"Golden Age": TV on the Radio

The song “Golden Age” by TV on the Radio clearly refers to the coming of the kingdom of God. The line, “Said clap your hands.
If you think your soul is free.
And the silence was astounding” exemplifies the notion that no one is truly free here on earth and that in only in Heaven do we experience ultimate freedom. The chorus shows the joy and anticipation that we feel as we wait for the kingdom to arrive. It also puts emphasis on the miraculous qualities of God’s kingdom, referring to it as the “Golden Age”. “The age of miracles.
The age of sound.
Well there's a Golden Age.
Comin' round, comin'round, comin' round!” Finally, when we enter into the kingdom, all earthly restrictions dissolve away and we are truly content. This is seen in the following-

“Now we're all allowed to breathe

Walls dissolve

With the hunger and the greed

Move your body

You've got all you need”

 

Heart beat sounding

Ricocheting in their cage

Thought I'd lose my balance

With the grounds bounce and sway

And all this violence

And all this goes away

And the vibes that rise like

Fireflies illuminate our play

 Some light being

Pulled you up from night's party

Said clap your hands

If you think your soul is free

And the silence was astounding

'cept some "Oh Lord!! Mercy Me's"

And oh you can´t stop what´s comin' up

you´re never gonna stop gonna live it up

And oh it´s gonna drop

gonna fill your cup

And oh it´s gonna drop

gonna fill your cup

 The age of miracles

The age of sound

Well there´s a Golden Age

Comin' round, comin' round, comin' round

 Give it up

'stead of grabbing for decay

What we viewed as gold

I believe pollutes this space

And it´s grace ascending

Like a snake up your tree

Up your happy ending understanding

All your s'pposed to be

 Let it move right in

Let it kiss your face

Let it sow your skin

In perpetual embrace

Like I said "Love's Light is Laughter"

Like the sun spitting

happiness into the hereafter

Oh here it comes like a natural disaster

Ah blowing up like a ghetto blaster

Ah here it comes, bring it faster

Ah here it comes, bring it faster

 The age of miracles

The age of sound

Well there´s a Golden Age

Comin' round, comin' round, comin' round

 Love, don´t you falter

Burning hearts

Dragged behind

The horses dancing on the altar

Hooves breaking Gods

To diamond dust and stars

And there you are...

 Now we're all allowed to breathe

Walls dissolve

With the hunger and the greed

Move your body

you´ve got all you need

And your arms in the air

stir a sea of stars

And oh here it comes and it´s not so far

 All light beings

Come on now make haste

Clap your hands

If you think you´re in the right place

Thunder all surrounding

Aw feel it quake with the joy resounding

Palm to the palm you can feel it pounding

Never give it up you can feel it mounting

Oh it´s gonna drop gonna fill your cup and

Oh it´s gonna drop gonna fill your cup

 The age of miracles

The age of sound

Well there´s a Golden Age

Comin' round, comin' round, comin' round

 The age of miracles

The age of sound

Well there´s a Golden Age

Comin' round, comin' round, comin' round

-Ellie Dolan and Annie Lyman

Till Kingdom Come

The song "Till Kingdom Come" by Coldplay relates to chapter twelve in that it has to do with reaching the "kingdom" just as chapter twelve does. One line from the song states, "and say you'll come and set me free." This can be interpreted as a plea to Jesus, asking him to come and release everyone from the burden on their sins through forgiveness. Another line, "in your tears and in your blood", refers to Jesus suffering for our sins. Jesus died on the cross in order for our sins to be forgiven and to bring about the kingdom of God.

- Annie Lyman and Ellie Dolan

Coldplay - Til Kingdom Come (acoustic Session) - Amazing videos are here

Summary of Chapter 12: The Coming of the "Kingdom"

Chapter 12 discusses the coming of the kingdom of God. It begins by describing the kingdom as an impossible utopia that would require a miracle to actually come about. It requires something that cannot be built or brought about by worldly power. No secular power can bring about complete liberation and freedom. Therefore, all we can do is bring about the conditions that will lead to total freedom. We can achieve this by first having faith in God and the kingdom. “Faith releases within us a power that is beyond us”.  This faith calls for a radical reorientation on one’s life, and its power is derived from what is hoped for, in this case, the “kingdom”. In addition to faith, compassion is needed to bring about the kingdom by releasing God’s power in the world. There is no way to know for sure when the kingdom will come. It may be delayed by people’s lack of faith, and it may even be preceded by catastrophe, but there is no doubt that it will come sooner or later. We know this because we believe in God and have faith that goodness and truth will overcome evil and falsehood. The coming of the kingdom is not a so much a time for rejoicing as it is a time for repentance, in that with the “kingdom” comes judgment. This repentance is necessary in order to avoid catastrophe engulfing all of mankind. If all people orient their lives towards bringing about God’s kingdom, catastrophe and Hell can be avoided. Whether or not this happens in the near future or not, God will prevail in the end; as Nolan put it, “God will have the last word”.

-Ellie Dolan and Annie Lyman

The Lion King

"The Lion King" can be seen as a parallel to the representation of "the kingdom" in chapter twelve. Chapter twelve talks about how Israel is waiting for the coming of the kingdom of God in order to avoid the "catastrophe". The Israelites rely on their faith in the Son of God in order to bring about the Kingdom. This relates to "The Lion King" in that Simba, the son of Mufassa, becomes the king of the lions, and in his absence the kingdom falls to the evil Scar and the hyenas. Therefore, the lions need to have faith that Simba will return and restore the kingdom, just as the Israelites do in Chapter 12.

- Annie Lyman and Ellie Dolan