As I woke one morning, the following Scripture verse came to me, I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. Luke 10:18 And I thought, Harry Potter has a lightening bolt scar on his forehead.
Can Harry Potter possibly be a parody of the Christian Bible?
A parody, according to Collins Pocket Reference English Dictionary, is an exaggerated and amusing imitation of someone else's style.
I have noticed the following parallels between the Harry Potter books, the Bible, Jewish History & Heritage, and Christian Tradition. I offer it to you as food for thought. For clarity's sake, I have addressed each book in turn.
As I complete my commentary on this series, one thing is clear to me:
The Harry Potter series is definitely not about the battle between good and evil. This series is about something altogether different.At the heart of this series of books is the notion that:
good is being named evil
and
evil is being named good.This then is a grave matter for human beings. For to name a work of God evil is to commit a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit of God, through whom all works of God flow.
To name a work of the Holy Spirit as originating from the evil one is a blasphemy, the one sin for which - according to the Scriptures - there can be no forgiveness.
Concerning blasphemy of the Holy Spirit:
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit occurs when we identify a work of the Holy Spirit as a work of the demonic realm. Jesus was very clear, and did not mince words, when it came to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:
"I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." Jesus said this because they were saying, "He (Jesus, who is filled with the Holy Spirit) has an evil spirit."
Mark 3:28-30 (clearly calling the Holy Spirit in Jesus an evil spirit)Note the words never be forgiven and eternal sin.
"If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that."
1John 5:16"There is a sin that leads to death." 1John 5:16b Somber warning for any who would identify a work of God, accomplished through the Holy Spirit, as originating from a pagan, occulted, or demonic image or personae.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Note on Who's Who in the series
Pope's top exorcist says Harry Potter is "king of darkness"
CBC Arts & Entertainment - Sunday, September 3, 2006
| HARRY POTTER BOOKS | The Bible; Jewish History & Heritage; Christian Tradition |
| Harry Potter, son of Lily and James Potter | The Potter, God, our Heavenly Father "Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; We are all the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8 |
| The Philosopher's Stone | Jesus, teacher, rabbi, Cornerstone. "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." Ephesians 2:19-20 |
| Whoever possesses the Stone can turn things to gold, and whoever drinks the elixir of life has immortality. | "Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'" John 4:13-14 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." |
| Original title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | A sorcerer is a magician, a performer of tricks. Jesus performed many miracles. "This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee." John 2:11a "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." John 21:25 |
| The images on the school emblem, Slytherin, a snake; Gryffindor, a lion; Hufflepuff, a badger; Ravenclaw, an eagle. | "Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle." Ezekiel 1:10 "The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle." Revelation 4:7 Irenaeus attempted to relate each of the creatures to one of the Gospels: Matthew, man; John, lion; Luke, ox; Mark, eagle. Further suggested classification of the Gospels are: Matthew, Jew, lion Mark, Gentile, eagle Luke, Samaritan, bull John, Jesus, man |
| Latin motto on school emblem: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus, loosely translated, Do not disturb the sleeping dragon | "He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121:3-4 |
| The Sorting Hat, conical in shape, tells students what house they belong to at Hogwarts. | Jewish History: the conical "Jew's Hat" was compulsory for Jews in Germany from the time of the Lateran Council in 1215. The Church required this so that Christians wouldn't accidentally interact with Jews. Fourth Lateran Council, Canons 78,79, on distinctive clothing. |
| Everyone avoids saying Voldemort's name. He is referred to as He Who Must Not Be Named, and You-Know-Who | Jewish Tradition: G-d The name, which best describes God, and the name which the ancient Jews considered as the most Holy name of God, was the name we translate as JEHOVAH or YAHWEH. It was a name considered to be so Holy that no Jew was ever permitted to speak it audibly. In ancient Bible times, it was not even permitted to write the name of G-d in ink unless you were one of the scribes. The basic concept is that Jews do not write the name of G-d in full on disposable media such as pieces of paper or more recently, on-line. This is to avoid the possibility of disrespect being given to G-d by throwing the paper in the garbage, etc... In fact, when Jewish prayer books etc., are no longer serviceable, they are first stored until there is a sufficient number of them, and then they are respectfully buried. |
| When Harry's life was threatened as a young child, he was brought to a safe place to live in obscurity with his Muggle family. | When Jesus' life was threatened as a young child, he was led to a safe place. "When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' he said, 'Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.'" |
| Muggles are presented with all their faults, and as power less | Human beings are presented in the fullness of their frail and weak humanity. "Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?' "Jacob said to his father, 'I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may give me your blessing.'" "Moses said to the Lord, 'O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.'" "But Moses said, 'O Lord, please send someone else to do it.'" "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" |
| At 12, Harry enters Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (where he later learns that his father had become quite powerful and well-known). | At 12, Jesus is found by his parents in the temple courts sitting among the teachers of the law. "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in by Father's house?" |
| The name of the station where Harry can travel to his new school at Hogwarts is King's Cross | Jesus, who is King, opened the way to salvation for us on the Cross. "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." "On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." |
| The entry point for the students' train at King's Cross is invisible, hidden between platforms 9 and 10. Ordinary Muggles are not aware of this entry point. | "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:14 |
| Harry is persecuted for being the son of a most famous witch and wizard. | Simon Peter has just answered that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." |
| Harry has the tongue gift of understanding and speaking to snakes, called parseltongue. To the listening ear, he hisses. | A gift of the Holy Spirit is Tongues. "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." "For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit." |
| Professor Dumbledore gives Harry the Invisibility Cloak that had belonged to his father. | Elijah disappears, leaving his cloak behind for Elisha. "As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah? he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over." |
| Quidditch is played with brooms. | The connection here is between "brooms" and a house "swept" clean. "When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order." Luke 11:25-26 |
| There are seven players. | "Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there." Luke 11:25-26 |
| The Quidditch players each have different goals and strategies, and so there are separate activities happening at the same time during the same game. The balls move on their own as well. | The dynamics of the game of Quidditch is much like the final state of the person in this verse, as he is come against by the 7 other spirits. "Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first." |
| The Golden Snitch: a ball in the game of Quidditch, it is very hard to catch because it is so fast and difficult to see. | The Holy Spirit: "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going." John 3:8a |
| The Golden Snitch: According to Collins English Dictionary, a snitch acts as an informer. | The Holy Spirit: "When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." John 16:13 |
| The Golden Snitch is a tiny gold ball with fluttering silver wings. | The Holy Spirit is symbolized by a small white bird with wings, a dove. "When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. As he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove." |
| HARRY POTTER BOOKS | The Bible; Jewish History & Heritage; Christian Tradition |
| The Daily Prophet is a wizarding newspaper. | Prophets act as spokesmen and the mouthpiece of God.
"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." |
| Transfiguration: At their first lesson, Harry and his friends learn to turn beetles into little black buttons. | The analogy here has to do with clothing, a little black button versus clothing whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
The Transfiguration: "After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them." |
| Mandrake seedlings: When repotting, instead of roots, a small, muddy and extremely ugly baby comes out of the earth. | Mandrakes: The people of the East still believe, as they believed in Rachel's time, that the eating of its plum-like fruit will render barren women fruitful. "During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, 'Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.'" "Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, 'God has taken away my disgrace.'" |
| Mandrake baby seedlings are repotted, unwillingly, into larger pots as they grow. "The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but didn't seem to want to go back into it either. They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists and gnashed their teeth." | Joseph, conceived after Rachel received the Mandrakes from Leah, was forcibly thrown down (the concept of being repotted unwillingly) first into a cistern by his brothers, then into a dungeon by Potiphar. "And they took him and threw him into the cistern." "For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put into a dungeon." |
| Mandrake babies are cut up and stewed. | Joseph's brothers made it look as if he had been torn to pieces and devoured by a ferocious animal. "Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornamented robe back to their father and said, 'We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe.' He recognized it and said, 'It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.'" |
| The Mandrake baby is pulled, muddy, out of the pot. | The play on words here is concerning man being taken from the ground (mud). "The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground..." |
| The students have to wear ear muffs, because when the baby mandrakes are pulled out of the earth, their cry can kill or at least knock you out. | Cain killed Abel and his blood cried out from the ground: "The Lord said, 'What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.' Genesis 4:10 |
| Wizards who have a human or a Muggle parent, are not pure, and are called Mudbloods. | "The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground..." Genesis 2:7a (mud) "The Lord said, 'What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.'" |
| Harry spoke in parselmouth, the language of snakes, to the snake that was attacking a student, saying, "Leave him!" The snake slumped to the floor, docile, its eyes on Harry. | "Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan!'" Matthew 4:10a |
| Ron warns Harry not to open the diary he found, because it could be dangerous, saying, "Everyone who reads Sonnets of a Sorcerer spoke in limericks for the rest of their lives." | The following are in "sonnet" form, and inspired by the Lord. Could "Sonnets of a Sorcerer" be a reference to these? The Psalter is a collection of hymns compiled during the post-exilic period for use in the temple; Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job are examples of wisdom literature; Song of Songs is a composite of several erotic love songs. Biblical personages often expressed themselves using this literary form, for example: The Song of Moses and Miriam, Exodus 15; Jesus-The Beatitudes, Matthew 5; The Song of Mary, Luke 1; Zechariah's Song, Luke 1; The Song of Simeon, Luke 2; Paul on Christ's Humility, Philippians 2. |
| With a sword, Harry kills the Basilisk, the giant serpent. | "In that day, the Lord will punish with his sword, his fierce, great, and powerful sword, Leviathan that gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent." Isaiah 27:1 |
| Tom Marvolo Riddle reveals that his name is a riddle. He unscrambles the letters in his name and reveals it to say: I am Lord Voldemort. | A rabbinical way of teaching (i.e. Rabbi's Riddles on-line) Jesus taught in parables. "He told them, 'The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside, everything is said in parables.'" |
| HARRY POTTER BOOKS | The Bible; Jewish History & Heritage; Christian Tradition |
| Azkaban, the name of the prison in the third book. | Azkaban (prison), name derived from Ashkenazim (Jewish people living in prison-like situation) The Ashkenazi Jews, the Ashenazim, were powerless before a set of laws making it illegal for them to wear skullcaps similar to those worn by Catholic bishops. They had to wear the hated Jew's Hat, compulsory for Jews in Germany and other lands of the Holy Roman Empire from 1215 until the late Middle Ages. Fourth Lateran Council. Author uses etymology (sources of words or meaning of words) as well as a distinct literary method used by biblical writers (forming a word similar in sound to another word to give lasting meaning to a person or place) |
| Harry and his friends have chosen to take classes in Divination. The students study the following: reading tea leaves; interpreting omens; preparing star charts; reading crystal balls; casting spells; Numerology; Professor Trelawney of Divination speaks to Harry, in a voice quite unlike her own, giving him a message concerning the Dark Lord; there is communication with the dead (Nearly Headless Nick and Moaning Myrtle are ghosts of murdered persons); words like aura, Inner Eye, clairvoyant vibrations, and Seeing are used. Hagrid drinks too much; characters are often described as cursing; Harry and his friends break school rules; the students attack each other and a teacher (violent Quidditch game, Hermione and Harry hit Malfoy, Hermione and Harry magically knock Professor Snape out, Hermione walks out of Professor Trelawney's class); over-indulgence in sweets, food, and drink; Harry gets extremely angry and wants to kill Sirius Black, who he believes killed his father. | Handled with humor in many cases, the books blatantly flaunt all that is expressly forbidden to believers in the Bible. "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." |
| The Secret-Keeper is the only person who, through a magical concealment process called a Fidelius Charm, has the information (the secret) in his soul of the whereabouts of Harry Potter's parents. | "I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the Word of God in its fullness, the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles, the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:25-27 "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True." |
| Professor Sybill Trelawney's words: Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die! | When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me." Matthiew 26:20-21 "As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night." "So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself." |
| EXPECTO PATRONUM, loose Latin translation, "Set free the protector", spell used by Harry to resist the Dementors. | "Jesus had said to him, 'Come out of this man, you evil spirit!' Then Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?' 'My name is Legion,' he replied, 'for we are many.'" Mark 5:8-9 |
| HARRY POTTER BOOKS | The Bible; Jewish History & Heritage; Christian Tradition |
| The Dark Mark appears in the sky, anouncing the return of Lord Voldemort. A group of wizards use their magic to terrorize a family of Muggles by making them float in the air. When the Dark Mark appears in the sky, there is a lot of shouting and crying out from the wizards on the ground. | "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." 1Thessalonians 4:16-17a "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." |
| Everyone in Gryffindor house wanted to celebrate Harry's being chosen as champion. A banner was draped around Harry like a cloak. Harry was unhappy because no one believed that he had not put his name into the Goblet. | "A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted..." Matthew 21:8-9a |
| Harry's name has been put into the Goblet of Fire and chosen. There can be no change of heart once you have become champion. | "Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.'" Matthew 26:39 |
| Dislike pours in from all sides against Harry, as well as from his friend Ron. There is a false article about him in the Daily Prophet. Harry feels quite alone. | "Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree." Mark 14:56 |
| Ron denies Harry his support and friendship several times, because he is jealous. He comes to his senses and realizes that someone is trying to kill Harry when he sees him battle with the Hungarian Horntail Dragon. | "Then Jesus answered, 'Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!'" John 13:38 |
| Voldemort's followers were forced to have a mark on their arms, similar to the Dark Mark that appeared in the sky. It was a means of distinguishing each other, and his means of summoning them to him. | "He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name." Revelation 13:16-17 |
| HARRY POTTER BOOKS | The Bible; Jewish History & Heritage; Christian Tradition |
| Harry performed the Patronus Charm defending himself and Dudley against Dementors. The Ministry of Magic forbids the performance of magic in front of Muggles.
Having already received an official warning for a previous offence, Harry has been expelled from Hogwarts and is now required to present himself for a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic. | Excerpt from Francis MacNutt's book,
Deliverance from Evil Spirits - a practical manual, pages 42-43, Rediscovering the Power of the Supernatural: Where is the evidence to convince us that there are no demons? On what basis should we interpret Jesus' exorcism ministry in a symbolic or poetic way? The reason is the acceptance by the Western world, beginning with the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, of a rationalistic, scientific worldview that assumed there is no reality beyond the natural, material universe. If something cannot be measured and observed in a laboratory, it does not exist. This materialistic worldview has so affected Western Christianity that we automatically regard the work of the supernatural with skepticism and rule out the world of angels and demons with no further need for discussion. Writes Charles Kraft, professor of anthropology and intercultural communication at Fuller Theological Seminary: It is interesting (and discouraging) to note that even though we are Christians, our basic assumptions are unusually more like those of the non-Christian Westerners around us than we would like to admit...Even though there is a wide discrepancy between the teaching of Scripture and the common Western assumptions, we often find ourselves more Western than scriptural. "Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, 'There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath." Luke 13:14
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| Harry travels with Mr. Weasley in the Muggle world to get to the Ministry of Magic for the hearing. They enter an old red telephone box. Mr. Weasley dials the number:
...six...two...four...four...two... | The numbers dialed by Mr. Weasley can be calculated thus:
six, (two + four) six, (four + two) six... "He (the beast) forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
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| Dumbledore presents the theory that someone in Ministry of Magic has ordered Dementors to attack Harry.
Harry sees Lucius Malfoy talking to Fudge at Ministry of Magic, discussing private matters. Harry distinctly hears the gentle clinking of what sounds like a full pocket of gold. | "Then one of the Twelve - the one called Judas Iscariot - went to the chief priests and asked, 'What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?' So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over." Matthew 26:14
"While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people." Matthew 26:47 "But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus." Matthew 12:14 "So from that day on they plotted to take his life." John 11:53 "...and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him." Matthew 26:4 "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over." Mark 14:10-11 "The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus." John 13:2 "Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was aproaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present." Luke 22:1-6 |
| The Wizengamot is the Wizard High Court. | The Sanhedrin - this council was the supreme tribunal of the Jews after the return from the Babylonian captivity through New Testament times. |
| The members of the Wizengamot hear testimony against Harry. There was much false witness against him. | The members of the Sanhedrin hear testimony against Jesus. There was much false testimony against him.
"Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled." Matthew 26:57
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| Hermione asks Harry to teach them Defence against the Dark Arts. The students meet secretly in a hidden room. | "He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness." Matthew 10:1
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it." Mark 16:20 "They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples." Mark 9:30-31a Matthew 11:1, Luke 11:1, Mark 10:32, Mark 9:28 |
| Hogwarts' most celebrated Headmasters and Headmistresses, now dead, are free to move between portraits, to tell what may be happening elsewhere, to raise alarm, to locate a missing person. Other portraits have people moving and talking in them who open doors for students when they hear a passward.
This is a recurrent theme in the books. | Parody of the icons of the saints, the images of the great cloud of witnesses, alive in heaven, who intercede for us.
"Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My merciful Heart." Diary, 1588) "You are the secretary of My mercy; I have chosen you for that office in this and the next life" (Diary, 1605)..."to make known to souls the great mercy that I have for them, and to exhort them to trust in the bottomless depth of My mercy" (Diary, 1567)
Sacred images...of the saints...make manifest the "cloud of witnesses" who continue to participate in the salvation of the world and to whom we are united, above all in sacramental celebrations. 1161
"In the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." Luke 20:37-38
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| Harry and Sirius talk to each other, their faces appearing in the flames of the fireplace. | Moses and the Burning Bush "The angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, 'Moses! Moses!' And Moses said, 'Here I am.' " Exodus 3:2, 4 |
| Sirius is killed, and falls through the ancient doorway, disappearing behind the veil. | "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body..."Hebrews 10:19-20
"And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Matthew 27:50-51a |
| Dementors and Death Eaters are followers of Lord Voltemort. Both are intent on killing for Lord Voltemort, on sucking the life out of wizards and muggles alike. | "The Lord will swallow up death forever." Isaiah 25:8a
"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' " 1Corinthians 15:54 |
| The Sorting Hat sings a song about the four houses of students at Hogwarts:
Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. He gives advice and warning about the division and the fighting between them. | There are four Gospels:
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. During the eighteenth century and a period of human experience and endeavor known as the Enlightenment, attitudes toward the interpretation of the Bible opened the way for Biblical Criticism:
The differing texts were examined, the relationship between the Gospel writings was examined, objective and subjective knowledge was examined. Theologians and scholars to this day write commentary on biblical texts and the tensions contained therein. And the Scriptures have endured.
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| HARRY POTTER BOOKS | The Bible; Jewish History & Heritage; Christian Tradition |
| Cornelius Fudge, a portly man, appears to the Muggle Prime Minister within the flames of his office fireplace. | Moses and the Burning Bush "The angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, 'Moses! Moses!' And Moses said, 'Here I am.' " Exodus 3:2, 4 |
| The job of the Ministry of Magic is to make sure that Muggles, the non-magical population, know nothing of the wizard world. | Reflected in writings of Protestant theologian, Rudolf Bultmann, whose article "The New Testament and Mythology", published in 1941, called for nothing less than a "demythologizing" of the New Testament.
Bultmann asserted that the general perspective of the New Testament is mythological. Notions of a three-tiered universe (heaven, earth, and hell) arranged in a vertical order, angels, demons, miracles, cosmic intervention by God, the virgin birth, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus - all these parts of the New Testament account of salvation were mythological. For Bultmann, anything that represented the divine being as objective fell into the category of myth. These myths were not intended to give a factual account of reality. The New Testament expresses in story form - in mythological form - the drama of human salvaton. The purpose of these mythis was not to give the church a scientific account of secular history but to confront human beings with the call and meaning of the gospel. Education for Ministry Program, Year Four, Theological Choices Chapter 18, Existentialism: Atheistic and Christian |
| Portraits of deceased persons, who move and speak within their portrait frames, is a common theme in the books. They open doors for students when given passwords; A man in a portrait in the Muggle Prime Minister's office announces visitors to him, just prior to their coming; Portraits of previous Hogwarts Headmasters, Headmistresss doze in their frames in Dumbledore's office; Phineas Nigellus Black, Sirius' great-great grandfather, is critical of Harry's questioning of Dumbledore. When he learns that Mundungus has been stealing the deceased Sirius' old possessions (Harry being the heir), he is incensed and stalks out of his portrait frame, to visit his portrait at Grimmauld Place. Upon his death, Dumbledore appears in a golden frame in his (previous) office, slumbering, his half-moon spectables perched upon his crooked nose, looking peaceful and untroubled - Professor McGonagall now being the new Headmistress of Hogwarts. | Parody of the saints: "Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My merciful Heart." Diary, 1588) "You are the secretary of My mercy; I have chosen you for that office in this and the next life" (Diary, 1605)..."to make known to souls the great mercy that I have for them, and to exhort them to trust in the bottomless depth of My mercy" (Diary, 1567)
Sacred images...of the saints...make manifest the "cloud of witnesses" who continue to participate in the salvation of the world and to whom we are united, above all in sacramental celebrations. 1161
"In the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." Luke 20:37-38
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| Bellatrix, one of Harry's enemies, asks Professor Snape why he had not killed Harry over the past five years, as he had ample opportunity. Snape responds, "If I had murdered Harry Potter, the Dark Lord could not have used his blood to regenerate, making him invincible." | "At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come."
John 7:30, 8:20 "It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father." John 13:1a "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20 "Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.' " John 6:53-57 "One of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water." John 19:34 "In him we have redemption through his blood." Ephesians 1:7a, Ephesians 2:13, Romans 3:24, Acts 20:28, Hebrews 13:20
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| Newspapers and rumours are spreading concerning Harry Potter, referring to him as the "Chosen One", believing that the prophecy names him as the only one who will be able to rid the wizard world of He Who Must Not Be Named, Voldemort. | The Bible speaks of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Chosen One of God.
God's Chosen Servant
"The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, 'He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." Luke 23:35 "For in Scripture it says:
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| Dumbledore tells the Dursleys, the Muggle family Harry lives with, that he evoked magic fifteen years earlier, so that Harry would have powerful protection while he can still call their house home. | "An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.' So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod." Matthew 2:13-15b
"After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead.'
"When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom,and the grace of God was upon him." Luke 2:39-40 The Boy Jesus at the Temple
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| Apparition: the ability of wizards to vanish and re-appear in another place. | "Both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." Acts 8:38b-40
"I don't know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you." 1Kings 18:12a
"Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound - May the glory of the Lord be praised in his dwelling place! - the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord upon me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, there they were living, I sat among them for seven days - overwhelmed." Ezekiel 3:12-14 "He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance to the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood." Ezekiel 8:3
"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven." 2Corinthians 12:2a |
| Harry tells Ron and Hermione that he believes that Draco Malfoy has been branded on his left arm with the Dark Mark of Voldemort, that he is now a Death Eater. | God: "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." Revelation 7:3 "They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads." Revelation 22:4 The beast: |
| Parseltongue - a language certain wizards can speak that no one can understand, sounds like a hissing snake. | Parody of the gift of the Holy Spirit called tongues.
"They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Acts 2:3-4 "The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God." Acts 10:45-46 "When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophsied." Acts 19:6 "To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,...to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues." 1Corinthians 12:8, 10b |
| Horcruxes: by the supreme act of evil - murder - Tom Riddle (Lord Vortemort) causes his soul to split. Through a spell, he encases the torn portion in an object - a diary, a goblet, a locket - thereby creating a Horcrux each time, the idea being that by having your soul in more pieces, the more powerful and immortal you can become. Tom Riddle was doing all he could to find out how to make himself immortal. | Parody of relics:
A relic is an objet that is venerated, notably part of the body or clothes, remaining as a memorial of a departed saint. Recalling the marvels witnessed at the tombs of the martyrs, where "the blind and cripples are restored to health, the dead recalled to life, and *devils?* expelled from the bodies of men", the Catechism points out that these are facts which "St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, most unexceptionalble witnesses, declared in their writings that they have not merely heard and read about, as many did, but have seen with their own eyes."
"God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them." Acts 19:11-12
"And wherever Jesus went - into villages, towns or countryside - they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed." Mark 6:56
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| Payment of blood upon on its rock face will open the door hidden within the wall of the cave, which blocks entry to the Horcrux hidden there by Voltemort. Dumbledore cuts himself and the rock face, splattered with his blood, opens up for them. | "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption." Hebrews 9:12
"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body..."Hebrews 10:19-20 "But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away." Mark 16:4 |
| Inferi: bodies of dead people, used by Voldemort; he makes them come "alive" to do his bidding.
Inferi are afraid of fire, and this is the weapon to use against them. Harry and Dumbledore are looking for the horcrux in a cave. They cross a lake to an island in the centre. Dead bodies are under the surface of the water beneath the boat as they travel across. The dead bodies in the lake come out and attack them; Dumbledore uses a ring of fire to repel them. | Inferi...loose translation 'in fire'??
"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
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| During the attack of Death Eaters on Hogwarts' School, Malfoy disarms Dumbledore and tells him, "They won't be long...I came on ahead. I've got a job to do." Dumbledore tells him, "Well, then, you must get on and do it, my dear boy." | "So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons." John 18:3
"After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, 'I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.' As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. 'What you are about to do, do it quickly,' Jesus told him." John 13:21, 27 |
| The Dark Mark hangs in the sky over the school: the blazing green skull with a serpent tongue, the mark Death Eaters left behind whenever they entered a building, wherever they had murdered.
A jet of green light shoots out from the end of Snape's wand and hits Dumbledore squarely in the chest. Dumbledore is blasted into the air: for a split second he seems to hang suspended beneath the shining skull, and then he falls slowly backwards over the battlements and out of sight. | "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." Matthew 24:30
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." 1Thessalonians 4:16-17a |
| HARRY POTTER BOOKS | The Bible; Jewish History & Heritage; Christian Tradition |
| Voldemort is always referred to as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or
You-Know-Who | Voldemort is a parody of God.
In Jewish Tradition, God's Name is Holy and cannot be pronounced or written. God is referred to in this way: G-d |
| Twelve glasses to toast Mad-Eye who has died,
the thirteenth held aloft to Mad-Eye. | Parody of the twelve apostles and Jesus,
Judas being the one who was lost. |
| Muggles are being rounded up; there is a Muggle-born register. They are being accused of stealing magic. Arrested, tortured, sent to prison.
Grindelwald was a wizard who wanted to conquer Muggles by force. He had a prison built to hold his opponents, Nurmengard. | Parody of the persecution of Christian and Jewish people, from the earliest centuries. |
| Harry is told by Hermione not to let Voldemort's thoughts (parody of God) come into his head. | God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit:
Jesus answered: "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:15-16 |
| Harry needs to destroy the seven Horcruxes that Voldemort has made;
each time he murders, a part of his soul is ripped, and he puts that fragment of his soul into a container. Horcruxes depend on the container; cannot exist without it. | Parody of relics. |
| The bit of soul in a Horcrux can touch "flit in and out" of someone. If you get too close emotionally, fond or dependant on it, you can get into trouble. Wearing the locket Horcrux around their necks, Ron, Hermione, and Harry get bad-tempered, moody. | Christians wear blessed crosses around their necks, have blessed crucifixes in their homes. Christians also make use of the following in their lives: Holy water, blessed icons and images, relics. These things bring great blessing and peace to their everyday lives. |
| Hagrid first brought Harry to Hogwarts; he wears his best, and horrible, hairy brown suit to Harry's birthday party. He is offered a bucket-sized glass of wine. | Parody of John the Baptist; As Hagrid prepared the way before Harry, John the Baptist prepared the way before Jesus: A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. Matthew 3:3b-4 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners". |
| The Deathly Hallows
Xenophilius Lovegood had the symbol hanging on a gold chain around his neck: A triangular eye, pupil crossed with vertical line. The Elder Wand, a straight vertical line.
| The Eye of Providence or the all-seeing eye is a symbol showing an eye surrounded by rays of light or a glory, and usually enclosed by a triangle it is sometimes interpreted as representing the eye of God keeping watch on humankind.
The enclosing triangle is usually seen as a more explicit trinitarian reference to the God of Christianity. |
| The Deathly Hallows; whoever possesses the three is master, conqueror, vanquisher of Death:
The Elder Wand, cut from the Elder tree, a wand more powerful than any in existance; the wand must always win duels for its owner. The Resurrection Stone, a stone that can raise the dead. The Cloak of Invisibility, renders the wearer completely invisible, and endures eternally, giving constant and impenetrable concealment. The Resurrection Stone, turned three times in the hand, restores the dead to the mortal world, although they do not truly belong there, and suffer. | The Eye of Providence as described above, representative of God, three in one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Trinity;
The Elder Wand: parody of the wood of the Cross of Christ.
The Resurrection Stone, Jesus, the Cornerstone, the Resurrected One, through whom we have eternal life.
The Cloak of Invisibility,
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.
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| Harry had to stop Kreatcher, the house elf he inherited from Sirius, from beating himself with a poker.
A house elf's highest law is his master's bidding; when he makes a mistake, he beats himself up. | Paul, acknowledged as author of a number of the epistles in the Christian Testament, about A.D. 55;
No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1Corinthians 9:27 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
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| Harry Potter referred to as The Chosen One. | Harry Potter, a young image of satan, is parodied after Jesus Christ, the Anointed, the Messiah, the Chosen One of God. |
| Harry is on the run, hiding, cannot return to Hogwarts. | At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
John 8:59 When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. John 12:36b |
| Harry sees Dumblemore's piercing blue eyes in a fragment of broken mirror; later, following Vodemort's attack to kill him, he sees and speaks with Dumblemore, who is dead. | Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1Corinthians 13:12 |
| On the night Lord Voldemort tried to kill him, when Lily cast her own life between them as a shield, the Killing Curse rebounded upon Lord Voldemort, and a fragment of Voldemort's soul latched itself on to Harry. | The angel answered Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."
Luke 1:35 |
| Part of Lord Voldemort lives in Harry. This is what gives him the power of speech with snakes, and a connection with Lord Vordemort's mind that he never understood. | Keeping in mind that Voldemort is a parody of God:
Jesus answered, "Don't you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." John 14:10-11 |
| Harry uses the Pensieve containing Snape's thoughts: He hears Dumbledore tell Snape that he (Harry) must die, because there is a part of Voldemort in him that must be destroyed if there is ever to be an end to Voldemort. | For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:23-26 |
| Snape refers to Harry as being raised as a pig for slaughter. | Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Lamb that was slain.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne. Revelation 5:6a |
| The Pensieve, a wheel, like bowl:
the silvery thread of one's thoughts before death can be saved and placed in the Pensieve for others to dive into, to see and learn from. | Remember him - before the silver cord is severed,
or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 |
| A Patronus is a silvery, magical, insubstantial animal form protector created by the advanced Patronus Charm spell, and one way to defend against Dementors.
The ability to produce a Patronus demonstrates an advanced level of magic not routinely taught to young Hogwarts students. Lupin taught Harry that the way to produce a patronus was to think a really happy thought whilst saying Especto patronus. Harry's patronus was a silver stag; Hermione's patronus was a silver otter; Snape used a patronus that belonged to Harry's mother, a doe.
| Patronus, a latin word meaning the former master of a slave. He had many rights over the freed slave, including the performance of services, and certain rights of inheritance.
The silvery Patronus is a Parody of the form of the Holy Spirit, the dove, at the time of the Baptism of Jesus, when his Father was pleased, and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. The dove is often depicted in images as a shining white dove. Filled with the Spirit, Jesus is able to resist the temptation of satan in the wilderness. A Patronus is used to defend oneself against Dementors. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.
Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, "The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.
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| Alone in Dumbledore's office, lying with his face pressed into the dusty carpet of the office where he had once thought he was learning the secrets of victory, Harry understood that he was not supposed to survive. His job was to walk calmly into Death's welcoming arms. He was to dispose of Voldemort's remaining links to life, and not raise a wand to defend himself against him. Harry was terrified, his heart pumped all the harder. Ron and Hermione seemed a long way away.
Harry pressed the golden metal of the snitch to his mouth and whispered, "I am about to die." The snitch opened, and the Resurrection Stone, another Horcrux, was cracked and lay in each half. Harry turned them over three times in his hand, and the dead, his mother Lily, his father James, Sirius, and Lupin appeared, not fully flesh, not ghosts. They told him he was brave, they were proud of him, and that he was very close. They assure him that they will stay with him to the end. And he set off. | Jesus withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." Luke 22:11-46 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!
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| Harry reveals himself to Voldemort;
he does not resist Voldemort; Voldemort casts the spell to kill him. | But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Mark 14:61a When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge - to the great amazement of the governor.
But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.
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| After Voldemort casts the killing spell on Harry, Harry finds himself laying face down and naked, and he sees a small flayed child wimpering under a chair. He speaks with Dumbledore, who is dead, and who tells Harry that Harry is not dead, and that he must return. He tells Harry there is nothing that can be done for the miserable child. Harry could touch Dumbledore. | Apostles Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. |
| Harry returns, and tries to convince Voldemort to repent of what he has done. Harry knows the flayed and wimpering child that he saw under under the chair when speaking with Dumbledore, is Voldemort after death. Voldemort is not remorseful. | So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
2Corinthians 5:9-10 So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. |
| In the final battle with Voldemort, Harry tries to reason with Voldemort, telling him that he, Harry, is the true master of the Elder Wand. Harry yells his best hope to the heavens. Voldemort is killed by his own rebounding curse. | The Elder Wand, being made from the wood of a tree, and supposedly having great power, is a parody of the wood of the Cross of Christ.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross.
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel - not with words of human wisdom, lest the Cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
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| Nineteen years later, Harry Potter is alive and well, with no more pain from his scar. He and Ginny have married and their children are now at Hogwarts. | Jesus said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat? They gave him a piece af broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. Luke 24:36-43 Apostles Creed:
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen |
*Note on who's who in the Harry Potter series - given for clarity's sake:Note on Who's Who Return to Index
Harry Potter: satan, presented as dreadfully wronged, who fell "like lightening from heaven", "The Chosen One", parodied after Jesus
Wizards: parody of satan's minions, demonic and evil spirits, better known in the Bible as "the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms", a reality as reflected in Ephesians 6:12. Presented in a good light, as the disciples of Harry Potter, they learn from him and in a later book, ask him to teach them, as did Jesus
Muggles: a parody of human beings, presented in general in quite a negative light
Mudbloods: also a parody of human beings presented in a negative and demeaning manner; fair warning to those who delve into the occult, satan-worshipers, and WICCA advocates: If these books are indeed a parody of the Bible, as revealed by God, then the evil realm does not seem to have a good attitude towards this particular group of human beings, who, contrary to what they may believe, should be fore-warned as well; perhaps the biggest lie of all?
Voldemort: He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, G-D, parody of God
Portraits: parody of the saints who have died, able to intercede, who sleep in the peace of Christ, the great cloud of witnesses that surround us
And there is more.
Can Hagrid, with his hair coat, drunken behaviour, and strange eating habits, be likened to the prophet of old? In particular, John the Baptist.
"John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist,
and he ate locusts and wild honey." Mark 1:6
Can the owls that act as messengers for the students at Hogwarts be likened to angels?
"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" Hebrews 1:14
Can Dobby the house-elf, with his slave-like existence, self-mutilating tendancies, and unattractive appearance, be likened in any way to Paul of the New Testament?
I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1Corinthians 9:27"A man small in size, with a bald head and crooked legs; in good health; with eyebrows that met and a rather prominent nose; full of grace, for sometimes he looked like a man and sometimes he looked like an angel." Acts of Paul, Journeys of Paul and Thecla, description of the physical appearance of Paul (Asia Minor, 185-195 AD, Apocryphal New Testament Writings)
And finally, can the Hand of Glory, a shriveled grey hand in a bottle, that can be used to get things, be reference to the hand of God often referred to in the Holy Bible?
"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request." 1 Chronicles 4:10
I ask for your prayerful consideration of these things.
Satan fell like lightning from heaven. Jesus is the Light of the world. Therein lies the crux of the matter. One is counterfeit. The other is Real.
Deception is the enemy's main playing card. If these things are indeed simply uncanny co-incidence, I beg your pardon. But if they are not, then the bizzarro world of Harry Potter is anything but harmless.
Which Bible are your kids reading?