IT IS CALLED PANDEMIC

In the Bible, it was called a plague. When it happens today, we call it a pandemic. Will you have the wisdom to understand what is occurring?

The Corona virus continues to morph and spread. The question is a pandemic just over the horizon?

And so, the Corona virus is one of those situations where we continue to watch and we continue to wonder just what it is.

But, again, it brings in the issue of a pandemic and the problems that are always lurking in an issue like this with a virus and a disease that can come out and spread in our global world today.

One of the problems is when such a virus erupts that is new there is no vaccine for it. There’s no treatment for it, which creates burdens upon the healthcare system, but also panic. Because as you look at what is taking place here there are two ways that this could go. Number one, the Corona virus may be no more dangerous than the common cold in one sense in terms of its impact. Some people say that more people die from the normal forms of influenza each year which statistically is true. And then one report I read said on the other hand the Corona virus could be like the Black Death. So, you’ve got two extremes there. And the reality is at this point in time nobody really knows where it could go. And certainly the hope is, and our hope, is that it is contained, that the spread stops, and that a vaccine can be found quickly to treat people who come down with it and through quarantine and all the other measures this particular virulent strain of virus that has come on can be stemmed. Certainly that is my prayer and certainly I know it should be yours as well.

Obviously, as we watch the Corona Virus outbreak, my advice is to consult the Bible to "see" what does it say about future pandemics.

As I write this today, the Corona virus continues to spread throughout the world. There have been more than 100,000 confirmed cases and over 3,000 deaths. The numbers continue to rise at an alarming rate throughout the globe. Large, multi-national companies have cancelled travel for employees, large conferences have been cancelled and air travel from certain nations has been embargoed. Sporting events are put on hold. Sport in all its wide spectrum has been restrained to different levels. Schools and Universities have been closed down for a certain period. Arts and cultural shows have also been restricted and changed to different dates later in the year. Specific regions within different countries have been closed down to quarantine status. People are not allowed to get out of those demarcated areas. Governments are getting into a frenetic mood in order to curb the spread of the virus. Stock exchanges are on the way down. Economies are getting strained. While it is true that other strains of flu kill far more people each year but it is the fear of the unknown that is driving reactions to this new strain of virus, which seems to have originated in China.

So, what does the Bible say about this?

All of us can take the precautions that we need, to protect ourselves and while at the same time understanding that it is a very, very severe and serious problem impacting our world at the moment. It is nothing new, the Bible prophecy does tell us something about that.

The Book of Revelation describes the riding of the four horsemen.The fourth horse is a pale rider bringing pestilence. Along with other plagues described in the book, we see a description of frightening world upheaval. It is a time of great tribulation and trial brought on the nations - in part, a time of judgement for humanity’s ages-long sin and rebellion against the Creator God. God will use the forces of the earth to bring this age of man to a close.

These plagues are a mirror of what we read in the book of Exodus, when God brought Egypt to its knees as He delivered the children of Israel from slavery. God turned the water to blood, brought swarms of locusts and laid boils and physical affliction on the Egyptians. In the end, it was the death of the firstborn children that broke the hard heart of Pharaoh, causing him to release Abraham’s descendants from bondage.

Is Revelation a warning of what lies ahead for humanity? Did the events described in Exodus - the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea and the very existence of the man named Moses - really occur? Critics have questioned the truth of these accounts for many years. The entire Bible has been challenged by scholars and even many theologians, causing people to doubt the Bible’s message - even doubt whether there is a God.

As we see today’s headlines and wonder what is occurring to our stable, ordered world, you need to know where this virus - and other significant world events - fit in the larger plan of life. The Bible is the only book that can truly explain today’s world and its future. You need to be sure that you can believe the Bible to be true. You can know the hope that God controls this world and He has a plan for you.

Today’s events are a wake-up call to watch and understand today’s world. How you respond will impact your world beyond tomorrow.