How did exploration cause massive changes in the European model of development?

THE 50 years following Columbus’ discovery of America saw the remaking of the map of the world. Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Dutch, and English sailors, searching for new routes to the East, discovered new oceans and new continents.
By 1542 only the continents of Australia and Antarctica remained undiscovered.
Armed with the papal blessing, Spain and Portugal—with other European nations close on their heels—set out to rule the waves and thence the world.
The repercussions of this explosion of discovery were vast. Commercial and agricultural systems were revolutionized, and the racial and religious divisions of the world were also transformed. It was gold, however, that set events in motion.

Many at that time also were influenced by religious beliefs, with many others for example, expressing feelings that religion, far from enlightening people, had been the prime factor in plunging Europe into centuries of ignorance, superstition, and intolerance during the period that some historians call the Dark Ages.

For example, from the 11th to the 13th century, the clergy of Christendom introduced the Crusades. These resulted in horrible bloodshed and pillage in the name of God and of Christ. Hundreds of thousands were killed

Today we see, what we think is the finish product of early European development. However is this the end of the story or the beginning of another one.

From a scriptural standpoint, according to Danial chapter 2, there were many governments that ruled which brought us to where we are today. Also since religion played a large part in those governments, shaping not only Europe but the world as we know it now, we can only wonder if and when Revelation 21:3,4 is ful-fulled, what the world will be like then.

The Bible is a book not only of great religious value but also of great, scientific, historic,
and political value.

Research it for yourself. www.jw.org can be of great assistance as well.