The Killer Angels of Virus Research

The Lab Leak Hypothesis, by Nicholson Baker, provides a scary insight into the world of biomedical research labs. The potential origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is an interesting forensic research project, but the principle concern should be the bizarre world of biomedical research. 

The hypothesis Baker proposes is simple: the lab at Wuhan was doing research on bat viruses, someone made a mistake, and it leaked. A few items that contribute to the hypothesis. The bats with viruses whose DNA is 99% similar live in caves that are hundreds of miles away. How much a coincidence the virus surfaced in Wuhan (a 9-hour train ride away) where China’s premier biomedical research lab is! The virus shows differences from the natural bat variety that adapt it to human transmission and hosting. Not impossible in nature, but it happens to be one of the specific capabilities of biomedical research labs. Modern techniques include gene splicing (think CRISPR) and something called “gain of function”. Coincidences?

There are a number of such facilities around the world. Defensive research and weaponized pathogens are the dual missions of biological warfare facilities. Research focuses on viruses that are found in nature, in animals, but not normally in humans. Given human fallibility, previous accidents have occurred, resulting in less dramatic (but still significant) outbreaks, described by Baker. When you play with fire .... (Hosea 8:7, Galatians 6:7). Until this pandemic, global awareness of these facilities, and the risk they bring, has been limited. The risk that the existence of nuclear weapons carry has been understood for 75 years, but the threshold for first use of nukes has been high, and safeguards against accidental or incidental release have been stringent.  

As I was reading Baker’s article, I instinctively thought of Revelation 6:8; that was before I got to section X, in which Baker referred to a painting by Bruegel the elder, painted in 1562, The Fall of the Rebel Angels.  

As we approach the final realization of the prophecies of the unveiling of Jesus Christ, the true and final apocalypse as described in the book of Revelation, it is with great trepidation that we should remember that the coming of Jesus is good news! Jesus preached the good news of the gospel. Although He warned of judgment, He promised blessings to those who walk in His ways.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3-10, NASB)

A society based on these principles will endure. But this is not the world’s way. Nuclear deterrence based on mutual assured destruction, despite being MAD, is how the world maintains peace in the nuclear realm (at least for 75 years). But it won’t work for biological warfare. The impossibility of nations trusting each other enough to eliminate bio weapons is self evident.

One era in history comes to mind when part of the world attempted to follow Jesus. The Pax Britannica is nominally thought to have lasted from 1815 to 1914,  bookmarked by the Napoleonic and First World Wars. Other significant but usually ignored factors: the Slave Trade Act of 1807 and the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1833, reflecting the work and influence of Christians in England; and the London Missionary Society evangelization of the British Empire. 

Viruses are not angels or demons. But there may have been no other way for John, the apostle, to convey the vision given him of a world rejecting the gospel and arming itself with biological weapons. As Jesus explained one of His parables:

The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. (Matthew 13:37-40, NASB)

The killer angels are not the viruses, but those who reject the gospel, and work to dissuade others from following Jesus.

Job, Daniel, Ignatius, and the COVID spiritual pandemic

Compare current events to Job. A brief recap: Job endured poverty, sickness, and loss of loved ones due to an assault initiated by Satan.  Satan accused Job before God of mercenary faith (Job 1:9-11) and had divine permission to afflict him (1:12, 2:6). God affirmed His approval of Job (1:8, 2:3), who was not without faults. Job cursed the day of his birth, implicitly saying that God was unfair in creating him and then inflicting such pain on him (chapter 3). And Job was self-righteous, believing that his good works were not being fairly rewarded by God. (31:35-40) Ultimately God did not show Job the spiritual contest between Himself and Satan, but that the magnificence of His creation, and inherently Himself, was beyond Job’s comprehension. (Chapters 38-39)

When Daniel was visited and learned of heavenly warfare (Daniel 10), he had been fasting and praying for Israel for 21 days. It is really not appropriate for us to litigate and try to determine whether the archon, the prince of China - Yu Huang, the Jade Emperor, or some other ancient figure of Chinese tradition - is behind COVID-19.. It is also irrelevant:

• The Bible is clear that worship of all other gods is idolatry, and must not happen, so as not to be a snare to believers. Even pagan gods that appear to stand for divinely directed virtue.
• The Chinese Communist government does not acknowledge any supernatural existence or authority, following the Marxist tenet that religion is the opiate of the people.
• That’s not what this is about.

We must tread carefully about disrespecting spiritual authorities, even fallen ones. Gabriel fought the prince of Persia without prevailing (Daniel 10:13), the archangels dare not rebuke the devil on their own authority. (Jude 8-9) We must tread carefully here, because this realm is far beyond our comprehension.

The important point of the Daniel narrative is that Daniel wasn’t praying about Persia or spiritual powers. He was most likely praying about the Jewish people and their sin, and pleading for their redemption - the theme of his later life. (Daniel 9:4-19) What does this mean for us? Since nothing is allowed to happen without God’s permission, God has allowed this pandemic for His purposes. Our response to the pandemic must focus, like Daniel, on repentance and redemption. 

The discernment of spirits must focus on our own affections, thoughts, and will, as in the Ignatian discipline. We must discern whether our actions arise from godly or evil sources. Are individuals’ refusal to wear a mask, or rulers’ actions to control all public activities, at their root, from a godly desire to help people or an evil desire to promote self? Every private person, every politician, every public health expert, must examine themself. 

Is rejection of public or personal health measures born of a rebellious heart? (‘They don’t have the authority to make me do that! They don’t know anything!’) Is the imposition of draconian controls on the life and behavior of citizens really the manifestation of a self-exultation of personal ego? (‘I know what is best! I know that if everyone does what I say, things will work out for the best.’) How will each of us fare in our day of reckoning, as when God spoke revelation into Job’s life? Will He find that we rebel against authority in our spirit as the Israelites did in the wilderness (Numbers 16-17), or that we see ourselves as equal to or above Him, like Lucifer?  (Ezekiel 28:2).