<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I teach eschatology, I spend most of my time outlining the ascension\u2014its Old Testament expectation, its New Testament fulfillment, and its eschatological implications. Along the way, this biblical theological entry into the ascension leads me to consider passages like Psalm 2, Psalm 68, Psalm 110, and Daniel 7, all of which play a crucial role in developing a doctrine of the ascension in places like Ephesians 4, Hebrews 1, and the whole book of Revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In studying Handel\u2019s Messiah, <\/em>I have been pleasantly surprised and encouraged that this biblical-theological reflection on Jesus Christ does much of the same. In fact, what I argue in class is that if <\/em>twenty-first century evangelicals built their eschatology on the ascension, it would resolve\u2014or begin to resolve\u2014a host of eschatological errors. Or at least, it would put them on the right path to understanding the inauguration of Christ\u2019s kingdom. Such is the polemical argument that I make in class with respect to the ascension and eschatology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, polemics aside, the ascension is a doctrine that should make our hearts sing and our souls pray. Because Christ ascended to heaven, the believer has confidence to enter the spiritual battlefields of earth. Indeed, as Psalm 110 suggests, with Christ enthroned in glory, he now sends forth his Spirit to save and his armies to march. Jesus is bringing salvation and judgment upon the world, and ardent Christians should not only argue this point theologically, we should sing about it doxologically. And singing about the ascension of Christ is what we have in Handel\u2019s Messiah, <\/em>as we come to Sections 34\u201343. In what follows, I want to meditate on these sections and the biblical texts they recite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While other contributors to this month\u2019s theme have engaged the music of Handel, and the way Handel connected Jennens\u2019 lyrics to song, my contribution will be more canonical. I will attempt to stay in my lane and focus on the biblical theological connections I see in the given texts, and how their arrangement produces a theological message. And specifically, as it comes to the ascension of Christ, we will consider four results from Christ\u2019s exaltation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the ascension of Christ in Section 33, which cites Psalm 24:7\u201310, these sections outline the effect of Christ\u2019s exaltation to heaven. This impact begins in heaven, but flows downhill, if you will, to impact all creation. On earth, the Messiah is bringing his kingdom by way of his Spirit and his Word through the instrumentality of his body, the Church. And thus, we who are the body of Christ should give praise to our head for the work he is doing. And wonderfully, Handel\u2019s Messiah <\/em>gives us a soundtrack to do that.[1]<\/a> Still, that soundtrack is only as good as our understanding of the verses in view (cf. 1 Cor. 14:15). And so as we come to the highpoint of Handel\u2019s Messiah, <\/em>the Hallelujah Chorus, in Section 44, we need to understand the effect of the ascension that leads to that glorious doxology.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Hebrews 1:5\u20136 we have the exaltation of Christ over and above the angels starting off section 34. Citing Psalm 2:7 and Deuteronomy 32:43 (LXX),[3]<\/a> respectively, the author of Hebrews begins his exaltation of the Son with a comparison between the Son and the angels, who are called \u201csons of God\u201d in places like Genesis 6:2, 4; Deuteronomy 32:8, and Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7, as well as the aforementioned Deuteronomy 32:43.[4]<\/a> While debate exists over the term \u201csons of God,\u201d there is no debate as to what \u201cangels\u201d mean in Hebrews or Handel\u2019s Messiah. <\/em>It is plain: the risen and exalted Christ receives the worship of angels, when he enters into realms of glory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n A George Guthrie frames it, \u201cThe chain quotation at [Hebrews] 1:5\u201314 builds overwhelming biblical support for the superiority of the Son of God to the angels.\u201d[5]<\/sup><\/a> In Messiah, <\/em>we find the something similar. With the preceding choral arrangement of Psalm 24:7\u201310, a text which the early church regularly interpreted with respect to the ascension, we are ready to see the effect of Christ\u2019s ascension.[6]<\/a> And the first effect of Christ\u2019s ascension is that the angel\u2019s worship the exalted Son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a style that would impress (or inspire) Charles Jennens, the author of Hebrews arranges seven Old Testament citations that serve to identify the glory of the ascended Christ. Indeed, while Hebrews 1\u20132 stress Christ\u2019s humanity, it is not Christ\u2019s state of humiliation that is in view. Rather, it is the enthroned Son who is on display. In Hebrews 1:3\u20134, the text alludes to Psalm 2:8 in verse 3 (\u201cwhom he appointed the heir of all things\u201d<\/sup>) and Psalm 110:1 in verse 4 (\u201che sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high\u201d<\/sup>).<\/a> And with Christological skill, the next ten verses (Heb. 1:5\u201314) proceed from Psalm 2:7 to Psalm 110:1.[7]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In context, the chiastic argument looks something like this:[8]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [A] The Son is greater than angels (Heb. 1:5) \u2013 Ps. 2:7 and 2 Sam. 7:14<\/p>\n\n\n\n [B] The Son receives praise from angels (Heb. 1:6) \u2013 Deut. 32:43 or Ps. 97:7<\/p>\n\n\n\n [C] The Son is served by heavenly angels (Heb. 1:7) \u2013 Ps. 104:4<\/p>\n\n\n\n [C1] The Son receives his earthly throne (Heb. 1:8\u00ad\u20139) \u2013 Ps. 45:6\u20137<\/p>\n\n\n\n [B1] The Son renews creation (Heb. 1:10\u201312) \u2013 Ps. 102:25\u201327<\/p>\n\n\n\n [A1] The Son is greater than angels (Heb. 1:13\u201314) \u2013 Ps. 110:1<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In reading these verses, we don\u2019t know if Hebrews 1:5\u201314 was sung by the speaker, but we have good reason to believe it was preached.[9]<\/a> And drawn from the Psalms, there is a rich lyrical quality to these selected verses. Together, they make a simple point: The Son who was made a little lower than the angels (Ps. 8:5 cited in Heb. 2:7), has now been exalted to the right hand of God (Heb. 1:3, 7). Accordingly, all creation, angels included, have been put under his feet (cf. Eph. 1:22\u201323). And for those elect angels who abide in God\u2019s heavenly temple, they offer the Son ceaseless praise. As Athanasius puts it in a sermon on Psalm 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The angels of the Lord who followed Him upon earth, seeing Him arise, announced His coming to the Virtues of heaven, so that they might open their gates. The Powers were filled with amazement at seeing Him in the flesh. That is why they cried, ‘Who is this?’ astounded by this mysterious order of salvation. And the Angels rising with Christ answered them, ‘The Lord of Powers, He is the King of Glory who teaches the great mystery to those who are in heaven: that the King of Glory has won the victory over the spiritual enemy?[10]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Glory, hallelujah! The ascension is truly worth singing loud for all to hear, as Messiah <\/em>does. Yet, if there is occasional singing on earth\u2014in the church or the choral halls where Messiah <\/em>is performed\u2014there is ceaseless praise in heaven. And that praise changed key with the ascension of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, before Christ came into the world, the heavenly host gave praise to God in the precincts of heaven (see Isa. 6:2\u20133), but now such praise is magnified. It is magnified because the incarnate Son is seated on the throne, a mystery which the angels could not previously foresee.[11]<\/a> Such praise is also is amplified, however, because the angels are joined by the saints made perfect. This is confirmed when we read Hebrews 12:22\u201324, where the angels are joined by the assembly of the firstborn surrounding the throne of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wonderfully, in Hebrews 1:5\u20136 we find an introduction to angelology that leads us to the ascended Christ. Yet, that is only one aspect of the ascension. As Hebrews 2:16 clarifies, \u201cIt is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.\u201d Indeed, in Hebrews the message about angels is not for angels, but for the people of faith (Abraham\u2019s seed). And the same is true in Messiah. <\/em>While the first effect of the ascension is the praise of angels, the second effect is the redemption of the saints and the formation church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, Messiah <\/em>moves from heaven to earth. Or, more precisely, the ascension of Christ to heaven results in the blessing of God\u2019s people on earth. As Jennens cites Psalm 68, he takes up two verses. The first is Psalm 68:18, which is partly cited in Ephesians 4:8, \u201c<\/em>Thou art gone up on high; thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men: yea, even for thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them.\u201d The second is Psalm 68:11, which seems to apply to Ephesians 4:11, \u201cThe Lord gave the word: great was the company of the preachers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Together, these two verses present the formation of the church by way of Christ\u2019s victory and the preaching of that good news. In the first place, Psalm 68:18 describes the people whom the Lord receives in his ascension. In the context of the Psalm, David looks to a day when God, as victorious king, will defeat his enemies (Ps. 68:1\u20132), such that the righteous (Ps. 68:3) and all those who have been saved by God (Ps. 68:4\u20136) can sing his praises. In this setting, Psalm 68:7\u201335 recount God\u2019s procession, coming from the battlefield (Ps. 68:7\u201314, 19\u201323), up the mountain (Ps. 68:15\u201318), to the place where he will sit in his sanctuary (Ps. 68:24\u201335).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rightly, Messiah<\/em> interprets Psalm 68 as taking place when Christ, after winning victory on the cross, ascends to the right hand of the Father, leading a train of captives in his wake. And we know this fulfillment of Psalm 68 brings us to the ascension, because of the way Paul cites Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:8. In that Prison Epistle, Paul alludes to Psalm 110:1 in Ephesians 1:22\u201323, as he prays for the saints to receive the help of Christ under whom all things in creation were placed. This prayer is based upon the ascension. Next, Paul highlights Christ\u2019s work of salvation (Eph. 2:1\u201310), which results in the construction of a new temple (Eph. 2:19\u201322), wherein believing Jews and Gentiles can enter into the sanctuary offering praise to God. Importantly, this temple access continues in Ephesians 3:12, where Paul explains the mystery of the Gentiles approach to God (Eph. 3:1\u201313), which results in another prayer (Eph. 3:14\u201321). And all of this is to set up the life saints have as the temple of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:1\u201316).<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is in this temple context, with priestly overtones, that the saints\u2014who have been placed in God\u2019s temple\u2014are called to build up the body of Christ in love. While Paul mixes metaphors\u2014in the same way that Jesus mixes metaphors between body and temple (John 2:19\u201321)\u2014he helps us to see that Christ who has received all the people for whom he died (see Isa. 53:10\u201312) has given them to the church, in order to see the temple grow throughout the earth. Accordingly, Paul takes Psalm 68:18 and changes the word \u201creceive\u201d to \u201cgive,\u201d because the ascension is no longer in the future. Rather, the victorious procession has come, Christ has received his redeemed people, so that now he can give them to his church for their upbuilding. Still, there\u2019s something else to see\u2014namely, that the church will not be built by gifting alone. It must be built by preaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Ephesians 4:11, the need for a preacher is observed in what Paul says with respect to apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. These four servants of the Lord are necessary for bringing the life-giving message of Christ to those dead in sin (see Eph. 2:1\u20133). And they are equally necessary to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12) in the temple-body that is being built up in Christ (Eph. 4:13\u201316).[12]<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is how the church is formed in the New Testament. And in Messiah, <\/em>the same logic applies. For after citing Psalm 68:18, Jennens adds Psalm 68:11, with language that approximates the KJV, but not modern English versions. The chorus in Messiah <\/em>sings, \u201cThe Lord gave the word: great was the company of the preachers.\u201d In this arrangement, the church comes by way of the word proclaimed by a great company of preachers.[13]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, in his ascension, the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4) could now send shepherds after his own heart (Jer. 3:15) to call forth the sheep for whom the Good Shepherd saved with his death and resurrection (John 10:11\u201314, 17\u201318). Indeed, before the ascension the gospel was constrained to Israel, but now it could go to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). This is what makes the good news of Christ better than the gospel preached beforehand (Gal. 3:8). In his ascension, all authority was given to him (Dan. 7:13\u201314; Matt. 28:18), so that now the gospel could go to the nations. In Messiah<\/em>, this gospel proclamation is connected to Christ\u2019s ascension by way of Psalm 68, and it sets up the next result of Christ\u2019s ascension, the universal scope of the proclamation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the exaltation of Christ in Psalm 68, Messiah <\/em>turns to Romans 10:15 and Romans 10:18. As with so many other citations, Jennens takes verses that are obviously quotations from other parts of Scripture. Showing the unity of Scripture and the promise-fulfillment structure of the whole Bible, Messiah <\/em>praises the beauty of the feet that preach the gospel of peace (Romans 10:15 citing Isaiah 52:7). And immediately, he follows with a chorus declaring the universal scope of the gospel (Romans 10:18 citing Psalm 19:4). Lyrically, it sounds like this, \u201cHow beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!\u201d and \u201cTheir sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n By themselves these verses do not have anything to say about the ascension, but following Psalm 24:7\u201310, Hebrews 1:5\u20136, and Psalm 68:18 and Psalm 68:11, they absolutely do. The universal scope of the gospel, brought by the company of preachers could only go to the ends of the earth, if the exalted Jesus was sovereign over all creation. Yet, this is the point of ascension, as told by these verses. Jesus is the king of glory, and all gates open for him (Psalm 24). Jesus is also the exalted of Son of Man, and all angels must bow before him (Hebrews 1). And finally, Jesus is the victorious warrior, who has been given a people that are now being gathered from all nations, by way of the gospel (Psalm 68).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In context, Isaiah 52:1\u201312 describes a new exodus that the servant of the Lord will accomplish when he comes (Luke 9:31). Wonderfully, Jesus is that suffering servant, who dies for the sins of his people (Isa. 52:13\u201353:9), just as Messiah <\/em>sings (Sections 23\u201326). Yet, the servant who suffers does not remain in the grave. Instead, when he is exalted to the right hand of God, he sends forth his servants to bring good news to the nations (Isa. 49:1\u20137). And more, he successful brings all of his people from all nations to himself by way of the preaching. This is the point of Isaiah 52:7, and it is further developed by Romans 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After answering questions about God\u2019s faithfulness to Israel in Romans 9, Paul explains how God is faithful to his purposes of election (Rom. 9:6\u201329) and equally faithful to bring the good news of salvation to Jew and Gentile alike (Romans 10). While the details of Romans 9\u201311 require a verse-by-verse analysis, as these three chapters are bursting with biblical citations and allusions, the use of Isaiah 52:7 and Psalm 19:4 accomplish the same purpose, they confirm the fact that the good news that is as high as heaven is as wide as creation itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No longer do the nations have to grope in the dark for salvation (Acts 17:27). Now, salvation has come to them. With Christ on high, special revelation, which was bound to Israel under the old covenant, was now going to extend as far as general revelation itself. No longer would God only speak through creation to the Gentile nations; now in Christ, the message of salvation would go to the nations. Yet, in the same moment the message of salvation would also be accompanied by judgment (cf. Rom. 2:16), which brings us to the fourth effect of the ascension, the judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Typically, when we think about judgment in the Bible, our minds move to the end of the age. After all, there are plenty of passages that speak of a final day of judgment (2 Pet. 3:7), where the every person is brought before God\u2019s throne and every word is given due consideration (Rev. 20:11\u201315). Indeed, since Adam disobeyed God, the world have been moving toward a final judgment. As God made the world moral, writing his law on human hearts and commanding Adam not to eat of the forbidden fruit, man\u2019s first sin has required a judicial response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In truth, that judicial response came immediately in Genesis 3:14\u201319, when God pronounced a curse on all creation (Rom. 8:19\u201322). As history progressed, judgments continued as God sovereignly ruled over creation. As man continued to sin, there were judgments immediate (e.g., 2 Sam. 6:5\u201315; 2 Chron. 26:19) and delayed (Rom 3:25). In particular, the flood demonstrated God\u2019s power to judge all creation, and ever since, the flood has been a symbol of God\u2019s final end-times judgment (2 Pet. 2:4\u20135).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, between the flood and the fullness of time when Christ came (Gal. 4:4), the rising and falling of nations corresponded to God\u2019s active presence in the world (see 1 Sam. 2:1\u201310; Luke 1:46\u201356); and notably, this presence brought salvation and<\/em> judgment, kindness and severity (Rom. 11:22). In this story of salvation and judgment, the drama centered on Israel, and it coming Messiah. Thus far, in Messiah <\/em>we have only seen the development of salvation, but now in Sections 40\u201343 we consider the other side of the coin\u2014the judgment of the nations. And in particular, we can see three aspects to this judgment: (1) the hatred of the nations (in Psalms 2:1\u20133), (2) the vanity of the nations (Psalm 2:4), and (3) the judgment of nations and destruction of the wicked (Psalm 2:9).[14]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n First, the hatred of nations.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When Messiah <\/em>sings Psalm 2:1\u20132 and then Psalm 3, it does so as another response to the ascension of the Lord. As we have observed thus far, the ascension results in angelic worship and church building by way of gospel proclamation. Yet, Christ\u2019s exaltation did not merely have positive effects. Now, in Psalm 2, we find the negative effect of the nations opposing Christ. Psalm 2:1\u20133 sings,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why do the nations so furiously rage together: and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed. Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n This opening question (Ps 2:1), followed by the schemes (Ps. 2:2) and words (Ps. 2:3) of the wicked, illustrates the opposition that the rulers of the earth have towards God and his anointed king. In Psalm 2, the solution to this problem of the nations\u2019 rage is found in verses that are not included in Messiah. <\/em>The Lord looks to put his son of Mount Zion (Ps. 2:6\u20137), and\u2014as I have argued elsewhere\u2014the entirety of the Psalter goes in search of this son, the righteous king (a Melchizedek) who will defeat his enemies (Psalm 110).[15]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Messiah, <\/em>however, this promised Son has already been identified. So, the messianic verses of Psalm 2 are not in focus. Rather, it is the hatred of the nations for God and his Son that receive attention. And this hatred of Christ is important for understanding the righteousness of Christ\u2019s judgment. In his compassion for sinners, Christ does not seek first to destroy the nations. He begins by dying on the cross to save them. Yet, when his enemies persist in their unrepentant malice, then Christ is right to put them to flight in this age and to destroy them in the final judgment. This judgment will come in Psalm 2:9, but first there is the additional consideration that the rage of the nations is foolish and futile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, the vanity of the nations.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In his sermon series on the texts of Messiah,<\/em> John Newton called the opposition of the nations in Psalm 2:1\u20133 \u201cunreasonable and groundless,\u201d as well as \u201cvain and ineffectual.\u201d[16]<\/a> When he turned to consider Psalm 2:4, he focused in on the \u201cvanity of the nations,\u201d as he followed David\u2019s meditation to the Lord\u2019s response to the nations. Psalm 2:4 says, \u201cHe that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn: the Lord shall have them in derision,\u201d and it reflects the sovereign freedom of God to withstand the assaults of his creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than withstanding humanity\u2019s assaults, God Most High is wholly unfazed by their threats. While God\u2019s children must suffer many tribulations before entering the kingdom (Acts 14:22), the exalted Lord now shares in his Father\u2019s laughter. Though the nations rage, the Lord rejoices, for he knows that every hostile effort is in vain.[17]<\/a> While the context of Psalm 2:4 anticipates the exaltation of Christ to the throne of God, in Messiah <\/em>that exaltation has already come. And now, with all things in creation put under his feet, every evil attempt to halt the gospel and prevent the expansion of the kingdom is vain. As John Newton puts it,<\/p>\n\n\n\n By his providence, which ruleth over all, he manages [his people\u2019s] concerns upon earth, supplies their wants, and gives them present and effectual help and support in their time of trouble. . . . He permits their enemies for a season to try if they can prevent his designs. For a season, things take such a course that their attempts seem to prosper; they threaten, they boast, and confidently expect to carry their point. But the contest always issues in their shame and confusion. He not only disconcerts their schemes, but makes them instrumental to the promoting of his own designs.[18]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Truly, the laughter of God over the wickedness of the nations is not malevolent or unmerciful. In light of the biblical canon, it is both good and true. The Lord knows what he has in store for the world\u2014salvation for his elect and judgment for those who seek to harm his elect (2 Thess. 1:5\u201312). And thus, the laughter of God reinforces the point, that nothing in creation can separate God\u2019s elect from his love in Christ (Rom. 8:28\u201339) or overturn his judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, the judgment of the nations.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Section 43, we come to the final step of judgment. And here we have a verse that could be held up as a testimony to God\u2019s final judgment when all things are consummated at the end of the age. Or, in the case of Messiah, <\/em>the exalted Lord\u2019s judgment has commenced, and is even now executing judgment on the wicked.[19]<\/a> As John Newton reads it, he makes a distinction between the current judgment \u201cin the present life\u201d in the first part of the verse (\u201cThou shall break them with a rod of iron\u201d), with the final judgment in the second part of the verse (\u201cthou shall dash them in pieces like a potter\u2019s vessel\u201d).[20]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Without getting into all the eschatological questions that this verse entails, I believe Newton\u2019s reading of this passage points us in the right direction. In between Christ\u2019s ascension and his glorious return, the nations are being put under the feet of Christ. By way of (1) the miserable experience of sin, (2) the bitterness of conscience, and (3) the handing over of sinners to their vices, Newton outlines the effects of judgment today.[21]<\/a> Still, there are larger illustrations of Christ\u2019s judgment too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Psalm 2 focuses on the nations and the rage of their rulers\u2014something Luke applies to the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:25\u201326\u2014so it is fitting to affirm Christ\u2019s ongoing judgment of the nations. While Revelation 2\u20133 identifies the judgment by which Christ can remove his lampstand from individual churches, the result of that judgment would have an effect on nations too. Where peoples are given to idolatry and all forms of wickedness, Christ is free to bring repentance and salvation. But he is equally within his kingly authority to bring judgment. And though we do not have an inspired interpretation of history (post-ascension), the rising and falling of nations does suggest Christ\u2019s power to judge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so, as Messiah <\/em>puts Christ\u2019s judgment of the earth after the ascension and before his glorious return, it leads us to see that Christ is wielding his sword, as his Spirit and Word proceed throughout the earth. To be certain, judgment of the regional or generational kind are not the same as the final day of judgment. But they do bear testimony to the fact that God is true and his Son is not a liar. The wages of sin is death, but the way of eternal life comes by way of bowing the knee and kissing the Son (Ps. 2:12). Again, this is the part of Psalm 2 that is not found in Messiah. <\/em>But it is the stated desire of Charles Jennens, who arranged these texts. And while this fourth effect of Christ\u2019s ascension ends on a dark note, it is not the most prominent nor the final note. For as this word of judgment issues a sober warning to sinners, it follows the offer of salvation in Sections 34\u201339 and precedes the great note of praise in Section 44\u2014namely, the Hallelujah Chorus for all who would turn from their wicked ways and find salvation in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I noted earlier, the man who arranged the Scripture of Messiah <\/em>is someone who longed for others to know him too. Indeed, we might say that the desire of Charles Jennens was that the nations would desire Christ. Certainly, this was Jennens baleful longing for those like his brother, who had been led astray by the Deism of his day. As Calvin Stapert observes, Jennens wrote with a great desire to undo that philosophy, and he did so because of the effect it had on his own brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For in fact, when he sent Handel the manuscript, he sent along a word of introduction that included his thoughts on the text and on his own brother\u2019s suicide.[22]<\/a> In that context, Jennens wrote that, \u201cHuman beings, it seems, since time immemorial, have been plagued by a powerful need to know the answer to this question: Does God act in the world, or are we left to our own devices?\u201d[23]<\/a> And in answer to that question, Jennens composed his libretto, in order to show Christ\u2019s birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and as we have seen here the activity of Christ in his ascension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n To those familiar with Deism, this question of God\u2019s activity in the world is plainly related. And to put it in terms of Psalm 2, the philosophers of Deism raged against God when they declared that he is not present, active, or able to intervene. In answer to such Christ-denying erudition, Jennens penned his libretto, with hopes to give the world what was taken from his brother\u2014namely, faith that Jesus Christ was alive and active in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this way, Jennens reflections on Christ\u2019s ascension bear direct testimony to Christ\u2019s actions in the world. These actions include judgment on the nations, but only as the message of salvation that precedes judgment. Indeed, the risen and exalted Messiah, is not simply a god who will come to judge at the end of time. He is also active to save and judge here and now. And so Jennens adds Psalm 2 at the end of his section on the ascension and in preparation for the Hallelujah Chorus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For us, we too should take note of Christ\u2019s saving and judging in this age. For in fact, eschatology is not simply a doctrine to debate. It is also a view of the world to embrace and a message to sing. Wonderfully, in Messiah <\/em>we are introduced to this message and in the sections on the ascension we are given a full theology of what God is now doing in Christ in the world that has been given to him. In this way, we have great reason to believe that God exists, and that he rewards those who seek him. As we sing Messiah, <\/em>may our desires match that of Charles Jennens and George Frideric Handel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n May we long to see the nations come to Christ, and may all that we say and do render Christ the glory he deserves. S.D.G.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ascension is a doctrine that should make our hearts sing and our souls pray. Consider its enormous theological implications with us in Messiah<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17565,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"The ascension is a doctrine that should make our hearts sing and our souls pray. Consider its enormous theological implications with us in <I>Messiah<\/i>.","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[32,12,1814,38],"tags":[823,187,102,1460,58,257,326,1514,677,507],"scripture-reference":[],"post_folder":[],"ppma_author":[24],"class_list":["post-17551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-concise","category-december-2024","category-theme","tag-christ","tag-christmas","tag-gospel","tag-handels-messiah","tag-lordship-of-christ","tag-messiah","tag-music","tag-musical-worship","tag-scripture","tag-the-word"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/schrock-handel-article-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-01-13 11:52:46","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"authors":[{"term_id":24,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"david-schrock","display_name":"David Schrock","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/david-schrock.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/david-schrock.jpg"},"author_category":"","job_title":"","church_city_state":"","last_name":"Schrock","first_name":"David","church_site":"","user_url":"https:\/\/davidschrock.com\/","description":"David Schrock<\/b> is the pastor for preaching and theology at Occoquan Bible Church in Woodbridge, Virginia. David is a two-time graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a founding faculty member and professor of theology at Indianapolis Theology Seminary. And he is the author of Royal Priesthood and Glory of God<\/I> along with many journal articles and online essays."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17551"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17551\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17708,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17551\/revisions\/17708"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17551"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-reference","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-reference?post=17551"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=17551"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=17551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
1. For a more critical take on the actual performances of Messiah, <\/em>see Ben Purves, \u201cProfane Sacrilege or Redeemer\u2019s Praise: John Newton on the Messiah <\/em>and the 1784 Commemoration of Handel<\/a>,\u201d and Bob Kauflin, \u201cHandel\u2019s Messiah<\/em>: Worship, Worldiness, and the Way of True Praise<\/a>.\u201d In this essay, I am focusing on the biblical text and the need for believers to meditate on the biblical text. <\/h6>\n\n\n\n
2. Tomorrow, Ardel Caneday will give singular attention to Handel\u2019s \u201cHallelujah Chorus.\u201d<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The Worship of Angels (Sections 34\u201335)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. This citation is debated and may draw from Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalm 97:7, or the pseudepigraphal Odes of Solomon<\/em> 2:43; see George H. Guthrie, \u201cHebrews,\u201d in Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament<\/em> (Grand Rapids, MI; .Baker Academic, 2007), 925\u201333.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
4. The manuscript evidence for Deuteronomy 32:8 is also a disputed. Yet, I am in agreement with Michael Heiser who makes the case for \u201csons of God\u201d in Deuteronomy 32:8. M. S. Heiser, \u201cDeuteronomy 32:8 and the Sons of God,\u201d BSac<\/em> 158 (2001): 52\u201374.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
5. Guthrie, \u201cHebrews,\u201d 930.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
6. Jean Danielou, The Angels and Their Mission: According to the Fathers of Church, <\/em>trans. David Heimann(Notre Dame, IN: Newman Press, 1957), 34\u201343.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
7. On the canonical development of Psalm 2 and Psalm 110, see David Schrock, \u201cReading Psalms 2 and 110 with the Grain of Scripture: A Proposal for Reading the Psalter Canonically<\/a>,\u201d SBJT 25.3 (2021): 97\u2013120.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
8. This chiastic structure is adapted from Victor Rhee, \u201cThe Role of Chiasm for Understanding Christology in Hebrews 1:1\u201314,\u201d JBL <\/em>131, no. 2(2012): 341\u2013362.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
9. Dennis Johnson, Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures <\/em>(Phillipsburg, NJ: 2007), 171\u201378.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\n
10. Quoted in Danielou, The Angels, <\/em>39\u201340.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
11. Danielou, The Angels, <\/em>24\u201333.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
The Formation of the Church (Sections 36\u201337)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
12. Don\u2019t miss the connection between \u201cgood works\u201d in Ephesians 2:10 and the \u201cwork of ministry\u201d in Ephesians 4:12. In between, there is no other mention of \u201cwork\u201d or \u201cworks.\u201d Thus, it seems best to read them together. Those who are made alive in Christ (Eph. 2:5\u20137) are given good works in the temple, whereby the word of God equips the saints for such priestly service.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
13. If we had more time, we could investigate the difference between Messiah, <\/em>which follows the KJV (\u201ccompany of those who publish it\u201d) and the better, gender-specific language of Psalm 68:11 (\u201cwomen who announce\u201d), which builds on the tradition of women praising God\u2019s salvation (see Exod. 15:20\u201321; Judges 5). Cf. James M. Hamilton Jr., Psalms, <\/em>Vol. 1, Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2021), 600.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The Message of Salvation (Sections 38\u201339)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Judgment of Nations (Sections 40\u201343)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
14. This threefold division of Sections 40\u201343 is the same way John Newton preached Sermons 33\u00ad\u201335, which I will reference below.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\n
15. David Schrock, \u201cReading Psalms 2 and 110 with the Grain of Scripture: A Proposal for Reading the Psalter Canonically<\/a>,\u201d SBJT 25.3 (2021): 97\u2013120.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
16. Newton, \u201cSermon 33: Opposition to Messiah Unreasonable,\u201d Messiah, <\/em>287.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
17. Newton, \u201cSermon 34: Opposition to Messiah in Vain,\u201d Messiah, <\/em>289, \u201cThe text therefore principally respects the opposition made to his gospel and his kingdom after his ascension, which is still carrying on, but which always was, and always will be, in vain.\u201d Interestingly, Newton identifies the Messiah as the one laughing in Psalm 2:4, but it seems better to identify God the Father, without respect to persons, laughing in Psalm 2:4. Newton\u2019s identification of the Son in Psalm 2:4 is premature.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\n
18. Newton, \u201cSermon 34: Opposition to Messiah in Vain,\u201d Messiah, <\/em>290\u201391.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
19. As I read it (and I am open to being proven wrong and updating this note), Charles Jennens\u2019 arrangement of these verses reflects something of a postmillennial eschatology. While I did not find anything explicit to validate this claim, a postmillennial view of Christ\u2019s kingdom, where the exalted Christ is subduing the nations and bringing the gospel to convert them, fits his historical context. For comparison, see Iain Murray, Puritan Hope: Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy <\/em>(Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1971), 131\u201355, who recounts the postmillennial, missionary zeal of many in England during the eighteenth century. Similarly, it should be remembered that in the face of Deism, the first Great Awakening (1730s\u20131740s), with its largely Calvinistic and Postmillennial views, was also in full swing in England and America.\u00a0<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
20. Newton, \u201cSermon 35: Opposition to Messiah Ruinous,\u201d Messiah, <\/em>296\u2013303.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
21. Newton, \u201cSermon 35: Opposition to Messiah Ruinous,\u201d Messiah, <\/em>299\u2013300.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The Desire of Charles Jennens (and Ourselves)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
22. \u201cJennens\u2019 Messiah<\/a>,\u201d Rabbit Room, <\/em>April 17, 2017.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
23. The Fellowship Story Team, \u201cJennens: A Preface to Handel\u2019s Messiah<\/a>,\u201d<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"