HANDEL’S MESSIAH
MOST of us will have heard excerpts or whole performances of Handel’s Messiah at some time in our lives. Using text from the Authorized Version of the Bible, Handel set to work in 1741 to compose this magnificent oratorio obviously subject to intense divine inspiration. He completed the whole work in twenty-two days and remarked “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the Great God Himself”.
So often, when listening to this exquisite music and singing, the actual words may not always be taken in and, the story as a whole, not fully comprehended. Accordingly, all the Biblical quotations Handel used have been written down hereafter in the order Handel chose, using only authentic Authorized Version text without any comment. Handel found it necessary to slightly alter some quotations, no doubt he had good reasons. The work is divided into three parts which cover fifty three separate Recitals or Choruses, two of which, No 1. The Overture and No 13. The Pastoral Symphony are purely orchestral with no singers. Biblical references have also been given to enable the reader to look up the context of each quotation.
MESSIAH
(1) Overture.
(2) Isaiah 40:1-3 “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned …“
“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord) make straight in the desert a highway for our God”.
(3) Isaiah 40:4 “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain”
(4) Isaiah 40:5 “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it”.
(5) Haggai 2:6&7 “… and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come…”
(6) Malachi 3:2 “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire…”
(7) Malachi 3:3 “… and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of righteousness.”
(8) Isaiah 7:14 “… Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name lmmanuel”.
(9) Isaiah 40:9 & 60:1 “0 Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, behold your God. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee”.
(10) Isaiah 60:2&3 “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee”. “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising:”
(11) Isaiah 9:2 “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined!”
(12) Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”
(13) Pastoral Symphony.
(14) Luke 2:8&9 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid”.
(15) Luke 2: l0 &11 ‘And the angel said unto them, fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”.
(16) Luke 2:13 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying”.
(17) Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”.
(18) Zechariah 9: pt.9 & pt.14 ” Rejoice greatly, 0 daughter of Zion; shout, 0 daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy king cometh unto thee …“
(Added by Handel) “He, is the righteous Saviour” (Then part of verse 10) “he shall speak peace unto the heathen …“
(19) Isaiah 35:5&6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped”. “Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing …“
(20) Isaiah 40:11 and Matthew 11 :28 & 29 “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young”.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”.
(21) Matthew 11:30 “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”.
(22) John 1:29. “… Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”.
(23) Isaiah 53:3 & 50:6 “He is despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…”
“I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting”.
(24) Isaiah 53:4&5 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows…. he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him …“
(25) Isaiah 53:5 “… and with his stripes we are healed”.
(26) Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray;we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all”.
(27) Psalm 22:7 “All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, and shake the head saying”.
(28) Psalm 22:8. “He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him”.
(29) Psalm 69:20 “Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none”.
(30) Lamentations 1:12 “… behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow”.
(31) Isaiah 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgement: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken”.
(32) Psalm 16:10 “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell: neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption”.
(33) Psalm 24:10 “Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory”.
(34) Hebrews 1:5 “… unto which of the angels said he at anytime, thou art my beloved Son, this day have I begotten thee?”.
(35) Hebrews 1:6 ”… let all the angels of God worship him”.
(36) Psalm 68:18 “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them”.
(37) Psalm 68:11 “The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those that published it”.
(38) Romans 10:15 “… How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.”
(39) Romans 10:18 “But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world”.
(40) Psalm 2:1 &2 “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing! The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed saying”.
(41) Psalm 2:3 “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us”.
(42) Psalm 2:4 “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The Lord shall have them in derision”.
(43) Psalm 2:9 ”Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron: thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel”.
(44) Rev. 19:6: 11:15 and 19:16. “. . ,Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth”.
“… The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”
“…KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS”.
(45) Job 19:25: 19:26 and I Corinthians 15:20. “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. Though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see GOD”. “ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept”.
(46) I Corinthians 15:21 & 22. “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”.
(47) I Corinthians 15:51 & 52. ”Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.”
(48) I Corinthians 15:52 and 15:53. “… for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality”.
(49) I Corinthians 15:54, ” … then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory”.
(50) I Corinthians 15:55 & 56. “0 death, where is thy sting? 0 grave, where is thy victory?”
“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law”.
(51) I Corinthians 15:57. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(52) Romans 8:31, 33 and 34. “…lf God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God That justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died: yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
(53) Revelation 5:12, 5:9, 5 12 and 5:13. “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain…”
“.. .and has redeemed us to God by thy blood …“ “to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing”.
“Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever”. Amen.
These are the texts Handel chose to write Messiah which is truly a picture of the glory of God. It gives us glimpse of heaven and reminds us of the importance of our indispensable God and Saviour. Handel used over seventy quotations from Scripture. Many more are available in the Bible providing further enlightenment.
No comments have been made on the individual quotations because they speak most eloquently for themselves. However Chorus No. 39. quotation from Romans 10:18 warrant’s further explanation. The writer Paul was referring to verse four of Psalm 19. which is here requoted: “Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words unto the end of the world. .”
The first four verses of Psalm 19 draw attention to ‘knowledge’ or a message revealed in the stars of ancient constellations. Several ancient civilizations like the Chaldeans the Egyptians the Persians and others were aware of this message. This we know from old astronomical records that they kept. Briefly the message said that a child would eventually be sent to the Earth to save mankind. This message existed in the stars long before the Biblical text did. Paul in Romans 10, was speaking about whether Israel knew about the promised Redeemer. They should have known through the writings of the prophets. But the reference by Paul to Psalm 19:4 must also indicate that he knew of the message in the stars which the Israelites should also have known. As Paul also said in Romans 10:18. “Have they not heard? Yes verily!” We may therefore safely conclude that, by knowledge or inspiration, it matters not which, Handel included this message by the stars in his Messiah.
The workings of Almighty God are indeed wondrous to observe. There are many paths to Salvation. Jesus encourages us on our journey saying in Matthew 7:7 “seek and ye shall find: knock and it shall be opened unto you”. The Bible of course is the prime text book, but we have seen how Handel’s Messiah and a remote record of astronomy are two further paths in place and there are more.
