Hi, I'm Robert Jeffress, and I'm glad to serve as your Bible teacher every day on this great radio station. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory. Here's a good way to think about this as we're facing this coronavirus, and that is pray. Pray as if your safety completely depends upon God. And secondly, take precaution as if your safety completely depends upon you.
And if you'll do those two things, you'll probably make it through this just fine. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. When the coronavirus emerged as a worldwide pandemic, people wondered if it could be a punishment from God. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress explains the relationship between sin and sickness and shows how the answer ties into God's final judgment of the earth during the end times. Now, here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.
Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Today, I'm wading into deep water. We're going to address one of the most controversial subjects of our times.
In just a moment, I'm going to tackle this highly debated question that originated a few years ago, and people are still asking it today. Is the coronavirus a judgment from God? But first, let me remind you that right now we're working our way verse by verse through the book of Revelation. This is a record of revelation given by God to the apostle John. Now, most people think of revelation as God's edict for the last days, but it's really far more than that. Revelation contains an unveiling of the person and work of Jesus and his triumphant return. I've written a book to help you understand John's revelation. It's a new book called Mysteries of the End Times. And along with my book Final Conquest, it will help you understand every verse in the book of Revelation. And during the time this teaching series is airing on Pathway to Victory, I'm pleased to send you a copy of the new book Mysteries of the End Times with my thanks for your generous gift. Be sure to have a pen and paper ready at the close of my message because I'd like to send a copy of my brand new book to your home right away. But right now, let's get started with today's fascinating topic. We're in Revelation chapter 15, and I've titled today's message, Is the Coronavirus a Judgment from God?
Is the coronavirus a judgment from God? Just asking that question elicits some pretty strong responses from people. If you don't believe that, just look at my Twitter feed. I couldn't believe some of the things people wrote on there.
I jotted down some of the nicer things. One person, do you live in the dark ages? Scientists have known for over 100 years that pandemics aren't caused by God. Another person, this is how cavemen think. Actually, that was Amy.
Another one, what a moronic statement. Even Monica Lewinsky weighed in on the subject. Yes, that Monica Lewinsky. One of our staff members showed me one of her tweets. She had been in Dallas this week, and she was speaking, and she drove by one of our billboards and saw the sermon title.
And she tweeted it out and then added an expletive for emphasis to go along with it. That really didn't concern me nearly as much as why was one of our staff members following Monica Lewinsky on social media? An investigation is forthcoming. Now, I promise, we're going to answer that question in just a few moments. But to provide a context for it, I want you to take your Bibles and turn to Revelation chapter 15. That's where we are right now in our study of Revelation. Now, when we get to chapter 15, before the final judgments, John is going to describe three things that he saw. First of all, notice in verse one what he says. Then I saw another sign in heaven. Let me stop there and remind you, there are three signs John talks about he saw in heaven. In chapter 12, the first sign, chapter 12, verse 1, he saw a sign of a woman who was about to give birth.
This is a picture of Israel about to give birth to Jesus. And then in verse 3, he said, I saw another sign. That's the second sign, a dragon who represents Satan trying to devour the woman, Israel, and her child, Christ, and those who belong to Christ. And now when we get to chapter 15, verse 1, John says, I saw a third sign. And the sign he sees is going to be the judgment of God that destroys Satan, the dragon, and all who follow after him. These three signs in and of themselves tell the whole story of mankind. John says, I saw another sign, the third sign in heaven. And notice the two words he uses to describe this sign that we're going to look at. He said, this sign was great and marvelous. John says, what I am about to show you is incredible.
It is absolutely astonishing. It was seven angels who had seven plagues. These are the final judgments. We call them the bowl judgment that consists of seven plagues against the earth. Now, let me stop here to talk about plagues for just a moment and to answer our question of the day. What is a plague? A plague is a natural disaster that is supernaturally timed as a manifestation of God's judgment.
Let me say it again. A plague is a natural disaster that is supernaturally timed as a manifestation of God's judgment. There are all kinds of natural disasters in the Bible. Earthquakes, volcanoes, sicknesses, pestilence, all of these things. Think of the flood in Genesis 7, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which very well may have been a volcanic explosion, an eruption that resulted in the fire and brimstone coming down.
When I was in college, I had these might as well be pagan religion teachers because all they did was try to explain away the miracles of the Bible. Oh, well, this is just natural in that part of the world to have an earthquake or a volcano or locust and so forth. Look, the point is the miracle is not that these things occurred, but they occurred at the precise timing God was sending a judgment.
That is the miracle. A natural disaster that is supernaturally timed. And you've had these plagues all throughout the Bible. Now, sometimes a plague will be extended like the flood in Genesis 7. It lasted 40 days.
It rained for 40 days, but the earth felt the effects of it for a year. We've already seen in Revelation 8 and 9 the trumpet judgment, the locust, these other judgments that occur, occur over a period of months. Sometimes plagues are very quick. And the ones we're going to look at next week, these final seven, the word plague literally means wound or blow. It is God striking the earth very, very quickly.
They happen very, very rapidly. But whether a plague is extended or short, the question that we're looking at today is, is the coronavirus one of those plagues that is talked about in the Bible? Is it God's judgment against the earth? And I'd like to submit to you four truths about God's judgment that might help you evaluate this or other events in the world or in your life as well. Four statements I want to make.
And don't judge these statements until you hear the last one. Number one, all natural disasters can be ultimately traced to sin. All natural disasters, whether we're talking about earthquakes, volcanoes, cancer, influenza, can all ultimately, and that's the operative word, be traced to sin.
What do I mean by that? The world we live in right now is not the world God designed. God never designed the world to include floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, cancer, influenza, coronavirus. That was never part of God's original plan. God created this world perfectly. But it's when sin entered the world through Adam and Eve that this world was corrupted and became the world in which we now live.
Paul explains that in Romans 8 verses 19 and 22. He said, for the anxious longing of creation waits eagerly. Somebody has translated that, the whole creation stands on tiptoe with expectation awaiting the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him, God, who subjected it.
God is the one who pronounced a judgment against the earth. But there's hope. In hope that the creation itself one day will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. One day Christ is coming back. And the world that we live in now will be changed and will be forever rid of this judgment against it. But until then, verse 22, for we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
This whole world is groaning, awaiting that time when Christ will come and deliver the new heaven and the new earth. And that leads to truth number two. Some disasters are related to specific sins. Sometimes God does use natural disasters and sickness as a specific judgment for a specific sin. Now, some people say, well, I just don't believe that. The God I serve would never send sickness as a judgment.
Have you ever heard people say that? Or the God I serve would never send anybody to hell. If you believe the God of the Bible, you believe that God does use judgment against sin.
And sometimes those judgments include natural disasters. Genesis chapter seven, God sent a flood because of the world's wickedness. Genesis 19, God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Don't let anybody rewrite that for you. He destroyed those cities because of the sin of homosexuality. God sent judgments against Egypt and Israel for their disobedience. God sent leprosy to Miriam, the sister of Moses. In Deuteronomy 28, verse 27, the Lord will smite you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors and with the scab and with the itch which you cannot be healed from. So we know in the past, if we believe the Bible, that God used sickness as judgment. We know that in the future, God is going to use sickness as a judgment from him.
In Revelation chapter six, verse eight, remember under the seal judgments, John says, I looked and behold an ashen horse and he who sat upon it had the name death and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth. A fourth of the world is going to be destroyed through this one judgment alone. To kill with the sword, that is war, and with famine, a natural result of war, and with, underline it, pestilence. That's sicknesses. Part of the sickness will be the result of a fourth of the world's population being slaughtered.
They won't be able to bury all of the bodies that are the result of the warfare of this time. And when you have decomposing bodies and don't dispose of them naturally, there are all kind of things like bubonic plague and dysentery and hepatitis that are a result of that. Notice he says, and by the wild beast of the earth.
Whether or not these are animals that are actually devouring people, some people believe it is animal-born plagues, like swine flu or other things, or possibly something like the coronavirus that may be animal-born as well. Here's my point. In the past, God has used sickness and natural disasters as his specific judgment. In the future, he's going to do the same. So it's not an unreasonable question to ask, is what we're experiencing right now a judgment from God? And that leads to a third statement, and that is we dare not speak what God has not spoken. We dare not speak what God has not spoken.
Any time we speak what God has already revealed in his word, we are being obedient. Any time we speak something that God has not already said in his word, we are being presumptuous. And the Bible warns against trying to speak for God when God himself hasn't spoken. We dare not speak anything that God has not already spoken. In Deuteronomy 18, verse 20, here's a strong warning from God. But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I've not commanded him to speak, for which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. There's a strong judgment against anyone who claims to speak for God when God hasn't spoken.
Let me give you an illustration of that. I can stand up here in the pulpit and say with full confidence that God hates abortion. The reason I can say that is what God's word already says.
Thou shalt not kill. The Bible equates an unborn child with a born child. In Luke chapter 1, the Greek word braefos is used to describe John the Baptist in Elizabeth's womb.
And that same word, braefos, is used to describe the little children who came to Jesus who had already been born. God sees them exactly the same, the unborn and the born. And God hates the murder of anyone, including children who are born or unborn.
I can say that. Secondly, I can say with all the confidence in the world that God will judge a nation that kills its own children. I can say that, again, because God did that with Israel. In Jeremiah 1, when he saw how Israelites were offering their children as burnt sacrifices, he said, It never entered my mind you would do such a detestable thing, but because you have, I will send the Babylonians to take you captive. I can say God hates abortion. I can say God judges a nation that permits and celebrates the killing of children. But what I cannot say is the coronavirus is God's judgment against America for the sin of abortion.
I just can't do that. That is being presumptuous. And that's what we've got to be careful of when we get to something like the coronavirus. I've heard a preacher just this week say, If you want to be protected from the coronavirus, pay your tithes to your church and you will be protected.
How I wish I could say that. But I would be in danger of being struck dead by God for saying that, because God hasn't said that. We dare not speak what God has not spoken. The final truth is we can say with confidence that the coronavirus is not one of the plagues in Revelation. It's not one of the plagues we're looking at in chapters 6 through 19.
How can I say that with confidence? That's easy, because we're not yet in the tribulation. There is no antichrist ruling over the world.
There is no ten-nation confederacy. There is no temple that which he is going to defile. And most importantly, there has been no rapture of the church yet.
We're still here. So this coronavirus, whatever it is, is not one of the plagues mentioned in the book of Revelation. Well, pastor, how should we respond to this plague?
How do we avoid what I call the pandemic panic? You know, 2 Timothy 1.7 says, God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love and of power and of a sound mind. If you have panic in your life over this or something else that is just paralyzing you with fear, you can't even move.
You're scared to death. It's all you can think about. That doesn't come from God. God doesn't do that. That doesn't come from God.
You know, the Bible, I think, gives us two ways to handle a crisis like this. One way, the first way is through prayer. Philippians 4 says, don't worry about anything, Paul wrote. Instead, pray about everything.
Christians are not to worry. We are to pray. Pray for yourself. Pray for your family.
Pray for your country. I know, to unbelievers, that sounds like foolishness. Did you see in the media all of the ridicule leveled against Vice President Pence because he opened the first meeting of the coronavirus task force with a prayer? And the unbelievers, they absolutely ridiculed that idea.
Oh, I can't believe we're in so much trouble if we're having to pray and this and this and this Friday night on Fox. Jared asked me, Pastor, do you think the people who are criticizing the Vice President for Praying, are they just anti-religion? I said, no, they are anti-God.
They are atheists, every one of them. You can't be a believer in the true God. You can't do it and ridicule somebody who prays, regardless of their political affiliation. You just can't do it.
You can't do it. The Bible says we are to pray, not just about some things, we're to pray about everything. One of the greatest honors of my life was when I was invited to preach the inauguration sermon for the President and the Vice President, for their families and for the cabinet officers. And I talked about our need as a nation for God. And I quoted Ronald Reagan who said, God does not need America, but America needs God.
If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, we will truly be a nation gone under. And I thank God we have a Vice President like Mike Pence who understands the need we all have for God. We ought to be praying. We ought to pray. But prayer, although it's the first thing we should do, it's not the only thing we should do. The second thing I would add is precaution. Prayer and precaution. Again, 2 Timothy 1.7, God has given us not fear, but he has given us a sound mind. And he expects us to use that sound mind. You don't check your brain in at the door when you become a Christian. You need to think and act sensibly.
Make common sense precautions. That's not a lack of faith. That's just right thinking. I mean, you know, avoid shaking hands. If you feel funny about that, somebody's trying to shake your hand. Said, oh, I'd really love to, but the pastor told me I can't do that. Okay, you can blame it on me.
We're not shaking hands right now. Here's another thing. You know, stay away from sick people. Just stay away from them. Not only for your own protection, but for their protection. The people who are most in danger of dying from this virus are those who are already compromised.
And you could be carrying it and not even know it. And if you're around a sick person, you could give it to them. Our staff, we've told our staff, don't go to the hospital right now. Just don't go to the hospital. If we have somebody in the hospital, give them a call. Pray for them over the telephone.
And I'd say the same to you. Don't go see people in the hospital. I don't want some staff member coming back and infecting the rest of the staff who in turn infects the church as a whole. I mean, that would shut our church down.
That's just smart thinking. And I know some of you, you know, you're holier than God and you're thinking, oh, I can't believe that. Pastor telling us not to go visit the sick in the hospital. What would Jesus do?
News alert. You're not Jesus, okay? Nobody needs your divine touch. Your divine touch isn't going to make anybody well.
It may make them sick, okay? So just lay off that, okay, for a while. Well, I delivered this series on Revelation during the deepest season of the pandemic when emotional responses were running very high. And as you can tell, I'm only midway through this highly charged topic. And so I've set aside tomorrow's edition of Pathway to Victory so that you can hear the remainder of my message. And just before I turn things back over to David, I'd like to remind you that I've written a brand new book to complement our study in Revelation. If you believe you already have a copy, then think again.
This one is hot off the printing presses. The book is called Mysteries of the End Times, Five Little Known Truths About God's Plan for the Future. In my new book, we'll explore together five areas of Bible prophecy, such as the mystery of America in the end times and the mystery of the marriage supper of the Lamb. My new book is yours today when you give a generous gift to support the growing ministry of Pathway to Victory. It comes with my profound thanks because honestly, we couldn't provide these daily visits on radio and television without the financial partnership of friends like you. As you give generously today, be sure to ask for my new book, Mysteries of the End Times. You'll be encouraged to learn that because of your generosity, we're taking on new territory and pushing back against the evil one. But I can honestly tell you at Pathway to Victory, we are feeling the heat of spiritual opposition, and we truly need supportive partners like you.
So, thanks for reaching out today. Here's David with all the details. Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. When you support the ministry of Pathway to Victory by giving a generous gift, we'll say thanks by sending you a copy of Mysteries of the End Times. That's the brand new book by Dr. Robert Jeffress. Call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org.
Now, when you give an especially generous gift of $100 or more, you'll also receive the complete CD and DVD teaching sets for this month's series on the book of Revelation. Plus, we'll send you a copy of the bestselling book by Dr. Jeffress titled Final Conquest. One more time our phone number, 866-999-2965 or simply go to ptv.org. You could write to us, P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. Again, that's P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222.
I'm David J. Mullins. Join us again Tuesday when we continue to answer the question, Is the coronavirus a judgment from God? That's right here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. Imagine waking up to the sight of Alaska's majestic coastline or spotting wildlife from the deck of a luxurious cruise ship. Experience these unforgettable moments on the Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska with Dr. Robert Jeffress, June 15th through the 22nd, 2024. Leave the stress behind as you take in God's magnificent creation. Relax with us in Alaska and I guarantee you'll come home spiritually and physically refreshed. To book your spot on the 2024 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska, go to ptv.org.
