June 29, 2020 - The Corona Virus Disease, or COVID-19 Epidemic
The corona of the sun is the ring of flames that extend outward from the surface of the sun. If you look at a picture of the sun where the circular disc - the actual sphere of the sun - is blocked out, the corona essentially looks like a ring of flames at any rate. As we know, during certain rare Solar Eclipses the sphere of the moon blocks the sphere of the sun so perfectly and exactly that you see only the corona for a fleeting time.
Once in 2009 I decided to fast and pray. I was concerned about what was coming for the world because times were economically pretty rough right then, and also they seemed like spiritually dangerous times to me and quite a few others. I stuck with the fast pretty well. Only one thing happened during that fast, which was a fairly long one for me. On the 9th day, if memory serves, I was sitting up in a chair, dozing off to sleep, and in a dream the sun suddenly came at me through the sky and over the top of my head and it was about as large as an orange held at arm's length, and was blacked out except for the corona. And in this little dream, which lasted about 3 seconds and startled me awake, there was a noise like if you waved a flaming torch in the air. That was it. It was the only 'spiritual' occurrence during the 9 day fast, if it even was a spiritual occurrence. There was no 'voice of God' or anything like that. I could not attach any meaning to it then, nor do I know even now that it had any. But it was, in a sense, a corona coming towards me. I have wondered since then if it was a hint, but do not know. But it makes me wonder if our experience with this Corona Virus is something God had in mind to send upon the world, or merely something He is allowing, whether naturally occurring or a manipulation performed by shadowy organizations.
Without minimizing the importance of the death of those who have died from this virus, I will say that it hasn't been as deadly initially as a great many others that have swept through humanity. But it is widely spread, has been the principal cause of death for many well loved people, and it isn't over yet as I write this on June 29, 2020. Additionally, the governmental responses to the COVID-19 epidemic have been crippling to the normal way of life in most nations around the globe. So, it's a pretty serious plague, all things considered.
Sometimes plagues have come upon man in response to evil behavior on our part. And there are many categories of evil behavior. One is misuse of our bodies, which the Christian scriptures say are a sort of temple meant to be inhabited by the Holy Spirit that proceeds forth from the Father and which Christians believe they receive upon acceptance of the New Covenant and baptism. From the Christian viewpoint the Holy Spirit is pure and holy and we are not to live in a corrupted or impure way because we have been allowed to be hosts to this powerful and holy expression of God's being. Yet, we are living in impure times, and we Christians are certainly part of the problem. Cinema, TV, magazines and books, some radio shows, and much that is on the internet all add to the growing impurity of humanity in our times.
So, IF this is sent by God, not just allowed by God, did He let us know exactly why? I do not know but was sort of looking for some recognizable link to the Bible, which I believe to be God's actual word to man.
I did notice one thing, which I will share: The meaning of the medical name COVID-19 is Corona Virus Disease from 2019. But, the C and O are the beginning letters of both Collosians and Corinthians, which are books of the Bible's New Testament. The V and I form the Roman numerals VI which denotes the number 6. And of the possibilities I considered and looked at, 1 Corinthians 6:19 came the closest to seeming like a possible link between scripture and verse and the Corona Virus. I was just looking into it and don't mean to say that this is anything but a speculative look at it. But here is 1Corinthians 6:19, shown within chapter 6 of the King James Version, to consider:
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
End Quote
So, whether or not God intended us to see this particular possible Biblical connection (and I repeat, it was just a human speculation and nothing more) these verses probably, just on their own merits and their applicability to our decaying American morals, are a particularly good portion of God's word to consider and show to our children as we Christians sit it out with our families at home during the unwinding of the Corona Virus epidemic.
I hope we Christian believers will all pray for the welfare of our fellow Christian believers, the welfare of Israel, and the rest of the world's people as well, during this unusual time. May the trials it presents somehow be outweighed by the Gospel spreading opportunities it presents and any other positive changes it may spur into existence.