Establishing faith and doctrinal priorities
The plagues do not come just like that, regardless of the cause that has provoked them, according to the scientific knowledge that explains it, the plagues obey a spiritual Law clearly defined in the Scriptures.
As often as the word “plague” appears in the Bible, the word is associated with God’s intervention.
And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues (נְגָעִים) because of Sarai Abram’s wife. Genesis 12:17
And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues (מַכָּ֔ה) upon you according to your sins. Leviticus 26:21
even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague (בַּמַּגֵּפָ֖ה) before the Lord. Numbers 14:37
then the Lord will make thy plagues (מַכֹּ֣תְךָ֔) wonderful, and the plagues (מַכּ֣וֹת) of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. Deuteronomy 28:59
so that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues (מַכּ֞וֹת) of that land, and the sicknesses (תַּ֣חֲלֻאֶ֔יהָ) which the Lord hath laid upon it; Deuteronomy 29:22
Plagues come from God, God sends them. The purpose of the presence of a plague on the region, or on the whole world, is to manifest to the people of the region the folly of their decisions and actions; the plagues are intended to be reliable witnesses to God’s calls on the inhabitants of the region, or on all of humanity.
The best known plagues of the Bible are the plagues of God on Egypt, from which we learn that the plagues are aimed at confronting the arrogance of people who walk in open opposition to God,
For I will at this time send all my plagues (מַגֵּפֹתַי) upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. Exodus 9:14
The plagues bring out what is inside the heart of man. In the case of God’s plagues on Egypt, again and again, after each plague we read almost as a conclusion: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them. What this means is that the plagues show man himself that his strength is not in seeking God’s help, but in confronting him with his ranting about not wanting God in his news. Modern man figures his trust in science, and unfortunately many men and women who confess themselves as disciples of Jesus trust in what man develops based on his knowledge, rather than in what God can do among them.
The plagues are intended to establish judgment on the gods of the people; the plagues bring to light the kind of gods that the people have raised up, and in whom they have placed their trust.
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Exodus 12:12
Regardless of what science posits, man is a spiritual being, formed in the image and likeness of the Creator; but because of his deformation by disobedience, man has a tendency to seek a god, and resemble him; this is the lesson of the dialogue between Eve and the serpent,
for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:5
So, every trust that man and woman develop in something is not necessarily the result of obedience to an abstract and innocuous ideology and/or philosophy of life, but the god that people have raised up over themselves, and to whom they profess obedience. Many plagues bring to light the “gods” of those who confess themselves as Christians, but who are in reality followers of vain gods elaborated on the philosophies and customs of peoples.
Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame. Nahum 3:5
10 but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed,… 15 which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 2nd. Peter 2:10-15
Plagues have a unique characteristic, useful for understanding God’s operations on earth. Plagues show cycles of life.
According to the plagues on Egypt, the plagues are at the end of a life cycle to mark the end of an idolatrous society, and to highlight the beginning of a generation based on a new order.
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Exodus 12:2
In the same way, plagues mark the time limits of God’s calendar. In the case of the plagues on Egypt, the first nine plagues marked the end of a Hebrew year that the Hebrews themselves did not know about; only the tenth plague fell within the new year and served to mark the ritual of the deliverance from the slavery of Egypt.
What spiritual teaching does the Covid-19 pandemic possess?
The Covid-19 pandemic comes just ten years after two events that were also time-stamped at the time, namely the earthquake in Haiti and the release of the thirty-three Chilean miners trapped for seventy days underground.
Why are these events related? Both the earthquake in Haiti and the rescue of the thirty-three miners, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, have captured the world’s attention. God is calling the attention of the whole world to unite them in one direction, in the same direction to which he directed Pharaoh’s attention: so that you will understand that there is no one like me in all the earth. That same Word is the one God is sending to all mankind, ten years ago, and again today. A similar worldwide attention-getting event is to be seen before the year 2020 ends.
…at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. Deuteronomy 19:15
A cycle of life is being left behind, it is an idolatrous cycle of life, and a new one is emerging in which man will begin to be more conscious of God, it is a time of spiritual harvest where we will see massive conversions in places where they used to worship pagan gods; regions given over to idolatrous celebration will begin to fall, and regions with Islamic cults will see the opening of faith in Jesus. God is calling the nations to himself.
They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. Deuteronomy 32:21
Covid-19 is running parallel with the ten plagues on Egypt, and the experts of the times will be able to see it, and it will serve them to adjust the calendar that God gave to Moses when he left Egypt, a calendar that was lost after the Jewish diaspora with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.
That many countries are setting curfews on their cities is not surprising, unknowingly they are executing as set out in the plagues on Egypt, the purpose is to bring to light where the confidence of each. There will be three days where no one will go out into the streets, as in the ninth plague on Egypt, it is necessary, to mark the end of the year of slavery.
Covid-19 is a warning to pastors and church leaders. Many churches will close, they will not be able to sustain themselves, and this is also the work of God. There are many churches that right now have obeyed the government order not to meet in a public place, and this will bring economic problems to many pastors, forcing many to reorganize, in some cases with the inconvenience that we will see pastors abandoning the ministry. Covid-19 is alerting pastors to the need not to depend on the people, nor on the resources that have been provided by the traditional cults enclosed in four walls. What if they extend the ban on public meetings for a longer period of time? Covid-19 is not a threat, it is a warning from God. Where is your confidence?
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Luke 16:13
Covid-19 is God’s warning of a time of peace that is approaching over the whole world, it is the preamble to open up the acceptance in world consensus of the “man of perdition”.
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 2nd. Timothy 1:6
The biblical quotations are taken from the Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
Pastor Pedro Montoya
WhatsApp 1 (407) 764-2699
Twitter: @pastormontoya
Treasure in Earthen Vessels 