Author: engageencounter

I am 23 years old, married, on the road to becoming a marriage and family counselor, and a fairly skilled drummer on my good days. I am a Christian, but don't let that sway you. I'm here to address the disconnect, and I want to know what you think.

“Implicit Demand for Proof”

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In the progression of albums released by Twenty One Pilots, their self-titled album Twenty One Pilots (2009) was the second to be released. No Phun Intended (2007) has, what I would consider to be, the most Christian symbolism of all of their albums, so I’ve decided to save it until the end of the blog series, and begin with the first song of the album Twenty One Pilots: “Implicit Demand for Proof”.

Verse 1 is where the majority of our content will be found. The verse reads:

“I know you’re not a liar and I know you could set fire this day. Go ahead and make me look away strike me down, I am calling your lightning down from your dark hiding place. Go ahead and show me your face.”

Operating on the assumption that Tyler is speaking to God, the opening line, “I know you’re not a liar,” suggests two questions: how does he know, and, if God isn’t a liar, who is? The Bible answers both of these questions.

God is Not a Liar

There are several verses in the Bible that testify to the fact that God is not a liar. Numbers 23:19 says that, “God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not fulfill it?” Hebrews 6:18 says that “it is impossible for God to lie”, and Titus 1:2 says God “never lies.” God, unlike mankind, never lies and cannot lie, nor does He ever fail to fulfill a promise. Verses like these are where I would assume Tyler draws his conclusion that God is not a liar.

Who is the Liar?

In John 8, Jesus is very clear about where lies originate and the nature of the being they originate from. Starting in verse 44, he says, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Wow. So it is safe to assume that if it seems to us that God has lied to us, the reality is that it is Satan who has lied to us about God. Not only that, but Jesus describes Satan as a murderer from the beginning. His intentions have always been to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10).

Why does this matter? Because as we will see in future blogs, we are regularly faced with a mental battle between what is true and what is not. The only way we can really be free is to know what is true, and knowing what is true will set us free (John 8:32).

A Request for Proof

The fourth through sixth lines of Verse 1 read, “Strike me down. I am calling your lightning down from your dark hiding place. Go ahead and show me your face.” This seems like the “implicit” demand for proof suggested by the title of the song. Tyler is not the first to ask God to prove himself, and he certainly won’t be the last.

Let’s consider Gideon, in Judges 6:36-40: “Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.’ And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. Then Gideon said to God, ‘Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.’ And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.”

Satan had also requested of Jesus that He prove Himself. Satan’s aim, however, was to tempt Jesus, and to lead Him into sin. Satan suggested, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Matthew 4:5-7).

The difference in these two instances of asking for proof lies within the intentions of the one making the request. While Gideon needed reassurance of God’s ability to win the war that he was faced with, Satan was looking to cause the Son of God to fail. Gideon still operated out of respect for God (“Let not your anger burn against me”), while Satan was challenging Jesus with the intent of outwitting Him by twisting the words of scripture – a heinous insult to God.

Destroy Me

In the chorus of the song, the words “Reign down, destroy me” are repeated. It is unclear as to in what sense Tyler is asking to be destroyed. In my understanding there are two possibilities. One would be in a physical sense, in which Tyler is essentially asking God to end his physical life. The other would be in the sense of destroying his ego, or pride.

If Tyler is expressing a desire for God to end his life, his desire is echoed in the writings of many of the books of the Bible. The most obvious example is Job, who after the death of his wife and all of his children, his servants, his livestock, the loss of all of his material possessions, and even the loss of his health as he was inflicted with loathsome sores, did not curse God or renounce his loyalty to God. Job did, however, stress that his life situation has been horrific enough, “so that I would choose strangling and death rather than my bones” (Job 7:15) The reality is that this life is riddled with struggle, grief, anguish, and hardships. I empathize with anyone who feels exhausted from it. Job did not end his life, but remained faithful to the Lord in spite of his dismal circumstances.

If Tyler was requesting that God destroy his ego, that too is echoed by scripture, particularly in the words of John the Baptist: “He must increase, and I must decrease” (John 3:30). John’s aim was not to accumulate as many followers as possible, but to direct as many people as possible towards Jesus Christ, the true Savior. This is the aim of this blog as well: to direct as many people as possible to the true Hope, Jesus Christ. I am convinced that this may also be a motivation for Tyler and Josh, as they continue to create new music.

Invitation to Argue with God

Verse two of the song reads, “I mean no disrespect, I am simply perplexed by your ways. Why would you let us use your name?” Tyler seems to be quite frustrated by his lack of understanding of what God is doing, but he still maintains an attitude of respect towards God. He doesn’t hide his frustration, but he trusts God to address him.

My challenge to anyone reading this is to confront God with your frustrations. In Isaiah 43:26, God extends the invitation to do just that. He says, “Put me in remembrance, let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.” He wants you to tell Him what you think, and hopes that you ask Him what He thinks. Give Him the opportunity to hear you out.

As always, comments are open to any and everything. If you’re ticked off about what I’m saying, let me hear it. If you have a point of argument, let me know. If you want to talk more about what the Bible says, I’d love to. If you want to geek out over Josh’s drumming technique, COUNT ME IN.

“I do not know why I would go in front of You and hide my soul, cause you’re the only one who knows it.” -Tyler Joseph

All lyrical content obtained from Genius.com

All Biblical references taken from the English Standard Version

First Series: Twenty One Pilots Christian Symbolism Explained

Twenty One Pilots - Performance
Twenty One Pilots perform at the Red Bull Sound Space, at KROQ Studios, in Los Angeles, CA, USA on 30 June, 2015.

It may seem a bit daring – Who uses their first ever blog posts to try to explain something as deep as the lyrics Tyler Joseph brings to the table? Good luck!

In my two years of being a fan of this duo, my thoughts of them have ranged from sincere gratefulness, to deeply rooted frustration. Their sound brings me back to fond memories of screaming heavy metal songs with my brother in middle school in an attempt to escape. Their lyrics continually offer hopeful insights to the thoughts that many of us have on a regular basis. Most artists are strong in one of these two areas, either musically or lyrically, but Tyler and Josh have mastered both, creating a riveting listening experience.

So why have I been frustrated? Because although their music contains Christian symbolism, they’ve not explicitly shared with their fans where they derive their hope from. Tyler and Josh have openly confessed to being Christians, and in a recent interview with Zane Lowe (Beats 1, 2018), Tyler mentioned that his faith has been strengthened through his musical journey these last few years. When I listen to specific songs, like “Addict With A Pen” and “Taxi Cab”, I’m shaken to the core because I hear the same message that changed my life and saved my soul, just in a different medium. It’s the same message that I’ve assumed Tyler and Josh believe. The frustration sets in when I realize that many members of the Twenty One Pilots fan base, “The Clique”, may have no idea what these songs are saying, or the power that the “Water” (Addict With A Pen) or the “Three Men up front” (Taxi Cab) posses. Maybe frustration isn’t the best word: I’m not upset with the fans or The Clique for not understanding. I’m anxious.

Many of Tyler’s songs speak of a reason to continue living, to refuse to commit suicide and to tackle the dark thoughts of the mind in the hope of becoming a person free of their own “Blurryface” (false self). These are heavy emotional weights for anyone to carry; weights that requires a source of hope that is strong enough to carry them, but what could that source possibly be?

Some may think they’ve found a strong source of hope in relationships, either with family members, friends, or romantic partners. But what do they do when that loved one dies, or they’ve been cheated on, or suddenly abandoned with no explanation? Some may think they’ve found it in work, or a satisfying career. Maybe it’s a job that “gives back” to society. What do they tell themselves when the company goes under and they’re laid off? They may still be looking for a job three years later; there’s no guarantee that they will find something. Others may believe that their own will power will be strong enough to combat their dark thoughts, but how predictable are our seasons of weakness or struggles? There is no guarantee as to the length of the season; it could be anywhere from a few days to twenty years. Will your will power be enough for that length of time?

I’m anxious because although the message of secure hope in Twenty One Pilots music is obvious to me, there are a sea of people following these two men who’ve been given no explicit infallible source of hope. I’m anxious because I don’t know what the fans will do when their hopes are left unmet and they are once again faced with their fears. I’m anxious because I know of a source of hope that has never failed, and will never fail, but I don’t have a stage and a microphone to share my source from.

The blogs following this one will be my best attempts at matching Tyler’s lyrics to passages from the Bible, and explaining how the message of Jesus Christ offers a hope that is uncompromising. My goal is not to “shove Christianity down your throat,” but to offer a source of hope that has proven to be reliable to me, most likely to Tyler and Josh, and countless others throughout history.

Comments are open to any and everything. If you’re ticked off about what I’m saying, let me hear it. If you have a point of argument, let me know. If you want to talk more about what the Bible says, I’m ready for you. If you want to geek out over Josh’s drumming technique, COUNT ME IN.

“You don’t know what that means, because a kitchen sink to you is not a kitchen sink to me.”   -Tyler Joseph