Author Unknown
Many can recite the first four words of the Bible: “In the beginning God…” The most gifted minds of all time have pondered the meaning of these words without fully grasping their significance. These four words say so much about the power, the immutability, and the eternality of God.
Four other words which may be of equal importance are: “In the end God…” What happened in the beginning with God is in the past. We can believe it or reject it. But, on this side of eternity, each accountable human being has something to do with what will happen in the future—in the end with God.
The Bible teaches us that history is going somewhere. It is not a meaningless progression of people, things and events. In the city of Athens, Paul had dealings with two groups of philosophers: the Stoics and the Epicureans (Acts 17:18). The Stoics had a circular view of history and believed that everything just keeps going around in circles. Everything that now is has been before and what is now, will someday be again. The cycle repeats itself over and over again, like waves of the sea, rising and falling, only to be followed by the next.
The Epicureans believed that everything was made of tiny particles or atoms. Trees were made of atoms and people were made of atoms – both of the same stuff. Consequently, life had no meaning to the Epicurean. Just like the tree is made of atoms so we are made of atoms. And, as the tree will be cut down, so we will. So, we ought to eat, drink and be merry for life is going nowhere.
The Christian, however, believes that history is moving toward the end. In 1 Cor. 15:24, Paul says, “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father…” As surely as the world began, it will also end. In Matthew 26, Jesus is on trial for his life. He has no attorney pleading His case. In fact, He will lose His trial before the High Priest and all the courts in the land. But, as Jesus is being tried by the High Priest, the High Priest says to Him, “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (verses 63, 64). This man had the power of death over Jesus and in just a few hours He would be condemned to death on the cross. On that day, He was on trial before the High Priest, but there will come a day when we will see Him crowned with glory (Psalm 8:5; Heb. 2:9), seated on the right hand of God (Heb. 12:2; 1 Pet. 3:22, and on that day, we will kneel to be judged by Him! (Rom. 14:11-12; Phil. 2:11-12) In The End God!
