Could Ebola be the plague in Rev. 9:15-21?

[righteousdude2]

"So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (NKJV)

Some may say these verses and visions are for the tribulation. But, if the church doesn't leave pre trib, and oinstead faces some of the dreaded days, I ask, seriously, if the African Ebola outbreak could be what is being decribed in this particular portion of Revelation?

The CDC bumped the level of concern to its level one, the worse of the levels! http://www.king5.com/health/CDC-activates-Level-1-response-to-Ebola-outbreak-270238911.html

 

[Rippon]

Absolutely not. It is certain that you and Mr. Hermeneutics have never met.

 

[righteousdude2]

Enter the Pharisee's

​

 

[Bro. James]

If the blood is on the doorpost, the death angel will pass. (Pascha not Estra.)

Plague, famine and pestilence is not a new phenomenon. Consider the Black Death. Then there is AIDS.

Where are the true witnesses?

Why are we is such a conundrum?

The end of the present age is coming whether we understand the details or not. It has not yet been two days since Jesus was here--in God's time. Yet, God is not bounded by time.

Who has the correct time--to the pico second?

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Bro. James

 

[preachinjesus]

No, it isn't.

 

[Zaac]

Such confusion is not of God. Perhaps we should start leaning on God a little bit more for His discernment on these things rather than surmising things that don't Scripturally align?

These things ARE for the Tribulation.

Somebody may be in need of their weekly "atta boy" pat on the back. :laugh:

 

[Rolfe]

I have my doubts that Ebola is one of the plagues; but if it is as contagious as claimed, I can imagine it being as devastating as the 1918 influenza epidemic, the Black Death, and others.

 

[Yeshua1]

I have my doubts that Ebola is one of the plagues; but if it is as contagious as claimed, I can imagine it being as devastating as the 1918 influenza epidemic, the Black Death, and others.

Ebola could very well be on of those end time diseases that wipe out much of mankind, but don't think that is yet to pass...

 

[webdog]

They were talking about how it could evolve into a strain resistant to any medication. That might be the plague.

 

[righteousdude2]

A zac-a-pat-on-a-da-back

Somebody may be in need of their weekly "atta boy" pat on the back. :laugh:

​

 

[asterisktom]

"So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (NKJV)

Some may say these verses and visions are for the tribulation. But, if the church doesn't leave pre trib, and oinstead faces some of the dreaded days, I ask, seriously, if the African Ebola outbreak could be what is being decribed in this particular portion of Revelation?

The CDC bumped the level of concern to its level one, the worse of the levels! http://www.king5.com/health/CDC-activates-Level-1-response-to-Ebola-outbreak-270238911.html

First of all, the passage says nothing about "mankind" (as in "all of humanity"). That is a futurist assumption read into the text by editors of some modern translations. "The men" (KJV) is a more accurate rendition, a translation that allows us to see first-century application here.

 

[HankD]

As a futurist, my opinion is - yes it could be but probably isn't because as we have been told TO THIS POINT Ebola does not exactly spread easily because it is not an airborne disease.

But I suppose it could replicate into such.

HankD

 

[Yeshua1]

First of all, the passage says nothing about "mankind" (as in "all of humanity"). That is a futurist assumption read into the text by editors of some modern translations. "The men" (KJV) is a more accurate rendition, a translation that allows us to see first-century application here.

When did it happen in AD 70 again?

 

[asterisktom]

"So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (NKJV)

Some may say these verses and visions are for the tribulation. But, if the church doesn't leave pre trib, and oinstead faces some of the dreaded days, I ask, seriously, if the African Ebola outbreak could be what is being decribed in this particular portion of Revelation?

The CDC bumped the level of concern to its level one, the worse of the levels! http://www.king5.com/health/CDC-activates-Level-1-response-to-Ebola-outbreak-270238911.html

As usual, a little context goes a long ways in helping us understand passages in Revelation. Even backing up just a few verses to v. 12 gives us an important clue as to just what this plague of v. 20 might be, at least who were the sufferers of the plague.

"The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come."

So this supposed ebola plague (sic) is the middle of three woes. It stands to reason - and after careful study - that these three woes should not be separated in place and time.

With that in mind, take a look at the first woe, Rev. 9:1 - 11. Without going through all of the passage, just note who are the ones who do not suffer from this woe;

"They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads." Rev. 9:4

This should ring a bell with readers who have even a passing familiarity with the Old Testament. It is a reference to Ezekiel. An important key to understanding Rev. 9 is Ezekiel 9. The LORD, just prior to executing judgment on Jerusalem, gives an important mission to one angel (or Angel - some see this as possibly referring to Christ. For more on this see Calvin's Commentary on Ezekiel). God tells this special angel (Ezek. 9:4)...

“Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”

The Ezekiel passage continues:

"And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. Then he said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out.” So they went out and struck in the city. And while they were striking, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, “Ah, Lord God! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”

"Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’ As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads.”


Notice that this judgment is on Jerusalem, not all of mankind.
It is on the land of Israel.
It begins with the House of God. (Compare Ezek. 9:6 with 1st Peter 4:17).

This little study is just one of many that could be made - and that I have made - throughout the book of Revelation that shows again and again that the judgments depicted are judgments that have already happened in the past - to apostate 1st-century Israel and those who were infected with their disbelief.

It is a shame that so many Christians read Revelation with one eye on CNN, BBC, etc - instead of having one hand ready to thumb through the OT for enlightening cross-references.

Revelation is not such a dark book as many make it out to be. It is only made such when we ignore the previous light shed centuries before.

 

[Yeshua1]

So when did jesus return and have the resurrection of the dead and the living again?

 

[asterisktom]

When did it happen in AD 70 again?

Did you even read my posts? Respond to what I wrote, please, and then we can talk about "it".

 

[asterisktom]

So when did jesus return and have the resurrection of the dead and the living again?

I am not going to have a shotgun or random association discussion. Let's stick to this one subject of the OP lest we end up talking about everything and proving nothing.