Epidemic of Ebola Disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda determined a public health emergency of international concern

In Luke 21, Jesus gives His disciples the Olivet Discourse, describing signs that will precede His return and the destruction of Jerusalem. The phrase 'in various places famines and pestilences' indicates localized but recurring outbreaks across the earth — not a single global plague, but multiple, simultaneous crises.

The Greek word for pestilence (loimos) can refer to deadly epidemics or plagues.

This prophecy is broad in scope, covering the entire interadvental period as 'birth pangs' that intensify before the end. The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda is a specific, localized pestilence that fits Jesus' description of events that will occur 'in various places' before His coming.

The Ebola epidemic in the DRC and Uganda is a literal fulfillment of Christ's words: a pestilence in a specific region of Africa, declared a public health emergency. This is not a global pandemic but a 'various places' outbreak — exactly the pattern Jesus described.

The declaration by the WHO underscores its severity and international concern.

Christians should recognize this as one of the birth pangs Jesus spoke of, not as a cause for fear but for watchfulness. Each outbreak is a reminder that the Lord's return draws nearer, and the call to be ready remains urgent.

Psalm 91 is a wisdom psalm of divine protection, promising that those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High are kept safe from various dangers — including 'the pestilence that stalks in darkness.' The imagery suggests a deadly disease that moves stealthily, striking unseen. The psalm does not promise immunity from all harm but rather God's sovereign care over His people even in the midst of widespread calamity.

This principle applies directly to the Ebola outbreak: the virus spreads silently through bodily fluids, often undetected until symptoms appear, stalking its victims like a predator in the dark. The psalm offers comfort to believers who may be in affected regions, reminding them that their ultimate security is in the Lord, not in human health measures alone.

The Bundibugyo Ebola virus 'stalks in darkness' as it spreads through communities in the DRC and Uganda, often before symptoms are visible. Health workers face the 'destruction that wastes at noonday' as they treat the sick and bury the dead.

This psalm calls believers to trust in God's protection even as pestilence rages around them.

While the psalm is not a promise of physical invulnerability, it assures the faithful that God is their refuge. In the face of this epidemic, Christians should pray for protection over medical teams and local churches, and rest in the confidence that no pestilence can separate them from the love of God in Christ.