Biblical Worldview - Part 13- What is the End of the Story?
By Ben Quine
****The way we act is shaped by the way we look at the world. Our lives are shaped by our basic assumptions and convictions. These Worldview Articles will explore what a “worldview” is. Each person has a worldview, whether they know it or not, and it determines every decision and choice a person makes. Do you have a Biblical Worldview or are factors other than the Bible informing your choices and decisions. In this series of articles, we will take an in-depth look at 7 Vital Worldview Questions, as the starting place for building a Biblical Worldview. (These articles are adapted from David Quine’s Answers for Difficult Days “Seven Vital Worldview Questions.” David is Ben’s father and the founder of Cornerstone Curriculum a Biblically based Homeschool Curriculum.)
The ending of a story is crucial in determining the meaning of the story. If Romeo had simply not panicked and committed suicide, both he and Juliet would have gone on to live happy, joy-filled lives. If Gollum had not bitten the ring off of Frodo’s finger and fallen into the fires of Mt. Doom, the dark Lord Sauron would have regained the ring and the unquenchable power that went with it.
As humans, it is very important for us to understand history and where we fit into it. Every one of us has a basic need to know the meaning of the story of history. We need to know where we came from and where we are going. But even more that that we need to know what our purpose in life is, what gives value to life, and if the story of history will be a tragedy or a comedy (happy ending).
Modern science teaches that we came here by chance, that we are simply a conglomeration of cells seeking a higher evolutionary stage, that the “stronger races” should dominate over the “weaker races” in the struggle to survive, that all life on earth will be inevitably be destroyed by extra-planetary forces (perhaps an asteroid or the explosion of our own sun), and that nothing that happens on earth has any true lasting significance since there is no spiritual world, no afterlife, and no ultimate consequences for our actions here today. It is no wonder, given this worldview, that so many people today are embracing hedonism (living for pleasure), despair, or irrationalism (refusing to think about their personal worldview so that they can hold onto an optimistic view of life).
So what is the meaning of history? Only the Bible gives a true and satisfying answer in these areas. So, let’s look to God’s Word:
as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (II Corinthians 4:18)
First of all, we must recognize that there is a seen portion and an unseen portion of history. Both are real and both are very important. If we neglect either the seen or the unseen portion we will have an incomplete view of history. God’s Word gives us the knowledge that we need from the unseen world. Always remember to take into account both parts of history and the dynamic interaction between the two.
When we look at what God has revealed to us about the unseen world, we learn that history has a flow to it. History is following a progression or pattern. God’s story of history five parts. Over the course of this series, we’ve already covered the first four sections, so we’ll summarize them and look a bit more closely at the final part.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)
Part 1 was Creation. Everything coexisted in peace and harmony, and it was very good!
And to Adam [God] said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; (Genesis 3:17)
Part 2 was Conflict. Adam and Eve rebelled against God, doubted His Word, questioned His love, and disobeyed His command.
To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said… cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you… By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:16-19)
Part 3 was Consequences. Adam and Eve’s actions brought sin, suffering, and death into the world. Humanity’s rebellious conflict against God resulted in a series of separations: People’s hearts are set against God, people’s hearts are set against each other, people are set against nature, and nature is even set against itself. Now the history of the world is filled with curses, confusion, and complications.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
Part 4 was the Climax — The life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ! The promised offspring of Genesis 3:15 entered into history at just the right moment (“in the fullness of time,” Galatians 4:4-6) to rescue His children and destroy the works of the devil.
Part 5 is the Completion. History is moving towards its finale. The Bible has a lot to say about what is ahead of us in the future, and though the exact details may be unclear, the following points are certain:
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (Luke 17:26-30)
The world doesn’t believe in the end or Jesus’ return. They will carry on life as usual and mock you like they did Noah and Lot.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Jesus Christ is coming again. He has promised to return in glory, and that then we will be with him forever.
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. (Mark 13:32-33)
Jesus repeatedly stressed that though we know he will return, we do not know when he will return. So we must be ready. We must be alert. We must be faithful.
I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” (Luke 17:34-35)
Not all will be taken. Some will be left. It will be terrible for those who are left, who will hear Jesus say “I do not know you” (Matthew 25:1-13).
Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God… And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (II Thessalonians 2:34, 8–12)
Deception is powerful. Many around us are deceived because they refuse to love the truth. But it is not an excuse. They will be condemned along with Satan and his whole team, including the man of lawlessness (also called “antichrist” or “beast,” I John 2:18, Revelation 13:1-18).
Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer… And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword… And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:1-8)
And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up… A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed… A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter… They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them… By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths… The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 8:7-9:21)
God has promised to bring his judgement on the earth. It will be just and it will be terrible, but wicked people will still refuse to repent.
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11-21)
Jesus will return with unstoppable power as a mighty warrior. Jesus will throw the beast into the lake of fire, he will destroy the army that stands against him, and he will rule for 1,000 years.
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. 6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:1-9)
When Jesus establishes his kingdom, he will judge all the earth with justice. He will bring an end to the conflict, the groaning, the suffering, caused by sin. He will restore creation to the very good state it was at the beginning!
And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:7-15)
Now the final judgement, Jesus will judge. Anyone whose name is not written in the lamb’s book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 21:1-4, 21:22-22:5)
The ending of a story is crucial in determining the meaning of the story. The end of the story of the world is amazing: Jesus wins! He is coming back to gather his people to live with him forever. He will judge the earth and establish a new heaven and a new earth filled with joy, and truth, and peace, and righteousness. This is the greatest ending of all time!
Ben Quine is Vice President of Christians Engaged and is the Director of Curriculum Development and Strategic Ministry Partnerships.
Learn more about Ben on our website: christiansengaged.org/leadership
Find Ben’s corresponding “Answers for Difficult Days” books in our Christians Engaged Store