Lostpedia
Register
Advertisement

Apocalypse is a term applied to the disclosure to certain privileged persons of something hidden from the mass of humankind. Today the term is often used to mean "end of the world", which may be a shortening of the phrase apokalupsis eschaton which literally means "revelation at the end of the world".

End of the world[]

Normal flashes-cap564

Desmond meets Ms. Hawking in ("Flashes Before Your Eyes").

The Apocalypse is a major theme that occurs numerous times throughout the series. Here are a few examples:

Revelation[]

105christianonisland

Jack's deceased father, Christian.("White Rabbit")

Throughout the show, there are numerous characters who seem to receive certain "supernatural" visions, messages, or other information that other characters are not privileged to:

  • Locke, perhaps the best example, has "seen into the eye of the island" and has some communion with it, receives visions, and seems to have other secret knowledge that the rest of the characters do not.
  • Jack sees his dead father and is guided to water ("White Rabbit").
  • Shannon sees a ghostly Walt and is led to her death ("Abandoned").
  • Charlie receives visions telling him to baptize Aaron ("Fire + Water").
  • The "whispers" have been heard by certain characters at various times.
  • Ben seems privileged in his communications with Jacob, and though we do not yet know what has been revealed through the communications, it seem to guide Ben's and the Others' actions.
  • Desmond receives his "flashes" of the future.

The entire storyline of Lost may also be interpreted as a "Revelation." In other words, it is an apocalypse in the archaic definition of something hidden being revealed.

Narrative[]

5x16JacobChair

Jacob in ("The Incident, Part 1").

The apocalypse, or the great battle between the forces of good and evil for the fate of the world can help to explain the overarching narrative of the show. People are identified as "good" or "evil." Images of "light" and "dark" are constantly juxtaposed. Often, characters are told that their action will determine the fate of the world. There is a list which contains the names of the "good" people - a biblical allusion to the Book of Revelation. Another allusion to the biblical Book of Revelation is that the Antichrist and his followers will act in the name of that which is good and holy, but they will be deceivers - a seeming match to Ben and many of the Others, who characterize themselves as "the good guys." Furthermore, Jacob is characterized as the leader of the Others; according to the New International Version Bible, the figurative meaning of the name Jacob is "to deceive." The Others refer to Jacob as "Ile Qui Nos Omnes Servabit" which translates into "He who will save us all." Logic dictates there's something to be saved from.

See also[]

The Stand Cover gve

Stephen King's The Stand.

  • Watchmen - The "Scheme to save Humanity" under the "Shared themes" header reveals an apocalyptic storyline in a possibly inspirational work that the creators of Lost have called "the greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced".
  • The Stand - Stephen King's apocalyptic horror novel has been cited as a major influence on the show by J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse.
Advertisement