Late last year in 2019, there was an outbreak of a pandemic virus called COVID-19, it has become what gives people concern. For any believer, the word of God is always the first place to check when we have a question about life. Now, many people want to know, is the coronavirus mentioned in the Bible?
The level of fear in the world has risen. The total number of confirmed cases all over the world is growing by the thousands every day. While talking about the number of confirmed cases and the number of people that have been killed by the pandemic virus, we must not forget to talk about the number of people that have recovered from the virus.
Amongst the people that were infected by COVID-19 are the Christians. We can be sure there are Christians that have recovered too. This is a general thing but we have been warned according to the scriptures that in the last days, all of these things will happen.
Is Coronavirus mentioned in the Bible?
That brings us to the question, is there any part in the bible where coronavirus is mentioned in the Bible? There would be many arguments concerning this, people will have different points to back up their claims but we need to examine the scriptures and know what the bible says about it. One thing that we cannot debunk is the fact that this virus is a sign of the end time according to the scriptures.
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”
2 Timothy 3:1 KJV
In this verse of the Bible, simple words were used; in the last days, perilous times shall come. The pandemic is causing a perilous time, there is no doubt about that but it doesn’t mean it is the end of the world.
Firstly, checking where the bible mentioned something relating to the virus. It was a prophecy that was given concerning the diseases that came on the Egyptians.
”And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.”
Deuteronomy 7:15 KJV
Diseases and Viruses
What are the diseases of Egypt that the Israelites are being promised that they will not face? If we look at the plagues that came upon the Egyptians when God punished them for not allowing the Israelites to be free from slavery, is there coronavirus there or anything similar to coronavirus?
Apart from the last plague which was the death of the firstborn in Egypt, another chronic plaque is the sixth plaque which is a boil on their body. This is not in any way similar to the symptoms of the coronavirus. According to the commentary on Deuteronomy 7:15 by Benson, the diseases that came on the Egyptians might not be that which happened during the ten plagues, it might be some other epidemic diseases that are related to this COVID-19.
Benson’s Commentary
It might not have been clearly stated the kind of diseases that were inflicted upon the Egyptians but it’s certain it was a deadly one and could have been one that spread.
According to the details given on the source of the COVID-19, it was gotten from the bat soup in Wuhan, China – at least that is the information that was given on the source of the virus. In the Bible, there was something that was written about this.
In Leviticus 11, God was talking to Moses and Aaron on what kind of food they should eat and the kind of Animal that they should eat and the ones that they must not eat. Of the animals that were not to be eaten – they were listed in verse 19 of the chapter.
13 “And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray.”
Leviticus 11:13 and 19 KJV
19 “And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.”
“And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.”
Deuteronomy 14:18-19 KJV
Obeying God’s Commands
Why did God tell Moses and Aaron to tell these people that they must not eat all of these? He knew there would be a repercussion for doing it. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they were told not to eat from the tree in the center of the Garden – there was a reason God told them not to eat from there.
They disobeyed and the world suffered it.
In the same manner, God told the people not to take the bat as food, some people have disobeyed and the world is suffering from it. there is a reason that God told them not to take them, they are forbidden – not because it would be a sin to do that but because of the possible outcomes.
The bible might not have used the word “coronavirus” or “COVID-19” but from what the bible has said and what God told the people of Israel about eating some forbidden animals, we should know that this kind of thing has been predicted to happen.
We shouldn’t be looking for the name COVID-19 in the Bible because it cannot be there; it is a name that was given by man. God already banned the eating of these animals. In the same way, if we look through the scriptures, we will see that there is nothing like the Bible but it is valid.
Reading through the scriptures, you will realize that there are so many more animals that God banned the people from eating.
“They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.”
Isaiah 66:17 KJV
For a better understanding of this scripture, we will check the New International Version, it says;
“Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things–they will meet their end together with the one they follow,” declares the LORD.”
Forbidden Animals & Viruses
Have you ever wondered that it is all of these forbidden animals that have caused one disease or the other in the world today? The pigs brought the swine flu, the rats brought the Lassa Fever, and here we are with the bats bringing the Coronavirus. God has talked about this virus through warnings. It is not until God mentions the name of the virus before we know that there would be a virus.
If anyone should ask that is their Coronavirus in the bible, the word must have not been used because it is a 21st-century word – God had given hint on this kind of virus to come. Jesus instructed that in the last days, perilous times will come. Here is the time but He also promised that His people would be saved.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 KJV
The coronavirus is not specifically mentioned in the Bible but there are a number of plagues and viruses. We know that if we have the blood of the Passover Lamb on our doorposts, we are protected.
For us to be safe and have the kind of peace that Jesus has promised, it is necessary to do the right thing. The right is to follow all the safety tips that have been given to prevent the spread. If we stay close to God and keep His commands, everything will be alright and for the glory of God.
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