the dwarves in the stable

Benisse

Benisse

Perelandrian
Staff member
Royal Guard
What do you think happened to the dwarves who thought they were in a stable at the end of The Last Battle? After the great door was shut, did that group of dwarves stay where they were, miserably stuck forever in the mental prison of their own creation?
 
While I would agree that those traitor Dwarfs had placed themselves beyond the reach of redemption, I don't think Mister Lewis had in mind that their ETERNAL state would be identical to the situation in which Tirian, Jill and Eustace found them. Consider two other Lewis references.

In The Great Divorce, the lost souls in the dreary "town" of Hell were being permitted to exist in their delusions; but Mister Lewis (having put himself in the action as a character) was told that this condition of the "town" was not permanent. The "town" would face a final judgment.

In The Problem of Pain, Mister Lewis remarks that God is determined to "plant the flag of truth" over ALL of His creation, which fits with Scripture telling us that EVERY knee will have to bow and EVERY tongue will have to confess that Jesus is Lord.

So no, I can't imagine that Mister Lewis would think of God as permitting those evil Dwarfs to take refuge forever in their self-deluded state. Not because God is petty and vindictive, but because His nature demands recognition of truth, every one of those Dwarfs-- along with all unrepentant Calormene villains, AND Shift, AND Tash himself --would HAVE TO be forced eventually to admit without evasions that they were wrong.
 
To me the idea that God would insist on forcing people like the dwarves in the Stable out of their delusions and yet let them continue existing in even greater misery just to prove that he is right is abhorrent. It would be more merciful just to destroy them completely.
 
According to Catholic theology, everyone in hell is there because they want to be. Even the smallest bit of true remorse can send a soul to purgatory to be cleansed before entering Heaven. Those in hell actively refuse God's mercy and love, separating themselves from him eternally.

Basically, there are those who say to God "Thy will be done", and those to whom God finally says "Thy will be done." The dwarfs in the stable seem to be the latter.
 
....and yet let them continue existing in even greater misery just to prove that he is right is abhorrent.



That is talking as if God were a petulant, childish mortal, wanting to win for the sake of bragging rights. But God being proven right is a whole different matter from one human being achieving dominance over another human being. God's rightness is not about Him saying "Nyaaaah nyaaaaaaah, you lose!" God's rightness is the supreme rightness of truth itself. It would be an insult to reality itself if anyone were exempted from every tongue having to confess (which IS God's Word).

It would be as if a vandalized church had to STAY vandalized forever, just to suit the vandals.
 
At one time the dwarves did believe in Aslan, which was why they had submitted to being sent to the Calormene mines. I would hope that they would eventually come to an end of themselves and call out to Aslan, or perhaps repent of their slaying of the horses or something to open a crack in their embittered minds to openess to the reality of the outskirts of paradise.

Alternatively I could also imagine their feeling for the door and finding it locked and frigid they might start calling for help... and somehow perhaps desperation might open themselves up to receiving help and understanding from Aslan...
 
I am too busy trying to understand Heaven to devote much time to Hell. This is not a dis of this thread, merely a word of advice. If I could work my will, no member of this forum would ever have to find out how Hell works firsthand.
 
Copperfox said:

In The Problem of Pain, Mister Lewis remarks that God is determined to "plant the flag of truth" over ALL of His creation, which fits with Scripture telling us that EVERY knee will have to bow and EVERY tongue will have to confess that Jesus is Lord.

So no, I can't imagine that Mister Lewis would think of God as permitting those evil Dwarfs to take refuge forever in their self-deluded state. Not because God is petty and vindictive, but because His nature demands recognition of truth, every one of those Dwarfs-- along with all unrepentant Calormene villains, AND Shift, AND Tash himself --would HAVE TO be forced eventually to admit without evasions that they were wrong.
Click to expand...

Even someone as proud, arrogant and utterly evil as Jadis!

EveningStar;2197557If I could work my will said:
I agree with you on that, 100%!
Click to expand...
 
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