This is a tough question at a crucial time as the world continues to grapple with the spread of COVID-19, a coronavirus disease that affects the human respiratory system. The world had handle pandemics before but this novel disease is overwhelming the world in speed which our developed modern science could not contain as at now.

          The disease is so powerful that even USA the most powerful country with highly sophisticated medical services and world-renowned scientists, with tens of thousands of infected people and thousands of recorded deaths cannot fight it off. Every world power is grappling with this covid-19 that has no regard for presidents, PMs, the rich or the poor. The riches and powers of the so called first world countries are faltering at the spreading powers of this disease and the death rates are climbing. Considering this fact one could rightly surmise that there must be superior powers behind this worldwide calamity—powers jeering at the foolishness of the human race who thought themselves wiser because of their scientific powers.

          This begs the question is God punishing the evil world? For we who are Christians we knew God’s fourfold judgment of the old times to punish by the ‘Sword, Famine, Pestilence and Wild Beast. Now we know God is angry with the world, but is He now punishing all of us with incurable disease that spreads faster than the air we breathe? One could rightly think so, but considering the atoning power of Christ for the human race this should not be seen as such.

          The Holy Bible let us know that God cannot be tempted with evil and Himself tempts no one with evil, so He could not have sent disease to punish the evil world. God communed with Abraham in the Old Testament that for the sake of just five righteous persons in Sodom and Gomorrah He would spare the country. We are more than just five righteous people of God in the world today and God knows whatever sun that shines on the evil people will also shines on the righteous people as long as we are all together in the world. Jesus clearly stated in the parable of the seed and weed that both will grow together lest in weeding out the weeds one weeds out the seed also. So both must grow to state of harvest and bee harvested separately, the weeds will go to the fire while the seeds will go to the storehouse for safe keeping.

          God is God over everything, indeed His anger is burning against the evil sinful world but his wrath is yet to be poured on earth. Nature can revolt against human world to herald God’s anger; pestilences can burst out heralding God’s anger but none of them are directly His making. There are forces ever waiting on God’s anger to bring evil down on those concerned. The Bible revealed a mysterious scene in heaven where God said (to all spirits, both good and evil spirits) who can entice King Ahab to go and perish in battle. The Bible said a spirit came out and said he would be a lying spirit on the lips of King Ahab’s prophet and make them prophesy false to him to go to battle and triumph. Even at this God sent Prophet Isaiah to warn the proud evil King of Israel not to Go to battle, that it was an evil spirit that put lies on the lips of his four hundred prophets. Of course, Ahab did not listen but went to war and perished—it wasn’t God’s fault.

          The embers of the Covid-19 is being fanned by spiritual forces of wickedness and now we Christians are suffering too from it—this is a wakeup call to all of us to fight this fight on behalf of the lamenting world. We must fight for the peace of ‘Jerusalem’ for in her shall we find peace too. Of course, at the end of the battle the scientists and politicians will claim they won by their wisdom. Don’t worry, we are the true warrior and our weapons are not carnal, they will bring down the strong hold of this coronavirus in Jesus name.  

Samuel Olusegun Akinola

https://solatsmagazine.com/2020/03/24/is-god-punishing-the-world-with-disease/

Samuel is a prolific and talented writer and media artist and a minister of the Gospel of Christ Jesus. He has built a career as a professional writer, content creator, graphic designer, web designer, photographer, videographer, and computer tutor. https://trilovemedia.com/samuel-olusegun-akinola/