LEE COUNTY, Fla. — People have predicted the end of the world for centuries. Experts say the predictions are usually sparked by an era of panic. Some of these theories popped up during other widespread pandemics such as the Black Plague, and the Spanish Flu.
Now, some people are using the Bible to argue the COVID-19 pandemic signifies the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Dr. William Glover, Senior Pastor of Mt. Hermon Ministries in Fort Myers says they're getting ahead of themselves.
“There have been plagues in each generation, and the Lord has not yet returned. That does not mean, that he is not going to,” he said. “But, what it does mean is that plagues are not a good gauge to determine whether the Lord is going to return in your generation.”
He says people are on the right track, but they’re not telling the whole story. He referenced Jesus’s promise to return, quoting the Bible, Mark 13:32:
“He said, 'No man knows the day nor the hour. Not even the angels in Heaven,'” said Dr. Glover.
There are some people who use the Bible to justify why they don’t trust the COVID-19 vaccine as well. Some call it “the mark of the beast,” referencing the Biblical book of Revelation. They claim it is a sign of the antichrist.
However, Dr. Landon Frim, Assistant Philosophy Professor at Florida Gulf Coast University says people are not providing social and political context when referencing that scripture. The Roman Empire ruled during the time of that scripture.
“This mark that’s mentioned in Revelation probably was in reference just to a symbol of loyalty to the Roman Emperor,” he said.
He said it’s a bit of a stretch to use that as a prediction to link the Coronavirus Pandemic to the end of the world.
Dr. Glover has encouraged his congregation to get vaccinated. His church, Mt. Hermon Ministries is a vaccination site.
