Final Judgement of Narnia (Part 2)

In our last post we quoted the mishna in Rosh HaShana as a parallel to Aslan's judgment of the creatures of the Narnian world by the stable door:

On Rosh HaShana (the Jewish New Year with a date of the first of the month of Tishrei), all creatures pass before Him like sheep [benei maron], as it is stated: “He Who fashions their hearts alike; Who considers all their deeds. (Psalms 33:15)”

As in Lewis' depiction, each creature passes individually and alone before God as He sits in judgment. 

Our open question was the prooftext from Psalms. What does it mean that, "God fashions their hearts alike"? Does that not contradict the individuality of the final judgment?

Perhaps one can answer that the prooftext is necessary to demonstrate that the judgment is fair in the first place. All humans are created on equal footing. No one is born good or bad and therefore all can be judged on the same scale. Those who hate God and violate his commands will be punished, while those who love Him and keep his laws will be rewarded. No one can excuse themselves because their heart leans towards evil - for God has fashioned their hearts alike. Together they are born, but because humans have the free will to act in ways that are good or evil, their paths will diverge as they live their lives. 

And so too in Narnia. The Talking Beasts are awakened as one and all can choose whether to adhere to Aslan's will or return to the ways of the Dumb Beasts. Thus, judgment is passed, individually, on them all. 

Following in this theme would then read the second part of the prooftext as follows: from that level starting point for all humans God considers their deeds and that is what determines (and makes fair) their final judgment. 

However, there is a Narnian (and realistic) challenge to this reading. Are deeds the only metric God uses to make His judgment? 

In the final chapter of Narnia, we find that one of those judged favorably by Aslan was one of those Dwarfs who had helped to shoot the Talking Horses. We remember what eventually happened to those dwarfs, they decided that the "dwarfs were for the dwarfs" and attacked the Calormen as well. Some (though perhaps not this one) were eventually thrown into the stable and were last seen there thinking it was a stable despite the kindness that Aslan himself attempted to bestow upon them. They had not realized that the door they were thrown through was the one to the Land of Eternal Life.

How was such a character found worthy? Aslan himself seemed to regard their cause as lost... 

Final Judgment of Narnia

They all looked straight in his face, I don't think they had any choice about that. 

We've spent a lot of time recently talking about Narnian Creation and major themes, the laws Aslan sets forth to the Talking Beasts, and the parallels to biblical creation. With the coming of the High Holidays perhaps it's flip to the end of Narnia see what can be gleaned and learned from Lewis' description of the Final Judgment. 

We'll remember, of course, that the last King of Narnia, Tirian, is defeated by the Calormenes with the help of the Shift the Ape and his followers. Despite fighting valiantly, Tirian, Eustace, and Jill are all eventually thrown into the Stable which the Calormenes called the shrine of Tash, but which Jewel the Unicorn had correctly predicted, it was for them the door to Aslan's country. 

The end of Narnia is quickly followed by the Final Judgment. Time is awakened and blows his great horn to call home the stars, terrible creatures are unleashed to destroy the world, and every living creature runs towards Alsan at the door of the Stable and are judged. 

How does this judgment take place? One-by-one they look up at Aslan. Those who express fear and hatred stay outside the door and are presumably devoured by the creatures now roaming the world, while those who express love for Aslan come through the door into Aslan's country.

The mishna in Rosh HaShana  asserts that the world is judged four times a year: 

On Rosh HaShana (the first of Tishrei), all creatures pass before Him like sheep [benei maron], as it is stated: “He Who fashions their hearts alike, Who considers all their deeds. (Psalms 33:15)”

The mishna (as translated) seems to be inline with Narnian's world End of Time judgment. All creatures pass before God. Indeed, the Talmud (see also Rashi) explains that we speak of a situation, for example when climbing a steep mountain, when the sheep must walk single file. In this way God judges each individually. 

However, if it that were it, what is the point of the prooftext brought by the mishna? The creatures are not alike, they are different and judged individually. Far from being a proof, the verse quoted by the mishna appears to contradict the very point the mishna is trying to prove!