What does Bible say about pestilence in end times?

Answer 1

These are found in what some call the "Olivet Prophecy," where Jesus spoke to His disciples, privately, on that mountain regarding the end time events to watch, which will lead up to His being revealed as the King over all the nations of the earth [events, which have been written down for us, today]. These are recorded from the three different perspectives of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers [diverse, different] places. All these are the beginning of sorrows [woes, troubles, tribulation]." (Matt.24:7-8) [these things will lead up to the Great Tribulation]

Mark's perspective doesn't say "pestilences"... but the account is definitely the same session:

"...as He sat upon the Mount of Olives... For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginning of sorrows." (Mark 13:3 & 8)

"...these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said He unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven." (Luke 21:10-11)

Luke testifies that these "signs" [earthquakes, pestilences, famines, wars, false religions] don't indicate the end... but are things that MUST happen before the end of man's rule on earth comes.

Matthew stipulates what will mark the end:

"And this GOSPEL [good news] OF THE KINGDOMshall be preached IN ALL THE WORLD for a witness unto ALL NATIONS; and THEN shall the end come." (Matt.24:14)

Unfortunately, the vast majority of the modern professing Christian denominations can't agree among themselves on what the Kingdom of God is. So, the Kingdom of God [the message that Jesus brought and preached] has yet to be preached with any degree of saturation in the few countries that still allow Jesus' name to be uttered, legally... much less, in all the nations in the world.

Some people point to earthquakes and pestilences [wars, famines, false religions, etc] as the signs of Jesus' return... but these scriptures merely say that these things must happen, first, before the final signs come to pass; the Great Tribulation, the Heavenly Signs of the darkening of the sun and moon, globally, before Jesus will be seen by all the nations of the earth coming in the clouds [Matt.24:30].

But, The Bible mentions earthquakes and pestilences [and other signs] in these accounts regarding events that lead up to the time of the end of man's rule on earth.