At first, the coronavirus seemed to be nothing more than a scary flu. Now with countries shut down across the world and death tolls rising, the pandemic has become something that has shifted everyone’s life. Some Christians are taking that a step further and believe the virus is a sign of the end times.

Across social media, you’ll find Christians drawing eerie similarities to the current events of the world and the prophecy presented in the Book of Revelation. The book foreshadows a series of catastrophic events that ravage the world, some perpetrated by the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. The roles of these characters have a few different interpretations, however, they are frequently seen as war, plague, famine, and death.

However, theology experts are weighing in on Christian’s fears and reassuring them that they don’t need to panic.

“Those who know nothing of the New Testament or about Armageddon might think this is the end of days, but it really isn’t,” Jeff Keenley, a theology expert, told The Jerusalem Post.

“In the Book of Revelation, it specifies that there will be famine, earthquake, and plagues which will strike several points across the world: Clear signs for the gates of heaven opening. Has that happened? No. as such, you can breathe easy. This isn’t Armageddon.”

The site Bible Study Tools echos this thought. They write, “So, is COVID-19 one of the seven plagues mentioned in Revelation 16-17? While it might be tempting to try and identify this virus with one of those plagues, I believe there are a couple of reasons not to. The first reason is that these seven plagues are identified as the completion of God’s wrath, and the plagues seem directed solely towards those who belong to the kingdom of the Antichrist. But this virus is not as discriminating. There seems to be no one who is immune to it. Saint and skeptic alike are affected by it.”

As scary as this event is, Christians should take pause and look at the facts before panicking. Instead of thinking God has turned on the world, it’s best to put our anxiety and stress on Him through prayer, meditation, and devotional study. Continuing to be a shepherd of God’s Will during this time will help give you a sense of peace because you know He will be walking by you each step of the way.