A Summary ofBiblical Words for Infectious Outbreaks

The outbreak ofthe coronavirus disease called COVID-19 has surprised many of us. Yet infectiousoutbreaks and pandemics are nothing new. They’ve occurred throughout historyand the Bible mentions them a lot, especially in the Old Testament (OT). So, whatdoes the Bible say about pandemics?

Pestilence

English Bibletranslations frequently translate a related Hebrew word, dever (דֶּבֶר), as “pestilence” or “plague.”This word occurs in the OT forty-six times, including these instances: Exo 5:3;9:3, 15; Lev 26:25; Num 14:12; Deut 28:21; 2 Sam 24:13, 15; 1 Kings 8:37; 1 Chron21:12, 14; 2 Chron 6:28; 7:13; 20:9; Psa 78:50; 91:3, 6; Jer 14:12; 21:6, 7, 9;24:10; 27:8, 13; 28:8; 29:17, 18; 32:24, 36; 34:17; 38:2; 42:17, 22; 44:13; Eze5:12, 17; 6:11, 12; 7:15(2×); 12:16; 14:19, 21; 28:23; 33:27; 38:22; Hos 13:14;Amos 4:10; Hab 3:5.

The New Testament(NT) Greek equivalent of this word is loimos (λοιμός). It appears onlytwice, both in the teaching ministry of Jesus and both referring to pandemic outbreaksthat will occur before his second coming (Matt 24:7; Luke 21:11).

Plague

Another moregeneral Hebrew word, negang (נֶגַע), also occurs most frequently translated as “plague.” A similar wordappears forty-nine times in a verbal form, nagaph (נָגַף),and seven times in a noun form, negeph (נֶגֶף), meaning to be “struck” or “defeated.” This word sometimes meansto be “plagued” or “afflicted” with a disease, though it often means to bestruck or defeated through violence or combat (as when God struck Egypt withten plagues, of which only some were medical in nature). When this word refersto illness, it describes being struck with “a deadly pandemic disease.”[1]

The New Testament(NT) Greek equivalent of this word is plēgē (πληγή). Like its OTcounterpart, it is also a more general word that may refer to hitting or being struckin other ways, including with a pandemic disease – as in Rev 11:6.

WidespreadDestruction

Technically,these two words – pestilence and plague – are not the same thing, though theyoften overlap. Pestilence often refers to conditions like cholera, dysentery, andtyphoid, but plague often refers to things like the bubonic plague, smallpox,and measles.[2]Regardless of these different nuances, both words emphasize the widespread,destructive nature of the disease at hand.

Why Did InfectiousOutbreaks Occur in the Old Testament?

Scripture neverportrays pandemic outbreaks as natural or capricious occurrences due to fate orchance. They always correspond somehow to a judgment or punishment from God.[3]

Pandemics as Judgment for the Nation of Israel

God warnedIsrael that if they neglected their covenant obligations to him as a nation, hewould send pandemic outbreaks their way (Lev 26:25; Deut 28:21, 58-59). For thisreason, later prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel mentioned infectious outbreaksfrequently.

These menserved as “covenant lawyers” for God, prosecuting the defendant (the nation ofIsrael) for her crimes (violating her covenant with God) and announcing her sentence.Part of her sentence would be widespread infectious diseases, which wereintended not only to punish Israel’s sins but to encourage her (the nation) toreturn to the Lord – which they will finally do in the end (see the upcoming point“Pandemics in the Future”).

Pandemics as Judgment for Israel’s Enemies

God alsounleashed pandemic outbreaks on Israel’s adversaries (e.g., Psa 78:50; Ezek28:23; 38:22). In such cases, he did not judge these nations for breaking acovenant relationship with him because he had no covenants with them – only Israel(Amos 3:2). Instead, he did so to protect Israel, provide justice for themistreatment of Israel, expunge wickedness, and reveal that he alone is Lord.

What aboutPandemics Today and in the Future?

Only once dothe gospels record Jesus mentioning pandemics (Matt 24:7 and Luke 21:11 referto the same discourse). In this case, he referred to the pandemics we experiencetoday.

Pandemics Today

Jesus mentionedpandemics in conjunction with a proliferation of self-declared messiahs, wars,rumors of wars, national and international skirmishes, famines, earthquakes, persecution,lawlessness, and a scarcity of love (Matt 24:4-14).

As believers, we easily mistake these kinds of events and developments as “signs of the end,” becoming anxious or sensational in our outlook. Jesus jettisons this perspective, though, saying the opposite – that when these things happen, “the end is not yet” (Matt 24:6).

Events like this will be (and have been) the regular, recurring pattern for centuries.

Instead, eventslike this will be (and have been) the regular, recurring pattern for centuries.They are the commonplace experience of Christians from Pentecost until now.Christ calls these events “the beginning of sorrows,” which was “a commonJewish metaphor to refer to an indeterminate period of distress leading up tothe end of this age,” just as birth pangs eventually lead to the delivery of achild, but with no discernable timetable in mind.[4]

Interestingly enough, Jesus mentions pandemics as a simple matter of fact, but he doesn’t give a reason for why they will happen. Since he mentions “the abomination of desolation” immediately afterward (Matt 24:19), perhaps we should view our pandemics as part of God’s overarching plan to judge sin and prepare the hearts of all people for his ultimate return, final judgment, and everlasting kingdom before the “abomination of desolation occurs” (see Dan 9:24; cf. 9:25-27; 11:31; 12:11).

This reference to the “abomination of desolation” also indicates that these things will occur not only today, but into the first half of the Tribulation period, which will begin after the church has been raptured from the Earth.

With no clear guidance from Christ, we cannot say for sure why any pandemic occurs.

With no clear guidance from Christ, we cannot say for sure why any pandemic occurs. Why? Because neither Christ nor any biblical prophet or apostle gives us an answer. We can guess and we can surmise, but we cannot know for sure.

We are not thenation of Israel, the NT never teaches that God will judge either the church orindividual churches through pandemics (the epistles never speak about this),and the pandemics we face are worldwide in nature. Furthermore, we are not atliberty to pick and choose OT promises and curses to Israel from God as beingfulfilled either upon the church, the United States, another nation, or anycombination thereof.

For these reasons, and maybe more, we should not speculate about the underlying “spiritual” cause for a modern pandemic, neither should we pretend to know the answer when one occurs. By extension, we should also dismiss anyone – a preacher or otherwise – who claims to have the “inside scoop” on why a pandemic has occurred.

We should not speculate about the underlying “spiritual” cause for a modern pandemic.

We know thatpandemics happen because of sin, but who’s sin and where? We simply do notknow. Instead, we should defer to Moses when he said, “The secret things belongto the LORD our God” (Deut 29:29). He made this statement in the context of describingthe ways that God would bless or judge both Israel and the nations of theworld.

Pandemics inthe Future

Besides Jesus’ referenceto pandemics, the only other clear mention occurs in Revelation (Rev 11:6). Thiscase features two men who will be prophetic witnesses for God for three and a halfyears in the Tribulation period (Matt 24:21), seven years of intense, climacticjudgment and purging before the millennial (one-thousand-year) reign of Christ.

In variousways, these two men will resemble pre-church-age figures like Moses, Elijah,and John the Baptist. God will give them unusual supernatural abilities,including the ability to invoke pandemics on the world whenever they choose(Rev 11:3-6).

The occurrence ofpandemics – in such a dramatic, heightened way – at this point in history (orthe future, that is) once again correlates them to God’s overarching plan forIsrael and the nations. Those who believe in a pretribulational rapture (likeme) believe that the church does not exist on earth during the tribulation butwill be transferred to the presence of Christ in heaven before the Tribulationoccurs. So once again, pandemics are not directed at the church – they are nationalepidemics that correspond with God’s sovereign plan for the nations of theworld.

In any case,these heightened pandemics (and other cataclysmic events) do signal the end (Matt24:14-15), unlike the commonplace pandemics that Jesus described, which weencounter in history today.

How Should WeRespond to Pandemics as Christians Today?

Thankfully,when Christ taught about the pandemics we would face today, he also explainedhow to respond.

Don’t Panic

With pandemicsand other newsworthy events in mind, Christ said, “See that you are not troubled”(Matt 24:6), and Luke records him as saying, “Do not be terrified” (Luke 21:9).

To be “troubled”means to be “alarmed, disturbed.” It depicts a “state of fear associated withsurprise.”[5] To be“terrified” means to be “terrified, frightened, scared, and in a panic.”

By definition,these words portray something that happens to you as the result of hearing bad news,whether or not it turns out to be as bad as it sounded at first – and especiallyif it does. Since fear and panic is our natural response, we must watch ourselvescarefully to avoid this response. If we aren’t deliberate about it, then wewill certainly be afraid.

I like what F.D. Bruner said about the way that Christians should respond to a crisis. He said,“In times of crisis, Christians should be the calmest people on the blockbecause they have a dominical pax.”[6] (Dominicalmeans “Jesus is the Lord” and pax means “peace,” so he is referringto the peace that comes from having Jesus who is the Lord of all as your Lord.See Psalms 27:3 and John 14:1)

Trust God

Thoughpandemics and other large-scale threats seem ominous and feel chaotic, weshould rest assured that they occur within the sovereign plan of God. The words“troubled” (Matt 24:6) and “terrified” (Luke 21:9) refer not only to fear butto surprise.

When pandemics,natural disasters, unrest, and wars occur (and even stock market uncertainty),they often catch us off guard; but they never catch God off guard. For thisreason, we should not be surprised when things like this happen.

Christ told us they would happen a lot and he was not alarmed. He taught these things in a matter-of-fact manner, so we should respond in a matter-of-fact way as well. When things like this happen, we know that God is working out his plan.

Increase inLove

When thingslike pandemics occur, Christ teaches that another phenomenon will be that “thelove of many will grow cold” (Matt 24:15). This describes a broad decrease in genuinelove not only for God but for one another as human beings. The general trend,literally speaking, will be for brotherly love to diminish greatly – it willcool down. As believers, we should not shrink back into a self-preserving,callous lifestyle with the “many.” We should demonstrate the love of Christ insteadand be the few who’s love for God, for one another, and for others in the world(Phil 1:9-11). In times like these, our worship and service to God shouldincrease. Our words of kindness and acts of compassion to others shouldincrease as well.

Persevere

In his teachingabout how to respond to pandemics and other newsworthy events, Jesus said, “Hewho endures to the end will be saved” (Matt 24:13). We call this doctrine the “perseveranceof the saints.” It describes the way that true believers don’t bail out becausethe grace of God is genuinely at work in their lives.

Excruciating,widespread problems like pandemics, famines, persecution, uprisings, etc. havea purging effect. Professing believers who have not truly believed on Christ asGod and Savior will slip away (or run away!) from Christ when trials come, buttrue believers will remain. They may stumble and struggle at times, but they don’tquit.

So, when pandemics occur, persevere in your faith – in following Christ and obeying his commands in private and in public. Don’t quit and even be prepared to die. There’s nothing like a good pandemic to get your heart in tune with God.

Be a Witness

Finally, when weexperience widespread difficulties in the world (like pandemics), we shouldlook for ways to be a courageous and compassionate witness for Christ. Christhinted at this (it was a big hint!) when he said that in the middle of the manytragic events going on in the world throughout church history, the gospel wouldbe spreading throughout the world at the same time.

He said, “Thisgospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all thenations” (Matt 24:14). Not long after, he also assured us of his perpetualpresence as we witness for him. He said, “All authority has been given to me inheaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations … andlo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” (Matt 28:18-20).

No matter whatwe face, even if it’s a pandemic, let’s be calm and persistent in the face of difficulty.Let us continue to represent and present the gospel in a faithful, sensible,and Christ-honoring way.

Some Bonus Wisdomfrom C. S. Lewis

When speakingabout the threat of an atomic bomb, he said this to followers of Christ likehimself and even mentioned the possibility of a pandemic as well:

This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds

From “On Living in an Atomic Age” (1948) in Present Concerns: Journalistic Essays.

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[1] James Swanson,Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (OldTestament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[2] Walter A.Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Pestilence,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1651.

[3] Elwell andBeitzel, “Pestilence,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1651.

[4] CraigBlomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville:Broadman & Holman, 1992), 354.

[5] Johannes P.Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament:Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 316.

[6] F. D. Bruner, TheChurchbook (Dallas, TX: Word, 1990). 847.