Hark! A Thrilling Voice is Sounding
Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding:
“Christ is nigh!” it seems to say,
“Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day!”Wakened by the solemn warning,
Let the Earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, the Sun, all ill dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.Lo! the Lamb, so long-expected,
Comes with pardon down from Heav’n;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiv’n.So when next he comes with glory
And the world is wrapped in fear,
With his mercy he may shield us,
And with words of love draw near.Honor, glory, might, and blessing
To the Father and the Son,
With the everlasting Spirit,
While eternal ages run.
If you know me, you know I am not a devoted fan of what I call “Jesus music.” I find myself often agreeing with A.W. Tozer who said that some of the hymn/worship music writers would do better to go find another profession. Yet, I came across this hymn and was intrigued, partly because the earliest records of this hymn date back to the 5th century, and partly because it was originally written in Latin. The hymn then regained popularity when it was translated in 1861, and though it is not a Baptist hymn, it has long since been sung during the Advent season in other denominations, and I can see why.
The depths of this hymn show a hope in not only the first coming of Christ but also His second coming. The words don’t just point back to Christ; they also point back to those who were waiting for Him. Many think the first words of this hymn refer to the message John the Baptist preached. John wanted to bring this good news of a Savior to as many people as he could. John, who because of his love and devotion to Jesus, would be the first killed for his belief in the Son of God.
These words also point back to the people who had waited for the hope of Christ to appear and for the Lamb to bring pardon and restoration. They waited, knowing the law was not God’s final plan. There would be One who would come and bring forgiveness; One who would bring a light that could break through any darkness; and One that would one day reawaken the Earth to the beauty that God created.
The truths of this hymn remind us that we have hope, since we are the ones now waiting for Him to come again. We wait to meet Him; we wait knowing that He will either come again, or we will meet Him when we pass from this earth. But it is that hope that shields us and draws us near, reminding us we are so deeply loved. This is a love that has no end and will stand “while eternal ages run.”
The hymn above was done during Covid to show that the community can still worship together even when they are separated. Click here to listen.
