Prophetic Significance of The Hunger Games - Part 4
Jesus Still Speaks in Parables
During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He often told parables, or stories, which seemed simple on the surface, but contained deep, hidden spiritual truth. Jesus still speaks in parables, whether those parables are delivered in the form of dreams at night or as feature films like The Incredibles, The Matrix, or The Hunger Games.
“He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.”
Then the disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?” Jesus replied to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has [spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God’s word], to him more will be given, and he will be richly and abundantly supplied; but whoever does not have [spiritual wisdom because he has devalued God’s word], even what he has will be taken away from him. This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things]. In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘You will hear and keep on hearing, but never understand; And you will look and keep on looking, but never comprehend; For this nation’s heart has grown hard, And with their ears they hardly hear, And they have [tightly] closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, and turn [to Me] And I would heal them [spiritually].’
But blessed [spiritually aware, and favored by God] are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, many prophets and righteous men [who were honorable and in right standing with God] longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” — Matthew 13:9-17 (AMP)
Spoiler Alert:
The following sections of this message describe details of the four Hunger Games films. If you have not seen them, you may want to view the films before reading further.
A Message Emerges
The Hunger Games films are set in a culture that mirrors aspects of the declining moral condition that exists in American society and could be applied to many other countries as well.
In Catching Fire, the 2nd film, at the party for the victors, When President Snow appears on the balcony of the Presidential Palace, the Palace is lit up in multi colors, as the White House was lit up in rainbow colors after the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of homosexual marriage.
It is a culture that places supreme value on pleasure and entertainment at the expense of future generations. The excess, decadence, and debauchery of the “inside the beltway” mentality of the Capitol are symbolized by over-the-top costumes, and the lavish spread of food and entertainment that is provided for people in the Capitol, while the citizens in the districts starve.
At the party, one of the guests offers the victors a drink, saying, “It’s for when you’re full. It makes you sick, so that you can go on eating. How else could you taste everything?” In response, Peeta remarks, “People are starving in [District] 12. Here they’re just throwing it up to stuff more in.”
As Plutarch, the Head Gamemaker in Catching Fire remarked, “It’s appalling. Still, if you abandon your moral judgment, it can be fun.”
The people who take the greatest pleasure in the Games are fake, plastic, with excessive make-up emphasizing style over substance. On the outside, everything is pretty, covering up a system that is morally bankrupt, cruel and oppressive. The system may look perfect on the outside, with everything sparkling and pretty in the Capitol, but it stands in stark contrast to the overwhelming needs of the ordinary citizens, who are on the verge of starvation.
The Games themselves highlight the values of a society that sacrifices the best of its young people in order to provide pleasure for the amusement of the adults, especially those in the Capitol. This is significant to the message of the films.
This is also reminiscent of God’s warnings to the children of Israel against adopting the practices of the Ammonites who sacrificed their children to the god Molech.
In the Hunger Games, children are sacrificed for the amusement of the adults, and to protect and perpetuate the system that spawned the Games. In this culture, entertainment and pleasure are valued over life, even the lives of the future generations. Adults in the ruling class enjoy luxuries and opulent lifestyles while they amuse themselves by watching young people dying and killing each other.
In the final film, President Snow says to Katniss, “We both know I’m not above killing children.” Neither is the US government, which has funded organizations and individuals that have performed thousands of abortions; killing children before they had a chance to breathe their first breath.
The stark contrast between the pleasure-seeking elite ruling class and the starving populace who pays the price every day for the consequences of their selfish choices is shown very early in the first film as Seneca Crane is interviewed in advance of the annual Hunger Games:
“This is your 3rd year as Gamemaker. What defines your personal signature?”
In answer to that question, the next thing we hear is Prim’s bloodcurdling scream after awaking from a dream in which she was chosen as tribute for the Hunger Games.
Failing Our Children
We may have gotten into this condition as a nation in part because previous generations of Americans, especially Christians, had “tuned out,” and abdicated their responsibilities to govern our nation justly so that it would be preserved for future generations. In the film, the mother of Katniss and Primrose Everdeen represents the ineffectiveness and impotence of some in the generations that went before us.
Since her mother had “checked out” of life and abandoned her responsibilities to a large extent, Katniss had been forced to step up and assume much of the responsibility for caring for her younger sister.
God is giving us another chance—possibly our last chance. It is up to this generation of believers to rise up and fulfill their God-given responsibility to occupy until the Master returns. (Luke 19:13)
Before Katniss left for the Hunger Games, she had very stern words for her mother:
“You can’t tune out again.”
“I won’t,” her mother weakly replies.
“No! You can’t. Not like when Dad died. I won’t be there anymore. You’re all she has. No matter what you feel you have to be there for her. Do you understand?”
The Ruling Elite
The Capitol seems to represent a ruling elite class of people who live for their own pleasure and perpetuate a system of government that serves their own interests. It is a repressive and oppressive system in which those who belong to the ruling elite class live in luxury while the needs of ordinary citizens are neglected to the point of near starvation. The Capitol, represented by President Snow, actually despises the citizens of its own country. This mirrors the sentiment from America’s ruling elite that seemed to be clearly on display during the 2016 American presidential campaign when Hillary Clinton described many of America’s citizens as “deplorables… Now, some of those folks—they are irredeemable.”1
The population is segregated into “districts.” The Capitol uses the Hunger Games events to turn the districts against each other and to take the focus of citizens’ frustrations off the Capitol and the system that oppresses them and perpetuates the power of the ruling class. In this way, the Capitol uses the Games to avoid being a target of any rebellious uprisings.
Rather than serving the citizens of the districts, Capitol society uses its citizens to supply what it desires in order to thrive and to maintain its hold on power. As President Snow said in a nationwide telecast in the 3rd film, Mockingjay, Part 1, “Each District supplies the Capitol, like blood to a heart. In return, the Capitol provides order and security. To refuse work is to put the entire system in danger. The Capitol is the beating heart of Panem. Nothing can survive without a heart.”
There is a need for change. There is a need for a new system that will serve the needs and interests of the citizens, rather than pursuing the desires of the powerful elite at the expense of ordinary citizens… and change is coming, as Effie tells Katniss in Mockingjay, Part 1, “Everything old can be made new again… like democracy.”
And that is the message of the Hunger Games.
It is not about personalities or individuals, although there are strong personalities involved. It is about more than just a change of leadership. The message of the Hunger Games is one of a fundamental change, against all odds, coming to a corrupt, entrenched system of government that seems to have forgotten its purpose and the values upon which it was founded.
The Presidential Campaign of 2016
I believe the first Hunger Games film, which was released in 2012, prophesied, in remarkable detail, the events leading up to the American presidential election of 2016, with the Games themselves representing the presidential campaign.
As the first film opens, and the Games are explained, it becomes clear that the Games operate under a pretense of patriotism, but actually function as a means of controlling the citizens of the country, and imposing the will of a privileged few upon the majority. As the story progresses, it becomes easier to see the Games as a metaphor for the modern American presidential campaign and election.
Reference: 1Reilly, K. (2016, September 10). Hillary Clinton Transcript: ‘Basket of Deplorables’ Comment. Retrieved October 13, 2017, from http://time.com/4486502/hillary-clinton-basket-of-deplorables-transcript/
