Christ of the Manger IS
Christ of the Prophecies
by H.G. Bishop Moussa
In the final
part of this series, His Grace Bishop Moussa provides an extensive and amazing
catalog of all the prophecies in Old Testament that discussed Christ's birth,
passion, death, resurrection and ascension. A must read! You may want to save
or bookmark this excellent resource for future reference!
Through
300 prophecies the Old Testament mentions all the details concerning Lord
Jesus' life on earth. That is why we say that Christ of the manger is Christ of
the prophecies. He is the One whom the wisemen were waiting for according to
their studies based on the prophecy of Balaam. The Jews also were waiting for
Him. They knew the date of His birth, through the Book of Daniel and the place
of His birth through the Book of Micah. Truly, our God is of both Testaments.
Our Christ is the Christ of the whole world. Following are some prophecies from
the Old Testament about our Lord Jesus Christ and their fulfillment in the New
Testament. These help us observe the deep connection between the two holy
Testaments; the Old and the New.
1- Born of a Woman:
- Gen.
3:15 (NKJV) "And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And
between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall
bruise His Heel"
- Gal.
4:4 (NKJV) “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His
son, born of a woman, born under the law”.
2- Descendant of Abraham:
- Gen.
18:18 (NKJV) “Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation,
and all the nation of the earth shall be blessed in him”.
- Acts
3:25 (NKJV) “You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God
made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed all the
families of the earth shall be blessed”.
3- Descendant of Isaac:
- Gen.
17:19 (NKJV) “The God said: No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and
you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for
an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him”.
- Mat.
1:2 (NKJV) “Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah
and his brothers”.
4- The Descendant of Jacob:
- Num.
24:17 (NKJV) “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A star
shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter
the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult”.
- Luke
3:34 (NKJV) “The son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham”. (See
also Mat. 1:2)
5- Descendant of the Tribe of Judah:
- Gen.
49:10 (NKJV) “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from
between his feet, until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of
the people”.
- Luke
3:33 (NKJV) “the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the
son of Perez, the son of Judah”.
6- The Heir Of David:
- Isa.
9:7 (NKJV) “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no
end, Upon the throne of David and over His Kingdom, To order it and
establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even
forever The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this”.
- Mat
1:1 (NKJV) “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David,
the son of Abraham”.
7- The Place of His Birth:
- Micah
5:2 (NKJV) “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the
thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be
Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting”.
- Mat.
2:1-6 (NKJV) “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days
of Herod the King, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2
saying, Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen
His star in the Jesus? For we have come to worship Him. 3 When Herod the
king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when
he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him
In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet 6 But you,
Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of
Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people
Israel”.
8- The Date of His Birth:
- Dan
9:25 (NKJV) “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of
the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There
shall be seven weeks and sixty - two weeks; the street shall be built
again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times”.
- 7+
62= 69 Weeks, one week equals seven years, hence 69 X 7= 453 years (the
time span between Daniel & Christ) the seventieth week, is the
crucifixion of Christ.
- Luke
2:1-2 (NKJV) “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from
Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first
took place while Quirinius was governing Syria”.
9- His Birth of A Virgin:
- Isa.
7:14 (NKJV) “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the
virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel”.
- Mat.
1:18-23 (NKJV) “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows; After His
mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was
found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a
just man, and not wating to make her a public example, was minded to put
her away secretly 20 but while he thought about these things, behold an
angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Joseph, son of David
do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a son
and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their
sins. 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the Lord through the prophet, saying 23 behold the virgin shall be with
child and bear a son and they shall call His name Immanuel, Which is
translated God with us”.
10- The Children’s Massacre:
- Jer.
31:15 (NKJV) “Thus says the Lord: A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation
and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be
comforted for her children, Because they are no more”.
11- The Flight to Egypt:
- Hosea
11:1 (NKJV) “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I
called My son”.
- Mat
2:14-15 (NKJV) “When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by
night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod,
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the
prophet saying “Out of Egypt I Called My Son”.
12- His Service in Galillee:
- Isa.
9:1-2 (NKJV) “Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is
distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and
the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way
of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galillee of the Gentiles 2 The people
who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the
land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined”.
- Mat.
4:12-16 (NKJV) “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He
departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in
Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying:
15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea,
beyond the Jordan, Galillee of the Gentiles: 16 The people who sat in
darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and
shadow of death light has dawned.”
13- The Prophets Gave Signs about Him:
- Deu.
18:15 (NKJV) “the Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me
from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, John 6;14 (NKJV)
“then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, this is
truly the Prophet who is to come into the world”.
14- He Came As A Priest According to the Order Of Melchizadek:
- Psa.
110:4 (NKJV) the Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest
forever According to the order of Melchizedek”.
- Heb
6:20 (NKJV) “Where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having
become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
15- Being Rejected by the Jews:
- Isa.
53ý:3 (NKJV) “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He
was despised, and we did not esteem him.
- Psa.
2:2 (NKJV) “the kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take
counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed”. John 1:11
(NKJV) He came to His own and His own did not receive Him.
16- His Features:
- Isa.
11:1-5 (NKJV) “There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, And a
Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 the Spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon Him, the Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He
shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearings of
His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with
the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the
wicked 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his loins, And faithfulness
the belt of His waist”.
- Psa.
45:6-8 (NKJV) “Your throne, O God is forever and ever; A scepter of
righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. 7 You love righteousness and
hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of
gladness more than your companions 8 All Your garments are scented with
myrrh and aloes and cassia, Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have
made you glad”.
- Luke
2:52 (NKJV) “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with
God and men”.
- Luke
4:18 (NKJV) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because he has anointed Me
To preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the
brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight
to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed”.
17- His Victorious Entry:
- Zec.
9:9 (NKJV) “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly
and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey”.
- Isa.
62:11 (NKJV) “Indeed the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world “say
to the daughter of Zion Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His
reward is with Him, And His work before Him.”
- John
12:12-16 (NKJV) “The next day a great multitude that had come to the
feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took
branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” The King of Israel! 14
Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written
15 Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold your king is coming sitting on a donkey’s
colt 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when
Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written
about Him and that they had done these things to Him”.
18- The Treason of His Disciple:
- Psa.
41:9 (NKJV) “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my
bread, has lifted up his heel against me”.
- Mark
14:10 (NKJV) Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief
priests to betray Him to them. 19- He Was Sold for 30 Pieces of Silver:
- Zec.
11:12 (NKJV) “Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my
wages; and if not, refrain”. So they weighed out for my wages thirty
pieces of silver”.
- Mat
26:15-16 (NKJV) and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver
Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver 16 So
from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him”.
20- Buying The Potter’s Field:
- Mat.
27:6-10 (NKJV) “But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It
is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of
blood”. 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s
field, to bury strangers in 8 therefore that field has been called the
Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah
the prophet saying “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value
of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced 10 and
gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me”.
21- Judas’ Discipleship Shall Be Given to Another:
- Psa.
109:7-9 (NKJV) “When he is judged, let him be found guilty, And let his
prayer become sin 8 Let his days be few, And let another wife a widow”.
- Acts
1:16-20 (NKJV) “Men and brethren, this scripture had to be fulfilled,
which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas,
who arrested Jesus 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in
this ministry 18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of
iniquity and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his
entrails gushed out 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in
Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, That
is, Field of Blood) 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms “Let his
dwelling place be desolate And let no one live in it and Let another take
his office.”
22- The False Witness Against the Lord:
- Psa.
27:12 (NKJV) “Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false
witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence”.
- Psa.
35:11 (NKJV) “Fierce witnesses rise up; They ask me things that I do not
know”.
- Mat.
26:60-61 (NKJV) “but found none, Even though many false witnesses came
forward, they found none But at last two false witnesses came forward 61
and said, “This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to
build it in three days”.
23- His Silence Against Accusation:
- Isa.
53:7 (NKJV) “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not his
mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its
shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth”.
- Psa.
38:13-14 “But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute who
does not open his mouth. 14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear, And in
whose mouth is no response”. Mat 26:62-63 (NKJV) “And the high priest
arose and said to him, “Do you answer nothing? What is it these men
testify against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest
answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: tell us
if You are the Christ, the Son of God”
- Mat
27:12-14 (NKJV) “And while He was being accused by the chief priests and
elders, He answered nothing 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear
how many things they testify against You?” 14 But He answered him not one
word, so that the governor marveled greatly”.
24- They Spat On Him:
- Isa.
50:6 (NKJV) “I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those
who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and
spitting”.
- Mark
14:65 (NKJV) “Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to
beat Him, and to say to him, “Prophesy” And the officers struck Him with
the palms of their hands”.
25- They Hated Him For No Reason
- Psa.
69:4 (NKJV) Those who hate me without a cause Are more than the hairs of
my head; They are mighty who would destroy me, Being my enemies
wrongfully; Though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it.
- Psa.
109:3-5 (NKJV) They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And
fought against me without a cause 4 In return for my love they are my
accusers, But I give myself to prayer. 5 Thus they have rewarded me evil
for good, And hatred for my love.
- John
15:23-25 (NKJV) He who hates Me hates My father also. 24 If I had not done
among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but
now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this
happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law,
“They hated Me without a cause.”
26- He Bore Our Sufferings:
- Isa.
53:4-6 (NKJV) “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet
we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was
wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The
chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his
own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all”.
- Isa.
53:11-12 (NKJV) “He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By
his knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear
their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His
soul unto death, And he was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore
the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors”.
- Mat
8:16-17 (NKJV) “When evening had come, They brought to him many who were
demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all
who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah
the prophet, saying: “He took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses”.
- Rom.
4:25 (NKJV) “who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised
because of our justification.
- 1
Cor. 15:3 (NKJV) “for I delivered to you first of all that which I also
received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures”.
27- Crucified With The Sinners:
- Isa.
53:12 (NKJV) “Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And he
shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul
unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the
sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors”.
- Mat.
27:38 (NKJV) “Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right
and another on the left.”
- Mark.
15:27-28 (NKJV) “With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His
right and the other on His left. 28 So the Scripture was fulfilled which
says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors”.
28- They Pierced His Hands and Feet:
- Psa.
22:16 (NKJV) “For dogs have surrounded me; the congregation of the wicked
has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet”;
- John
20:25-28 (NKJV) “The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen
the Lord” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the
nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into
His side, I will not believe”. 26 And after eight days His disciples were
again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and
stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas,
Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; reach your hands here, and
put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. 28 And Thomas
answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29- They Mocked and Insulted Him:
- Psa.
22:6-8 “But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by
the people. 7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip,
they shake the head, saying, 8 “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue
Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
- Mat.
27:39-40 (NKJV) “And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their
heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three
days, save Yourself! If You are the son of God, come down from the cross.”
30- They Gave Him Vinegar and Bitters:
- Psa.
69:12 (NKJV) “Those who sit in the gate speak against me, And I am the
song of the drunkards”.
- John.
19:29 (NKJV) “Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they
filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His
mouth”.
31- He Heard His People Mocking the Prophecies:
- Psa.
22:8 (NKJV) “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver
Him, since he delights in Him!”
- Mat.
27:43 (NKJV) “He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if he will have
Him; for He said “I am the Son of God.”
32- He Prayed For His Enemies:
- Psa.
109:4 (NKJV) “In return for my love they are my accusers, But I give
myself to prayer”.
- Luk.
23:34 (NKJV) Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know
what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots”.
33- They Pierced His Side With A Spear:
- Zec
12:10 (NKJV) “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants
of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on
Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his
only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn”.
- John
19:34-37 (NKJV) “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear,
and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has
testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the
truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the
Scripture should be fulfilled, Not one of His bones shall be broken 37 And
again another Scripture says, They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
- John
20:27 (NKJV) “Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at
My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be
unbelieving, but believing.”
34- Dividing His Clothes and Casting Lots on Them:
- Psa
22:18 (NKJV) “They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they
cast lots.
- Mark
15:24 (NKJV) “And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments,
casting lots for them to determine what every man should take”.
- John
19:23 (NKJV) “then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His
garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic,
Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece”.
35- Not One of His Bones Shall Be Broken:
- Psa.
34:20 (NKJV) “He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken”.
- Exo.
12:46 (NKJV) “In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of
the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones”.
- John
19:33 (NKJV) “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the
bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was
a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and
that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs
of the first and the other who was crucified with Him” But when they came
to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs …
For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled; “Not
one of His bones shall be broken”
36- To Be Buried with a Rich Person:
- Isa.
53:9 (NKJV) “And they made His grave with the wicked; But with the rich at
His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His
mouth”.
- Mat
27:57-60 (NKJV) “Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from
Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate
commanded the body to be given to him. 59 When Joseph had taken the body,
he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his new tomb which
he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door
of the tomb, and departed”.
37- His Holy Resurrection
- Psa.
16:2 (NKJV) “O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My
goodness is nothing apart from You.”
- Hosea
6:1-2 (NKJV) “Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but he
will heal us; He had stricken, but He will bind us up. 2 After two days He
will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in
His sight”.
- Psa.
3:5 (NKJV) “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me”.
- Mat.
28:7 (NKJV) “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from
the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galillee, there you will
see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
38- His Blessed Ascension:
- Psa
68:18 (NKJV) “You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the Lord
God might dwell there”. The lord freed all good souls who were in
captivity under the control of the devil in Hades. He opened paradise for
them.
- Luke
24:50-52 (NKJV) “And he led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up
His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them,
that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven 52 And they
worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy”
- Acts
1:9 “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken
up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight”.
+ + +
If you meditate on all these prophecies about the Eternal annointment of the
Lord Christ, His Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension, you will
discover the holiness of the Old testament and the importance of connecting both
Testaments. For our Christ, is the Christ of the both Testaments and no doubt
Christ of the manger is Christ of the Prophecies. Prov 8:23 (NKJV) “I have been
established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an
earth”.
Micah 5:2 (NKJV) “But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the
thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The one to be Ruler
in Israel, From everlasting.”
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Pope Shenouda
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Father Matta
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Bishop Mattaous
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Fr. Tadros Malaty
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Bishop Moussa
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Bishop Alexander
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Habib Gerguis
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Bishop Angealos
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Metropolitan Bishoy
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