Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 6:33am

Handel's Advent Messiah, Part II

Something for the weekend.  The second part of the Advent portions of Handel’s Messiah.   The first part is here.

We start with But Who May Abide The Day of His Coming which repeats the messianic words of Malachi 3, verse 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, and like fullers’ soap:

And He Shall Purify concludes Handel’s use of Malachi with Malachi 3, verse 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 in righteousness.

Behold a Virgin Shall Conceive shifts our focus to great messianic prophecies of Isaiah, beginning with Isaiah Chapter 7, verse 14:

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Imman’u-el

O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion repeats the text of Isaiah 40, verse 9:

O 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!

And concludes with Isaiah 60, verse 1:

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

For Behold Darkness Shall Cover the Earth continues with Isaiah 60, verses 2 and 3:

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise 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.

The People That Walked in Darkness relates the great messianic message, a text that I have always found profoundly moving, of Isaiah Chapter 9, verse 2:

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

We have one more section, and that we will reserve for Christmas Eve.


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Thursday, December 24, AD 2009 4:14am

[…] of the Advent portions of Handel’s Advent Messiah.  Part I is here and Part II is here.  Handel heralds the coming of Christ with the immortal words of Isaiah Chapter 9, verse […]

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