This message is the first of a series I plan to do on Narnia. It is short in order to provide time for communion which we celebrate on the first Sunday of the month. Our Worship Arts Pastor introduced the series on the first Sunday of Advent. He gave the background for The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe from the book, The Magician’s Nephew. These are the messages I am planning:
Series: Narnia: Encounter the Power!
December 04, 2005 The Narnian Prophecies: Hope to Hold On (Theme: Hope)
December 11, 2005 Jesus the Lion: Not Safe, But Good! (Theme: Love)
December 18, 2005 The King is on the Move! (Theme: Joy)
December 24, 2005 What if It Was Always Winter and Never Christmas?
December 25, 2005 The Gifts of Father Christmas
Message 1_ The Narnian Prophecies: Hope to Hold On
Pastor Wesley Hilliard
Heritage Church
Van Buren, Arkansas
December 4, 2005
Isaiah 9: 2, 6,7 (KJV)
2 Peter 1:19-21 (NASB77) 19 And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, page 74,75
Intro to the series and C.S. Lewis …
“It all started with a picture of a fawn carrying some parcels with an umbrella, walking through the snow in a wood!” (Douglas Gresham). This picture came to C.S. Lewis, or Jack, as he preferred to be called, at age 16. It wasn’t until age 40 that he decided to write a story to go with it. At first, he admitted, he didn’t know where the story would go … but then the lion, Aslan, came bounding into the picture. Lewis had been dreaming about lions, and for whatever reason, by chance or providence, the world has been treated with The Chronicles of Narnia. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (the first of seven books in the series) was first released in 1951.
Philip Tallon and Jerry Walls write that,
The origins of The Chronicles of Narnia and C.S. Lewis’ desire to create mythical stories come directly from his own experience. His spiritual journey is bound up with the power of fiction and myth.
When he was 18, Lewis bought Phantastes, a novelistic fairy tale by the Scottish writer, George MacDonald. It had a profound spiritual effect on Lewis—even though at the time he was a confirmed Atheist. In Lewis’s words, Phantastes “baptized” his imagination. Not only did the mythical story fascinate him, but something deeper in the story affected the rest of his life. Lewis described the book as radiating a “bright shadow” which illuminated himself and the rest of the world around him. In his autobiography, Lewis calls the bright shadow “holiness,” though he did not know it then by that name. He admits, “I had not the faintest notion what I let myself in for by buying Phantastes.” He goes on to quip that “a young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading.”
The author of the Phantastes, George MacDonald, was a Presbyterian minister who invested his strange stories with a thoroughly Christian worldview. Like Lewis in his later writings, MacDonald did not write books that were primarily allegorical but rather explored Christian themes through fantastic worlds. Lewis himself explicitly resisted the label of “allegories” for his Narnia books.
[Why? Because for Lewis, allegories] denoted direct equivalence between some set of ideas and the events of the story. Instead of this approach, Lewis intended books like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a kind of “what if” story. He wrote, “Supposing there was a world like Narnia, and supposing, like ours, it needed redemption, let us suppose what sort of Incarnation and Passion and Resurrection Christ would have there.” (from “Hollywood Discovers Narnia” by Philip Tallon and Jerry L. Walls in “Good News” magazine, page 11, November/December 2005)
I think that is cool! However, some people have trouble with using this medium of fantasy stories for conveying Biblical truth. Admittedly, these types of stories are not for everyone … But they are a truly powerful means for reaching many people with the Gospel, though not everyone appreciates or understands it.
I’ll never forget a conversation I had in a music store a few years ago. I was trying out a guitar, and there was only one other man in the room. We struck up a conversation … He told me he was a real estate agent, and I told him I was a pastor … He told me he had recently left his church because his pastor was promoting witchcraft (and witchcraft is condemned in the Bible, he made sure I knew). I asked him what the pastor had done. To this man’s horror, the pastor had said that he, personally, had been blessed by J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, The Lord of the Rings, and he encouraged others to read them, watch the upcoming movies, and look for the Christian themes hidden there.
So, because the man saw this as promoting witchcraft, he left the church.
Interestingly, Tolkien was instrumental in C.S. Lewis’ conversion, and helped him accept the full divinity of Christ! Some Christians struggle with Tolkien’s portrayal of “warlocks” as being either good or evil, depending on which “higher power” they are allied. I can sympathize with them, but, to me, it’s okay, and very understandable: Like Gandalf and Saramon, we all are in a great battle. Whose side we are on --the Lord God’s or Satan’s-- makes all the difference. We are either priests of God’s or Satan’s seeking to wield power for the sake of the respective kingdom.
I, personally, appreciate that Lewis, unlike Tolkien, never presents a witch in a positive light. He makes it very clear. Understand though, that both Lewis and Tolkien are men of orthodox faith! Their writings clearly come from and promote a Christian worldview.
(Note: you may or may not want to use the following comments in the next three paragraphs!)
[This is precisely why I am NOT an advocate of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Just as Lewis, MacDonald and Tolkien used fantasy stories to “smuggle” the power of the Gospel story into people’s lives, I see Rowling’s aim as encouraging her readers to have a positive view of occult practices and to encourage them to explore and participate in these powers. Witches are the heroes of her stories.
Anytime we seek power outside of the Holy Spirit it is sin and opens up a door for Satan to have legal access in our lives. Therefore, I, personally, don’t want to have anything to do with the Harry Potter series. They are great stories, but they have a deeper and darker potential, so my family and I avoid them.
I understand that just as people can read the Chronicles of Narnia and be unmoved and unaffected by the story of the Gospel, so people can read the Harry Potter books and be unmoved and unaffected by the promotion of witchcraft. For me, it is a matter of stewardship of time and mind; so, Allison and I choose to have our family read things that are more edifying for our family’s Christian life, such as Lewis’ books.]
(I then talked about Lewis’ debate with Elizabeth Anscombe at the Oxford University Socratic Club in 1948 and how, afterward, he chose to use the method of story instead of debate to reach people with the truth of the Gospel from the “backside.”)
Lewis is known as one of the greatest defenders and advocates of the Christian faith in the 20th century. Let’s hear from one who has been profoundly affected by his writings.
[Testimony from young man converted to Christ through reading Lewis’ books]
Now, to the book and theme of the day … The Lion, the Witch and Wardrobe is about four children evacuated from London during WWII . C.S. Lewis had experience with this first hand, since he had taken children into his home from London during the war to protect them from the German air raids. The four children, Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund, find a wardrobe that has magical properties and becomes a doorway into the land of Narnia … but I won’t tell you much more …
The wardrobe was very real to C.S. Lewis. He and his brother Warnie used to hide in a wardrobe their grandfather had made. There, on rainy days in the dark, they would spend hours as Jack would tell stories of lands and characters he had made up. Over the years, CS Lewis was influenced by many of the books he had read as a child. He was a brilliant student. A professor who gave him his oral entrance exams said Lewis’ performance was the best ever seen in Oxford history.
Lewis’ stepson and co-producer of the movie, Douglas Gresham, notes
“By the age of 26, Lewis had read all the greatest works of literature in their original languages, but few books influenced him more than The Book that inspired the core of his faith … the Bible. The themes of sin, redemption, sacrificial death, and resurrection that are found there, also pervade The Chronicles of Narnia, particularly, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Jack was amused that children were often far quicker to pick up the connections between his books and the greatest of all Books.” (Focus on the Family Radio Theater)
Today, I want us to look, briefly, at one aspect of the story, the Narnian prophecies. Prophecy gives us hope! If we will embrace the promises of scripture with faith, it will give us the hope and encouragement and peace we need to hang on—even in the coldest, darkest, and dreariest of circumstances!
God gives us prophecies to prove to us that He is God and that we can trust Him! He says it is futile, worthless, and detestable to look to anyone or anything but Him for help and hope!
In Isaiah 41 he challenges the idol worshippers and worshippers of false gods with these words: Isaiah 41:21-24 (NIV) 21 "Present your case," says the LORD. "Set forth your arguments," says Jacob’s King. 22 "Bring in [your idols] to tell us what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come, 23 tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods. Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear. 24 But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; he who chooses you is detestable.
He picks up in vs 26 … 26 Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, ’He was right’? No one told of this, no one foretold it, no one heard any words from you. 27 I was the first to tell Zion, ’Look, here they are!’ I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good tidings.
In verse 29 he concludes [Isaiah 41:29 (NIV)] 29 See, they are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing; their images are but wind and confusion.
God is saying, “Look, I am the only one who gave you the knowledge of things to happen beforehand … Your idols and other god’s can’t do this! I did this so you would trust ME alone! Worship and look to Me alone!”
There are over 300 prophecies about the Messiah alone in the Bible. The vast majority of which have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ—true to God’s Word. [I would beef this part up with more stats on prophecy. I ran out of time … ]
In Narnia, there is a pretender to the throne, the White Witch. She calls herself Queen of Narnia, and she has cast an evil spell over the whole land so that it is always winter! “Think of it,” says Lucy, “always winter and never Christmas!” All the chill and dreariness of winter with no hope of reprieve! No hope, except for the prophecies!
The main prophecy states: “When Adam’s flesh and Adam’s bone sits at Cair Paravel in throne, the evil time will be over and done!”
HOW TO REACT TO PROPHECY
Now, there are different reactions to prophecy!
1. First, there is the White Witch. She knows the prophecies and the deep magic (law) in part, but thinks she can keep the prophecies from being fulfilled and use the deep magic to her own treacherous advantage.
Like the demons and “rulers of this present darkness” she believes in God—the Emperor Beyond the Sea—and in His Son, Aslan the Lion, and trembles (James 2:19). She knows they are real, but she does not surrender to God’s Lordship over her life and, instead, like Satan, lives in constant rebellion against the true King and seeks to destroy or keep in darkness and bondage (winter) that which He loves most—His creatures.
When she meets Edmund and discovers he is a boy, she says, “This may wreck all … but you are only one! And easily dealt with!” Later, when she discovers there are actually four children she asks, “You are sure, there are just the four of you? … so there are two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve …”
She wants to lure the four to her house to kill them, so she instructs Edmund on how to bring them to her.
2. Because Edmund does not know the prophecies, The White Witch is able to bewitch him committing great treason against his brother and sisters. She gives him his favorite treat, Turkish Delight, and promises to make him a king to rule over his brother and sisters and to give him rooms full of this treat. She appeals to his greatest weaknesses--his lust for pleasure and power. Once Edmund has tasted the Turkish Delight which is– the best he’s ever had, but is gone in an instant—he is hooked—addicted--and becomes meaner and more selfish than ever.
[Point] So we too, like the witch, may know the prophecies, but choose not to believe them or worse, try to work against them. Or, through not knowing the truth about Lucifer/Satan and the promises of Scripture, we may fall prey, like Edmund, to the enemy’s bait and deception.
3. We see another reaction to the prophecy in Mr. Tumnus. He is the faun who meets Lucy and is supposed to kidnap her for the White Witch, but instead lets her go. He knows the prophecies, but does not stand upon them in faith; therefore, he is filled with worry and fretting. He says of the White Witch,
She’ll have my tail cut off and my horns sawn off, my beard plucked out and she’ll wave her hand over my beautiful cloven hooves and turn them into horrid solid hooves like a wretched horses’, and if she’s extra and especially angry, she’ll turn me into stone … and I shall be only a statue of a fawn in her horrible house until the four thrones at Cair Paravel are filled! And goodness knows when that’ll happen or whether it will ever happen at all!
So he reveals his doubts and lack of faith. He knows the Word but is not sure whether he believes. Point: So many of us are like Mr. Tumnus because we are uncertain “if and when” Jesus is really returning, and “if and when” He will really put an end to the kingdom of darkness, and if we will really rule and reign with Him, and we try to forget or downplay altogether that “throne of judgment” thing! We know the Word, but we don’t receive it in faith; and the worries and cares of this world cause us to put ourselves, like Mr. Tumnus, in the service of the ruler of this world … and end up serving his purposes instead of the Lords. Is that you? I hope not! But often we regress into this kind of living! God has a better way!!
4. Finally, there are the faithful beavers. They know the prophecies, stand upon them in faith, and live their very lives in service of the true King … risking everything … to do their part in seeing the prophecies fulfilled.
When Mrs. Beaver sees the children for the first time, she exclaims, “Welcome! You’ve come at last! To think that I should live to see this day!” Point: She knew the prophecies of the ages and rejoiced in the signs of their fulfillment.
When the Beavers tell the children they are going to take them to meet Aslan at the stone table, Lucy protests, “But what about Mr. Tumnus?” (who has been arrested by the White Witch).
The wise Mr. Beaver replies, “The quickest way you can help him is by going to meet Aslan! Once He’s with us, then we can begin doing things. … not that we don’t need you, we do!!! For we have an old rhyme that says, “When Adam’s flesh and Adam’s bone sits at Cair Paravel in throne, the evil time will be over and done!”
Mrs. Beaver adds, “So things must be drawing near their end, now that he’s coming and you’ve come! We’ve heard of Aslan coming before … but there’s never been any of your great race here at the time.”
She sees that all the pieces of the prophecy are beginning to come together. Because she knows and believes the Word, she is able to discern the signs of the time and act accordingly (Matthew 16:3 “O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”, and 1 Chronicles 12:32 reference, the sons of Issachar).
Mrs. Beaver continues, “And that’s why the witch has been on her lookout. She’s been watching for you this many a year. And if she knew there were four of you, she’d be more dangerous still!”
Peter asks, “What’s that got to do with it?”
Mr. Beaver explains, “Because of a prophecy! … Down at Cair Paravel, there are four thrones and there’s been a saying in Narnia since time out of mind that when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve sit on those four thrones, then it will be the end of not only the witch’s reign but also of her life! That is why we have to be so cautious!”
Suddenly, they notice that Edmund has disappeared. The children want to organize a search party for him but the wise and faithful Mr. Beaver counsels,
We must be off at once! We haven’t a moment to spare! … search party? What for? There’s no point in looking for him! … The reason there’s no use looking is we know already where he’s gone. Don’t you understand? He’s gone to her! The white witch! He’s betrayed us all! … mark my words, he’s already met the white witch and joined her side. No doubt she told him where she lives. … The moment I set eyes on him I said to myself “treacherous!” He had the look of one who’d been with the witch and eaten her food! You can always tell if you’ve lived long enough in Narnia. … something about their eyes …
Again, Mr. Beaver was way ahead of the children because he knew the ancient prophecies. Like Judas (of whom it was also prophesied would betray Jesus, Psalms 41: 9 “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”) one of the sons of Adam would betray the others, and bring them all into great danger. And Mr. Beaver could discern the spirits of the children.
Genesis 3:15 gives our first prophecy that a seed of woman would someday crush the head of the serpent—the devil—that pretender to the Throne! That seed, that child, was Jesus--the Lion of Judah, and the Lamb of God. As Isaiah foretold, He is the “child” born to us, the son that is given, the One “called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, … The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6,7).
Christ lived for us, died for us, was buried for us, and has risen for us! Someday, the prophecies say, the will come again, not as a babe, but as a conquering King with all His angels in all His glory! Are you ready for that day? What have you done with the prophecies?
1. Rejected them or tried to work against them -- White Witch
2. Ignorant of them; therefore, easily deceived by the enemy -- Edmund
3. Known them, but not stood upon them in faith—lived in worry – Mr. Tumnus
4. Or known them and embraced them, and lived to see them fulfilled so that when the King returns – and as a Lion roars out of Zion – you will hear Him say to you, “WELL DONE!” -- the Beavers …
Invitation to Christ and Communion follows
