By Jethro Ibileke
The deadly Coronavirus, like the Spanish Influenza, is currently spreading like a wildfire around the world and is taking tolls on the lives of people on its path. This deadly disease might sound strange and new to many, including even health care providers and experts, but, actually, Jehovah’s Witnesses, a religious group, had sounded a warning of its emergence 15 years ago, in one of its magazines, Awake!
Writing on the subject “The Next Global Epidemic, WHEN?” December 22, 2005, edition of Awake! did not only raise the alarm that a pandemic virus might emerge in China or a nearby country, but it also warned that it might emanate from an animal and could surface from antigens or virulence factors derived from animal influenza viruses.
–Read how Psychic Sylvia Browne, in her book, End of Days? also ‘predicts’ Coronavirus here
Photos of the front and inner pages of the Awake! magazine has since gone viral.
The magazine quoted the medical journal, Vaccine, of 2003, which warned: “It has been 35 years since the last influenza pandemic, and the longest interval between pandemics recorded with certainty in 39 years. The pandemic virus may emerge in China or a nearby country and could surface from antigens or virulence factors derived from animal influenza viruses.
“It will spread rapidly throughout the world. Several waves of infection will occur. Morbidity will be extensive in all age groups, and there will be widespread disruption of social and economic activity in all countries. Excess mortality will be evident in most, if not all age groups. It is unlikely that health care systems in even the most economically developed countries will be able to adequately cope with the demand for health care services.”
Related stories: Read how a writer, Dean Koontz, also accurately predicted Coronavirus 40 years ago here
Read how, like Coronavirus, 1918 influenza originated from China, here
True to this prediction, the influenza pandemic began in China, from where it has spread to other parts of the world. And according to the warning, even with its huge economic base, China has not been able to cope adequately with the sensor health care services.
For instance, it was reliability gathered that price of common nose mask made in Nigeria has tripped in recent times, from N500 per pack to N1500, due to the hot demand for it from China.
Just how serious is an Influenza pandemic? The issue of Awake! warned of the seriousness of an outbreak of an Influenza-like Corona Virus, when it quoted John M. Barry, author of the book, The Great Influenza, who said: “A terrorist with a nuclear weapon is every national politician’s nightmare. A new influenza pandemic should be.”
Perhaps the whole world would not have been in this precarious situation it finds itself now, if governments, medical experts, health care providers and bodies like the World Health Organization, WHO had taken seriously the warning sounded by the Awake! magazine and took proactive steps to nip it in the board.
Awake!, a quarterly magazine published by the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, is the second most widely circulated magazine in the world, after its sister publication, The Watchtower, with a total circulation of 93,354,000 copies in 222 languages of each edition. It is renowned for its in-depth and accuracy in research on whichever subject it decides to delve into.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses might not be as popular and loved by many, as they have received a lot of backlash from individuals and other religious organizations due to their doctrines, but certainly, they deserve respect for their zeal in their worldwide preaching and Bible educational work.
Numbering over 8,683,117 in over 240 lands, these Jehovah’s Witnesses have always warned of the of pestilences and deadly plagues, as prophesized by Jesus Christ, using Luke 21:11 and Revelation 6:8 as references.
View Comments (171)
Orest Lee - and to whom it may consern:)
You are actually spot on, in the sence that Jehovah’s witnesses tells «simply common sense.»
And it is also what you say, that «This has nothing to do with your magazines 'having the gift of prophecy'» Case is Jehovah’s witnesses don’t claim to be prophets - they simply point to the Bible as Jehova God’s prophetic word.
To use your own words - it’s «simply common sense.»
What I myself find very intetesting is how extraordinary well Jehovah’s witnesses have handled the Corona episode, as a «slight» comtrast to, well what not? ( If you’re not updsted on this, check up their language - in now than more than a thousand languages. Actually 1068.)
And to those who want to argue that Jehovah’s witnesses have a wrong opinion on bible topics. Be my guest - use your own bible and show them that humans have a soul ( also, that we are not a soul), and that this soul is immortal. Take that as a starter - among a lot of biblical topics.
( A warning, though. You might here want to skip verses like Genesis 2:7 and Ezekiel 18:4. ( here quoted from King James version)
«And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.»
Ergo: is a soul, not have a soul.
«… the soul that sinneth, it shall die.»
Ergo: souls die; not immortal.
Why priests in christendom are telling about humans having a immortal soul? You better ask them yourself. Bring your own bible :)
Covid was a pandemic and people criticizing the organization should look at its foundings. Charles Russel was a Freemason and cousin of the founder of the notorious Skull and Bones, 322. It's place in everything, I do not know, but their "prophecies" correlate with banking phenomenons of the 19th and 20th centuries, most notably the creation of the Federal Reserve and WW1, the first major banking war they code with Biblical numerology. It's organizational structure is almost identical to the Masonic Lodges. It's no surprise to be skeptical of their information they put out. Growing up in this religion, it was almost uncanny how their publications released to the "brothers" for distribution (members receive the literature in advanced) seemed to predict events in news cycles two months later. To me this means there is some sort of communication network. Not unlike the horizontal and vertical control of society these fraternities have upon business and politics.
Maybe I missed something but the Awake magazine is quoting the "Vaccine" magazine. They (JW) didnt predict anything, the scientists they are quoting did. That being said the scientist or the JW didnt give us an exact time like 2020. They are just saying basically history repeats itself and will eventually do it again.
More shocking news - there will be an earthquake sometime, there will be a war sometime, there will be a famine sometime - and my broken clock is always perfectly accurate twice a day. Does saying those things make me a prophet you should send cheques to?
You have no idea how unfair this process is....."I come to realize that most people(ex- communicators)
of Jehovah's Witnesses,have a problem with Jehovah's Witnesses and teachings from the Bible only when they have a problem of some sort that they are not happy with the way a judicial matter was made concerning a certain situation. Before, they were fellow believers, and afterwards they wants to say everything bad they can possibly think of. Some have said they were Jehovah's Witnesses for many years, as much of 15 yrs or more'".... I was just as judgemental as you are but when I left because he was beating on me I became the bad wife and then decide to end my marriage... You know as much as I do there is only one way out of a JW marriage that is adultery...so I found a man who had the body part that I needed and now I am free..DF and divorced.... now he is still in the Org crying and looking for a pity party saying my ex-wife cheated on me that why we divorced..I never cheated I moved out and told him that it was the only we can break up..... really he never tells them that he broke my fingers or he beat when I was pregnant or he threw me out the house almost naked..I could keep going but you can't deal with the truth..... just remember you will never know the truth of what really happened because you will never sit in all you do is accept what ever they tell you like a puppet....I can keep going but your own harden heart will never care..
I think this is the time to remember how Noah experience same response from people, most will only believe when its already happening and when its late already, for Jehovah’s love to us He gave us our chances we are now on the days where our goal is to find more people who are willing to be on Jehovah’s side And prove Satan is wrong.
However, they have never spoken of covert sexual abuse. In Australia alone there were over a thousand cases in 5 decades
!!! SCARED NOW !!! YOU SHOULD HAVE OPENED THE DOOR AND LISTENED..MMMM MAYBE THERE'S STILL A LITTLE TIME FOR YOU TO TURN TO JEHOVAH BUT YOU CANT FIND US NOW ,,WE WILL STILL FIND YOU ,THEN PAY ATTENTION.
This site is poorly organized with inability to reply and follow responses under individuals and topics. The doomsday cult (the cultic mentality is on display here by JWs) is once again being opportunistic with world events (150 year failed history of same thing) to create fear of Armageddon and hope of Paradise to keep members, get lapsed ones to come back, to recruit new ones. It worked in 1925, 1975, etc. causing loss and harm to those deceived. It will be the same thing again with JWs losing ground again and some clinging to just waiting on Jehovah, but denying without hope and without the real Jesus.
Thankfully, true Christians are out serving and loving the world, not just their own. They are continuing to grow and have impact with fruit that remains. The insular world of Orwellian JWs is a false kingdom based on sand. Their GB leaders are clueless and will be highly accountable before God. Follow the Bible and God, not men (applies to JWs and Catholics, etc.).
http://www.jwfacts.org The truth about The Truth (but will not point you to the gospel which is beyond grasp as long as people uncritically trust a false organization despite evidence).
The organization of Jehovah's Witnesses NO LONGER teach Bible truth by use of strong words and seemingly attacking expressions. That method was used in early 20s. We no longer debate on newspaper or TV. The organization of JW now focus on searching for individuals who are rightly disposed for everlasting life and assist such ones to decide to worship the only true God, Jehovah.--Psalm 83:18.
All Witnesses want to be careful not to go ahead of the GB assigned to take the lead.
Please, kindly desist from publishing such information that only lead to unnecessary and ignorant debates that produce fight. 2Tim. 2:23