Greg's Notes

Is Coronavirus a Sign of the End Times?

Luke 21, Matthew 16
Series:

I heard a story about some Christians who were standing by the side of a road holding up a sign. It was a hand-lettered sign with these words: “The End Is Near. Turn Around Before It’s Too Late.” Some guy drove by them, hit the brakes, rolled down his window, and yelled, “You stupid Christians! Why don’t you just leave people alone?” He rolled up his window and gunned it! A couple of moments passed and there was a loud splash. One of the Christians turned to the other and said, “Maybe our sign should just say ‘Bridge Out’ instead.”

There are a lot of signs out there, and it’s good to read them. There are a lot of warning indicators that are essentially telling us to get ready because Jesus Christ is coming back again.

Practical Principles

  1. There are signs of the times to look for. Jesus warned that before the end, there would be an increase of wars, a movement toward a one-world government, an increase of plagues and earthquakes, etc. The Bible compares the end-times events to the labor pains of a woman who is ready to give birth. 
  2. Coronavirus can be used to get people’s attention. A stunning 43% of poll respondents said they believe the coronavirus and resulting economic meltdown are a wake-up call for us to turn back to faith in God.
  3. This isn’t the end, but I believe it’s getting close. I think we are seeing things that will ultimately lead to that moment when Christ returns. Plagues and disasters and other signs are happening closer together, with greater intensity.

 

Relevant Reminders

  • The main events of the end times are like dominoes. Once the first domino falls, all of the other dominoes will fall in rapid succession.
  • The constraining force in the world today is the Holy Spirit working through the church. Once the church is caught up to meet the Lord in the air, all hell will break loose on earth.
  • The word rapture comes from the Latin root word rapturus, and that comes from the Greek word harpazo, which means to be taken away by force.
  • When a Christian dies, they are taken immediately into the presence of God.

Applicable Actions

When we talk about things like this, it makes us want to be closer to God. Talking about the Lord’s imminent return makes us want to be closer to Him. It reminds us there is a God and His Word can be trusted when we see Bible prophecy being fulfilled before our very eyes. Colossians 3 says, “Set your mind on things above” or another way to translate it, “Think heaven.” Seeing these signs reminds us to keep our focus heavenward.