Popular rock band Skillet has set the internet on fire with the release of their first Christmas song, “Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel,” with their performance garnering much praise and some uproar.
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Lead singer John Cooper told CBN News why he disagrees with some claims that the song sounds “satanic” or is anti-Christian in any way, noting that its intent is to glorify the Lord.
“The response to this song has been really overwhelming,” he said. “People seem to really like it.”
Cooper thoroughly explained the heart behind his rock performances.
“Of course you want to capture the feel of the original song if you can,” he said. “This is a very special song. It’s a very, very old song. I’ve always felt that this song has multiple layers of meaning because… it’s actually called an Advent song.”
Cooper continued, “This song is known as an Advent song about the first coming of the incarnate Savior, Jesus, to come into the world and take away the sins of the world.”
However, he pointed out that many people sing “Come, Come, Immanuel” in longing for Christ’s return. Seeing so much pain and suffering in the world, they yearn for the Lord to return.
“The world is not well,” he said. “This is bad. We are in some degree of suffering here. We are eagerly awaiting the coming, the return of the King, the return of the Savior, if you will.”
Cooper said this was just one of the layers of the song, and Skillet wanted to capture not only this somberness but also its original intent. Therefore, the first half of the song is lighter and the second half is a little heavier.
“We said we had to go hard in the second half,” he said. “I have to go to Skillet for this.”
The band, known for their rock chops, injects some of that into the mix, and fans are loving this song so far. But instead of shouting without purpose, Cooper said there’s a reason behind it.
“You express the difficulties of the world we live in,” he said. “The fact that our loved ones die, or maybe the fact that you have to endure this year… the death of a family member, watching a parent die, watching a child die, whatever it is. We look forward to these absolute heartaches, all old things made new.”
Cooper said it was important to combine these themes with the power of God coming into the world to show the deeper meaning of both Christ’s first and second coming through music.
“He defeats the devil,” Cooper said. “He will destroy the demons. He will destroy the power of sin.”
The singer said he felt the song was able to express these spiritual realities in “a very loud, triumphant, earth-shaking way”.
Cooper said he was shocked by some of the reactions. Check out the interview above for more details.
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