Seventy-Five Years Later, The Hobbit Still Enchants Us
Seventy-five years ago, on September 21, 1937, the world received The Hobbit or There and Back Again, a strong and sweet message from one of the greatest Christian apologists in modern history, J.R.R. Tolkien. Much of the reason for the book's success is obvious: Tolkien was a fabulous writer; he was describing a mystical, but earthy world which preceded the rise of man; and the characters were drawn with a master’s touch of personality. The Hobbit has lost none of its allure over the last 75 years and it has been continuously in print since then.
In fact, The Hobbit is the third best-selling work of fiction in history, with 100 million copies sold, and the number two selling book of fiction is The Lord of the Rings, sequel to The Hobbit, which has sold 150 million copies. Only Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities has sold more copies (and it less than The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit...
I usually put it on the bottom of my list The Ryrie KJV Study Bible Hardback-Red Letter, which helps translates the AV into English or the bare-bones requirement of an AV with the Strong's Concordance, which you usually get in a computer Bible program.
Up the ladder is The Macarthur Study Bible ~ New King James Version. The NKJV is great Bible as long as you read the center-column for what God actually said, but some people think it makes a great dictionary for the AV.
Jim Lincoln wrote: Throw out --any-- books that mention unicorns in them. Hmm, I've be advising to do that for one in particular for quite some time now!
"...it is important to understand that the definition of the word “unicorn” has changed over time.
If you get an old 1828 Noah Webster’s Dictionary, which is the very first edition dictionary that Webster came out with about 200 years ago, and look up the word “unicorn” it says:
Unicorn – An animal with ONE HORN; the monoceros. this name is often applied to the rhinoceros.
Notice how this 200-year-old definition of the word “unicorn” says absolutely nothing about a horse. It says nothing about a horse-like animal, or a mythical animal, or a fictitious creature. It says absolutely nothing about mythology whatsoever. But rather, it says that this is a name that is often applied to the rhinoceros..."
Jim Lincoln wrote: Throw out --any-- books that mention unicorns in them. Hmm, I've be advising to do that for one in particular for quite some time now!
But dragons are OK, right?
Isa 27:1 In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea. NASB
theWayPA wrote: ... However, without providing concrete evidence of your assertions,... Yes, while the stories of the Hobbit and LOTR do contain "magical" elements (wizards, spells, etc.), is there a difference between the literary usage of these things as being elements of story- telling venture aimed at a higher goal then say the works of the woman who wrote the Potter series? ...
Do you require something more concrete than your own testimony? You admit these works to be filled with magic etc. We share this understanding. Our primary difference is our response to it. You are choosing to be entertained by it and apologize for it. I stand in opposition to it.
Some Bible reminders about what God thinks of witchcraft...
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." - Exodus 22:18
"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,..." - 1 Samuel 15:23
"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch," - Deut 18:10
P.S. Harry Potter would not have been possible without the preceding works of Tolkien, Lewis, Baum, Disney and such like which seduced believers and unbelievers into accepting witchcraft.
Jim Lincoln wrote: Throw out --any-- books that mention unicorns in them. Hmm, I've be advising to do that for one in particular for quite some time now!
Even Jim and Mike do not know the true idenity of the said 'unicorn' as it may indeed be an animal that became extinct; but we all know such was a reality as stated in the KJV.
Now Jim might want to, erm,...ahem...'throw out' books and tell us to avoid websites that have 'unicorns' in them, so he may as well start with 'Answers in Genesis'
KJV English speaking-Onlyist wrote: Nitwit the unicorns in the KJV is not the unicorns we think of of it is a ridro not a horse with a horn. Stop being so "cute" (yukkk)
Throw out --any-- books that mention unicorns in them. Hmm, I've be advising to do that for one in particular for quite some time now!
This is a url that so far I haven't been able to bring up while I'm on this particular computer, The Irish Rovers - The Unicorn Song, which is an amusing bit of fantasy to explain what happened to unicorns.
Michael Hranek wrote: Rufus Now on the other hand if it was only talking vegetables with comedy and silly songs. Ah! Wait! Oops! Maybe something amiss there too.
Even self described 'Bible only' types will push something when it fits their agenda example- Left Behind Series
Rufus wrote: I judge the works of Tolkien to be of Hell and fall into the category of evil communications. Believers have no business being amused or enchanted by such trash. If my comments cause folks to feel condemned or, dare I say, convicted... praise the Lord.
No offense taken, Rufus. And conviction requires more than a man's "I judge..." Amen?
KJV English Speaking Onlyist wrote: Agreed, any "Christen" movie(I use to had a game of, got rid of it long time ago) that had Elvis as a angel is a lie and dumb. Besides how do you know kids use Veggie Tales as a excuse not to eat their favorite Veggie .
KJV English It is a blessing to see you growing in your faith.
The tragic reality is when 'church people' give themselves over to entertainment like Veggie Tales, and Mythology like C.S. Lewis and even pretending The Hobbit's author J.R.R. Tolkien was a Christian is that we rob and cheat ourselves of the true immeasurable riches of Christ, to experientially know God, as He really is as Almighty God in our lives.
Thankfully there is encouragement for us in our faith in things like:
Michael Hranek wrote: Veggie Tales has violated the Truth God Himself has given us in Scripture. Paul Vischer's retelling of Jonah into a Veggie Tales Movie is a prime example making the almost unimagineable account of how Holy God spared Ninevah, the capitol of one of the most cruel nations to have ever existed on earth, one that slaughter untold men, women and children in a calculated policy of terror to dominate and enslave the nations around them, when Ninevah genuinely repented into a comedy of googy pirates, silly songs and slapping fish, IMHO, a stumbling block to children, cheating them of the impact the Truth of the Book of Jonah could have in their lives.
Agreed, any "Christen" movie(I use to had a game of, got rid of it long time ago) that had Elvis as a angel is a lie and dumb. Besides how do you know kids use Veggie Tales as a excuse not to eat their favorite Veggie .
Michael Hranek, I do think your point, although well put, may be something of a category error, as the types of fantasy are not necessarily the same. Although I could be wrong…
Rufus, Truth is immeasurably important to a child of God.
Veggie Tales has violated the Truth God Himself has given us in Scripture.
Paul Vischer's retelling of Jonah into a Veggie Tales Movie is a prime example making the almost unimagineable account of how Holy God spared Ninevah, the capitol of one of the most cruel nations to have ever existed on earth, one that slaughter untold men, women and children in a calculated policy of terror to dominate and enslave the nations around them, when Ninevah genuinely repented
into a comedy of googy pirates, silly songs and slapping fish, IMHO, a stumbling block to children, cheating them of the impact the Truth of the Book of Jonah could have in their lives.
Again, IMHO we don't need fanciful retellings of the Bible into comedy, epic mythology or any other notion that might entertain men.
We need the Bible, so taught and so preached and so felt, in the power of the Holy Spirit that the straight forward Eteranal Truth sets men and women on fire for God to obey God and live by His Word.
Rufus, Your zeal for upholding truth and right is commendable and we should all want to be more non-compromising with the world around us. However, without providing concrete evidence of your assertions, I am left not feeling condemned or convicted, but offended and judged by someone who perhaps has jumped the gun too far. Are we therefore then to condemn ALL fictional works as being rubbish? Yes, while the stories of the Hobbit and LOTR do contain "magical" elements (wizards, spells, etc.), is there a difference between the literary usage of these things as being elements of story- telling venture aimed at a higher goal then say the works of the woman who wrote the Potter series? I do think there is a qualitative difference. Are we to condemn the watching of ANY fictional movie or fictional story? How far do we take this? Michael Hranek, I do think your point, although well put, may be something of a category error, as the types of fantasy are not necessarily the same. Although I could be wrong…
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john yurich usa from usa: "
lisa
so it's the authorised version plus the..."
