FEATURE ARTICLE

Tuesday, March 31, 2020
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THE CORONAVIRUS PLAGUE: A SIMPLE SPIRITUAL EXPLANATION

gain, the world is gripped with fear and uncertainty, made worse by rumours, ignorance and misinformation, as was the case when previous health-related calamities befell mankind. I am speaking of the not too distant past when the words HIV-AIDS became part of our lexicon; and the mere thought of it as a possibility woke virile young men from slumber in the dead of night soaked in their sweat. Closer to the present came Ebola, which reduced hunters and bush-meat sellers to penury, especially those who dealt in the versatile local favourite, grass cutter! Ebola also nearly rendered all manner of rats and mouse extinct; such was the hatred for them that everyone thought that their eradication would also cancel out Ebola. And there were several others, Lhasa fever, typhoid fever, the MRSI bug, and of course, the dreaded cancer which has so many variants that one may talk about cancer of virtually any part of the human body!

At the moment, we have with us another uninvited guest that the world is asking to leave its party; the gate crasher is called Coronavirus. The aim of this piece is to clearly state that these things should be expected, not only because they continue to come one after the other as if pre-arranged to take turns; but also because - for the 'foolish and simple' like us who believed the scriptures -it was prophesied long ago that such events would happen. Secondly, it is my aim to dispel the impression created by our suave, swanky and debonair 'men of God', both at home and in the diaspora that Coronavirus is of the Devil. I have grave doubts concerning that. Before I continue, I want to emphasize that I am writing for the foolish and simple who have believed the gospel of Christ without doubting; it may also serve the curious but open minded enquirer, who knows. Secondly, be aware that I am not your everyday pastor, prophet or 'man of God', I have no such ambitions. However, that which has been laid as a burden must be discharged.

With regard to the first aim, the scriptures state clearly that God is the creator, the maker and possessor of the heavens and the earth; and that God has a manual of how we can live in and use his earth. He warns that disobedience can only lead to dire consequences. Being God, and having no need to hurry, he graduates these consequences incrementally from stage to stage in our day, but in Genesis 6-7, he swept away the first earth with a flood of waters and saved only Noah and his household. Why? God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth (Gen 6: 5). Again, in Gen 18-19, God was clear that the reason He destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah was because 'their sin is very grievous' (Gen 18: 20), and their wickedness was such levels that there could not be found in the cities ten righteous persons. They were so deluded and bound in iniquity that they could recognize even the angels that they come for the mission to destroy; they wanted to sleep with them in turns! (Gen 19: 7-9). If you are thinking that was then, think again, perhaps you are also labouring under the same 'strong delusion' (2 Thess 2: 11).

The second objective of this piece as earlier stated is to show by help of the scriptures that Coronavirus came from the throne of God. One central theme runs through the scriptures, obedience and its rewards; and disobedience and its corresponding punishment. The source of both the reward and the punishment is God. Listen to God speaking: I form the light and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these� (Is. 45: 7). He also created the wicked for the day of evil (Prov. 16: 4). Although, at His pleasure, He allows the Devil enjoy the services of those who have sold their souls to him, it is not so when it comes to plagues (for the world), or chastisement (for His children - see the Book of Judges; and Heb. 12). But we are talking about plagues here. From Exodus Chapters 7-12, in which God rained His plagues upon Egypt, He left no one in doubt that He was the source of Egypt's problems, even the hardening of Pharaoh's heart was of Him (Ex. 7: 4, 13); and He it was that passed over the Houses of His children when He saw the blood (Ex. 12: 13, 23). The book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 28 is equally of importance, as it signals the transition of a people from God's children and people, to his enemies and outcasts. Notice that in Deut. 28: 20, the same Lord who blessed and assured good things would now 'send upon thee cursing', 'because of the wickedness of thy doings'. The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee (v. 21). The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation�(v. 22). The Lord will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch�(v. 27).

In the above cases, it is evident as it is in the Book of Revelation, that when God's anger boils over due to the abominations and wickedness He has warned against, He visits the children of disobedience with devastation. Sickness (or pestilence) is at the nadir or lower ends of such visitations. Consider Rev. 15: 1, 7; which speaks of seven angels with the 'seven last plagues' of the 'wrath of God'. To whom is the anger of God directed? Men! It states in Rev. 16: 9, 11; that while men wasted away under the insuperable punishments for their wickedness, they blasphemed God and refused to repent of their sins. The scriptures record a similar event in Rev. 9: 20-21 that after the seven angels had sounded their trumpets, which heralded devastating destructions upon the earth; the rest of mankind did not repent from their evil lives, which included fornications, murders and thefts, etc.

We know or ought to know that God does nothing (whether a blessing or an injury) that is not meant to achieve a purpose; indeed, it is written that all things work together for good, but only to those that LOVE God, and are therefore called according to His purpose (Rom. 8: 28). By the sure mercies of God, Coronavirus would probably get a cure sooner rather than later; or would go into some kind of recession. Then, we would all go right back to our wicked ways and lusts and envies and idolatries; our covetousness and the worship of mammon; our adulteries and fornications; our briberies, lies and oppressions of the weak amongst us. Until He visits again with another upheaval, maybe an earthquake, a tsunami, a cyclone or some other disease; we would say of ourselves and to one another, 'we shall see no sorrow' (Rev. 18: 7).

In conclusion, it seems to this writer that the Coronavirus came as a warning for three categories of persons; and I should think that all members of the human race fall into one of these three broad categories. The first group consists of the majority of mankind that has rejected and scoffed at the truth - as recorded in Rom. 1: 18-32; for this group intercession must continue as long as Christ tarries; the enemy has overran their territories, they are helpless but they made their choices. While God is full of long suffering, mercy and loving kindness; He is also a righteous judge (Gal 6: 7). Never allow the grace and prosperity preachers deceive you about this! The second group are the 'called', but who have refused to become the 'chosen' and the 'faithful', because whilst they think they are playing ping-pong with their creator, they are actually playing the Russian Roulette with their lives, without fear that it might suddenly end in an eternity of sorrow and agony; a very dangerous place to be in if you ask me (Rev 17: 14). These also require fervent prayers as people who have either left their first love (Rev 2: 4); or think they are standing but are fallen already (1 Cor 10: 12; Gal 6: 3 ; Rev 3: 1).

The last group are the faithful children of God, but who remain perennially in danger of being dislodged from the glorious standing of being joint heirs with the only begotten. These must be 'sober' and 'vigilant' (1 Peter 5: 8); and must make their 'calling and election sure' (2 Peter 1: 10); they must avoid like the plague those teachers and prophets spoken of in 2 Peter 2; 1 Tim 6: 3-5; and in the epistle of Jude. Aim to become the overcomers spoken of in the Book of Revelation, Chapters 2-3! However, unto you it is commanded that you should not speak their words, or have their fears; but to sanctify the Lord your God, and let Him be your fear and your dread - Is 8: 12-13

Lastly, I must confess that in spite of the dislocations that the Coronavirus has caused the world, I am struck and even slightly amused, at how easily the entire world could be brought to a standstill. What with our confident boastings, nuclear arsenals and sophisticated science and technological achievements; Wall Street, the London and Tokyo exchanges. All the issues that portrayed the earth as sitting on a powder keg; North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, the Israel-Palestine Question, etc., everything suddenly became unimportant within a few days of the disease otherwise christened Covid-19!

But it does not matter to the being up there what names we give to these things. One thing is clear. He sure knows how to get the world's attention; and I suspect that He does not have to break a sweat to do it!

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