Back to: Dickens A Christmas Carol and the Bible
1. Salvation
Stave 4
The Biblical theme is Salvation, and the key scripture is 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Scrooge crawls toward salvation as this Ghost foretells of not one but two deaths. And while Scrooge is saddened to see the demise of Tiny Tim, he is distraught to be the death that no one mourns because of the Life he never fully lived. Thus, after facing his death, he is re-born into a new Life—and everyone stands in awe at the salvation of Scrooge.
Stave 4: The Last of the Spirits
The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When it came, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery.
It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. But for this it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night, and separate it from the darkness by which it was surrounded.
2. The Third Spirit
In kneeling, Scrooge resumes a penitential posture, reminding us, after so much merrymaking, of where he is on his spiritual journey— from sinful, to regretful, to repentant, but not yet saved. To color the third Spirit, Dickens uses black, the color used often in the Bible and elsewhere to symbolize death. The specter of death is a harsh but familiar phantom at Christmas, when we recall lost loved ones and remember the Savior who was born to die, that they may live
Scrooge has no respite between visitations; the third ghost appears as the second is fading away. Unlike the other spirits, this ghost—the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come—is not festive or beckoning. Not say anything
In its presence, Scrooge feels dread— perhaps a sign that he is ready to face the worst his journey will present and come out a changed person. One significant change has already occurred: Scrooge no longer resists these visitations; he has arrived on his own path and found his own momentum. He even appears to take charge of his own journey. He names the ghost and anticipates what is in store for him. Despite feeling a new level of terror, Scrooge has become a partner in his own healing.
He felt that it was tall and stately when it came beside him, and that its mysterious presence filled him with a solemn dread. He knew no more, for the Spirit neither spoke nor moved.
‘I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.’ said Scrooge.
The Spirit answered not, but pointed onward with its hand.
‘You are about to show me shadows of the things that have not happened, but will happen in the time before us,’ Scrooge pursued. ‘Is that so, Spirit.’
The upper portion of the garment was contracted for an instant in its folds, as if the Spirit had inclined its head. That was the only answer he received.
Although well used to ghostly company by this time, Scrooge feared the silent shape so much that his legs trembled beneath him, and he found that he could hardly stand when he prepared to follow it. The Spirit pauses a moment, as observing his condition, and giving him time to recover.
But Scrooge was all the worse for this. It thrilled him with a vague uncertain horror, to know that behind the dusky shroud, there were ghostly eyes intently fixed upon him, while he, though he stretched his own to the utmost, could see nothing but a spectral hand and one great heap of black.
‘Ghost of the Future.’ he exclaimed,’ I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me.’
3. The Hope of Salvation
This is a hope new to Scrooge, but central to the lives of Christians—the hope of salvation
It gave him no reply. The hand was pointed straight before them.
‘Lead on.’ said Scrooge. ‘Lead on. The night is waning fast, and it is precious time to me, I know. Lead on, Spirit.’
The Phantom moved away as it had come towards him. Scrooge followed in the shadow of its dress, which bore him up, he thought, and carried him along.
Scenes
1. Busy scene In the City – businessmen
4. Businessmen on a street
Led by a spectral hand behind a dark shroud, Scrooge encounters a group of singularly unattractive businessmen congregating on a city street. They are discussing the death of an unnamed man, and one of them yawns as if the dead person were of no account, certainly not to them. Only one has the slightest inclination to attend the funeral, and another will consider attending only if he can get a free lunch out of it
They scarcely seemed to enter the city; for the city rather seemed to spring up about them, and encompass them of its own act. But there they were, in the heart of it; on Change, amongst the merchants; who hurried up and down, and chinked the money in their pockets, and conversed in groups, and looked at their watches, and trifled thoughtfully with their great gold seals; and so forth, as Scrooge had seen them often.
The Spirit stopped beside one little knot of business men. Observing that the hand was pointed to them, Scrooge advanced to listen to their talk.
‘No,’ said a great fat man with a monstrous chin,’ I don’t know much about it, either way. I only know he’s dead.’
‘When did he die.’ inquired another.
‘Last night, I believe.’
‘Why, what was the matter with him.’ asked a third, taking a vast quantity of snuff out of a very large snuff-box. ‘I thought he’d never die.’
‘God knows,’ said the first, with a yawn.
‘What has he done with his money.’ asked a red-faced gentleman with a pendulous excrescence on the end of his nose, that shook like the gills of a turkey-cock.
‘I haven’t heard,’ said the man with the large chin, yawning again. ‘Left it to his company, perhaps. He hasn’t left it to me. That’s all I know.’
This pleasantry was received with a general laugh.
‘It’s likely to be a very cheap funeral,’ said the same speaker;’ for upon my life I don’t know of anybody to go to it. Suppose we make up a party and volunteer.’
‘I don’t mind going if a lunch is provided,’ observed the gentleman with the excrescence on his nose. ‘But I must be fed, if I make one.’
Another laugh.
‘Well, I am the most disinterested among you, after all,’ said the first speaker,’ for I never wear black gloves, and I never eat lunch. But I’ll offer to go, if anybody else will. When I come to think of it, I’m not at all sure that I wasn’t his most particular friend; for we used to stop and speak whenever we met. Bye, bye.’
5. Flashback to Marleys Funeral
Dickens offers a doppel- ganger for Scrooge in all his ugly selfishness. This man is “disinterested’ in paying his respects, despite being the deceased’s “most particular friend,” because of two trivial habits. The scene recalls the day of Marley’s funeral, which Scrooge did not let go completely to waste, as he “solemnised it with an undoubted bargain.”
Speakers and listeners strolled away, and mixed with other groups. Scrooge knew the men, and looked towards the Spirit for an explanation.
The Phantom glided on into a street. Its finger pointed to two persons meeting. Scrooge listened again, thinking that the explanation might lie here.
6. Scrooge and the dead man
Scrooge is led on to two other men; these he knows well, “having made a point always of standing well in their esteem: in a [strictly] business point of view.” Whoever has died gets no good word from them, either. Dickens has created a poignant moment here: Scrooge is having to spend a long time not knowing the dead man’s identity, but he continues to trust that the experience is being arranged for his own good. To add to his confusion, Scrooge sees no likeness of himself when he passes his usual spot.
He knew these men, also, perfectly. They were men of aye business: very wealthy, and of great importance. He had made a point always of standing well in their esteem: in a business point of view, that is; strictly in a business point of view.
‘How are you.’ said one.
‘How are you.’ returned the other.
‘Well.’ said the first. ‘Old Scratch has got his own at last, hey.’
7. Old Scratch
Old Scratch” is a nickname for the devil
‘So I am told,’ returned the second. ‘Cold, isn’t it.’
‘Seasonable for Christmas time. You’re not a skater, I suppose.’
‘No. No. Something else to think of. Good morning.’
Not another word. That was their meeting, their conversation, and their parting.
Scrooge was at first inclined to be surprised that the Spirit should attach importance to conversations apparently so trivial; but feeling assured that they must have some hidden purpose, he set himself to consider what it was likely to be. They could scarcely be supposed to have any bearing on the death of Jacob, his old partner, for that was Past, and this Ghost’s province was the Future. Nor could he think of any one immediately connected with himself, to whom he could apply them. But nothing doubting that to whomsoever they applied they had some latent moral for his own improvement, he resolved to treasure up every word he heard, and everything he saw; and especially to observe the shadow of himself when it appeared. For he had an expectation that the conduct of his future self would give him the clue he missed, and would render the solution of these riddles easy.
He looked about in that very place for his own image; but another man stood in his accustomed corner, and though the clock pointed to his usual time of day for being there, he saw no likeness of himself among the multitudes that poured in through the Porch. It gave him little surprise, however; for he had been revolving in his mind a change of life, and thought and hoped he saw his new-born resolutions carried out in this.
8. James 2:26 - Faith without works
James 2:26
James 2:26
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead
Quiet and dark, beside him stood the Phantom, with its outstretched hand. When he roused himself from his thoughtful quest, he fancied from the turn of the hand, and its situation in reference to himself, that the Unseen Eyes were looking at him keenly. It made him shudder, and feel very cold.
“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Scrooge was blinded to his inner character before this; now he cannot see his external form. The author may wish to point out to us here that though Scrooge has begun to change his thoughts, his heart and actions have yet to hilly follow Ebenezer will have to do more yet before the Spirit can show him an altered Future, for “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26).