Signs of the Times

Plagues (Pestilences)

PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE:

In His sermon on the Mt. of Olives Jesus said that the first phase of the End Times would include pestilences, along with other signs of the times like false messiahs, wars, famines and earthquakes.

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these [are] the beginning of sorrows. - Matthew 24:5-8 (KJV)

Pestilences would include wild animals, pests, diseases and environmental hazards. These things have been problems in every age, but in these days there are major concerns about new diseases like AIDS and drug-resistant strains of old diseases like tuberculosis. Radiation from space, radio, television and cellular signals, and nuclear accidents are adding to the growing problem of cancer, which affects most families today. Terrorism and threats of war pose the additional nightmare of injury or death by nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

During the Tribulation, the Book of Revelation predicts even greater world-wide disasters, symbolized by the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" (Revelation 6:1-8). These disasters are a false messiah (white horse), a great war (red horse), famine (black horse), and then rampant sickness and death (pale horse).

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. - Revelation 6:7-8 (KJV)

Key Scriptures
Current Events
Links
Insight from 2012: The Year the World Didn't End
Insight From 2011 In Review: The Year In Prophecy
Radiation and the Fourth Horseman

See also these closely related signs:
Famines
Fearful Events


Key Scriptures

Click on one of these
references to see
the passage.
Thanks to the services of:

<I>Bible Gateway</I> And

<I>Blue Letter Bible</I>

Go To Bible GatewayGo To Blue Letter Bible
NIV & Other VersionsIncludes Commentary
Plagues (Pestilences)
Matthew 24:5-8 Further Study
Luke 21:11 Further Study
Revelation 6:7-8 Further Study

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Current Events

Prophetic Significance of Plagues and Pestilence

See also:
Emergency Preparedness
Cloning and Genetic Modification


Notice: Sources often remove their news links after a period of time. Some of them move older stories to a subscription-only section. Even if the story is no longer on line, our summary will still be available on this page.


See more recent articles: After January 1, 2013


Cellphones Can Cause Brain Tumors, Court Rules

Oct. 19, 2012 -
After reviewing medical evidence, Italy’s Supreme Court has ruled that mobile phones can cause brain tumors. It’s a landmark legal decision that experts say could open the floodgates for personal-injury and class-action lawsuits...
Source: NewsMax

Prophetic Significance of Plagues and Pestilences


The Armageddon virus: Why experts fear a disease that leaps from animals to humans could devastate mankind in the next five years

Oct. 17, 2012 - In the UK there have been two confirmed deaths caused by different diseases that have "jumped" from the animal population to infect humans. The first man apparently contracted a Sars-like disease in Afghanistan that had only previously been seen in bats.
Earlier this month a man from Glasgow died from a tick-borne disease that is widespread in domestic and wild animals in Africa and Asia.
He was apparently infected in Qatar.
Source: Daily Mail - UK



Deadly 'superbugs' on the rise: What you need to know

Sept. 18, 2012 - Seven people have died at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md. because of an antibiotic-resistant strain of pneumonia - Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC).

This situation raises other questions about the threat of deadly ‘superbugs.’

A notable example has been the rise of the “staph” germ known as MRSA - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – which caused unease after the CDC reported 18,650 American deaths from MRSA in 2005

Source: Fox

Number of West Nile cases has soared, CDC says

Aug. 22, 2012 - More than 1,100 cases of West Nile infections have been reported this year so far.
The latest CDC figures, released Wednesday, show that the national total for West Nile infections is three times as many as usually seen at this point in the year, officials said.
About half of the cases have been reported in Texas, but many others have been discovered in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and South Dakota.
Source: Washington Post

New mysterious AIDS-like disease found in Asians

Aug. 23, 2012 - A mysterious new disease has been identified but not understod. It has AIDS-like symptoms that damage the patients' immune systms, but does not seem to be contagious. Scores of people in Asia and some in the United States have the disease.
Researchers are calling this new disease an "adult-onset" immunodeficiency syndrome because it develops later in life and they don't know why or how.
Source: NY Daily News

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Plagues Links

World Health Organization
Anthrax - Wikipedia
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria - Better Health
What is Radiation Sickness? - Medical News Today
Fukishima Nuclear Disaster - Wikipedia


Radiation and the Fourth Horseman

Mar. 19, 2011 - While the nuclear reactors at Japan’s Fukushima plant are disintegrating and releasing radiation into the air, many are asking what Bible prophecy has to say about radiation in the End Times.

This is an area where it would be unwise to be dogmatic, but there are two possible connections to nuclear destruction from the account of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Revelation chapter 6 describes the early part of the Tribulation as a vision of four riders on different colored horses. First there is the rider on a white horse (verses 1-2), a mighty conqueror and apparent messiah who appears to be able solve the world’s problems, but in reality is a false savior – the “beast” of Revelation 13, who is often called Antichrist.

The second symbolic rider comes on a red horse (Revelation 6:3-4). This speaks of the ravages of a great world-wide war. It is not likely that this war is started by the rider on the white horse, since, as the previous verses indicate, he is seen as a messianic hero.

Jesus told us that the period leading up to the Tribulation would be characterized by “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6; Mark 13:7).

It is likely that this is the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39, which results in fiery destruction of the aggressors from the north when they try to conquer Israel. This could very possibly escalate to nuclear warfare, which involves more than one of the present-day nuclear powers. The emerging world dictator could take credit for the destruction of Israel’s invaders, or at least take advantage of the situation, to bring about the seven-year peace treaty between himself and Israel that was prophesied by Daniel. If this is the case, this war would take place at the very beginning of the seven years of the Tribulation. And, of course, if it involves a nuclear exchange, it will result in the release of unwanted radiation.

The third horse will be black, and it will bring great famine, probably as a result of the world war and continued global economic problems (Revelation 6:5-6).

The fourth horse brings a variety of deadly situations.

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. – Revelation 6:7-8

The color of the fourth horse is translated many ways. Some Bible versions translate it as “pale,” others as “ashen,” or “pale green.” The Greek word is chloros, “greenish.” It is the root of the well known “chlorophyll”, the tiny green chemical converters in the leaves of most plants.

Chloros also suggests deadly chlorine gas, which is pale green in color and quickly fatal to all who breathe it. The intended picture here is a sickly pale green that symbolizes death as a result of the terrors of nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare.

Therefore, one of the main causes of this Fourth Horseman’s deadly mission might be radiation and the cancer that it produces. This radiation could be the result, not only of nuclear weapons, but of damaged nuclear power plants as well. And these catastrophes could be caused by terrorism or natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis.

One other possibility for the meaning of the green horse has been suggested by some Bible teachers in the light of the growing threat by Islamic radical terrorists. They wonder if the green could come from the well-known fact that Islamic countries all use green in their flags and seem to prefer that color. Time will tell if there is any connection here.

More related information is available in our book, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy.

Source: Ron's Blog


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Last Updated: 2/27/13
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