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Throughout human history many leaders, rulers, emperors, dictators, presidents, kings, and queens have come and gone. Down through the ages man’s thirst for power is evident. All around us we can see the desire for ruling power. For those who obtain power many benefits follow…or so it seems. Money, notoriety, and fame come to mind as does ego and control. It must be quite the adrenaline rush to have people recognize you and even worship you. On the surface, it all sounds exciting and even intoxicating. Sadly, the thirst for power always comes at the expense and oppression of a people, especially when it comes to the leader of a country when dictatorship takes hold.
But when I think of man’s power and put it in sobering perspective, something becomes quite clear to me. Power is extremely short lived. It is so short lived that it truly makes the thought of it quite laughable and even sad. When it is obtained by hurting others through human atrocities, oppression, murder, and intimidation, I believe the joke is on the one who has obtained the power. Yes, you get to lavish in your power for a short time, but then what? Let’s see how powerful people have fared throughout human history and where their power is today. (Spoiler Alert- they’re all dead! But keep reading there’s more!)
I did a quick google search on the longest reign of any monarch. My search brought me to King Louis XIV who reigned over France from 1643 to 1715. His reign was a whopping 72+ years. What an incredible run! Oh, but wait! We are in the year 2024. He has been dead for 309 years, (um cough!), AND COUNTING!
Here are some more:
Adolf Hitler- ruled Germany for 12 years…has been dead 78 years, (cough!) AND COUNTING
Joseph Stalin- ruled Russia for 24 years… has been dead 70 years, (cough!) AND COUNTING
Benito Mussolini- ruled Italy for 21 years…has been dead 78 years (cough!) AND COUNTING
Napoleon Bonaparte- ruled France for 15 years…has been dead 202 years (cough!) AND COUNTING
Genghis Khan- ruled the Mongol Empire for 21 years…has been dead 796 years (cough!) AND COUNTING
Alexander the Great- ruled ancient Macedonia and Persia for about 13 years…has been dead 2,345 years (cough, cough!) AND COUNTING
I could go and on, listing every person who ever held power on this earth and the elephant in the room is quite clear and that is this: the power days are ALWAYS numbered and will ALWAYS pale in comparison to their time of death or what I call “and then what?”
Now I know many who don’t believe in life after death might say death means nothing. That’s it. Years after death doesn’t matter. There is no God, and we have no soul. However, I find it quite interesting that anyone would think the only thing we have going for us is this physical casing that currently holds us upright. That all we have is a beating heart and thinking brain. Once it shuts off, that’s it. To think we have no soul, no spirit, just simply doesn’t make sense. If that’s truly the case, then we have no purpose to do anything. I wholeheartedly reject that premise and I believe a search for genuine Truth would bring anyone to know differently. (“genuine” Truth to me is defined by seeking it and submitting to it no matter where it takes you)
I look at our everyday life and all around us. We see the human spirit all the time. That something deeper than our physical self. Sports is a good example of this. How does the physically inferior ever beat the physically superior? How can the underdog ever win? Without the fighting spirit this couldn’t be possible. Without mental toughness, determination, that something in us that goes way beyond our physical attributes, there’s no way superior physicality could ever be overcome. But we know this happens all the time. My point in this isn’t that this has to do with our soul per se, but it does point that there is more to us than just our physical being!
But I will take this deeper to our souls and defer to the authority of Scripture to what Jesus spoke when he says in Matthew 16:26 (also recorded in Mark 8:36 as well), “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”
I can’t help but wonder if every ruler throughout human history, as they stared their time of death in the face, deep inside asked themselves in fear, “and then what?” I remember seeing the YouTube videos of Saddam Hussein’s hanging. He ruled Iraq at the expense of his own people. To stay in power, he tortured and killed for 24 years. He lavished in that power trip. Yet when he went to the gallows with the noose around his neck, I can’t help but wonder what he was thinking inside. Outwardly he was defiant in death, but at some point, he must have thought to himself, “in a few minutes, and then what?” Was the 24 years of brutal reign of power, control, ego, and money going to be worth what he was about to be faced with once the floor dropped from under him? His death would then start its clock ticking to forever…and counting! “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and then forfeits his soul?” And now Saddam is left with the consequences his soul must pay for the rest of eternity. There is no going back, no ability to right the wrongs, no do-overs, no learning from regrets. Sadly, instead, he is now left with the harsh reality of his forever consequences. I can’t imagine what that would look like for Saddam here in 2024 when his soul is only going into its 18th year into his forever… (um, cough!) AND COUNTING! (He died on December 30, 2006)
The Bible wisely lays out for us that the fool says there is no God (Psalms 14:1). There is no way to know the hearts of all the men mentioned above or any other ruler in human history with power, but I would guess God was rejected in their life. The thirst for power in this life was what they strived for, all while tossing their eternity away. The whole point of this blog is that man’s power is truly a joke. It is short lived “and then what?” Scripture tells us that we will die and then be judged. Hebrews 9:27 (ESV)- “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” What does this mean? Well, man’s power days are numbered “and then what?” will be answered in this way: “after that comes judgment.”
I believe we all can know our “and then what?” when our life is over. Our Creator has given us this in his Word to us, the Bible. I have a peace and comfort that my “and then what” is secured in the salvation I received through my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God sent his Son to enter into his creation to save man from his sins so that man can be saved through Him (John 3:16-18). I too will be judged after my death has come, but I will be saved by Christ’s sacrifice for me. For Hebrews goes on to say in verse 28 (ESV) “So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
To those that strive for power at all costs in this life, especially the power at the expense of others, I hope you would consider the true “cost” you will ultimately have to pay. Look at the simple examples of those mentioned above, knowing there are countless others throughout human history, and ask yourself before it’s too late…”and then what?” I believe the cost, when the time of power quickly comes and goes (and it will), is so vast that it makes your power in the here and now an undeniable joke! Don’t believe me? Well, with all due respect and love, we will have forever in eternity to find out… (cough!) and forever counting!
Find the Truth which is the love of Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross. And there you and I will find peace forever and ever…um…and COUNTING! (John 16:33)
Have Character! “Seek Truth, Cling to Honesty, Strive for Integrity”
J. Noah Russell
