(Jerusalem, Israel) — The White House issued a chilling warning on Tuesday: the “best case scenario” now is for upwards of 100,000 to 240,000Americans to die as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
If proper social distancing measures aren’t followed, the numbers could spike beyond 1.5 million deaths, the experts said.
“This could be a hell of a bad two weeks,” the President said, in his most sobering comments of the crisis, thus far.
The country will remain in near lockdown mode through April, at least, at devastating economic cost. But what other choice is there?
It is little wonder, then, that nearly half of Americans (44%) say they believe that the coronavirus and resulting economic meltdown is a “wake-up call for us to turn back to faith in God,” and/or “signs of coming judgment,” according to a new poll commissioned by The Joshua Fund.
“This survey provides a fascinating window into how Americans see the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is dramatically increasing their interest in spiritual matters,” I noted in a press release that went out yesterday. “The results are clear: this unprecedented global crisis is causing Americans to start reading the Bible and listen to Bible teaching and Christian sermons online, even though they usually don’t; search online for teaching on Bible prophecy and God’s future for mankind; and/or engage in more spiritual conversations with family and friends.”
The breakdown of those who believe this crisis
is a “wake-up call” back to faith in God includes:
- 25% of self-identified “secular” Americans;
- 42% of Jewish Americans;
- 58% of Republicans; and
- 41% of Democrats, including 34% of liberal Democrats and 47% of moderate Democrats.
Additionally, 22% of self-identified non-Christian respondents and 40% of Christian respondents indicate the global coronavirus pandemic and economic chaos have resulted in more interest in God and spiritual matters.
These are no ordinary times. Americans in near full lockdown are anxious, and understandably so. Yet millions are turning to God, the Bible and Christian sermons for answers, some of them for the first time. That may be the most important silver lining in this crisis so far.
In response to these results, The Joshua Fund has published “What Does The Bible Teach About Pestilence, Plagues & Global Pandemics?”, a 12-page fact sheet derived from insight from a number of senior pastors, theologians and seminary professors. It can be found at https://www.joshuafund.com.
The full survey is also posted on The Joshua Fund website at https://www.joshuafund.com/.
The crisis is worsening here in Israel and throughout the Middle East, as well. More than 5,300 cases and at least 20 deaths, so far, and this is expected to spike up sharply. Plus, nearly 1/3 of the labor force out of work.
I’ll report more on this on this blog in the days to come, and on Twitter more frequently.
For now, I hope that you and your family will gather together daily to pray for God to have mercy on us all.
“Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.” (Isaiah 26:20)
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