Though "Lord of the Rings" is a fantasy, it is not a book about magic. Even the Elves are amused at Sam's naive belief in their "magic", which they imply is actually an advanced and subtile technology rather than a supernatural ability. Likewise, Tolkien's Wizards are not really magicians, but angelic beings sent to oversee Middle Earth by Eru (their name for the One God) and their titles came from their great knowledge and wisdom, accumulated over the centuries. And so for them to dabble in the Occult would be wholly contrary to their guardianship.
Sauron, like Satan, was very subtile. He used the palantirs as much as he used the Ring to enslave men to his will and weaken their resolve to do what was right. Lord Denethor of Gondor fell into an almost identical trap: listening to the whisperings of doom through a second palantir. He came to desire the One Ring in order to do battle with the Enemy who had terrorized his people. In the end, it brought him only despair and utter hopelessness, and he took his own life. Even the good king, Theoden of Rohan, was in danger of succumbing to a similar despair from the whisperings of Saurman's agent, Grima Wormtongue.
This is what sin does to us. We have a real-life Enemy who dangles the Ring before us, tempting us, telling us how much nicer things will be for us when we ignore God and listen to what he has to tell us. He offers us the temporary pleasures of this world and makes them all sound so much more appealing than the teachings of God. Likewise, he whispers despair and hopelessness in our ears.
How many times did Bilbo slip the Ring on to avoid meeting people he disliked? How often did even Frodo and Sam succumb to its siren song, often at their great peril? How close did Boromir come to snatching it, or did even Galadriel toy with what she might do should she took the Ring?
his is a special page, perhaps, more special than all the others, for it will point you toward the greatest adventure of all time, as told by Gandalf, Aragorn, Frodo and even Sam.
The principle characters in "Lord of the Rings" may sound to you very familiar in ways you may not have recognized, and many of you have heard their story before with different names, but they have been with us from the beginning of time.
Professor Tolkien once said to his friend C.S. Lewis that the great truths are always best told in the form of myths and stories, and that through the stories, the truths will show themselves.
This is an adventure that I myself went on, around 1970, when I first read "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings", whicle recuperating from an illness. I went through the books very quickly the first time, and was profoundly moved. On the second reading, I began to make discoveries that would change my life forever.
his is the story of a Ring - a Ring of Power which contains all of the evil in the world. It was placed there by its maker, an evil sorcerer called Sauron, the greatest foe of all Middle Earth and its people. It is a terrible ring, beautiful and deadly--for it promises its wearer the power of a god. Yet the promise is a lie: for in the end, it delivers only destruction and misery, and the loss of one's soul. It enslaves its unfortunate "owner" and brings him under the eternal control of Sauron himself. This is not a new story. We have heard it before:
andalf, the Grey Wizard, watched diligently over the Shire, a quiet little land which all others would have ignored. He watched it out of his great, unconditional love, but also because he knew that the Ring was a very real threat to its inhabitants.
Bilbo Baggins had carried the Ring in his pocket for many years, and it was finally beginning to prey upon his mind in a dangerous way. It would never have been possible for him to give it up had it not been for Gandalf and his awe of the Wizard's power, and unflagging faith in Gandalf's judgement.
Now the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of both of them were opened,"
...Genesis 3:1,4-7 (KJV)
Down through the millenia, people have been listening to the advice of "the Serpent", also called "the Dragon", and in the Tolkien universe - "The Dark Lord". In Tolkien and in the Bible, he is always called "The Enemy".
The history of Middle Earth is filled with the sad stories of those who took the Ring. Brave, valiant Prince Isildur, who tried to slay the Enemy, ended up unable to resist the powerful temptations the Ring offered him: to be a great king who would defeat all his enemies and all his subjects would love him and honor him. What he did not live long enough to forsee was that he would have demanded more and more until he could control the thoughts and lives and destinies of all who were under his rule, and to such a king ambitions would have proved boundless. As it was, he put a curse on an army of frightened soldiers, condemning them to haunt the hills as ghosts until a King returned. But before he could do more, he was slain by orcs, and the Ring fell to the bottom of a great river.
After Isildur, the Hobbit Deagol found the Ring and took it, simply because it was pretty. His friend Smeagol promptly killed him for the same pretty bauble, and then quickly discovered that it gave him powers he had never dreamed of. As always, with such powers came the inevitible corruption, and the turning to more evil deeds. Smeagol never quite knew the full extent of the powers he might have had, for he was a petty thug with petty desires, and thought no further than his own immediate needs and petty mischief. He was thrown out of his village, and he became Gollum, the sad, hopeless creature who haunts the pages of "Lord of the Rings" like a malevolent spirit - completely under the power of the Ring, all the while thinking he can control it, in spite of the fact that he lives forever under the sinister eye of Sauron.
Let us not forget Saruman, once the most powerful wizard in all of Middle Earth. He studied the history of the great Ring, and he too wished for its power. No doubt in the beginning he wished to do good with it, but he sought to defeat the Enemy by applying evil against evil. Before long, he was ensnared by his own errors, his own growing desire for the Ring, and as Gandalf said, he fell from wisdom to madness.
Saruman's evil came from another deception of Sauron's as well. He had taken it upon himself to gaze into the Palantir, a crystal seeing-stone, and so his mind became filled with thoughts put there by the Dark Lord -- for the gazing-ball that he thought gave him knowledge, was controlled by his Enemy, making him believe that victory was hopeless without the Ring. Saurman, as though possessed by the Ring itself, believed that victory would come when he himself was the all-powerful ruler of Middle Earth, little suspecting that he was doing Sauron's work for him.
Just as Gandalf warned Saruman of the dangers of the palantir, God also warns us about dabblings in the Occult.
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
... I Corinthianss 10:13 (KJV)
Be strong and courageous, be not afraid or dismayed...with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles...
...II Chronicles 32:7-8 (NIV)
Throughout the story, Gandalf the Grey is the greatest source of wisdom, advice, comfort and encouragement. But he is more than just a personal friend, he is a guardian and a man of action who wrestles with evil in every form. Whether it be battling Balrogs, or pursuing the wretched Gollum with his friend Aragorn, Gandalf is the most respected and trusted man in all of Middle Earth. And yet, how many of even those he loves underestimate him!
To the People of the Shire, he is an amusing magician, famous for entertaining at parties, but also held slightly in suspicion for his tendancey to lead young hobbits off on questionable adventures. Quite curiously, this is exactly the same way many people feel about Jesus. "No prophet is accepted in his hometown", says Jesus, and this is often true of Gandalf. The Dwarves looked to him to be a king-maker, but they disliked his "meddling", though he led one Dwarf-king to his throne. Men greet him with everything from wary respect to utter disdain. The Elves alone, as a people, revere him--and yet even they are all too quick to believe that he was destroyed by the forces of darkness, in the form of a balrog.
There are many people who have heard the stories of Jesus's miracles, his words of wisdom, and they approve of his teachings - but he is always a mystery to them, a bit distant and not someone they can know personally.
Gandalf leads the Fellowship through the ruins of Moria, unquestionably one of the most dangerous places in Middle Earth. In the unfathomable darkness, his light is the only anchor his eight companions have to guide them.
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
...John 8:12 (NIV)
After the terrible battle with the Balrog, and Gandalf is dragged down into the depths of a bottomless chasm, his friends believe him to be dead. They flee Moria in grief and disarray, and their quest seems doomed to failure. Even a stay in the Elven city of Lothlorien cannot heal them. Boromir almost succumbs to temptation and pays for it with his life. Merry and Pippin are kidnapped by Orcs and Uruks, Frodo and Sam flee the company, and only Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, are left to pursue the Orcs in a seemingly hopeless rescue attempt. And then, when all seems bleakest, who should appear before them but Gandalf. No longer Gandalf the Grey, but Gandalf the White -- who pased through death unscathed, and has returned in blazing glory and power.
After that, he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
...Mark 16:12 (KJV)
The Lord is Risen indeed. ...Luke 24:34 (KJV)
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One: I was dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever! And i hold the keys of death and Hell."
...Revelation 1:14-18 (NIV)
As surely as the resurrected Christ returned to his people, so Gandalf the White returned and took charge. He entered the city of Edoras, where an old king had become fearful ,and his mind dulled by doubt, and he cast out the deceitful Wormtongue as God once cast another worm whose deceiptful words mislead another -- "...Upon thy belly thou shalt go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life;", Genesis 3:14 -- he unites two great kings at the head of a vast, proud army and leads them into righteous battle. Like the returning Christ of the Book of Revelation, he is a burning white light at the head of Heaven-sent hosts, riding his great horse Shadowfax.
"I saw Heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and true. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. he is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God."
...Revelation 19:11-13
ragorn son of Arathorn is known only as Strider in the rustic land of Bree, east of the Shire. Although of royal birth, raised among the Elves, only a priviledged few know his true identity, and when we first meet him, he is thought of as a scruffy vagrant, an outcast, a person of highly suspicious character. No one in Bree will trust him, even among those knowing he has Gandalf's approval.
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised and we esteemed him not
....Isaiah 53: 1-3 (KJV)
Although he has every reason to doubt this dark, strange man, Frodo instintively knows that it is safe to trust Strider with his very life. Even, it may be argued, with his very soul. The Hobbits continue to trust him despite their constant danger, and despite the constant threat of death and despair. Even in the face of disasters and troubles, none of the company ever loses faith in him. And in the end, even the cynical, doubting Boromir, who nearly succumbed to the call of the Ring, is comforted by the forgving words of his King.
And the King, Aragorn truly is! A king among kings: none less than the great and legendary King of Gondor, whose coming had been anticipated and watched for, for thousands of years. But long years of war and struggle with evil and the forces of Sauron had weakened the old kingdom and her once-proud city , Minas Tirith. There were few within her crumbling walls who even believed in the coming of the King any longer; some who even doubted if there was ever a King at all. "Look to the Stewards," they would say, for they were the only "kings" the people had ever known. And yet, it is within Gondor's darkest hour that the King does return. He returns unhoped for, when all but a scant few have lost faith. His coming was heralded by the trumpeting horsemen of Rohan, and at his side, the ghostly army brought back from the Paths of the Dead to fullfill an ancient oath. And before him, the enemies of his people scatter in terror.
...For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night
....I Thessalonians 5: 2 (NIV)
For the Lord himself shall descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
... I Thessalonians 4:16 (NIV)
...they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, and from one end of the heavens to the other. No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in Heaven ...therefore keep watch, becase you do not know on what day your lord will come.
...Matthew 24:30-31, 36, 42, 45 (NIV)
The hands of the King bring comfort and healing as the people of Minas Tirith slowly realize that their King has come at last, just as was promised so long ago. He rides with his army to the Gates of Mordor itself, and confronts the Lord of the Rings and his vast array of minions.
"See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice."
....Isaiah 32:1 (NIV)
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it...
... Revelation 20:11 (NIV)
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away...And I ...saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from the throne saying, "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and he will be their God. And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death , neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former order of things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, "Write: for these words are true and faithful."
...Revelation 21:3-5 (NIV)
rodo Baggins was just a little Hobbit. He did not ask to be entrusted with Sauron's evil Ring, and would have loved nothing more than to have put it aside and be forever done with it. Yet it quickly became apparent to him that in spite of his wishes, it was a dirty job that someone had to do. That someone was him.
"O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
....Matthew 26:39 (KJV)
With a heavy heart and in great sorrow, he willingly accepted the burden that no one else in Middle Earth was willing to bear--not the great kings and lords, not the Elves or even the Wizards: to take the terrible Ring upon himself; in essence, bearing all of the sins of Mankind in his tiny shoulders, and set out for Mordor to destroy it.
After the suffering of his soul...my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities...for he bore the sin of many."
....Isaiah 53:11-13 (KJV)
Nowhere else in all of "Lord of the Rings" does the symbolism of the living Christ strike us more profoundly than in the person of little Frodo Baggins, though he too feels the temptation of the Ring ("All this I will give you," he
[Satan] said, "if you will bow down and worship me." ... Matthew 4:9 (NIV)
As Jesus was constantly tempted to abandon his mission or even to take Satan's offer of escape from the inevitable, so does Frodo plod across Middle Earth and the terrible, hellish wastes of Mordor, struggling against the temptation to use the Ring to save himself, suffering unspeakably. Like Jesus, he can feel sorrows, fears and grief that were unique to him alone as Ringbearer, and we the readers walk step by step with him as if we were walking step by step with Jesus as he walks a terrible road to his own crucifixion, resisting the whispering call of Satan. Both Jesus and Frodo were wounded many times, mocked and spat upon by enemies, robbed and fought over for his mithril mail--or for a seamless garment--and always aware that at any time Frodo could use the Ring to save himself, just as Jesus could have called upon the angels at any time, and they would have had to obey.
He committed no sin, and no deceipt was found in his mouth...He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
....I Peter 2:22,24 (KJV)
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastizement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter...He was taken from prison and from judgement...for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
...Isaiah 53:4-8 (KJV)
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime but thou hearest not;and in the night season, and am not silent....but I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, "He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." ...Be not far from me, for trouble is near, for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me; strong bulls out of Ba-shan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water,an all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of mybowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me; the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me; they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones; they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
...Psalm 22:1-2,6-8,11-21 (KJV
If those profound and chilling words ring familiar, it is because this story has been brought to us down through the centuries, and seldom has a work of fiction brought it all to heart as compellingly as in "Lord ofthe Rings". Yet as Frodo reaches his own Calvary and stands on the brink of the lake of fire, arms outstretched as if on a cross, he puts on the Ring and claims it as his own!
How can this be--he has failed his mission!
Or has he? The Bible tells us that Christ took upon himself all of the sins of the world. In essence, by taking sin upon himself, he becomes one with sin, and even God the Father must turn away from him. -- "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46 (KJV)-- Frodo has claimed the Ring, and moments later, the Ring is torn from his finger, shedding much blood, and cast into a literal Lake of Fire. "It is finished" ...John 19:30. The Ring is forever destroyed -- and Jesus likewise paid the price for our sins for once and for all by the shedding of his own blood.
nd the rest of the Fellowship. How do they fare? Their struggles are like the struggles of people everywhere whose lives have been affected by the Lord Jesus. Whether in the persons portrayed by Gandalf, Aragorn or Frodo, he profoundly changed the lives of those who followed him.
Gimli and Legolas were two proud warriors from proud races which had long been enemies. Both races claimed that the other had caused the emnity between them, and we see many examples of their mutual distrust. Legolas' father once imprisoned a band of starving Dwarves, lost in the forest, because he considered them greedy spies out to steal his treasure, and no Dwarf was allowed in Lothlorien. Dwarves, in turn, saw Elves as treacherous and full of sorceries. Furthermore, they both came from vastly different cultures. Elves were forest-dwellers who made their cities high in the tops of trees, while Dwarves dug deep into mountains and caves in search of gold, mithril silver, and precious gems. They had different physical appearances, different temperments, different outlooks on life. Elves tall and slender, with immeasurably long lives, and prone to amusing themselves with music and poetry and slow, sad stories, while Dwarves were short and stocky and industrious, with a love of beautiful gems and metals.
How could two such vastly different people ever find a common ground? Yet Legolas and Gimli learn much about life on their journeys, and particularly during their time spent with Aragorn. They gained from their experiences a fast and lasting friendship that carried them to the end of their days.
God can change the hardest of hearts and turn men's hatreds into love.
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
....Luke 9:23-26 (KJV)
Without question, without doubts, Sam throws himself headlong into the quest, determined to share Frodo's destiny. The doubts and questions do arise along the way, of course. Who is this Strider fellow, really, and can we trust him? Will Gandalf turn me into a toad? How in the world can we escape the Black Riders? Are we really going to have to go into Mordor itself? Doubts, fears, questions, uncertainties and dangers -- they are everywhere, and almost too much for one small Hobbit to understand.
There are plenty of snares and traps along the way: Barrow wights drag him into their tombs, malevolent trees try to eat his friends, deceitful and trecherous men in Bree hide around every corner -- and worse, Orcs and Black Riders stalk their path.
A journey of faith is filled with trials and tests through which we are purified, and Sam's journey is no exception. When Frodo leaves the fellowship to complete his unique part in the mission, Sam runs after him, as if forgetting that he can't swim. He sinks, and the hand of Frodo pulls him out. It is a moment like the day that Peter tried to run across the surface of a lake in order to follow in Jesus' footsteps, and sinks, saved only by Jesus who pulls him out again.
They set out together for Mordor, their steps dogged along the way by Gollum, who is still desperately trying to recapture the precious Ring. Gollum is captured; Frodo shows him mercy repeatedly, often to no avail, and one is constantly reminded of how many people there are who misunderstand, deny and reject those moments when God is reaching his hand toward them; how they can even become hostile towards him.
But what does Sam see in all of this? He sees only a nasty, treacherous creature whom he loaths and to whom he shows no pity. Gollum is repulsive and untrustworthy. He leads them into Mordor as he promised, but he also has betrayed Frodo to a loathsome, giant spider called Shelob. Sam's rage and hatred become so strong that it is almost the undoing of his own master. Battling with Gollum, he loses precious time that might have saved Frodo from Shelob's clutches, and returns to find him dead.
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
....Philippians 4:13
Now that he betrayed him, he gave them a sign, saying, "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forth he came to Jesus, and said, "Hail, Master", and kissed him.
....Matthew 26:48
The scene of Sam's grief over the loss of his beloved Frodo is one of the most profoundly moving scenes in all of English literature. Then, in a moment of fearful courage that is breathtaking, Sam realizes that it is up to him to complete the quest, and he takes the Ring himself.
To his instantaneous horror, the Ring weighs him down at once with its terrible burden. He suddenly feels the power, the lure of the dreaded Ring, and he puts it on his finger even as he crosses the threshold into Mordor. In effect, he has betrayed his master himself.
But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you."... Now Peter was sitting in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You were also with Jesus of Galilee," she said. But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. ...
...Matthew 26:35, 69-70 (NIV)
Then he began to curse and to swear, saying, "I know not the man." And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, "Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice." And he went out, and wept bitterly.
....Matthew 26:74-75 (KJV)
But as we all know, Frodo is NOT dead, and Sam is more determined than ever to save him and see the quest through. The greatest trial of all comes when they must cross Mordor, suffering each step of the way from hunger, thirst, and utter exhaustion. Sam nevetheless does not lose his faith that one way or the other, there would be an end, and that the quest would prevail, even if it would mean his own death. He has carried the Ring himself for a short while, and now he understands Frodo's terrible ordeal--wounded and wasted, and forever fighting down that terrible temptation that would save his own life, but bring about the destruction of the entire world.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. yea, though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; they rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anoitest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
...Psalm 23 (KJV)
If ever literature devised a valley of the Shadow of Death, it was the land of Mordor, with Sam and Frodo creeping across its cracked, hellish plains and crags, held up only by Sam's hope and courage, and Frodo's strength of will. Only the kind of hope expressed in the 23rd Psalm could have kept them going against all odds. Sam, the ordinary gardener, has become an epic hero.
here are numerous moments in Lord of the Rings that are beautiful parallels to the words of Scripture; so numerous that it is impossible for me to highlight but a few in this small space, otherwise this page would ramble on and on, even more than it does already.
J.R.R.Tolkien did not intend for his book to be an allegory, only a lovely story with beautiful languages, exotic people, and exciting adventures. Yet he himself was a Christian; the man who led the great C.S.Lewis to Christ all those many years ago.
When I read this book in 1970, the effect on me was so deep that for the first time in my life, I felt as if I had met Jesus Christ face to face. In 1974, after other events unnecessary to descibe here, I finally accepted Jesus as my Lord and personal saviour. And all goes back to the day I read, "In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit."
"I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, shall have the light of life."
...John 8:12(NIV)
Let no one be found among you who sacrfices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord...
...Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NIV)
When Sauron and the forces of Mordor are cast down at last, he comes into his own to be crowned King. Aragorn is crowned and placed upon his white throne, and the old city seems to shine anew from within, soon to be restored not only to former glory, but to become greater than ever. His coronation is gloriously culminated in his marriage to his beautiful Queen, Arwen Evenstar, who has waited long and patiently for this moment, having given up her old life for him.
They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings...and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.
....Revelation 17:14 (NIV)
Merry and Pippin, two young hobbits from wealthy families, who had never seen a hard day in their lives, were put to tests of loyalty and friendship beyond their imaginings.
Merry Brandybuck had never before planned anything more serious than a hike across the countryside, yet in the face of danger, he found strength and courage and faith that changed him from a carefree rich man's son into a knight of Rohan and a hero of majestic proportions who struck a mortal blow to the Lord of the Nazgul himself.
Pippin Took had been irresponsible and more than a little careless; even foolish, in the early stages of the quest. But when need came, he discovered that he could be resourceful, dependable and brave beyond anything he would have dreamed possible. He went on to become a knight of Gondor, literally in shining armour, and rose to meet the greatest of challenges.
God can take the weakest, most insignificant of us and make us strong when we walk in his ways, according to his Word.
When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
....Proverbs 16:17 (KJV)
...love your enemies, do good to them...then your reward will be great...
... Luke 6:35
Boromir, the skeptic, was always brave and stong, but he was in many ways the weakest of the party, for he never quite believed the words of Aragorn or Gandalf until it was too late. The Ring called to him, and temptation to master it haunted him throughout most of his journey. His own doubts, his fears and anxieties, his need to please his father, his desire to drive out the Enemy who had tormented his people for so long -- all of these preyed on his heart when he was being lured by the call of the Ring. Deceived by its seductive powers, he attacked Frodo and tried to sieze the Ring himself, only able to recover his senses when the frightened Hobbit fled from his side. Overcome with despair, Boromir was at the lowest ebb of his life.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the Devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when that day comes, you may be able to stand your ground...
... Ephesians 6:11-13 (NIV)
But the most remarkable of all the Fellowship was Frodo's faithful servant, Sam. He grows and matures throughout the quest in a very special way , and his difficult walk with Frodo is a walk of self discovery and self-sacrifice even under the most severe of trials.
I like to compare him to young Christians, fresh in their discovery of the Lord--and perhaps also to the Apostle Peter. He investigates and eavesdrops at first, then when called to join the quest is is overjoyed at the prospect of meeting real Elves, but frightened by the thought of having to give up his home, perhaps forever, When God calls us, it is no guarantee of a life of ease and comfort. Quite the contrary. Often we have to give up something, and Sam was about to give up everything.
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge...Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me."
....Psalms 51:1-4, 10-11(NIV)
But in the end, Boromir was a faithful man. Even in his own hour of trial, he ran to defend his two Hobbits friends, Merry and Pippin, and was mortally wounded. He died in Aragorn's arms, but his sins had been forgiven. "I have failed," the once-proud Boromir says sorrowfully, to which Aragorn replies, "no, you have conquered. Few men have gained such a victory." Boromir died with a smile on his lips, knowing he had found acceptance from the king. In the film, he went from an arrogant man who sneered "Gondor needs no king," to a humble and contrite man who calls upon Aragorn, "My Brother, my Captain, my King."
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrigheousness.
... I John 1:9 (KJV)
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
...I Peter 5:6
Even as he stands on the brink of betraying the quest, he manages--like Boromir--to pull himself back from the brink and take off the Ring. He accomplishes this feat partly from his own will power and common sense, and partly from the strength he draws from the vial of light that had belonged to Frodo, the light Frodo received in Rivendell. It is the light that Frodo used to push back the darkness; the light he used to ward off Shelob before she could come up behind him; -the light which Sam will soon use to get them through the alarm system in Barad Dur. The "light to shine when all other lights go out."
When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
...Luke 24:50-51
aybe you too are waiting to meet Jesus face to face the same way.
It is so very simple, and the examples given above may point the way for you as they did for me. Maybe you, too, can see him in the faces of Frodo, Gandalf and Aragorn. Maybe you can see him in the hearts of the others. Maybe you can see him asking to enter your heart as well.
elow , you will find a few links which you may wish to for yourself. You should not take my word for anything, for who am I in this vast universe but one small person? Nevertheless, I met the Lord in the pages of Tolkien's masterpiece -- the suffering servant, the resurrected Lord of Hosts, and the true King of Kings.
If this page has meant anything of value to you, I would appreciate it if you let me know. because this wonderful book as meant a great deal to me.
CROSSROADS: Has an article entitled "Tolkien's Lord of the Rings: Truth, Myth or Both".
HOLLYWOOD JESUS: Discusses the Christian sigificance, plus it features a TON of great photos from the movie.
FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS: The classic explanation for how one becomes a Christian, explained in simple terms, with simple diagrams.
MARANATHA CHRISTIAN JOURNAL: Has another thoughtful article on what Tolkien may or may not have meant in "Lord of the Rings".
PLUGGED IN: An excellent series of articles about finding Christ in "The Lord of the Rings". Especially good for young people and their parents.
"The Road goes ever on and on - straight is the Road, and those who stray from its path become lost. It is difficult to find the way back, "
WHAT TOLKIEN SAYS:
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS:
As it is written: there is no one righteous, not even one.
...Romans 3:3-10
There is no diffrence, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
...Romans 3:22-23
"Gandalf was our guide, and he led us through Moria; and when our escape seemed beyond hope he saved us, and he fell."
...FotR, "The Mirror of Galadriel"
We cannot use the Ruling Ring. That we now know too well. It belongs to Sauron and was made by him alone, and is altogether evil. Its strength, Boromir, is too great for anyone to weild at will, save only those who already have a great power of their own. But for them it holds an even deadlier peril. The very desire of it corrupts the heart.
...FotR, "The Council of Elrond"
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while were still sinners, Christ died for us.
...Romans 5:8
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all have sinned--
...Romans 5:8
He told of the Elven-smiths of Eregion and their friendship with Moria, and their eagerness for knowledge, by which Sauron snared them. For in that time he was not yet evil to behold, and they received his aid and grew mighty in crafts, whereas he learned all their secrets, and betrayed them...
...FotR, "The Council of Elrond"
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
...Romans 6:23
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name in heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
...Acts 4:12
...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified
...Romans 10:9-10
...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified
...Romans 10:9-10
Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes..for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new."
...Revelation 21:3-5
For the quest is achieved, and now all is over.
...RotK, "Mount Doom"
For the quest is achieved, and now all is over.
...RotK, "Mount Doom"
Suddenly Faramir stirred, and he opened his eyes, and he looked on Aragorn who bent over him; and a light of knowledge and love was kindles in his eyes, and he spoke softly. "My Lord, you called me. I come. What does the King command?"
...RotK, "The Houses of healing"
He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself
.....Hebrews 7:27
Jesus said, "It is finished,"
...John 19:30
And in that moment all the trumpets were blown, and the King Elessar went forth and...in his time the City was made more fair than it had ever been in the days of its first glory; and it was filled with trees and with fountains, and its gates were wrought of mithril and steel, and its sreets were paved with white marble; and the Folk of the Mountain laboured on it, and the Folk of the Wood rejoiced to come there; and all was healed and made good, and the houses were filled with men and women and the laughter of children, and no window was blind nor any courtyard empty;
...RotK, "The Steward and the King"
"I will take the Ring," he said, "though I do not know the way."
"I think that this task is appointed to you, Frodo, and that if you do not find a way, no one will."
...FotR, "The Council of Elrond"
If you wish to adopt the original animations from this page, please read the rules on my ADOPTION PAGE.
Just click on the "Daisy" button below to find out how.
The creepy spider was designed by Lisa Konrad
Try dragging your mouse over the pictures to find hidden messages.
and the charming, tiny LOTR "sprites" were designed by Broken Arrow
here is a sublime moment in the story of the Hobbits that is often lost on readers, but which is very important. The Shire dwellers alone, in all of Middle Earth, do not seem to know that Sauron has been defeated, and they are taken by surprise to discover that Saruman had for years been spying on them and corrupting the weakest among them. Now he has actually moved into the heart of the Shire and set up housekeeping in what was once Frodo's house, accompanied by his slave, Wormtongue, and a small rabble of "ruffian" men and half-orcs (Uruks?) who now rule the Shire with an iron fist. No one is more surprised than they when the long-missing Frodo returns, with Merry, Pippin and Sam at his side: no longer timid Hobbits, but knights in armor.
The Shire Hobbits are terrified slaves, but Frodo's friends are undaunted. They have seen the Dark Lord's worst thrown at them, they have stayed by Frodo, Aragorn and Gandalf through terrible adversity, and they have emerged strong. They are ready to take on Saruman who now seems to them a pathetic bully, a shadow of his former self. They learn to fight back, and Frodo personally leads them all to Saruman's hideout.
Saruman is a defeated enemy whose power is only in his ability to deceive and persuede with his voice. His once-high place in Middle Earth is gone, and he knows it. It is Frodo himself who calls Saruman literally out of his hole and confronts him. He threatens the Shire Hobbits with utter destruction and they are frightened at first, but Frodo says to them firmly that Saruman has no more power. He is utterly defeated and can only sway the unwary with his lies. It is only with the strength of his own words that Frodo orders Saruman from his home and from his land, and Saruman has no choice but to obey him.
And in the same way, Satan himself has already been defeated at the Cross, but most people hardly seem to know it. We behave as if Satan still has the ultimate power over our lives and souls, when Jesus himself stripped him of that power and orders him to leave whenever we call upon his help.
So seemingly, all is well that ends well. The Shire is restored. Sam marries the Hobbit-girl he loves, raises a large family and becomes a pillar of the Hobbit's community. Pippin is now a knight of Gondor, and a hero who will one day take his father's title as Thain of the Shire. Merry, destined to become a clan chieftan, is also a soldier of Rohan and a knight of Gondor. But Frodo is unble to stay in Middle Earth any longer, and he tells Sam that he will go across the sea with the Elves. Before Frodo leaves, Sam is instructed to keep an account of the history of the Ring so that no one in the Shire can ever again forget. Just as Christ's followers are instructed to keep the Word lest others forget, Sam is true to his promise. And in the end, when his time comes at last, he too crosses the sea to be with his beloved master once more, this time forever.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the Devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God so that when the day of eil comes, you may be able to stand your ground....with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.
...Ephesians 6:11-17
ANNIE'S HOMEPAGE: One of the finest and most enjoyable Christian sites online. Annie also includes a small section on Lord of the Rings.
All original text and artwork by"Daisy Brambletoes" are the property of Cheryl W. Duval and Off-Note productions and is not to be used without written permission. Movie stills are property of New Line Cinema.
