Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Singing the Hallelujah chorus (Biblically)

Everyone loves the Hallelujah chorus in Handel's Messiah, especially at Christmas time. Hearing and singing it with great gutso is exhilirating. Even non-Christians get into it.
But is there such a chorus in the Bible? It is intriguing that the word Hallelujah only occurs four times in the New Testament, and only in Revelation 19:
"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
 2for his judgments are true and just;
for he has judged the great prostitute
   who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
 3Once more they cried out,
   "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever."

 4And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!"
Wow! That is intense. It is not exactly warm and fuzzy. Singing Hallelujah  is associated with praising God for bringing just judgement on evil. 
"Hallelujah!For the Lord our 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
it was granted her to clothe herself
   with fine linen, bright and pure" 


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

No comments:

Post a Comment