Like so many people, two of my favorite novels are Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. However, if I had to choose, I must admit that I have always been more drawn to Middle Earth than Narnia, because of its superior ending. In Lewis’ tale, Aslan the Lion (a.k.a ‘Jesus’) ultimately closes the door on the ‘old’ Narnia as it is destroyed by falling stars and fiery beasts. An entirely new and higher Narnia takes its place where the children explore “further up and further in” forever and ever. Although Lewis tells us that this ‘New Narnia’ is ‘more real’ than the original, I can’t help but internally protest. Why? Because ultimately it is not the same soil that Aslan and the four children redeemed from the White Witch and that should count for something.
In contrast to Lewis, Tolkien does not abandon his world to chaos, ruin, and utter annihilation. There is no eschatological escapism in LOTR. Instead, there is the Return of the King—evil is purged, the Shire is saved, tree saplings are replanted, the land is renewed, and all the peoples of Middle Earth are reconciled. Thankfully, it never crosses the mind of King Aragorn to lead some kind of massive evacuation of dwarves, hobbits, and men to the Undying Lands or to some kind of higher Middle Earth in the sky. For Aragorn, he cannot let the White City fall nor let his people fail. This is his world, and he is willing to shed his blood for it. In this way, Aragorn is more like Christ than Aslan is.
In the last few pages of the Bible, we do not see Christ opening up a cosmic door for His people to escape out of. Instead, we witness the return of our Risen King who sets in motion a series of events that leads to the bodily resurrection of His people, the collapse of the kingdom of darkness, the reconciliation of all tribes and peoples, and the restoration of the universe. He makes his abode here with us and boldly says, “Behold, I make all things new!” (See Revelation ch. 21)
But what of Christ’s fiery judgement? Certainly, it will involve a type of destruction of the present evil age, but it is a destruction that resembles much more of a ‘prairie fire’ than a ‘scorched earth’ scenario. A prairie fire actually regenerates the soil making it more fertile and abundant than before. It would simply be an odd story if God called His creation ‘good’,’ became a creature to save it, and then at the end, decided to permanently “blow it up like a firework” as my dear friend, Dr. David Baird likes to say. ***By the way, here is a short 8 minute clip from my recent interview with him on this very topic of the end of the world and the renewal of Creation. I think you will enjoy it.
Here is what the Bible has to say about this cosmic renewal:
Revelation 21:1-2 “I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.”
Romans 8:18-19 “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God…[and to] be set free from its… decay and… obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God... the redemption of our bodies.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 “For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.” (Some Christian circles misread the 1 Thessalonians passage interpreting it to mean that Jesus is going to take us away with Him up to an eternal heavenly realm away from this world temporarily or permanently. The ancient Christian tradition never quite read it that way. Instead, many of the church fathers are adamant that when we meet the Lord in the air, he will then lead a massive procession of angels and saints to the New Jerusalem where he will set up His Kingdom forever. This is much more in line with the Old Testament imagery of the Day of Lord when God brings about abundant blessing toward Israel and all of the Gentile nations come Mount Zion to also worship the Lord.)
In my fictional book, The Ascent, (for sale on Amazon for $10.54) I try to capture the beauty that surrounds the return of Christ to our world:
“Flowers immediately sprouted all around Him, and the olive trees, who knew Him from His night of sorrow, began to dance and sway. The graves, both ancient and new, opened up with the brightest of lights shining forth from them. Jack woke up holding the hand of his wife. They were lying in a deep green pasture next to their empty tombs…. Faintly, Maggie could hear a choir of enchanting voices. It was as if the wind were carrying them on its wings throughout the hills and valleys…Suddenly, hundreds of fluttering, angelic creatures flew by them. Their song brought forth all sorts of flowering trees from a land that had long been made barren from war and exploitation. Other trees also began to grow out of the ground, and their long white branches reached for the heavens. The gray clouds began to fade, and a divine light poured out onto the majestic, towering trees. Their leaves glimmered like gold and their bark, like silver. Jack watched as one of its leaves gently fell into a nearby pond. Dark, murky waters began to slowly brighten into a crystal clear pool. Jack ran over, cupped his hands, and took a sip. The waters were sweet.”
Why does it actually matter how a Christian views the end of the world? It matters because many Christians, including myself, are really good at escapism. American suburban culture is built entirely on this whole concept of escapism including many megachurches built in the heart of the ‘burbs.’ We want a church experience that makes us feel close to God and friends, but after that, we want to go back to the comforts of our castles (our homes, coffee shops, gyms & workplaces) and forget about the rest of the dark, sinful world. However, if God’s plan and desire is to renew all things, then escapism to safety and comfort is no longer an option. Instead, His path to renewal begins now in soup kitchens, adoption agencies, mentorship programs, nursing homes, neighborhood restoration programs, and even the local nature center. Most importantly, it begins now as we share the good news with the world that God wants to forgive, heal, and transform us at the deepest levels of our soul. We don’t have to wait for heaven. Heaven begins now for Heaven is ultimately a Person.
Be entirely and always His,
Kyle King
BARREL AGED FAITH
St. Methodius, Bishop of Olympus (who was martyred by beheading in 311 A.D) writes,
“It is not satisfactory to say that the universe will be utterly destroyed, and sea and air and sky will be no longer; it will not… come to complete ruin and corruption… For not the world but the fashion of this world passes away… We may expect that the creation will pass away [so that] we who are renewed may dwell in a renewed world without taste of sorrow [and]… death” (From the Discourse on the Resurrection, Part 1: Ch. 8-9, St. Methodius, Bishop of Olympus, Martyred by beheading in 311 AD)