An incredible thing happened during the inauguration of Donald Trump on Jan. 20. As the entire world watched, the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club performed a stirring rendition of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” To me, it was one of the most memorable moments of the entire day. But what most people don’t realize is that the song repeatedly references the book of Revelation and the second coming of Jesus Christ. I don’t think that it was an accident that this specific song was performed at Donald Trump’s inauguration at this specific moment in human history. This was a reminder to all of us that the great battle between good and evil that has been going on for centuries is reaching a grand crescendo, and it was also a reminder to all of us that we really are living in the end times.
If you missed the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club’s performance of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, I would very much encourage you to check it out, because it truly was extraordinary.
This is one of our most loved patriotic songs, but most people have no idea where the lyrics came from.
In November 1861, a woman named Julia Ward Howe and her husband visited Washington, D.C. While there, Howe, a published poet, heard Union troops belting out a well-known marching song called “John Brown’s Body,” after the famous abolitionist, John Brown. A preacher standing with Howe encouraged her to write new lyrics to the tune.
“I replied that I had often wished to do so,” Howe later wrote.
Julia Ward Howe went to bed that night, and she said that the next morning the lyrics “were arranging themselves in my brain.”
I… awoke the next morning in the gray of the early dawn, and to my astonishment found that the wished-for lines were arranging themselves in my brain. I lay quite still until the last verse had completed itself in my thoughts, then hastily arose, saying to myself, I shall lose this if I don’t write it down immediately. I… began to scrawl the lines almost without looking…. Having completed this, I lay down again and fell asleep, but not before feeling that something of importance had happened to me.”
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It sounds to me like something supernatural happened to her that morning.
Since that time, the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” has become one of our most important national songs and it has literally been sung by hundreds of millions of Americans.
Unfortunately, most people don’t even know that it is actually a song about the second coming of Jesus Christ. The following are the lyrics to the first verse (the lyrics are in the Public Domain):
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
The first line makes it abundantly clear that this is a song about the return of Christ.
But in case that wasn’t enough for some people, the phrase “grapes of wrath” in the second line is a reference to Revelation chapter 14.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
And the third line contains a reference to the sword that Jesus uses during the battle of Revelation chapter 19.
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, And Lord of lords.
When people talk about the Battle Hymn of the Republic, they forget that it is actually a hymn.
Yes, this song has been performed in all sorts of settings and it has been used for all sorts of purposes.
But ultimately it is a Christian song about Jesus Christ, and it has been a staple in our churches for ages.
Following each verse, the chorus is to be sung.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
Even most Christians don’t know that the word Hallelujah is only found in the Bible in the book of Psalms and the book of Revelation.
In fact, in the entire New Testament it is only found in Revelation chapter 19.
After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:
“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,2 for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”3 And again they shouted:
“Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:
“Amen, Hallelujah!”5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
both great and small!”6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
I am entirely convinced that this passage was the inspiration for the chorus of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
It is such a beautiful hymn. Here are the rest of the verses.
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps,
His day is marching on.I have read His fiery gospel writ in rows of burnished steel!
“As ye deal with my condemners, so with you My grace shall deal!
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel, ”
Since God is marching on.He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free!
While God is marching on.
In line after line, there are direct references to Christ. So I was shocked that it would be sung at a presidential inauguration.
But once again, I do not believe that this was an accident.
Someone wanted this song to be performed in front of a worldwide audience at this specific moment in human history.
For years, I have been trying to get people to wake up and understand that we really are the book of Revelation generation.
We really are living in the end times, and Jesus really is going to be returning.
No force on Earth can stop what God has planned, and His truth is marching on.
Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
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