Christians Should Join Together Rejecting the COVID-19 End-Times Hype

By -
It's August 2020 and the COVID-19 crisis is still ongoing now, isn't it? Well, it's very easy to start off with another "end times" hype, right? The big problem for some time and a big sign of the last days is the end-times hype. Yes, it's a sign of the last days. The Bible uses the term "last days" a lot and Paul warned Timothy of the last days. Did it seem to be a prophecy for centuries after Timothy would have died? It would be doubtful since Paul was giving Timothy advice on how to live in the last days. Yes, the last days already started ever since Jesus ascended into Heaven. We don't know when's the last of the last days. Unfortunately, some people like the late Harold Camping just love to make up speculations. Even some fake Rapture dates were made. Who can ever forget the fake assumption that the Rapture would hit last December 21, 2012? Guess what? It's already past December 21, 2012, and it's been seven years since that date. We're not yet in the Millennium Kingdom! Also, if the Rapture did hit last December 21, 2012, then Jesus' statement that only the Father knows would be wrong. 

Now, it's very easy to link COVID-19 as a sign of a nearing New World Order. It's no joke that the New World Order is around the corner. However, you may ask that it's been past the year 2000 A.D. and why hasn't it been formed yet? It's because while the New World Order is corrupting people through media - it's because the Chruch is still present. As long as the Church is around then the New World Order won't be able to form. 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 that the day will not come until the Rapture. The Church itself is a big stumblingblock to the ways of Satan. Why do you think Nero decided to get rid of what could be considered or what looks like an insignificant minority? It's because that "insignificant" minority was a big stumblingblock to Nero's plans. The same thing is applied today with the persecution of Christians. There's a quote by J. Vernon McGee that one with God is a majority. Christians in God are a majority which makes them not an insignificant minority. However, can we link COVID-19 to the New World Order? In truth, it's best not to speculate.

David W. Cloud of Way of Life Literature really has some sound advice. In his article "Conspiracies, Conspiracies, Conspiracies" - we can read this very sound advice that we can use in these times of crisis:
Some people are drawn to this type of thing like flies to honey, and nothing can convince them to stay away from it. They love to stay in a tizzy about this or that conspiracy. They live to re-broadcast conspiracies from their own little social media publishing forum. 
There is always some truth to a conspiracy theory. In fact, sometimes there is a lot of truth. But for what it’s worth, I’ll give you four of many reasons why I don’t pay attention to the constant stream of conspiratorial pandering and why I have zero attraction to web sites and social media pages that specialize in them. 
First, they aren’t ultimately provable. 
Second, I couldn’t do anything about them even if they were true. 
Third, it is mentally distracting and discouraging for no good reason. 
Fourth, I want my focus to be on God and His control of things. I intend to keep my mind focused on the fact the times overall (Da. 2:21) and my times in particular (Ps. 31:15) are in God’s hands, not in the hands of the the government or the United Nations or a deep state cabal or Bill Gates or the Bilderbergs or whatever. I want to be constantly in mind of the fact that as a born again believer in Jesus Christ, I am foreknown, predestinated, called, justified, and glorified (Romans 8:29-30) (all in aorist tense and therefore accomplished facts in God’s eyes). As the called according to God’s purpose and as a lover of God by redemption, I know that all things work together for my good, and that is what I intend to focus on, and I will not allow anything to interfere with that confidence.
David J. Stewart is a big hypocrite to post conspiracy theories (a lot like the late Jack T. Chick does) then he ends up warning about the fake end-times hype. Yes, Stewart is a hypocrite who speaks from both sides of his mouth! Back to Cloud, he really made four real powerful points especially when he mentions that God is ultimately in control and not man. Nobody should care about stuff like what if the COVID-19 is a genetically engineered virus by the Jesuits or by the Illuminati. The whole idea is ultimately unprovable. The only thing provable about the COVID-19 is that diseases are but a consequence of Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden. The proof of sin in man is evidenced by diseases and death, If you don't die young then you will grow old. Do you realize that growing old is slowly weakening the body from within? The white hair and wrinkled skin are evidence of slowly having an appointment with the grave if the person doesn't die young. Getting sick and growing old are both agents of decay. Eventually, the body rots because the payment for sin is death. That's why Jesus had to die on the cross in order to pay for the penalty of sin!

While conspiracy theories do contain some truth but you can't trust a broken clock. A broken clock may tell the truth sometimes but you can't trust it because of it being broken. Can you trust a quack doctor to give you the right diagnosis because there was a time that he or she was right? The same goes for websites and books rooted in conspiracy theories rather than focusing on the Word of God. That's why it's an excellent choice to retire from conspiracy theories to primarily focus on God's Word!

Jun Divierte in his article "Covid-19 Vaccine, Microchip, and the Antichrist" has written this very sound advice about COVID-19 conspiracy theories:
This wrong biblical interpretation was written by some extreme believers who are twisting the pretribulationist view. It is true that for the educated pretribulationist eschatologist they believe that there will be a rapture, a revealing of a literal antichrist in person introducing the mark of the beast but this will not happen before the construction of the literal Jerusalem temple takes place. And after the seven years of great tribulation, the battle of armageddon and the millennial reign of Christ will follow. Although, some mid-tribulationist and post-tribulationist will disagree with the dispensation and occurence. However, educated pretribulationist will strongly differ at the interpretation of these deluded believers who don’t want to observe social distancing and precautionary measures to arrest the spreading of this virus. They have concocted another conspiracy theory along with the many existing lists that connects the different biblical truths with myths. This is similar to Dan Brown’s conspiracy theory books titled The Da Vinci Code and Inferno that pulls every fact then web them together with theories to come up with fabricated tales. Again, there are no reputable and educated pretribulationist who will agree with their distorted biblical view of eschatology.  
These believers who made a wrong biblical interpretation of eschatology accused many of their theologically-educated critics of being deceived by the spiritual enemy. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ did not present us with something that cannot be investigated with biblical historical facts. Everything about the Lord Jesus’ physical second coming ties neatly together in the pages of the Scripture. Unlike the Bible, this conspiracy theory keeps on resurrecting in many forms that tend to sway the credulous and gullible believers. As Peter writes, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Pet. 1:16). Let us all be careful not to embrace cleverly devised myths.  
The Logos Academic Blog's article "COVID-19 and The Mark of the Beast" also talks this about the mark of the Beast:
I know of no reputable biblical scholar or theologian who would endorse that the COVID-19 quarantine or a vaccine is related to the “mark of the beast”. For starters, in Revelation, the “mark of the beast” is by no means a medical procedure. Most likely, it’s not even a physical or visible mark at all. Contrary to some of the more fear-inducing theories that have in the past gained steam in some evangelical circles, the “mark” is not at all something that could be accidentally taken either.

Why? Because the mark of the beast (Rev. 13:16-18) is a mark that is closely tied to the worship of the beast (13:12, 15; cf. 19:20; 20:4). Thus, the mark of the beast is a mark of loyalty and devotion to the beast.

Moreover, when you compare those passages where the mark of the beast is discussed with passages like Rev. 7 and 14, it is plausible to think that the mark of the beast is most likely a sign that identifies you as something you already are—namely wicked and evil, a person of the dragon. I say this because when you read Rev. 7:1-8 and 14:1 (where the mark of the Lamb is discussed), you’ll notice it is a mark given to God’s people, God’s servants, in order to identify them as such and, of course, to protect them. They get the mark of the Lamb because they are already united with the Lamb.

It seems pretty evident that all of this is the case because these two marks—the mark of the beast and the mark of the Lamb—are meant to be seen as two polar realities, two opposite signs, marking out as it were two different types of people, namely, the wicked on the one hand and the righteous on the other.

What all this means is that the “mark of the beast” is most likely a spiritual, non-visible mark; it’s a mark of loyalty and worship and is not, therefore, something you could accidentally accept.

So you don’t need to fear getting the beast’s mark by taking a vaccine—unless, of course, you plan to treat the vaccine as a sort of symbolic expression or “unholy sacrament” (sorry for the oxymoron!) of your wilful and public rejection of the Christian faith that you despise. If that’s you and if that’s your plan, then it’s not the vaccine that’s the problem.
This is also really no different than all the end-times hype you might be receiving for some time now. I remembered a lot of end-times hype that hit because of the rise of membership shopping that no one could shop there without a membership. However, the big question about membership shopping is that do they know the reason behind why membership is required? It's a wholesale store and there are also home deliveries these days. Would you want your deliveries to be given to the wrong person? Membership would ensure that if you order something from them then you get it. It's like being part of a shopping network online. While these will make the mark of the Beast appear but as said - the New World Order is inevitable. What also needs to be remembered is that membership shopping does not require its members to pledge their allegiance to the Devil. I remembered the already-dismissed rumor about Proctor and Gamble or the one linking membership shopping to the Church of Satan. You can have all the membership shopping or technology you want but the mark of the Beast is all about loyalty and worship. That's something that our current technologies don't have yet. Besides, stop trying to prevent the New World Order from forming because God will allow it. What Christians should do right now is just to continue fulfilling Matthew 24:14 instead of engaging in the end-times hype.

God bless!

See also: