Hell, Hallelujahs, and Beautiful Feet in Handel’s Messiah
Theological Reflections on Part II Scenes 2–7.
Probably the most famed of the entire oratorio is movement 44, the Hallelujah chorus written entirely from Revelation 19:6, 16; 11:15. In John’s apocalypse, we are given eschatological glimpses of the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven, “a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the... Continue Reading
Handel’s Messiah: Worship, Worldliness, and the Way of True Praise
Pursue opportunities to draw attention to what songs are saying, trusting the Spirit of Truth to illumine the mind and quicken the heart.
The fact that people can listen to Messiah and miss what’s being said tells us that musical works on their own, no matter how inspired they might be, don’t always communicate what people need to hear. It’s not far removed from the people of Ezekiel’s day who likened his prophetic judgments to “one who sings... Continue Reading
The Significance of ‘The First Hymn’
The First Hymn shows the power of faith and music going hand in hand.
The First Hymn might have sounded melodically similar to something a Westerner would hear today. However, finding pieces of ancient music like this is not entirely unusual. What set The First Hymn apart was its theological message: that one true Lord proclaims this hymn — is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This mention of... Continue Reading
Handel’s Messiah and the Spectre of Christendom
On secularism, culture, glory, and the King of Kings.
Worldviews have consequences. LGBT+ liberalism cannot and will not ever produce anything even remotely resembling the Messiah. It is forever bound to be parasitic upon the Christendom culture and worldview from which it rebels. However much it tries to be “creative” and “alternative”, however much it attempts to “think outside the box”, it can only... Continue Reading
He Came to a World in Darkness
O Day-Spring
Jesus came into the world as light and became the light of the world. And his light shone in our darkness. But he did more than shine. He set in motion the eternal destruction of our darkness by taking it upon himself. It even appeared as if the darkness of our sin had extinguished the... Continue Reading
My Whole Being Rejoices: The Resurrection in Handel’s Messiah
The Messiah’s Use of Psalm 16
Jennens’ choice of Psalm 16 to introduce the resurrection is masterful, as this psalm is pregnant with meaning. His selection invites the thoughtful listener to not only consider David’s original song, but to consider it in light of Peter’s Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:24–27) and Paul’s Antioch sermon (Acts 13:35). In its initial context, David pens Psalm 16 to help his... Continue Reading
An Interactive Edition of Handel’s Messiah
“Hallelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
The gospel, the good news, is news to be shared. Alternating airs and choruses picture the glad tidings of the sounds of this news that Christ lives being preached unto the ends of the world. Those who receive this news in faith are surely blessed. In contrast, the rejection of this news is devasting…what’s the... Continue Reading
Christmas Carols and the Value of Remembrance
Songs are an eternal gift from God for our use and an ongoing testament to a God of order, beauty, and purpose.
Music and poetry in the form of song play a significant role in God’s design for His glory and our good. God is delighted to receive His praise not simply from the words of our lips, but in songs—in words set to poetic form, and that to a melody. The beauty of God’s hand in... Continue Reading
Check Your Kids’ Playlist
The shooter at the Christian school in Madison, Wis. was wearing a shirt with the letters KMFDM.
Those letters, KMFDM, no doubt, will mean nothing to most of you, but I immediately recognized them as the name of a band I followed in the Chicago-land area back in the early ‘90s. This band usually opened for a band ironically named Ministry, but the scene was by no means Christian. This is... Continue Reading
Pay Attention to What You’re Singing
When a Christian sings attentively, his mind, will, and emotions connect with great truths.
We must not approach the worship of God for what it can do for us. This kind of idolatrous mistake is responsible for many churches losing their way with worship. The aforementioned benefits of paying attention to what we sing are simply byproducts of genuine worship—the benefits to the human spirit of encountering and rightly... Continue Reading
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