The British-German composer George Friderich Handel wrote “The Messiah” almost three hundred years ago. It’s amazing how much scripture is found in the famous oratorio. It illustrates an impressive familiarity with the scriptures
The most well-known chorus in the 2½ hour masterpiece is the Hallelujah Chorus.
The Messiah was first performed at the Musick Hall in Dublin (then under British rule) on April 13th, 1742, to commemorate Easter. Eleven months later, it had its London premiere, attended by King George II. According to tradition, at the playing of the Hallelujah Chorus, the King rose from his feet, a tradition that continues, somewhat, to this day. (Secularists do not stand. Of course, there were no secularists in 1743!)
The entire 260-page oratorio was written by Handel in just 24 days.
“Handel composed Messiah without getting much sleep or even eating much food. When his assistants brought him his meals, they were often left uneaten. His servants would often find him in tears as he composed. When he completed “Hallelujah,” he reportedly told his servant, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne, with His company of Angels.” (The Tabernacle Choir)
Not only did Handel know his scriptures. So did the King. And this goes part of the way in explaining why the King stood for the chorus.
“The answer as to why the King stood there and then is rooted, I believe, in the political implications of the very specific lyrics of the chorus, particularly the words from Revelation 19, highlighted in bold, and their immediate context:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
For ever and ever, forever and ever,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
And Lord of lords,
And He shall reign,
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever,
And Lord of lords,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
“King George was a Christian king, head of the English Church, and would have been knowledgeable of the Scriptures. He knew, from the moment the choir began singing that passage, that it was referring to his Lord, to a King greater than himself. The King of kings is the King of England’s superior. The King of England is a subject of the Greater King, the Creator and Sovereign of Heaven and Earth. As a Christian King who believed in the Divine Right of Kings, he would have acknowledged even at his own coronation that he rules England only by the grace of the Great King and no other.
“So when Handel’s music for this passage began, I believe King George made a political statement about divine and royal authority and honor in the political economy of England itself: the Christian King (or Queen) of England is a ruler under authority and must pay honor and show respect to his (her) Supreme Lord, the King of Kings, just as the people must pay honor and show respect to their English Lord.” (“Why the King stood for the Hallelujah Chorus,” by Dr. Roy Atwood)
Theirs was an age of faith.
Today, we live in what can best be described as the age of ignorance.
Whatever the issues of the day, Black Lives Matter, slavery, and abortion, to name but three, a great deal of ignorance abounds. Gone is the grounding people once had in the Christian scriptures. Now, people spout their opinions, whatever they may be, exposing their ignorance on all topics.
The secularists may still appreciate the Hallelujah Chorus, for the inspiring music, but gone is the faith of their ancestors. It has been replaced solely by ignorance.
—————————————————
LETTER FROM VICTORIA — from a friend
A state of disaster giving police stronger powers to enforce government-imposed lockdowns has been declared in Victoria, Australia’s second most populous state after New South Wales. Stage Four restrictions have been imposed on the capital, Melbourne, the southern city for many years rated as the world’s most liveable city. Close to five million people have been told to stay home except to shop for food (within a five-kilometre [three-mile] radius), go to essential work such as health care personnel, or for medical reasons. An 8pm to 5am curfew has been imposed, schools and childcare closed, funeral numbers restricted and weddings banned until at least September 13.
Victoria, like the rest of Australia, was doing well with very few infections or deaths from COVID-19 until recent weeks when an escape of the virus from lax quarantine measures of returning travelers started a new wave. In recent days, the total death toll for Victoria (population 6.5 million) has risen from a total 61 on July 26 to 123 on August 2. Most have been elderly but there have also been deaths of people in their 50s and 60s and some very young children including babies have caught the disease, though thankfully recovered.
Country Victoria had Stage Three restrictions reimposed, meaning pubs and restaurants can only serve takeaway food, sport has been cancelled, and visitors to homes banned. All Victorians are now required to wear a face mask when in public.
Most Victorians have accepted the restrictions as a vital step in keeping a lid on the spread of the virus, which has the potential to kill thousands more if it gets further out of control. Masks in towns and supermarkets are now a common sight with general acceptance. Saving lives is understood by most to be a common goal worth the minor inconvenience of mask wearing, but the damage to the state economy from the massive shutdown will have dire ramifications for years to come. (GBH, Victoria, Australia, 8/3/2020)
(Victoria’s border remains closed. Queensland announced earlier this week that it is closing its border with New South Wales.)
—————————————-
US economy in historic contraction as joblessness rises
The US economy shrank by an annual rate of 32.9% between April and June, government data has revealed. It was its sharpest contraction since the Second World War. In more bad news for the US economy, another 1.43 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, a second week of rises after a four-month decline. (The Week, 7/31/2020)
America’s GDP shrank at an annualised rate of 32.9% in the three months to the end of June. It is the worst GDP growth figure since the second world war. New unemployment benefit claims also rose to 1.43m last week. Yesterday Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, said a surge in new covid-19 cases is beginning to weigh on economic activity again. (The Economist, 7/31/2020)
————————————————–
GERMANY “STEALING” MEDICAL PERSONNEL
Germany is among those countries, which are benefiting most from the influx of highly qualified workers from poorer European regions, according to a recent study of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW). The number of professionals coming from Eastern and Southeastern Europe is rapidly increasing, particularly in the health sector. This brain drain is creating huge problems in their countries of origins – also in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, in Poland, the ratio of medical doctors and nurses per 100,000 inhabitants is about half as high as that in Germany, in Albania it is even lower. The German government, denying that this is having a negative impact on the countries of origin, speaks of an alleged win-win situation. However, resistance is growing at the European level against the drain of professionals. The countries of origin usually had to invest large sums for their training – investments from which the wealthy western and northern EU countries, particularly Germany, are profiting. (German Foreign Policy, 7/31/2020)
——————————————
PRESSURE ON US OVER GIBRALTAR
A US congressional resolution backing British control of Gibraltar unleashed a “belligerent” Spanish campaign of diplomacy, insiders are claiming.
Seven current or former members of the US House of Representatives told The Telegraph that “the Spanish Embassy in Washington D.C. pushed back after they signed a resolution backing Gibraltar’s British status or visited the territory.”
According to the newspaper, Spain’s “secret lobbying drive” was intended to whip up support for “a plan to strip Britain of sole sovereignty over Gibraltar.”
The colony “has been a continuing source of friction between Madrid and London”, particularly since Britain voted to leave the EU, says Madrid-based newspaper El Pais.
From 1 January, both the UK and Gibraltar will be outside the bloc, along with its single market and customs union. “While London is facing the prospect with relative calm, alarm bells are going off in the British Overseas Territory,” the paper adds.
Some Spanish politicians had sought to use the prospect of a Brexit deal as leverage to extract concessions from the UK government.
“The centre-right People’s Party had called for Spain’s government to ‘take advantage of the historic opportunity of Brexit’ to snatch back the overseas territory from Britain,” the Daily Express reported last month.
“But Pedro Sanchez, the country’s left-wing prime minister, has convinced his allies to drop the claim due to the importance of striking a trade deal with the UK.”
According to The Telegraph, Spain’s efforts to lobby US politicians were unusually energetic.
“Some congressmen said while diplomats should be allowed to argue their case the attitude of Spanish officials was perceived at times as ‘belligerent’, ‘forceful,’ ‘aggressive’ and ‘over the line’,” the paper reports.
“One commented: ‘The Spaniards went nuts.’” (The Week, 8/3/2020)
—————————————-
TO THE POINT
- Spain lobbies the US for Gibraltar sovereignty – Spain has pursued a secret lobbying campaign to push US congressmen into supporting a plan to strip Britain of sole sovereignty over Gibraltar, The Daily Telegraph seven current and former members of the House of Representatives say the Spanish Embassy in the US protested after Washington signed a resolution backing Gibraltar’s British status. One congressman said: “The Spaniards went nuts.” (The Week, 8/3/2020)
- Could Britain afford a second lockdown? — Boris Johnson has likened it to a “nuclear deterrent” while businesses have warned that the resulting cost could be unendurable – but few in government are willing to rule out another national lockdown. Although Britain’s Covid-19 infection rate is currently low, new cases have been on the rise in recent weeks. The average number of positive tests per day, which dipped to 546 in the week ending 5 July, now stands at 726 – triggering alarm at Downing Street. (The Week, 7/30/2020)
- Lifestyle changes could delay or prevent dementia – Changes in lifestyle could delay or even prevent dementia, according to a new report. Experts say that excessive drinking, exposure to air pollution and head injuries all increase a person’s risk of dementia, adding that up to 40% of dementia cases could be delayed or prevented by addressing 12 lifestyle practices. “Dementia is potentially preventable,” said Gill Livingston, professor of psychiatry of older people at University College London. (The Week, 7/31/2020)
- Israel’s army said it struck military targets in Syria, including anti-aircraft batteries and command-and-control facilities. The attack, using fighter planes and helicopters, was described as retaliation for an attempt to plant explosives in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Tensions have been running especially high since Israel killed a member of Hizbullah, a Lebanese militia backed by Iran, in Syria last month. (8/4/2020)
—————————————-
When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind. (C.S. Lewis)
MEL RHODES' PLACE . . . world news that matters 
That C S Lewis quote was dead on!
Andy
Charles Jennens actually wrote the scriptural text for the Messiahâ¦