Pestilence and plague are mentioned a number of times in the Word of God, and there is always a warning connected with them. God does not wish to inflict trouble on man, for we read in Lamentations 3:3333For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. (Lamentations 3:33), “He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” Yet numerous times in man’s history God has allowed pestilence and plagues in this world.
The word “pestilence” occurs 45-50 times in the Old Testament, while the word “plague” occurs in both the Old and New Testaments. The word “pestilence” has a broad meaning that encompasses any kind of disease, but the word “plague” is more general and can include entities like war, famine, disease, and the beasts of the field. The term “beasts of the field” usually refers to larger wild animals, but can include all creatures in the animal kingdom.
Reasons for Pestilences and Plagues
Scripture gives us several reasons as to why God allows pestilences and plagues in this world, but they are always a voice from God, for nothing can happen in this world without first being carefully measured out in His sanctuary. Satan may have his way in these events, but he cannot do anything beyond what God allows. When a pestilence came upon Israel in David’s reign, we read in 1 Chronicles 21:11And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. (1 Chronicles 21:1), “Satan stood up against Israel,” but in the record of the same incident in 2 Samuel 24:11And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. (2 Samuel 24:1), we read, “Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.” When the judgment fell, it was the Lord who was in full control.
First of all, God uses pestilence to speak to those who directly resist His known will. We see this in Egypt, when Pharaoh refused to let the people of Israel go. Through Moses and Aaron, God threatened them, saying, “I will at this time send all My plagues upon thine heart ... that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence” (Ex. 9:14-1514For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. (Exodus 9:14‑15)). This came to pass, as plagues of increasing severity overwhelmed Egypt, culminating with the killing of the firstborn in every house on the Passover night.
Later on, when Israel was carried into captivity, God raised up the nation of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar and threatened that “the nation and kingdom that will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar ... will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence” (Jer. 27:88And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. (Jeremiah 27:8)). The same judgment is also prophesied for the future, when Russia will dare to attack Israel after the Lord has restored them to Himself in their land. They will be met by the Lord with “pestilence and with blood” (Ezek. 38:2222And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. (Ezekiel 38:22)), as well as other means of destruction such as “great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”
The Coronavirus Pandemic
Surely God has a message to all of us in the present difficulties, but it is significant that the coronavirus pandemic had its origins in China. Under communism they have denied the existence of God for 70 years and have relentlessly persecuted Christians, often condemning them to prison, labor camps and death. In the past 25 years China has boasted of its progress, and it is now the second largest economy in the world. Are they perhaps reaping what they have sown (Gal. 6:77Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7))?
The World in Sin
Second, the Lord uses pestilence and plague to speak to a world that goes on in sin and forgets His claims. Judgment is ahead, but God is gracious and never brings down judgment without warning. This is brought out clearly by Elihu, when he speaks to Job: “God speaketh once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not. ... He is chastened with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain. ... His flesh is consumed away. ... Yea, his soul draweth near to the grave” (Job 33:14,19,21-2214For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14)
19He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: (Job 33:19)
21His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out. 22Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers. (Job 33:21‑22)). But all this is in view of blessing: “Then He openeth the ears of men. ... He keepeth back his soul from the pit” (Job 33:16,1816Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, (Job 33:16)
18He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. (Job 33:18)). The Lord Jesus Himself could remind His listeners that “the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices” were not “sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things” (Luke 13:1-21There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? (Luke 13:1‑2)). Rather, He reminded them, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:55I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:5)). God in His sovereignty has the right to make an example of some, in order to warn others.
In our present pandemic, man is suddenly faced with that which he cannot control and the future of which he cannot predict with any accuracy. Some aspects of what we are experiencing have a strong resemblance to the tribulation period in a future day, although the tribulation will be far worse. We are hearing a voice from the Lord, perhaps as a final call to this world before He closes the day of His grace.
A Voice to Saints
Third, we are hearing a loud voice from the Lord to those who are His own. Sad to say, the church has tended to settle down in this world and, especially in the West, has become far too complacent. Like those mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5 and like the ten virgins of Matthew 25, we have tended tow sleep rather than watch. The Lord is calling us to remember that “the night is far spent, the day is at hand” (Rom. 13:1212The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:12)). We are not left in this world merely to lead good, morally upright lives and then to go to heaven at the end. We are also to be living witnesses to the grace that brought us to Himself. The most important part of this witness is our lifestyle, for what we are is far more important than what we say. If we are awake to the fact that our Lord is coming soon, we will be “like unto men that wait for their lord ... that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open to Him immediately” (Luke 12:3636And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. (Luke 12:36)).
A Voice to Christendom
Finally, I would suggest that the loudest voice in all this present calamity is to Christendom, and specifically to those who are spoken about in Revelation 3:11And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. (Revelation 3:1): “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” Such people are in many parts of the world, but in Western Europe, North America and, to some extent, South America, there are many who call themselves Christians, yet lack any inward reality. Those lands have had the Bible for hundreds of years and have known the gospel of God’s grace. Yet many remain without eternal life, without Christ, and without any certainty of where they will go when they leave this world. In the past such people trusted in the fact that they attended “church,” took part in various forms of social benefit, and perhaps lived a reasonably upright life. More recently, though, church attendance has declined markedly, and often the buildings have had to be sold for lack of attendance.
Apostate Christendom
It is significant that of the 45-50 times that pestilence is mentioned in the Old Testament, more than 40 of these are in connection with Israel — a people who knew the Lord and who possessed “the oracles of God.” In consequence, the Lord could say, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities” (Amos 3:22You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. (Amos 3:2)). Likewise, well over half of the times that the word “plague” or “plagues” is used in the Word of God, it is in connection with Israel or with God’s judgment on apostate Christendom. This is very solemn, for God holds us responsible according to the light we have been given, and “unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:4848But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:48)). In the light of our present situation, it is noteworthy that some European countries and certainly the United States have now reported more cases of the coronavirus than China.
Past Warnings
As He was with Israel, so God has been gracious to those who have had the light of His Word, and He has given warnings in the past. In particular, the two world wars of the twentieth century devastated much of the so-called Christian world. World War I, bad as it was, was followed by the Spanish flu pandemic that affected over 25% of the world’s population. Estimates of the fatalities range from 20 to 50 million, which is probably more than those who died in the war. Two of the countries that sustained heavy losses in that war were Britain and Germany. Britain, once a bastion of the Reformation, had produced a Darwin, who took away God’s glory as Creator. Germany, that gave us Martin Luther, eventually became the epicenter of the so-called higher criticism, initiated by Julius Wellhausen. This teaching destroyed God’s glory as Redeemer. Again, did those so-called Christian countries reap what they had sown?
Standards and Morality
In recent years, in the West, rapid strides have been made away from the morality and standards of the Word of God. Within the past 50 years abortion has been legalized in most Western countries, and more recently, same sex marriages as well. Sexual immorality is taken for granted, divorce is rampant, and the Bible has been largely banned from public use. Any who venture to speak against all this are shouted down. Is it any wonder that God is speaking loudly?
W. J. Prost