An End of Time Spoiler
At times, there’s nothing worse than knowing the ending to a movie or television show. Knowing how the movie ends makes the film seem unappealing and lessens the climatic impact which it has on the viewer. Some of the best movies or television shows are those where the conclusion is completely different from what you think may happen.
From 2004-2010, viewers became enamored with the show, “Lost.” My wife and I would watch it, then re-watch, and then sometimes, “re-re-watch” (if there’s such a thing) to try and catch any subtleties the writers would include to give a hint to the show’s meaning. If only they could get off the island! Where is the island? What is the island? Are they dead? Are they alive? What about the polar bears in the middle of the South Pacific? 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Ugh. Still 9 years after the show’s conclusion, my wife and I argue over the ending of the show. I guess we’re going to have to watch all 121 episodes all over again…
God gives us a “spoiler" too! Guess what? We win! The details may not be as clear as we want them, but they are as clear as God wants them. There is no secret code to decipher a numerical proof of when the world will reach its conclusion. I’m glad there’s not. Can you imagine the pandemonium at Wal-Mart if all humanity knew the world was going to end tomorrow? Fortunately, God does not tell us specifically when Jesus will return. Scripture does, however, reveal one piece of important news - “We win.”
Whenever life leads us to any question, we ask, “What does the Bible say about this?” This is where we will begin. Scripture tells us “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life.” Off the top, while this may not seem to be as pertinent to our discussion, it does "reveal" our goal - to gain the crown of life. How do we obtain this crown? The answer is also in Scripture: “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” We "win" as the church of Jesus Christ lays aside its own desires only to exemplify the desires of Christ.
Christ encourages His church to “let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.” Here, my friends, is a help in our search for a Christlike ending - finding our victory in Jesus. We can find hope and peace in this life - but, only in Jesus.
Ultimately, if we are biblically faithful, all astute readers will turn (some fearfully) to the book of Revelation to find the ultimate comfort to man’s search for victory: “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, have been cast down.’” Here it is…Boom! Satan has been cast away from the throne of God. He will no longer have access to God.
Christ will ultimately destroy the works of the devil. In a victorious mantra which will be celebrated in Heaven, Jesus will say, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.” Jesus will proclaim victory over the devil and the world.
What will happen? We win. How will it happen? We are given clues, but no precise details. He is a God who never rests or sleeps. He will see the world brought to its appropriate end in a very perfect way. The ultimate ending to a nail-biting cliff-hanger: there’s no spoiler here. We win!