Viral sensation Oliver Anthony made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday (Dec 17). During his performance, Anthony, who skyrocketed to fame with his controversial song “Rich Men North of Richmond,” read Scripture to the crowd gathered in the historic Ryman Auditorium.
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree,” Anthony said, reading from Matthew 24:32-34. “As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.”
Adding his own paraphrase of Matthew 24:35, Anthony continued, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus’ words will never pass away.”
The words, originally spoken by Jesus Christ, come from the Olivet Discourse, a notoriously difficult sermon to interpret in which Jesus prophesied about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem as well as his own second coming.
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Anthony is known for reading Scripture at his performances, often mixing biblical language with rural working class values.
Anthony’s song “Rich Men North of Richmond” went viral in August, garnering both praise and criticism. While many saw the song as an anthem for the working class, some criticized Anthony’s portrayal of the urban poor as accepting government handouts while working class rural communities struggle to survive. The song also made a passing reference to far-right conspiracy theories.
Despite the pushback, the video of Anthony performing the song has been viewed tens of millions of times.
For his part, Anthony has expressed disinterest in becoming a political icon.
In a video released shortly after he became a viral sensation, Anthony referenced the fact that his song was discussed at a Republican presidential primary debate, saying, “It was funny seeing my song at the presidential debate because I wrote that song about those people. So for them to have to sit there and listen to it cracks me up.”
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Nevertheless, Anthony expressed gratitude for the fact that people have connected with his music.
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