The discovery of the West Indies and later America was above all the triumph of Christianity! The New Continent was to become the base for the greatest missionary activity that would emanate to the ends of the earth. In the Providence of God, Spain and her adopted son, Christopher Columbus, were chosen to bear the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people of the new world and provide them with the message of Liberty in and through Christ.

The Bible was the principal source of his inspiration for exploration and evangelism, was the major goal of many goals for his sailings with Queen Isabella’s backing and blessing. What Christopher Columbus believed to be true inspired his vision and purpose in life.

• •  Columbus believed in the absolute sovereignty of God over creation and over history.
• •  He believed that God has spoken to mankind and has revealed his plan for the world in the Bible, the infallible Word of God.
• •  He believed that each child of God has the high mission to be God’s instrument to fulfill his Christian destiny.

Columbus was an imperfect human-being as are all human-beings. It is easy to criticize a person’s faults, mistakes, or poor governance. Yet it is an undeniable that Christopher Columbus had a great impact on the course of history despite his faults. In God’s view, human history is not a random series of unrelated events but is rather a divine ordering of his plan for the world. God is sovereign over all creation, and, as Lord of History, ultimately controls the world’s destiny and will accomplish his purpose in the course of history. (Psalm 24:1; Psalm 46:10; Psalm 33:8-12)

The discovery of the New World was not the result of chance or even the result of a visionary Genoese navigator who dared to challenge the mighty Ocean. The Lord chooses nations and individuals to accomplish His purposes in history. And, without a doubt, Christopher Columbus considered himself divinely chosen to carry out God’s designs, and according to the Word of the Lord. He was created with a divine purpose, and he fulfilled it. (Isa 46:11) This is what makes him a model for our children, old and young alike. He is a model worthy to be emulated – a man who fulfills his Christian destiny!

October 10, 2021
Art Ricciardi, Ed.D.

Heavily excerpted from: “Christopher Columbus – His life and discovery in the light of his prophecies”, by Kay Brigham, 1990, Barcelona, Spain.