Handel’s Messiah, Part III

For an introduction to Messiah, see “Handel’s Messiah, Part I“. There is also a page for Handel’s Messiah, Part II.

What follows is the text or lyrics of Part III of Messiah with references to where in the Bible the relevant scripture verses can be found, along with YouTube videos for each section. After that is a modern English translation of the same scriptures, along with some commentary and explanation of the meaning and significance of those scriptures.

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AIR (Soprano)
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though worms destroy this body yet, in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first-fruits of them that sleep. (Job 19:25,26; 1 Corinthians 15:20)

CHORUS
Since by man came death,

CHORUS
By man came also the resurrection of the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:21)

CHORUS
For as in Adam all die,

CHORUS
Even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)

RECITATIVE (Accompanied – Bass)
Behold, I tell you a mystery; We shall not all sleep; but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. (1 Corinthians 15:51,52)

AIR (Bass)
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. (1 Corinthians 15:52,53)

RECITATIVE
Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written; Death is swallowed up in victory! (1 Corinthians 15:54; Isaiah 25:8)

DUET (Alto and Tenor)
O death, where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:55-56; Hosea 13:14)

CHORUS
But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

AIR (Soprano)
If 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 at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:31,33,34)

CHORUS
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. (Revelation 5:12,13)

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God… (Job 19:25,26, ESV) But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)

Job was a man of God whom God allowed to suffer terribly at the hands of Satan and who was tormented by his friends. He did not understand what was happening to him or why it was happening. Yet he somehow had a sense — he somehow believed — that someday he would be vindicated and would have fellowship with God. Job’s words testify to the saving grace of God, His love for us, and the fact that death does not have the last word. God has the last word — through the Redeemer He sent for all of us. And we know — as the apostle Paul wrote to believers in Corinth, Greece — that that Redeemer, Jesus Christ, has indeed come, given His life for us and been raised from the dead! Christ is our trailblazer. He has gone ahead of us so we can follow. What He has gone through we will also, generally speaking, go through. Where He has gone we will also go. He is the first-fruits of God’s plan for our salvation. He has been raised from the dead, and so have we. He has entered heaven, and so will we. Our bodies may die before He returns, but spiritually we are only sleeping; we will meet Him when He returns and will be given new, imperishable bodies.

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21, 22)

Adam’s rebellion ushered sin and death into the world; Christ’s sacrifice conquered sin and death. Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, because sin leads to death. It separates us from God and extinguishes our spiritual life. The result of one trespass (Adam’s wrongdoing) was condemnation for all people by a holy, righteous and just God. In this way death came to all humanity. But just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man (Jesus) the many will be made righteous. God intervened in human history through His Son, Jesus. The result of Jesus’ act of righteousness — His sacrifice of Himself on the cross — was justification that brings life for all who will believe in Him (see Romans 5:12-21). Our sins are wiped out and we are given a clean slate. Our separation from God is overcome. The blood of Jesus covers us and God remembers our sin no more. Our spiritual death is changed to life as God breathes His own spirit, the Holy Spirit, into us.

Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. (1 Corinthians 15:51, 52)

We have hope for new life in this world, and hope for eternal life with our Lord and Savior in the next world. As Jesus was resurrected from the dead, so will we be — unless Jesus comes back before we physically die. The Bible sometimes refers to physical death as ‘falling asleep’, because life and death is not just about physical existence, but also about spiritual communion with or separation from God, a spiritual being who is the creator and sustainer of the universe and all life. That which is spiritual created, encompasses and supercedes that which is physical. That which is eternal created, encompasses and supercedes that which is temporal. That which is imperishable created, encompasses and supercedes that which is perishable. We are a combination of a body from the dust of the earth and a spirit from God. Our bodies are physical and perishable. The body which is buried is perishable but it will be resurrected imperishable. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable (verse 50). That is why we will all be changed. And when we are changed, it will happen in a flash, in the blink of an eye, when Jesus returns.

For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:52, 53)

We who are still alive, who are left until Jesus’ return, will not precede into heaven those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first (see 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16). And with what body will the dead be raised? With the new body that God will give both them and those who are alive at the time. The body that is buried is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (see 1 Corinthians 15:42-44). We don’t know all the details but we know that much. After the dead in Christ are raised, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).

Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54)

Paul quotes from Isaiah 25:8 which speaks of the salvation the LORD will bring to His people all over the world.

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

Paul quotes from Hosea 13:14 with a view to the victory which Jesus won for us on the cross, a miraculous intervention by God on our behalf. Such an intervention was, for God’s people in Hosea’s time as well as for us and for all people, the only hope which exists. The law only made us aware of sin, but when our faith is in Christ we receive power to rise above sin. Sin leads to death, but faith in Christ brings life. God robs the grave; death is robbed of its victory and life wins over death!

What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. (Romans 8:31, 33, 34)

We can have peace, joy, love and supreme confidence as we approach life because of what God has done for us. If he did not spare His Son, but gave him up for our sake, will he not also freely give us all things? (verse 32) And we don’t have to defend ourselves against the accusations of the world, nor do we have to keep beating ourselves up about wrongs we have commited in the past. Knowing that the Son of God died for you and me, that He was raised from the dead, and that He is now interceding with God on our behalf should make all the difference in the world in how we see ourselves. As a friend of mine has pointed out, since Jesus died for my forgiveness, if I refuse to forgive myself I’m saying that I’m bigger than Christ!

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:11-13, ESV)

In the vision revealed to John, he saw a throne with one seated on it who “had the appearance of jasper and carnelian” (4:3). The scene he recorded in Revelation had many fantastic elements, including twenty-four elders and four “living creatures” which defied description. The one seated on the throne had a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals (5:1). An angel asked who was worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. John wrote that he wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside (5:4). Then one of the elders said, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Then John saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne. The Lamb came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne (5:7). When the Lamb did this the elders and the living creatures fell down before him and worshiped him saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (5:9-10)

And then all of heaven and all of creation praised the Lamb, Christ, who alone could free us from death, from our own rebellion, and bring us into life — the life which comes from God, the life which He created us to experience and the life He enables us to share.