Board Thread:Lore/@comment-26440623-20150817230336/@comment-26444332-20151016023848

1: He is.

2: He was.

Really, there's no way to answer this question properly without using the Elvish, Eä. "He is" is this closest answer you can get, "He was" is about as specific as is imaginable. Jolly Tom is shrouded in mystery, right up there with exactly how Melkor had the seeds of darkness planted in him and why the Elves can never leave the world but Men can.