What is "hallelujah" in church terminology?

Hallelujah! Many people pronounce this word without even thinking about its meaning. Indeed, what does "hallelujah" mean? So they say, when they want to emphasize gratitude to God for a successful exit from the current problem, be it a crisis or illness, problems in the family or at work.

Praise God in the Psalms of the Bible

Starting and finishing the service in the temple, the priest sings a solemn song and says: "Hallelujah!" And what is this? This word came from the Aramaic language and remained untranslated, as well as the "Amen," which means "so be it." He does not have a literal translation, but the meaning can be understood by reading the Psalms, where praise to God is used more than 24 times. This word begins almost every Psalm, it also ends.

According to the Hebrew interpretation, this word can be divided into two: "alleluy" and "I". The first will mean "praise," and the second will mean "Yahweh" (God). Now it becomes clear what "hallelujah" means. This is the cry "Praise God": "Praise God in songs, give praise to God for your life, give praise to God with thanksgiving, give praise to God in obedience."

The majestic exclamation has many translations. This is "Praise the Lord," "Blessed be the Lord," "Our God is great," "Thanks be to God," and many others.

"Hallelujah" in Orthodoxy

To understand what "hallelujah" is in Orthodoxy, it is enough to visit the service in the church. At the mention of the Holy Trinity, the priest pronounces "Hallelujah!" Three times, praising and exalting the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Particularly significant Liturgies accompanying the Lesser Way, reading the Gospel, Communion, can not be imagined without the majestic "Hallelujah." When emphasis is placed on what the ministry is dedicated to, say "Praise be to God."

All-night vigil is repeatedly interrupted by praise. The inexhaustible power of the word "hallelujah" gives hope to the righteous to get into the New Heaven and the New Earth, to get into the Eternal Kingdom. It, like a golden thread, passes through all the Scriptures, through all prayers and praises to God, as a confirmation of faith in the greatness of the Triune God.

The last book of the Bible "Revelation" also gives praise to God through the apostle John, who was taken to Heaven and heard a voice saying: "Hallelujah! The Lord God is King Almighty! "

Many theologians believe that God Himself commanded to leave untranslated two words, "Hallelujah" and "Amen", to emphasize their divinity, so that people would often think about what it means.

"Hallelujah" as the reason for the split of the church in the 15th and 17th centuries

Until the 15th century the Orthodox Church sang, but did not think about what "Hallelujah" is. The meaning of the word remained mysterious. The Council of Churches, sent by the Pskov clergy, was sent to the metropolitan. The reason for the dispute was to sing "Hallelujah!" Once or thrice. 1454 year was a turning point when Efrosin Pskov went to great Constantinople to get an answer to the question about what "hallelujah" is and how many times it should be sung. The Monk Efrosin claimed that he had received the answer from the Mother of God himself, and singing must be done strictly, that is, once.

In 1551 during the Stoglavy Sobor singing of the double "Hallelujah" was introduced. In the 17th century, the Greek churches sang a triple or three-fold "Hallelujah". Not wanting to lag behind the Greek church, the innovation was picked up by the Russian patriarch Nikon.

1656 was the year of the appearance in Russia of the Old Believers who did not accept Nikon's innovations. They considered the treacherous "Hallelujah" and the baptism with three fingers of heresy. After the Great Moscow Cathedral, which was held in 1666, the harsh "Alleluia" was finally banned.

Prayer and Praise to God

The daily prayer of the believer must also begin and end with praise to God, then the person in repentance thanks him for the gift of faith, for the promises of the forgiveness of sins. "Hallelujah" in prayer means that God is always with us, He guides us through life, and we are grateful to Him. Every believing person must understand what "hallelujah" means.

This word is the hymn of love, faith, hope. They sing it when they thank God for the promise of eternal life. Even in death one can find joy, for the promise of resurrection from the dead gives joy to the encounter with Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit in Heaven.

Hallelujah of love is the praise of eternal love on earth

What is Hallelujah of Love? The song with this name became the anthem of love more than 30 years ago, when the rock opera "Juno and Avos" was first performed. At that time, the time of the pro-communist Soviet Union, every mention of God was punished, it was forbidden to baptize children, it was forbidden to visit churches openly, and the appearance of a scandalous rock opera blew up the minds of the townsfolk.

Opera "Juno and Avos" was written on the basis of real events, but shrouded in the grandeur of the temple hymn, emphasizing that real love is under the cover of the Mother of God itself. And for 30 years now there has been the undying hymn of "Hallelujah of Love".

The Real Story of Eternal Love

"Juno" and "Avos" - the name of two sailboats, on which the handsome nobleman Nikolai Ryazanov, a favorite of Catherine the Great herself, was swimming. From the age of 14, who dedicated his life to a military career, the stately military soldier did not come to court and, as a result of intrigue, was sent to the Irkutsk region, where he married according to the calculation of the rich Anna Shelikhova. However, this marriage was not blessed by Heaven, the Count's wife is dying young, Ryazanov is sent to Japan. Then he gets to Petropavlovsk, and from there he goes to California, where he buys "Yunona" and "Avos" for his money.

Here, the heart of the warriors conquers the 15-year-old daughter of the commandant Konchitt. Between them, love breaks out, but there is a real obstacle: Ryazanov was Orthodox, Konchitta - Catholic. The count goes to Russia to get permission to marry, but dies on the way. Delicate Conchitta remained faithful to her first love, every morning she went to the stone promontory, looked at the ocean and waited for her sucheno, and when she learned of his death, she went to a monastery where she spent many 50 years. That's the story that gave birth to the rock song "Hallelujah love."