The Final Implied Act of Handel’s Messiah: Christ’s Return
Author: Daniel Owens, PhD
December 13, 2024
The Messiah of George Frideric Handel is a staple of Christian music for Christmas and Easter. Using Scripture throughout, Handel brings the oratorio to a conclusion with a celebration of Jesus’ victory over death, comfort in his justification of sinners, and worship. But that is not the end of the story of the gospel. In fact, the end of the Messiah implies Jesus’ glorious return to establish his reign on the earth. We dare not forget this critical piece of the story.
Although the return of Christ is anticipated at various points in the Messiah, I want to focus on the second-to-last piece, the text of which comes from Revelation 5:12–14:
"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. Blessing, and honour, glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen."
Of course, when we think of the Book of Revelation, our minds often go to such topics as the Tribulation, the Millennium, and the New Jerusalem. But they are not the subject of Revelation 4–5. Instead, these chapters present a vision of the heavenly worship of God on his throne. Chapter 4 declares God is worthy of worship, highlighted by the words of the four living creatures in v. 8:
"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"
Then the twenty-four elders respond in homage to the Heavenly King in verse 11:
"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."
These are staples of any true Christian worship. God is eternal, and he is Creator. So he is worthy of our worship. He holds history in his hands. But in John’s vision, God’s plans are sealed in a scroll (Rev. 5:1). So John’s vision continues with the question, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” John is overcome with grief because nobody is able to open this scroll, to unleash God’s glorious plan for the world. Thankfully, the elders do not leave him in suspense. Instead, they point to Jesus in verse 5:
"And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”"
Jesus’ conquering of sin and death in the past lays the groundwork for his final victory in the future. So, in John’s vision, Jesus rises to take the scroll from the Father, and the living creatures and the elders break out in song to extoll his worthiness to open this scroll, to carry out God’s glorious plan. And so we come to those final words in Revelation 5:12, which point forward to several dimensions of Jesus’ return in the litany of things that Jesus is worthy to receive: “power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
In his first coming, Jesus came as a humble baby, under the power of oppressors and persecutors, lacking basic wealth that might provide a place to lay his head, having wisdom yet rejected as blasphemous, choosing the path of suffering rather than military might, dying in dishonor, and choosing to take the curse for us.
But in his second coming, all those will be reversed. He will receive the power to judge and the wealth of the nations (Isa. 60:5), deciding all matters according to his wisdom, defeating the devil and death by his might, receiving the confession of creatures that he is Lord, and enjoying the blessing of God among the people of God forever.
What hope the promise of Jesus’ return gives us as those who will reign with him, and how fitting that we would worship him now, in anticipation of that day. What Handel implies in his oratorio is an event Scripture declares clearly. So let us enjoy this Advent season in light of the promise of Jesus’ return in glory.
Daniel Owens is NCC’s Pastor of Discipleship.
Photo by Karsten Füllhaas on Unsplash.
BACK