The Sword and the Famine and the Pestilence
These days, the paramount thing on everyone’s mind is the Corona Virus pandemic. Schools are closing or shifting to “online only” formats. Churches wrestle with how and when to meet, if at all. Stores grapple with panic buying (even hoarding) of staple items. Headlines are apocalyptic – you only need turn to any one of several news sites to find headlines like these:
- Travel Ban Expands…
- Hospitals brace for ‘tremendous strain’…
- Six patients for every bed?
- ‘I Could Easily Kill Them’: Terrified Doctors Sound Alarm…
- Survivors may suffer reduced lung function…
- Apple Closes All Stores Outside China…
- National Guard Activated…
- Publix, Giant and other grocery stores are changing hours to cope with shopping frenzies.
- ‘We have not reached our peak’ on coronavirus, top US infectious disease doctor says
- School closures of 8 weeks or more may better mitigate coronavirus spread, CDC says
- Planes turn around mid-air due to flight restrictions over coronavirus
How can we cope with all this anxiety? While not wishing to minimize the potential seriousness of any viral infection, I’d like to see if we can’t look at the current situation from a Biblical perspective. We still may have to take prudent steps to minimize the spread of the infection, or at least comply with government requirements, but perhaps if we can see the situation from a different point of view, we can avoid giving in to panic.
The first perspective I’d like to share is the perspective of history. How does the Corona Virus compare to historical pandemics? I turned to the Center for Disease Control to see what I could glean from its website. The site listed several pandemics over the last hundred years or so that give some comparison.
In 2009 some of us recall news about the H1N1 virus pandemic. The CDC estimated 60.8 million cases in the USA with 274,304 hospitalizations and 12,469 deaths. Worldwide, the death total came somewhere between 151,700-575,400 (admittedly a wide estimated range!). (Source). The year 1968 saw something called the H3N2 virus with 100,000 deaths in the USA and 1 million deaths worldwide. (Source). Over the winter of 1957-1958 the world experienced the H2N2 virus pandemic, with 116,000 deaths in the USA and 1.1 million deaths worldwide. (Source). The most significant pandemic in the last century or so occurred in 1918, spreading through soldiers returning from WWI, another H1N1 virus, with 675,000 deaths in the USA and 50 million deaths worldwide! (Source).
In comparison, the Corona Virus, as of 3/14/2020 infected a total of 142,651 cases worldwide, with 5,393 deaths. (Those numbers increase daily, but these came from the World Health Organization here.) At the current level, every previous pandemic far outstripped the current run, at least at this point. I realize that the fears are that the current crisis will grow, some predicting much higher death tolls. One headline said, “CDC Nightmare Scenario: 1.7 Million Deaths.” If that headline is true, the effect will still lag far behind the 1918 H1N1 “Spanish flu.”
Now let’s consider a biblical perspective. For this purpose, I pointed our church body to Revelation 6, the opening of the six seals. The “seven-sealed book” appears first in Revelation 5.1, and John is in some distress as there is no one qualified to open it (Rev 5.3). To John’s relief, the Lamb, who is “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” steps forward to open the book. As the book (a scroll) opens, we see events and individuals portrayed who profoundly affect the future history of the world. We believe the opening of the book predicts the unfolding of the first months of the Tribulation period which is to come to test the men who are on earth. Revelation 6 describes the opening of the first six seals of the book.
First, there is the rider on the white horse, riding forth to conquer (Rev 6.1-2). We believe this represents the rise of the Antichrist, mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures. Next comes the rider on the red horse, with power to take peace from the earth (Rev 6.3-4). Of course, this means war! Following him, the third rider appears, a rider on a black horse, with weigh scales for the allotting of goods (Rev 6.5-6). This refers to the outbreak of famine (though a serious topic, I found it amusing that there is no mention of toilet paper here!). Finally comes the fourth rider, on a pale horse, his name is Death (Rev 6.7-8). I’d like to quote these verses:
Rev 6:7 ¶ And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Death personified here receives authority over one fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and pestilence, as well as the beasts of the earth. This is a shocking statement. According to Mr. Google the other day, world population sits at about 7.53 billion souls. One fourth of that number is 1.88 billion, a staggering number I can’t even begin to comprehend.
The next two seals, the fifth and the sixth concern two disparate topics. The fifth seal refers to those who died in this period “for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.” They are Tribulation saints, who cry out to God for justice. God’s answer is to “wait a little while” for their compatriots in the Tribulation who will also perish, then God will bring justice for them (Rev 6.9-11). The justice they look for will come with the Lord’s return to the earth (Rev 19) and their resurrection (Rev 20.4).
Finally, the Lamb breaks the sixth seal which reveals cataclysmic events in the heavens, prompting all the people of the world to fear and attempt to hide from the appearance of the wrath of God (Rev 6.12-17). Truly, the chapter portrays a fearsome display of God’s wrath against sinful man.
But we were talking about the current crisis. Let’s put that in perspective with the events said to be coming one day in Revelation 6. According to my estimates above, about 1.88 billion people will die in the events of the first half of the Tribulation. Comparing that to the worst pandemic listed earlier, the 1918 Spanish Flu, where the death toll was 50 million, the death toll of the early part of the Tribulation will come to 37.6 times that serious pandemic!
In other words, “We ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
Well, putting all this into that perspective is one thing. However, imagining future devastation (especially on such a scale) hardly comforts us now, does it?
Nevertheless, consider this. Consider our infinite marvelous God, who remains on the throne of the universe. Our infinite God has this world under his control, no matter what happens in the earth.
Col 1.16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Heb 1.3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Not only that, our infinite God knows all things, past, present, and future, including this pandemic and whatever death toll that will come from it. He knows whether you will experience direct or indirect consequences of this trouble. Take heart! Our God knows you!
Job 34.21 “For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.
Ps 33.13 The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men;
2 Chr 16.9 “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”
Mt 10.29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
Heb 4.13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Our God knows all things, and ultimately is in control of all events. That is not to say that God directly caused this current crisis, but quite surely, we know that he allowed it. He allows our broken world to career along its broken path until the day he will send his Son to set all things right again. He is in control, no matter where this crisis takes us.
As you go through the coming days and weeks where the world is losing its mind, think on these things. Search the Scriptures and consider how great our God is.
When God wants to get the attention of the world, he can do it in a heartbeat. This current crisis proves that. Nevertheless, remember that it will not be as massive or devastating as the judgements of Revelation that are to come, no matter how bad it might get.
Even more than that, be sure that God has your attention, and that you rest in him every day.
Don Johnson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
I did something similar this past Sunday. “Fear and Stubbornness in Crisis” – looked at Gen 32-33 at Jacob’s fear about meeting Esau after 20 years and his preparation for that meeting. Then we scanned Revelation to see how often people refused to repent even when faced with disaster.