Covid-19, Locust & Anti-Christ parallels between 2020 and Biblical times

 

Dr. R. Todd Magnum, Associate Professor of Theology, Biblical Theological Seminary is ordained by the Southern Baptist Convention. He serves frequently as pulpit supply in several area churches and is an active churchman at Grace Bible Church, Souderton, PA.

In May 2020 he responded in a guest opinion column to the question posed by Christianity Today: “Does the Biblical pattern of disaster and discipline with a call to repent apply to COVID-19?”

“This is a difficult question to ponder. I do not presume ourselves to be under either the blessings and curses of theocratic Israel or the apocalyptic doom of Revelation. However, I do see patterns of Biblical teaching indicative of God’s ongoing engagement in the affairs of human life and his willingness to use extreme measures to accomplish his purposes.”

When confronted with disaster, Scripture calls us to look to God for both comfort and self-censure. Prophets from Moses to Malachi point to sin and the need for repentance as reasons behind various disasters. Likewise, John the Baptist and Jesus launch the New Testament with prophetic warnings and calls to repentance, Dr. Magnum said.

The number 19 which is the combining of 10+9 usually denotes God’s perfect order regarding his judgement in the Bible. On the website www.biblestudy.org we learn that the names Job and Eve, if we substitute letters for numbers, add up to 19.

Israel was ruled by 19 kings before God allowed them to be conquered by the Assyrians. They were conquered and taken out of the land as captives due to their many sins against the eternal.

On the page Meaning of Numbers in the Bible we read: “An essential key to understanding God’s word and its design is through the meaning of biblical numbers. Their connections and patterns, when we search them out and understand them, reveal the handiwork of God.”

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Let us return to the observations of Dr. Magnum – He notes that in Romans Paul says “the wrath of God is being revealed…. against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.” (1:18) Paul also shows Old Testament patterns as examples to us. In Hebrews 12, he says “do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord…. for the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant (Hebrews 12:5,11)

God’s wrath, however, comes with mercy (Hab. 3:2,1, Chron. 21:13) Smaller catastrophes precede bigger ones, thus giving us an opportunity to repent. This Dr. Magnum says is shown in the ten plagues of Egypt where Pharaoh and his people (Ex.7:22-23) did not listen, but the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts. Pharaohs heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them as the Lord had said. “Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house with no concern even for this.”

When we feel that we have enough resilience to handle “extraordinary acts of God” calling them “quirks of nature” Scripture calls this “hardening of the heart” (Exodus 8:19, Proverbs 28:14) “It is dangerous,” Dr. Magnum says.

The Lord has raised up poignant prophetic voices in our midst…. each has sounded loud notes of biblical warning.

God may disrupt the human cycle of selfishness by awful means and call us to account. Global pandemics thankfully are rare, but when they do occur they usually spread through trade routes of prosperous, powerful nations - inherently prone to prideful pursuit and indifference toward God. (Deut. 8 10-14)

Is this pandemic part of a larger pattern? Dr. Magnum asks. There are several other catastrophes that have struck North America over the past 20 years including 9/11, hurricanes, wildfires, swine flu and now COVID -19. Are we under Divine Judgement?

On Saturday September 26, 2020 New Jersey-based pastor and popular author Jonathan Cahn, and Evangelist Franklin Graham lead a National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance on the Mall in Washington DC USA. “Thousands of Christians” gathered seeking healing for the nation.

“We know our nation is in trouble, so we stand here to pray to our God to heal our nation,” a teacher from Leesburg said to a reporter from the Washington Post.

Several people said they see a troubled nation with the trouble coming from abortion, violent protests, communism and turning away from God.

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Glenwood Sabbath and Holy Day Assembly asks the question on their website: “Is the global pandemic a judgement?”

The answer: Is there anything unique about this generation? The answer: No generation has so turned away from God or so massively overturned His ways as this one. There is one sin that especially calls out God’s judgement. It is the shedding of blood. It is a biblical law that evil must be answered in kind and the taking of human life. Can you think of any such sin that this world and generation are guilty of? A sin involving the shedding of blood and the taking of human life? (The Harbinger 2)

One of the unique properties of this plague COVID-19 is that though the young may contract and carry the virus, the destructive power is overwhelmingly focused on the old. (Harbinger 2)

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“When I shut up heaven and there is no rain or command the locusts to devour the land or send pestilence among my people…..” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)

Have we forgotten the locusts that came this year? On the BBC website Future Planet there is the article The Biblical locust plagues of 2020.  It reads: “In 2020 locusts have swarmed in large numbers in dozens of countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Somalia, Eritrea, India, Pakistan Iran, Yemen, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. When swarms of locusts affect several countries at the same time in exceptionally large numbers it is called a plague.”

So, what do we have? Plagues and Pestilences.

If this pandemic is a judgement from God, our response should not be to point a sanctimonious finger at others but to lament and repent, with prayers like unto Daniel 9, 3-19 Dr. Magnum says.

In June 2020 Jimmy Evans quoting from 2 Peter 3, said “Time is at a tipping point” reminding us that “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day.” Psalm 30 verse 4.

Evans reminded us that “there will be mockers and scoffers who willfully reject the authority of God’s word and the warnings concerning their judgement.”  God declares the end from the beginning.

On a program on TBN he mentions the great falling away and the prevailing practice of sex change. We are living in a world of Apostacy in an anti-Bible era he says. There is a great level of deception in the world. The Anti-Christ spirit is in the world right now Evans says.

Perry Stone predicts that Christians will soon come under severe hardship and persecution in the coming years. It is going to get exceedingly difficult, very tough he said on a recent broadcast.

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On the website Answers in Genesis, on March 29, 2020, Brandon Clay asked the question if COVID-19 qualifies as a biblical plague and judgement from God.” In just a few short weeks it has wreaked havoc on our way of life worldwide. Governments across the globe have mobilized to stop the spread of this WHO-level pandemic. Thousands of people have died, and hundreds of thousands have been infected. The world continues to reel from the effects of the virus.” 

There are two major lessons to learn from a Biblical plague, he writes. First it is a part of God’s judgement against sin. Second, God usually extends mercy in a time of plague.

COVID-19 could qualify as a plague because its effects are so severe, Clay writes. The transmission rate is higher than the seasonal flu. Older people are more susceptible to the disease and about 99% of fatalities are those who are weak because of underlying health problems.

“Certainly, God has reason to judge humanity, although we should not presume God’s intention through this pandemic,” he says.

” As a culture we have largely abandoned God’s word as a standard for right and wrong and replaced it with man’s word.”

 But “To say the COVID-19 outbreak qualifies as a plague similar to Biblical plagues is too far,” Clay says.

He gives a strong word of encouragement: Even when it seems that things are falling apart, God is still in control. God knows what is happening. Continue to trust Him despite the chaos. He is worthy of our confidence.

TRUST GOD DESPITE THE CHAOS