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The Real Star Wars
Discover a surprising truth that will affect your future.
by Scott Ashley
Good vs. evil. Light vs. darkness.
A struggle for control of the universe. A powerful, personal force that helps humans
resist and overcome the menacing influence of the dark side.
These intriguing themes have propelled the Star Wars movie series to a position
among the most popular and financially successful films in motion-picture history.
Their dramatic stories strike a powerful chord with moviegoers of all ages.
Amazingly, a surprising amount of truth lies behind many of Star Wars' powerful
stories. Some of the series' fascinating underlying themes represent not only the
truth, but they have exerted--and continue to exert--a profound impact on history.
The central conflict of the series--the ascendance of a seemingly invincible evil
force and the resulting struggle to overthrow that power--isn't a mere science-fiction
fantasy. The story has been around for some 2,000 years--in the pages of your Bible.
Star Wars' Factual Foundation
Consider for a moment: What is the theme of the Star Wars movie series?
It chronicles the valiant struggle of a tiny group against overwhelming odds. A massive
evil empire dominates the universe, and it in turn is controlled by a few sinister
figures who don't hesitate to use their supernatural powers to ruthlessly crush any
opposition to their rule. These leaders are dominated by "the dark side," an evil
force that holds them tightly in its grip.
Combating the mighty empire are a handful of men and women from all walks of life
who join forces in a heroic struggle to overthrow their cunning and powerful enemy.
They, too, utilize a supernatural power, "The Force," which empowers them to continue
their courageous and determined battle against evil.
In many ways their story is the story of mankind. History is a chronicle of despots
and oppressors whose vain ambition has brought unspeakable suffering to others. Such
evil rulers and empires have ultimately fallen, only at times to be replaced by equal
if not greater evil. The carnage of World War I, for example, led directly to the
even greater devastation of World War II and its resulting death camps, Stalinist
purges and the world's ongoing nightmare of potential nuclear annihilation.
But where did such evil begin in history? How and when did it originate? Why, in
spite of several thousand years of struggles, have we not been ale to forge a lasting
peace with our fellowman?
Why have such enormous--and enormously costly--worldwide efforts such as the League
of Nations (created from the rubble of World War I) and the United Nations (formed
from the devastation of World War II) failed to bring peace and security? Why do
despots and oppressors rise again and again to threaten our peace and safety?
The answer, curiously enough, lies in the themes behind the Star Wars series,
and it is expressly revealed within the pages of your Bible.
The Facts Behind the Fantasy
Genesis, in the Greek language, means "origin." In the Bible the book
of Genesis describes the origins of many things. It begins with the origin of the
heavens and the earth, every living plant and animal, and the first man and woman.
It describes the peaceful paradise Adam and Eve shared with each other and their
Creator.
But something went wrong. Another being entered the idyllic picture, and the course
of history was forever changed. You might say that the evil empire had begun.
Influenced by this being, Adam and Eve rejected the instruction of their Creator.
They chose to take of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Under
the sway of the evil being, they willingly fell sway to the dark side. Rejecting
God's revelation, they chose to follow what they perceived to be a better way--that
they could, through their own efforts, experimentation and reasoning, start their
own quest to find the best way for people to live.
It didn't take long for the fruit of their fateful choice to become evident. They
were expelled from the paradise God had provided. Tragedy struck among their own
children. ". . . And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that
Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him" (Genesis 4:8). Of the first
brothers, one became a murderer and the other his victim. Man's pattern of settling
his differences through violence was established early in history.
Over several generations the problems grew worse. By Noah's time "the wickedness
of man was great in the earth, and . . . every intent of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5).
The battle the dark forces waged for the control of people's minds looked ominous.
The results of men and women giving in to their darker impulses became evident: "The
earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence . . . ?
for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth" (verses 11-12). Humanity had
grown so degenerate and barbaric that God determined to start the human race all
over again through Noah and his immediate family.
What Else is New?
In our world things haven't changed all that much from Noah's time. We still
see a world filled with brutality, bloodshed and suffering. Hanging over our heads
is the threat of annihilation from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, increasing
natural disasters, environmental destruction and terrifying diseases.
The world is far removed from the paradise Adam and Eve enjoyed in Eden before Satan
and sin entered the picture. For much of mankind the world is a frightening, deadly,
depressing place. The evening news assaults our senses with painful images of starvation,
refugee camps, violence and destruction.
The apostle Paul wrote that we live not in a time of peace and plenty, but what he
called "this present evil age" (Galatians 1:4). And the apostle John told us that
"the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1John 5:19). Both understood
that humanity is dominated by an evil empire.
But how did evil and suffering begin? Let's go back to the beginnings of our problems.
Why Do Evil and Suffering Exist?
Many people find it difficult to believe in God, or at least that He is interested
and active in human affairs. After all, they wonder, how could a loving and merciful
God allow suffering to exist?
What they don't realize is that this is not God's world. God gave Adam and
Eve the opportunity to make a utopian world for themselves and their offspring. But
they refused. They refused to follow God's instruction. Since our first parents--and
all their descendants since--persisted in rejecting God's guidance, God has allowed
mankind to form his own societies, governments and civilizations apart from Him.
God hasn't cut Himself off from mankind. We chose to cut ourselves off from
Him. Through the prophet Isaiah He tells us: "The Lord's arm is not to short to save
nor his ear too dull to hear; rather it is your iniquities that raise a barrier between
you and your God; it is your sins that veil his face, so that he does not hear" (Isaiah 59:1-2, Revised English Bible).
God has always wanted a loving relationship with humanity. He has offered us a way
of life that would bring peace and prosperity, that would eliminate sorrow and suffering.
When God revealed this way of life to the ancient Israelites, He pleaded with them
to choose that way: ". . . I have set before you life and death, blessing
and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may
live" (Deuteronomy 30:19, emphasis added throughout).
At the same time, God lamented that people would most likely make a different choice:
"Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all
My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!"
(Deuteronomy 5:29).
God well understood that the natural human inclination isn't to choose a relationship
with Him that would lead to life, but to choose our own way that leads to death (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).
The prophet Isaiah continues with a description of where our natural way of thinking
and acting leads: "Your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with crime;
your lips speak lies and your tongues utter injustice . . . all rely on
empty words, they tell lies, they conceive mischief and bring forth wickedness . . .
Their works breed wickedness and their hands are full of acts of violence."
"They rush headlong into crime in furious haste to shed innocent blood; their schemes
are harmful and leave a trail of havoc and ruin. They are strangers to the path of
peace, no justice guides their steps; all the ways they choose are crooked; no one
who walks in them feels safe" (Isaiah 59:3-8, REB ).
Adam and Eve felt the heartbreak caused by their fateful choice when their firstborn
son, Cain, murdered their second son, Abel. Mankind set out on a tortured path that
within a few generations led to God's decision to destroy almost all human life in
a great flood. We have followed that way ever since.
Ruler of an Evil Empire
The Bible has more to tell us about the being who influenced the first human
beings to set off on a path that has brought us to untold misery.
Appearing in the form of a serpent, this being, referred to in the Scriptures as
Satan the devil (Revelation 12:9), deceived the first humans. He lied to Adam and
Eve and convinced them that God was the real liar, that He was withholding something
good from them (Genesis 3:1-5).
Satan has lied to mankind ever since. Jesus Christ identified him as the originator
of lying and "a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44). His lies to Adam and Eve
cost them their lives. His lies have been responsible for the losing of billions
of lives since then.
How great is his corrupting influence? God's Word tells us the devil "deceives the
whole world" (Revelation 12:9). His influence is so pervasive that "the whole world
lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1John 5:19). He has blinded the world to
the truth of God. His deception is so widespread and so prevalent that earth's inhabitants
have no idea they are deceived.
The Bible chillingly warns us that Satan is the true "god of this age" (2Corinthians 4:4). He is the world's real ruler, the despot who exercises control over the world
around us.
Make no mistake: The evil empire of the Star Wars movies isn't a fantasy. It's real.
And we live in it.
Not only that, but it's going to get worse--much worse.
Where is this World Headed?
The apostle Paul describes what happens when people reject God and His way of
life:
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over
to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all
unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full
of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters,
haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to
parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing
the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving
of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:28-32).
We see the inevitable results all around us written in a chronicle of suffering.
Jesus Christ warned us that, shortly before He returns, the world will reap the bitter
harvest mankind has sown over the centuries. "For then there will be great tribulation,
such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever
shall be" (Matthew 24:21).
What will be the nature of these terrifying times? ". . . You will hear
of wars and rumors of wars . . . Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various
places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (verses 6-8).
People's attitudes will play a major role is setting the stage for this time of unparalleled
tumult and trouble. "Remember, the final age of this world is to be a time of turmoil!
People will love nothing but self and money; they will be boastful, arrogant and
abusive; disobedient to parents, devoid of gratitude, piety, and natural affection;
they will be implacable in their hatreds, scandalmongers, uncontrolled and violent,
hostile to all goodness, perfidious, foolhardy, swollen with self-importance. They
will love their pleasures more than their God" (2Timothy 3:1-4, REB).
Victory Over an Evil Empire
But all hope is not lost. Eventually the empire of the god of this age will fall,
just like every other empire, kingdom and government that mankind has tried since
the dawn of time.
The fall of this empire, however, will be different. Armies, weapons and tactics
can't dislodge it. Actually, it is much too powerful to be conquered by human effort.
This great evil force can be overthrown only by an even greater force: the returning
Jesus Christ.
Notice the Bible's description of His triumphant return to overthrow Satan's rule:
"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like
a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns . . . He was clothed
with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God."
"And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on
white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike
the nations . . . And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
king of kings and lord of lords" ( Revelation 19:11-16).
At His return, Jesus will establish the eternal Kingdom of God on earth: ". . .
There were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become
the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!' "
(Revelation 11:15).
Satan the devil, the source of so much evil and suffering, will see his empire shattered.
He will be bound "so that he should deceive the nations no more" (Revelation 20:1-3).
God will destroy the sinister figures and forces that have aided Satan in his rule
over the world (Revelation 19:19-21).
A Hero's Reward
As for the handful of heroes who over the centuries have taken up a valiant struggle
against those forces of darkness, prophecy reveals a reward greater than anything
imagined by any movie screenwriter, director or producer.
What is that reward? "When that time comes, your own people will be spared--all those
whose names are found written in the Book (of Life). Of those who are sleeping in
the Land of the Dust, many will awaken (in the resurrection). Those who are wise
will shine as brightly as the expanse of the heavens, and those who have instructed
many in righteousness, (will shine) as bright as stars for all eternity" (Daniel 12:1-3, New Jerusalem Bible).
Paul describes the awesome resurrection to eternal life: "The sun has a splendour
of its own, the moon another splendour, and the stars yet another; and one star differs
from another in brightness. So it is with the resurrection of the dead: what is sown
as a perishable thing is raised imperishable . . . It is raised in glory
. . ., sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body . . ."
"Listen! I will unfold a mystery: we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed
in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet-call. For the trumpet
will sound, and the dead will rise imperishable, and we shall be changed . . .
(When) our mortality has been clothed with immortality, then the saying of scripture
will come true: 'Death is swallowed up; victory is won!' " (1Corinthians 15:41-44,51-54, REB).
An incomprehensible future awaits the victors in the real star wars--shining as bright
as stars for all eternity!
Recommended Reading
This article has only briefly touched on the major themes of the Bible. God's
Word has much more to say on Satan's role as a cause of suffering, on our struggle
against sin, on the incredible future God has set before us and how events will work
out as foretold in prophecy.
The United Church of God publishes many booklets that will help you better understand
these biblical truths. Please write or call for your free copies of What Is Your
Destiny?, The Road to Eternal Life, The Gospel of the Kingdom, What Happens After
Death? and You Can Understand Bible Prophecy. All are free for the asking
when you contact our office in your country or the country nearest you listed on
page 2. These booklets are also available via our Web site's literature library.
You can find us at www.ucg.org.
Sidebar: The Dark Side: Its Effect on Humanity
Humanity has had thousands of years to build societies and civilizations and
experiment with governments, administrations and lifestyles. So why haven't we been
able to solve our problems? Why does suffering still exist?
We have not succeeded in finding solutions to our pervasive problems because, in
the final analysis, humanity simply does not know how to live. Solomon, king of ancient
Israel, put it bluntly: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is
the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).
Sadly, mankind has proved the truth of those words for generations. Under the rule
of man the world has never seen a time that was free of war, strife, turmoil and
suffering. Conditions are so grave that we have the ability to erase human life from
earth many times over.
Why should this be?
Our world is threatened by overwhelming problems because we have rejected God. God
Himself made this clear over the centuries through his prophets. Under God's inspiration,
King David wrote of mankind: "They are corrupt, they have done abominable works,
there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of
men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside,
they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:1-3).
The prophet Jeremiah also noted that people are largely blinded by the deceit of
their own evil motives and intents. "The heart is deceitful above all things and
beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, New International Version).
Left to ourselves, we would eventually annihilate life from earth. Does this sound
shocking? It is. But Jesus Christ Himself said it is true. Describing the time immediately
before His return to earth, He said: "It will be a time of great distress, such as
there has never been before since the beginning of the world, and will never be again.
If that time of troubles were not cut short, no living thing could survive; but for
the sake of God's chosen it will be cut short" (Matthew 24:21-212, Revised English
Bible).
Jesus Christ tells us He must intervene to save us from ourselves. The danger from
the dark side of human thoughts and actions is real indeed.
None of us is immune to this dark side of human nature. Even the apostle Paul, years
after his conversion to Christianity, struggled against such downward pulls. Notice
how he describes this battle within himself:
"I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very
thing I hate . . . It is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within
me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me . . . I can will what
is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do
not want is what I do . . . Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me
from this body of death?" (Romans 7:15-24, New Revised Standard Version).
For most of the world, deliverance from the dark side of human nature will come only
when Jesus Christ returns to save us from ourselves. But there is a way for you to
overcome those dark downward pulls now. Be sure to read "May the Force--God's Power--Be
With You".
Sidebar: May the Force--God's Power--Be With You
In the Star Wars series, some of the movies' heroes draw on a supernatural
power called The Force, which enables them to perform feats that would normally be
impossible. Did you know that a similar power really exists?
God's Word describes a supernatural power, a spiritual force, that He makes available
to His believing and obedient servants. It enables His true followers to resist the
evil dark side, the pulls of our selfish, self-serving nature. This real force is
God's Spirit.
Jesus Christ, in His last recorded words to His disciples, told them they could have
access to this power: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
Directly connected with that promised power would be the apostles' work of witnessing
of Him, starting in Jerusalem, then spreading throughout the region and ultimately
to the ends of the earth. The book of Acts records the early years of that effort,
including the apostles' dramatic miracles.
Christ made it clear that the Holy Spirit is connected with power. The Greek word
translated "power" is dunamis. It is translated "power," "strength," ėmighty
work," "miracle," "might," "virtueî and ėmighty.î It is the same Greek root from
which we get modern English words such as dynamic, dynamo and dynamite--all
terms connoting great power, force and energy.
Writing to his fellow elder Timothy, Paul describes the effect God's Spirit should
have in the lives of Christ's true followers: "Therefore I remind you to stir up
the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not
given us a spirit of fear, but of power (dunamis) and of love and of a sound
mind" (2Timothy 1:6-7).
God's Spirit is a source of power--of activity, energy, dynamism--and a Spirit of
deep godly love and a sound, rational, self-controlled mind. It removes the spiritual
blindness that shackles and enslaves our minds.
That Spirit enables us to be like Jesus Christ, to have the same power available
to us that Jesus had in Him. Luke 4:14-15 describes that power at work in His ministry:
"Then Jesus returned in the power (dunamis) of the Spirit to Galilee, and
news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues,
being glorified by all."
In Acts 10:38 Peter sums up Jesus Christ's ministry, showing that "God anointed Jesus
of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power (dunamis), who went about
doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."
We see here that God's Spirit and power from God are synonymous. That holy power
enabled Christ to perform His mighty miracles of doing good and healing during His
earthly ministry. That Spirit is the very presence of God's power actively working
in His servants (Ephesians 2:22; Philippians 2:13). God's Spirit plays a vital role
in our lives, allowing a miraculous transformation to take place.
God tells us that we, too, can receive the power of this unseen force. And He tells
us how: "Repent, and . . . be baptized . . .; and you shall receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
God "now commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30) so we can receive that
Spirit--God's power and force at work in our lives. To learn more, please request
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