Christmas is nearly here! I’d like to wrap up the season by completing our analysis of the Hallelujah chorus. Handel’s Messiah (which contains the Hallelujah chorus) is performed all over the world at Christmastime. Long tradition holds that the audience stands during the performance of the Hallelujah chorus. This tradition began in 1743, when King George II of Great Britain rose during this magnificent piece. But why would the king stand? The king’s gesture becomes very clear when we investigate the lyrics.
Last week we discussed the unique use of the term Hallelujah in Revelation chapter 19. There, John the Seer is celebrating God’s judgment on the “great prostitute.” For the people who first read the book of Revelation, it would not have been difficult to discern that the prostitute was a symbol for the city of Rome. The imperial city persecuted the early Christians because of their loyalty to the Lord Jesus. But Rome was also condemned because of her overall corrupt way of life. She was full of idolatry, violence, injustice, sexual immorality and lies.
Even though the Roman empire is now in the dustbin of history, the image of the prostitute remains highly relevant. She is a symbol for unfaithful humanity, living in rebellion against the good and wise purposes of the creator. We see examples of the prostitute all around us today. We see the wanton violence which unfolded when Russia invaded Ukraine in late February 2022. The war has claimed the lives of many thousands of Russian and Ukrainian troops. Additionally, thousands of Ukrainian civilians have perished in the conflict. We see widespread sexual immorality in our society, whether it’s the hook up culture which permeates our college campuses, or the growing number of young people embracing homosexual or transgender identities. It seems that each day people plumb new depths of depravity. And we see all kinds of deception and lies. Sadly, the media and our government are often the chief sources of misinformation.
Revelation 19 looks forward to a time when God’s just judgment will fall upon all those who persist in evil. One of the key lessons of last week’s blog bears repeating: the Bible never treats God’s judgment of the wicked as an occasion for embarrassment or regret. Rather, God’s judgment is always a time of celebration. “His judgments are true and just! …Hallelujah!” God is constantly calling upon human beings to turn away from their sin so that they might receive his forgiveness and blessing. But those who persistently refuse God’s grace will be fully deserving of his wrath. Precisely because of his love and goodness, God will not allow them to go on ruining his creation forever.
The prostitute will be replaced by the bride, the faithful people of God. The bride is adorned by “shining, pure linen.” John explicitly tells us that these garments represent “the righteous deeds of God’s holy people.” This phrase doesn’t imply that God’s people have never sinned. But it does mean that in Christ, we now have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, which gives us the ability to do what is right in God’s eyes.
Far too many Christians think about their faith solely in terms of the forgiveness which comes to us through Jesus’ death on the cross. Not infrequently I hear the claim that Christians are just as sinful as anybody else, it’s just that they are forgiven of their sins. This is a dangerous misconception which is deeply at odds with the scriptures.
God created mankind in his image. The creator delegated his authority to human beings so that they might govern the creation on his behalf. When people properly reflect the goodness and wisdom of God, then the world is able to flourish. It’s crucial to understand that the Bible never wavers from God’s original purpose set forth from the very beginning. This is why the forgiveness of sins, although vital, is not enough to fulfill God’s ultimate goal. God must restore humanity in his image so that the creation can become a place of eternal justice, joy, abundance, peace and life. Christianity involves the complete transformation of human beings into models of Jesus himself. Only then will we be suited to rule over the redeemed creation.
The central section of the Hallelujah chorus speaks again of the great transition which will take place when the dark powers which are now at large in the world will be destroyed and replaced by God’s kingdom. The words come from Revelation chapter 11, which state, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.”
This is the same theme we found in Revelation 19, where the prostitute (wicked, unfaithful humanity) was judged and replaced by the bride (the faithful and holy people of God). However, the imagery is slightly different in Revelation 11. Here we find “the kingdom of the world.” The kingdom here is singular; it’s the sum total of rebellious humanity, corrupting the world with wickedness, depravity and injustice. But the heavens shall rejoice when God overthrows “the kingdom of the world” and establishes his own righteous, eternal kingdom. Importantly, this will not entail transporting God’s people away from creation. Rather, it involves God re-establishing his full authority over the world.
And the central figure in the new regime will be Jesus, God’s anointed king. We spoke above of how God always intended to govern the world through human beings faithfully reflecting his image. Of course, Jesus is the one human being who perfectly reflects God’s image. As the Apostle Paul writes, “He [Jesus] is the image of God, the invisible one.” The writer of Hebrews also affirms that “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.”
The Bible holds out the hope and promise that through the work of the Spirit, Christians shall be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. Therefore, we too shall someday perfectly bear the image of God himself. The Apostle Paul speaks of this astounding reality in the book of Romans: “Those God foreknew he marked out in advance to be shaped according to the image of his son, so that he might be the firstborn of a large family.”
Many Christians find this difficult to believe. Can human beings – at one time steeped in sin and rebellion – really hope to share in the very nature of God himself? The Biblical answer is a resounding “yes”! As the apostle Peter writes, “He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
The words of Revelation 11 thus affirm that at the end of all things, the Lord Jesus Christ will assume authority over all the earth – and indeed the whole cosmos. “And he shall reign forever and ever.”
The finale of the Hallelujah chorus then returns to Revelation chapter 19. There we see the moment of victory portrayed in martial terms. “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called faithful and true. With justice he judges and makes war.” Once again, we note that this scene does not involve Jesus sweeping his people away to some ethereal realm where we shall sit on clouds strumming harps for all eternity. Rather, the passage depicts an invasion. Heaven opens, and Jesus rides forth to earth to make war upon his enemies. The Messiah shall obliterate all the dark forces which oppose his rule. The powers of evil will not stand a chance. “Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter.”
Jesus is the divine warrior, riding forth from heaven to earth in order to fully establish God’s kingdom. He is described in various ways, but John the writer saves most important designation for last. Jesus is king of kings, and lord of lords. Here at last we return to the story of King George II, who rose to his feet when he heard the Hallelujah chorus. The eternal destiny of our world is that Jesus shall reign in splendor. Yet in the present time, all human beings are called to anticipate that glorious future by submitting themselves to Jesus’ authority.
Even the most lofty and powerful potentate, prince or president of the present age must realize that their power is wholly derived from Jesus himself. On the day of judgment, each and every person will give account of themselves to Jesus. By standing during the Hallelujah chorus, King George II beautifully demonstrated that he understood this reality. Even though he governed the mighty British empire upon which the sun never set, King George II recognized that he was merely a servant of Jesus, the king of kings, and lord of lords.
