Pope Francis cancels second day of engagements after being taken ill as Coronavirus sweeps Italy

There are fears among some that Pope Francis may have contracted the coronavirus as it has been reported that he has canceled events for the second day in a row today after falling ill. This comes in the heels of Italy reeling from a worsening coronavirus outbreak which has so infected more than 500 people and caused 17 deaths according to The Sun. 

As of this report, the Vatican has declined to report whether or not the Pope will be tested for the virus. It was reported that the Pope celebrated Mass, as usual, this morning and will go ahead with some private meetings even though yesterday he was too unwell to travel to a mass on the other side of Rome and stayed in the Santa Marta guesthouse where he lives in the Vatican.

According to a spokesman he had a “light indisposition”. The recent concerns for his health had been raised the day before after he was reportedly seen coughing and blowing his nose during an Ash Wednesday service in St Peter’s Basilica,  Italy.  Many of the faithful Catholics wore face masks, but others chose not to do so as they kissed the Holy Father and shook his hand.


Ricky Scaparo is the pastor and founder of the international ministry End Time Headlines. A ministry that provides resources to equip believers and to inform the discerning of the signs and seasons in which we live. His mission is to inform his readers and viewers of prophetic events and how they are unfolding before our very eyes through news and headlines presented from a prophetic perspective in light of the Holy Bible.

Scholars claim End of the World” in 2021 uncovered in hidden Bible codes

Despite the plain warning given by the Lord in the Word of God stating “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father“, The date setters are at it again with their “End of the World” predictions!

The latest is coming from a group of alleged scholars ranging from Rabbis, priests, mathematicians, and professors who have alleged they have unlocked hidden codes in ancient Books of the Bible. This group of men is claiming that within the original Hebrew versions of the sacred texts of the Old Testament that make up the Torah, which are the first five books of the Old Testament are secret messages left by God.

They claim that veiled in these hidden codes of the text are premonitions or “prophecies” of the future which have even included the election of US President Donald Trump. Other texts have also allegedly included warnings regarding the Holocaust, 9/11 and the recent shooting down of the Ukrainian airliner by Iran. According to a report from Express, The codes have also predicted the “end of times” and the coming of the Jewish Messiah in 2021.

According to keepthefaith.co.uk, the hidden code is said to be cracked by mathematically selecting letters from the texts which appear to create words which can be read as prophecies. A documentary called ‘The Torah Codes: End to Darkness’ by Richard Shaw has also helped popularise the theory. The film, which is available to stream on Amazon Prime, reveals the ongoing efforts by various academics. The film highlights one particular Rabbi who has a YouTube Channel in which he offers insight into world events.

In which he recently used a computer algorithm revealing what he is claiming is cryptic codes which suggest Iran could create a nuclear weapon in 2020.  The Rabbi claims that the ancient text says that the phrase “Iran Atomic” and the year 2020 – 5780 in the Hebrew calendar – are seen next to one another but it’s his latest video that has captured the attention of many of his followers, in which he boldly predicts that the end of times are predicted for 2021 and claims that it can be found in the hidden codes in the Book of Leviticus.

Ricky Scaparo is the pastor and founder of the international ministry End Time Headlines. A ministry that provides resources to equip believers and to inform the discerning of the signs and seasons in which we live. His mission is to inform his readers and viewers of prophetic events and how they are unfolding before our very eyes through news and headlines presented from a prophetic perspective in light of the Holy Bible.

13 Prophetic Practices That Are Detrimental to the Church

JOSEPH MATTERA



As I was musing over prophetic ministry, I have come up with some of the top practices I think are either harmful or manipulative. I write this article as someone who has been involved in some form of prophetic ministry for more than three decades. Consequently, I have witnessed the "good, the bad and the ugly"! (My experience has been overwhelmingly positive.)

My purpose in writing this article is to encourage best practices for the edification of the local church and beyond (in no particular order).

Unaccountable Prophets
I have learned never to invite a prophetic leader to minister if I do not know who they are aligned with (in other words, who do they have to mediate if a sin or moral violation is uncovered in their life?).

One of the most dangerous weapons in the hand of our enemy is an anointed leader who is not accountable to anybody else.

Individualistic Prophetic Words

All prophecies, both in the Old and New Testaments, were given in the context of the assembly of the Lord.

There was no such thing as "individual destiny," "individual vision" or personal, isolated words. Even prophetic words given to individuals in the Old Testament were either directly or indirectly related to the recipient's assignment for the nation of Israel.

In the New Testament, the gifts of the Spirit (including prophecy) were enumerated in detail by Paul the apostle in the context of Holy Communion, discerning the church and with the understanding of the corporate body of Christ. (See the manifestations of the Spirit explained in 1 Corinthians 12:4-8, which was written in the context of the church gathering that started in chapter 11, explicated corporately in 1 Corinthians 12:12-30, and applied and judged by other prophetic people in the assembly as seen in 1 Corinthians 14:29.)

Flattering Words
I have seen prophetic people come into churches and flatter the pastor and other key leaders in the church (whether it was motivated intentionally or unconsciously, I do not know).

I cannot tell you how many pastors I have met who claimed they received a prophetic word declaring them to be "an apostle" or that "their church will be the congregation to usher revival into their region." These kinds of prophetic words excite the congregation and the pastor, but unfortunately, most of the time, the only result is that the prophet gets invited back since it generated excitement! (And if said prophetic words do not come to pass the prophet can always get off the hook by stating that "the prophetic words are always conditional" upon the faith and obedience of the recipients!)

Soulish Words
I had one person come into our church on two occasions who only prophesied accurately regarding the persons he had prior knowledge of based upon conversations with me. When he prophesied over those he had no prior knowledge of he missed it by a mile! (I subsequently strongly corrected this prophetic person and never had him back again.) Since that bad experience, I never speak about anything or anybody in our church to a prophetic person I invite to minister to the house.

I have also seen some people (in our own local church) prophesy out of their own soul based on internal issues they were grappling with that they attempted to put on the rest of the church. In addition, I have witnessed people prophesy to the church that which was personally troubling them or convicting them. Instead of recognizing that the word was solely for them, they spoke it out to the church. (In essence, they denied the word was for them and tried to get everyone else to be convicted!)

Words Given to Wealthy People
I have noticed that some prophetic people habitually find the wealthiest people in a local church and give them prophecies. Unfortunately, I believe the underlying motivation some have is to make a personal connection with "money people" so they can stay in touch with them and be personally supported.

Match-Making Words
Over the years I have seen prophecies come forth (only a few times, thank the Lord!) that attempted to connect two people together or paint a vivid picture of what their future spouse will look like.

By and large, these words are usually inaccurate and can cause much consternation, confusion and hurt for the recipients of the prophetic word. (Many will go everywhere trying to match the vivid picture of the prophecy with every person they meet and wonder "if this is the person" mentioned in the prophecy that they should marry!)

Words Commissioning People as Apostles to Nations
In the past few decades I have seen people being proclaimed as "apostles to certain cities or nations." This can damage the recipient of the prophetic word (it can puff them up with pride and presumption) as well as the body of Christ in their region (pastors will have their guard up, wondering if and when the so-called "apostle" will attempt to exert authority over them in their region).

Truth be told, in certain complex cities like New York City, there are so many people, streams, denominations and networks (not even including the various ethnic networks that do not speak or understand English), that there will usually never be "one apostle" to a city, but a divergence of apostolic gifts that can contextualize and speak to the needs of the whole city. (The Jerusalem church had 12 apostles, not one.)

Words Assigning a Governmental Role in the Local Church
I have had prophetic people prophesy to our congregation, sending me out of the house as a trans-local minister and appointing one of the associate pastors as my successor (this happened in the late 1980s and was not only bad protocol, but an inaccurate word!).

We now give out guidelines and protocols to visiting ministers instructing them never to appoint a person in our church an elder, or a leader, or "send them out of the house" (or be a match-maker) without first privately clearing the prophetic word with myself or one of our elders.

Words That Point Back to the Prophet
According to 1 Corinthians 12:3, when the Holy Spirit speaks He always exalts Jesus as Lord; in other words, the Spirit points back to Jesus and glorifies God. If and when a prophetic word comes forth that exalts or praises the speaker (or prophet), that is a warning that both the prophetic word and the prophet are out of line and should be shut down.

Words That Violate the Plain Teaching of Scripture
I hope it is obvious that any prophetic word that comes forth that violates one of the cardinal tenets of Scripture should be discarded.

So-called prophetic people who preach a different gospel, or heretical views related to the Triune God or that contradict the Word of God, should be strongly corrected. (And in many cases sat down from ministry until they demonstrate they understand the elementary doctrines of the faith.)

Proverbs 30:5 (ESV) says: "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar."

Prophecies Given Without Pastoral Oversight and Application
I always cringe when I see prophetic gatherings open to the public wherein prophetic words are given to believers without their pastor, elder or mature leader required to be present to judge the prophetic words.

First Corinthians 14:29 and 1 Thessalonians 5:21 both require that every prophetic word be judged in the context of the local church: How can a conference speaker or stranger judge and apply a prophetic word accurately without understanding the life history and context of the individual they give a prophetic word to?

Giving prophetic words without a mature leader present is both dangerous to the one delivering the prophetic word (because said prophetic word can be taken out of context) and to the one hearing it (because most people are guilty of selective hearing and will only like certain parts of the word and ignore the corrective aspects of it).

Self-Appointed Social Media Prophets and Prophecies
With the advent of social media, self-appointed prophets have now arisen who frequently give prophetic words to cities, nations and even individuals.

Who are these people? Who has vetted their life and ministry? How healthy is their marriage? Who are they accountable to? Unfortunately, charismatic, media-smart, anointed people can utilize social media to garner a huge platform; while at the same time bypassing the grid of the local church along with biblical criteria for leadership (see 1 Tim. 3:1-8).

When People Prophesy Beyond Their Faith and Grace Gift
I have witnessed many people who were accurate when it came to dispensing individual prophecies, but who missed it big time when they attempted to give prophetic words to cities, regions and nations.

Very few have been able to transition from an individual to a corporate anointing in the prophetic. People make the mistake of thinking that just because they have a grace upon their life to minister to individuals, they can eventually graduate to ministering to nations, but this is not always a certainty.

In conclusion, may the Lord grant the body of Christ the ability to appreciate and celebrate this powerful and profound gift of prophecy (Paul singled out prophecy more than other gifts because of its great ability to edify the church; see 1 Corinthians 14:2,5), as well as to properly train and nurture prophetic people so that we may avoid the prophetic missteps stated in this article.

10 Plagues That Are Hitting Our Planet Simultaneously

MICHAEL SNYDER Charisma News



All of a sudden, really crazy things are starting to happen all over the world. Giant swarms of locusts are absolutely devastating entire regions, extremely unusual storms are confounding meteorologists, earthquake and volcanic activity are both on the rise, and five very dangerous diseases are sweeping across the globe. So far in 2020, it has just been one thing after another, and many are speculating about what could be ahead if events continue to escalate. The other day my wife mentioned that one of her friends suggested that I should put together a list of all the weird stuff that has been taking place, and so that is what I have decided to do. The following is a list of 10 plagues that are hitting our planet simultaneously:

1. Armies of Locusts

As I detailed the other day, swarms of locusts the size of major cities have been devouring entire farms in Africa in as little as 30 seconds. These swarms have also been spreading throughout the Middle East, and now we have learned that they have even reached China:

A gigantic swarm of locusts that belong to a plague that has ravaged millions of acres of crops across east Africa has been spotted reaching the Chinese border.

Billions of the insects have destroyed food supplies across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia in what has been described as the worst plague for decades.

2. Extremely Bizarre Weather Patterns

It is almost as if virtually all of the old rules have suddenly been thrown out the window. An all-time record 209 mph wind gust just hit California, and absolutely crazy storms are happening all over the planet. For example, just check out what just took place in Australia:

Sydney has been thrown into chaos by a devastating storm that saw two months of rainfall in just two days – forcing mass evacuations, leaving 150,000 homes without power, and prompted warnings not to drive to work. The storm dumped 400mm of rain on the city over the weekend, causing mayhem for commuters on Monday morning with roads blocked, ferries canceled and trains suffering major delays across the network.

3. Unprecedented Flooding

We are seeing unusual flooding all over the world right now, and the flooding that is devastating the southern U.S. at this moment is being called "unprecedented":

In Jackson, Mississippi, hundreds of residents either watched their homes flood over the weekend or worried their residence would soon be drenched as the Pearl River crested Monday at 36.8 feet, its third-highest level ever recorded – behind only 1979 and 1983.

Calling the Jackson floods "historic" and "unprecedented," Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a Sunday press conference that "we do not anticipate this situation to end anytime soon. It will be days before we are out of the woods and the waters recede."

4. Major Earthquakes

Really big earthquakes are happening with such frequency now that it is very difficult for me to write about them all. For example, a magnitude 7.7 quake recently struck off the coast of Jamaica, but I have been so busy writing about other disasters that I have not even mentioned it until now:

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Tuesday about 80 miles from Jamaica, shaking people in the Caribbean and as far away as Miami.

A tsunami of 0.4 feet was recorded in the Cayman Islands at George Town, but no tsunami was observed at Port Royal, Jamaica, or Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

5. Unusual Volcanic Eruptions

Seismic activity has been rising all over the globe, and over the past couple of months we have seen volcanoes all over the world pop off like firecrackers. One of the most notable eruptions that we have seen in recent days was the most powerful eruption of Mount Merapi in 90 years:

One of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, Mount Merapi just experienced its most powerful eruption since 1930! The eruption reportedly took place on Thursday and was caught on video displaying a powerful and terrifying eruption showing the moment the crater exploded and launched lava and ash an estimated 2,000 meters into the air forcing local residents to stay outside of the designated no-go zone 3km (1.8 miles) from the crater.

6. The Coronavirus

Needless to say, the coronavirus outbreak in China has been getting more headlines than anything else on this list. The numbers continue to rise, and many are speculating that this could potentially become the worst global pandemic since the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. In a desperate attempt to keep the truth from getting out, the World Health Organization is asking the major social media companies to censor their users:

The World Health Organization has held talks with tech giants to stop the spread of coronavirus "misinformation," despite the fact that some things once labeled "misinformation" have since turned out to be true.

The meeting was organized by the WHO but hosted by Facebook at its Menlo Park campus in California. Attendees included representatives from Amazon, Twilio, Dropbox, Google, Verizon, Salesforce, Twitter, YouTube, Airbnb, Kinsa and Mapbox.

7. The African Swine Fever

"Pig Ebola" has already wiped out millions upon millions of pigs in China, and it has now spread to more than 40 other countries. The price of pork is absolutely skyrocketing in China right now, and to help fill the demand the Chinese are increasingly importing pork from U.S. sources:

Tyson Foods Inc. says it's just starting to see the benefits of the African swine fever outbreak in China, which includes a 600% year-over-year increase in pork orders to China in the fiscal first quarter.

8. The H1N1 Swine Flu

Unlike the African Swine Fever, the H1N1 Swine Flu can actually kill humans. In fact, it has already killed more people outside of China than the coronavirus outbreak has. For instance, 13 people in Taiwan died from the virus in one recent week alone:

As of now, the H1N1 virus is posing a great threat once again as it has claimed 13 lives in Taiwan in the last week. This virus is highly contagious and is known to spread from human to human. It is especially dangerous for those with a compromised immune system like those suffering from chronic medical conditions and long-term health conditions.

9. The H5N1 Bird Flu

This strain of the bird flu caused a massive global scare a number of years ago, and now it is experiencing a stunning resurgence. China has had to kill thousands of chickens so far, and experts are warning that this outbreak could be just getting started:

China also is reportedly dealing with an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu in chickens in the Hunan province, an area that borders the province where the coronavirus emerged, according to the South China Morning Post.

As of Feb. 1, local authorities had culled 17,828 poultry after the H5NI outbreak, according to a statement by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

10. The H5N8 Bird Flu

This strain is different from the H5N1 bird flu, but many believe that it is even more frightening. It has started to pop up in numerous places around the globe, and experts were really surprised when it recently made an appearance in Germany:

Germany has reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu virus in a backyard in the southwestern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Monday.

The virus killed 44 birds out of a flock of 69 in Bretzfeld, in the Baden-Wurttemberg region, the Paris-based OIE said, citing a report from Germany's food and agriculture ministry.

Can any of you remember a time when we have been hit by crisis after crisis like this all at once?

2020 has certainly started off with quite a bang, and many expect global events to continue to accelerate.

American Eyewitness Says Coronavirus Could Be 'Rumblings of Something Bigger'

Alexandra Rodriguez knows firsthand the horror of the coronavirus in Wuhan. A Christian American teaching English in Wuhan, China, she was quarantined in Wuhan until the U.S. government was able to fly her and other Americans home. In her first media interview since she came home, she described to me on my podcast how she felt as she waited and prayed to get out. She also believes the problem is worse than the Chinese government is admitting.

In the past week, I interviewed Chinese missionary Dennis Balcombe, also an American, who described to me how Christians are responding to the dangerous virus now known as COVID-19. He shared incredible insights into what God is doing through His people, including the sick coming for healing and people turning to churches for hope.

Then Pastor Frank Amedia, who has connections to Chinese Christians he believes are reliable, says that there have also been healings and confirmed that people are swarming to churches at the same time that the number of deaths are in the tens of thousands—much higher than the 2,100 or so that the Chinese government says have died.

Both Balcomb and Amedia reported what they heard from their Chinese sources via telephone and the internet. But Alexandra Rodriguez was there. So when I learned one of my friends knew her through his church, Faith Assembly in Orlando, Florida, I tracked her down. She gave me one of the most incredible interviews I've ever had—an exclusive for my Strang Report podcast and Charisma News.

I wanted to learn from someone who was there and was quarantined, and I wondered what she thought this coronavirus means in a spiritual sense. She told me the disease could be the rumblings of something bigger—perhaps even prophecy coming true.

"My hope and prayer is that everything smooths out and that eventually they get it contained," Alexandra told me. "But it could be the rumblings of something bigger. I believe that the Lord works in mysterious ways. And I've seen His hand in all of this. It could be prophecy coming true. It could just be one of those things in the world that happens and then we move on. My prayer, again, is that it all settles down."

Back in September, when Alexandra got the opportunity to go to Wuhan to tutor students in English, she was excited about it. But what was supposed to be a 10-month stay was cut short to six months when the city was quarantined because of the coronavirus. She was stuck in the city for several weeks until the U.S. government got her home. Some of her colleagues, though, are still stuck in Wuhan.

As of Thursday evening, Feb. 20, the official death count for the coronavirus in China is 2,118, according to the New York Times. But Alexandra says that from her understanding of the Chinese government and the way things are run in China, she "100% [believes] the numbers are probably far higher than what they are reporting to the world."

She tells me that when she first heard about the coronavirus in late December, the Chinese media presented it as if it were nothing more than a new strain of the flu and encouraged people to wash their hands.

"They treated it in the media there as if it wasn't an emergency," she says. "So I had heard about it. And it was right about that time that some colleagues of mine and I went off for winter holiday. So we left the country to visit Thailand for 10 days. We came back two days before they shut down the city."

When Alexandra and her friends returned to Wuhan from Thailand on Jan. 21, she says the city was like a ghost town. No one was entering or leaving the city, and the few people they did see were always wearing masks. It was a bit frightening to find out a few days later that no one was allowed to travel unless it was essential.

Alexandra says she and her colleagues purchased provisions to last for a couple weeks and then shut themselves up in their homes. It was a frightening battle to get out of the city, she says. She received a news story that reported the American embassy was offering passage out of China for American citizens. But when she called the embassy to say she wanted to leave, she found out the report was fake news. The U.S. hadn't confirmed a plane yet. At this point, she began panicking.

Finally, through connections in the U.S., Alexandra was able to email the embassy and let them know that if and when a charter plane became available to leave Wuhan, she wanted to be on it. She was placed on a waiting list.

"I sent the email and it was just silence," she says. "I waited and I waited. I waited about three days, and I was talking to my colleagues back and forth. We were all trying to get out."

When Alexandra's friend received a call from the embassy saying they had a spot for her, she was able to secure one for Alexandra, too.

"I'm really grateful that I was able to get on the flight because I know there were some people who are trying to get out who didn't make that first flight," she says.

After stopping in Alaska to refuel, Alexandra's plane landed in Ontario, where the passengers were quarantined in a military base in case they showed signs of symptoms. She says they arrived in early February.

She remembers many rumors that were circulating about the virus starting from a pinpointed market that sold exotic meats. But she isn't convinced those rumors were true.

"Now there's speculation that it might have been around for a lot longer," she says. "And it was a lot of hush-hush. They didn't want mass panic. China was desperately trying to keep it under wraps, although more and more people were presenting with symptoms."

So what does this mean for Christians in China and specifically in Wuhan? Alexandra says most churches aren't meeting anymore, since people are staying in their homes. In fact, public meetings of any kind are outlawed right now because of the quarantine—and religious meetings were the first to be shut down.

As of now, there's no telling how this outbreak will affect China's future. But Alexandra is praying this virus would come to a swift end. I hope you'll join her in that prayer. While this coronavirus could certainly be a sign of something bigger, let's agree in prayer that God will show mercy and allow this virus to be contained.

I think you'll want to listen to my full interview with Alexandra and get her full, exclusive story on what's going on in China. Click here to listen.

Interview with Wuhan Pastor - English - Part 1 of 2 (From the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak)

Locust plague reaches coronavirus-hit China after wreaking havoc across Africa

Chilling footage has shown thousands of insects swarming the skies at a border in China. They reportedly come from a plague that has devastated east Africa in recent weeks.




The apocalyptic locust swarm that has recently devoured millions of acres of crops across East Africa destroying food supplies across Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia have now reached the Chinese border after crossing the Red Sea into Europe and Asia in recent days. This now makes two plagues that are taking place simultaneously, in China. As if the Coronavirus outbreak wasn’t enough to deal with, now the Nation will be dealing with Billions of these insects that have been described as the worst plague in decades.

There are many that are beginning to wonder if we are seeing a repeat of Biblical history mentioned in the Book of Exodus regarding plagues that were unleashed from the Almighty during the captivity of the Children of Israel under Pharoah and Egypt.

In the account of Exodus, the Lord raised up a prophet named Moses who warned Pharoah to release the Israelites from bondage and cruel punishment or face the consequences of the wrath of God being poured out upon the Nation, which turned out being what we know today as the “Ten Plagues of Egypt” which consequently, one of the plagues was a “plague of locusts”. And with the harsh persecution that the Chinese government has unleashed upon Christians in China, it sure does make you think.

In fact, a recent article by Michael Snyder highlighted the similarities of this recent locust plague to that of the time of Exodus. Snyder stated:  Locust armies numbering in the billions are absolutely ravaging large portions of eastern Africa and vast stretches of the Middle East. “We are being told that these locust armies“are unprecedented in size and scope”, which means that we have never seen anything like this before. And as you will see below, the UN continues to warn that the number of locusts could get “500 times bigger” by June.

According to the Daily Star, footage has surfaced showing thousands of these locusts reaching the border of China, adding yet more problems to a country struggling to contain the deadly coronavirus. China reportedly tried to downplay the severity of the locust swarms reaching the country, claiming their modern technology and sufficient stocks which have not been seen in Africa will prevent any widespread damage.

Ricky Scaparo

Ricky Scaparo is the pastor and founder of the international ministry End Time Headlines. A ministry that provides resources to equip believers and to inform the discerning of the signs and seasons in which we live. His mission is to inform his readers and viewers of prophetic events and how they are unfolding before our very eyes through news and headlines presented from a prophetic perspective in light of the Holy Bible.

CORONAVIRUS: Reports of Supernatural Healing, Revivals in Midst of Coronavirus Outbreak

9:30AM EST 2/18/2020 STEPHEN STRANG


Reuters

Whenever you turn on the news, you're bound to hear something about the coronavirus right now. Some say it's not as big a deal as it's made out to be, while others are sounding the alarm that it's even worse than is being reported. But what the media isn't telling you is how the coronavirus is affecting the church—and how God is moving in mighty ways even through the outbreak.

As dangerous as this virus is, it's no match for the power of the Holy Spirit. Recently, I interviewed Dennis Balcombe, a missionary to China for the past 40 years. He shared some incredible insights into what God is doing through His people, including the sick coming for healing and people running to churches for hope.

I also recently had an eye-opening interview with Pastor Frank Amedia, whose ministry, POTUS Shield, has a close alliance with the Christian community in China. Amedia's sources, whom he believes are reliable, can confirm Bolcombe's report. Amedia has been on my Strang Report podcast many times, offering prophetic and spiritual insight into our culture. This time, he sheds light on what God is doing in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

"We've had reports of Christians being healed of this virus by the power of God and the healing of God," he says. "My sources tell me the same thing, whenever there is this kind of a problem—like there was with SARS."

Amedia says the coronavirus is the third plague to hit China in the span of this generation. He points out that when the people can't rely on their government, they look for help elsewhere—and that's when the church has the opportunity to shine brightly with the gospel.

"We're being told that people are coming in swarms to churches, house churches, that there's gospel and evangelism going out in the streets, person to person, that there's supernatural healing."

In our interview, Amedia also shared some other shocking things about the coronavirus that the media isn't reporting. As of right now, the virus has reportedly killed more than 1,700 people and infected over 71,000. But Amedia doesn't believe those numbers are true. According to Amedia's sources, the numbers of deaths and infections are much higher than media outlets are portraying. In fact, he says the number of deaths is allegedly in the tens of thousands.

"What we're hearing is that while this was being kept suppressed by the government of China, people were dying in Wuhan, which is the capital of the Hubei province in the central area of the industrial area of China," Amedia says.

"... We are told that people were dying before it was even admitted. The hospitals didn't know what to do with them. They told them to return home, to stay in their homes, and they were dying. And most of the widespread stories we're getting is that many of them were cremated quickly—some cremated and not even identified for their families, who are still looking for people. They just didn't deal with it appropriately."

Neither is the virus restricted to Wuhan, as some may report, Amedia says. Instead, it's spread to the four corners of China, and there are actually quarantines in many areas. Amedia says this isn't just something his Christian sources are telling him, but also his industrial sources such as businessmen.

The doctor who discovered the virus, who Amedia says was a Christian, brought his concerns about the coronavirus to the attention of the government in late December. In response, the government arrested him and seven other scientists and forced them to sign documents stating that they were wrong. That doctor has since died from the virus.

Now, though, Amedia says there is record of over 2 million Chinese signatures that were requesting transparency, truth and free speech in China.

But where did this virus even come from? Amedia says it did not come from a marketplace as was previously thought. Instead, he believes it came from a P4 laboratory, which was located about 20 miles from the marketplace that was originally believed to be the starting point for the virus.

"These are high-level, bio-safety, viral laboratories," he says. "... This laboratory was established in a joint venture between the French government starting back in 2004 as a response to the SARS [virus] so that the Chinese government would have a research lab for humanitarian purposes and to develop vaccines."

But the French-backed out of that joint venture a few years ago when they found out the Chinese had taken and replicated this laboratory, Amedia says, using it for privately owned businesses. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas is speaking out about this, though some label his words a conspiracy theory. According to Amedia, the Chinese ambassador is not denying that it could have come out of this lab, which surprised the White House.

Will the public ever know what really caused the coronavirus? Will the full truth ever come out? We might never know, but God can still continue to move powerfully through this horrible situation. That's why Christians around the world must keep praying for this virus to be contained and eliminated. But we must also pray that in response to this frightening epidemic, people will keep flocking to Jesus Christ and create a revival in China.

Will you join me in prayer? Be sure to listen to my full interview with Amedia to hear the many more details he shares about this coronavirus.

Date Trees from 2,000-Year-Old Seeds with Healing Powers Grow in Israel: Ezekiel’s Prophecy Comes to Life

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz February 9, 2020

“And they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there beside the water.” Exodus 15:27 



Scientists in Israel have succeeded in growing a date palm from 2,000-year-old seeds. The date palm accompanied the Jews when they left Egypt and, according to the prophecy, will reappear in the Messianic era to be watered by rivers flowing from the Temple, giving them special healing qualities that researchers are already seeing appear.

Last Wednesday Science Advances published the results of a project in which a team of scientists from Israel, France, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates successfully germinated six 2,000-year-old date palm seeds.

Hundreds of seeds of Phoenix dactylifera were collected from Judean desert archaeological sites such as an ancient palace-fortress built by King Herod and caves located in southern Israel at Masada, Qumran, Wadi Makukh, and Wadi Kelt, located in the Judean desert between the Judean Hills and the Dead Sea. Hundreds of seeds were collected between 1963 and 1991. Sarah Sallon, director of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center in Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, led a team that included Elaine Solowey, and Nathalie Chabrillange. They selected 34 seeds they thought were the most viable. One was separated out as a control. The remaining 33 were carefully soaked in water and fertilizer to encourage germination. After this process, one seed was found to be damaged and was subsequently discarded. The remaining 32 seeds were planted in a quarantined site at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel.

Of these, six of the seeds successfully sprouted. They were given the names Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, Hannah, and Adam.

A previous experiment with the seeds produced a single male plant that sprouted in 2005 which the researchers named Methuselah. Five years ago, National Geographic reported that Methuselah was over ten-feet tall and had been used to pollinate a wild modern female date palm. Scientists determined that Methuselah was of the Hayany breed originally from Egypt.

Sallon is hopeful that Hannah, a female date tree, will flower this year and the plant could be pollinated by Methuselah.

Radiocarbon dating of the fragments of the seed shells still clinging to the roots of the plants confirmed the seeds date back to between 1,800 and 2,400 years ago. Methuselah, Adam, and Hannah date back to the first to fourth centuries BCE. Judith and Boaz date back to approximately mid-second century BCE. Uriel and Jonah date back to the first to second centuries CE.

Genotyping of germinated seeds indicates that exchanges of genetic material occurred between the Middle East (eastern) and North Africa (western) date palm gene pools. The results suggest that sophisticated agricultural practices may have contributed to the Judean date’s historical reputation.

“Described by classical writers including Theophrastus, Herodotus, Galen, Strabo, Pliny the Elder, and Josephus, these valuable plantations produced dates attributed with various qualities including large size, nutritional and medicinal benefits, sweetness, and a long storage life, enabling them to be exported throughout the Roman Empire,” the researchers wrote. “Several types of Judean dates are also described in antiquity including the exceptionally large ‘Nicolai’ variety measuring up to 11 centimeters (4.3 inches).”

In a 2012 interview with Green Prophet, Sallon noted that the Hayany breed of dates is known for good results in treating respiratory problems and depression. She also suggested that dates could be used to tackle diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer.

It is interesting to note that the Ezekiel prophesied that in the Messianic era, a river would flow from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, revitalizing the saline water, transforming it into a thriving ecosystem. As the researchers hoped would be the case with their revived date palms, plants irrigated from the Jerusalem waters would be uniquely vibrant and grant special medicinal qualities.

All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail; they will yield new fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the Temple. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:12

The researchers discovered that the seeds were up to 30 percent larger than date seeds today, which probably meant the fruit was larger, too.

According to Jewish tradition, the Children of Israel came out of Egypt with date palm saplings that were eventually planted in the land of Israel.

And they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there beside the water. Exodus 15:27

Date palms generally thrive in hot arid regions and in Biblical times, were cultivated in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea region. Cultivation of dates in the region almost disappeared after the fourteenth century CE from a combination of climate change and infrastructure decay but has been revived in modern times.

Dates were one of the seven species listed as special to the land of Israel, described in the bible as ‘honey.’

A land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey; Deuteronomy 8:8

The fruits from these seven species were the only acceptable plant offerings in the Temple and their first fruits were brought to be eaten in Jerusalem.

Coronavirus: A Door Opened in Wuhan, China

FEB 07, 2020





Dear Brethren,

I thought you might be interested in the current situation of Wuhan.

A few months ago, a pastor I know, along with church members, was preaching the gospel on the streets of Wuhan. He kept on street preaching even when Christians were not encouraged to share the gospel. But nothing stopped them from proclaiming the gospel, not even the plague.

Now it is the 10th day since the city has been separated by quarantine, and protective masks are the most valuable thing in Wuhan. Money is useless because you can’t find a store that sells the masks. People are in a desperate situation. In response, our brothers and sisters preach the gospel and give out tracks and free masks. They are sharing the word of hope and comfort from God. They have become more and more favored in the city, even in the authorities’ eyes.

These churches in Wuhan keep themselves away from all the rumors and political issues, they just do what a true Christian should do in this situation: preaching the gospel and being wittiness of true peace and true hope that come from Jesus Christ in front of the non-believers who are in panic and hopelessness.

A police officer came to one sister, listened to the gospel, and left with the track and mask happily. After a while, another police officer arrived, heard, and left with the tract and a mask also. Shortly, the first one came back saying another officer would like one too. Soon four more officers came! They are the ones who used to be concerned about the message. But now they came to Christians for help, and they bow down to our God.

The yellow (Christians wearing yellow suits for protection) has become the most beautiful color in the city. Christian gained the respect that they never had because of their willingness to risk their health to serve.



I thank God for their witness and full of joy for our Lord’s amazing work. Please put them into your prayers. Lots of them are overloaded. Compared with the doctors and nurses, their load is even more massive. For they know, that is the opportunity God gave to them to gain people to Christ. The opening may go soon.

Your brother,
P. Z.

Coronavirus: Dr Li Wen Liang "The Hero Who Told The Truth"

All across China, people are talking about Dr Li Wen Liang. He was the doctor who discovered the novel coronavirus and in the early morning of 7 Feb, 2.58am, he was promoted into glory and went home to be with our Father in heaven.

Back in December last year, he was arrested for being a whistleblower 'spreading rumors' about the mysterious pneumonia-like virus. This morning we found out he was, in fact, a fellow brother in Christ. Our hearts are deeply moved by his sacrificial choice to spread awareness about the virus despite the risks he faced, especially to his reputation and to his own health.

He continued to care for patients up until he was infected himself. What a legacy to leave behind what it means to be like Jesus to those hurting in a time of crisis.

He chose to be an example of Immanuel, 'God with us' to the people of Wuhan.
Can you imagine the joy he must have felt as he entered into eternity and heard the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant"?

So today, please pray for his family, especially his wife who is also infected and 8 months pregnant with their second child. May God heal them supernaturally n give them grace, peace, strength and comfort during this time.

Dr Li Wen Liang penned a deeply touching Chinese poem below of how he would miss his family, his beloved Wuhan n quoted 2 Tim 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Here is a captivating, heart-touching Chinese poem I've tried to translate into English. It was written in memory of Mr Li Wenliang, a Christian doctor and whistleblower who died from the coronavirus himself after being punished for issuing the first warning about the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

我不想當英雄。
我還有爹娘，
還有孩子，
還有懷孕臨產的妻，
還有許多的病人在病房。
盡管正直換不來善良，
盡管䢛途迷茫，
可還是要繼續進行，
誰讓我選擇了這國這家，
多少委屈，
等打完這仗，
垂淚如雨仰天遠望。

"I don't want to be a hero.
I still have my parents,
And my children,
And my pregnant wife who's about to give birth,
And many of my patients in the ward.
Though my integrity cannot be exchanged for the goodness of others,
Despite my loss and confusion,
I should proceed anyway.
Who let me choose this country and this family?
How many grievances do I have?
When this battle is over,
I will look up to the sky,
With tears like rain."

我不想當英雄。
只是做為醫生，
我不能眼看著這不明的病毒，
傷害著我的同行。
還有那多無辜的人們，
他們盡管已奄奄一息，
可眼睛裏總望著我，
帶著生命的希望。

"I don't want to be a hero.
But as a doctor,
I cannot just see this unknown virus
Hurting my peers
And so many innocent people.
Though they are dying,
They are always looking at me in their eyes,
With their hope of life."

誰成想我競死了！
我的靈魂分明在天上，
望著那張白色的病床，
床上分明是我的軀體，
軀體上還是那熟悉的臉龐。
我的父親母親在哪？
還有我親愛的妻子，
那當年我苦苦追求的姑娘。

“Who would have ever realized that I was going to die?
My soul is in heaven,
Looking at the white bed,
On which lies my own body,
With the same familiar face.
Where are my parents?
And my dear wife,
The lady I once had a hard time chasing?"

天上有一道光！
那光的盡頭是人們時常說起的天堂。
我寧願不去哪裏，
我寧願回到武漢我的家鄉。
那裏有我新買的房子，
每月還要還貸的賬。
我怎能舍得，
我怎能舍得！
沒有兒子的爹娘，
該有多麽悲傷；
沒有了丈夫的寶貝，
該如何面對這未來的滄桑。

"There is a light in the sky!
At the end of that light is the heaven that people often talk about.
But I'd rather not go there.
I'd rather go back to my hometown in Wuhan.
I have my new house there,
For which I still have to pay off the loan every month.
How can I give up?
How can I give up?
For my parents without their son,
How sad must it be?
For my sweetheart without her husband,
How can she face the vicissitudes in her future?"

我分明死了。
我看見他們把我的軀殼，
裝進一個袋子。
在袋子的近傍
有許多死去的同胞，
象我一樣，
在黎明時分，
被推進火的爐堂。

"I am already gone.
I see them taking my body,
Putting it into a bag,
With which lie many compatriots
Gone like me,
Being pushed into the fire in the hearth
At dawn."

再見了，難舍的親人。
永別了，武漢我的故鄉。
但願你們在災難過後，
還記得曾經有人，
努力地讓你們盡早知道真相。
但願你們在災難過後，
學會正直，
不再讓善良的人們，
遭受著無盡的恐懼，
和無奈的悲傷。

"Goodbye, my dear ones.
Farewell, Wuhan, my hometown.
Hopefully, after the disaster,
You'll remember someone once
Tried to let you know the truth as soon as possible.
Hopefully, after the disaster,
You'll learn what it means to be righteous.
No more good people
Should suffer from endless fear,
And helpless sadness."

“那美好的仗我已經打完了，
應行的路我已行盡了，
當守的道我守住了。
從此以後，
有公義的冠冕為我留存。”
《聖經》提摩太後書4.7

"I have fought the good fight.
I have finished the race.
I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness."
2 Timothy 4:7, Holy Bible

CNN: East Africa is suffering its worst invasion of desert locusts in 25 years

January 25, 2020

Nairobi (CNN)The Horn of Africa has been hit by the worst invasion of desert locusts in 25 years, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Friday.

The invasion poses an unprecedented threat to food security in the entire sub-region, where more than 19 million people in East Africa are already experiencing a high degree of food insecurity, the agency said.

In Kenya, it is the worst invasion in 70 years, and the government is spending $5 million to manage the swarms of locust and prevent spreading.

Invasions of desert locusts are irregular in the region, the last instance occurred in 2007 at a much smaller scale.

"This current invasion of desert locust is significantly larger in magnitude and scale than previously experienced in Kenya and across East Africa," said Dr. Stephen Njoka, the Director-General of Desert Locust Control Organization.

Irregular weather and climate conditions in 2019, including heavy rains between October and December, are suspected to have contributed to the spread of locusts in the region.

A cyclone that swept through northeastern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia in December, bringing heavy rains to the area, created ideal conditions for the insects to breed for the next six months, said Keith Cressman, FAO's senior locust forecasting officer.

Large swarm areas of northeastern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia are not being detected or treated, leaving the area vulnerable to new generations of locusts.

If locusts are left untreated by control measures, swarms can potentially grow 400 times larger by June, Cressman said.

Unexpected and unpredictable rainfall in northern Kenya that carried into January also continues to enable favorable breeding ground. As large swarms continue to move into Kenya and multiply, "you have a recipe for the situation to deteriorate further," said Cressman.

King Jehoshaphat and the Coronavirus

FEBRUARY 6, 2020  |  JASON SEVILLE



“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

As I sit in my apartment in coronavirus-laden China, I’m hard pressed to think of a better prayer than that one, uttered by a desperate but confident Judean king named Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:12).

The eyes of an anxious world are on this global health crisis. Companies and schools in China are delaying operations. Borders are closing. And in recent days many airlines have suspended all travel in and out of this great country. As an American who pastors in China, our decision to stay now feels like a clear “burn the ships!” moment.

Our prayer? We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you, Lord.

Jehoshaphat’s ancient perspective is more apropos for February 2020 than we might think. In his context, a dangerous delegation from Edom was closing in on Judah. But his faith was all-encompassing. He wasn’t just trusting the Lord in the face of potential military defeat, but for any disaster that may come!

If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save. (2 Chron. 20:9, emphasis mine)

Jehoshaphat had a disposition of trust, regardless of danger. Even in the face of pestilence or plague, he cried to God.

And, given the current threat of pandemic, we must learn to do the same. Here are five aspects of his trusting in God that can help us today.

1. Trust God with your fears.
Jehoshaphat was “afraid and set his face to seek the Lord” (2 Chron. 20:3). He wasn’t superhuman; he was normal. The initial step of anyone trusting in God’s help—in his day or in ours—must be admitting weakness. It may be good medicine right now to go before the Lord and honestly tell him how you’re doing. I’m scared. I’m frustrated. I’m angry. I’m lonely. I’m wounded. I’m exhausted.

The point of airing our pain isn’t to shake a finger at God; it’s to be honest as we trust him with our deepest concerns. Jehoshaphat chooses to trust the Lord, which is what we’re called to as well. Trust is always a choice. And it’s one we’ll have to make over and over again.

2. Encourage others to trust God.
After Jehoshaphat seeks God, he proclaims a national fast: “And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord” (2 Chron. 20:4). The king knows whence true help comes, and he leads others to go there for their hope as well.

When everyone around us is freaking out, and our neighbors fear the sky is falling, we must remind each other that we serve a loving, merciful, and sovereign God, who is himself untouched by pestilence or virus (Ps. 91).

As we take our anxieties to the Lord in prayer, we can experience peace that surpasses understanding (Phil. 4:6–7). And as we experience such peace, the countercultural—and often counterintuitive—hope that we have in Christ is put on display (1 Pet. 3:15). Our faith, after all, is personal but not private.

3. Call out to God.
Jehoshaphat offers a model prayer in verses 5–12. He appeals to God’s character, his promises, and his actions in the past. The prayer then culminates: “[W]e are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do but our eyes are on you.”

Maybe you feel that way in light of nCoV. Perhaps you feel powerless against a virus to which you can be exposed even when there are no visible symptoms. Maybe your anxiety rises as specialists still aren’t sure all the ways this virus can be transmitted. You might feel discouraged as you watch the infection and death tolls rise. If so, join with Jehoshaphat in declaring that you are helpless, but your hope is fixed on God Almighty.

How many of our prayers should end with a line like this? This is the posture of the Christian. Appeal to God’s character, confess your inability, and put your eyes on the Lord.

4. Remember God’s salvation.
In the 2 Chronicles narrative, God responds by sending a prophet to remind Judah that the battle doesn’t belong to them; it belongs to God (20:15). They won’t even need to fight; they can just sit back and watch his salvation on their behalf (20:17)!

This story is a small example of a bigger, spiritual battle for everyone in every age. We have a lethal problem we can do nothing about on our own (though we try!). We must trust another, because the battle isn’t ours to fight. As we trust the One who can battle on our behalf, we’re invited to sit back and watch the salvation of the Lord.

The coronavirus may plateau over the next week. Or it may worsen. My family may be spared from this epidemic, or we may become a statistic. Still we look to God’s salvation. Not because he’ll necessarily prove his love to me by protecting me from illness, but because he’s already demonstrated his love by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners, so that whoever believes in him might not perish but have eternal life (Rom. 5:8; John 3:16).

I pray for this virus to be eradicated and for my family to be healthy, but God is good regardless of what these next weeks bring. I wear a mask outdoors and wash my hands frequently, but my hope isn’t finally in these efforts. I desire long life for myself and my family, but I also know the goal of life isn’t to escape physical death. That’s a fool’s errand. The goal is to be prepared when physical death inevitably comes, glorifying and enjoying God until that day. 

5. Worship.
Jehoshaphat trusts God, and he leads others in trusting God. But note the end game: worship. In 2 Chronicles 20:21, before victory had even come, the king leads the people to praise: “And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against [their enemies], so that they were routed” (2 Chron. 20:22).

How is this final scene part of trusting God? Because if God is good, and we know he can be trusted, we can worship him even amid suffering. We can praise him even under the threat of danger. We glorify him even as viruses spread.

God didn’t tell Jehoshaphat to do this. He wasn’t instructed by God to call together a worship service. Worship isn’t a strategy for getting God to act; it’s a response because we know he has acted, and he will continue to act. This is what it looks like to seek the Lord.

The Judeans go out the next day, and their threat is gone. I’m not saying God will miraculously solve all your problems if you’ll only start worshiping. But I am saying your biggest problem—the problem of disbelief—will be solved if you’ll only start worshiping.

In the face of the coronavirus, may Christians in China and around the world have an unshakeable confidence in the Lord—even when we don’t know what comes next.


Jason Seville is the senior pastor of an international church in China, where he lives with his wife, Kim, and four daughters. You can follow him on Twitter.

BBC NEWS: Somalia declares emergency over locust swarms

2 February 2020


The UN says the situation in the Horn of Africa is the worst in 25 years

Somalia has declared a national emergency as large swarms of locusts spread across east Africa.

The country's Ministry of Agriculture said the insects, which consume large amounts of vegetation, posed "a major threat to Somalia's fragile food security situation".

There are fears that the situation may not be brought under control before the harvest begins in April.

The UN says the swarms are the largest in Somalia and Ethiopia in 25 years.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Kenya has not seen a locust threat as severe in 70 years, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

However, Somalia is the first country in the region to declare an emergency over the infestation.

Drones tested to combat desert locusts
Somalia's unstable security situation means that planes cannot be used to spray insecticide from the air.



In January, the FAO called for international help in fighting the swarms in the Horn of Africa, warning that locust numbers across the region could grow 500 times by June.

The swarms spread into east Africa from Yemen across the Red Sea, after heavy rainfall in late 2019 created ideal conditions for the insects to flourish.

Locusts can travel up to 150km (93 miles) in a day. Each adult insect can eat its own weight in food daily.

In December, a locust swarm forced a passenger plane off course in Ethiopia. Insects smashed into the engines, windshield and nose, but the aircraft was able to land safely in the capital, Addis Ababa.

What is the meaning of pestilence in the Bible?

Question: "What is the meaning of pestilence in the Bible?"

Answer: Pestilence is a deadly disaster, usually a disease, that affects an entire community. Pestilence is contagious, virulent, and devastating. For example, the Black Plague in Europe that killed over thirty percent of the population during the late Middle Ages was a pestilence. In the Bible, pestilence is usually a sign of God’s judgment on a nation or people group (Deuteronomy 32:24; 1 Chronicles 21:12; Ezekiel 7:14–15). The God who protects and blesses is also the God who sends disaster and pestilence when it accomplishes His righteous purposes on earth (Isaiah 45:7; Ezekiel 5:16–17; Amos 4:10). Pestilence is promised as part of God’s final judgment on the world in Revelation 18:8.

The word translated “pestilence” is often translated as “plague” or “disaster” in new versions of the English Bible. However, because the word is often paired with both of those, it may imply a greater devastation than mere physical disease. Pestilence incorporates any and all forms of public and mass destruction and often accompanies famine (Ezekiel 7:15) or war (Jeremiah 21:9). Jesus forewarned of pestilence when He described the end times (Luke 21:11).

After David’s sinful census, the Lord brought judgment upon Israel in the form of pestilence: “The Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men” (2 Samuel 24:15, ESV). God had also sent pestilence in the aftermath of Korah’s rebellion (Numbers 16:49) and as a judgment for Israel’s immorality at Baal Peor (Numbers 25:9), but the epidemic recorded in 2 Samuel 24 was the most deadly ever to hit the Israelites. Then God had mercy and halted the judgment: “When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, ‘Enough! Withdraw your hand’” (verse 16).

Our sovereign God is Lord of any pestilence (Habakkuk 3:5). He promises protection for those who trust in Him: “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. (Psalm 91:5–6). Whatever happens, the children of God do not need to fear.

Jesus Christ is our protection against the righteous judgments of God. For everyone who submits to the lordship of Jesus, God “canceled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). Those who are “in Christ” need never fear pestilence or any other judgment.

Among the various forms of judgment that God brings upon the unrighteous and rebellious is pestilence. Not every epidemic is the direct judgment of God, but the Bible indicates that some instances of pestilence in history have been a punishment for sin. God sent pestilence to punish the Israelites for their ongoing idolatry and disobedience (Deuteronomy 32:24; Jeremiah 42:22), and during the tribulation He will send pestilence to punish the unrepentant: “The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image” (Revelation 16:2; cf. Revelation 18:8; Matthew 24:7). We never have to experience God’s pestilential judgment if we will accept His protection through faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21).