One of our recent lectionary readings was from First Chronicles, about how King David had seriously sinned by carrying out a census of the people of Israel and Judah. David sought the Lord in anguish for his sin and was given a choice of one of three penalties [penances]. From 1 Chronicles 21:9-14 we read:

“And the LORD spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, ‘Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you; choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’ So Gad came to David and said to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, ‘Take which you will: either three years of famine; or three months of devastation by your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days of the sword of the LORD, pestilence upon the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.’ Then David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress; let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercy is very great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.’ So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel; and there fell seventy thousand men of Israel.”

The Pestilence of the Census is but one example in the Old Testament of God’s willingness to use plague and pestilence and other punishments upon a people as a discipline for not honoring their commitment (Covenant) to Him, even visiting the sin of the leader upon the subjects not directly responsible for the king’s errancy. Similarly, God visits a rapid plague-like destruction upon the Assyrian troops encamped in siege outside Jerusalem’s gates readying their attack for the next morning. Second Kings 19:35 recounts the result of the Lord’s protection of His People:

“And that night the angel of the LORD went forth, and slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.”  The rapidity of such a result implies a raging plague of some sort, as no mention is made of battle wounds, not unlike the First Passover in Egypt, when the Lord destroyed the first born sons of Egypt.

Is there a connection to the Corona ‘virus’?

In the two biblical stories mentioned above, God did not keep it a secret “why” He smote the object of His rage. David quickly confessed to a sinful taking of the Census, and those in Judah knew slaying the Assyrians, cruelest of peoples, was for protection by their God Who had acted in their defense.

So, too, if there were a reason for Almighty God to send the Corona virus into China (and/or allow it to propagate rapidly), might not God  give such a hint of what had offended Him? What mocked Him?  Perhaps He did. How did the virus get its name? What does “corona” mean? [Certainly not a beer.]  Corona is Latin (yes, Latin!) for “crown.” And, quite simply, and appallingly, the leadership of China has removed the Crown from God’s head and placed it on the head of the national leadership.  Such a sin would scream to heaven for retribution, even being visited upon their own people, and beyond. How quickly the virus, or plague, or pestilence has spread, and how ‘other worldly’ it seems in its rapid morphing into other forms and mutations. [There has been a report that the Corona entity does not mutate, but it is probably too soon to know for sure, as various biological entities mutate over different periods of time. The implication of non-mutation is that the corona is a chemical rather than biological entity, something like a deadly poison, perhaps even a war strategy gone awry.]

It is worth also pointing out that such a sin by a civil government in taking God’s image or prerogatives unto itself is still that old-fashioned, ever-present sin of idolatry, the one most mocking of God, and the one He punishes most severely.

More ‘light’ can be shed on the meaning of corona, a noun, being also the name of a crown or circlet suspended from the roof or vaulting of churches, to hold tapers lighted on solemn occasions, shining light and glory to the area of worship. It is sometimes formed of double or triple circlets, arranged pyramidically, and also called a corona lucis.  But the leadership of China has been destroying Catholic Churches, taking out far  more than a stand of lights, but eliminating even places of worship!

The Latin word seems to have derived from its prior Greek use, particularly meaning a laurel given for a military victory. It is also a name applied to a garland or wreath in sports (like the Olympics). However, the use of “crown” in the Greek New Testament uses a different word: stephanos, less a military victory or power, and more aligned to the image of a “Crown of Thorns.”

It appears that China won its laurels by taking advantage of bad representation by the Vatican against the underground heroic Chinese, who outlasted all but being sold out and into slavery by their own brothers. 

China delayed in reacting quickly enough to contain the virus; so, technically, it has ‘gone out to the whole world.’ It remains to be seen if the Vatican, co-conspirator against the underground Catholic Church of China, will receive their fair share of the burden of guilt, or if this is just a warning which can be mollified by prayer and repentance. The entire world is at risk. The entire world is waiting to see if the Vatican hierarchy will redeem themselves and their Chinese flock, or if God will intervene (or is intervening already.)

What can be done? If it is from God, how can anyone expect to slow or stop the spread of corona without first acknowledging the grievous sin against the Chinese underground church, seeking forgiveness, trying to atone and repair as much as possible, and accepting the concomitant suffering? Oh, yes, and by humbly restoring God’s Crown where it belongs. If growth of corona continues apace, and if the fatality rate begins to approach one-third, it will be increasingly difficult to argue this is not the Hand of God, directly or permissively.

Is Plague part of God’s Plan?

In a word, yes. The Book of Revelation warns of apocalyptic plagues. The Greek content of Revelation, vividly describing the endtimes phenomena, uses the word ple-ge (pronounced ‘play-gay’) for plagues. Here are the mentions from Revelation of plague and plagues:

Rev 9:18  “By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulphur issuing from their mouths.”

Rev 9:20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot either see or hear or walk;

 Rev 11:6 “They have power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.”

 Rev 15:1  “Then I saw another portent in heaven, great and wonderful, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is ended.”

 Rev 15:6 “ … and out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, robed in pure bright linen, and their breasts girded with golden girdles.”

Rev 15:8 “… and the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were ended.”

 Rev 16:9  “… men were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory.”

Rev 16:21  “… and great hailstones, heavy as a hundred-weight, dropped on men from heaven, till men cursed God for the plague of the hail, so fearful was that plague.”

Rev 18:4  “Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;….”

Rev 18:8  “… so shall her plagues come in a single day, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she shall be burned with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Rev 21:9  “Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

 

REMINDER:

These mentions of plagues are excerpts only, pointing to the entirety of Revelation, and not intended to reduce or skew any of the Holy Teaching of Jesus Christ, but rather to whet our appetites to study further.

Rev 22:18 “I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,

Rev 22:19 and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

 

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