In 1741 George Frederick Handel started work on his greatest oratorio, The Messiah. His friend, Charles Jennens organized passages of Scripture to form the libretto for the piece. However, Handel was virtually bankrupt as he began his composing, but with funding help from Dublin, Ireland, he began his work.
He started composing on August 22, 1741, and completed his Magnus opus 24 days later, on September 14. Throughout that period, he barely slept and ate. Those caring for him would come to his room and find the food they delivered untouched. One such time, he had just finished the most loved chorus, Hallelujah. I don’t pretend to understand the musical genius that allows for the notes on a score to be fully heard in one’s mind, but Handel had heard the Hallelujah Chorus in his mind. His servants came in to find tears streaming down Handel’s face. It has been reported that he looked up and said, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne, with His company of Angels.” (1) I can barely imagine that experience but have felt some of that after fully listening to the chorus.
The text of this beloved chorus is drawn from two passages in the book of Revelation. The first is found in chapter 19, verse 6b:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.” (NIV)
This is the fourth “Hallelujah” (Praise Yahweh!) in the chapter. Each praise is for the LORD exercising His rule in this world, even though it is a world filled with demonic inspired evil.
The second passage is from Revelation 11:15
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.” (NIV)
The first readers of The Apocalypse were Christian communities in Asia Minor who were suffering from Roman persecution, likely including the demands to worship the emperor (Domitian?). From ground level, things looked bleak. But Revelation doesn’t stay at ground level. In fact, it insists that history cannot be understood at ground level. It is only when heaven is opened to John, that he begins to see a greater truth, and he sees it in heaven’s worship.
Here we are on election day, and our nation is extremely tense. We are told that all is on the line in this election. People seem to be raging at one another. It is though we are saying to each other, “If you don’t hate those I hate, then I hate you!” We are tempted to accept the idea that if the other side wins, we are doomed.
All of this thinking comes from ground level. For the Christian, however, we understand the events on the ground best when we are at worship, singing “HALLELUJAH, for the LORD Almighty reigns!” It is when our holy imagination sees heaven open, and we join the angelic hosts, the 24 elders, and the great cloud of witnesses in praise of He who sits upon THE throne and of the Lamb. The message is not simply that God rules in heaven, but that the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of the Lord, and of His Christ. He shall reign for ever and ever, no matter who wins today. God’s new creation cannot be stopped. It is not that elections are unimportant, but that they are never of ultimate importance.
So, listen to the Hallelujah Chorus, let tears of peace and joy stream down in praise, and sleep well tonight.
Tim Kelley
(1) https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles/history-of-handels-hallelujah-chorus.html?lang=eng