of Israel who have exiled to the Assyrian Empire(Babylonia) after Judah and Israel has been occupied by he Assyrian.
Check how prophet Isaiah used “ends of the earth” in Isaiah 45:22. He says “all you ends of the earth“. Notice the word “all”.
The word “all” cannot be used to follow time here. We can not say ” all you the WW I in 1914″.
Maybe other prophets use “ends of the earth” as time?
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
How can you say “from the river to the world war in 1914”?
The same words used in Psalms “from the river [ a place ] to the ends of the earth [ another place or places].
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
In Deuteronomy 33:17, the use of “ends of the earth” may be referred to time, however the context is speaking of Israel people. Ephraim is the land of Samaria in the New Testament so the context of Deuteronomy is still referring to a place.
In 1 Samuel 2:10, the scripture says “The Lord will judge the ends of the earth“. I don’t think any faithful INC members would like to hear that.
In Psalms 67:7, if “ends of the earth” refer to 1914, then all people became INC members to fulfill the scripture but obviously its not the case.
Likely, no faithful INC members would like to read Proverbs 17:24. Nobody would like to hear “the eyes of a fool are on July 27, 1914“.
in Proverbs 30:4 it says ” all the ends of the earth“. How many “ends of the earth” or how many beginning does the end of the earth have? It does not make sense as time but it does make sense for a place.
Job 37:3 referring to the lightning of the ends of the earth. Is lightning appear relative to a place or time? Obliviously lightning appear in a place.
Do you inherit time or inherit a thing or place?
Psalm 59:13 says “… God rules in Jacob [also mean Israel] to the ends of the earth“. This is a place to another place[s]. God rules in place from Israel to every places of the earth. God does not rule relative to time.
That they may not be;
And let them know that God rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah
Again, how many “ends of the earth” there is if it refers to time? In Psalms 98:3, it says again “all” the “ends of the earth“.
There is no doubt in my mind the teachings of “ends of the earth” as time is very weak, does not make sense in the context of the scriptures and lack of realistic references.
Where do we go from here?
John 6:67-69, NKJV – 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Open your understanding, this verse never mentioned Church of Christ, this verse is not teaching that there is no other place outside the INC, INC is NOT equal to Christ, the Church [proper noun] is NOT EQUAL to Christ although He is the head of the body, the church. The verse is teaching a lesson that our Lord has the words of eternal life, we have to believe that He is Christ, the Son of the living God. The eternal life is through Jesus there is nothing mentioned eternal life is through the Church all the more it does not teach eternal life is through the obedience to the Church Administration.
This is wisdom and understanding, no mystery.
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