But as one who does what the Lord has given you to do, who bears the cross as a sign of life in the midst of a dying world, who follows Jesus to His death and into His life. When the end comes, the end is salvation to those who believe. Salvation is past, present, and future. Salvation is our past - Jesus died on a cross, two thousand years ago, to save us. Salvation is our present - Baptism now saves us through Jesus' death and resurrection.
Salvation is our future.
It is the end, the goal. When temples have toppled, and wars have run their course, when the earth has shaken one last time and famines have destroyed, when kings and rulers have had their day, when the whole world has turned against those who follow Jesus, the Lord will yet have His day. And in that day, those who have fought the good fight of faith, who have suffered patiently, will receive a crown of eternal life. That is the hope we have in Jesus Christ. That is the hope that will see us through to the end.