Harry Potter and the Rapture of the Saints

It is with trepidation that I offer the following opinion. I usually stay away from opinion and just quote Scripture in  the things that I post on the web, but it seems to me that there is some confusion as to what is going on with the Harry Potter books, so I will risk putting down my opinions.  My original opinion was that the Harry Potter books were similar to any number of other books that incorporate magic and/or fantasy in them. The problems come in when one goes beyond treating them as stories, and one tries to put  the wizarding into real life. Examples of this can be seen in all the auxiliary Harry Potter paraphernalia that gets sold, such as wands, Hogwarts courses, etc. I really like science fiction and fantasy, and have seen how adults behave at science fiction conventions and what lengths they will go to emulate their fictional heros.  Kids have an even harder time separating fact from fantasy.  The consequences of drifting out of reading an escapist book to getting into witchcraft cannot be overstated.  If  you get involved in something that leads you away from God you are in real trouble.  Hell is a real place and you should do everything that you can to not go there.  I think that if  you read some testimonies of people who have died you would immediately see what I am talking about.  ( See these testimonies   Some of the people were dead for something like an hour)


I saw this problem  in action at a fast food restaurant recently. A lady who was  there with a bunch of young kids noticed that I was reading the latest Harry Potter book and asked me how I liked it. I told her that more and more the series was more for adults and not kids, as I describe above, and she responded by saying that her young children had eagerly awaited the latest book and were reading right through it. I told her that the series has become less and less a children’s series and now has more older teenager and adult themes. I mentioned that her kids might like the “Left Behind” series, which is really good, and, in fact, they have a “Left Behind for Kids” series that children could read. Her comeback was that the “Left Behind” stories were really weird and she preferred something “normal” like the Harry Potter stories.


The discussion with this lady points out the problems with the Harry Potter books, namely, the stories are written well, leading some Christian leaders to praise them. (See http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/Harry&Witchcraft.htm) However, when children read them, they home in on the witchcraft portions, leading to emphasis of the wrong things. The Bible thoroughly condemns witchcraft, even stating in the Old Testament that the Israelites were not to let a witch live. So, if one treats these stories as more than just stories, you are in real trouble. Even from a New Testament viewpoint we can see that to use magic you are appealing to Satan to do something for you. Going to hell for eternity just to be able to do a few tricks is a really stupid idea. To see what the Bible says about hell see my page at http://www.fred.net/slowup/promises.html To see the descriptions that other Christians have posted about hell see http://almightywind.com/hell/hellindex.htm  or the reference I mention above http://www.testimonies.com.au/topics/hell_experiences_1.htm


I’m not sure you can describe the Left Behind series as weird when you realize that the Bible says that the rapture is going to happen and  while the Harry Potter books are totally made up. The Harry Potter books also demonstrate how “modern” man has taken the parts of Christianity that they want and have left the rest out. For example, a prominent part of each of the Harry Potter books is the Christmas break. They have a Christmas tree and exchange presents and so forth. Does the fact that Harry is celebrating Christmas mean that he is a Christian? NO!! Does going to church make you a Christian? NO!!, Does joining some denomination make you a Christian? NO!! (By the way, have you ever stopped for a minute and consider why we have Christmas in the first place?) To become a Christian and go to Heaven you have to admit to Jesus that you are a sinner, turn away from your sins (repent), and ask Jesus to forgive you and come into your heart. The Bible says


Matt 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me,'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' NKJV


Rom 10:8-13

8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." NKJV


If you would stop and think a minute, after the Rapture occurs and after Christians are given their resurrection bodies, they will have many of the abilities people are trying to get through the witchcraft shortcut. They won’t hunger or thirst, or experience pain. They can move from place to place instantaneously like Jesus, and like Jesus, walk through walls.  The Bible tells us:


Rev  20:4-6   Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. NKJV


. All in all it sounds a lot better to me than getting involved in witchcraft or getting involved with Satan in the form of the Antichrist and ending up in hell. If you want a further explanation of how to get to heaven see my page at : http://www.fred.net/slowup/peace.html


This page was last changed 15 September 2003