These days we often sing songs that have one main idea sung many times. That kind of song is great to teach people a single point and drive it home. “Heaven Rejoices” is typical of songs of yesteryear — songs that hit singers like the last minute of a great fireworks show — one amazing shower of light after another after another in rapid succession. This kind of song works well for people who have studied for awhile and are familiar with great Bible truths. Such folks light up when they are reminded of so many of the Lord’s great works in a short space. Please give it a sing-along listen, then come back for some celebration.
Fireworks
It is stunning how much truth, light and cause for rejoicing got packed into this song that runs less than three minutes. Many, many hours could easily be spent in the Bible learning the depth of the many ideas brought up in these five verses.
What’s more, these wonderful truths are bundled in praise and thanksgiving and set to a delightful, energetic tune. It is difficult to sing this hymn without being stirred, encouraged and energized by the wonders the Lord wrought which are mentioned in this song.
There are those in our times that believe and teach Christians ultimately “lose” on earth and only start living with power after they hit the bottom and get raptured out of here. But it is fascinating to learn that not all that long ago (this song is only about a century and a half old) people understood the Bible as teaching that Christ and His Church will prevail on earth before Christ returns (as described in 1 Thessalonians 4) — that before Christ returns, “all the tribes of earth shall own Him” as this song proclaims. They saw “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” and “more than conquerors” as things to be living and real for the Church on earth even before Jesus Christ returns.
The doom and gloom that we “lose” — and I HAVE heard that taught — is not ringing as true as it once did — for me, anyway. Right now, today, we’ve got a great big wonderful God. We have an awesome Savior. We have been given holy spirit. I see God Almighty as One who wins. Jesus Christ is victorious. The new birth makes a difference. We are children of God and we have been created in Christ Jesus unto good works. THAT is the message this song brings — and it really lights up the room!
Peace on earth, good will to men
It is no wonder the adversary has worked so hard to make it fashionable to split “spiritual truth” from “natural knowledge”, and assign one to “church on Sunday” and the other to “school, work and culture” the rest of the week, during which time our “Sunday” hands are largely tied up and considered out of place, bad form and inappropriate.
“Natural knowledge” has been given the run of the place all week, resulting in a world with more war than peace, and fighting among ourselves instead of good will to men. Throw in illness, poverty, hunger, injustice — and you have fuel to run all kinds of businesses — “health care” which does its best business when sickness remains, “news media” which is powered by bad news, “government” which takes it upon itself to try to solve social problems, many of which it creates — and on and on.
“Spiritual knowledge” is brought up on Sundays, when we meet to wring our hands about what a mess the world is now and dream about how wonderful the next life will be.
But there is change in the air. More and more people are lighting up to the reality that Jesus Christ is the living, active King of the Kingdom, and the WAYS of this kingdom have a real solution for every problem hospitals address, governments organize to try to fix and news media reports on. But Jesus Christ is King over all of it and makes available power and solutions to fix it all. It is said, “Either The Lord is King over all or He isn’t king at all.” That’s something to think about!
It is time to rise up and weave the Sunday conversation into the “rest of the week” — at work, school and every part of culture. Peace on earth, good will to men — that’s not supposed to wait for heaven and angels. It is for earth and men — and for the living King and His active-right-now Kingdom. Are we ready for Kingdom living? It is a good time to be alive! The Lord — the King — is moving!
Switching tunes
This song probably sounds familiar to most of you — you may have learned it as “Angels From the Realms of Glory”. I’m confident that is the better known song, because (according to Hymnary.org) “Angels From the Realms of Glory” appeared in 763 hymnals, while “Heaven Rejoices” showed up only in 8 hymnals, and at least one used a different melody from the one I recorded here.
Looking at these old hymns, I’m fascinated to see how common it has been for the same melody to get used with many different lyrics.
Check this history out. The words for “Angels From the Realms of Glory” were written by James Montgomery in 1816. In writing his song’s lyrics, Montgomery drew inspiration from that older Christmas carol — dating back to the 1700’s — called “Angels We Have Heard on High”. (That’s the one with a chorus that goes “Glo-o-o-o-o, o-o-o-o-o, o-o-o-o-o or-i-a — in excelsis’s Deo…”) For the first fifty years, Montgomery’s song “Angels From the Realms of Glory” was sung using the melody for “Angels We Have Heard on High”. (If you are adventurous, you might try singing it that way for yourself. Not a perfect fit, but sounds pretty neat.)
Then, fast forward fifty years to 1866 when Henry Thomas Smart wrote a tune called “Regent Square”. Some editor liked it and published “Angels From the Realms of Glory” using Smart’s new tune. Ten years later, in 1876, Alfred Graley’s lyrics for “Heaven Rejoices” got published in a hymnal ALSO using Smart’s new tune, which is how I recorded it.
So today you might be hearing these new lyrics to that older melody for the first time. I do like “Angels From the Realms of Glory”. But I was delighted to find these other powerful, beautiful lyrics and I’m happy to share them with you. After all, Christ is born — and heaven rejoices!
God bless you lots
-Dale R.
LYRICS: Heaven Rejoices
Text: Alfred A. Graley (pub 1865)
Tune: Henry Thomas Smart (1866)
1. Christ is born, and Heaven rejoices,
Judah’s plain is bathed in light;
Thousand, thousand harps and voices
Break the silence of the night.
Chorus:
Glory in the highest, glory,
Peace on earth, good will to men.
2. Christ is born, the Lord’s Anointed,
Son of God, the promised child,
Enters on the work appointed,
God and man to reconcile.
3. To the lost He brings salvation,
Freedom to the captive slave;
Peace amid death’s desolation,
Victory o’er the boasting grave.
4. Christ is born, O wondrous story!
Lord of life, yet born to die;
Sorrow’s child, yet King of Glory:
Born to rule and reign on high.
5. Royal babe, though few enthrone Him,
Few their grateful offerings bring;
All the tribes of earth shall own Him
Prince of Peace, creation’s king.
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