Henry Alford
(1810-1871)
11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” — Revelation 5:11-12 KJV
Ten thousand times ten thousand
In sparkling raiment bright,
The armies of the ransomed saints
Throng up the steeps of light.
’Tis finished, all is finished,
Their fight with death and sin;
Fling open wide the golden gates,
And let the victors in!
What rush of alleluias
Fills all the earth and sky!
What ringing of a thousand harps
Bespeaks the triumph nigh!
O day, for which creation
And all its tribes were made;
O joy, for all its former woes
A thousandfold repaid!
O then what raptured greetings
On Canaan’s happy shore;
What knitting severed friendships up,
Where partings are no more!
Then eyes with joy shall sparkle
That brimmed with tears of late;
Orphans no longer fatherless,
Nor widows desolate.1
Bring near Thy great salvation,
Thou Lamb for sinners slain;
Fill up the roll of Thine elect,
Then take Thy power, and reign.
Appear, Desire of nations,
Thine exiles long for home.
Show in the heaven Thy promised sign;
Thou Prince and Savior, come!
- This third stanza is quoted by Percy Gutteridge in The Holy Spirit as Former and Latter Rain. ↩