The Last Battle

 My mom absolutely loves The Chronicles of Narnia, but her favorite book in the series, has always been The Last Battle. She said more than any other book, it felt so real and relatable to our time right now. If you don't understand what I mean, it's that C. S. Lewis, whether purposely or unconsciously, created the Narnia series to parallel our world, from a Christian view.

The first book, the very first, The Magician's Nephew, is about creation. The creation of Narnia, by Aslan, the placing of Adam and Eve, over all the land, and the tempting from the serpent, or in this world, the witch, who continues to make herself known throughout the series in different forms.

The next book, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, is about the Gospel. The coming of a Messiah to spend His life to save His creation, fulfilling the law, that someone must die for sins, but establishing grace and forgiveness, that no one must die anymore.

The third book, The Horse and His Boy, takes place before the ending of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, before the children have found their way back to our world, but have been living as Kings and Queens, marrying and having children and grandchildren. This is the golden age of Acts, after Jesus went back to Heaven, and the Church was ignited with the Holy Spirit. This seems to be a cessationist view [that the Holy Spirit has stopped giving such power to the church], but as you read on, it is clear it is not, and I'll go into this more later.

The next book is Prince Caspian, which I believe is a mirror of the Holocaust. The Narnians, all mystical creatures, talking animals, dwarves, setres, minatars, centuars, tree spirits, mermaids, ect. are being persecuted to the point of extinction, by a group of people Aslan allowed to wander into Narnia. The children are called back, by Prince Caspian, who's being hunted by his uncle for the crown. They return and lead with Narnians, giving them back their land.

The fifth book is The Voyage of The Dawn Treader, where the two younger children return to Narnia, with a cousin who's coming for the first time. They're not sure why they're back, but they're glad of it. They are picked up by Prince Caspian, who is on a voyage to find men who served his father, gone missing before the war to take back Narnia. I believe this is the age after the Holocaust, when Israel had returned to their land, and scripture was being discovered and sought out, and the Gospel was being spread like never before. They're in search of answers, of saints. They're taking the newly found freedom of the Kingdom, and spreading it to all the territories, freeing slaves and going into darkness to save people.

The sixth book is one of my favorites, The Silver Chair. When I read this book, I was convinced it was of our time. Right off the bat, the cousin and his friend, there for the first time, are given a message from Aslan to give to Prince Caspian, now an old man, but for the life of them, they cannot remember to give it, or what the message even was. They're pulled along into tribulation and struggles, rather than charging into battle themselves like the children before. Narnia is a dark place in this book and the Witch has taken Caspian's grandson captive in the underworld for some years now.

The final book, The Last Battle, is about Tribulation. Narnia has been seemingly alright now. Everyone almost seems complacent and doesn't think life will change any time soon, but things quickly go downhill, as Aslan returns, or so it seems, and is giving strange and awful commands. I began listening to this as an audio book on youtube, and I had to stop. I got to the chapter when the current king of Narnia has been captured and tied to a tree, and is praying to Aslan to truly return and save them. He begins to remember what he calls, the golden ages of Narnia, when the children, Narnia's Kings and Queens lived among them, and how they returned every time Narnia needed them. He then grows slightly bitter and says, but Alsan doesn't do that anymore, that was the old days. Returning to the third book, The Horse and His Boy, and how it seemed to hold a cessationist view of the Holy Spirit. This scene clearly hit me, like a brick wall. I hear so many people today saying, 'oh miracles were a good and all, but God doesn't do that anymore,' and it they're not saying it, they living that way. I heard the king praying and thinking these things and I was in awe.

How could C. S. Lewis know the attitude people would take in the last days. He could have guessed, but I believe God used him. I heard this scene and I thought, 'God still speaks through men, God still makes prophets.' I stopped the audio book, too obsessed with this scene to keep going and I went straight to mom, pouring out everything I had told her. I almost couldn't compose myself, and I could see she was struggling too. I was almost weeping because I was so in awe with God's power, His faithfulness, His grace. He used Lewis and wrote something prophetic. I won't hold it at level with the scriptures, but these books are amazing still.

The children at times represent Christians, and at others, represent the Holy Spirit. These are the last days, people are complacent, believing the world will go on as it has, but those with their eyes open will see the quick downward spiral we're taking. People cry out to God, but they don't believe the Holy Spirit will come and empower them. I felt a tugging on my heart after speaking with my mom- and I remembered a friend of mine telling me to be aware when the Holy Spirit is telling you to come away and be alone with God. I went upstairs, completely unable to keep myself from it, and I immediately began weeping. I didn't know why I was crying, but I was so in awe of everything I had just realized. I began to pray, for anything, I said, 'God I don't know why I'm crying, but I'll pray for anything You want me to.' I prayed and my heart was moved in such a way that it was not my own movement. It was as if the Holy Spirit was swaying my heart from person to person saying, “Now feel for them, now feel for this,” and I was now weeping for them as I prayed. I wept for my country, something I have never been compassionate or moved over, but I was in tears over America's loss of Christ.

I didn't want to be moved by emotion, but God still created emotion, God feels things, He weeps over the lost, and rejoices over His children. The Holy Spirit still moves. He still gives gifts, and when I say gifts, I don't mean a skill you can exercise or practice at. I don't mean a talent, or something you can chose to do. The Holy Spirit will give you any gift, any time, not one gift permanently. Let Him into your life.

The king, even though he doesn't believe Aslan will come or send the children, he cries out to Aslan for help and he does send the children. Don't give into the complacency, desiring your life to go on as it is, without the Holy Spirit, because you don't want anything to change. We need the Holy Spirit, now more than ever, because things are going to get bad, very fast. I've never heard so much talk and debate about the Holy Spirit and whether He still gives gifts and does miracles or not. It's all over the place, and before you know it, that fake Aslan is going to show up and stir things up before you know what's happening.

If you've never read The Chronicles of Narnia, I highly recommend it. I truly believe God had a hand in these books, they line up just too well with the scriptures. They're like parables, helping you in your walk with Christ. I only hope God would work so powerfully through my own writing; it's been my constant prayer that He use my stories for His glory and write the story, He desires to be communicated, through me. The Chronicles of Narnia are such an inspiration to me, and I honestly believe God was prophesying through C. S. Lewis, for the church and for the world.