H. Michael Brewer
Crescent Springs Presbyterian
5 December 2004
WITH A WHIMPER OR A BANG?
Daniel 7:7-14
Revelation 5:6-10
What do we know about the end of the world? Advent is the season when we remember Israel’s
long wait for the coming of the Messiah, and it is also the season in which we Christians renew our
own waiting for the Messiah to come again. As we approach the end of the year, the Advent season
turns our thoughts to the end of the world, and that’s what we’ll think about for the next few weeks.
It may seem an odd theme for these weeks before Christmas, but this is a season of hope and we
Christians approach the end of time with unshakeable hope.
So again I ask, what do we know about the end of the world? Does science have an answer?
Sort of! In fact, science has two answers competing for acceptance. One prediction is that the
universe will eventually collapse upon itself in a Big Crunch that will effectively obliterate everything
that exists. The other alternative is that the universe will keep spreading out until everything runs down
and all the energy has dissipated. In other words, the universe we know will eventually die with either
a whimper or a bang. Not much to hope for there.
The scientists of human behavior aren’t optimistic, either. Given the rise in global terrorism,
increasing religious fanaticism, the availability of nuclear weapons, the progress in germ technology,
and ecological uncertainties a number of thoughtful observers insist that some very bad stuff is likely in
the next decade or so, if not quite the end of the world, then something in that neighborhood. I
wouldn’t want to make any predictions personally, but I admit I’m having trouble hanging on to those
old optimistic science–fiction predictions of a world with no hunger, disease or war and a lost of flying
cars in the air.
If the astronomers or the sociologists are right, there’s not much to look forward to. But what
does the Bible say about the end of the world? Not as much as some people think. I hope you won’t
start throwing things at me, but I have to express my conviction that the Bible does not lay out a
timetable of future events leading to Armageddon. We do not know when the world will end, and we’
re not meant to know. Those people who are ticking off items from a checklist—“Only thirteen more
prophecies and the world ends!”—those people are fooling themselves, and in some cases they are
fooling a great many others, too.
One can hardly broach this subject these days without mentioning that publishing phenomenon the
“Left Behind” series books. I already know Tim LaHaye’s views on the end of time, so I’m not
interested in reading those books; but I’m not interested in bashing them, either. Too many people
have told me that the “Left Behind” books led them to a spiritual awakening. That’s a wonderful
thing, and I hope those books continue to touch hearts and change lives.
I will point out that the “Left Behind” books are fiction. I don’t have anything against Christian
fiction. For instance, I’ve always loved C.S. Lewis’ wonderful Narnia fairy tales. Those stories can
teach us a lot about Jesus Christ, but it would be a mistake to come away from the Narnia stories
believing that Jesus walks on all fours. By the same token, I suspect one can find spiritual truths in the
“Left Behind” books, whether or not they accurately predict what God has planned for the world.
This whole debate hinges on two books in the Bible: Daniel and Revelation. Tim LaHaye and a
whole lot of others insist that those books were written to reveal the distant future in some detail. But
everything we know about ancient literature tells us those books were written for a different
purpose—to give hope and comfort to suffering believers. Daniel was written to encourage Jews
enduring a terrible persecution under a demonic king named Antiochus. And Revelation was written
for First Century Christians who were being persecuted and killed by the Roman Emperor Domitian.
Can I prove that? Probably not; it’s difficult to prove anything about Daniel or Revelation. But I
can give you the essential message of both books in two sentences—two sentences of two words
each. That’s right, in four words I can give you the key to unlock all you really need to understand
about Daniel and Revelation. Two sentences, the first sentence about today, and the second sentence
about tomorrow. Feel free to write this down! Here it is:
Hang tough!
God wins!
You see, in order to help us face today, those books do talk about the future in the broadest
possible way, not with detailed predictions about Russia and economic conspiracies, but with
bedrock testimony about the faithfulness and the power of God. There is genuine evil abroad in the
universe. There are powers both human and demonic in open rebellion against God’s will. Those who
seek to serve God in this fallen world will often suffer hardship and disappointment. Sometimes it will
appear that evil has gained the upper hand, that justice has withered, that innocence is victimized, and
somehow God hasn’t noticed!
But be strong and of good courage. The Lamb who sits upon the throne has seven eyes! He sees!
He sees the political prisoner in the torture chamber. He sees the battered wife huddled in the corner.
He sees the children whose lives are twisted and corrupted by drugs and sexual predation and street
violence. He sees the teenaged terrorist who explodes himself in a crowded restaurant—he sees the
suffering created by such a terrorist and he sees the suffering that creates such a terrorist.
He sees. He sees when justice is perverted. He sees when falsehood is enshrined. He sees when
innocent blood is spilled. Seven is the biblical number of fullness. The Lamb has seven eyes and he
sees everything. He sees the dim and flickering hope of his people, he sees our prayers rise like
incense, and he sees the faith in every heart that hungers for his coming.
And he will come, for along with seven eyes the Lamb also has seven horns, and that is the sign of
his strength—the strength to topple the hateful, hurtful powers of this world, the strength to save his
children and heal our brokenness, the authority to establish God’s everlasting triumph over every
rebel principality and dominion.
How and when this will happen, I don’t know. I don’t think the writer of Revelation knew either.
But that it will happen is certain. The word “almighty” is used more often in the book of Revelation
than in any other book of the Bible. Why? To remind us that God is able to save us. God is able to
conquer evil, the evil around us and the evil within us. God is able to bring this universe to its divinely
appointed end, and God is able to fulfill the destiny determined for you and for me. The Lamb has
seven horns and there is no limit to his power.
That’s the message of Revelation. God will prevail. In the battle between good and evil, there is
no battle because no power can possibly challenge God’s sovereign purposes. Evil exists in the
universe only as long as God allows it to exist. Notice how this is expressed in the book of Daniel. A
terrible monster is loosed upon the earth. The creature has iron teeth and ten horns. This horror not
only destroys everything in reach, but it tramples the broken pieces under foot. This is the enemy of
Gods people, and its power is matched only by its malevolence. The universe trembles before this
monster.
And then suddenly God arrives seated upon a rolling throne with wheels of fire. We think there’s
going to be a cosmic fight. We think God is going to roll up the divine sleeves and jump into the
biggest slugfest the universe has ever seen. But it doesn’t happen that way. God doesn’t get up from
the throne. God doesn’t throw any lightning bolts, doesn’t lift so much as a little finger. No, fire from
the throne simply rolls over the beast and utterly cremates it, blots it out of existence forever. Here’s
this beast that has filled the world with terror, and does it require the Lord of heaven to defeat this evil
creature? No, the furniture of heaven is enough to vanquish the monster.
You’ll find a similar idea in Revelation. The ancient serpent who makes war on the saints of God,
the dragon who stalks the world doing evil, the one who is called the Devil and Satan, when his time
is up God doesn’t step in to settle the conflict. An angel arrives on the scene, chains the devil up,
throws him into the pit and locks the door. It’s not a fierce battle. It’s anti-climactic. God doesn’t
even show up in person. God sends an angel, and it’s not one of the big angels, but a nameless angel.
When it’s time for the great and terrible Satan to receive his due, God’s butler handles the job.
God has no challengers. God wins! God has already won. Therefore the people of God must hang
tough. We live by faith and hope. We reject fear and cynicism and despair. We live in the utter
freedom of trusting God to sustain and preserve us come what may.
When Bethany was quite small, I used to pitch her high into the air. I played the game with Rachel,
too, but Bethany was especially fond of it. She'd squeal with delight as she rose and fell, and then I'd
catch her in my arms, being careful not to jar her or jerk her head. Then we'd do it again. Bethany
loved the game. Maybe there was a little fear there, but not much because she knew I'd always catch
her. She knew that in the end I’d never let her fall. Once in while she’d sail so high that I'd see her
eyes go wide and a flash of panic cross her face, but then I'd catch her and she'd laugh and laugh and
laugh.
So, does the world end with a whimper or a bang? Neither! The world ends with a shout of
triumph, a thunder of praise, and the joyful laughter of God’s children safe in God’s everlasting arms!
Soli Deo Gloria!