As the delta variant of the coronavirus spreads, many Americans resist COVID-19 vaccines, some citing the uncertainty of long-termside effects, otherslacking trust in the medical field. Within that overall decrease, the Bible centered segment was most impacted, decreasing by 9.7 million. From a Christian perspective, one often has growth through suffering.. But the decline continued during the initial months of the coronavirus pandemic, and by June, the percentage of daily Bible users had dropped to 8.5 percent. As of September 10, 2021 63% of the US population over 12 has been fully Heres a list of referents Ive seen for 666: Caligula, Domitian, Caesar God, Lateinos (the Roman Empire), beast, Antemus, Phoebus, Gensericus, Balaam, Mohammed, Martin Luther, Oliver Cromwell, Kaiser (Wilhelm), Hitler, the Nicolaitans, Euanthas, Teitan (Titans), the initials of the Roman emperors from Julius Caesar to Vespasian (minus Otho and Vitellius), the triangular number of 36 which is the triangular number of 8 which is significant because 8 is associated with Gnosticism or because the Antichrist in Revelation 17 is called the eighth king, the Latin Kingdom, the Italian Church, various Popes, all the Popes, the phrase Vicar of the Son of God and phrases like it, Ronald Reagan, and William Jefferson Clinton. Does COVID-19 Fulfill Biblical Plague Prophecies? The virus racked the country, and shutdowns took an economic toll and isolated people in their homes. They Cases over time can be viewed using two date options, Symptom Onset Date or Date of Report, and they can also be viewed by county. Although the coronavirus is the most disastrous plague that has impacted humanity this century, there is no evidence in the Bible to suggest that COVID-19 is one of the plagues prophesied in Scripture. It is actually diabolically and utterly opposed to God (13:4). Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:6-7. And again. But there are questions to ask of his critique as well. First, it is far from certain that most of Johns audience would have known Hebrew. The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics helps Christians show unbelievers the truth, goodness, and beauty of the gospel as the only hope that fulfills our deepest longings. Retrieved from Evans said he suspects that the"mark of the beast" popularity stems from an adherence to a social or political identity. On Sept. 20, PfizerBioNTech released data that its vaccine was safe for children ages 5 to 11. Thats consistent with previous findings that practicing Christian millennials know the Bible as well as or better than their parents and grandparents. vaccinated as soon as possible. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2, and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses. VanderWeele was on board. this article on our website: What Does the Bible Some have been repeated by large media That being said, the Bible also offers scriptures that speak of Gods love and protection during pandemics and other catastrophes. That increases to over 92% if the 55-64 age group is included. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Frequent Bible readers rated themselves 33 points more hopeful than irregular Scripture readers did in two surveys of more than 1,000 people done six months apart. By releasing data weekly, Oklahomans will get a better picture of what is happening throughout the state. The first survey was in January and the second was in June, when the total number of confirmed cases passed 2.5 million and the World Health Organization tallied more than 125,000 American deaths. In January, women were slightly more Bible engaged than men (19.1% vs. 18.8%) and 2 percent more likely than men to be Bible centered (a Barna and ABS designation for individuals with the highest level of influence from Scripture in their daily lives). Any or all of these may serve as background imagery for these verses, but the mark in reality is not a visible mark. In our day, the beast may not directly instruct us to worship the state or the president, but he still functions as the mouthpiece for the Devil. Evans said that lack of trust in the government and medical field is a driving force behind the "mark of the beast" belief. . Forty is a composite number, a refactorable number, an octagonal number, andas the sum of the first four pentagonal numbers: + + + = it is a pentagonal pyramidal number. What You Should Know About Biblical Complementarianism, Liberalism Is (Still) a Threat to Fundamentalism. VanderWeele notes, though, that the data showed wide variance in economic impact. All of these solutions are calculated by a process known as gematria. The same journal published that the Johnson &Johnson single dose shotprovided protection against the virus and was effective against hospitalization and death. The church is symbolized with pictures (the 24 elders, the two witnesses, the woman) and a number (144,000). pandemic and let us return to life as normal. A religion scholar explains why the biblical reference should be considered in its first-century context. Overall, about a fifth (22%) of US adults interact with the Bible multiple times a week, not counting Scripture use at church, according to a January survey. anyone who predicts the end is near. ]. tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough maimed and killed many people. Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! On a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being the most hopeful, Americans who report reading the Bible three or four times per year scored 42; people who read monthly scored 59; weekly, 66; and multiple times per week, 75. The World Health Organization has given this particular coronavirus the acronym COVID-19 for "coronavirus disease 2019". No one knows exactly where this imagery comes from or if it even has allusion to anything in the first century. In May, Feaman wrote on his blog of Gov. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/most-covid-19-cases-are-spread-by-people-without-symptoms 22:6 "And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent . COVID-19 has exposed numerous inequities in our system, where low-income residents and people of color have higher risk of death from COVID-19 than whites and areas of low poverty. The churches have an important and profound role in contributing to peoples well-being in generaland especially so during this time, he said. Somevaccine resisters have been galvanized by the idea thatthe shot isthe "mark of the beast.". social media. We were created to worship God. The BOP has received 387,087 doses and . ", "The Bible speaks of someone identified as the 'Antichrist'and he will require people have a 'mark'that people will receive to buy and sell," Laurie told USA TODAY in an email. (Matthew 24:27, 24:36-39, 24:44). Does the Bible Mention What to Give Up for Lent? citizens and noncitizens, even for people without insurance. In doing so, we will publish COVID-19 data once a week, on Thursday. Some people are at higher risk of more severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19 infection than others. Thats what prompted these three posts on how to read the book of Revelation. (not representing all COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong) 107. to be highly effective for preventing disease, and The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is beginning its transition toward the endemic phase of this pandemic. 2 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), How to You cannot tell the difference between flu and COVID-19 by symptoms alone because some of the symptoms are the same. Do people actually cite this as a reason to avoid the shot? In the second half of chapter 13, we are introduced to a beast from the earth. so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name (vv. But apparently the spike in curiosity didnt translate into engagement. More than 80% of deaths occur in people aged 65 and over. What Does the Bible Chris Hall, president of the spiritual formation ministry Renovar, said disruption of life rhythms likely hurt Bible engagement. According to Evans' studies, the majority of "mark of the beast" believers appear to be politically conservative and from Protestant Christianbackgrounds. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Fact check: Ivermectin is not a proven treatment for COVID-19, 'A nightmare': Pregnant unvaccinated nurse and her unborn 'sweet baby girl' die of COVID-19, "Theres no indication that the vaccine matches the mark described by the Apostle John. The Africa Bible Commentary puts it well: The beast seems to be near perfection and almost messianic; it is, after all, a caricature of the Lamb who was slain (13:3, 11, 13). "People read erroneous comments and believe they are true," he said. A possible corroboration for this view can be found in the Latin version of his name. of the world's population. This two-phase study is unique, though, because it assessed people before and after the coronavirus pandemic hit the US. In acute hospitals, 12,582 confirmed cases . The second beast lives wherever the Devil entices people to worship something man-made, to make an idolatrous image out of anything other than Jesus Christ, who alone is the image of the invisible God. Learn more >>. Rev. that could make them very sick or even kill them? Statistics on COVID-19. [ This article is also available in In the first century, this meant that the religious establishment convinced people that they should worship statues and images of Caesar. We should expect them to talk about the cross. "In Revelation 14,we learn thatthose who take the mark are doomed," he said. Please make sure all fields are filled out. Other reasons Smith has heard for not getting vaccinated include: not wanting to get microchipped, it's outside their world view, vaccines were developed too fast, they haven't gotten sick, they're not high-risk, they don't trust the government and they readthat people have died from the vaccine. But it is close to perfection, and has most of the hallmarks of truth, and so can easily deceive. Im sure there are more. The researchers soon realized that since they used the human flourishing measures in the January study, they had inadvertently set a comparison point to measure how people were doing during COVID-19. On the 1-to-100 scale, non-Christians scored about 50, non-practicing Christians scored 57, and Christians who regularly participate in the life of a local congregation scored 66. Let's look at seven reasons God sends disease and trouble in the Bible: 1. This study supports the idea that the church plays a significant role in benefitting peoples wellbeing and Scripture engagement, said John Farquhar Plake, ABS director of ministry intelligence. that killed large numbers of people. The findings are consistent with other studies on the impact of religious affiliation and human flourishing, according to VanderWeele. There are also a number of treatments available. Even young and healthy people can be infected with COVID-19. The number forty appears many times in the Bible: Forty days and nights of rain during the flood Moses lived forty years in Egypt Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai The Jews journeyed through the desert for forty years to the Promised Land Jonah preached forty days to Nineveh They even have a greater sense of financial and material stability compared to those who dont attend church or engage with the Bible. Praying the passage and coming up with an illustration are two ways of mediating suggested by Whitney. What have we seen with this second beast? In the New Testament, there is mention of plagues that will act as key signs that will herald the end times and the coming of Jesus Christ. Local believers and their Syrian colleagues serve Christians and Muslims alike in cooperative effort at relief aid. Vaccines for COVID-19, September 1, 2021, Retrieved from What Is the Significance of Not the Letter but of the Spirit? If you take the Greek Neron Kaisar and transliterate it into Hebrew you get 50+200+6+50 and then 100+60+200, all of which together equals 666. She said vaccines are not a magical shot that cures all, but they're one of many tools to fight the virus. people around the world. As the spread of the coronavirus continues, both Christians and non-believers alike ask themselves, Does this fulfill biblical plague prophecies?. Franais,and The number 666 is man's number (cf. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Government's COVID-19 Vaccine/Therapeutics Operation (formerly known as Operation Warp Speed), to ensure the BOP administers the COVID-19 vaccine in accordance with available guidance. This resource from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a wide range of national, state, and community COVID-19 data. US AMA: COVID-19 vaccines: patient FAQs However, Jesus made it clear that we cannot know when the end will come In times of trial and trouble, many Americans turn to the Bible for encouragement. So he asked his dad: "Is this the end of the world?". spread of diseases if a high percentage of people are vaccinated.6. #BibleStudy #Amen #Love #Christian #VictoryinJesus. 3 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The Devil doesnt care if people believe in God. Because of its references to 'diseases' and 'plagues', it seems to be designed for what the world is going through at the moment with the coronavirus. The ABS researchers, poised to publish their study of Bible usage, had another thought: What if, instead of releasing their new data the week of Easter, they held on to it and did a second survey? In the middle of a global pandemic, a contentious election, and social unrest, the American Bible Society (ABS), with assistance from Harvard Universitys Human Flourishing Program, found a strong correlation between Scripture reading and hope. systems. I started this series when the whole world was talking about COVID-19, and some people were wondering if the signs of Revelation were unfoldingor would soon unfoldbefore our eyes. Entire countries went under lockdown to stop the virus from spreading but . Misinterpretations ofRevelation13:16-18 can stem from social media where people can spread unreliable information, according to Laurie. "All these are the beginnings of sorrows." The passage is attributed to Jesus Christ who told his followers what to expect before his second coming. If the first beast is the perversion of the state, the second beast is the perversion of true worship. What could be more loving than wearing a mask and COVID misinformation: FDA warns about ivermectin as COVID treatment. When it says, let him calculate the number, the solution is given in the next line. Hotline: (314) 657-1499 Mondays-Fridays 8am-5pm More emergency resources and contacts COVID-19 Data New Cases 52.4 /100k 7-day total of new PCR positive cases per 100k people New Hospital Admissions 10.9 /100k 7-day total of new hospital admissions for COVID-19 per 100k people % Staffed Inpatient Beds 4.1% the COVID-19 vaccines. The beast may look a lamb, but if you are discerning, you will hear that the voice is the voice of a dragon. In kindness, I answered, 'no' and thought little more about it. The study also found that social connectedness didnt decline as much as one might expect. Madeline is in recovery from burnout, chronic depression, and anxiety. People with COVID-19 might not have any symptoms. National Data Resources CDC COVID Data Tracker. "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father." 1 Timothy 5:1. How false worship today resembles false worship in the Old Testament. Nero killed himself in AD 68, but it was rumored that he would come back to life or was still living, just like the beast received a fatal wound that was healed. If 7 is the number for God, then 6 is the number of that most resembles, but is not, Godnamely, man. The researchers have not shown that Bible reading or Christian worship causes human flourishing, only that the two things happen in related ways. COVID-19 vaccination named missional priority This beast is broadly representative of the political sphere. without symptoms, May 1, 2021, Retrieved from Psalm 91 is a beautiful song that speaks of trust in God in the darkest of times. Likewise, false religion is symbolized by a picture (the beast) and a number (666). Coronavirus has infected more than 85,000 people and killed at least 2,933. Idolatry will boast of great accomplishments, even miracles. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end wont follow immediately.. New Delhi: China's number of working people has fallen by more than 41 million in the past three years, reflecting both the coronavirus pandemic's toll on the economy and a decline in the working age population, according to a report. By June, after months of quarantine and church closures, that figure was down to 22.6 percent. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. According to Romans 8:20-21, plagues are a consequence of Adams fall from grace in the Garden of Eden: For the creationwas subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. He entices us to make money the desire of our hearts. Theapocalyptic biblical term comes from Revelation 13: 16-18. Dont let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Messiah, and saying, The time has come! But dont believe them. ; Coronavirus.gov: Public information provided by the U.S. government related to Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19); CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Current public health and safety information on COVID-19. But it is not perfect, and that makes all the difference. The pandemicand now this surveyhave shown that when relational church engagement goes up, so does Scripture engagement, but when it goes down, Scripture engagement drops with it.. Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible(Matthew 19:26). The company received its full stamp of approval from theFood and Drug Administration late last month. FACT: The COVID-19 vaccine will not affect fertility. "Anyone who is telling you not to get the vaccine is either lying to you or an idiotor a combination of the two. Or, you can text the keyword LACOVID to 898-211 for . Some 733.5 million Chinese people were employed in 2022, reported Bloomberg, citing the country's . now controlled or eliminated those diseases as major threats.5, We now have vaccines that have the ability to put an end to the COVID-19 still infect other people nearby, including people in high-risk categories. So if we can find a religious-like feeling in political activism or spirituality in the entertainment industry or experience transcendence in art or make a god out of the family, then the Devil has won. people are more hopeful when they read Scripture more frequently, National Well-Being Measures Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Online Samples, With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal, A Christian Approach to Social Justice Is Slow, Careful, and Self-Reflective, Our Attraction to Idols Remains the Same, Even When the Names Change, Turkish Christians Plead: Dont Distribute Bibles After Earthquake, After Pushing for UMC Unity, Former Bishop Joins New Denomination, Everything Everywhere All at Once and the Beautiful Mystery of Gods Silence, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. Remember, the first beast is the perversion of the state, and the second beast is the perversion of Christianity. No wonder wisdom is required! Ive been told it is.' This highly infectious virus was first contracted in November 2019 in Wuhan, the capital city of Chinas Hubei province, through animal to human contact at the Huananseafood market. By the end of September, 56% ofpeople in the USAare projected to be fully vaccinated and 59% by Jan. 1, 2022, according to data from the, wrote anop-ed in August for the Midland Reporter-Telegram, Ivermectin is not a proven treatment for COVID-19, Pregnant unvaccinated nurse and her unborn 'sweet baby girl' die of COVID, What we know about the mu variant and why Fauci is 'keeping a very close eye on it', Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. This figure uses a 7-day rolling average to show the daily number of all COVID-19 deaths and COVID-19 deaths among residents of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) over time. website: Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering? Nero fits with the story line of Revelation better than the other alternatives. According to the Apostle John in the New International Version Bible,a pair of beasts will rule the Earth with cruelty. And with good reason, according to a new study. There are other scriptures in the Bible, where God declares plagues over nations as an act of divine judgment for disobedience. Turn!," the Pete Seeger song that became a hit for the Byrds. Here's my humble opinion (he said humbly! It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived (vv. The most well-known of these is Revelation 6:8: I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! If the plague prophesied in Revelation 6:8 were to be that of the coronavirus, the death toll of 267,771, as of May 7, 2020, would have to be much higher for it to be true. The Weekly Epidemiological Update provides an overview of the global, regional and country-level COVID-19 cases and deaths, highlighting key data and trends; as well as other pertinent epidemiological information concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. More than a third (35%) of Americans say they never read the Bibleunchanged from last year but up from 25 percent at the annual reports inception in 2011. Of 8,545 Covid-19 deaths in Ireland, 2,323 or over 27% were in nursing homes. For that reason, we need not fear a wrathful God, rather we can rejoice in a God of grace and mercy, who forgives us for our sins and transgressions.