Rejoice, The Lord Is King!
Rejoice, the Lord Is King!
Rejoice, the Lord is King!
Your Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing,
And triumph evermore:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Jesus, the Savior, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains,
He took His seat above:
His kingdom cannot fail,
He rules o’er earth and heaven;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus given:
Rejoice in glorious hope!
Our Lord the judge shall come,
And take His servants up
To their eternal home:
THE EARLY DAYS of Methodism were filled with persecution and hardship. It would have been natural for Wesley’s followers to become discouraged and lose hope. One reason Charles Wesley wrote six thousand hymns was to encourage Methodists to be a singing, joyful people.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians provided Wesley’s text for this hymn. Paul was imprisoned in Rome under Emperor Nero. But the message to the Philippians is one of joy and encouragement. You can be a victor regardless of the situation because the Lord is King.
This hymn first appeared in Wesley’s 1746 collection, Hymns for Our Lord’s Resurrection. Each stanza adds another dimension to our praise: adoration, thanksgiving, and exultation.
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
From the book
