Pestilence is a theme regularly encountered in the Bible, often depicted as a tool of divine judgment or a sign of end times. The term refers to a highly infectious or deadly ailment, equivalent to a pandemic in current times, causing severe devastation and destruction. The Biblical portrayal of pestilence provides an understanding of human suffering, divine intervention, and the power of prayer in overcoming such challenging scenarios.
Who brings pestilence according to the Bible?
According to the narratives in the Bible, it is usually God who brings pestilence. It is perceived as a divine instrument utilized for a variety of reasons: a punishment for disobedience against His commandments, a method to bring people back to righteousness, or as a part of the apocalyptic scenario predicted in prophetic books. God’s use of pestilence, as described in the Bible, highlights His sovereignty over every aspect of creation, even over disease and death.
What is the purpose of pestilence in the Bible?
The Bible frequently illustrates pestilence as a divine response to the disobedience and sin of humanity. It is used to bring judgment upon those who defy God’s laws and to urge them towards repentance. Simultaneously, the narratives also show that pestilence can result in an increased understanding of God’s power and sovereignty. It’s a means to drive individuals and communities to acknowledge their dependency on God, seek His mercy and turn to Him in prayer and repentance. It exemplifies the biblical principle that human suffering, even in the form of widespread illness, has purpose and is often instrumental in God’s larger plan.
Why does God’s removal of pestilence symbolize mercy in the Bible?
God’s decision to bring and remove pestilence in the Bible is indicative of His blended embodiment of justice and mercy. Numerous narratives depict God ending a pestilence after people repent and pray, demonstrating the mercy and grace of God. Even though He permits pestilence to punish or correct the behavior of people, He is quick to show compassion when they repent earnestly. This underlines the biblical view of God as an entity eager to forgiveness and restore His creation, notwithstanding their transgressions, if they turn back to Him sincerely.
When does the Bible mention pestilence as precursor to end times?
The Bible mentions pestilence not only as a punitive measure but also as a precursor to the end times. In prophetic books, particularly in the book of Revelation, occurrences of widespread diseases are projected as signs of the upcoming apocalypse. But it is essential to note that the Bible uses these descriptions to instill an understanding of the transient nature of life, propelling people to seek God’s salvation and to live in preparedness for His ultimate judgment.
How can faith help overcome the fear of pestilence as per the Bible?
The Biblical depiction of pestilence, striking as it might be, is often paired with messages of hope and reassurance of God’s protective providence. The Bible teaches that unwavering faith in God and obedience to His commands provide a spiritual armor against fear triggered by pestilence. It emphasizes the power of prayer and dependence on God’s mercy as key to overcoming these fears. Overall, the Bible narrative regarding pestilence serves as a reminder of human vulnerability, the importance of morality, the inevitability of divine judgment, and the hope and strength that resides in faith in God.
Below is the full list of bible verses on pestilence (King James Version – KJV). The list is ranked in order of popularity and we hope you find the inspiration you need.
Most Popular Bible Verses About Pestilence
Psalm 91:1-16
“1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.”
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Luke 21:11
“11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.”
2 Chronicles 7:13-14
“13 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;14 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.”
Related Themes: Locusts Repentance Rain
Ezekiel 5:17
“17 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.”
1 Kings 8:37
“37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;”
Related Themes: Locusts
Matthew 24:7
“7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”
Related Themes: Famine
Revelation 6:8
“8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”
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Jeremiah 14:12
“12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.”
Related Themes: Fasting
Psalm 91:3
“3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.”
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Psalm 91:6
“6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.”
Leviticus 26:25
“25 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.”
Habakkuk 3:5
“5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.”
Exodus 9:15
“15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.”
Ezekiel 14:21
“21 For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?”
2 Chronicles 20:9
“9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.”
2 Chronicles 7:13
“13 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;”
Related Themes: Locusts Repentance Rain
Jeremiah 24:10
“10 And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.”
Numbers 14:12
“12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.”
1 Chronicles 21:12
“12 Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.”
Revelation 3:10
“10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”
Related Themes: Perseverance Patience
Exodus 5:3
“3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.”
Deuteronomy 28:21
“21 The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.”
Jeremiah 29:17
“17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.”
Psalm 78:50
“50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;”
John 3:16-17
“16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
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Ezekiel 5:12
“12 A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.”
Jeremiah 21:6
“6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.”
2 Chronicles 6:28
“28 If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:”
Jeremiah 42:17
“17 So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.”
Jeremiah 34:17
“17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.”
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