The sinking of Numenor - a lesson to whom?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Even so, there would be no guarantees once you had entered the Halls of Mandos. You may stay there or you may return to your/another life, but there is no way of telling. It's very different to the fate of Men who may turn fey in the belief (if they have it) that after death they would once again be with their loved ones so there is nothing to be lost.

I have to note one thing which just kind of popped up at me here when reading this. From the theological point of view, the Fate of Men is actually of all the mythology something where Tolkien went probably the closest to the Christian message, particularly as given by the Resurrection. All the images of Valinor, Elves etc. are just "simple" things, and a view from indeed a mythology, which also Tolkien made fit into the mythologic world itself. But here is the difference: the Elves remain there, but the fate of Men is to head out into something uncertain. Yet when they rely on that message that it's going to be fine, however not exactly certain what's going to be there, they have this promise that their death is not the last instance where all hope would be lost. So if they believe this thing, resp. person who told them that (now I am not entirely sure if Eru is that much of a reliably-looking one, but whatever - actually, it's more like that Eru is not much looking like anything, at least from my point of view, so that's a bit on a different level), I think by removing all the other mythological colorite etc. this is pretty much the closest to the "bare core" of the Easter message.

I am now speaking from the point of view of the Silmarillion, UT and such, I don't know if there's anything more in HoME or such (which could make it more or on the other hand less fitting). But that's how I see it.