Red Dwarf Stars and the Search for Life Elsewhere

 

I have to admit to experiencing a certain impatience with how the media covers science matters, particularly where the search for life elsewhere in the universe is concerned. Oftentimes, the impression is given that if liquid water can exist on a planet’s surface, it must be a good candidate for life. The truth of the matter is much more complicated.

When discussing the potential for life elsewhere in the universe, advocates like to cite statistics such as the possible number of stars in the observable universe, which scientists estimate at 50 billion trillion, and the fact that most stars appear to have planetary systems. With so many other planetary systems out there, they reason that earth-like planets must be rather common, and surely life has developed on at least a few of them.

Going by purely naturalistic assumptions, this might seem like a persuasive argument, but the more we drill down into what we’ve learned about other stars and the planets that orbit them, the more likely it becomes that our earth is truly unique. I could outline several aspects of this issue, but for the moment I’ll concentrate on one statistic that narrows the range of habitable systems dramatically.

Stars come in a variety of categories, and are classified in several ways, including by age, size, color, and mass. For instance, our sun is a class G yellow dwarf star, of moderate luminosity (brightness) and exceptionally stable. Roughly 12.6% of stars in our part of the Milky Way galaxy are like the sun. By far the most common type of star in the universe is the red dwarf (class M). Red dwarf stars are much smaller, cooler, and dimmer than stars like our sun. The closest star to our sun is a red dwarf: Proxima Centauri, which is located about 4.2 light years away. Even though this star is so close to our solar system, because it’s so small and dim, it’s not visible to the naked eye and wasn’t discovered until 1915. Only one red dwarf star (Lacaille 8760) is actually visible from earth—barely—and even it can’t be seen without exceptionally clear, dark skies.

Given that they’re smaller and cooler than our sun, one might think red dwarf stars would be ‘kinder and gentler’ than other stars, serving as ideal hosts for life-bearing planets. Actually, the opposite is true: red dwarf stars are temperamental, and planets in orbit around them would have a difficult time sustaining life. For one thing, red dwarf stars often fluctuate wildly in brightness (a behavior known as ‘flaring’). Flare activity not only changes the amount of light planets receive from their host stars, it can also bombard them with charged particles that gradually strip away their atmospheres, making them uninhabitable. Flaring could also result in dramatic fluctuations in UV radiation that could effectively sterilize the surface of a planet orbiting close enough to receive enough warmth to sustain life.

Because red dwarf stars are so much cooler than our sun, any planets they may have must orbit closer to them in order to receive enough energy to warm them sufficiently, maintain liquid water on their surfaces, and allow plants to conduct photosynthesis. This not only subjects them to significant radiation hazards, as I already mentioned, it also increases the chances for what scientists call ‘tidal locking.’ Tidal locking is when a planet’s rotation rate matches the time of its orbit around its parent star, with the effect that the planet only ever presents one side of itself to the star (just as our moon only ever presents one side of itself to the earth).

When a planet becomes tidally locked to its parent star, one side of it continually experiences day, while the other side experiences an eternal night. As you might expect, the day side of such planets—continually bathed in sunlight—become extremely hot, while the opposite side—continually deprived of sunlight—turns into a deep freeze. The odds are very low that any sort of life could survive such temperature extremes. A planet with a thick atmosphere might be able to maintain high enough temperatures to permit bacteria or certain types of plants to survive, but on the other hand, a thick atmosphere might also produce a runaway greenhouse effect, making the planet too warm for life. Of course, this assumes that the planet is large enough to retain its atmosphere in the first place. Take Mars, for instance. Mars is approximately 10% as massive as Earth, which is why its atmosphere is much thinner than Earth’s: it simply doesn’t have enough gravity to hold on to it in competition with the eroding influence of the solar wind (charged particles streaming outward from the sun). The planet would also need a substantial magnetic field to help hold on to its atmosphere. Mars has a negligible magnetic field, which is another reason for its tenuous atmosphere.

Another problem for life in red dwarf solar systems is the fact that red light has a longer wavelength and lower energy levels than is ideal for photosynthesis in plants. Experiments have been done showing that it is possible for plants and some forms of bacteria to survive and grow in light mimicking the spectrum of a red dwarf, but flaring would be a potential problem here, as plants sensitive enough to make use of the lower energy level of red light might be overwhelmed by sudden, dramatic increases in energy output. Again, atmospheric density and composition would also play a role in how well plants were able to grow in the light of a red dwarf star.

So, yes, in a universe of 50 billion trillion stars, most of which probably have planets, one might think that life-bearing planets could be common; and this is certainly the impression many in the media like to convey when covering news of astronomical discoveries. When you consider that the vast majority of stars fall into a category that is less than ideal for life, however, those numbers look far less impressive. Red dwarf stars are, at the very least, inhospitable hosts, and any planets in orbit around them would have to meet exacting conditions in order to sustain life. I’ve touched on a few of the issues here, but there are many more. For instance: Does the planet’s soil have the right mineral content in the right proportions? Does it have plate tectonics to recycle its soil? Does it have a comparatively large moon to stabilize its axial tilt in order to give it stable seasons? Does it have enough water? What sort of gravitational influence do other planets in the system subject it to? And then there are outside influences to consider as well. For instance, how close is the system to other solar systems, to black holes, or to the energetic core of the galaxy? Conditions might be ideal within the system itself, but if it is constantly being gravitationally destabilized and blasted by radiation from outside sources, the odds against anything beyond perhaps simple bacteria existing there are remote at best.

All of these are factors that weigh heavily on the question of whether a planet is a viable prospect for life, and, to date, no other planet has been discovered that even comes close to the conditions we enjoy on our Earth. Our world is located on an ideal planet, which is itself located in an ideal position within an ideal solar system, in orbit around an ideal star, in an ideal part of an ideal galaxy in an ideal area of the universe.

We occupy the best-known real estate in the observable universe, and I believe that this is no accident.

Proxima Centauri: the closest star to our sun, and an artist's impression of a planet orbiting a red dwarf star.

  

The Last Words of Jesus

 

Most people who know they’re going away for a very long time, or that they’re going to die, don’t waste their time on trivial things. They call in friends and family, they try to settle quarrels with estranged friends and relatives, and they talk about the things they consider most important.

John chapters 13-17 record the Last Supper and Jesus’ ‘high priestly prayer’ for his disciples prior to his betrayal and execution. Although the cross was not the end for him, these events marked the beginning of his departure from his disciples. Their relationship would never be the same again, and they were going to have to get used to no longer having him around. Jesus was never one to waste words, but here he emphasizes and re-emphasizes certain things in such a way that we should view them as supremely important.

First, he exemplifies humility, selfless love, and service in washing his disciples’ feet - even the feet of his betrayer, Judas - and commands them to follow his example in their treatment of one another. He returns to this theme later, urging his disciples to “love one another,” and even tells them that that this type of selfless love will be the distinguishing characteristic of his disciples in the future. Not the doctrines they hold to, or even the content of their preaching, but their treatment of one another:

 

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:35

This stands in sharp contrast to what Jesus tells his disciples about the last days in Matthew 24:

 

“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” - Matthew 24:9-12

Here, Jesus tells his disciples that, as the pressures against Christians mount in the days before his return, many of them will turn on one another and even betray one another to death. For this reason, he commands them to remain devoted to one another, and even says that their steadfast love for one another will confirm them as his true disciples in the eyes of all around them.

Christians need one another. If we act in selfless love, we have the ability to help, encourage, and strengthen one another. For some in the last days, the presence of other Christians will probably be the primary factor in sustaining their faith in the midst of tribulation.

As the author of Hebrews writes:

 

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” - Hebrews 10:23-25

This is more than an admonition to “go to church.” It’s a directive to engage in genuine, edifying fellowship. It has to do with surrounding oneself with a network of believing support.

The second thing Jesus emphasized was the abiding presence of God and the promise of being with Jesus in the kingdom. The author of Hebrews tells us that it was “for the joy that was set before him” that Jesus endured the cross. In other words, he went through the horrors that he did because he knew that something better awaited him on the other side: the redemption of his bride, his return to the Father, and, ultimately, the promise of the kingdom. In a similar way, Jesus tells his disciples to remember that, even though he is leaving them, he will eventually return and take them to be with him.

Thus, no matter what awaits them, the disciples have something to look forward to, something worth believing for. Jesus also emphasizes his unity with the Father in all of this so that his disciples will understand that his word to them has the Father's own authority behind it—it’s the true and faithful promise of God.

 

“...and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” - John 14:24

In the meantime, Jesus tells them that, even though he is physically leaving them, the presence of God will still remain with them in the Holy Spirit. They will not be left alone. In fact, the Spirit will teach them and testify to them about the things of Christ. This will be vital for the disciples, as Jesus has already warned them of deception in the last days (Matthew 24:4, 23-27). Indeed, Jesus refers to the Spirit as “the spirit of truth” (John 14:17).

The third thing Jesus emphasizes is the necessity of “abiding” in him by practicing his teachings. He compares the disciples to branches that must remain attached to the vine in order to have life and bring forth fruit. He promises that those who abide in him will “abide in my love” and “bring forth much fruit.” After this, he once again reminds them to love one another. The emphasis on unity here underscores the fact that believers are a community, a “body” through which Christ carries out his works in the world. There are certainly individual aspects to the Christian life, but the business of bringing forth “much fruit” will come from united communities of believers, growing together in their connection to the vine and supporting one another.

Fourth, Jesus emphasizes that the world will hate his disciples for the same reason they hated Christ: his word convicted them of their sin. He warns them of this persecution in advance in order to prepare them to face it:

 

“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them.” - John 16:1-4

The word translated “stumbling” here is the Greek word skandalizo, which means to trip over an impediment, the way you might trip over a rock and fall. Jesus warns his disciples here so that they can mentally prepare themselves to face what is coming, grounded in his truth, led by the Spirit, and standing in unity.

 

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; for I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

Jesus then prays to the Father in John 17, underscoring these things he has taught his disciples, and entrusting them to the Father's care. He does not ask that the Father take them out of the world, but rather that he sustain them while in it:

 

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” - John 17:15

As we look forward to the coming of the Lord and reflect on what he said the last days would be like, we need to meditate on these ‘last words’ or ‘parting words’ in John 13-17. Our strength to overcome in the face of deception and persecution will depend on our standing in the unity of love, fixed on the promises of God in Christ, led by the Spirit of Truth, and continually deriving life from the vine that is Christ as we practice his teachings and bring forth their fruit.

 

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” - John 3:20-22

 

"Your Faith has Saved You. Go in Peace."

 

My favorite book of the Bible by a wide margin is the Gospel of John, but my favorite story in the Bible is found in chapter 7 of Luke’s gospel. In this story, Jesus is dining at the house of a Pharisee named Simon. While Jesus is reclining at the table with his host and the other guests, a woman comes in, falls down at Jesus’ feet, and begins to weep. She anoints Jesus’ head with perfume from an alabaster box, washes his feet with her tears, kisses them, anoints them with more of the perfume, and then wipes them with her hair. When Simon sees this, he thinks to himself that Jesus can’t really be a prophet, because if he were a prophet, “he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Given the way this is phrased, I assume the woman must have been either a prostitute or else was known for being “loose,” as my parents’ generation would say.

Jesus, being aware of what Simon is thinking, presents him with a parable concerning two men who owed money to a lender. One of them owed 50 days’ wages, while the other owed 500 days’ wages. When the men were unable to pay, the moneylender forgave them both. Jesus then asks Simon, “which of the two will love him [the moneylender] more?” Simon replies, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

Jesus confirms that Simon has answered correctly, and then says this to him:

“Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with perfume. For this reason, I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he is forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to the woman: “Your sins have been forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

There are two things I would draw your attention to here:

First, this woman was notorious in her community for being a “sinner,” someone with whom no one decent would be caught dead. In spite of this, she came to Jesus and found forgiveness. Maybe tonight you feel as though you are so filthy Christ could never stoop to love you. If so, remember this woman. Jesus had a reputation for hanging out with people who were less than respectable. In fact, his enemies called him “a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” To this, Jesus replied, “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:12-13). In Luke 19, when he dines with a tax collector named Zacchaeus, who turns to him and promises to reform his life, Jesus comments: “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

If you’re a wretch, an outcast, despised and sick at heart, he came for you.

Second, notice that Jesus commends the woman for her faith. But how did she show faith, you might wonder. She’s not recorded as saying anything.

The woman showed her faith in coming to Jesus in humility. It was the job of common servants in those days to wash the feet of a guest, and this they would have done with water and cloth of some type; but this woman washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You can’t humble yourself much more than that. Further, she anointed Jesus with a type of expensive perfume, likely given to her by one of her “clients,” or else purchased with money she had made in her trade.

She came to Jesus because she knew who he was. As the Pharisee Nicodemus said, “We know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” The woman knew that Jesus had been sent by God. Further, Jesus had forgiven sins on a number of occasions, and had been castigated for it by the Jewish leaders. Jesus was preaching a gospel of “repent and believe,” and this woman exemplified both. She regretted her past and wanted to be reconciled to God, and she knew Jesus was God’s chosen. She showed her faith by recognizing him for who he was and what he could do. On another occasion, in Matthew 9, two blind men came to Jesus, asking him to restore their sight. Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” These men believed in both who Jesus was and what he could do. The woman in Luke 7 showed the same faith.

Further, Jesus emphasized that, because he had come from God, with the authority of God, all who accepted him also accepted God:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me.” – John 13:20

Here’s the point of all of this: No matter what you’ve done, how dirty you feel, and how badly people may treat you because of your past, no matter how much you might want to shy away from him, Jesus came for you. If you want to be forgiven, turn to him openly, showing that you know who he is and what he can do for you. Your faith can save you, too.

“Come unto me all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” – Matthew 11:28-29

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

Because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives,

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set free those who are oppressed,

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” – Luke 4:18-19

Understanding the End Times, Part One: The Kingdom of God

 

Remember the former things long past,

For I am God, and there is none other;

I am God, and there is no one like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning,

And from ancient times things which have not been done,

Saying, “My purpose will be established,

And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” – Isaiah 46:9-10

There is significantly more to the end times issue than the popular focus on matters of when and how end-time events will take place. The question of “Why?” is also extremely important. We have to understand why this period of history is coming, what it is designed to achieve. Nor can we restrict our study of scripture to what is specifically said concerning the end. No, if we want to fully understand the end, it’s essential that we go back to the beginning, for all of human history has been steadily leading up to this time.

God created human beings to be his imagers—that is, to reflect and represent him—and he gave us the task of caring for this planet. In other words, mankind was to act as God’s regent or viceroy on the earth, ruling over the world on his behalf. Ultimately, Adam and Eve—the father and mother of the Adamic race—chose to rebel, seeking the knowledge to live without the guidance of God. They chose their own will over God’s will, and this unfortunate choice soon became the defining characteristic of the human race: the gratification and exaltation of self. As a result of their rebellion, Adam and Eve were cast out of the place of privilege and blessing that God had prepared for them, doomed to labor for their sustenance and, eventually, to die. Yet, even in the midst of judgment, God showed them mercy and promised a redeemer.

In the centuries that followed, God worked through various individuals who were willing to be led by him. One of the most prominent of these was a man named Abraham, with whom God entered into a covenant, which is a solemn agreement based upon promises (marriage is a type of covenant). In his covenant with Abraham, God promised several things, including:

1. He would have descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven.
2. He and his descendants would possess a great land inheritance encompassing the territory between the Nile and Euphrates rivers.
3. He would become a blessing to all nations.

Abraham’s descendants multiplied greatly and eventually became the nation of Israel, which was named for Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, whose name God changed. In time, God established a covenant with Israelites in order to establish them as a holy people, meaning a people set apart to himself, so that he could bless them for Abraham’s sake and bring them into the land he had promised. This covenant became known as the Mosaic Covenant or the Law of Moses in that it was given to Israel through Moses after the Israelites were freed from a period of bondage in Egypt. In this covenant, God promised Israel many blessings, but he also sternly warned them that these blessings (including the privilege of living in the land they inhabited) were conditional on their loyalty to him. If they departed from him and served other gods like the nations around them, God promised to visit many different types of judgments upon them and to evict them from the land.

Israel started off well under Moses and his successor, Joshua. They established the civil and ceremonial law that God had commanded, and they took the land of Canaan from the various tribes living in it and became prosperous. In time, however, many of them left off serving God in favor of worshiping pagan gods and adopting the religious practices of the nations around them, such as child sacrifice. Time after time, God warned and judged his people for their idolatry, often by sending foreign conquerors to rule over them; and, time after time, the Israelites repented and turned back to God, who then delivered them through a host of judges and prophets.

This cycle continued until the people finally demanded a king to rule over them, just as the nations around them had kings. God warned them of how a king would tax and otherwise oppress them, but the people were insistent, so God set a man over them named Saul. Saul was effectively the nation of Israel in a microcosm. He started off well, just as Israel had in the day s of Moses and Joshua, but he became proud and stubborn and disobeyed God repeatedly. God then revoked the kingship from Saul and chose another man, a young man named David. David was by no means perfect, but he was a man after God’s own heart. He remained loyal to God throughout his life, and while he was king over Israel the people worshiped and served God as the Law of Moses prescribed. God entered into a covenant with David as well, promising that his family would retain the throne forever.

After David and his son Solomon passed off the scene, ten of Israel’s twelve tribes rebelled against David’s grandson Rehoboam and broke away, becoming known as Israel or “the Northern Kingdom.” The remaining two tribes became known as “Judah” or “the Southern Kingdom.” The Northern Kingdom became steeped in idolatry and paganism early on, and had no really good kings at all apart from a man named Jehu, and even he tolerated idolatry in the land to a degree. Eventually, the Northern Kingdom was destroyed and its people were taken into captivity by the Assyrian Empire. For its part, the Southern Kingdom remained loyal to the house of David and produced some good kings, but it also had some kings who gave themselves wholeheartedly to the service of pagan gods. As a result, the Southern Kingdom outlasted the Northern Kingdom but eventually fell to the Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar and its people were carried off into exile for seventy years.

As he had in the days of the judges, God sent one prophet after another to Israel and Judah, warning of impending judgment and calling on them to repent and return wholeheartedly to their God. Even as they prophesied of overthrow and captivity, however, a number of these men also foretold a time when God would restore the fortunes of his people, defeat their enemies, and re-gather them in their own land, establishing an everlasting kingdom. In this kingdom, justice and righteousness would reign supreme, and God himself would dwell among men as he had not since the beginning. The kingdom would be centered on Jerusalem, which the prophets commonly referred to as Mount Zion, and the land of Israel would become a place of peace and particular blessing, just as the Garden had once been. God also promised to inaugurate a new covenant with both Judah and Israel, and to write his laws in their hearts so that they would never stray from him again.

This covenant and kingdom would be established and ruled over by a descendant of David known as the Messiah. Messiah is a title taken from the Hebrew word Mashiach, meaning “anointed one,” after the ancient practice of anointing kings with oil. In the Greek language, it is Christos: Christ or “the Christ”. Thus, Messiah was to be both deliverer and king, and it was prophesied that even the gentile nations would come to revere him.

Yet, the prophets also warned that the coming of the kingdom would involve a time of great calamity for Israel. The nation’s enemies would rise up against it, intent on destroying it. God would eventually intervene and stop this, but it would be a terrible time for humanity as a whole. Judgment would fall on those who hated Israel as well as those who hated God and refused to acknowledge him and honor Christ as king.

Eventually, in what the Bible calls “the fullness of time,” God sent his Son, Jesus of Nazareth, into the world. When he began his public ministry, the Bible tells us that Jesus came preaching: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!” (Matthew 4:17), which effectively means: “Turn from your rebellion against God, because the Kingdom of God is coming and judgment is coming with it.” The Jews of Jesus’ day knew very well what this reference meant: the time of Israel’s prophesied restoration was near, and they began to openly debate whether Jesus was the expected Messiah, the Christ. Yet, Jesus refused to openly proclaim himself as such, and he would not allow others to prematurely put him in that position. Instead, he taught the people, healed them, freed them from spiritual oppression, and even raised the dead back to life. In so doing, he fulfilled Old Testament prophecies concerning the work of the Messiah, and he exemplified the blessings of the coming Kingdom age, in which disease, the oppression of evil, and even death itself would be overcome. In other words, he showed himself—and those who followed him and did the same works as he did—to be the living Kingdom of God among them: the very personification of the Kingdom and the proof that it was in fact on its way, with both blessing and judgment.

 “I AM the bread of life…” – John 6:35

“I AM the light of the world…” – John 8:12

“I AM the gate for the sheep…” – John 10:7

“I AM the good shepherd…” – John 10:11

“I AM the resurrection and the life…” – John 11:35

“I AM the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

“I AM the true vine…” – John 15:1

In a nutshell, the ministry of Jesus Christ was a ministry of reconciliation. Everything he did was geared toward restoring what humanity had lost when it lost access to God and the blessings of Eden: peace, health, and life in all of their various dimensions. He set right all that had been made wrong in human experience. In healing the sick and lame, he restored people’s bodies to their proper function. In raising the dead, he restored life that had been lost. In teaching, he restored truth where it had been clouded or distorted. He came to bring restoration, and he was the very embodiment of it.

Yet, not all accepted him or recognized him for who he was. From the very beginning, Jesus called out a select few to follow him and learn from him intimately. These people—both men and women—became his disciples. The closest of these were twelve men whom Jesus called “apostles.” It was specifically these that he trained to carry on his ministry, for he knew that he would not continue with them for long. Those who were jealous of him and hated him were conspiring to kill him. This, too, had been prophesied in the Old Testament, although the prophecies were not well understood. They told of one who would come and carry away the sicknesses and diseases of the people, who would bear the burden of sin to make atonement, and who would be put to a shameful death. Jesus warned his disciples that this was coming, but he also promised that it was not the end: after he had suffered and died, he would rise again; and as he lived, they would live also.

Jesus inaugurated the promised new covenant with his disciples the night before his death; and when he was raised from the dead, he commissioned them to go and preach what he called “the Gospel of the Kingdom” throughout the world. The word “gospel” is from a Greek word meaning “good news.” The Kingdom of God is indeed good news—even with its prophecies of judgment—if you view it the way God views it, for it represents the end of evil’s domination of this world. From that time forward, true justice and righteousness will reign supreme, and the old, corrupt regimes of this world will never come to power again.

In his ministry of reconciliation, the New Testament calls Christ “the last Adam.” Why? Because he is the embodiment of what man was meant to be under God. He is the first—not of a new race, but of a renewed race of man—in perfect fellowship with God. Where Adam failed, choosing to follow his own will and effectively be God to himself, Christ succeeded, remaining faithful to God and doing his will perfectly and consistently. He is the perfect image of God.

“If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” – John 14:9

“For in him, all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” – Colossians 2:9

All of this brings us back to the time of the end.

The purpose of the end times is to bring in the Kingdom of God with Christ at its head, to do away with everything that is contrary to the will and character of God, and to establish eternal righteousness and blessing with man restored in perfect, eternal fellowship with his creator. In the words of the angel Gabriel as recorded by the prophet Daniel:

“…to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.” – Daniel 9:24

Just as the events of the creation in Genesis prepared the world to be handed over to the government of humanity, which was made in the image of God to represent him in the world but fell into rebellion, so the events of the end times are to prepare the world to be handed over to the government of Jesus Christ, who is the perfect, unfailing image of God and will reign in eternal righteousness. He has indeed declared the end from the beginning.

As they say, “That’s what it’s all about.”

“Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and he will reign forever and ever.’” – Revelation 11:15