The Coronavirus and Judgment

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Is the Coronavirus a judgment from God?

Every time something happens in the world that affects much or most of it, if not all of it, people who call themselves evangelists, prophets, and other titles begin to talk about God’s judgment on the earth.

I’m not saying that there aren’t prophets or evangelists or other people who are listening to the heartbeat of God. But it’s a very serious thing to attach the Lord’s name to a prophecy. It’s a very serious thing to tell people you know exactly what God is doing and when he is judging.

People focused too much on judgment. The Bible stresses mercy when we’re talking about judgment. Although at the same time, God’s wrath and judgment is also talked a lot about in the Bible.

So when the coronavirus hit the world some Christians came out and said that this was God’s judgment against the world. And many Christians are asking if they are right. I am not a prophet. But I do not believe this is God’s judgment.

There are several scriptural reasons I have for holding this view. First, God doesn’t judge his children unless they are committing idolatry or outright rebellion. Instead of judgment, he disciplines us. We are not objects of God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:3-4).

God’s judgment always contains wrath. There is always a punishment in his judgment. When Israel didn’t listen they watched the Spirit of God leave the Temple and lost the land that belonged to God.

When God judges the world, his wrath will be completely involved. He has wrath and judgment for those who have not chosen his son Jesus, have not demonstrated righteousness, and have not listened to his many warnings.

Why do I mention this point about God’s judgment and wrath not reserved for Christians? Because Christians are susceptible to the virus and just as vulnerable as unbelievers, that does not fulfill the biblical evidence that God’s wrath and judgment are being poured out.

I am a quadriplegic with a trach and a ventilator, on the list for a compromised immune system and I must stay away from any respiratory virus out there. I have been a Christian for over 30 years. If God was bringing his wrath, I as a child of God would be in the line of fire. But God does not bring his wrath and judgment against his children.

Second, throughout the Bible God almost always announces his judgment before he brings it. Consider Jonah who was sent to the Ninevites to preach about God’s judgment coming against them. If they did not turn from their wicked ways, God would send his judgment. He announced it before he brought it. And when the people responded he brought grace.

We see throughout the prophets and the rest of the Bible God announcing his judgment before he lets it loose. Unless you consider these people who have proclaimed God’s judgment through the coronavirus, God has not formally declared his judgment before the coronavirus came upon the world.

This is not to say that God always announces his judgment before he brings it. But even in the New Testament God has proclaimed his judgment upon unbelievers, that he will bring it at the end of the world. Anyone who reads the Scriptures or speaks to a Christian knows that God’s judgment is coming upon all the unbelievers of the world. So he has still announced his judgment.

Finally, I do believe that while coronavirus is not a judgment from God, it is a sign of the end times. It shows how much worse God’s judgment and wrath will be when they are poured out. Signs and seasons help us to gauge how close the world is to God’s judgment.

Jesus talked about signs of the end times in Matthew 24-25. He told us that these things will happen but the end is not yet. We do live in the last days but the end of time has yet to come. These signs show us the season of God’s grace is drawing to an end.

The world needs to take this sign seriously. Things will only get worse as it continues in rebellion and wickedness against God. It is a prophetic word to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ. It is a call to get right with God before it is too late.

Christians need not be afraid of the coronavirus. By this I do not mean that we should shrug it off. Coronavirus can cause serious damage to anybody’s body and many people have died. We must not test God by putting ourselves in harm’s way.

We must also obey the scriptural mandate to submit to our leaders and obey them because God has put them in place (Romans 13:1-4). Our governments around the world have told us what to do to keep this virus from spreading even more. We must be obedient because they are not telling us something that is ungodly or and biblical.

We don’t need to fear the coronavirus even if it infects and kills us. Our inheritance is in heaven and we need not fear death. Fear is a tool of the enemy. We trust in God to keep us in the palm of his hand and the center of his will.

Let us pray for everyone who becomes infected. While many of us are not medical personnel who can immediately help those infected, all of us can pray and lift them up to God. Please also pray for the medical personnel who are on the front lines combat in this virus.

They put their lives on the line for our sakes. We need to intercede for those who have come in contact with it. Let us pray for their health and safety and for them to be restored. Pray that this coronavirus will soon be a thing of the past.

Helpful scriptural precedent for God’s wrath

  • God’s judgment contains wrath. Christians are not objects of wrath.
  • God usually announces his judgment and wrath through prophets and prophecy.
  • Coronavirus is a sign of the end times but not judgment from God.

Jonathan Srock

Rev. Jonathan Srock is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God since 2010. He received two Bachelor’s degrees in Biblical Languages and Pastoral Ministries, as well as a Masters of Divinity from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Jonathan was privileged to be the Lead Pastor of New Life Assembly in Shillington, PA for five years before suffering sudden paralysis in 2013. Jonathan has been a Christian since 1988.

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