The Stand is a novel with deep roots in the Bible. Specifically, Christianity. You don’t have to be a scholar to spot the Biblical themes; though today it is harder as the culture itself is less versed in Scripture itself.
It’s not that a few Bible Thumpers went and claimed The Stand as their own, choosing to read it as a novel of faith. That happens quite often (try all those books telling us Star Wars is about Christianity.) In his 1989 introduction to the uncut version of The Stand, Stephen King made it clear the references are to. . . Christianity. “Finally, I write for only two reasons: to please myself and to please others. In returning to this long tale of dark Christianity, I hope I have done both.” In other words, if you’re reading this and keep thinking you spot themes of faith and Biblical symbolism – you aren’t wrong.
The phrase, “I will fear no evil” is used at least eleven times in the novel. This was picked up on in the CBS miniseries, but was rendered powerless.
The battle in the miniseries isn’t between any real good and evil personified; it’s a battle of viewpoints. Flagg is a monster, but he’s not really the embodiment of the wicked. The people from the Free Zone aren’t people of fait taking their stand for righteousness; they are people scared their way of life is in danger. (How American.) In other words, they aren’t there to stand against evil, they are their to try and protect the Free Zone.
I was swept away when I first read the novel because it was so gutsy. The Almighty himself reaches down and does business on planet earth. When the spies take their stand, it is like Samson pressing against the Philistines and power reaches down from on high to do what no human could do. This was exciting because it was so unexpected (at least for me when I read this as a teenager.) I remember the Stand at camp in the middle of the night and actually sitting up and going, “No way!” It was amazing to young me that an author would be so bold.
Of course, it was question from the moment the spies set out from the Free Zone – how will the very powerful Flagg be taken down? Would the Free Zone build an army? Would Stephen King, the master of horror, allow Flagg to destroy the Free Zone and rule the world? I mean, it was Stephen King (and it was the first Stephen King novel I read) so the suspense was real. When the hand of God reached down, it didn’t just surprise me, it seemed right. Not righteous (it was that) but right for the novel itself. As if it had all been building that direction, but I hadn’t seen it until the moment it happened. Then the entire novel (or at least the last third) came together.
Of course, I had questions. Why did they have to take their “Stand” if they were just going to die in a nuke blast? (Think Samson again.)
The hand of God doesn’t just suddenly appear at the end of the book, but plays a major theme throughout. The ending was hinted at when Mother Abagail knelt down to pray (Chapter 52), Bible pressed for forehead and began to meditate on the conversion of Saul. “Acts was the last book in the Bible where doctrine was backed up by miracles, and what were miracles but the divine hand of God at work upon the earth?” A question is being put forth in this scene; does God still do miracles in our world? Does God’s hand still reach down and do business, or does he just leave it to us to sort things out? Does God deal with evil, or does he expect us to build bigger nukes to counter enemy nukes? Is God indebted to the arms race to keep peace on earth? I think not.
But, of course, in a cancel culture, what CBS cancelled in this retelling was. . . God. Mother Abagail is a nice lady with her own moral compass; but there’s no real sense she’s actually being led by God. She’s not a prophet, she’s a grandma. You respect your grandma’s religion, but don’t necessarily have to think it’s true outside of her.
It’s not only important to the novel that God’s hand destroyed the wicked in the novel, but that the Free Zone KNOW it was God’s hand. Consider this vision Tom has of Nick: “You have to get back to Boulder and tell them that you saw the hand of God in the desert. If it’s God’s will, Stu will go with you … in time.” It’s not enough for team Flagg to be taken down by the hand of God; the Free-zone needs to KNOW that the Almighty has acted in their world. Mother had wondered earlier if God still does miracles; now her people need to know that God not only does miracles in their world, but it was his hand who delivered them. At the core of The Stand the story of a dark miracle. It doesn’t serve just to cap off the novel; the book runs another 100 plus pages in order for the survivors (Tom and Stu) to tell of what they have seen. Again, this is a theme from the Bible. Exodus doesn’t end at the Red Sea, even though the parting of the sea is the major miracle of the book. Big miracles have after-shocks that have to be told. (In Exodus, they not only celebrate, but move on to Mount Sinai where the Almighty descends in fire.)
Without going into the nuance of themes from The Stand, the big picture was a retelling of the book of Revelation. A Beast (Flagg in this case) comes rises up on the earth to bring destruction. Now it’s important in Revelation that the Beast rises again and again, forcing the people of God to take their Stand, until the end of time. Remember at the end of the novel (the uncut version) King added a scene in which evil rises yet again.
The Revelation of John is the struggle of two cities: Jerusalem v. Babylon. Jerusalem and her people are pictured as a “Bride” while Babylon and her people are depicted as a whore drunk on the blood of the saints. (Free Zone v. New Las Vegas.)
In John’s vision, the armies of the earth (the wicked) surround the Holy City. The righteous are hopelessly out numbered. They’ve taken their stand against evil, but at the climax of the Apocalypse it looks like good will be destroyed after all. In Revelation 20, the nations (the “earth dwellers”) come from every corner of the earth to fight against the city of God. So the picture painted looks gloomy; With insurmountable odds against the righteous, the scene is painted as a hopeless situation. But then. . . “fire came down from heaven and devoured them.” (Revelation 20:9)
What rescued them? Fire from heaven. Why does that matter in a Stephen King story? Because he was using the same plotline! Only, instead of Flagg and his forces coming to Boulder, the Free Zone comes to him to take their stand. What caused them to do this? A vision from Mother. That is, a force outside themselves was directing the entire story. That’s important to The Stand. It’s important not that the characters have personal faith; but that their faith is in something that is real and able to act in our universe. You don’t have to believe that; I’m just saying that’s the engine that runs this novel.
How does Flagg die in our new version of The Stand? Well, God either has really bad aim, or he’s just killed by a random electrical storm. Yep, that’s it. Lots of lightning. Seriously, Emperor Palpatine could have made this more interesting. There’s no sense in this that this is the climax of a battle between Good and Evil; it’s just. . . more CBS mush.
This is a lot of whining about one scen; but it’s like complaining that someone took the engine out of your car. . . kinda a big deal. But hey, it’s shiny and has nice special effects; never mind that somehow the transmission is shot and this thing ain’t going anywhere.
Nice, blog, I really enjoyed this movie.
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