Jesus Shall Reign
Jesus Shall Reign
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom spread from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And endless praises crown His head;
His name like sweet perfume shall rise
With ev’ry morning sacrifice.
People and realms of ev’ry tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song,
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.
Blessings abound where’er He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to loose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blest.
Let every creature rise and bring
His grateful honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen!
ISAAC WATTS once said that his aim was to see “David converted into a Christian.” He meant singing the psalms was good but it would be better if they were infused with the gospel. He felt some psalms were unsuitable for Christian worship because they were written before the Cross of Christ and the completion of God’s redemption and revelation.
The great missionary hymn “Jesus Shall Reign” is based on Psalm 72. There was no great mission effort when Watts wrote these words. Not until sixty years later did William Carey—the father of the modern missionary movement—sail for India. Today, by means of radio and literature, as well as through the work of faithful missionaries, Christ’s kingdom has “spread from shore to shore,” and “people and realms of every tongue dwell on His love with sweetest song.”
May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth. May all the godly flourish during his reign. May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more. May he reign from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 72:6-8
From the book
