John Rich, quite literally the “son of a preacher man,” has had an interesting musical journey.
Sometimes, his songs under his own label and those he records with Big Kenny (under the name Big & Rich) seem purely secular (“Bad, Bad Thing;” “One Bud Wiser”), while others can be very politically charged (“I’m Offended;” “Shut up About Politics;” “Shuttin’ Detroit Down”).
But in others, Rich seems to embrace his Christian upbringing (“Rescue Me,” “Earth to God,” “I Pray for You”).
But in a post on X, he called his newest single, “Revelation,” “the most important song I’ve ever written.” He went on to write, “I hope it brings strength to the saved, conviction to the lost, and fear to the wicked.”
In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Rich shared that “Revelation”was not a song he wrote, but rather one that God is sharing through him—one he felt called to promote heavily to fight against, in his words, the satanic themes present in mainstream media today.
The lyrics on “Revelation” are scriptural.
Rich sings of the trumpets sounding and the time when those who bow a knee to evil will receive their irreversible judgement (“Lord’s gonna turn away from all their cries”).
In the outro, Rich sings, “So wrote the prophet John/Before his days were done/The King is coming/And it won’t be long.”
The music video shows Rich at a church. We see him look to the sky and hold up a Bible. We also see a dramatization of the battle between the Archangel Michael and Satan, described in Revelation 12.
The single itself is biblical. But when Rich talks about the song, the artist means “Revelation” to be a political and social statement, as well. And while some families might wholeheartedly agree with Rich’s cultural take, others might take issue with its tone.
For instance, Rich’s lyrics don’t talk about what the Second Coming will look like for those who believe.
The music video features a bare-chested Michael wielding a lightning-powered sword against Satan, who controls a ball of fire.
In the interview with Carlson, Rich spoke about the satanic nature of current media, specifically referencing Eminem’s new songs, “Evil,” “Lucifer” and “Antichrist.” While he knows he doesn’t have the same press attention as Eminem, he hopes that “Revelation” will help counterbalance such content.
“Revelation” is biblically based. In the same interview, Rich said that he merely took John’s words and made them rhyme. This much is clear.
But, judging by Rich’s comments, “Revelation” is a social as well as spiritual statement—one that many listeners will agree with, but one that should be noted all the same.
Whatever way you slice it, it’s important to note that though biblical, the song is not the Word of God. Many Bible scholars have and still do try to find the “correct” interpretation of the book of Revelation, but none of us truly know exactly what the end times will look like or when they will be.
The music video ends with the words of Revelation 12:10-11 filling the screen:
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they (the brethren) overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Families should be encouraged by this and begin to study the book of Revelation for themselves alongside the song to get a fuller picture.
Caleb Gottry is the Plugged In intern for Summer 2024. Caleb studies journalism with a minor in music at Texas Christian University, where he will be a junior in the fall. He loves playing with words, listening to and making music, and spending any spare time with friends or family.
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