(Note 4 Part 2 – continued from same day) (Pt 1 here; Navigation backward to part 1 and forward to part 3 at bottom of screen)
beginning of notes about movie:
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“Take Back Your Home Land”:
The movie opens with Gandalf first meeting Thorin (prior to the events of the first film). He advises him to gather his armies, march upon the mountain which was formerly their home, destroy the dragon (representing satan) who stole their land and brought desolation, and take their mountain back ~ “You can wait no longer.“ “That dragon has sat there long enough.” “Take back your home land!“
(Again, we know that our battle is not against flesh and blood ~ Eph 6. These are spiritual analogies referring to the spiritual war that the army of the Lord, the church, must rise up and engage in to take back our nation).
“The World is in Grave Danger” ~ “War is Coming”:
Distraction and “blindness” have allowed the hidden plans of the enemy to flourish
As the movie unfolds, they become increasingly aware that the enemy (Sauron), who they thought was no longer an issue, has returned and has been preparing for war. His plans have only been able to develop because he remained hidden in darkness from their sight as he grew in strength and number. As a result, “War is coming.” Unfortunately, though our battle is not against flesh and blood, our enemy does not value the same principles. I believe the Lord is confirming that natural, and not just spiritual, war is at stake (…or at hand).
“Something moves in the shadows unseen, hidden from our sight; every day it grows in strength.” (Lady Galadriel) She recognized their need to beware of an enemy who was masquerading under an identity, yet was “not what he seems,” and of their urgent need to understand the truth of the situation.
In another conversation, when Radagast observes that no human could summon such evil, Gandalf replies, “Who said it was human… We’ve been blind, and in our blindness the enemy has returned; He’s summoning his servants. The Defiler is…a commander of legions. The enemy is preparing for war.” Gandalf states that he must rejoin his friends because, “they are in grave danger.” Radagast realizes, “If what you say is true, the world is in grave danger.“
In another scene, Thranduil states – “Such is the nature of evil. Out there in the vast ignorance of the world it festers and spreads ~ a shadow that grows in the dark ~ A sleepless malice as black as …night.” A minion of the enemy threatens him, “Your world will burn; the time has come again. My master serves “the one.” Do you understand now? Death is upon you; the flames of war are upon you.” These things are precisely in line with what the Lord has been showing us since early 2012, horrific dangers and desolation is approaching which will only be averted by our nation’s repentance.
When Gandalf and Radagast go to the enemy’s lair, they realize it has only appeared as if nothing was happening there, but this façade (purposefully presented), was far from the truth. Gandalf says, “A spell of concealment lies over this place. …our enemies are not yet ready to reveal themselves; he has not regained his full strength…We must force his hand.” Radagast pleads, “WAIT, What if it’s a trap?” Gandalf assures him, “It’s undoubtedly a trap.“
If I wasn’t convinced before, after seeing this scene, I felt certain that Tolkien must have understood spiritual authority in Christ. Once inside the enemy’s lair, he began to command the evil that was hidden there to come forth and reveal itself! The enemies were exposed,
forced out of hiding, but declared that Gandalf was too late. The Defiler informed him that the enemy is now “everywhere,” eerily quoting directly from the demoniac in the Bible that they are “Legion.” (Reminiscent of “As it was in the Days of Noah…” note) Gandalf fights Sauron with his scepter of light (representing the Word and the Word made flesh, Jesus). Considering the word the Lord just gave us a few weeks ago from John 1:5, we were amazed to hear the enemy say, “There is no light that can defeat darkness.” Thankfully we know he is the father of lies and that, no matter how things may temporarily appear, the truth is “The darkness CANNOT OVERCOME the Light!”
Unfortunately, however, this scene does end with the temporary appearance that darkness is prevailing.
Deception Lures from the True Path to Imminent Death:
Before sending those going on the quest into a forest, Gandalf warns, “The very air of the forest is thick with illusion. It will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray. You must stay on the path; do not leave it… No matter what comes, stay on the path!”
Of course, they come under the deception and illusion of the forest (representing the spirit of the world), they get off the path and are lost, confused, disoriented, going in circles, and unable to discern the right way. Their perception of reality becomes distorted. They’re no longer able to think or see clearly.
This confirmation was profoundly meaningful since in the last note (part 3 and follow up), I’d written about how the enemy attempts to deceive and lure us off the path without us being aware.
Bilbo declares, “We’ve lost the sun (representing The SON ~ Jesus). The sun (Son)! We have to find the sun (Son)!” He climbs a tree to find the sun (Son).
When he breaks through (BREAKTHROUGH) the forest top, many BLUE BUTTERFLIES fly from the tree tops. This was especially significant because of the butterfly theme from the past years, representing transformation (metamorphasis, dying to self, resurrection to new life), faith/fulfillment of destiny (flying), and the “butterfly effect” (referring to the ability of one who seems insignificant to make a significant impact. The Lord has particularly used blue butterflies (in things He’s spoken to us since 2011) to represent the Holy Spirit! When Bilbo breaks through, he finds the sun (Son) and is then able to think and see clearly again. From this vantage point, free from the deception and illusion of the forest (world), he can now discern the right direction to go and calls down to his friends, “I can see! Can you hear me? I know which way to go!” When his friends, still below in the deception of the forest, do not respond, he begins to descend into the forest again to tell them the way. But his foot gets caught in a giant spider’s web (representing deception). He falls and gets entangled and ensnared in a web and is attacked by giant spiders (representing spirits of deception) who have taken his friends captive in their webs and intend to devour them. Thankfully, Bilbo has a sword (representing the Word of God) and uses it to kill the spider attacking him and then to set the others free. (allusions to I Corinthians 10:3-5, Hebrews 4:12, John 8:31-36, and others)
to be continued… (part 3 here) (Navigation backward to part 1 and forward to part 3 also at bottom of screen)
