Depeche Mode- John the Revelator

One of my favorite bands growing up as a young impressionable knucklehead was Depeche Mode. I was absolutely fascinated with their lyrics as well as their dark but danceable synth-pop beats. Even as a non-Christian I always wondered what the deal was with their seeming hatred for the Christian God. I didn’t pay it much mind since I was an atheist at the time and agreed with much of their anger towards this God or any gods for that matter. Needless to say, things have certainly changed on my end, but it seems as if our dear friends from across the pond still have their knickers in a twist over God, Jesus, the Bible and, in their latest album, the Apostle John. I thought I’d share their lyrics to give you a bit of perspective on what they preach, what they evangelize the masses with. Unfortunately, they are able to proselytize their position much more effectively than we often do because they have millions of followers who for two decades have soaked in everything DM spits out. As you will soon find out, they are not all that shy about their religious convictions. Now think of the masses humming this at work, listening in their car, and packing a stadium (though perhaps a bit smaller than in the past) and singing this along with them.

From their 2005 album Playing the Angel

John the Revelator

John the Revelator
Put him in a elevator
Take him up to the highest high
Take him up to the top where the mountains stop
Let him tell his book of lies

John the Revelator
He’s a smooth operator
It’s time we cut him down to size
Take him by the hand
And put him on the stand
Let us hear his alibis

By claiming God as his only rock
He’s stealing a god from the Israelite
Stealing a god from a Muslim, too
There is only one god through and through
Taken from OldieLyrics.com
Seven lies, multiplied by seven, multiplied by seven again
Seven angels with seven trumpets
Send them home on the morning train
Well who’s that shouting?
John the Revelator!
All he ever gives us is pain
Well who’s that shouting?
John the Revelator!
He should bow his head in shame

Bye-bye
Bye-bye
Bye-bye
Bye-bye

Seven lies, multiplied by seven, multiplied by seven again
Seven angels with seven trumpets
Send them home on the morning train
Well who’s that shouting?
John the Revelator!
All he ever gives us is pain
Well who’s that shouting?
John the Revelator!
He should bow his head in shame

Bye-bye
Bye-bye
John the Revelator
Bye-bye
John the Revelator
Bye-bye
John the Revelator

What should be mentioned is that this pluralistic reaction to the gospel is nothing more than another religious worldview that sets itself as true and all its oponents as false. It is an entirely different gospel which promises peace, grace, love, and progress if we just believe its good news. They sharp shoot the Christian faith because it is too narrow, but fail to realize that their particular version of religion is a narrow religion itself. How does tolerance react to the Christian faith?- with tremendous anger and intolerance. It is interesting to listen to artists like DM become infuriated with the truth claims of the Scripture as binding and absolute, when they in turn promote the truth claims of their pluralism as binding and absolute.