Swine Flu, Pandemics and Bible Prophecy
A commentary by Don Hooser
Good News magazine writer, Bellingham, Washington
 Some
health officials fear that the current outbreak of swine flu may already
be pandemic. A pandemic is a global epidemic,
one that spreads from nation to nation.
Our world today is so interconnected that even the threat of a pandemic
causes immediate community reactions. Schools, day-care centers, restaurants
and stores close. Transportation and other basic services are curtailed.
Church services and social gatherings are canceled. Businesses are hampered
or shut down by manpower shortages.
Swine flu threat
Swine influenza virus is common in pigs but rare in humans. Even when
people with intense exposure to swine influenza catch it, it usually
is not passed from human to human.
But that has changed!
A new strain of the influenza
A subtype H1N1 virus, derived in part from human
influenza, avian
(bird) influenza and two separate strains of swine influenza,
is now passing from one human to another. The first symptoms appeared
March 9 when hundreds of people in the Mexican town of La Gloria began
having flu symptoms. La Gloria is surrounded by huge pig farms.
As of April 29, that flu had spread to at least nine countries. In
the United States, there are more than 100 confirmed cases in 11 states
and there has been one death.
World Health Organization concerns
The World Health Organization (WHO) rates potential influenza pandemics
according to phases. On April 29, WHO raised the swine flu alert level
to phase 5, the next-to-highest level, which means that a possible pandemic
could be imminent and the need for preparedness is urgent.
Phase 6 would mean a global pandemic is officially underway.
Three influenza pandemics occurred in the past century. The Spanish
flu in 1918-19 was terribly virulent and deadly, affecting half the
world's population. The estimates of the number killed range from
20 to 100 million worldwide. The Asian flu in 1957-58 caused 70,000
deaths, and the Hong Kong flu in 1968-69 caused 33,000 deaths.
Response paralysis
Fear of a disease pandemic can paralyze a nation more completely than
a large natural disaster confined to one area.
With major earthquake or hurricane destruction, injuries and deaths
mostly occur suddenly. Rescue and recovery efforts begin immediately.
Volunteers come pouring in from near and far. Generous donations of
resources like money, equipment and supplies are made available.
But with a major pandemic, every region of a nation can be affected,
possibly for months. Just when more medical care is needed, many medical
personnel would become sick. Hospitals would be overwhelmed. If every
city is affected, no city could expect to receive much help from other
cities.
Because all parts of advanced societies are interconnected and interdependent,
there is the domino effect. A breakdown in one area hurts many other
areas.
Future pandemics
There is reason to anticipate even more serious pandemics in the future.
God has promised blessings, including protection, for those who love
and obey Him. But Bible prophecy predicts eventual punishment for nations
that turn their backs on God and His Word—a trend that is becoming
all too common in our modern society.
Those divine punishments for not keeping "all the words of this
law that are written in this book" will include "extraordinary
plagues—great and prolonged plagues—and serious and prolonged
sicknesses" (Deuteronomy 28:58-59).
So what can you do? Do your best to stay in good health and practice
all the usual safety precautions for avoiding contagious diseases. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide good advice at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/.
But the most important thing you can do is to have faith in God and
rely on Him to be your Protector and Savior. Consider the reassuring
words of Psalm 91 that describe how God is able to protect those who
obey Him from the heart in all circumstances:
"Surely He shall deliver you...from the perilous pestilence… You
shall not be afraid...of the pestilence... A thousand may fall at your
side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near
you… No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near
your dwelling" (Psalm 91:3-10).
  To learn more about biblical prophecy and promises related to the last
days, request or download our free booklets Are
We Living in the Time of the End? and You
Can Understand Bible Prophecy.
Related Resources
GN
Commentary: April 30, 2009 - Swine Flu Turns Deadly in the U.S.
Real comfort must come from knowing that a better day is approaching when Jesus
Christ will return with the real answers for the world's problems. The
Bible speaks of a place where death, tragedy and disease will be no more.
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?
Swine Flu Brings Fear of Global Pandemic
Fear! Health alert! Pandemic! These are the alarming words in the headlines
as the world begins to address the outbreak of a new strain of swine
flu virus. Are we on the verge of the oft-predicted next great pandemic
of flu that could kill millions? Or will it turn out to be a milder
form that tapers off in a few weeks? We don't know, and by the present
news accounts, the experts are not sure.
The
Horsemen of Revelation: The Pale Horse of Pestilence
What does the fourth, the pale green horse and its rider, signify?
Has
Jesus Christ's Olivet Prophecy Been Fulfilled?
Jesus Christ gave a detailed prophecy of the future of Judea and Jerusalem
in Matthew 24. What does history tell us about this prophecy's fulfillment?
Deadly
Diseases: Again a Threat to Humanity?
Through the centuries, man's greatest threat often has not been natural
disasters or warfare, but the microscopic creatures with which we share
the earth. When epidemics break out, man has often been able to do little
other than let the epidemics run their deadly course. Has the threat
disappeared, or is it lurking in the background, waiting to strike again?
You
Can Understand Bible Prophecy
Prophecy is an integral part of the Bible, God's inspired revelation to mankind.
Through it God reveals Himself, His plan for humanity and why we are here.
Are
We Living in the Time of the End?
Religious people aren't the only ones asking this crucial question.
Many recognize that we live in an increasingly dangerous world.
|
