Under a sci-fi action movie lies a prophetic Christian-inspired message

Rating: 8/10 (5 July 2015)

As a Christian I'll try by God's help to uncover the spiritual meaning and influences of this movie, including the causes of its popularity and enduring factor.
I watched it more than 20 years ago, even before really believing in God and His Son and my Lord Jesus Christ.
At first sight Terminator seems to be a typical late 70s-early 80s action/horror movie, which were mostly based during the night, like early John Carpenter's movies Halloween, Attack on Precinct 13 and Escape from New York, which adds to the fear factor, as having a seemingly unstoppable and almost silent villain, who seems to represent pure evil, barely stopped by a final girl.
The cause might be rooted in the global politic and economical crisis which was occurring then, lack of resources, large unemployment, rise of crime, as well as fear of nuclear war.
The difference is that Terminator offers a solution to these fears, a savior figure who could deliver the humanity even from the case of the worst – a nuclear holocaust.
The main source of inspiration for Terminator is actually Christian faith and the Bible, which already predicted a future Judgement day, great tribulation, as well the Savior in Son of God Jesus Christ.
I think it is by God's help that this movie was made, even in Hollywood industry, a money-making business; but nobody likes pure materialism, hence it is the spiritual subtext acts as a parable, assuring its popularity, despite increasing apostasy from Christian faith and worldliness.
As God and Lord Jesus Christ said: "Therefore speak I to them in parables: because seeing they see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand." (Matthew 13:13)
Sarah Connor a young woman, a to be mother of the future savior, John Connor. The names seem inspired from Sarah wife of Abraham, who miraculously by God's help bore Isaac in her old age, as Bible says "Through your descendant all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me" and name of Jesus Christ with initials JC, led to Sarah and John Connor (JC).
It is shown that in the future an artificial intelligence called Skynet attempted to destroy all humanity by starting a nuclear war and extermination of humans in death camps.
However humans led by John Connor managed to defeat it, so to prevent its destruction it built a time machine and sent a killer cyborg into the past, called the terminator, to kill the mother of the unborn John Connor, Sarah.
Terminator acts like king Herod, who ordered killing of all children from Bethlehem to kill also the king of Israel and Messiah Jesus Christ, attempting to kill all women called Sarah Connor.
The terminator seems to be influenced by earlier movie robot types such as evil clone of Maria from 1920s Metropolis, also with deep Christian influences.
Having no shame, no guilt, no fear, no mercy, acting like a beast, not a human, he seems to be inspired by image of the beast from the book of Revelation "And he (beast of earth) had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.." (Revelation 13:5-6)
In this lies conviction of those who are human in appearance only, but are like beasts in their action, lacking love, care, goodness which come only from God, who makes us human.
To protect Sarah Connor, her son John sends one of his soldiers Kyle Reese, as was mentioned in one internet article, acting as both angel Gabriel and Holy Spirit of God, telling Sarah about her future son and conceiving him in her.
In this is the paradox enacted, the son acts like his own father, by sending his real father to save him and conceive him from his mother. It is close to the Christian faith notion of trinity, where God is altogether Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as humans made in his image are composed of mind, body and spirit, yet are one being.
After a long round of chases, Sarah and Kyle manage to damage and burn the flesh of the cyborg, as was prophesied: "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that worked miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." (Revelation 19:20)
By the last remaining bomb, the terminator is badly damaged, crawling without feet, Kyle is killed and Sarah badly injured, unable to walk too. Finally she manages to crush it under a press, reminding me the Genesis prophecy from God about serpent aka Satan's fight against humans and being destroyed by a hit to the head:
"And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:14-15)
Thus i thank God and Lord Jesus Christ for giving me wisdom to uncover it as an apocalyptic tale of struggle between Satan and Jesus Christ who will win and will lead his people to the promised land, God's Kingdom of Heaven.