The Goal Of History

The Goal of History

Read: Matthew 24:4-14

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Matthew 24:14

“The mission of the church is more important than the march of armies or the actions of the world’s capitals.”

—George Eldon Ladd

IN WORD Have you ever wondered what God’s plan is? There is no clearer statement of the goal of history than this verse. Political scientists have written that the age of liberal democracy marks “the end of history,” the fulfillment of political ideology. But history isn’t about political evolution. New Age Darwinists proclaim a next stage in evolution in which we become “superhuman.” But history isn’t about biological perfection. Economists plot ways to distribute the world’s wealth equitably and profitably so that we can achieve material utopia. But history isn’t about economics.

No, history is about the kingdom of God and its proclamation among all peoples. And when the kingdom has drawn its members from every people group, Jesus will announce the end of human history. All hopes for utopia—political, economic, human potential, etc.—will be found to have aimed far too low when He comes.

Many philosophers see no direction in history, and so the cultures they influence are directionless. But Jesus allows no such randomness in His followers’ lives. We do not drift through history. We are given a goal. We are to point to Christ, the sum of all things (Colossians 1:16-18).

IN DEED Where is your life pointed? Is it consistent with the goal of history that God has made plain? The beauty of His story is that we can be involved in history’s progress toward its climax. We are allowed to be co-laborers with God in His plan for this world. Everything we do must be for the building up of His kingdom. Everyone must be involved in its proclamation to all peoples. Every eye must watch for His coming again. Leave it to others to speculate. We can choose the right direction because we know something the world doesn’t know—how the story ends.