We have entered a phase in modern history that is unprecedented. Yes, we've had dire crises before in this nation's history and in the world. But not to the extent whole economies would suffer this much. With massive social and economic shutdowns, the world is no longer the same. A staggering 3 million Americans have recently filed for unemployment, and a good majority of industries have attempted to move their workers home in response to local lockdowns.
There are many implications for us as Bible believing Christians in the last days. There are also many, many differing theories as to what this pandemic means for the world. I'm not going to discuss speculative theories that are sensational, because any number of them may be false, and even if they were true, they would do everything to scare us and nothing to protect or even prepare us.
Let's stick with some of the facts, however. This isn't the first or even the deadliest disease pandemic. History has seen the Bubonic Plague, the Flu pandemic of 1918 and a flurry of smaller outbreaks of disease in the 21st century. However, this COVID-19 has caused massive lockdowns and a policy of social distancing not necessarily because of its deadliness but because of its contagiousness. It is still deadly in certain situations and is not a pathogen to mess with. Therefore, it has been essential that national and local governments initiate lockdowns to allow people to self-quarantine and minimize the spread of the sickness.
As of today, April 5, 2020 the United States has over 320,000 confirmed cases of the disease, and almost 10,000 deaths, 1,100 just today alone. Confirmed cases worldwide have reached 1.2 million. Italy's death count just went above 15,000. Many government leaders, presidents, governors and local county and city officials around the world are declaring lockdowns for general quarantine, handing fines and even prison time for violators. Many are afraid these measures are draconian, and if it were not a state of emergency I would agree. However, in a time of an emergency we should expect measures to be declared that would limit certain liberties, but only temporarily. The problem arises only if these measures are continued, even in the absence of an emergency situation, and when such measures begin infringing on the right of peoples' consciences. So, we shouldn't be critical of government attempts to curtail this disease.
Ellen White writes:
"By some of our brethren many things have been spoken and written that are interpreted as expressing antagonism to government and law. It is a mistake thus to lay ourselves open to misunderstanding. It is not wise to find fault continually with what is done by the rulers of government. It is not our work to attack individuals or institutions. We should exercise great care lest we be understood as putting ourselves in opposition to the civil authorities." (1)
When Martin Luther was dealing with The Black Death plague, he wrote these words:
"I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me however I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as stated above. See this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God." (2)
You see, it's not a lack of faith to follow common sense quarantine practices. We as a people of God are not asked to abandon common sense as a condition of faith. The best way to shield ourselves from disease is to fortify our immunity and isolate ourselves until the threat is past. In fact, there is a very spiritual and biblical lesson to learn from all this. It is called the Great Controversy Theme.
The two main lessons in this coronavirus pandemic are quarantine and immunity.
First, let is look at quarantine. Just like the Bubomic Plague, like the Flu Pandemic of 1918, like the Coronavirus, sin is a blight, a disease that causes suffering, death and decay. Paul succinctly outlines the results of sin, Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death". God, in His eternal and infinite wisdom knew that sin could not be allowed to infect the rest of the universe. Therefore, an effective quarantine was placed upon Earth, whose inhabitants fell to the temptations of Satan. This tiny speck of a planet in an almost infinite universe became the center-stage of the Great Controversy of the ages.
The Spirit of Prophecy tells us:
"Sin originated with him, who, next to Christ, stood highest in the favor of God, and highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of Heaven. Before his fall, Lucifer was the covering cherub, holy and undefiled. The prophet of God declares, 'Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.' [Ezekiel 28:15.] Peace and joy, in perfect submission to the will of Heaven, existed throughout the angelic host. Love to God was supreme, love for one another impartial. Such was the condition that existed for ages before the entrance of sin." (3)
Paul writes: “…I had not known sin, but by the law…” Romans 7:7, KJV. This Law is the objective and transcendent moral framework not only for Planet Earth, but also for all of Creation. The Law of God defines what is evil and what is not. Just as the laws of nature, like gravity, keeps the heavenly bodies in order by command of God, the moral Law governs social order in the Universe. Without the physical order kept in line by the law of gravity there would be no physical universe, at least as we know it. The Moral Law is immutable and inseparable from its Author. God does not designate a moral code only to have it apply only temporarily. Its principles are everlasting, and without its guidelines moral order cannot exist in the universe. From this we can conclude that even prior to the Earth’s creation, the Moral Law was applicable to all beings, even those angelic.
“Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.” Pslam 119:142, KJV.
In Eden, our first parents broke God’s precepts. They placed the words of Satan the Deceiver above that of their Creator God. By deliberately disobeying God they placed themselves under the slavery of the Devil. Paul makes it clear that to whom we give our obedience to, is whom we are servants of:
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey…” Romans 6:16, KJV.
This is why Planet Earth was placed under moral quarantine. Lucifer rebelled prior to the creation of Earth and along with his fallen band of angels sought a physical base from which to continue his rebellion. Adam and Eve became servants of sin once they obeyed Satan, and God enacted His Plan of Redemption at once to redeem humankind.
At the height of the Black Plague in fourteenth century Europe, whole villages, towns and even cities were wiped off the map. Unfortunately, medieval knowledge of medicine was very limited; there was no consensus on what could be done to abate, much less cure, the plague. People suffered horribly and at times the number of dead grew too numerous to bury. It was a sad, terrible episode in the history of civilized Europe. It became clear, however, that contact with the diseased almost inevitably resulted in infection. Therefore Italian authorities attempted to devise a method to curb the spread of the disease. It wasn’t quite known at the time that coughing and contact with bodily fluids spread the pathogen, so they did the best with the knowledge they had at the time, and hence was born the word “quarantine”. As the story goes, trade ships were required to lay at anchor for forty days when entering the port of Venice, Italy. The crew remained on board, and nothing was to come in or out of the ship. Once the crew had shown no signs of illness for forty days, and then they were allowed on shore to continue their business. The word “quarantine” is taken from the Italian "quaranta giorni", which is basically, “forty days”.
The state of maritime quarantine can be quite frustrating for those being isolated. Not only were you at sea for days, or even months, you also had to stay within sight of the port for another month. You were tortured by the sight of people on land enjoying festal activities and being useful, while you ate stale bread and drank water that lay stagnant in a barrel. It was most inconvenient, but quarantine was often enforced under the threat of arms. The majority of the population was on land, and in order to keep the disease from spreading, quarantine had to be enforced at all costs. Should land authorities give in and break the quarantine for any reason, a great many more than the ship’s crew will be at risk. When one considers the vastness of our universe and everything contained within it (if that could even be measured), envision the possibility of having billions of other planets like our own, each inhabited and filled with billions of moral beings. Now, imagine that all these planets had no sin, and as a consequence, no physical and emotional suffering and pain. Then think of our own broken planet, one ravaged by moral decay and sin, along with its natural consequences, pain, suffering and death. Isn’t it then understandable why the God of the Universe, Creator of all would want to impose a moral quarantine upon Planet Earth?
As God has quarantined the Earth from the rest of the universe, we are to keep ourselves spotless from the world. 1 John 2:14-16 says, “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
However, keeping oneself separated from the world doesn’t mean a policy of mere hermit isolation. Like Luther said in the quote above, if there is a need to isolate oneself to protect himself and others from disease he will do so, but if someone shows a need for spiritual aid, he wouldn't hesitate to put himself at physical risk to save a soul.
James 1:27 says this, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." Now, I know there is much controversy with vaccines, and government enforcement of such. I have no particular burden to condemn or promote their use. So instead, I will use the analogy of a remedy, since this is what inspiration uses. Christ is the only remedy for sin, and He is looking to eradicate sin from the universe once and for all. To do so, He gave His life that is imparted to us and imputed as ours. This grace is not just pardon for past sin, but also power to resist sin even today.
This is where the immunity part comes in. We are blessed as a Church to be given the Health Reform message, and it is considered to be the Right hand of the Gospel. It will open the doors to many opportunities to share our faith.
Eating the right stuff, resting well and getting good exercise will help our immune system and equip our bodies to help repel infectious agents. While it's no guarantee to ward off every sickness, it gives you the best chance to do so. When facing a health threat like the coronavirus, would you rather face it with a weakened immune system or a fortified one? I'm sure which answer you will choose.
The same goes for our warfare against sin. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:11-13, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
We need SPIRITUAL HEALTH REFORM to maximize our immunity against the infectious agency of sin. I find it interesting that Paul writes about withstanding in the "evil day". We have temptations every day, but there is coming a day which a final test will be given to the world regarding loyalty to God or loyalty to man and Satan. It's not going to be a light test, but a global one that will test every man and woman alive, regardless of their religious background.
Seventh-day Adventists see this test as the Sunday Law, a law to observe a spurious sabbath which is in direct contradiction to the Law of God. One might say, "oh, it's easy, I already know what the true Sabbath is". But are you really observing it? Are you keeping it holy? Also, are we keeping all the other commandments holy? Are we leading a holy lifestyle in our conversation? In our character in treating others? Do we come across as harsh and critical, even when we think we are defending the truth? Is it possible to defend the seventh-day Sabbath with the spirit of the Beast? Something to think about.
Just like physical health requires good habits in many areas, spiritual health requires the same. This is why in James 2:10 we are told, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." This is why when the Sabbath test comes but you are a serial adulterer it is so easy to fall victim to a Sunday Law even if you were a faithful Sabbath keeper all your life; you've disregarded one commandment, what's the loss if you disregarded another to save your hide when church and state authorities demand your loyalty to man-made laws?
The Gospel is good news. The good news is that we are not only saved from the consequences of sin, but that we are saved from sinning in preparation for life in a sinless universe. Thanks to a combination of God's policies of quarantine and immunity, God's remedy for sin, Jesus Christ, will result in the perfection of the saints, and a sin-free universe throughout all eternity. Let's apply these principles as we move forward in faith.
REFERENCES:
1. Ellen White, Counsels for the Church, pg. 316.
2. Martin Luther, Luther's Works, the letter "Whether one may flee from a Deadly Plague" written to Rev. Dr. John Hess. Volume 43, pg. 132.
3. White, Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, pg. 316.
Lemuel Valendez Sapian received his Bachelor of Arts in History at the University of North Texas and lives in the North Texas area. He is a student minister, author and serves as Head Editor for AdVindicate.