Information Related to "How Can We Find the Pathway to Peace?"
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When the prophet Isaiah wrote of a future benefactor of the world, he had no idea that nearly 2,500 years later and 2,500 miles away his words would be set to music in a grand oratorio-The Messiah by German-born composer George Frideric Handel.
When performed for charity in Dublin in 1742, The Messiah was
an immediate success, falling on receptive ears in Ireland and England.
The impact of Handel's music, especially this monumental work, is evidenced
by the 3,000 admirers who attended his funeral in Poet's Corner at Westminster
Abbey in 1759. And of course the impact has been felt far and wide since.
Unlike many popular visionaries, Isaiah's words highlight the coming of a Messiah, a great event to benefit all mankind. Not least among the benefits to follow the Messiah's appearance will be genuine, lasting peace, as reflected in the prophet's encouraging words so well known and often sung in The Messiah: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6, King James Version, emphasis added throughout).
When the Messiah did appear on earth in the person of Jesus Christ ("Christ" being the Greek-derived term for Messiah), He taught and practiced the way of peace as no one before or after Him. Yet Christ's first coming did not leave this present world a legacy of perpetual peace. At the time of Jesus' birth, a chorus of heavenly angels announced, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:14). But now, 2,000 years later, where is this universal peace, as also proclaimed by Isaiah? What went wrong? And will we ever see it actually come?
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