GN Commentary: April 28, 2009 - The Flu Outbreak in Bible Prophecy?

Do these epidemics have a meaning beyond natural biological processes? Could they affect you?

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Video Transcript

Have you been following the world health emergency in the news? There's a new flu outbreak in Mexico, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel and the United States, that has the potential to become a pandemic.

The Associated Press reported this: { video clip }

The word "pandemic" means "occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population." According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta there have now been confirmed cases in California, Kansas, New York, Ohio and Texas; at least 48 cases in all. At least 854 cases have been reported in Mexico and at least 149 deaths. It's no wonder that health officials are concerned and watching developments closely.

Why are experts so worried about a flu virus? We've all had the flu right, and it's not usually that bad. What's worrisome is that flu viruses can mutate and become extremely deadly to human beings. In his book The Great Influenza, author John Barry reports that in the flu pandemic of 1918, as many as 100,000,000 people died, more than 5% of the entire world population. It was the deadliest disease outbreak ever. In that pandemic, the disease killed the young and strong more than the aged and infirm. Initial indications are that this new swine flu is acting the same way, and that's troubling. Medical science has made great advances since 1918. But on the other hand, due to the ease of air travel, it's much harder to contain modern outbreaks that start even in far-away places. A few years ago it was SARS, then the Asian bird flu, now this, what next?

Do these epidemics have a meaning beyond natural biological processes? Could they affect you?

During His earthly ministry, Jesus told His disciples that after His death and resurrection, He would eventually return to earth to establish the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 24 His disciples asked him how they could know when that time was growing close. They said "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3)

Jesus responded by explaining a series of warning signs. Among other things He said "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences [that means disease epidemics], and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:7,8). Of course there have always been wars and famines and epidemics throughout human history. But Jesus indicated that as we draw close to what He called "the end of the age" there would be more and stronger occurrences of these catastrophes. And they will likely affect all of us.

To paraphrase a quote attributed to Leon Trotsky: "you may not be interested in Bible prophecy, but Bible prophecy is interested in you."

You need to know more about it.

For GN Magazine, I'm Joel Meeker.