If you’ve ever spent a few minutes with me, you probably know about the TV show Supernatural. Using old Hebrew mythology, the Bible, and some other lore, the writers have created a world very much like ours, but with striking differences. Most people who’ve heard of Supernatural know that it is about two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, and their angel friend/enemy/brother (depending on the season) named Castiel who joined them in Season 4. Throughout the years, they have encountered ghosts, shapeshifters, demons, angels, some other creatures you wouldn’t know by name, and even an almighty being that predates the world.
(Much to my irritation, the writers decided to bring in their own “god” in Season 11. Just to avoid any confusion, keep in mind that his name is Chuck).
Like many works of fiction that deal with the mystical side of things, Supernatural includes demons. In the Bible, demons are angels who chose to follow Satan rather than God. They can possess people or pigs alike, and can communicate fairly quickly. They use this sometimes to pull an illusion of fortune telling. They most certainly believe in God, fear Him, and readily acknowledge that Jesus is His Son. Contrast this to Supernatural, where half of the demons doubt Chuck’s very existence, and all of them have blatant disrespect for him. The writers also offer a very different view on how demons came to be. It is said that human souls in hell become twisted and gnarled until they become demonized. The Bible makes no such claim.
The other notable species is that of the angels. The Bible lists two types, cherubim and seraphim. The former guard the Garden of Eden, ark, and throne of God. The latter worship God. Two specific angels are mentioned by name in the Bible, Gabriel and Michael. Naturally, Supernatural has a very different take on angels. They are corrupt, for a few reasons. For one, they were made by Chuck, and they take after their maker. On top of that, Chuck ditched them, so they have no leadership from him. There are a few different kinds that have different roles. Their mainstream abilities are supernatural strength, teleportation, time travel, invisibility, healing, near immortality, and can sedate or kill something with merely a touch. The Bible is not clear on whether or not actual angels possess any of those abilities, but the fact that their messages are always prefaced with “Do not be afraid!” indicate that they must have a pretty fearful appearance.
The most noticeable difference between Supernatural’s angels and actual angels is whom they serve. Chuck is omnipotent and omniscient, but he is severely flawed. He is basically the manifestation of every misconception anyone has ever had about God. I really don’t like talking about his characterization in Season 11, but the big thing is he abandoned earth and heaven for several millennia. This is a stark contrast with the God of the Bible that will never leave us, nor will He forsake us. He is faithful. Not only that, He is wise, good, just, loving, and holy. It is very arguable that Chuck is none of those things.
Now onto the afterlife. In the Bible, it is clear that you go to heaven or hell. Each man has one life to choose God or not, then to face judgment. Some people believe judgement will take place in Purgatory, but most Christians do not believe that purgatory exists. In heaven, there is the throne of God, a place of endless joy and is far better than this world. Thousands of angels and heavenly beings praise and worship God, and for good reason. “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,” (Revelation 21:4). To get there, one must declare that Jesus is Lord, and believe in his heart that God raised him from the dead to pay for the sins of the world.
Now compare this to Supernatural’s twisted version of heaven. Each person (or soul-mate pair) gets their own heaven, where they live for eternity (provided the Winchesters don’t destroy heaven first). Also, heaven is the base for the angels, who, as I have explained, are not very good moral entities. Heaven is not a good place to be in the Supernatural universe. As for getting there in the first place, it is quite a complicated ordeal. The whole process is rather unclear; you need to know the right people.
The other option is hell. Hell is very real, and the Bible teaches about it. It is a place of ultimate rejection, great despair, and separation from God forever. There is constant conscious torment. Some people have said that you will be isolated in hell; I am not certain if that is the case. Additionally, Satan does not rule. We’re not told if there is a ruler, but if there is, it is most certainly not the devil. At the end of Season 3, Dean ends up in hell. He tells of the horrid torment that occurs within. Originally, Supernatural had a fairly accurate description of hell. Then Crowley, King of Hell, was introduced and set everything off kilter. Hell became a long line where you simply wait forever. Then it became some maze of old-fashioned tunnels. It’s no longer clear what exactly it is. Supernatural has utterly abandoned the actual concept of hell.
For all of its contradictions to reality, I do like Supernatural (ignoring the main story arc of Season 11). It’s insightful to see into a world where things are different than ours. Imagine if God wasn’t who He is, but was like Chuck instead. Through the storyline of Supernatural, it is clear what a devastating situation that would be. The contrast provides a foil which makes me even more grateful for the steadfast, faithful, and righteous God of the universe.
