Ebola: Should We be Concerned?

“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I [am] the LORD that healeth thee.” — Exodus 15:26

Recently there has been considerable press about the eminent danger of the highly lethal virus Ebola becoming a world wide pandemic. Almost 90% of individuals infected with this virus die so it is nothing to pass by lightly. Especially troubling are the cases where an American doctor infected with Ebola was recently transported back from Africa to a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia for treatment along with the huge influx of illegal immigrants across the southern U.S. border who may be carrying all manner of infectious diseases. It seems that the potential for the outbreak of diseases that will cause massive death and considerable destabilization of our somewhat comfortable way of life is about to take place. If this comes to pass health care facilities will be overwhelmed and unable to treat most people. So in this post we would like to find out what the Word of God has to say about these events and the best preparation to make. Some questions that many may be having at this time will be addressed as follows:

• Is Ebola found in the Bible?
• Why does God allow these type of disasters, who is responsible?
• What can we do to protect ourselves and our families in the event that Ebola breaks out in our neighborhood?

Is Ebola found in the Bible?

“I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.” — Leviticus 26:16

The dictionary definition of ague [ey-gyoo] is given as follows:

noun

1. Pathology. a malarial fever characterized by regularly returning paroxysms, marked by successive cold, hot, and sweating fits.

2. a fit of fever or shivering or shaking chills, accompanied by malaise, pains in the bones and joints, etc.; chill.

“So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken [it].” — Ezekiel 5:17

The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.” — Deuteronomy 28:21, 22

From Wikipedia: Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is the human disease caused by the Ebola virus. Symptoms typically start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever, sore throat, muscle pains, and headaches. Typically nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea follow, along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. At this point, some people begin to have bleeding problems.

Why does God allow these type of disasters, who is responsible?

As the Bible teaches pestilences, plagues, diseases, and the like can come from God or from Satan. God uses pestilence as a form a punishment for continued disobedience and transgression of His laws, statutes, and commandments. Satan is allowed to exercise his power to bring about destruction of both man and beast, but only for those who show contempt for God’s laws and attempt to force others to do the same. The following inspired passages make this clear.

Satan works through the elements also to garner his harvest of unprepared souls. He has studied the secrets of the laboratories of nature, and he uses all his power to control the elements as far as God allows. When he was suffered to afflict Job, how quickly flocks and herds, servants, houses, children, were swept away, one trouble succeeding another as in a moment. It is God that shields His creatures and hedges them in from the power of the destroyer. But the Christian world have shown contempt for the law of Jehovah, and the Lord will do just what He has declared that He would–He will withdraw His blessings from the earth and remove His protecting care from those who are rebelling against His law and teaching and forcing others to do the same. Satan has control of all whom God does not especially guard. He will favor and prosper some, in order to further his own designs; and he will bring trouble upon others and lead men to believe that it is God who is afflicting them.

While appearing to the children of men as a great physician who can heal all their maladies, he will bring disease and disaster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation. Even now he is at work. In accidents and calamities by sea and by land, in great conflagrations, in fierce tornadoes and terrific hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and earthquakes, in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power. He sweeps away the ripening harvest, and famine and distress follow. He imparts to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish by the pestilence. These visitations are to become more and more frequent and disastrous. Destruction will be upon both man and beast. “The earth mourneth and fadeth away,” “The haughty people . . . do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” Isaiah 24:4, 5.” — Counsels on Health, pp. 460, 461

“And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of [my] covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.” — Leviticus 26:25

A Brief Lesson from History

It is estimated that during the dark ages that about 50% of the population of Europe perished due to ravishes of the bubonic plague. The principle cause is believed to be due to the highly unsanitary conditions at the time when human waste ran in open ditches down the streets and hardly anyone ever washed their hands. In contrast, significantly fewer people of Jewish decent perished (an estimated 20% of their population) which was attributed to their ritual practice of Jewish laws of sanitation found in the Old Testament. This included such simple things and the washing of hands before a meal, the weekly taking of a bath before the Sabbath, and proper burial of the dead. In fact the basis of our modern system of waste water treatment comes from these time tested Bible principles and has provided for greatly improved public health in modern industrialized nations since the 1900’s.

What can we do to protect ourselves and our families in the event that Ebola breaks out in our neighborhood?

As the following scriptures and inspired passages make certain, if we want to survive the catastrophes that are coming upon this world with increasing frequency then we need to get right with God, obey His laws, and to trust in His divine power to save us.

“If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” — 2 Chronicles 7:13, 14

“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, [and] from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth [shall be thy] shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; [nor] for the arrow [that] flieth by day; [Nor] for the pestilence [that] walketh in darkness; [nor] for the destruction [that] wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee.” — Psalms 91:3-7

Remember, Christ Himself walked amongst lepers and gave His disciples power over unclean spirits and the ability to heal all manner of diseases. This power will soon return to the church triumphant after the purification of Ezekiel 9 and be granted to the 144,000 who will be the ones to go forth and preach the Loud Cry and gather in the Great Multitude from all nations, kindreds, and tongues into the kingdom of God.

“And when he had called unto [him] his twelve disciples, he gave them power [against] unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. . . . Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” — Matthew 10:1, 8

What are some practical steps that can be taken right now to avoid Ebola or any other disease the encumbers humanity?

• Study and practice the health reform message according to all the light God has granted to us through the abundant counsels found in the Spirit of Prophecy.
• Practice strict vegetarianism and keep your pets outside the home. The ebola virus is believed to be passed through animals to humans, especially bovines (pigs) and monkeys.
• Get out of the cities and move into a country setting where you can grow your own food and/or buy it locally.
• Home school your children. Public schools are notorious breeding grounds for diseases.
• Avoid hospitals, the are breeding grounds for drug resistant bacteria that have no available antibiotics to combat them.
• Avoid large public gatherings of people, especially those place where God’s people should never be seen such as sports stadiums, parades, festivals, carnivals and the like.
• Do your shopping and errands early in the morning or at odd hours where there is less contact with people.
• Practice strict hygiene around the home. Have plenty of soap and bleach on hand.
• Study and practice the eight 8 laws of natural health, they are God’s appointed agencies for the preservation of health and the remedy from diseases. Ebola is destroyed by exposure to sunlight. Pestilence thrives in dark moist places (forts and caves).
• Ultimately trust in God and claim His promises to deliver His chosen from the many troubles coming to this world.

“The power of God is manifested in the beating of the heart, in the action of the lungs, and in the living currents that circulate through the thousand different channels of the body. We are indebted to Him for every moment of existence, and for all the comforts of life. The powers and abilities that elevate man above the lower creation, are the endowment of the Creator.

He loads us with His benefits. We are indebted to Him for the food we eat, the water we drink, the clothes we wear, the air we breathe. Without His special providence, the air would be filled with pestilence and poison. He is a bountiful benefactor and preserver.” — Counsels on Stewardship, p. 17

“Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; [As] I live, surely they that [are] in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that [is] in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that [be] in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.” — Ezekiel 33:27

“The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they endure privation and suffer for want of food they will not be left to perish. That God who cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children. He who numbers the hairs of their head will care for them, and in time of famine they shall be satisfied. While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous and supply their wants. To him that “walketh righteously” is the promise: “Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.” “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.” Isaiah 33:15, 16; 41:17 — Great Controversy, p. 629

“The Lord has shown me repeatedly that it is contrary to the Bible to make any provision for our temporal wants in the time of trouble. I saw that if the saints had food laid up by them or in the field in the time of trouble, when sword, famine, and pestilence are in the land, it would be taken from them by violent hands and strangers would reap their fields. Then will be the time for us to trust wholly in God, and He will sustain us. I saw that our bread and water will be sure at that time, and that we shall not lack or suffer hunger; for God is able to spread a table for us in the wilderness. If necessary He would send ravens to feed us, as He did to feed Elijah, or rain manna from heaven, as He did for the Israelites.” — Early Writings, p. 56.2

If you are called to care for a sick family member or someone who may contact this dreaded disease always remember that God will protect you if you are acting according to His will. It is His promise. Believe it as it is our very life.

“And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid [them] on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the [venomous] beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.” — Acts 28:3-6

“Now is the time when we are to confess and forsake our sins that they may go beforehand to judgment and be blotted out. Now is the time to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” It is dangerous to delay this work. Satan is even now seeking by disasters upon sea and land to seal the fate of as many as possible. What is the defense of the people of God at this time? It is a living connection with heaven. If we would dwell in safety from the noisome pestilence, if we would be preserved from dangers seen and unseen, we must hide in God; we must secure the protecting care of Jesus and holy angels. In these days of peril, the Lord would have us walk before him in humility. Instead of trying to cover our sins, he would have us confess them, as Joshua confessed the sins of ancient Israel. We profess to be the depositaries of God’s law. We profess to be building up “the old waste places,” and to be raising up “the foundations of many generations.” If this great and solemn work has indeed been committed to us, how important that we depart from all iniquity!” — RH, November 19, 1908 par. 8

Tagged as: ebola, health laws, health reform, pestilence, plagues