Welcome to Tuesday! It's the best day of the week! Why? You may ask? Let me tell you the ways! It isn't Monday! It is usually a high productivity, project completion day! And most importantly, the blog Tuesday's Musical Notes releases every Tuesday featuring music and an idea or two that perhaps you've never contemplated. So let the music and the musings begin as we launch today's Tuesday's Musical Notes!!! Did you hear the fanfare???
For years now, we have been hearing that our ultimate demise as a world is close at hand. In the 70s we were going to be destroyed by global cooling, now we can only hear of our destruction coming in the form of global warming...(wow, to my unscientific mind that sure does sound like the definition of a "cycle" to me, which is it?... but I digress...) Gloom and doom soothsayers have existed since near the beginning of time (a gazillion years according to some scientists, about 6000 years if you ask others... sorry I digress again!). These "prophets" rarely provide common sense means of escape, yet want to panic everyone into making decisions we are ill-equipped to make (usually involving spending boatloads of money they can print...STOP!) It seems like every day we wind up in a different one of the "disaster" films of the mid-70s...wait, this is a blog about music...ok, there were some pretty huge "disaster" songs in the 70s as well, let's run with that..."Oh-oh, people of the earth "Listen to the warning," the seer he said..."
Today's featured song is the longest in Queen's catalog that features vocals by lead singer Freddie Mercury. (An instrumental track from their final album (1995's A Night In Heaven) comes in at 22:32 and is only given the title designation of its track number, "13".) "The Prophet's Song" is 2 minutes and 22 seconds longer than "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen)). "The Prophet's Song" never charted as it was far too long to be released as a single for radio (most radio-friendly singles typically clock in at just over 3 minutes as the standard). Today's Brian May penned song has, however, achieved a fan following due in part to its prog-rock formula and the success of the A Night at the Opera album (peaked at #4 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart). For those of you who are quantitative qualifiers of success, the videos above have had a combined viewing in excess of 5 million on YouTube.
"The Prophet's Song" is an anthem urging people to listen to the prophets and seers that attend to their respective generations. Let's face it. Every generation has its share of folks who "see" the future. Also, almost every major religion has its group of prophets in which they refer when needing guidance and direction. (You can draw your own conclusions as to the validity of said prophets.)
It is easy to see as the lyric progresses through "The Prophet's Song" where May got some of the source material...some of the symbolism comes directly from the pages of the Bible with its "return like the white dove" ("The Flood Narrative" from Genesis 7-8 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel), its "moonlit stair" ("Jacob's Ladder" from Genesis 28-10-17 NASB/AMP/KJV), as well as its continued use of the aforementioned prophets and seers. The most prolific of these Biblical prophets was Isaiah.
Isaiah is probably the most well-known, in religious circles or outside of them, of all the prophets of the Bible. His book is the longest of the prophetical canon and his prophecies are some of the most specific. Isaiah was a contemporary of Hosea, whom we met last week and Micah who we will meet very soon. Based on history, Isaiah is thought to have taught and preached from 745 - 685 BC. (Remember the years prior to year 0 (BC, Before Christ) diminish and the years following (AD, Anno Domini ) increase (even though most theologians believe Jesus was born around 6-4 BC, yes, I know...digression)
Isaiah's message was exclusive to Judah, the southern kingdom of the divided nation of Israel that developed after Solomon's death and the civil war that enveloped the nation afterward. Isaiah attempted to warn Judah about God's displeasure with their idolatry. He also assured them of the destruction to come because of that sin.
But Isaiah was not a prophet of complete doom. Scattered throughout the 66 chapters of Isaiah are glimmers of hope of Who is to come. There are at least 20 references to the Messiah in the book of Isaiah that were fulfilled in the man Jesus. Here is a list that you might find interesting that shows these prophecies and their fulfillment in Jesus. Isaiah's Prophecies Of The Messiah Fulfilled In Jesus Of Nazareth from agape.com
As you read through the book of Isaiah you soon see that the prophet not only foretold the future that Israel would see because of its sin, but he also instructed the surrounding nations, usually enemies of Judah, in what their approaching timeline would hold. Because of their mistreatment of the nation of Israel, these insights into the future were normally disastrous for them.
While Isaiah did prophesy about the coming occupation of Judah and the surrounding nations, as well as the carrying away of its populace to the conquering lands, he did provide a message of hope as well. All of the Messianic prophecies we visited above accompanied messages regarding the return of a remnant to Jerusalem. Yes, there was to be captivity much akin to what occurred during Moses' time, but there would also be another exodus where the Israelites would return to the promised land and begin their lives anew. This remnant would be inspired by the writings of Isaiah as they awaited the coming Messiah even though that did not happen as they thought it might.
You could really boil down Isaiah's message to Israel in this manner. "We really messed up and God is going to punish us by having another nation take us to their land in captivity. But don't despair, that captivity will not last as long as the enslavement that our forefathers experienced. Ours will last only 70 years, about 1 generation of folks, and at the end of it, many of our families will get to return to our homeland. As we wait through this time and even after we return home, we should be on the lookout for the coming King who will bring peace to our land and ultimately all the entire world.. While this King will suffer extreme hardship and be rejected by even some of His own people, He will ultimately be victorious and establish His kingdom on earth. So have hope. We messed up. God is faithful and will restore in ways that we can't even imagine. Have hope..." Maybe I should have been Isaiah's transcriber...
So what? How does Isaiah's version of "The Prophet's Song" relate to us? Honestly, we aren't any different than those in Judah to which Isaiah was preaching. Some of the idols we worship in this world are formed out of wood or precious metals. Others are formed from the lusts of the flesh by men AND women. My personal favorite is worshiping the idol of time and productivity, I have to repent of this one every day! You too? Maybe we should make a Facebook group!
Whatever gets in the way of your ability to see who God is and what He did for you through the Messiah Jesus is your idol. "Oh oh, people of the earth Listen to the warning The Seer he said Beware the storm that gathers here Listen to the wise man..." Listen to the prophet's song and turn away from your idolatry and sin. Turn towards the God who is waiting to restore you and infuse you with Himself to aid in your daily struggles.
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Oh oh people of the earth Listen to the warning The prophet he said For soon the cold of night will fall Summoned by your own hand..." Please heed the warnings of the prophet's song that says failure to turn away from your sin will result in your own captivity to that sin.
"...Oh oh people of the earth Listen to the warning the seer he said For those who hear and mark my words Listen to the good plan..." Grab hold of the hope that the prophet foretells as he describes the King of peace who is to reign forever. This King comes in the form of a servant who suffers so much for our sake but is willing to do it so that we can be a part of His forever kingdom.
"...Oh oh children of the land Love is still the answer, take my hand The vision fades, a voice I hear "Listen to the madman!"..."
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by Serving You,
randy
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