Heaven

"And a voice came from heaven:

“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.

He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him."

-Mark 1:11-13

The theme of heaven in The Lion King is quite comparable to the heaven described in the Holy Bible. Between the rulers and the descriptive imagery involved in both, there is much to say about this shared theme.

Our Father, Who Art in Heaven...

"Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

There is no other."

-Deuteronomy 4:39 (NIV)

After Mufasa's tragic death, he remains a part of Simba's life.

Whenever Simba is in need of guidance or does something to make his father proud, Mufasa appears in the sky, where heaven is believed to be in Christianity. He looks down over his son on earth, much like Jesus does to his followers, and is always depicted with a radiant glow surrounding him, like that of an angelic (or Christ) figure.

....Hallowed Be Thy Name!

"Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us,

but your name alone do we honor"

-Isaiah 26:13 (NIV)

Hallowed, meaning "to honor as holy" and "greatly respected," is exactly what followers of Christ and Mufasa do to their masters. Both God and Mufasa are Kings over their earth and their name is as highly respected as they are honored. Simba, knowing that he will one day be the next King, looks up to his father with the utmost honor, as he realizes what a large and important role Mufasa has. Simba often finds himself thinking about his future and how he will one day "gonna be a mighty King" and fulfill the much-larger footprints of his father.

Thy Kingdom Come...

The Pride Lands

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field.

In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get

enough money to buy the field."

-Matthew 13:44 (NLT)

The Pride Lands are Mufasa's Kingdom, comparable to the Kingdom of Heaven described in the Holy Bible. In opposition to Hell/The Elephant Graveyard, The Pride Lands/Heaven are described and depicted as a bright, happy, lively and positive place. In the scene above, Mufasa, the King of this Kingdom, and his son are overlooking the land. Mufasa says to Simba, "everything the light touches is our kingdom.”

Pride Rock

&

The Sermon on the

Mount

"Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them."

-Matthew 5:1-2

Pride Rock, specifically, is especially symbolic of a story in the Christian Bible: that of the sermon on the mount. Comparable to the mountain from which Jesus preaches the Beatitudes to his many followers, is Pride Rock which overlooks all of Mufasa's land and his followers.

...Thy Will Be Done

When Simba returns to the Pride Lands, featured above, he sees the damage that Scar has done. The Pride Lands have become a dark, depressing land with no signs of life. He learns that there is no food for those who remain to eat and grows concerned for his people. After seeing this, he feels he should fight for his Kingdom like his father would have done:

Upon confronting Scar, Simba learns the truth of his father's death, and grows the strength to wis the battle against Scar . This is representative of the "Good versus Evil" theme in Christianity and doing what God would want you to do.As can be seen in the scene below, Simba turns the Pride Lands back into the beautiful and lively place it was when his father was King. It is as though he turns it back into the "heaven" that it was when his father was the king.As he takes his stance and becomes the new and rightful King, the dark clouds open up, signs of death wash away and all of the animals begin to praise him, the King. He is fulfilling the will that his father had for his life, just as Christians fulfill the will that God the Father has for their lives.

"This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

-1 Timothy 2:3-4

On Earth as it is in Heaven.

"From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you.

On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire."

-Deuteronomy 4:36

Just as all three Godheads of the Holy Trinity want Christians to behave on earth the same way they will when they enter the gates of heaven, all three heads of the "Triangle of Life" wish the same.

The father, Mufasa, the Son, Simba, and the Holy Spirit, Rafiki, all wish for a pure and happy land free of evilness and darkness. They all work together to see this happen and the movie ends with just that.