Revelation 21:1-8: Heaven i

The sands of time are sinking,
The dawn of heaven breaks;
The summer morn I’ve sigh’d for,
The fair sweet morn awakes;
Dark, dark, hath been the midnight,
But day spring is at hand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

O Christ, He is the fountain,
The deep, sweet well off love;
The streams on earth I’ve tasted,
More deep I’ll drink above;
There to an ocean fullness
His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

With mercy and with judgment,
My web of time He wove,
And aye the dews of sorrow
Were lustred by His love:
I’ll bless the hand that guided,
I’ll bless the heart that planned,
When throned where glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

Oh, I am my Belovèd’s,
And my Belov’d is mine!
He brings a poor vile sinner
Into His “House of wine”;
I stand upon His merit,
I know no other stand,
Not e’en where glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory
But on my King of grace;
Not at the crown He gifteth,
But on His pierced hand:
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Immanuel’s land.

I’ve wrestled on towards heaven,
‘Gainst storm, and wind, and tide;
Now like a weary trav’ller
That leaneth on His guide;
Amid the shades of evening,
While sinks life’s lingering sand,
I hail the glory dawning
In Immanuel’s land.

Samuel Ruthford

For ever with the Lord!
Amen, so let it be!
Life from the dead is in that word;
‘Tis immortality.
Here in the body pent,
Absent from Him I roam;
Yet nightly pitch my moving tent
A day’s march nearer home.

My Father’s house on high,
Home of my soul, how near
At times to faith’s foreseeing eye
Thy golden gates appear!
My thirsty spirit faints
To reach the land I love,
The bright inheritance of saints -
Jerusalem above.

For ever with the Lord!
Father, if ‘tis Thy will,
The promise of that faithful word,
E’en here to me fulfil.
Be Thou at my right hand,
Then can I never fail;
Uphold Thou me, so I shall stand,
Fight, and I must prevail.

So when my latest breath
Shall rend the veil in twain,
By death I shall escape from death,
And life eternal gain.
Knowing as I am known,
How shall I love that word!
And oft repeat before the throne,
For ever with the Lord!

James Montgomery

Jerusalem the golden
With milk and honey blest,
Beneath thy contemplation
Sink heart and voice oppressed;
I know not, O! I know not,
What joys await us there,
What radiancy of glory,
What bliss beyond compare.

They stand, those halls of Zion,
All jubilant with song,
And bright with many an angel
And all the martyr throng:
The Prince is ever in them,
The daylight is serene,
The pastures of the blessed
Are decked in glorious sheen.

There is the throne of David,
And there from care released,
The shout of them that triumph,
The song of them that feast:
And they who with their Leader
Have conquered in the fight,
For ever and for ever
Are clothed in robes of white.

O, sweet and blessed country,
The home of God’s elect!
O, sweet and blessed country
That eager hearts expect!
Jesus, in mercy bring us
To that dear land of rest,
Who art, with God the Father,
And Spirit, ever blest.

Bernard of Cluny, tr. Neale and Brooke

There is a higher throne than all this world has known,
Where faithful ones from every tongue will one day come.
Before the Son we’ll stand,
Made faultless through the Lamb;
Believing hearts find promised grace: salvation comes.

Hear heaven’s voices sing,
Their thunderous anthem rings
Through emerald courts and sapphire skies, their praises rise.
All glory, wisdom, power,
Strength, thanks and honour are
To God, our King who reigns on high for ever more.

And there we’ll find our home, our life before the throne;
We’ll honour Him in perfect song where we belong.
He’ll wipe each tear-stained eye,
As thirst and hunger die;
The Lamb becomes our Shepherd King: we’ll reign with Him.

Kristyn Lennox and Keith Getty

To Him who is able to keep us from falling,

to bring us before Him joyful and clean;

to God who's our Saviour,

through Jesus our Lord,

be glory and majesty,

power and authority,

from ages past

and forever.

Jude/Bill Ashton