Abstract
The King Is Coming
Since its publication in 1954–55, J. R. R. Tolkien’s heroic romance, The Lord of the Rings, has accumulated fame, fans, and critical acclaim. No other writer of Tolkien’s century created a world as distinct and imaginary as Middle Earth. By design, The Lord of the Rings is not a Christian allegory; rather, it is an invented myth with regard to biblical truths.
The Lord of the Rings presents a biblical foundation for understanding good and evil. For instance, The Lord of the Rings emphasizes the reality of a repulsive and sinister evil by contrasting that wickedness with characters that epitomize what is good. The foundation of the drama is the obvious contrast between good and evil, resulting in great conflict. The story is not the type of meaningless drama that arises from obscure or unidentifiable distinctions between good and evil; rather, the narrative is meaningful as the good perseveres to triumph and ultimately eradicate great wickedness (a contrast with pagan myths where characters merely introduce “balance” among good and evil). The themes of redemption in The Lord of the Rings are familiar and personal, thereby allowing readers to become engaged in the characters’ struggles.
The great battle between the forces of good and evil is won by the heroism of Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee. Aragorn is a Christ figure, with his people anticipating his return to take his rightful place as king. Jesus, of course, is the believer’s true King, and the One whom his people await to return. Tolkien demonstrated belief that the history of humanity is truly a conflict between good and evil.
Tolkien’s heroic romance captivates readers because the quest of the characters is an emotional/spiritual one. The Lord of the Rings presents a biblical understanding of God’s power and his ultimate victory over sin and wickedness. The book of Revelation is the God-inspired disclosure of good triumphing over evil, specifically with the coming of Jesus Christ in authority, glory, and power. Revelation is truly an appropriate climax to the Bible.
The initial message to the churches is ‘grace to you and peace’ (Rev 1:4b). The source of these blessings is the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son. God the Father is described as ‘Him who is and who was and who is to come; (v. 4b), an appropriate parallel to ‘
Jesus Christ equally provides grace and peace. He is described in a threefold manner: (1) He is ‘the faithful witness’, meaning He faithfully revealed all the Father wanted Him to communicate (cf. 1 John 1:18); (2) He is ‘the firstborn of the dead’, a reminder of his death and resurrection (cf. Matt 16:21; 17:22–23; 20:18–19); and, (3) He is ‘the ruler of the kings of the earth’, which is a reference to his kingdom and reign (cf. Rev 19:11–20:6). Believers are viewed corporately as ‘a kingdom, priests’ (1:6; cf. 5:9–10; Exod 19:6), which anticipates union with Christ in his reign. The promise of the Lord’s coming anticipates that glorious reign (Rev 1:7).
The final word of the salutation is to confirm the truthfulness of the message as coming from the One who is ‘the Alpha and the Omega’ (v. 8). Revelation is conveyed by words, and since all Greek words (the original language of the New Testament) are within the bounds of the first and last letters of that alphabet, the emphasis is upon God’s message. The eternal God ‘who is and who was and who is to come’ is the source of the revelation.
Psalm 132 is the longest of the Songs of Ascents; it was sung on the final approach to the sanctuary as joyful worshippers reached their destination. The hymn also celebrates the bringing of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (Ps 132:1, 6–9; cf. 2 Sam 6), in addition to David’s yearning to build a Temple for the Lord (Ps 132:2–5; cf. 2 Sam 7). The psalmist then prayed for God’s favor according to his promises (Ps 132:10–12; cf. 2 Sam 7:11–16).
Ultimately, the psalm anticipates the second coming of Jesus Christ in power and glory (Ps 132:13–14; cf. Pss 2; 89; 110). In this future day, God will ‘bless’ his people with abundant ‘provision’ (Ps 132:15–16). The true ‘anointed’ One—the Lord Jesus Christ—will then rule forever, and ‘shall shine’ forth in power and preeminence (vv. 17–18; cf. 1 Cor 15:25–28; Rev 19:17–21). Psalm 132 encourages God’s people to trust in the Lord to fulfill all his promises.
David exhibited this resolute trust in his “last words” (2 Sam 23:1). He knew that his spoken words were by divine inspiration (v. 2). David also recognized God as the ultimate ruler (v. 3), which (in addition to him and his royal descendants) may be understood as referring to the Messiah (vv. 3–4). Although his ‘house’ was not what it should have been (v. 5), the fulfillment of God’s ‘everlasting covenant’ was certain because for his own Name’s sake it would continue until Messiah occupies David’s throne. David knew fulfillment of the covenant was based upon God’s faithfulness not his own—though obedience was important (vv. 6–7)—and why Messiah is viewed as his “desire” and “salvation” (v. 5). Calm arises from acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty.
Messiah’s coming reign is certain (cf. Ps 93), which is different than his rule presently upon his heavenly throne (Dan 7:9–10, 13–14). God, the Ancient of Days, will procure control of the earth’s kingdoms by means of the Son of Man, who will be established upon his rightful throne once the world powers are judged. The first coming of Messiah was to be obedient unto death, and thus He became the sinner’s substitute; yet, He is sinless, and therefore, rose from the grave and ascended to the Father, returning to the glory He had with Him in eternity past. Following his ascension, Jesus Christ entered the heavenly throneroom to be exalted and glorified. He is seated presently at the Father’s right hand, which occurred subsequent to his presentation as Son of Man (Dan 7:13–14).
At his second coming, his kingdom will come from heaven to earth as opposed to originating from it (cf. John 18:33–37). Messiah will come again from his heavenly throneroom in power and glory to reign historically and visibly upon David’s throne. He is the One who testified to the truth, that is, He who revealed God, and thereby readies subjects for his kingdom, as sinners trust in Him by grace through faith and are thereby granted eternal life, in preparation to enter his kingdom. Everyone who is of the truth follows Jesus. Are you following Him in preparation for his coming kingdom?