Handel Messiah Week 6
Kevin Ireland

Handel Messiah Week 6

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Hallelujah  -  The Bible & Handel’s Messiah Week 6

Lenten Adult Sunday School – Week 6 - The Text

Worthy is the Lamb. Week 6

Last week we wrestled with the question – Who is in charge (especially when the nations are raging)

This week we rejoice in the confidence that the battle has been won.

2 of the most popular pieces – Worthy is the Lamb and the Hallelujah Chorus

Revelation 5:11-12 – heavenly chorus surrounds G’s throne, numbering, “myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice …”

Are you looking forward to Jesus’ return?

Why or Why Not?

Letter to Emperor Trajan from Roman Governor Pliny

… I have handled those who have been denounced to me as Christians as follows:  I asked them whether they were Christians. Those who responded affirmatively I have asked a second and third time, under threat of the death penalty. If they persisted in their confession, I had them executed. For whatever it is that they are actually advocating, it seems to me that the obstinacy and stubbornness must be punished in any case.

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

Revelation 1:4-5

Revelation 1:7-8, 12-20

7 Look! He is coming with the clouds;
    every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him,
    and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.

So it is to be. Amen.

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. …

12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire; 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last 18 and the Living One. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19 Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Chorus

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessings and honour, glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:12-14a (modified)

Revelation 5:1-14

5 Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals, 2 and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. 4 And I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. 8 When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 They sing a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to break its seals,
for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God
    saints from every tribe and language and people and nation;
10 you have made them a kingdom and priests serving our God,
    and they will reign on earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 singing with full voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them, singing,

“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!”

14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Chorus

Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah.

Revelation 19:6b;11:15b, and 19:16b (modified)

hal[lə]lū yāh

"halal" (praise) and "Yah" (YHWH)

”Praise the Lord!"

Directly follows the pieces we heard last week – “Who is this king of glory?”

VOCES8 is joined by members of Apollo5 and The VOCES8 Foundation Choir & Baroque Orchestra in this performance of the Hallelujah Chorus from 'Messiah'. The performance, conducted by Barnaby Smith was part of the #LiveFromLondon digital concert

Revelation 11:15-19

15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord
    and of his Messiah,[e]
and he will reign forever and ever.”

16 Then the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 singing,

“We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty,
    who are and who were,
for you have taken your great power
    and begun to reign.
18 The nations raged,
    but your wrath has come,
    and the time for judging the dead,
for rewarding your servants, the prophets
    and saints and all who fear your name,
    both small and great,
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple, and there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

The answer to Psalm 2 – “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah.”

Notice the tense – not in the future - but beginning now “begun to reign” v17

The usual formula for God as the one “who is and who was and who is to come” 1:8 is now without its future member; God is addressed as you “who are and who were” v. 16

The future is now! – Thy kingdom has come.”

William Blake (1757–1827), The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne (c 1803–5), graphite and watercolour on paper, 35.4 x 29.3 cm, The Tate Gallery

Revelation 19:6-10

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord God
    the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready;
8 to her it has been granted to be clothed
    with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Question:  Who is the Lamb/Bride?

Lamb = Christ, Bride = the Church

Present tense = Hallelujah Chorus taken up by multitudes so many that their cries some ”like the sound of many waters” and “might thunderpeals”

Question “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” – what does this look like for you?

“Voices of Great multitudes” – Morman Tabernacle Choir