An analysis of Silent Hill 3
Warning: Game contains intense violence, disturbing images, sexual violence, and strong language throughout. Please use discretion when watching.
For these case studies, we will be looking at one specific game at a time (specifically its story), and hopefully I can guide you in how these games can actually deliver truth. Granted, they are by no means 100% true. I only wish to venerate games which tell a tale that borrows heavily from the Gospel, whether intentionally or unintentionally, in order to show you that there is more to video games than meets the eye.
Oh, and MAJOR SPOILERS for the entire game!
Games are meant to be played so if you want the full experience, I suggest you play it first before reading this!!!
For these case studies, we will be looking at one specific game at a time (specifically its story), and hopefully I can guide you in how these games can actually deliver truth. Granted, they are by no means 100% true. I only wish to venerate games which tell a tale that borrows heavily from the Gospel, whether intentionally or unintentionally, in order to show you that there is more to video games than meets the eye.
Oh, and MAJOR SPOILERS for the entire game!
Games are meant to be played so if you want the full experience, I suggest you play it first before reading this!!!
*Dusts off cobwebs*
Hello, hello, my friends!
Two years ago, I felt isolated because Christians didn’t seem to like that I was a gamer and gamers didn’t seem to like that I was a Christian. This spurred me to write down my thoughts on how my faith and my hobby interacted with each other. Fast forward to today and I am amazed at the views this little side project of mine has gotten! I had no idea it would get viewed as much as it has (if only my short stories interested y’all this much, hahahahaha)!
As always, my intentions for these analyses are twofold. First, to refute the ideas that video games are childish and that they are not capable of conveying deep and powerful themes in its story and gameplay; and second, to show that my faith in God can be applied to all things, even video games.
And I’m going to begin by being honest: I had a very difficult time in finding a middle ground between my two audiences (Christians and gamers) when writing this. The type of game I wish to analyze is a unique horror game. In fact, it is the third entry in one of the greatest horror franchises ever conceived: Silent Hill 3! And the book of the Bible we will be comparing this game to is one of the most unique in all of scripture due to its imagery and its theology: The Book of Revelation.
The majority of Christians I know abstain from everything horror-related. Therefore, I will need to try and explain Silent Hill’s uniqueness to people who haven’t actually experienced it (and the Silent Hill games are better when experienced firsthand rather than hearing about it from someone). I will also need to try and explain the Book of Revelation and its uniqueness to those that don’t understand it and have probably never read it.
This is quite a daunting task, so I hope and pray that I explain everything well and in a concise manner. That way, you can get at least some value from this blog, whether you are a Christian, a gamer, both, or neither!
Here is the general overview of how the blogpost is structured:
Why I chose Silent Hill 3
-My Introduction to Silent Hill
-Silent Hill 3’s Reception
-Anti-Christ?
-Disclaimers
Synopsis of Silent Hill 3
Revelation and its parallels within Silent Hill 3
-Stones Crying Out
-Apocalypse
-Prophecy
-Letter
-Truth and Lies
-God and His Saints
-The Serpent
-The First Beast
-The Second Beast
-The Satanic Trinity
-The Harlot of Babylon
-A Neutral Party
What is Silent Hill 3 Trying to Say?
-Humanity’s Significance
Hello, hello, my friends!
Two years ago, I felt isolated because Christians didn’t seem to like that I was a gamer and gamers didn’t seem to like that I was a Christian. This spurred me to write down my thoughts on how my faith and my hobby interacted with each other. Fast forward to today and I am amazed at the views this little side project of mine has gotten! I had no idea it would get viewed as much as it has (if only my short stories interested y’all this much, hahahahaha)!
As always, my intentions for these analyses are twofold. First, to refute the ideas that video games are childish and that they are not capable of conveying deep and powerful themes in its story and gameplay; and second, to show that my faith in God can be applied to all things, even video games.
And I’m going to begin by being honest: I had a very difficult time in finding a middle ground between my two audiences (Christians and gamers) when writing this. The type of game I wish to analyze is a unique horror game. In fact, it is the third entry in one of the greatest horror franchises ever conceived: Silent Hill 3! And the book of the Bible we will be comparing this game to is one of the most unique in all of scripture due to its imagery and its theology: The Book of Revelation.
The majority of Christians I know abstain from everything horror-related. Therefore, I will need to try and explain Silent Hill’s uniqueness to people who haven’t actually experienced it (and the Silent Hill games are better when experienced firsthand rather than hearing about it from someone). I will also need to try and explain the Book of Revelation and its uniqueness to those that don’t understand it and have probably never read it.
This is quite a daunting task, so I hope and pray that I explain everything well and in a concise manner. That way, you can get at least some value from this blog, whether you are a Christian, a gamer, both, or neither!
Here is the general overview of how the blogpost is structured:
Why I chose Silent Hill 3
-My Introduction to Silent Hill
-Silent Hill 3’s Reception
-Anti-Christ?
-Disclaimers
Synopsis of Silent Hill 3
Revelation and its parallels within Silent Hill 3
-Stones Crying Out
-Apocalypse
-Prophecy
-Letter
-Truth and Lies
-God and His Saints
-The Serpent
-The First Beast
-The Second Beast
-The Satanic Trinity
-The Harlot of Babylon
-A Neutral Party
What is Silent Hill 3 Trying to Say?
-Humanity’s Significance
Why I chose Silent Hill 3
My Introduction to Silent Hill
Before we jump into the “nitty-gritty,” I wanted to discuss how I was introduced to the Silent Hill franchise and why I felt it had Christian themes worthy of analysis.
Similar to the Tomb Raider franchise (in DLC 1), I have only recently come to know and appreciate the Silent Hill games (I started with 2, moved to 3, and have since played 4).
About two years ago, my best friend brought over the Silent Hill HD collection for the XBOX 360 (contains remastered versions of Silent Hill 2 and 3) to my place one day and we started playing Silent Hill 2. As a gamer, I had heard of Silent Hill, but never delved into its madness. I was hooked!
We didn’t get very far since we started late at night, but he said we would continue, and that, if we wanted the true “Silent Hill” experience, then we should play the Original Xbox Version (which he also had). Excellent! I could not wait!
But I did wait. Life happened, and we were both too busy to continue it. That said, the Original XBOX console at my parent’s house still worked without a hitch, so in 2017, I asked my friend if I could perhaps just borrow his Silent Hill 2 and I would go through it...alone.
I remember him giving me a look like I was crazy. Retrospectively, I completely understand now!
I got my Original XBOX and played through the game during the month of October. By myself. In the dead of night. Just thinking about it makes me shiver! To say the game was scary would be an understatement!
But I loved my time with it! The story, the gameplay, the sound design, the music (arguably the best part; “Alone in the Town” was my alarm in the morning for the longest time). I was enamored with the experience! Now I understood why Silent Hill was so famous and critically acclaimed!
As much as I wanted to move onto a new Silent Hill game, I decided to take the month of November off to rest (these games are not casual experiences, after all). I then jumped into Silent Hill 3 in December. Somehow, the next game managed to be just as phenomenal (though a part of me still prefers the second, perhaps since I had no expectations).
Silent Hill 3’s Reception
Since I am still new to the series, I spent a bit of time seeing how others viewed the story of Silent Hill 3 and whether public reception had changed over time. Based on what I saw, the general consensus is that the gameplay and fear-factor have aged incredibly well and are arguably the best in the entire Silent Hill franchise. However, people seem fairly divisive on the story.
Out of the Team Silent games, there were some that claimed Silent Hill 3 had the weakest story and pacing. After all, the player does not even enter the town of Silent Hill until halfway through the game! And once you do enter the town, exposition is vomited on the player from all directions, which not only slows the game down but can overwhelm and confuse the player on their first playthrough (this happened to me).
Plus, every facet of this game is about the crazy cult and its eschatology. If faith and religion are not topics that the player wishes to delve into, then this game will drive you insane because religion is in your face from the beginning and it never slams on the brakes; if anything, it accelerates (so you have been warned...though I assume you all do not mind having a religious conversation, since you are on a Christian blog)!
Although I may prefer Silent Hill 2 as a game, Silent Hill 3 arguably had more of an impact on me in terms of story. I loved it! It’s not perfect, but there seemed to be value here nonetheless. I enjoyed contemplating its religious themes, even though it does not paint a pretty picture of religion.
In fact, I found an article written in 2011 from Gamefaqs that listed “The Top 10 Games Which Deal With Important Religious Issues.” #2 is Silent Hill 3, and the author ends it by saying, “This game is the single most anti-theistic game of all times.” Grammar aside, that’s quite a bold statement—one that took me by surprise even after playing it!
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/top10/2253-the-top-10-games-which-deal-with-important-religious-issues
Anti-Christ?
I’m used to seeing my faith portrayed negatively. Every now and then, I see some type of story, form of media, art form, etc. that makes us Christians look like monsters.
*Pushes glasses upward with one finger* “Do [we] look like monsters to you...?”
Yet Silent Hill 3 felt...different than the usual hate I see. Did it show religion in a negative light? Yes, unequivocally. Is it hostile towards religion or, in Gamefaqs’s vernacular, “anti-theistic”? It’s possible, but I don’t think so. And after beating the game about a year ago now, the game stayed on my mind, for there seemed more to this tale than what I saw on the surface.
Though the game dealt with a made-up cult with its own traditions, beliefs, and deities, I couldn’t help but feel that maybe looking at the game from a Christian perspective would shed some light on some hidden themes that perhaps haven’t been explored yet (maybe they have, but I’m new and haven’t been able to find it anywhere). Christianity is the only real religion mentioned—BY NAME—in the game and the game even uses Judeo-Christian names for certain things (such as Metatron, who we will discuss later). This tells me that the developers knew of the Christian faith and perhaps took some ideas and even some biblical motifs to use in the game. Little did I realize that most of these motifs were actually garnered within one specific book: The Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible.
I have found that Silent Hill 3 is a bold tale that has many parallels with the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible, so much so that much of the symbolism and themes are eerily identical. The game paints a similar picture to that of Revelation’s author, John, but does not attack Christianity; instead, it attacks religion that morphs its core, placing undue importance on the self, which consequently leads to “Anti-Christ” behavior and truly frightening actions.
Disclaimers
A few more things before we actually dive in. First, these Christian connections may very well all be in my head and completely unintentional by Team Silent. I certainly hope not! Reviewing the Christian themes has given me more appreciation for the game (and for my faith as well). Unfortunately, the game is incredibly symbolic and ambiguous, so it is difficult to see what allusions are intentional and which are merely coincidence. This doesn’t feel like coincidence, though, which is why I’m giving complete credit to Team Silent for what I regard as a beautiful, layered, well-thought-out story in Silent Hill 3.
Besides, Silent Hill 3 was made into a movie—a bad one, according to the general consensus (I haven’t seen it)—and the movie’s name is Silent Hill: Revelation (ahem). To me, that tidbit of information at least tells me I am on the right track.
Second, I also want to mention that this game ties directly into Silent Hill 1, a game I have not played yet. I was tempted to watch the game on YouTube and spoil it all so I could have a better analysis, but I decided against it. I’ve enjoyed all the Silent Hill games so far and I would love to get my hands on the original Silent Hill someday and experience it directly. So if I miss some connection to the first game, I sincerely apologize. Luckily, Silent Hill 3 stands on its own, and does a fairly good job of referencing Silent Hill 1 without spoiling too much.
Third, Silent Hill 3 is a complicated game with a lot of interwoven parts and symbolism that makes more sense if you know the full story. Therefore, in order to get everyone on the same page, I will give an in-depth summary of the game (though I still recommend you play it) before we dive into the rhetoric.
Similarly, Revelation is a very dense and complicated book. In truth, I have struggled with its meaning and its themes for years (and continue to struggle even after studying it and reading some commentaries). I am no expert on the book—not by a long shot! Nonetheless, the research I have done on Revelation and the sermons I have heard regarding the book have been nothing short of fascinating! It truly is a beautifully written book, with so much depth and detail laced with such deftness and creativity!
It is this depth and detail that has made an in-depth synopsis for Revelation nigh impossible for me. Much of the beauty of this book is in the context, the syntax, and the rhetoric, which is all lost in a summarization. I am not dexterous enough to preserve these details while providing you with all the information you would need. If I am to be faithful to this book—a holy book—then I don’t want to bastardize it.
I will instead quote, cite, and explain as much as possible in the actual analysis and beg you to read it for yourself. Non-Christians, if you do read it, you will probably be very confused at first, but hopefully this blog can be a starting point in understanding this creative book. It is worth it!
In summary (heh), Silent Hill 3 will have a detailed synopsis, but Revelation will not. Sound good?
So turn that water wheel, Valtiel, and let us dive into the horrifying, tragic, prophetic, and ironically prolific [Other]world of Silent Hill 3!
Before we jump into the “nitty-gritty,” I wanted to discuss how I was introduced to the Silent Hill franchise and why I felt it had Christian themes worthy of analysis.
Similar to the Tomb Raider franchise (in DLC 1), I have only recently come to know and appreciate the Silent Hill games (I started with 2, moved to 3, and have since played 4).
About two years ago, my best friend brought over the Silent Hill HD collection for the XBOX 360 (contains remastered versions of Silent Hill 2 and 3) to my place one day and we started playing Silent Hill 2. As a gamer, I had heard of Silent Hill, but never delved into its madness. I was hooked!
We didn’t get very far since we started late at night, but he said we would continue, and that, if we wanted the true “Silent Hill” experience, then we should play the Original Xbox Version (which he also had). Excellent! I could not wait!
But I did wait. Life happened, and we were both too busy to continue it. That said, the Original XBOX console at my parent’s house still worked without a hitch, so in 2017, I asked my friend if I could perhaps just borrow his Silent Hill 2 and I would go through it...alone.
I remember him giving me a look like I was crazy. Retrospectively, I completely understand now!
I got my Original XBOX and played through the game during the month of October. By myself. In the dead of night. Just thinking about it makes me shiver! To say the game was scary would be an understatement!
But I loved my time with it! The story, the gameplay, the sound design, the music (arguably the best part; “Alone in the Town” was my alarm in the morning for the longest time). I was enamored with the experience! Now I understood why Silent Hill was so famous and critically acclaimed!
As much as I wanted to move onto a new Silent Hill game, I decided to take the month of November off to rest (these games are not casual experiences, after all). I then jumped into Silent Hill 3 in December. Somehow, the next game managed to be just as phenomenal (though a part of me still prefers the second, perhaps since I had no expectations).
Silent Hill 3’s Reception
Since I am still new to the series, I spent a bit of time seeing how others viewed the story of Silent Hill 3 and whether public reception had changed over time. Based on what I saw, the general consensus is that the gameplay and fear-factor have aged incredibly well and are arguably the best in the entire Silent Hill franchise. However, people seem fairly divisive on the story.
Out of the Team Silent games, there were some that claimed Silent Hill 3 had the weakest story and pacing. After all, the player does not even enter the town of Silent Hill until halfway through the game! And once you do enter the town, exposition is vomited on the player from all directions, which not only slows the game down but can overwhelm and confuse the player on their first playthrough (this happened to me).
Plus, every facet of this game is about the crazy cult and its eschatology. If faith and religion are not topics that the player wishes to delve into, then this game will drive you insane because religion is in your face from the beginning and it never slams on the brakes; if anything, it accelerates (so you have been warned...though I assume you all do not mind having a religious conversation, since you are on a Christian blog)!
Although I may prefer Silent Hill 2 as a game, Silent Hill 3 arguably had more of an impact on me in terms of story. I loved it! It’s not perfect, but there seemed to be value here nonetheless. I enjoyed contemplating its religious themes, even though it does not paint a pretty picture of religion.
In fact, I found an article written in 2011 from Gamefaqs that listed “The Top 10 Games Which Deal With Important Religious Issues.” #2 is Silent Hill 3, and the author ends it by saying, “This game is the single most anti-theistic game of all times.” Grammar aside, that’s quite a bold statement—one that took me by surprise even after playing it!
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/top10/2253-the-top-10-games-which-deal-with-important-religious-issues
Anti-Christ?
I’m used to seeing my faith portrayed negatively. Every now and then, I see some type of story, form of media, art form, etc. that makes us Christians look like monsters.
*Pushes glasses upward with one finger* “Do [we] look like monsters to you...?”
Yet Silent Hill 3 felt...different than the usual hate I see. Did it show religion in a negative light? Yes, unequivocally. Is it hostile towards religion or, in Gamefaqs’s vernacular, “anti-theistic”? It’s possible, but I don’t think so. And after beating the game about a year ago now, the game stayed on my mind, for there seemed more to this tale than what I saw on the surface.
Though the game dealt with a made-up cult with its own traditions, beliefs, and deities, I couldn’t help but feel that maybe looking at the game from a Christian perspective would shed some light on some hidden themes that perhaps haven’t been explored yet (maybe they have, but I’m new and haven’t been able to find it anywhere). Christianity is the only real religion mentioned—BY NAME—in the game and the game even uses Judeo-Christian names for certain things (such as Metatron, who we will discuss later). This tells me that the developers knew of the Christian faith and perhaps took some ideas and even some biblical motifs to use in the game. Little did I realize that most of these motifs were actually garnered within one specific book: The Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible.
I have found that Silent Hill 3 is a bold tale that has many parallels with the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible, so much so that much of the symbolism and themes are eerily identical. The game paints a similar picture to that of Revelation’s author, John, but does not attack Christianity; instead, it attacks religion that morphs its core, placing undue importance on the self, which consequently leads to “Anti-Christ” behavior and truly frightening actions.
Disclaimers
A few more things before we actually dive in. First, these Christian connections may very well all be in my head and completely unintentional by Team Silent. I certainly hope not! Reviewing the Christian themes has given me more appreciation for the game (and for my faith as well). Unfortunately, the game is incredibly symbolic and ambiguous, so it is difficult to see what allusions are intentional and which are merely coincidence. This doesn’t feel like coincidence, though, which is why I’m giving complete credit to Team Silent for what I regard as a beautiful, layered, well-thought-out story in Silent Hill 3.
Besides, Silent Hill 3 was made into a movie—a bad one, according to the general consensus (I haven’t seen it)—and the movie’s name is Silent Hill: Revelation (ahem). To me, that tidbit of information at least tells me I am on the right track.
Second, I also want to mention that this game ties directly into Silent Hill 1, a game I have not played yet. I was tempted to watch the game on YouTube and spoil it all so I could have a better analysis, but I decided against it. I’ve enjoyed all the Silent Hill games so far and I would love to get my hands on the original Silent Hill someday and experience it directly. So if I miss some connection to the first game, I sincerely apologize. Luckily, Silent Hill 3 stands on its own, and does a fairly good job of referencing Silent Hill 1 without spoiling too much.
Third, Silent Hill 3 is a complicated game with a lot of interwoven parts and symbolism that makes more sense if you know the full story. Therefore, in order to get everyone on the same page, I will give an in-depth summary of the game (though I still recommend you play it) before we dive into the rhetoric.
Similarly, Revelation is a very dense and complicated book. In truth, I have struggled with its meaning and its themes for years (and continue to struggle even after studying it and reading some commentaries). I am no expert on the book—not by a long shot! Nonetheless, the research I have done on Revelation and the sermons I have heard regarding the book have been nothing short of fascinating! It truly is a beautifully written book, with so much depth and detail laced with such deftness and creativity!
It is this depth and detail that has made an in-depth synopsis for Revelation nigh impossible for me. Much of the beauty of this book is in the context, the syntax, and the rhetoric, which is all lost in a summarization. I am not dexterous enough to preserve these details while providing you with all the information you would need. If I am to be faithful to this book—a holy book—then I don’t want to bastardize it.
I will instead quote, cite, and explain as much as possible in the actual analysis and beg you to read it for yourself. Non-Christians, if you do read it, you will probably be very confused at first, but hopefully this blog can be a starting point in understanding this creative book. It is worth it!
In summary (heh), Silent Hill 3 will have a detailed synopsis, but Revelation will not. Sound good?
So turn that water wheel, Valtiel, and let us dive into the horrifying, tragic, prophetic, and ironically prolific [Other]world of Silent Hill 3!
Synopsis of Silent Hill 3
The game wastes no time in getting to the scares as it begins with Heather Mason, our courageous protagonist, finding herself in a foreboding amusement park. Strange noises and bloody rabbit costumes are the least of her worries!
As you wander the park, you begin to face horrific creatures: dogs with their face split down the middle, twitchy slender men with overgrown arms, and flying human chests with metallic appendages and a bladed stinger.
You are eventually funneled to the top of a roller coaster. The operating booth is locked, so Heather must go out onto the track itself to continue on. I think you know where this is going...
As you wander the park, you begin to face horrific creatures: dogs with their face split down the middle, twitchy slender men with overgrown arms, and flying human chests with metallic appendages and a bladed stinger.
You are eventually funneled to the top of a roller coaster. The operating booth is locked, so Heather must go out onto the track itself to continue on. I think you know where this is going...
Oh wow! It was all a dream... (cue the Dallas TV show music). Turns out, Heather is not in an amusement park, but in a mall. Now back in reality, she goes to the pay phone and calls her father, Harry Mason (for those unfamiliar, Harry Mason was the player character in Silent Hill 1).
The two seem to have a very loving relationship. This is further cemented in the conversation with Detective Douglas when Heather says that “her Dad” told her to “not talk to strangers,” showing that she trusts her Dad and his authority.
The player is then given control once Heather is in the ladies’ room. You start off with a small switchblade, the key to your apartment, and a pendant. If you examine the pendant, you get the following explanation:
Dad gave me this pendant on my birthday. It’s one of my treasured belongings. There’s a jewel inside, like a little red tablet. When I asked Dad what it was, he said, “Just a lucky charm.” But then he told me to take good care of it and never take it off.
Fun fact: these three items are basically showcased in the three different endings of the game. The pendant is crucial in the ending we will be analyzing (the true ending, if you will), the switchblade is prominently shown in the bad or “possessed” ending, and the house key allows you to enter the apartment for...um...the other...ending...
Refusing to talk with Douglas, Heather sneaks out of the bathroom window and escapes. However, things get very weird as she enters into the mall yet again...
The two seem to have a very loving relationship. This is further cemented in the conversation with Detective Douglas when Heather says that “her Dad” told her to “not talk to strangers,” showing that she trusts her Dad and his authority.
The player is then given control once Heather is in the ladies’ room. You start off with a small switchblade, the key to your apartment, and a pendant. If you examine the pendant, you get the following explanation:
Dad gave me this pendant on my birthday. It’s one of my treasured belongings. There’s a jewel inside, like a little red tablet. When I asked Dad what it was, he said, “Just a lucky charm.” But then he told me to take good care of it and never take it off.
Fun fact: these three items are basically showcased in the three different endings of the game. The pendant is crucial in the ending we will be analyzing (the true ending, if you will), the switchblade is prominently shown in the bad or “possessed” ending, and the house key allows you to enter the apartment for...um...the other...ending...
Refusing to talk with Douglas, Heather sneaks out of the bathroom window and escapes. However, things get very weird as she enters into the mall yet again...
The strange monsters from her amusement park dream begin appearing! Stranger yet, all the people around her have vanished! After going through a bookstore and having to solve some puzzles regarding some books, she comes across another human. A lady, dressed humbly in black.
Heather chases after this Claudia person since none of her questions were answered. But even more questions emerge when her environment morphs unexpectedly into a rusted, bloody world.
Heather fights her way through this “Otherworld” and comes face to face with the first boss of the game: the split worm.
Once defeating it, the world goes back to normal. Heather goes to the mall’s exit unharmed by any more monsters. On her way home, she runs into that nosy detective again.
Based on his dialogue, it almost seems as if Douglas had to fight off/run away from hordes of enemies as well—not that Heather cares in any way. She just wants to get home and goes into the Subway. Unfortunately for her, the subway is also filled with monsters and has its own Otherworld. After avoiding a strange sewer monster, Heather then must take a detour from the Subway into a construction site and office building. It is here that she runs into a most peculiar man: Vincent.
Heather is almost home now! But there is a strange monster in the way, and it is not attacking her. She finds part of a fairy tale that she read as a child and must recover the rest of it as she explores. The fairy tale is about a monster (the very one impeding her path) that terrorized a village. Eventually, the king of the village sent out a priestess to deal with it. The priestess pleaded with the monster, but was eaten up. The priestess eventually was resurrected by God and went back to the monster. This time, she cast a spell by saying the Latin phrase, “Tu Fui Ego Eris” (translates into “As you are, I was; as I am, so you shall be”). Heather says this aloud and kills the monster impeding her path. She can now enter her apartment complex and see her father! Everything should be fine now...
Harry Mason, Heather’s father and protagonist of Silent Hill 1, was murdered by Claudia—by one of her “missionaries!” Heather wants nothing but revenge and will go anywhere—including a place like Silent Hill—to get it. Douglas, curiously, decides to help her out. He gives her the notebook that Harry was clutching in his final moments. This is what it says.
Dad wrote about my past in here. As always, this should be novelized.
“I hope this will never come to any use; maybe it’s better if you never know. More than anything else, I fear the possibility of your going away, far from me. But sometimes we have to tell the truth. That’s why I’m writing this, before I’m lost in death and oblivion. What happened back then? That has something to do with who you are. It all started 24 years ago. Coming back from a vacation, my wife and I found a baby on the side of the highway. Since we were childless, we thanked God for letting us meet this child...this girl. We took her home. 3 years later, my wife died, and another 4 years later—17 years ago—I came to Silent Hill. I heard the girl’s pleas and took her with me, not knowing why she wanted us to go there. And it was there that the girl went away. Not that she actually went anywhere, nor did she die. ‘Returned to her original self’... that’s what Dahlia Gillespie said. ‘Original self’... That was the young woman burned by her mother as a sacrifice to God...Alessa Gillespie. Half her soul escaped in those flames and went on to live in a baby...in that girl of mine. Of ours. 7 years passed before that half-a-girl returned to Silent Hill and made Alessa whole again. Newly strengthened, she planned to kill God. God, a fetus nestled into this sacrificial girl’s womb, was summoned with the usual rites. This was Alessa’s wish, no matter what the outcome—even if her own existence were at stake. But that wish was not granted. My interruption meant she prayed for the girl’s return. I alone couldn’t bring her back. Dahlia did it—I only helped at the birthing ceremony, to bring God out of Alessa. The newly-born God wailed once and was dead. All from that girl’s--and probably Alessa’s--conscious resistance. That’s not the end. After God had vanished in a glow of light, Alessa reappeared and gave me a baby. She looked a lot like that girl so long ago. And then Alessa was gone, dead. There was nothing I could have done to help. I simply clutched the baby to my chest and ran off. The whole thing felt like a dream, but I had proof that it wasn’t. The girl was nowhere to be found, and in my arms...the baby. Now 17 years had passed. It feels like only yesterday, and again it feels like a million years ago. I confess I had reservations at first about raising that baby. Could I love her? Her existence was thoroughly unexplainable. I thought, ‘She could be that young woman who snatched away my beloved daughter.’ That led to sadness, anger...there were times when I put my hands around her tiny little throat. Several times I even considered abandoning her. That’s what a terrible person I am. But I decided to raise her after all. I just couldn’t seem to let her go. When she...when you look at me, you laugh, so... Even now, I can’t forget about that girl. But I love you. I have no doubts about that. That’s all I ask you to believe.
To my precious daughter...
Harry Mason.
Dad wrote about my past in here. As always, this should be novelized.
“I hope this will never come to any use; maybe it’s better if you never know. More than anything else, I fear the possibility of your going away, far from me. But sometimes we have to tell the truth. That’s why I’m writing this, before I’m lost in death and oblivion. What happened back then? That has something to do with who you are. It all started 24 years ago. Coming back from a vacation, my wife and I found a baby on the side of the highway. Since we were childless, we thanked God for letting us meet this child...this girl. We took her home. 3 years later, my wife died, and another 4 years later—17 years ago—I came to Silent Hill. I heard the girl’s pleas and took her with me, not knowing why she wanted us to go there. And it was there that the girl went away. Not that she actually went anywhere, nor did she die. ‘Returned to her original self’... that’s what Dahlia Gillespie said. ‘Original self’... That was the young woman burned by her mother as a sacrifice to God...Alessa Gillespie. Half her soul escaped in those flames and went on to live in a baby...in that girl of mine. Of ours. 7 years passed before that half-a-girl returned to Silent Hill and made Alessa whole again. Newly strengthened, she planned to kill God. God, a fetus nestled into this sacrificial girl’s womb, was summoned with the usual rites. This was Alessa’s wish, no matter what the outcome—even if her own existence were at stake. But that wish was not granted. My interruption meant she prayed for the girl’s return. I alone couldn’t bring her back. Dahlia did it—I only helped at the birthing ceremony, to bring God out of Alessa. The newly-born God wailed once and was dead. All from that girl’s--and probably Alessa’s--conscious resistance. That’s not the end. After God had vanished in a glow of light, Alessa reappeared and gave me a baby. She looked a lot like that girl so long ago. And then Alessa was gone, dead. There was nothing I could have done to help. I simply clutched the baby to my chest and ran off. The whole thing felt like a dream, but I had proof that it wasn’t. The girl was nowhere to be found, and in my arms...the baby. Now 17 years had passed. It feels like only yesterday, and again it feels like a million years ago. I confess I had reservations at first about raising that baby. Could I love her? Her existence was thoroughly unexplainable. I thought, ‘She could be that young woman who snatched away my beloved daughter.’ That led to sadness, anger...there were times when I put my hands around her tiny little throat. Several times I even considered abandoning her. That’s what a terrible person I am. But I decided to raise her after all. I just couldn’t seem to let her go. When she...when you look at me, you laugh, so... Even now, I can’t forget about that girl. But I love you. I have no doubts about that. That’s all I ask you to believe.
To my precious daughter...
Harry Mason.
As Heather says her final goodbyes, Vincent comes to Douglas and tells him to look for a man named Leonard once in Silent Hill. With no other leads, the duo obliges. The car scene I included at the beginning plays here.
Finally! We are in Silent Hill! Safe in a hotel, Douglas lays out a plan, “I’m gonna head for that Leonard guy’s house. You check out the hospital.”
*intense flashbacks of Silent Hill 2’s hospital level*
No. No no no no no no no no no no... No! Not gonna happen, dude. C’mon! Why would you suggest such a thing? Tsk. I was just starting to like you, Douglas!
Well, of course, you don’t have a choice, so you have to go to the hospital. You are greeted by the typical horrifying monsters as well as extremely distressing letters from strange people (I.e. Stanley Coleman). And now that we are in Silent Hill, the player now gets some answers through exposition. Eventually, a phone rings and you talk to Leonard.
Finally! We are in Silent Hill! Safe in a hotel, Douglas lays out a plan, “I’m gonna head for that Leonard guy’s house. You check out the hospital.”
*intense flashbacks of Silent Hill 2’s hospital level*
No. No no no no no no no no no no... No! Not gonna happen, dude. C’mon! Why would you suggest such a thing? Tsk. I was just starting to like you, Douglas!
Well, of course, you don’t have a choice, so you have to go to the hospital. You are greeted by the typical horrifying monsters as well as extremely distressing letters from strange people (I.e. Stanley Coleman). And now that we are in Silent Hill, the player now gets some answers through exposition. Eventually, a phone rings and you talk to Leonard.
So Claudia is Leonard’s daughter! And he has something that might help? Heather goes to meet up with Leonard, but gets another call from a person who is never really explained...
24th birthday? Heather is 17! And her gift is either giving pain or receiving it, whichever she hates more? This guy is actually more truthful than he sounds. Written on the walls are other numbers, like “38th birthday”, “1st birthday”, etc. Would you believe me if most of them are fairly accurate? Not all of them, though. Some are not accurate at all. Some are true, some are lies...
Heather has several souls within her. She was seven-year-old Cheryl, Harry’s original adopted daughter, and she is also fourteen-year-old Alessa from Silent Hill. When “God” was slain in the first game, both Cheryl and Alessa’s life started over as an infant—Heather, who is now seventeen. Most of the ages mentioned in the birthday messages are combinations of these ages (17+7; 14+7+17; etc.). I understand this is a bit confusing but bear with me.
Eventually, Heather is able to meet up with Leonard!
Heather has several souls within her. She was seven-year-old Cheryl, Harry’s original adopted daughter, and she is also fourteen-year-old Alessa from Silent Hill. When “God” was slain in the first game, both Cheryl and Alessa’s life started over as an infant—Heather, who is now seventeen. Most of the ages mentioned in the birthday messages are combinations of these ages (17+7; 14+7+17; etc.). I understand this is a bit confusing but bear with me.
Eventually, Heather is able to meet up with Leonard!
Another boss battle ensues, and once finishing, Heather winds up with a strange-looking talisman of some sort. She makes her way back to the hotel to meet Douglas. In the meantime, the game cuts to a conversation between Vincent and Claudia, which is happening...uh, in your hotel room?
Once Heather returns, only Vincent is there to greet her.
Heather reluctantly takes Vincent’s advice and goes through the amusement park. Sure enough, it is the same amusement park Heather dreamt of at the beginning of the game!
It plays out quite similarly to how Heather remembers it—though a bit longer in length. Heather is funneled up to the top of a roller coaster (called “The Mountain”). But you are able to turn the roller coaster off before making your way onto the tracks. Strangely, that doesn’t help and the coaster veers toward Heather just like in her dream. She jumps away in time and lands back on the ground unharmed.
As this takes place, the game switches perspective again to see Claudia and Douglas having a conversation in the amusement park.
As this takes place, the game switches perspective again to see Claudia and Douglas having a conversation in the amusement park.
This is basically the only background we get on Douglas. It’s a shame, because this sounds like an interesting and tragic backstory (a staple for all Silent Hill characters), but it is never fleshed out. This is fine, though, since Douglas’ part is just about over. Returning to Heather, she eventually finds the injured Douglas.
You end up getting on a carousel, with the creepy horses you saw the first 30 seconds of the first cutscene. Eventually, a familiar face enters the fray...
It’s you! Well, it’s actually Alessa...who was you...17 years ago. She attempted to birth “God” before you and endured so much pain that she would rather kill you (herself) than go through that again. Remember Heather’s birthday gift? She will either give pain or receive it--whichever she hates the most. Well, it turns out, Alessa hates the pain from child-bearing SO MUCH that she now wants to kill this “God” before the birthing process (i.e. kill Heather first).
Now free to leave the amusement park, Heather finds herself at the Silent Hill church, where Claudia awaits...
Now free to leave the amusement park, Heather finds herself at the Silent Hill church, where Claudia awaits...
Heather is close to birthing “God” and doesn’t know how to stop it nor how to take revenge on Claudia. Inside the church, you learn about the origins of this cult and its doctrine—from the beginning of time to how it all ends in paradise. Further exploration leads Heather to a confessional booth where she encounters a woman—either Claudia or Dahlia, Alessa’s mother—praying to this “God.” Heather decides to listen in.
Heather then decides whether to remain silent or to say “I forgive you” to the weeping woman (what would you do?). Shortly after, the church turns into the Otherworld and forces Heather down into the depths of the world. In a library, Heather yet again runs into Vincent, who reveals what his plan was all along.
So the talisman acquired from Leonard is actually the “Seal of Metatron,” which would stop God from being born and would put an end to Claudia’s nightmarish scheme. Now with the seal, a plan, and nowhere for Claudia to run, Heather can finally come face to face with the true monster...
At this point, you are timed and have to think fast. The Seal of Metatron is apparently useless, according to Claudia. However, Heather’s father thought ahead. Remember the pendant? Use it here to take the mysterious red tablet, which will have Heather vomit up “God.”
With Claudia sucked down after taking up the mantle of birthing “God,” Heather decides to follow (she still wants revenge, after all).
To Heather’s dismay, Claudia is already dead—sacrificed to release “God.” Heather then must face this “God” before it brings about its eternal paradise. The final battle awaits!
By killing “God,” the threat has ceased. Peace returns to Silent Hill (for the moment). Heather, now free from it all, mourns once again for her father before returning to Douglas at the amusement park.
Horror stories, in my opinion, often have terrible endings because they don’t seem to know how to wrap everything up. Not so with Silent Hill 3. Personally, I really like this game’s ending. Here is the “true” ending.
Horror stories, in my opinion, often have terrible endings because they don’t seem to know how to wrap everything up. Not so with Silent Hill 3. Personally, I really like this game’s ending. Here is the “true” ending.
She laughs at the horror she has seen! O [Silent Hill], where is your sting? O [Valtiel], where is your victory? And with complete knowledge of the truth, she embraces who she really is: Harry Mason’s daughter, Cheryl (no longer bearing part of Alessa’s soul nor having to worry about birthing “God” anymore). Arguably, she ends the game with more respect and adoration for her father than at the beginning.
The End.
Phew! Quite a tale, no? I hope most of that makes sense to you. If somehow, you thought that what you saw here wasn’t scary, then I highly encourage you to play the game. The cutscenes aren’t the scary parts, but the actual gameplay is!
And now that everyone is up to speed and knows what happens to Heather (or do I mean Cheryl?) and the Silent Hill cult, we can finally unravel some of these Christian themes!
The End.
Phew! Quite a tale, no? I hope most of that makes sense to you. If somehow, you thought that what you saw here wasn’t scary, then I highly encourage you to play the game. The cutscenes aren’t the scary parts, but the actual gameplay is!
And now that everyone is up to speed and knows what happens to Heather (or do I mean Cheryl?) and the Silent Hill cult, we can finally unravel some of these Christian themes!
Revelation and its parallels within silent hill 3
Stones Crying Out
The best place to start would be with the town of Silent Hill. To say it is merely “haunted” would be a misnomer. In fact, ghosts do not actually enter the fray until Silent Hill 4. These monsters, though real in the Otherworld, are actually symbolic of the character going through the town. In other words, the town itself looks very different for each person going through it. The town embodies the deepest, darkest fears of a person—often the protagonist of the game.
For you Christians out there, another way to think of this is similar to the gospel of Luke where Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey and is being praised as being the Messiah. The Pharisees (religious leaders) do not like this and say, “’Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out’” (Luke 19:39b-40, ESV).
Silent Hill—in a very demented way—follows this same idea. Each protagonist that has entered Silent Hill bears secrets, regrets, and hidden memories (or shattered memories) that they remain silent on. Because of this, the very “stones” of Silent Hill cry out to the point where the pain, shame, and fear felt by the person manifest into frightening environments and monsters.
Silent Hill 3 shakes up this formula a bit, because Silent Hill 3’s Otherworld is not Heather’s nightmare: it is Claudia’s. Vincent even says this to Claudia in the church. “Isn't this all nothing more than your own personal nightmare?” Heather, Douglas, and Vincent, are simply experiencing someone else’s deepest and darkest fears. This is further cemented that the game starts outside of Silent Hill. When Heather first experiences the Otherworld, she is in the mall, shortly after meeting Claudia. The very “stones” still cry out, but no longer just in Silent Hill! Wherever Claudia goes, the pain, suffering, and fear are personified.
What results is our protagonist walking around a symbolic world, trying to make sense of it. Interestingly enough, the Book of Revelation takes a similar approach.
Apocalypse
The Book of Revelation is quite a unique book even for its time, mainly because it cannot really be put into a single category. In fact, it is three different categories combined (I call that Trinitarian irony, folks). It is an apocalypse, a prophecy, and a letter all in one.
First, it is part of the apocalyptic genre. The ancient Jews had a bit more nuance regarding apocalyptic literature than what we would think of as “apocalypse” today. In his book, Introduction: Towards the Morphology of a Genre, the author J.J. Collins defines an apocalypse as follows:
“a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial, insofar as it involves another, supernatural world” (Collins, 9).
In regards to this definition, the book of Revelation mainly consists of the author, John, being led to the heavenly realms and seeing God’s ultimate purpose for Earth and the impact of that on the present situation. It is heavily symbolic and as Richard Bauckham, author of the book The Theology of the Book of Revelation, would describe it, the book conclusively answers the question, “Who is Lord over the world” (Bauckham, 9)?
This definition of apocalypse fits ANY Silent Hill game wonderfully. Each game—that I have played—has some kind of revelation spurred by the “Otherworld” to a human. For Silent Hill 3, the revelations revolve around who Heather Mason is, her purpose to the Silent Hill cult, and where she belongs. Part of each game’s charm is that this “Otherworld,” this alternative perspective, is both temporal and spatial.
This all being said, there were many ancient apocalypses during the time of John’s. How can I say that Silent Hill focused more on the Christian apocalypse than say the much more common Jewish apocalypses? Good question! John’s apocalypse may follow the general style of other books, but there are a few key differences.
Here are some other ancient apocalypses I am aware of: Apocalypse of Abraham, Apocalypse of Daniel, Apocalypse of Ezra (this one I believe is in Greek, not Hebrew), Apocalypse of Moses, and of course, the Apocalypse of Metatron (sound familiar?).
What you may notice is that many of the people listed are quite famous. They are either “heroes” of the faith, famous prophets, or angels (like Metatron is). Ancient apocalypses often used the perspective of these characters because they were the voices of wisdom from the past and their words would lead the audience into the future. Using these prominent, well-known figures was a way to claim authority in the ancient days. To think of it another way, they are big enough names to get “backstage passes” to see behind the scenes of what was really happening in the world. They had access to these heavenly realms!
John does not do this. Curiously, he uses himself—an exile! He’s essentially a nobody! And no angel is needed to interpret the vision for him. I think the initial idea here is that because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, John’s sins are washed away and he is now allowed into the heavenly throne room of God. He is allowed in not by his own works or who he is, but by the Son of God and His works on Earth.
That said, John does reference many of the famous prophecies and people of the faith. For instance, the book of Ezekiel has a part where the prophet eats a scroll and it is as “sweet as honey” (Ezekiel 2:9-3: 3). John uses this in his prophecy almost verbatim (Revelation 10:8-11). He may be witnessing and recording everything himself, but he is not disregarding everything that came before him in order to paint his own vision. Instead, he uses many things of the past—the visions of many who came before—in his Revelation. This is actually very different from other apocalypses, most of which were self-contained (and brief!).
For John, his Revelation takes place at the end, when the culmination of the whole Judeo-Christian tradition is fulfilled. After all, it was Jesus who said, “’Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished’” (Matthew 5: 17-18, ESV). John simply applies this in his vision.
Silent Hill 3 mimics this style. Heather experiences all of it from her own perspective! None of it is interpreted by an angel, or an otherworldly creature, like Valtiel (he is the humanoid who is seen often right before the landscape changes to the otherworld). She sees this otherworld and has to make sense of it herself, though she is by no means a “hero” of the cult’s faith (Alessa tried to kill “God”...numerous times).
The game further distances itself from the pseudepigraphal nature of old apocalypses with the infamous “Seal of Metatron.” We are told by Vincent that it has ancient power and that it can be used to stop God from awakening. But ultimately, it has no authority. The words, deeds, and power from Metatron, an ancient paragon of the cult, could not bring about Heather’s salvation.
Team Silent also borrows heavily from both of their prior games. Many of the characters and ideals return from the first game (so I am told, anyway), and several of the environments—along with a few nods—are from the second game. One of the complaints I read about Silent Hill 3 is that many are confused why the game used the Brookhaven hospital from Silent Hill 2 and not the Alchemilla Hospital in Silent Hill 1. Another complaint is why Heather can go into Heaven’s Night (a gentlemen’s club prominent in Silent Hill 2) when there is really nothing there. Based on what I know, this is perhaps so the game has elements of both predecessors. In other words, this is not Heather’s stand-alone vision, it is the culmination of the visions of those who came before, much like John’s Revelation. This can also apply to the fact that Heather is also Alessa and Cheryl, and that the game is a culmination of all of their lives.
Another difference between other apocalypses and John’s apocalypse in Revelation is its exclusivity in dealing with what is called eschatology, or the study of end times (namely salvation and judgment on Earth). Other apocalypses dealt with end times, but they were more focused on the heavenly realm, not the earthly realm. They saw and described the ideal future in another plane of existence.
In Revelation though, the author’s main focus is, as mentioned, to answer the question, “Who is Lord over this world?” It is from this question where John dives into the end-times to answer who ultimately wins the fight of good versus evil on Earth. He does this to show the overall impact of the present situation experienced by the original readers in the grand scheme of God’s plan (i.e. the seven churches and their respective struggles mentioned in the beginning of the book in ch. 1-3).
As discussed above, John also liked to borrow from history and past traditions, not just from prophecies or ancient law. Remember, his revelation is the culmination of all things. Therefore, he references much of Judeo-Christian doctrine throughout. In particular, he focuses a decent amount of time referencing the very beginning of time: Genesis, the Judeo-Christian creation story. God the Creator is the same as he was then, as he is now, and as he will be forever. “The One who is and who was and who is to come” (appears five times in Revelation with some variation when describing God; 1:4, 1:8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5). John’s point is that creation of the world, redemption of the world, and the eschatology of the world are all interconnected. The point of redemption and eschatology (in Christ) is to return creation to God’s original design and intention.
Another way John does this is with New Jerusalem. Once God has won, John is carried away “in the Spirit to a great high mountain, and showed [John] the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:10, ESV). This is very reminiscent of Jewish thought where God often met humans on mountains (such as Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 and the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 40). To have God’s final dwelling place amongst humans be on a mountain is logical based on past Jewish traditions.
Silent Hill 3 follows this text on a couple fronts. First off, it should come as no surprise that the game focuses on end times (duh). The cult’s eschatology is front and center for the entire game. What is interesting about the eschatology is that the “Eternal Paradise” sought after by Claudia is not in the “Otherworld.” It would manifest in the town of Silent Hill—in our earthly realm.
Second, Silent Hill 3 dives deep into the cult’s creation story. In fact, in the game, the church’s stained glass recounts the entirety of creation. We see what the world was “in the beginning” and who “God” was during that time. Claudia’s goal is to return to that paradise with “God.” Her quest is linked closely with the past (including her own past)—all the way to the beginning of time!
And third, Silent Hill was entirely run by the cult, so it is no surprise that its presence is felt all around the city. I do find it interesting that in the amusement park, the main roller coaster is called “The Mountain.” Though not much evidence outside of the coaster’s name, I still feel like it parallels the old Jewish tradition of where “God” would descend to dwell with mankind. After all, if Silent Hill is to be the site of “Eternal Paradise” and the cult’s religion borrowed from Christianity, it makes sense that they would want a mountain for “God” to descend on, let alone have the mountain close to their place of worship (the church).
There is one other point I wish to bring up despite being fairly minor. It is worth mentioning one interesting parallel I noticed within the music. In particular, the song “Rain of Brass Petals (Three Voices Edit)” has lyrics sung by three people (or one person doing three different voices; I cannot truly tell). Each of the three verses begin as follows: “I am the first”, “I am the second”, “I am the third.”
In the book of Revelation, God does not speak much. But when he does, he makes two very important self-declarations at the beginning of his dialogue, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (some variation; 1:8, 21:6). Christ also follows these declarations with his own. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (some variation; 1:17, 22:13).
Do you see the resemblance? Both the song and Revelation follow a similar pattern at the beginning before more is said. Furthermore, the song—very cryptically—covers the completeness of some stages. Whether it is stages through life or through power I am not completely sure (it’s a very weird song, to be frank). Still it follows the same theme of completeness. From thief to king; from young to old; from animalistic to transcendence; from beginning to end, etc. The song covers a complete spectrum, very much like God and Christ.
Prophecy
The second category Revelation follows is that of prophecy. There’s quite a bit of similarities between the genres of prophecy and apocalypse. The main difference is that prophecies are supposed to be kept and obeyed by people, since it gives either admonition or encouragement of helping fulfill God’s will. If anything, the book of Revelation is what is called a “Prophetic apocalypse."
Prophecies can take two main forms: oracle (words usually given by a divine person during a worship meeting) and vision (paints a picture of something or someone’s trajectory). John technically does both, but he leans very heavily on using vision for most of his Revelation. He does still use oracles, though. For instance, the book of Revelation gives oracles against the city of Babylon (18:1-19:8), an earthly city that rejects God and His rule (often interpreted to be Rome). What is interesting is that John parrots ALL oracles against Babylon in the Old Testament—writings that would easily be hundreds of years old! To not miss a single oracle in the Old Testament is incredible and shows how well-learned the man is, especially in the day and age this was written!
Please note that Biblical prophecy is much more than merely prediction, or as Mr. Bauckham would say it, “it does not predict a sequence of events as though it were history written in advance” (Bauckham, 150). Instead, there are three elements needed in prophecy. The first is discernment, which requires insight into God’s plan and purpose for a contemporary situation. The second is some kind of prediction. For God to be glorified, what MUST take place? The final element is a response from the readers. All prophecies leave room for human freedom and participation. Many biblical prophecies, especially those that condemn something or threaten God’s wrath, often have some type of clause that mentions this will not come to pass if the reader or intended audience repents and turns back to God’s plan.
Now, I don’t really think Silent Hill goes into as much detail for prophecy as it did for apocalypse, but it is still very much present! Remember the very beginning of the game? It starts out with Heather dreaming of the amusement park and some of the events there. In other words, she prophesied! I find it interesting that they used prophecy for an introduction to hook the player into the game. Heather also responds to this prophecy later and alters her fate by surviving the runaway roller coaster.
Unfortunately, that is most of the prophecy we really get from Heather. She’s so blinded by revenge later in the game that she doesn’t really have discernment or any other predictions. But you can find older journals and things written by Heather at a younger age that suggest she has dreams where she had a different name and did things that actually happened. Not to mention that several characters say that Heather has “powers,” so the developers still accented her ability here and there.
Claudia uses prophecy, but she does not have the ability to prophesy. In fact, Claudia follows two of the three elements of Biblical prophecy. First, she has discernment for why people need “God” and her eternal paradise. She sees her own life and the depravity elsewhere and sees the need for more than just what this world has to offer. For example, very late in the game, you find Claudia’s diary when she was young and the November 16 entry says the following:
“I was free all day, so I read ‘A Modern History of Refugees’ and ‘Young Slave: Child Exploitation.’ I don’t want to be a mere bystander in this world. I can’t do anything now, though, and that’s what’s hard.”
Next, Claudia follows the element of prediction from Biblical prophecy. Prediction asks what MUST take place for God to be glorified. Since she cannot prophesy herself, Claudia does whatever is in her power to glorify and bring back “God.” For example, she believes that in order for “Eternal Paradise” to be achieved, then “God” needs to come back. For “God” to come back, then the mother of “God” (i.e. Heather) needs to birth God out of pure hatred. Hence, she kills Heather’s beloved Father.
So through discernment and prediction, Claudia acts like a prophetess despite never showing the audience that she has the ability (whereas Heather does). The problem is that Claudia leaves no room for a response from Heather or anyone else. She takes charge of everything. It’s almost as if she believes that without her, “God” has no power and cannot return... We’ll come back to this point, as I think this is one of the main themes Silent Hill wishes to address regarding religion.
Another point to mention about prophecies is the result of them. Many prophecies in the Bible have come true, such as the restoration of Israel after the Babylonian exile. Israel was eventually restored, but “New Jerusalem” did not turn out as glorious as the prophets said. Though these prophecies and the prophets that told of them were vindicated, they were never completely and totally fulfilled. Instead of criticizing prophets for not being completely accurate (as they would be today), it actually gave the prophecies more longevity; a hope emerged from both the contemporaries and the generations after that more was coming. This is why the prophecies written in the Bible (namely in the Old Testament) are still considered applicable. Is the city of Babylon still around? No, but the prophecy against it both was vindicated in its contemporary day as well as provided a backdrop for John to use against Rome in Revelation.
As Mr. Bauckham would describe it, “It seems to be intrinsic to the biblical prophetic tradition of perceiving God’s will for the immediate situation in terms of his ultimate purposes of righteousness and grace for his whole creation. That it was a non-problematic feature of the tradition is shown by the way such prophecy was not rejected as false but taken up into the tradition of Jewish and Christian hope. Fulfillments of prophecy were real and recognized, but fell short of the eschatological excess of expectation which the prophecies raised and which could be satisfied only by God’s final victory over all evil” (Bauckham, 154).
This feeling of imminence of the prophecy and—simultaneously—delay of the prophecy is key. Christians say this all the time. The Kingdom of God is here among us but is also coming soon. This is the victory of Christ. His sacrifice beat death and defeated evil once and for all; evil’s fate is sealed. But evil still happens in the world. God is patient and gracious to allow for repentance. He will eventually judge evil in totality. The end is coming, but it is not here yet.
This prophetic theme is, as you have probably come to expect, a part of Silent Hill as well. We see this in the conflict between Vincent and Claudia. Claudia desperately wants to end evil, so much so that she will do whatever it takes (including performing her own evil acts) to bring it about today—as soon as possible. She wants “God’s" return imminent.
Vincent, however, is the opposite. He purposefully manipulates Heather and Douglas to try and delay the coming of God. Why? He likes it here. He likes the world. He adores “God” but does not want her to come...yet.
Imminence and delay, personified.
Letter
Finally, the last category utilized in Revelation is that of letter. A letter has a clearly defined audience (but those outside of the intended audience can still get value). John was specifically talking to the seven churches mentioned at the very beginning of the book. It is generally accepted that the book of Revelation was intended to be a circular letter, meaning it would pass from congregation to congregation. Each church mentioned is facing different problems and John speaks to them as if he knows each of them well. The vision in the rest of the book, therefore, is essentially a unified vision from seven different perspectives.
In terms of Silent Hill 3, there are LOTS of letters in the game. Some are for Heather (usually from her Father Harry, or... Stanley Coleman...yuck), and some aren’t, but Heather reads them anyway. I know having letters and notes lying around are commonplace for a Silent Hill game, but it seemed like there were much more letters in Silent Hill 3 than in Silent Hill 2 (I’m not quite sure about Silent Hill 4; there were quite a few notes, but they weren’t really letters. They were more like investigative notes and diary entries than letters to other people).
On top of all the letters, the game does have some different perspectives, despite following Heather almost exclusively. All of the locations visited are a bit strange on their own. They don’t seem to mean anything to Heather (except her apartment and the church). They also do not seem to mean anything to Claudia either—and she is the one who brings the Otherworld and turns these locales into nightmares! So then what are they for?
I believe they are symbolic. If we list out the main areas, we can see a bit of a pattern. These areas include the shopping mall, the subway, the office/construction site, Heather’s apartment, the hospital, the amusement park, and the church/school. Notice anything? I think these locations are each supposed to represent the meaning of life, depending on one’s perspective. Let me put it another way: shopping mall (consumerism and having stuff), subway (travel), office/construction site (white- and blue-collar work), Heather’s apartment (family), hospital (health), amusement park (fun and thrill), and church/classroom (religion and education).
I believe that the game looks at seven-ish main perspectives for the meaning of life and turns them all into nightmares—into one unified vision showing when good things morph into something twisted.
Truth and Lies
One of the most important themes of the book of Revelation is that of the truth. Jesus famously said that he was “’The way, the truth, and the life’” (John 14: 6a, ESV). In the book of Psalms (89:36-37, ESV), the psalmist says that “[King David’s] offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Truth is not an opinion or a personal preference. It is real and authentic, constant and integral. To be a proponent of truth is to be a “faithful witness.” Revelation dives into truth and lies constantly in its text. The church has the truth in Christ and that truth is seen in the heavenly realm. The truth naturally exposes the lies and false worship surrounding them. Therefore, they must witness to the world, even to the point of death (because truth is worth dying for).
The lies stem from “The Beasts” (which we will discuss later), from the evil powers of the world that deify the world and try to take the place of God. They lie to its citizens for power, wealth, and loyalty, and occasionally even resort to killing members of the church (i.e. truthbearers) in order to maintain the status quo.
The theme of truth and lies is a bit more hidden in this Silent Hill game, but it is still very much prevalent. Not only are you trying to uncover the truth about the cult and who Heather is, but you also have characters like Douglas, a detective who excels at uncovering the truth (that’s his job, after all). We will discuss the symbolism of each character a bit more later on.
In the bookstore, there is a puzzle with books on Shakespeare. You also find this on the door to the exit:
“Here is a tragedy—art thou player or audience? Be that as it may, the end doth remain: all go on only toward death. The first words at thy left hand: a false lunacy, a madly dancing man. Hearing unhearable words, drawn to a beloved’s grave—and there, mayhap, true madness at last. As did this one, playing at death, find true death at the last. Killing a nameless lover, she pierced a heart rent by sorrow. Doth lie invite truth? Doth verity but wear the mask of falsehood? Ah, thou pitiful, thou miserable ones! Still amidst lies, though the end cometh not, wherefore yearn for death? Wilt thou attend to thy beloved? Truth and lies, life and death: a game of turning white to black and black to white. Is not a silence brimming with love more precious than flattery? A peaceful slumber preferred to a throne besmirched with blood? One vengeful man spilled blood for two; Two youths shed tears for three; Three witches disappeared thusly; And only the four keys remain. Ah, but verily...in here is a tragedy—art thou player or audience? There is nothing which cannot become a puppet of fate or an onlooker peering into the cage.”
In all honesty, there is probably several things you can analyze here (such as it being a basic parallel for the plot of the game...prophecy, perhaps??), but I am mainly concerned about how it stresses truth and lies. Not only does it create a dichotomy between the two, but it also suggests that the lies have a “throne” and is powerful, but eventually leads the person to madness.
Another place truth is stressed—namely God-given truth—is in the fairy tale and the monster blocking Heather’s path. In the fairy tale, the priestess is summoned to take care of the monster and pleads with him. “It’s wrong to eat people, you know,” she says before she is eaten. She tries to use advice to no avail. Granted, the advice is very much true, yet it seemingly has no effect. However, in the fairy tale, God took pity on the mourning town and resurrected her. This time, the priestess went back to the beast and spoke to it, “Tu Fui, Ego Eris,” which means something like “As you are, I was; as I am, so you shall also be.” This kills the beast for good! What was different?
This is very much up to interpretation. My personal inference deals with this theme of truth—namely, God’s truth. The difference between the moral advice that gets the priestess eaten alive and the Latin spell that actually defeats the monster is that God is now in the picture. What you see is a priestess, who seemingly lost the battle with the monster, getting resurrected by God. It was God’s decision, not actually the Priestess who did anything. She is solely living on God’s providence—nothing else. Therefore, I believe that the spell the priestess uses against the monster simply puts the monster under God’s judgment. It is up to God what will happen to the beast. To put it another way, “As you are [alive], I was [alive]; as I am [dead], so you shall also be [dead].” At first, the village thought the monster had won, but God, who ultimately rules this world, has the final say. His truth not only brings his “faithful witness” back, but also slays the beast and reminds the town "who is Lord over the world.”
This fairy tale is actually very similar to the church and its martyrs against the might of the First Beast. In John’s Revelation, the church is constantly struggling with the principalities and powers of the world. An evil beast takes on the false image of God and makes people worship it. “Also, it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them, and authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation” (Revelation 13:7, ESV). Yet later on in Revelation, John says, “And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands” (Revelation 15:2, ESV).
Wait...Both the Beast and the martyrs “conquer” each other? Then who wins? I love how Richard Bauckham addresses it:
“That it can put the Christian martyrs to death apparently with impunity seems the final proof of the invincible, godlike might of the beast. In the judicial contest as to who is the true God—the beast or the one to whom the martyrs witness—it seems the verdict is clear: the evidence of the martyrs has been refuted...What was the point of resisting the beast when he was proving irresistible? But John’s message is that from the heavenly perspective things look quite different. The martyrs are the real victors. To be faithful in witness to the true God even to the point of death is not to become a victim of the beast, but to take the field against him and win. But only in a vision of heaven (7:9-14; 15:2-3) or a voice from heaven (11:12; 14:2) can the martyrs be recognized as victors” (Bauckham, 90-91).
This is what we see in the fairy tale. The monster wins until God intervenes. And it is only through God that the priestess lives again and that the monster stays dead. The priestess can only be “recognized” as a victor through “a voice from heaven” (God in the fairy tale). This is the truth of the world—both from John’s perspective and from the fairy tale’s perspective.
And finally, another small ode to the theme of truth and lies involves Heather’s old sketchbook at the end of the game, which says, “I had a dream. In my dream, I opened a door. But was that really me? I had a different name. 5 are true and 4 are lies—and there are some fibs mixed in with the truth. That’s ‘cause it’s scary to write only the truth. But dreams...dreams are like lies, after all” (not your dreams, prophetess, haha). Again, we see the conflict of truth and lies and how pleasant lies can really be. The game, like the book of Revelation, persists of an underlying theme of truth and lies and the importance and danger of each, respectively.
God and His Saints
One of the other ways Silent Hill 3 matches the book of Revelation is with the characters in the story. The game’s cast follows very closely with the most prominent figures in Revelation. That being said, it also takes a bit from the rest of the Bible as well, so we will partly expand our area of focus a bit.
The first character we need to naturally start off with is our lovely main protagonist, Heather Mason/Cheryl Mason/Alessa Gilesspie, who parallels—ironically—three separate characters in the Bible. As previously discussed, she is most like the author, John, since she experiences the vision firsthand and not through a mediator like in other apocalypses.
She is also like the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who immaculately conceived the Son of God (the good ol’ Christmas story). I say this because Heather must’ve immaculately conceived “God.” Throughout the entire game, she didn’t seem to have any boyfriend or love interest. She meets Claudia in a hallway, gets a headache, and BAM! She has a baby in her womb.
The final character (or institution, rather) that Heather seems to represent is that of the Church in Revelation. If Harry Mason (who we will discuss) gave Heather all the tools needed, then she plays a part in defeating evil. She has complete independence, but still follows the will of her Father throughout the game. As Mr. Bauckham says, “God’s rule does not contradict human freedom, as the coercive tyranny of the beast does, but finds its fulfillment in the participation of people in God’s rule: that is, in the coincidence of theonomy and autonomy” (Bauckham, 164).
To put it another way, the church in Revelation is often compared to a bride being made ready for her wedding day. “’Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure’--for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8, ESV).
Heather follows this—to an extent. She does not have any dark clothing on. Her entire person is clothed in bright colors—even her hair, which is blonde in the game (her original color is brunette). She does deviate a little from this given the fact that what she wears is not pure. When her Father is murdered, some blood gets on her white blouse and she has no interest to remove it, staining her for the rest of the game. I actually really like this change, which shows a beautiful (still Christian) picture of the relationship between Harry and Heather.
So let’s discuss Harry now. We know from the game that Harry is religious. In his letter to Heather after he died (written out above), he and his wife “thanked God” for finding Cheryl on the side of the road. Also, when still in the apartment, if you go over to the phone, Heather will say, “I can’t reach anybody. Not the police or the church.” Why would you mention the church if it wasn’t a special place for her Father? Further cementing this notion is the end credits screen where it shows Heather giving respects to his grave, which is in the shape of a cross.
Because of this, Harry is probably the closest image to God we get in the entire game! He’s loving, graceful, and quiet (God only speaks twice in the entirety of Revelation; Harry doesn’t speak at all). Sure, Mr. Mason is killed halfway through the story, but his person and deeds both play a vital role and are remembered for the rest of the game. This is similar to that of Christ, whose sacrifice is crucial in how God establishes peace on Earth.
Another clever tie-in is the fact that Harry gives Heather jewelry in the form of a pendant. This is a very interesting dynamic, given that God in Revelation essentially gives jewels to His people in the form of New Jerusalem. In chapter 21, it says, “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal” (Revelation 19:10-11, ESV). Guess what color Jasper can be...Yep, red—just like the jewel inside Heather’s locket! The bride (the church) clothes herself in pure linens, but God adorns her with jewels.
Now, earlier I mentioned that Heather did not wear “pure” linens, since she had blood on them and how this actually works in the game’s favor. Remember that Heather is part Alessa, a member of the cult who has done some evil, selfish deeds of her own. She also took Cheryl away from Harry, making him mourn and question whether he could love the baby in his possession. Despite this blemish—this stain—Harry adorns her with jewels, with the love and protection afforded to a daughter, so that she may live, and live without fear. As Paul in the book of Romans puts it, “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree...remember it is not you who support the root but the root that supports you” (Romans 11:17-18, ESV). Heather was grafted into Harry’s family, and is treated faithfully by him to the point of death. And though he died, he supported his beloved daughter by giving the tools and encouragement she needed to fight off anything in her way.
How beautiful!
The Serpent
The other characters in Silent Hill 3 have a parallel as well. In short, they are the enemies of God, who go against his church and exploit their power. Mr. Bauckham calls these opponents of God the “Satanic Trinity,” and they comprise of the Dragon/Serpent, the First Beast, and the Second Beast (Bauckham, 89). Not only do they represent evil, but they also represent Rome and its Imperial Cult, which claimed divinity and told people to believe, worship, and trust in the absolute power of Rome. The Empire deified itself and therefore blasphemed the One and True God in the process; it also persuaded the citizens of the Empire to believe in this “divine” power and spread it around the globe. It is no surprise, then, that a Follower of God would have an issue with this agenda.
The first antagonist that is part of this evil group against the true God is the Dragon or Serpent (interchangeable in Revelation, especially in chapter 12). This Serpent is primeval in nature. In Jewish tradition, it ties in with the book of Genesis, where a serpent tricks Eve into bringing sin into the world (Genesis 3) and also for when it was prophesied that God will defeat him. “In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea” (Isaiah 27:1, ESV).
This primeval evil is a little tricky in Silent Hill 3. I think the best parallel here is actually the split worm boss Heather has to fight at the end of the mall. I think there are some undertones with what the “serpent” represents in Silent Hill 3 (i.e. sexual abuse), but it is still worth mentioning. The evil associated with the split worm might be the root of Claudia’s zeal and the foundation of her evil nightmare. This is tied heavily with “God” and Claudia, so this will be discussed more as we continue. Another reason I am stressing this boss is because it is one of the few non-human enemies faced in the game, and I feel like it plays a part in the final fight.
The First Beast
Another Silent Hill antagonist that parallels part of this Satanic Trinity is...well, “God.” Though we do not see her until the final boss of the game, she is mentioned rather incessantly throughout the playthrough. She is most similar to the First Beast mentioned in Revelation. However, she is not a perfect fit, and there is a good reason why (which we will discuss later...I feel like I’m saying that a lot, haha).
The first beast is one of the symbols John uses for Rome, namely to explain the political and military prowess of the Empire on the Earth. John opposes this not JUST because of Christian persecution, which was merely sporadic and unorganized at this time; state-endorsed persecution would come later. John mainly had a problem with how Rome absolutized its power and prosperity, which was built and maintained on the backs of the Empire’s victims. This kind of exploitation could not continue indefinitely, not while the True, Just God held ultimate authority.
“God” in Silent Hill 3 is similar. She represents the power and the might of the cult in Silent Hill. The cult controlled everything! We see classrooms in the church, books on the subject, members of the hospital influenced by it (even to the point of having its rituals and sacrifices within its very walls), etc. There was power here, and for all intents and purposes, there seemed to be several kinds of exploitation, mainly in the forms of sexual, victimization, and economic.
Silent Hill is not shy about referencing dark themes (could you tell?). It has been noticed by the community that the game has some themes regarding sexual violence and sexual abuse. For instance, sexual sadism can be seen with Stanley Coleman in the hospital, who is ultimately not important to the story, but I dropped his name in my summary above simply because his letters made me more uncomfortable than some of the actual scares). It is also worth mentioning that some of the monsters look like male Gentelia--the most obvious example is the Split Worm boss at the end of the Mall.
For all we know, Heather has not experienced anything like this. She doesn’t seem scared of men at all. She trusts and loves her Dad, she resents Douglas at the beginning of the game but she’s not afraid of him, and she occasionally snapped back at Vincent.
Claudia, on the other hand, is different. We know her father, Leonard, did abuse her and that the two despised each other fiercely. It only makes sense for Claudia to despise men for the pain and suffering inflicted on her and for her to be drawn to a female “God” born of pain and suffering—like her. Hence why I believe the split worm boss might represent the evil at the root of both “God” and Claudia.
Claudia’s Father, Leonard, is one of the main proponents of the church! After all, he is the guardian of the “Seal of Metatron.” Only someone trusted by the cult would protect an ancient, religious relic like that. Despite his status within the church, he used his power mainly for exploitation, mostly towards his own daughter.
Next, the cult thrived off of the victimization of others. Douglas was used (to which he chastises Claudia later in the amusement park about) and Harry Mason was murdered so that “God” would return. Heather feels such pain and loss that she hates Claudia—which Claudia applauds! This “God” could only be born through the pain and suffering, the victimization, of someone else.
You can also see a bit more victimization with what we know of Alessa. She was 14 when the events of Silent Hill 1 took place—when she merged with Cheryl all those years ago. In Silent Hill 3, you find the hospital bed and the room Alessa was confined to when the cult wished her to birth “God.” She was basically a prisoner! Despite being underage, the cult exploited her “destiny” by keeping her locked up until she birthed “God.”
Harry Mason’s letter to Heather also suggests that Alessa’s mother, Dahlia, set her on fire as a sacrifice to “God!” I doubt Alessa had a say in that decision. How brutal! This further shows the lengths the cult will go for its own benefit. The victimization displayed—on the cult’s own family members, no less—is appalling!
As for economic exploitation, we know that Silent Hill was originally a resort town. The money from visitors would fuel the cult. And plus, we know Vincent (who we will discuss in more detail—you guessed it—later!) secretly used funds of the church for his own gain. Plus, the church itself is quite fancy! Though Vincent pocketed some of the funds, the luxury seen in the church shows that the cult was quite prosperous.
Another similarity with the First Beast is that it supposedly died and was resurrected back to life. Specifically, “One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast” (Revelation 13: 3, ESV). The Beast parodies Christ’s death and resurrection to the point where people believe in its false divinity! Many scholars believe John was referencing the Emperor Nero and the “Nero Redivivus” myth that was popular during the time. After Nero’s death, several claimed that either Nero never truly died or Nero had died but was coming back someday to resume his reign.
Silent Hill 3’s “God” follows in the steps of Nero. She was supposedly “killed” in Silent Hill 1, by Harry Mason and the mental fortitude of Alessa and Cheryl. However, Claudia was convinced that “God” would be revived, and rule the world once more! In other words, “God” seemed Christ-like (but is far from it)!
However, it is worth mentioning that “God” in Silent Hill 3 is not completely similar with the First Beast. Specifically, they look nothing alike. “God” in the game is definitely female and looks surprisingly human when you face her! The First Beast in Revelation is not. “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth” (Revelation 13:1-2a, ESV).
So why did Silent Hill 3 make “God” more human in nature? Why is humanity much more significant in Silent Hill than in Revelation?
We will get to that. For now, let us discuss the other characters and their relationship with this “God.”
The Second Beast
The Second Beast in Revelation was, more or less, a parody of a prophet. It was the propaganda machine that spurred the Imperial Cult to spread as far and wide as it did. In John’s words, “It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed” (Revelation 13:12, ESV). This prophet would spread the message of the Beast and would slay any that resisted it. The Second Beast could also summon fire in front of people, as if performing miracles (Revelation 13:13a).
Claudia most resembles this Second Beast. She is a false prophetess of “God,” who will perform acts and do whatever is necessary for “God” to be worshipped and restored to her rule—no matter the cost. We see her kill any who resist her (Harry and Vincent) and is the main one who worships “God.”
Vincent cannot be this Second Beast. He doesn’t really deify “God” in the entire game. He adores her, sure. But “in his own way.” When Heather makes a quip about “God” being the Devil, he quips back by saying, “Whichever you like.” He is not a propaganda machine for the cult, but Claudia is, especially given her pain and suffering growing up; “God” is all she has left.
But the Bible says that the Second Beast could call down fire in front of others. Claudia never does that!
Actually...she kind of does...
At the very end of the game, when Heather pukes out “God,” Claudia swallows the fetus and is sacrificed to bring “God” back to the world. This boss (spawned from Claudia) actually conjures fire and throws it at the player!
The Satanic Trinity
Speaking of this final boss, I am reminded of the Split-worm boss when I face it, since “God” protrudes from the wall like the worm AND crawls around like the worm (very rarely does it stand up straight). To put it in another, more graphic way, the final boss is basically in a sexual position on all fours. I feel like this goes back to the root of this nightmare: the primeval sexual abuse from which all evil in Silent Hill 3 arises. The first boss of the game manifests itself in the final boss!
Therefore, you could say that the final boss is a culmination of the Serpent/Dragon (Split-worm), the First Beast (“God”), and the Second Beast (Claudia). In other words, the final battle is against the entire Satanic Trinity: the aggregation of the primeval source of sin, the power and might of the cult, and the prophetic deification by its prophet.
How cool and climactic is that?!
The Harlot of Babylon
So then what is Vincent’s parallel in Revelation if he is not part of the Satanic Trinity? Well, believe it or not, he is fairly similar to the “Harlot of Babylon” in Chapters 17-18. The harlot “was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations...” (Revelation 17:4, ESV). The great prostitute is marveled at and is highly respected throughout the nations in Revelation, as is Vincent in Silent Hill. True, Vincent—as far as we are aware—did not perform any sexual immorality. He might have. He even admits that he loves the things of this world. Plus, I haven’t seen it, but apparently in the movie adaptation of Silent Hill 3, he was made into a love interest for Heather (even though the movie is apparently garbage, it’s helping my case right now, so I don’t mind stooping to its level). It seems reasonable that the movie saw Vincent’s parallel with the harlot and decided to push it more to the forefront.
Vincent is also dressed in fine clothes throughout the game—not in “gold and jewels and pearls,” but still extremely fine clothes nonetheless! This is because we know he is a lover of money. In fact, we find out in the church that he has been pocketing donations to the church for his own gain. This is very similar to the infamous disciple of Jesus, Judas Iscariot. In the Gospel of John, Mary anoints Jesus with expensive perfume. “But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:4-6, ESV). Vincent may have been a priest for the cult, but he was far from holy. Him parodying both the Harlot of Babylon and Judas Iscariot appears pretty damning.
A Neutral Party
I do want to mention Douglas very quickly, but I do not really see any Biblical parallels with him. I think he is just a bystander who is searching for truth. When the world is run by a Beast who is deified and worshipped as if it is “God,” and it is opposed by the people of the Church through their faithful witness, then Douglas is part of the neutral faction that must decide where his loyalties lie. He was originally used and victimized by the cult and their plans to maintain power. However, after seeing the witness of Heather (and her relationship with her Father), he sees what is really true and ends up defying Claudia, getting injured in the process, and becomes a friend for Heather in a time of need.
The best place to start would be with the town of Silent Hill. To say it is merely “haunted” would be a misnomer. In fact, ghosts do not actually enter the fray until Silent Hill 4. These monsters, though real in the Otherworld, are actually symbolic of the character going through the town. In other words, the town itself looks very different for each person going through it. The town embodies the deepest, darkest fears of a person—often the protagonist of the game.
For you Christians out there, another way to think of this is similar to the gospel of Luke where Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey and is being praised as being the Messiah. The Pharisees (religious leaders) do not like this and say, “’Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out’” (Luke 19:39b-40, ESV).
Silent Hill—in a very demented way—follows this same idea. Each protagonist that has entered Silent Hill bears secrets, regrets, and hidden memories (or shattered memories) that they remain silent on. Because of this, the very “stones” of Silent Hill cry out to the point where the pain, shame, and fear felt by the person manifest into frightening environments and monsters.
Silent Hill 3 shakes up this formula a bit, because Silent Hill 3’s Otherworld is not Heather’s nightmare: it is Claudia’s. Vincent even says this to Claudia in the church. “Isn't this all nothing more than your own personal nightmare?” Heather, Douglas, and Vincent, are simply experiencing someone else’s deepest and darkest fears. This is further cemented that the game starts outside of Silent Hill. When Heather first experiences the Otherworld, she is in the mall, shortly after meeting Claudia. The very “stones” still cry out, but no longer just in Silent Hill! Wherever Claudia goes, the pain, suffering, and fear are personified.
What results is our protagonist walking around a symbolic world, trying to make sense of it. Interestingly enough, the Book of Revelation takes a similar approach.
Apocalypse
The Book of Revelation is quite a unique book even for its time, mainly because it cannot really be put into a single category. In fact, it is three different categories combined (I call that Trinitarian irony, folks). It is an apocalypse, a prophecy, and a letter all in one.
First, it is part of the apocalyptic genre. The ancient Jews had a bit more nuance regarding apocalyptic literature than what we would think of as “apocalypse” today. In his book, Introduction: Towards the Morphology of a Genre, the author J.J. Collins defines an apocalypse as follows:
“a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial, insofar as it involves another, supernatural world” (Collins, 9).
In regards to this definition, the book of Revelation mainly consists of the author, John, being led to the heavenly realms and seeing God’s ultimate purpose for Earth and the impact of that on the present situation. It is heavily symbolic and as Richard Bauckham, author of the book The Theology of the Book of Revelation, would describe it, the book conclusively answers the question, “Who is Lord over the world” (Bauckham, 9)?
This definition of apocalypse fits ANY Silent Hill game wonderfully. Each game—that I have played—has some kind of revelation spurred by the “Otherworld” to a human. For Silent Hill 3, the revelations revolve around who Heather Mason is, her purpose to the Silent Hill cult, and where she belongs. Part of each game’s charm is that this “Otherworld,” this alternative perspective, is both temporal and spatial.
This all being said, there were many ancient apocalypses during the time of John’s. How can I say that Silent Hill focused more on the Christian apocalypse than say the much more common Jewish apocalypses? Good question! John’s apocalypse may follow the general style of other books, but there are a few key differences.
Here are some other ancient apocalypses I am aware of: Apocalypse of Abraham, Apocalypse of Daniel, Apocalypse of Ezra (this one I believe is in Greek, not Hebrew), Apocalypse of Moses, and of course, the Apocalypse of Metatron (sound familiar?).
What you may notice is that many of the people listed are quite famous. They are either “heroes” of the faith, famous prophets, or angels (like Metatron is). Ancient apocalypses often used the perspective of these characters because they were the voices of wisdom from the past and their words would lead the audience into the future. Using these prominent, well-known figures was a way to claim authority in the ancient days. To think of it another way, they are big enough names to get “backstage passes” to see behind the scenes of what was really happening in the world. They had access to these heavenly realms!
John does not do this. Curiously, he uses himself—an exile! He’s essentially a nobody! And no angel is needed to interpret the vision for him. I think the initial idea here is that because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, John’s sins are washed away and he is now allowed into the heavenly throne room of God. He is allowed in not by his own works or who he is, but by the Son of God and His works on Earth.
That said, John does reference many of the famous prophecies and people of the faith. For instance, the book of Ezekiel has a part where the prophet eats a scroll and it is as “sweet as honey” (Ezekiel 2:9-3: 3). John uses this in his prophecy almost verbatim (Revelation 10:8-11). He may be witnessing and recording everything himself, but he is not disregarding everything that came before him in order to paint his own vision. Instead, he uses many things of the past—the visions of many who came before—in his Revelation. This is actually very different from other apocalypses, most of which were self-contained (and brief!).
For John, his Revelation takes place at the end, when the culmination of the whole Judeo-Christian tradition is fulfilled. After all, it was Jesus who said, “’Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished’” (Matthew 5: 17-18, ESV). John simply applies this in his vision.
Silent Hill 3 mimics this style. Heather experiences all of it from her own perspective! None of it is interpreted by an angel, or an otherworldly creature, like Valtiel (he is the humanoid who is seen often right before the landscape changes to the otherworld). She sees this otherworld and has to make sense of it herself, though she is by no means a “hero” of the cult’s faith (Alessa tried to kill “God”...numerous times).
The game further distances itself from the pseudepigraphal nature of old apocalypses with the infamous “Seal of Metatron.” We are told by Vincent that it has ancient power and that it can be used to stop God from awakening. But ultimately, it has no authority. The words, deeds, and power from Metatron, an ancient paragon of the cult, could not bring about Heather’s salvation.
Team Silent also borrows heavily from both of their prior games. Many of the characters and ideals return from the first game (so I am told, anyway), and several of the environments—along with a few nods—are from the second game. One of the complaints I read about Silent Hill 3 is that many are confused why the game used the Brookhaven hospital from Silent Hill 2 and not the Alchemilla Hospital in Silent Hill 1. Another complaint is why Heather can go into Heaven’s Night (a gentlemen’s club prominent in Silent Hill 2) when there is really nothing there. Based on what I know, this is perhaps so the game has elements of both predecessors. In other words, this is not Heather’s stand-alone vision, it is the culmination of the visions of those who came before, much like John’s Revelation. This can also apply to the fact that Heather is also Alessa and Cheryl, and that the game is a culmination of all of their lives.
Another difference between other apocalypses and John’s apocalypse in Revelation is its exclusivity in dealing with what is called eschatology, or the study of end times (namely salvation and judgment on Earth). Other apocalypses dealt with end times, but they were more focused on the heavenly realm, not the earthly realm. They saw and described the ideal future in another plane of existence.
In Revelation though, the author’s main focus is, as mentioned, to answer the question, “Who is Lord over this world?” It is from this question where John dives into the end-times to answer who ultimately wins the fight of good versus evil on Earth. He does this to show the overall impact of the present situation experienced by the original readers in the grand scheme of God’s plan (i.e. the seven churches and their respective struggles mentioned in the beginning of the book in ch. 1-3).
As discussed above, John also liked to borrow from history and past traditions, not just from prophecies or ancient law. Remember, his revelation is the culmination of all things. Therefore, he references much of Judeo-Christian doctrine throughout. In particular, he focuses a decent amount of time referencing the very beginning of time: Genesis, the Judeo-Christian creation story. God the Creator is the same as he was then, as he is now, and as he will be forever. “The One who is and who was and who is to come” (appears five times in Revelation with some variation when describing God; 1:4, 1:8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5). John’s point is that creation of the world, redemption of the world, and the eschatology of the world are all interconnected. The point of redemption and eschatology (in Christ) is to return creation to God’s original design and intention.
Another way John does this is with New Jerusalem. Once God has won, John is carried away “in the Spirit to a great high mountain, and showed [John] the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:10, ESV). This is very reminiscent of Jewish thought where God often met humans on mountains (such as Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 and the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 40). To have God’s final dwelling place amongst humans be on a mountain is logical based on past Jewish traditions.
Silent Hill 3 follows this text on a couple fronts. First off, it should come as no surprise that the game focuses on end times (duh). The cult’s eschatology is front and center for the entire game. What is interesting about the eschatology is that the “Eternal Paradise” sought after by Claudia is not in the “Otherworld.” It would manifest in the town of Silent Hill—in our earthly realm.
Second, Silent Hill 3 dives deep into the cult’s creation story. In fact, in the game, the church’s stained glass recounts the entirety of creation. We see what the world was “in the beginning” and who “God” was during that time. Claudia’s goal is to return to that paradise with “God.” Her quest is linked closely with the past (including her own past)—all the way to the beginning of time!
And third, Silent Hill was entirely run by the cult, so it is no surprise that its presence is felt all around the city. I do find it interesting that in the amusement park, the main roller coaster is called “The Mountain.” Though not much evidence outside of the coaster’s name, I still feel like it parallels the old Jewish tradition of where “God” would descend to dwell with mankind. After all, if Silent Hill is to be the site of “Eternal Paradise” and the cult’s religion borrowed from Christianity, it makes sense that they would want a mountain for “God” to descend on, let alone have the mountain close to their place of worship (the church).
There is one other point I wish to bring up despite being fairly minor. It is worth mentioning one interesting parallel I noticed within the music. In particular, the song “Rain of Brass Petals (Three Voices Edit)” has lyrics sung by three people (or one person doing three different voices; I cannot truly tell). Each of the three verses begin as follows: “I am the first”, “I am the second”, “I am the third.”
In the book of Revelation, God does not speak much. But when he does, he makes two very important self-declarations at the beginning of his dialogue, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (some variation; 1:8, 21:6). Christ also follows these declarations with his own. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (some variation; 1:17, 22:13).
Do you see the resemblance? Both the song and Revelation follow a similar pattern at the beginning before more is said. Furthermore, the song—very cryptically—covers the completeness of some stages. Whether it is stages through life or through power I am not completely sure (it’s a very weird song, to be frank). Still it follows the same theme of completeness. From thief to king; from young to old; from animalistic to transcendence; from beginning to end, etc. The song covers a complete spectrum, very much like God and Christ.
Prophecy
The second category Revelation follows is that of prophecy. There’s quite a bit of similarities between the genres of prophecy and apocalypse. The main difference is that prophecies are supposed to be kept and obeyed by people, since it gives either admonition or encouragement of helping fulfill God’s will. If anything, the book of Revelation is what is called a “Prophetic apocalypse."
Prophecies can take two main forms: oracle (words usually given by a divine person during a worship meeting) and vision (paints a picture of something or someone’s trajectory). John technically does both, but he leans very heavily on using vision for most of his Revelation. He does still use oracles, though. For instance, the book of Revelation gives oracles against the city of Babylon (18:1-19:8), an earthly city that rejects God and His rule (often interpreted to be Rome). What is interesting is that John parrots ALL oracles against Babylon in the Old Testament—writings that would easily be hundreds of years old! To not miss a single oracle in the Old Testament is incredible and shows how well-learned the man is, especially in the day and age this was written!
Please note that Biblical prophecy is much more than merely prediction, or as Mr. Bauckham would say it, “it does not predict a sequence of events as though it were history written in advance” (Bauckham, 150). Instead, there are three elements needed in prophecy. The first is discernment, which requires insight into God’s plan and purpose for a contemporary situation. The second is some kind of prediction. For God to be glorified, what MUST take place? The final element is a response from the readers. All prophecies leave room for human freedom and participation. Many biblical prophecies, especially those that condemn something or threaten God’s wrath, often have some type of clause that mentions this will not come to pass if the reader or intended audience repents and turns back to God’s plan.
Now, I don’t really think Silent Hill goes into as much detail for prophecy as it did for apocalypse, but it is still very much present! Remember the very beginning of the game? It starts out with Heather dreaming of the amusement park and some of the events there. In other words, she prophesied! I find it interesting that they used prophecy for an introduction to hook the player into the game. Heather also responds to this prophecy later and alters her fate by surviving the runaway roller coaster.
Unfortunately, that is most of the prophecy we really get from Heather. She’s so blinded by revenge later in the game that she doesn’t really have discernment or any other predictions. But you can find older journals and things written by Heather at a younger age that suggest she has dreams where she had a different name and did things that actually happened. Not to mention that several characters say that Heather has “powers,” so the developers still accented her ability here and there.
Claudia uses prophecy, but she does not have the ability to prophesy. In fact, Claudia follows two of the three elements of Biblical prophecy. First, she has discernment for why people need “God” and her eternal paradise. She sees her own life and the depravity elsewhere and sees the need for more than just what this world has to offer. For example, very late in the game, you find Claudia’s diary when she was young and the November 16 entry says the following:
“I was free all day, so I read ‘A Modern History of Refugees’ and ‘Young Slave: Child Exploitation.’ I don’t want to be a mere bystander in this world. I can’t do anything now, though, and that’s what’s hard.”
Next, Claudia follows the element of prediction from Biblical prophecy. Prediction asks what MUST take place for God to be glorified. Since she cannot prophesy herself, Claudia does whatever is in her power to glorify and bring back “God.” For example, she believes that in order for “Eternal Paradise” to be achieved, then “God” needs to come back. For “God” to come back, then the mother of “God” (i.e. Heather) needs to birth God out of pure hatred. Hence, she kills Heather’s beloved Father.
So through discernment and prediction, Claudia acts like a prophetess despite never showing the audience that she has the ability (whereas Heather does). The problem is that Claudia leaves no room for a response from Heather or anyone else. She takes charge of everything. It’s almost as if she believes that without her, “God” has no power and cannot return... We’ll come back to this point, as I think this is one of the main themes Silent Hill wishes to address regarding religion.
Another point to mention about prophecies is the result of them. Many prophecies in the Bible have come true, such as the restoration of Israel after the Babylonian exile. Israel was eventually restored, but “New Jerusalem” did not turn out as glorious as the prophets said. Though these prophecies and the prophets that told of them were vindicated, they were never completely and totally fulfilled. Instead of criticizing prophets for not being completely accurate (as they would be today), it actually gave the prophecies more longevity; a hope emerged from both the contemporaries and the generations after that more was coming. This is why the prophecies written in the Bible (namely in the Old Testament) are still considered applicable. Is the city of Babylon still around? No, but the prophecy against it both was vindicated in its contemporary day as well as provided a backdrop for John to use against Rome in Revelation.
As Mr. Bauckham would describe it, “It seems to be intrinsic to the biblical prophetic tradition of perceiving God’s will for the immediate situation in terms of his ultimate purposes of righteousness and grace for his whole creation. That it was a non-problematic feature of the tradition is shown by the way such prophecy was not rejected as false but taken up into the tradition of Jewish and Christian hope. Fulfillments of prophecy were real and recognized, but fell short of the eschatological excess of expectation which the prophecies raised and which could be satisfied only by God’s final victory over all evil” (Bauckham, 154).
This feeling of imminence of the prophecy and—simultaneously—delay of the prophecy is key. Christians say this all the time. The Kingdom of God is here among us but is also coming soon. This is the victory of Christ. His sacrifice beat death and defeated evil once and for all; evil’s fate is sealed. But evil still happens in the world. God is patient and gracious to allow for repentance. He will eventually judge evil in totality. The end is coming, but it is not here yet.
This prophetic theme is, as you have probably come to expect, a part of Silent Hill as well. We see this in the conflict between Vincent and Claudia. Claudia desperately wants to end evil, so much so that she will do whatever it takes (including performing her own evil acts) to bring it about today—as soon as possible. She wants “God’s" return imminent.
Vincent, however, is the opposite. He purposefully manipulates Heather and Douglas to try and delay the coming of God. Why? He likes it here. He likes the world. He adores “God” but does not want her to come...yet.
Imminence and delay, personified.
Letter
Finally, the last category utilized in Revelation is that of letter. A letter has a clearly defined audience (but those outside of the intended audience can still get value). John was specifically talking to the seven churches mentioned at the very beginning of the book. It is generally accepted that the book of Revelation was intended to be a circular letter, meaning it would pass from congregation to congregation. Each church mentioned is facing different problems and John speaks to them as if he knows each of them well. The vision in the rest of the book, therefore, is essentially a unified vision from seven different perspectives.
In terms of Silent Hill 3, there are LOTS of letters in the game. Some are for Heather (usually from her Father Harry, or... Stanley Coleman...yuck), and some aren’t, but Heather reads them anyway. I know having letters and notes lying around are commonplace for a Silent Hill game, but it seemed like there were much more letters in Silent Hill 3 than in Silent Hill 2 (I’m not quite sure about Silent Hill 4; there were quite a few notes, but they weren’t really letters. They were more like investigative notes and diary entries than letters to other people).
On top of all the letters, the game does have some different perspectives, despite following Heather almost exclusively. All of the locations visited are a bit strange on their own. They don’t seem to mean anything to Heather (except her apartment and the church). They also do not seem to mean anything to Claudia either—and she is the one who brings the Otherworld and turns these locales into nightmares! So then what are they for?
I believe they are symbolic. If we list out the main areas, we can see a bit of a pattern. These areas include the shopping mall, the subway, the office/construction site, Heather’s apartment, the hospital, the amusement park, and the church/school. Notice anything? I think these locations are each supposed to represent the meaning of life, depending on one’s perspective. Let me put it another way: shopping mall (consumerism and having stuff), subway (travel), office/construction site (white- and blue-collar work), Heather’s apartment (family), hospital (health), amusement park (fun and thrill), and church/classroom (religion and education).
I believe that the game looks at seven-ish main perspectives for the meaning of life and turns them all into nightmares—into one unified vision showing when good things morph into something twisted.
Truth and Lies
One of the most important themes of the book of Revelation is that of the truth. Jesus famously said that he was “’The way, the truth, and the life’” (John 14: 6a, ESV). In the book of Psalms (89:36-37, ESV), the psalmist says that “[King David’s] offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Truth is not an opinion or a personal preference. It is real and authentic, constant and integral. To be a proponent of truth is to be a “faithful witness.” Revelation dives into truth and lies constantly in its text. The church has the truth in Christ and that truth is seen in the heavenly realm. The truth naturally exposes the lies and false worship surrounding them. Therefore, they must witness to the world, even to the point of death (because truth is worth dying for).
The lies stem from “The Beasts” (which we will discuss later), from the evil powers of the world that deify the world and try to take the place of God. They lie to its citizens for power, wealth, and loyalty, and occasionally even resort to killing members of the church (i.e. truthbearers) in order to maintain the status quo.
The theme of truth and lies is a bit more hidden in this Silent Hill game, but it is still very much prevalent. Not only are you trying to uncover the truth about the cult and who Heather is, but you also have characters like Douglas, a detective who excels at uncovering the truth (that’s his job, after all). We will discuss the symbolism of each character a bit more later on.
In the bookstore, there is a puzzle with books on Shakespeare. You also find this on the door to the exit:
“Here is a tragedy—art thou player or audience? Be that as it may, the end doth remain: all go on only toward death. The first words at thy left hand: a false lunacy, a madly dancing man. Hearing unhearable words, drawn to a beloved’s grave—and there, mayhap, true madness at last. As did this one, playing at death, find true death at the last. Killing a nameless lover, she pierced a heart rent by sorrow. Doth lie invite truth? Doth verity but wear the mask of falsehood? Ah, thou pitiful, thou miserable ones! Still amidst lies, though the end cometh not, wherefore yearn for death? Wilt thou attend to thy beloved? Truth and lies, life and death: a game of turning white to black and black to white. Is not a silence brimming with love more precious than flattery? A peaceful slumber preferred to a throne besmirched with blood? One vengeful man spilled blood for two; Two youths shed tears for three; Three witches disappeared thusly; And only the four keys remain. Ah, but verily...in here is a tragedy—art thou player or audience? There is nothing which cannot become a puppet of fate or an onlooker peering into the cage.”
In all honesty, there is probably several things you can analyze here (such as it being a basic parallel for the plot of the game...prophecy, perhaps??), but I am mainly concerned about how it stresses truth and lies. Not only does it create a dichotomy between the two, but it also suggests that the lies have a “throne” and is powerful, but eventually leads the person to madness.
Another place truth is stressed—namely God-given truth—is in the fairy tale and the monster blocking Heather’s path. In the fairy tale, the priestess is summoned to take care of the monster and pleads with him. “It’s wrong to eat people, you know,” she says before she is eaten. She tries to use advice to no avail. Granted, the advice is very much true, yet it seemingly has no effect. However, in the fairy tale, God took pity on the mourning town and resurrected her. This time, the priestess went back to the beast and spoke to it, “Tu Fui, Ego Eris,” which means something like “As you are, I was; as I am, so you shall also be.” This kills the beast for good! What was different?
This is very much up to interpretation. My personal inference deals with this theme of truth—namely, God’s truth. The difference between the moral advice that gets the priestess eaten alive and the Latin spell that actually defeats the monster is that God is now in the picture. What you see is a priestess, who seemingly lost the battle with the monster, getting resurrected by God. It was God’s decision, not actually the Priestess who did anything. She is solely living on God’s providence—nothing else. Therefore, I believe that the spell the priestess uses against the monster simply puts the monster under God’s judgment. It is up to God what will happen to the beast. To put it another way, “As you are [alive], I was [alive]; as I am [dead], so you shall also be [dead].” At first, the village thought the monster had won, but God, who ultimately rules this world, has the final say. His truth not only brings his “faithful witness” back, but also slays the beast and reminds the town "who is Lord over the world.”
This fairy tale is actually very similar to the church and its martyrs against the might of the First Beast. In John’s Revelation, the church is constantly struggling with the principalities and powers of the world. An evil beast takes on the false image of God and makes people worship it. “Also, it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them, and authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation” (Revelation 13:7, ESV). Yet later on in Revelation, John says, “And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands” (Revelation 15:2, ESV).
Wait...Both the Beast and the martyrs “conquer” each other? Then who wins? I love how Richard Bauckham addresses it:
“That it can put the Christian martyrs to death apparently with impunity seems the final proof of the invincible, godlike might of the beast. In the judicial contest as to who is the true God—the beast or the one to whom the martyrs witness—it seems the verdict is clear: the evidence of the martyrs has been refuted...What was the point of resisting the beast when he was proving irresistible? But John’s message is that from the heavenly perspective things look quite different. The martyrs are the real victors. To be faithful in witness to the true God even to the point of death is not to become a victim of the beast, but to take the field against him and win. But only in a vision of heaven (7:9-14; 15:2-3) or a voice from heaven (11:12; 14:2) can the martyrs be recognized as victors” (Bauckham, 90-91).
This is what we see in the fairy tale. The monster wins until God intervenes. And it is only through God that the priestess lives again and that the monster stays dead. The priestess can only be “recognized” as a victor through “a voice from heaven” (God in the fairy tale). This is the truth of the world—both from John’s perspective and from the fairy tale’s perspective.
And finally, another small ode to the theme of truth and lies involves Heather’s old sketchbook at the end of the game, which says, “I had a dream. In my dream, I opened a door. But was that really me? I had a different name. 5 are true and 4 are lies—and there are some fibs mixed in with the truth. That’s ‘cause it’s scary to write only the truth. But dreams...dreams are like lies, after all” (not your dreams, prophetess, haha). Again, we see the conflict of truth and lies and how pleasant lies can really be. The game, like the book of Revelation, persists of an underlying theme of truth and lies and the importance and danger of each, respectively.
God and His Saints
One of the other ways Silent Hill 3 matches the book of Revelation is with the characters in the story. The game’s cast follows very closely with the most prominent figures in Revelation. That being said, it also takes a bit from the rest of the Bible as well, so we will partly expand our area of focus a bit.
The first character we need to naturally start off with is our lovely main protagonist, Heather Mason/Cheryl Mason/Alessa Gilesspie, who parallels—ironically—three separate characters in the Bible. As previously discussed, she is most like the author, John, since she experiences the vision firsthand and not through a mediator like in other apocalypses.
She is also like the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who immaculately conceived the Son of God (the good ol’ Christmas story). I say this because Heather must’ve immaculately conceived “God.” Throughout the entire game, she didn’t seem to have any boyfriend or love interest. She meets Claudia in a hallway, gets a headache, and BAM! She has a baby in her womb.
The final character (or institution, rather) that Heather seems to represent is that of the Church in Revelation. If Harry Mason (who we will discuss) gave Heather all the tools needed, then she plays a part in defeating evil. She has complete independence, but still follows the will of her Father throughout the game. As Mr. Bauckham says, “God’s rule does not contradict human freedom, as the coercive tyranny of the beast does, but finds its fulfillment in the participation of people in God’s rule: that is, in the coincidence of theonomy and autonomy” (Bauckham, 164).
To put it another way, the church in Revelation is often compared to a bride being made ready for her wedding day. “’Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure’--for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8, ESV).
Heather follows this—to an extent. She does not have any dark clothing on. Her entire person is clothed in bright colors—even her hair, which is blonde in the game (her original color is brunette). She does deviate a little from this given the fact that what she wears is not pure. When her Father is murdered, some blood gets on her white blouse and she has no interest to remove it, staining her for the rest of the game. I actually really like this change, which shows a beautiful (still Christian) picture of the relationship between Harry and Heather.
So let’s discuss Harry now. We know from the game that Harry is religious. In his letter to Heather after he died (written out above), he and his wife “thanked God” for finding Cheryl on the side of the road. Also, when still in the apartment, if you go over to the phone, Heather will say, “I can’t reach anybody. Not the police or the church.” Why would you mention the church if it wasn’t a special place for her Father? Further cementing this notion is the end credits screen where it shows Heather giving respects to his grave, which is in the shape of a cross.
Because of this, Harry is probably the closest image to God we get in the entire game! He’s loving, graceful, and quiet (God only speaks twice in the entirety of Revelation; Harry doesn’t speak at all). Sure, Mr. Mason is killed halfway through the story, but his person and deeds both play a vital role and are remembered for the rest of the game. This is similar to that of Christ, whose sacrifice is crucial in how God establishes peace on Earth.
Another clever tie-in is the fact that Harry gives Heather jewelry in the form of a pendant. This is a very interesting dynamic, given that God in Revelation essentially gives jewels to His people in the form of New Jerusalem. In chapter 21, it says, “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal” (Revelation 19:10-11, ESV). Guess what color Jasper can be...Yep, red—just like the jewel inside Heather’s locket! The bride (the church) clothes herself in pure linens, but God adorns her with jewels.
Now, earlier I mentioned that Heather did not wear “pure” linens, since she had blood on them and how this actually works in the game’s favor. Remember that Heather is part Alessa, a member of the cult who has done some evil, selfish deeds of her own. She also took Cheryl away from Harry, making him mourn and question whether he could love the baby in his possession. Despite this blemish—this stain—Harry adorns her with jewels, with the love and protection afforded to a daughter, so that she may live, and live without fear. As Paul in the book of Romans puts it, “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree...remember it is not you who support the root but the root that supports you” (Romans 11:17-18, ESV). Heather was grafted into Harry’s family, and is treated faithfully by him to the point of death. And though he died, he supported his beloved daughter by giving the tools and encouragement she needed to fight off anything in her way.
How beautiful!
The Serpent
The other characters in Silent Hill 3 have a parallel as well. In short, they are the enemies of God, who go against his church and exploit their power. Mr. Bauckham calls these opponents of God the “Satanic Trinity,” and they comprise of the Dragon/Serpent, the First Beast, and the Second Beast (Bauckham, 89). Not only do they represent evil, but they also represent Rome and its Imperial Cult, which claimed divinity and told people to believe, worship, and trust in the absolute power of Rome. The Empire deified itself and therefore blasphemed the One and True God in the process; it also persuaded the citizens of the Empire to believe in this “divine” power and spread it around the globe. It is no surprise, then, that a Follower of God would have an issue with this agenda.
The first antagonist that is part of this evil group against the true God is the Dragon or Serpent (interchangeable in Revelation, especially in chapter 12). This Serpent is primeval in nature. In Jewish tradition, it ties in with the book of Genesis, where a serpent tricks Eve into bringing sin into the world (Genesis 3) and also for when it was prophesied that God will defeat him. “In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea” (Isaiah 27:1, ESV).
This primeval evil is a little tricky in Silent Hill 3. I think the best parallel here is actually the split worm boss Heather has to fight at the end of the mall. I think there are some undertones with what the “serpent” represents in Silent Hill 3 (i.e. sexual abuse), but it is still worth mentioning. The evil associated with the split worm might be the root of Claudia’s zeal and the foundation of her evil nightmare. This is tied heavily with “God” and Claudia, so this will be discussed more as we continue. Another reason I am stressing this boss is because it is one of the few non-human enemies faced in the game, and I feel like it plays a part in the final fight.
The First Beast
Another Silent Hill antagonist that parallels part of this Satanic Trinity is...well, “God.” Though we do not see her until the final boss of the game, she is mentioned rather incessantly throughout the playthrough. She is most similar to the First Beast mentioned in Revelation. However, she is not a perfect fit, and there is a good reason why (which we will discuss later...I feel like I’m saying that a lot, haha).
The first beast is one of the symbols John uses for Rome, namely to explain the political and military prowess of the Empire on the Earth. John opposes this not JUST because of Christian persecution, which was merely sporadic and unorganized at this time; state-endorsed persecution would come later. John mainly had a problem with how Rome absolutized its power and prosperity, which was built and maintained on the backs of the Empire’s victims. This kind of exploitation could not continue indefinitely, not while the True, Just God held ultimate authority.
“God” in Silent Hill 3 is similar. She represents the power and the might of the cult in Silent Hill. The cult controlled everything! We see classrooms in the church, books on the subject, members of the hospital influenced by it (even to the point of having its rituals and sacrifices within its very walls), etc. There was power here, and for all intents and purposes, there seemed to be several kinds of exploitation, mainly in the forms of sexual, victimization, and economic.
Silent Hill is not shy about referencing dark themes (could you tell?). It has been noticed by the community that the game has some themes regarding sexual violence and sexual abuse. For instance, sexual sadism can be seen with Stanley Coleman in the hospital, who is ultimately not important to the story, but I dropped his name in my summary above simply because his letters made me more uncomfortable than some of the actual scares). It is also worth mentioning that some of the monsters look like male Gentelia--the most obvious example is the Split Worm boss at the end of the Mall.
For all we know, Heather has not experienced anything like this. She doesn’t seem scared of men at all. She trusts and loves her Dad, she resents Douglas at the beginning of the game but she’s not afraid of him, and she occasionally snapped back at Vincent.
Claudia, on the other hand, is different. We know her father, Leonard, did abuse her and that the two despised each other fiercely. It only makes sense for Claudia to despise men for the pain and suffering inflicted on her and for her to be drawn to a female “God” born of pain and suffering—like her. Hence why I believe the split worm boss might represent the evil at the root of both “God” and Claudia.
Claudia’s Father, Leonard, is one of the main proponents of the church! After all, he is the guardian of the “Seal of Metatron.” Only someone trusted by the cult would protect an ancient, religious relic like that. Despite his status within the church, he used his power mainly for exploitation, mostly towards his own daughter.
Next, the cult thrived off of the victimization of others. Douglas was used (to which he chastises Claudia later in the amusement park about) and Harry Mason was murdered so that “God” would return. Heather feels such pain and loss that she hates Claudia—which Claudia applauds! This “God” could only be born through the pain and suffering, the victimization, of someone else.
You can also see a bit more victimization with what we know of Alessa. She was 14 when the events of Silent Hill 1 took place—when she merged with Cheryl all those years ago. In Silent Hill 3, you find the hospital bed and the room Alessa was confined to when the cult wished her to birth “God.” She was basically a prisoner! Despite being underage, the cult exploited her “destiny” by keeping her locked up until she birthed “God.”
Harry Mason’s letter to Heather also suggests that Alessa’s mother, Dahlia, set her on fire as a sacrifice to “God!” I doubt Alessa had a say in that decision. How brutal! This further shows the lengths the cult will go for its own benefit. The victimization displayed—on the cult’s own family members, no less—is appalling!
As for economic exploitation, we know that Silent Hill was originally a resort town. The money from visitors would fuel the cult. And plus, we know Vincent (who we will discuss in more detail—you guessed it—later!) secretly used funds of the church for his own gain. Plus, the church itself is quite fancy! Though Vincent pocketed some of the funds, the luxury seen in the church shows that the cult was quite prosperous.
Another similarity with the First Beast is that it supposedly died and was resurrected back to life. Specifically, “One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast” (Revelation 13: 3, ESV). The Beast parodies Christ’s death and resurrection to the point where people believe in its false divinity! Many scholars believe John was referencing the Emperor Nero and the “Nero Redivivus” myth that was popular during the time. After Nero’s death, several claimed that either Nero never truly died or Nero had died but was coming back someday to resume his reign.
Silent Hill 3’s “God” follows in the steps of Nero. She was supposedly “killed” in Silent Hill 1, by Harry Mason and the mental fortitude of Alessa and Cheryl. However, Claudia was convinced that “God” would be revived, and rule the world once more! In other words, “God” seemed Christ-like (but is far from it)!
However, it is worth mentioning that “God” in Silent Hill 3 is not completely similar with the First Beast. Specifically, they look nothing alike. “God” in the game is definitely female and looks surprisingly human when you face her! The First Beast in Revelation is not. “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth” (Revelation 13:1-2a, ESV).
So why did Silent Hill 3 make “God” more human in nature? Why is humanity much more significant in Silent Hill than in Revelation?
We will get to that. For now, let us discuss the other characters and their relationship with this “God.”
The Second Beast
The Second Beast in Revelation was, more or less, a parody of a prophet. It was the propaganda machine that spurred the Imperial Cult to spread as far and wide as it did. In John’s words, “It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed” (Revelation 13:12, ESV). This prophet would spread the message of the Beast and would slay any that resisted it. The Second Beast could also summon fire in front of people, as if performing miracles (Revelation 13:13a).
Claudia most resembles this Second Beast. She is a false prophetess of “God,” who will perform acts and do whatever is necessary for “God” to be worshipped and restored to her rule—no matter the cost. We see her kill any who resist her (Harry and Vincent) and is the main one who worships “God.”
Vincent cannot be this Second Beast. He doesn’t really deify “God” in the entire game. He adores her, sure. But “in his own way.” When Heather makes a quip about “God” being the Devil, he quips back by saying, “Whichever you like.” He is not a propaganda machine for the cult, but Claudia is, especially given her pain and suffering growing up; “God” is all she has left.
But the Bible says that the Second Beast could call down fire in front of others. Claudia never does that!
Actually...she kind of does...
At the very end of the game, when Heather pukes out “God,” Claudia swallows the fetus and is sacrificed to bring “God” back to the world. This boss (spawned from Claudia) actually conjures fire and throws it at the player!
The Satanic Trinity
Speaking of this final boss, I am reminded of the Split-worm boss when I face it, since “God” protrudes from the wall like the worm AND crawls around like the worm (very rarely does it stand up straight). To put it in another, more graphic way, the final boss is basically in a sexual position on all fours. I feel like this goes back to the root of this nightmare: the primeval sexual abuse from which all evil in Silent Hill 3 arises. The first boss of the game manifests itself in the final boss!
Therefore, you could say that the final boss is a culmination of the Serpent/Dragon (Split-worm), the First Beast (“God”), and the Second Beast (Claudia). In other words, the final battle is against the entire Satanic Trinity: the aggregation of the primeval source of sin, the power and might of the cult, and the prophetic deification by its prophet.
How cool and climactic is that?!
The Harlot of Babylon
So then what is Vincent’s parallel in Revelation if he is not part of the Satanic Trinity? Well, believe it or not, he is fairly similar to the “Harlot of Babylon” in Chapters 17-18. The harlot “was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations...” (Revelation 17:4, ESV). The great prostitute is marveled at and is highly respected throughout the nations in Revelation, as is Vincent in Silent Hill. True, Vincent—as far as we are aware—did not perform any sexual immorality. He might have. He even admits that he loves the things of this world. Plus, I haven’t seen it, but apparently in the movie adaptation of Silent Hill 3, he was made into a love interest for Heather (even though the movie is apparently garbage, it’s helping my case right now, so I don’t mind stooping to its level). It seems reasonable that the movie saw Vincent’s parallel with the harlot and decided to push it more to the forefront.
Vincent is also dressed in fine clothes throughout the game—not in “gold and jewels and pearls,” but still extremely fine clothes nonetheless! This is because we know he is a lover of money. In fact, we find out in the church that he has been pocketing donations to the church for his own gain. This is very similar to the infamous disciple of Jesus, Judas Iscariot. In the Gospel of John, Mary anoints Jesus with expensive perfume. “But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:4-6, ESV). Vincent may have been a priest for the cult, but he was far from holy. Him parodying both the Harlot of Babylon and Judas Iscariot appears pretty damning.
A Neutral Party
I do want to mention Douglas very quickly, but I do not really see any Biblical parallels with him. I think he is just a bystander who is searching for truth. When the world is run by a Beast who is deified and worshipped as if it is “God,” and it is opposed by the people of the Church through their faithful witness, then Douglas is part of the neutral faction that must decide where his loyalties lie. He was originally used and victimized by the cult and their plans to maintain power. However, after seeing the witness of Heather (and her relationship with her Father), he sees what is really true and ends up defying Claudia, getting injured in the process, and becomes a friend for Heather in a time of need.
What is Silent Hill 3 Trying to Say?
Humanity’s Significance
Phew! That feels like a lot of parallels! There’s probably a few things I missed as well! But is there a point to all of this? Did Team Silent simply use their creativity to mimic some of the facets within Revelation just because they thought it would be cool? Are they critiquing the Bible? Are they parodying it in an insulting manner? Is this game truly “anti-theistic” as that Gamefaqs article thought?
The last point I wish to make is the role and expectation of humanity in both Silent Hill and Revelation. In Silent Hill 3, almost all of the monsters are human-like. “God” herself is in the image of Mankind. Leonard, the missionary, etc. all focus on mankind. You could even say that the creatures of Silent Hill are mostly “anthropomorphic,” meaning that most have human traits or features attached to them. This is mentioned in the “Making of Silent Hill 3” video on YouTube, where the team talks about how they “refused to use elements too far removed from a human being” (about 16:24 timestamp, in video below).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiH4wOkSzGs
Revelation, surprisingly, is the complete opposite. When John enters the Heavenly Throne Room of God, most of the creatures do not have human characteristics. In fact, of the four living creatures near the throne of God, only one of them has the face of a man (Revelation 4:6b-8). Remember what John is opposing: absolutizing human rule and deifying human power (like Rome tried to do). So it is logical, then, that John would refuse to anthropomorphize the Heavenly Realm to look anything like what we have here on Earth! God himself speaks, but he is never described in human terms in the book. Humanity does not reign, God does!
It is this key difference between Revelation and Silent Hill 3 that I think refutes the idea that the game is “anti-theistic.” The game still critiques religion, but in my opinion, it critiques religion when mankind—yourself—is above all else.
All members of the Silent Hill cult place so much importance on themselves. Claudia, Vincent, Leonard, even Alessa (who even comes back to kill...herself). It is selfishness disguised as selflessness in a religious context. We see this most with Claudia. She claims to be doing the “will of God,” but she has taken it upon herself to find Heather, make sure she births God (by filling her up with hatred after killing her Father), and kills Vincent because he opposed her (saying he’ll “go to hell”). She admits her heinous acts and that she will go to hell as well, but she doesn’t really apologize for any of it. She feels remorse for the pain she has caused, but even in the confessional booth, her prayer is about easing her pain, not about repentance and reconciliation with Heather (assuming that is Claudia; if it is Dahlia, then this point still applies). The prayer is all about her still!
This attitude, I feel, is “Anti-Christ.”
When Jesus was on Earth, despite being God’s only begotten Son, he thought of others, to the point of death. He had a mission, a destiny that would be talked about for ages to come and forevermore! Yet he didn’t force it. At several points in his ministry, he specifically states things like “’My hour has not yet come’” (John 2:4, ESV).
He is truly patient, he is truly selfless, and to top it all off, he doesn’t get illusions of grandeur! In John 16:7, Jesus himself admits that, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the [Holy Spirit] will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (ESV). Jesus’ role on Earth (as both High Priest and Sacrificial Lamb) is the biggest destiny a human could ever fulfill. Yet this doesn’t go to his head! He still says that another is coming after him, and that this “Helper” would be better than he is!
I cannot speak for other Christians, but I find that I constantly have illusions of grandeur. My faith in Christ is the best thing to ever happen to me...but I am NOT the best thing to happen to my faith. And the times when I tend to hurt people the most are when I try to take control or don’t trust God enough, believing my actions are for “the good of the faith.”
This attitude, I feel, is “Anti-Christ.”
And it is this attitude, in my opinion, that makes my faith frightening and horrifying for others. They don’t see God; they see me in power. Gandhi once said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.” When I am tantamount with God is when I truly become a monster.
Ultimately, I am not needed. God loves me enough to die for me and wash away my sins. He loves me enough to allow me to participate in bringing his Kingdom on Earth. He lets me share His grace His kindness, and even His sacrifice with others in ways I never thought possible, such as making this blog. And yet, I am not “needed.” God’s kingdom will come—with or without me. But he wants me nonetheless!
And God wants you as well! Trust me, if I’m allowed to be forgiven, then you can be too. If you have ever been hurt by us Christians (to where perhaps you are one of those who call us "monsters”), please allow me to say that I am truly sorry. Please forgive us for being “Anti-Christ”. We are depraved to our core, and being forgiven does not excuse how we trampled over you and exploited you. You are wanted; you are loved.
You don’t need my charity—something that ultimately won’t fill your heart.
But one drop of love from Him leads your heart to ecstasy. You need a miracle from He who is seated on the throne—the only love that can truly fill your heart.
A love that can dry your tears...
As pain disappears...
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’” (Revelation 21: 3-5a, ESV).
“No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in [New Jerusalem], and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever (Revelation 22: 3-5, ESV).
Phew! That feels like a lot of parallels! There’s probably a few things I missed as well! But is there a point to all of this? Did Team Silent simply use their creativity to mimic some of the facets within Revelation just because they thought it would be cool? Are they critiquing the Bible? Are they parodying it in an insulting manner? Is this game truly “anti-theistic” as that Gamefaqs article thought?
The last point I wish to make is the role and expectation of humanity in both Silent Hill and Revelation. In Silent Hill 3, almost all of the monsters are human-like. “God” herself is in the image of Mankind. Leonard, the missionary, etc. all focus on mankind. You could even say that the creatures of Silent Hill are mostly “anthropomorphic,” meaning that most have human traits or features attached to them. This is mentioned in the “Making of Silent Hill 3” video on YouTube, where the team talks about how they “refused to use elements too far removed from a human being” (about 16:24 timestamp, in video below).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiH4wOkSzGs
Revelation, surprisingly, is the complete opposite. When John enters the Heavenly Throne Room of God, most of the creatures do not have human characteristics. In fact, of the four living creatures near the throne of God, only one of them has the face of a man (Revelation 4:6b-8). Remember what John is opposing: absolutizing human rule and deifying human power (like Rome tried to do). So it is logical, then, that John would refuse to anthropomorphize the Heavenly Realm to look anything like what we have here on Earth! God himself speaks, but he is never described in human terms in the book. Humanity does not reign, God does!
It is this key difference between Revelation and Silent Hill 3 that I think refutes the idea that the game is “anti-theistic.” The game still critiques religion, but in my opinion, it critiques religion when mankind—yourself—is above all else.
All members of the Silent Hill cult place so much importance on themselves. Claudia, Vincent, Leonard, even Alessa (who even comes back to kill...herself). It is selfishness disguised as selflessness in a religious context. We see this most with Claudia. She claims to be doing the “will of God,” but she has taken it upon herself to find Heather, make sure she births God (by filling her up with hatred after killing her Father), and kills Vincent because he opposed her (saying he’ll “go to hell”). She admits her heinous acts and that she will go to hell as well, but she doesn’t really apologize for any of it. She feels remorse for the pain she has caused, but even in the confessional booth, her prayer is about easing her pain, not about repentance and reconciliation with Heather (assuming that is Claudia; if it is Dahlia, then this point still applies). The prayer is all about her still!
This attitude, I feel, is “Anti-Christ.”
When Jesus was on Earth, despite being God’s only begotten Son, he thought of others, to the point of death. He had a mission, a destiny that would be talked about for ages to come and forevermore! Yet he didn’t force it. At several points in his ministry, he specifically states things like “’My hour has not yet come’” (John 2:4, ESV).
He is truly patient, he is truly selfless, and to top it all off, he doesn’t get illusions of grandeur! In John 16:7, Jesus himself admits that, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the [Holy Spirit] will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (ESV). Jesus’ role on Earth (as both High Priest and Sacrificial Lamb) is the biggest destiny a human could ever fulfill. Yet this doesn’t go to his head! He still says that another is coming after him, and that this “Helper” would be better than he is!
I cannot speak for other Christians, but I find that I constantly have illusions of grandeur. My faith in Christ is the best thing to ever happen to me...but I am NOT the best thing to happen to my faith. And the times when I tend to hurt people the most are when I try to take control or don’t trust God enough, believing my actions are for “the good of the faith.”
This attitude, I feel, is “Anti-Christ.”
And it is this attitude, in my opinion, that makes my faith frightening and horrifying for others. They don’t see God; they see me in power. Gandhi once said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.” When I am tantamount with God is when I truly become a monster.
Ultimately, I am not needed. God loves me enough to die for me and wash away my sins. He loves me enough to allow me to participate in bringing his Kingdom on Earth. He lets me share His grace His kindness, and even His sacrifice with others in ways I never thought possible, such as making this blog. And yet, I am not “needed.” God’s kingdom will come—with or without me. But he wants me nonetheless!
And God wants you as well! Trust me, if I’m allowed to be forgiven, then you can be too. If you have ever been hurt by us Christians (to where perhaps you are one of those who call us "monsters”), please allow me to say that I am truly sorry. Please forgive us for being “Anti-Christ”. We are depraved to our core, and being forgiven does not excuse how we trampled over you and exploited you. You are wanted; you are loved.
You don’t need my charity—something that ultimately won’t fill your heart.
But one drop of love from Him leads your heart to ecstasy. You need a miracle from He who is seated on the throne—the only love that can truly fill your heart.
A love that can dry your tears...
As pain disappears...
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’” (Revelation 21: 3-5a, ESV).
“No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in [New Jerusalem], and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever (Revelation 22: 3-5, ESV).
Works Cited
- Collins, J.J. Introduction: Towards the Morphology of a Genre. Semia 14, 1979.
- Bauckham, Richard. The Theology of the Book of Revelation. Cambridge University Press, 1993.
I highly encourage you to read Richard Bauckham's commentary on Revelation. It is only 164 pages, yet each page is packed with knowledge! I have never read something so detailed yet concise! His work helped immensely, and I quoted so much from him because I felt he worded each point far better than I ever could!