Heaven and What Lewis Said

Heaven and What Lewis Said

The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis is a theological dream vision about a bus ride from Hell (the Grey Town) to the outskirts of Heaven (the Valley of the Shadow of Life).In Lewis's vision, Hell is not a pit of fire, but a vast, dreary, drizzling city where it is always twilight. It expands infinitely because residents cannot stand each other and keep moving further apart. Heaven, by contrast, is a solid, radiant country where the grass and rain are so intensely real they are hard and sharp to the touch of the insubstantial "Ghosts" visiting from the town.The core conflict of the book rests on the choice to stay. The Ghosts are met by "Bright Spirits"—redeemed souls they knew on Earth—who urge them to repent and journey into the mountains toward the sunrise. To stay in Heaven, the Ghosts must give up the specific sins, grumbles, or false beliefs they cling to.Lewis argues that Hell is entirely voluntary and that its gates are locked from the inside. The damnable choice is always putting one's own desires, pride, or self-pity above reality and God. As Lewis famously writes:"There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says in the end, 'Thy will be done.'"How It Helps Us Think About ScriptureAlthough the book is a work of fiction and Lewis explicitly states it is not a literal map of the afterlife, it serves as a powerful framework for biblical reflection.It mirrors biblical warnings about the isolating, diminishing nature of sin, visualizing what happens when God gives people over to their own stubborn desires. The immense density and hardness of Heaven's landscape reminds us that spiritual reality is not ghost-like or foggy; it is far more substantial, heavy, and real than our current physical world.Finally, Lewis's imagery of transformation—most famously illustrated by a ghost allowing an angel to kill a lustful lizard on his shoulder, which then transforms into a magnificent stallion—shows that what we sacrifice to God is not destroyed, but redeemed and perfected.Biblical Foundations for ReflectionTo deepen your study, here are three scripture passages that directly parallel the core themes of The Great Divorce:Heaven and the Weight of Glory2 Corinthians 4:17"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all."Radical Pruning for RedemptionMatthew 5:29-30"If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."Public Domain Status & AvailabilityBecause copyright laws vary significantly by country, the book's public domain status depends entirely on where you live. C. S. Lewis died in 1963, meaning the text is in the public domain in Canada (under their previous Life + 50 years term), but remains under copyright in the United States (until 2041) and the UK/European Union (until 2034).If you reside in Canada or a country with matching copyright terms, you can legally access the digital text via Faded Page / Distributed Proofreaders Canada. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jonamccallum.substack.com/subscribe [https://jonamccallum.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Spiritual Battle

Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV) “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Ephesians 1:20-22 (NIV) “[God] exerted [his power] in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.” 1 Peter 3:21-22 (NIV) “It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” Hebrews 2:14-15 (NIV) “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” 1 John 3:8 (NIV) “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Ephesians 6:11-12 (NIV) “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jonamccallum.substack.com/subscribe [https://jonamccallum.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Catholic and Protestant

A short video about Faith, Christianity and Genesis This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jonamccallum.substack.com/subscribe [https://jonamccallum.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Heaven and Earth Re-newed

“Son,’he said,’ ye cannot in your present state understand eternity...That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, “No future bliss can make up for it,” not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory. And of some sinful pleasure they say “Let me have but this and I’ll take the consequences”: little dreaming how damnation will spread back and back into their past and contaminate the pleasure of the sin. Both processes begin even before death. The good man’s past begins to change so that his forgiven sins and remembered sorrows take on the quality of Heaven: the bad man’s past already conforms to his badness and is filled only with dreariness. And that is why...the Blessed will say “We have never lived anywhere except in Heaven, : and the Lost, “We were always in Hell.” And both will speak truly.” ―C.S. Lewis,The Great Divorce [https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1215780] A few of the verses we discussed, organized by category… The New Heavens and New Earth * Isaiah 65:17 – “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” * Isaiah 66:22 – “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.” * 2 Peter 3:13 – “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” * Revelation 21:1 – “Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” * Revelation 21:3-5 – “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” The Reality of Heaven * John 14:2-3 – “In my Father’s house are many rooms... I am going there to prepare a place for you.” * Hebrews 11:10 – “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” * Matthew 6:10 – “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” * Psalm 16:11 – “You fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” * Revelation 22:3 – “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.” Citizenship in Heaven * Philippians 3:20 – “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” * 1 Peter 2:11 – “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” * 2 Corinthians 5:20 – “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” * Colossians 3:1-2 – “Set your hearts on things above... Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” * Ephesians 2:19 – “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.” * Luke 10:20 – “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” * 1 Peter 1:4 – “...and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.” The Glorified Body * 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” * 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 – “We will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye... For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” * Philippians 3:21 – “[He] will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” * 1 John 3:2 – “But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” * 2 Corinthians 5:1 – “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jonamccallum.substack.com/subscribe [https://jonamccallum.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Joy When He Returns

The promise of a New Heaven and a New Earth from Isaiah 65:17 and many others mentioned in the video cause not a perspective of worry, nor fear when pondering the return of Jesus. Instead, we look forward to His coming with joy.Titus 2:13: "While we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."1 John 4:17: "This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment."Matthew 25:21: "Well done, good and faithful servant!"The vision of a New Earth is our motivation to live faithfully now, knowing our King is coming to make all things new. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jonamccallum.substack.com/subscribe [https://jonamccallum.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]