There has been a lot of speculation as to the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 1 I don’t have the answers, but the present situation has made me wonder about the end times. No, I don’t believe we’re there yet (sigh of relief). I’m merely wondering about the source of all the plagues described in Revelation. Could they be man-made?
We can all agree that we’ve been reckless, even criminal, in the way we’ve treated our planet. If we could guess the total amount of pollution and toxic waste we’ve been pumping into our atmosphere and waterways, we’d be horrified. Scientists have no qualms about performing all kinds of dangerous experiments. I mean, who came up with the brilliant idea to resurrect the Spanish Flu virus in the lab? 2 We rush full steam ahead in our pursuit of profit or science while paying only lip-service to avoiding the consequences. As a result, I’m becoming increasingly convinced that some of the apocalyptic events of the end times will be the direct consequences of human actions.
When the time comes for God to bring the world to account, I don’t think he’ll have to raise one little finger to cause many of the plagues mentioned in the Bible. All he’ll need to do is remove his protection and allow us to experience the consequences of our actions fully. Just look at some of the future events – the seas and rivers will “turn to blood,” killing all creatures within; a third of the earth and trees, and all the grass, will be burned up; sores will torment countless people. Is it unreasonable to imagine theses cataclysms as being the result of some project gone wrong?
So what does this have to do with each of us? I wish we could simply go out and change the world! But since we can’t, the least we can do is to take stock of our own actions. On a physical level, this means looking after our planet – starting with the simple act of putting disposable gloves into the trash and not on the ground. I can’t believe the number of discarded masks and gloves I’ve seen littering the streets.
Most importantly of all, we can listen to what our Creator is trying to tell us. This pandemic is a sneak peek at the calamities of the future, and God wants our attention. His motivation is love. He knows what’s best for us and how to avoid the myriad dangers lurking all around. Regardless of whether our relationship with him is strong, weak, or nonexistent, we can all benefit from seeking his will. God’s heart is full of compassion, but he can only save us from ourselves if we let him. The day will come when it will be too late.
1 Guterl, Fred, Naveed Jamali, and Tom O’Connor. “The Controversial Experiments and Wuhan Lab Suspected of Starting the Coronavirus Pandemic.” Newsweek 27 Apr. 2020: www.newsweek.com. Web. 29 Apr. 2020.
2 Kaiser, Jocelyn. “Resurrecting the Spanish Flu.” Science 5 Oct. 2005: www.sciencemag.org. Web. 29 Apr. 2020.