Scripture Verse

The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 11:15

Introduction

Words: Re­bec­ca P. Coe, in Echo to Hap­py Voic­es (New York: Am­er­ican Tract So­cie­ty, 1869), num­ber 88. Note: Orig­in­al­ly writ­ten as a mis­sion­ary hymn, lat­er hym­nals adapt­ed this text for Christ­mas by omit­ting the last two stan­zas.

Music: Ab­ney (Treat) Charles C. Treat, in Hymns of Chris­tian En­dea­vor, ed­it­ed by Sam­uel W. Adri­ance (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Unit­ed So­cie­ty of Chris­tian En­dea­vor, 1888), num­ber 37 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

  • Asker Stan­ley L. Krebs, in The Sun­day School Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by Cal­vin S. Ger­hard, Ru­fus W. Mill­er & Lew­is Robb (Phi­la­del­phia Penn­syl­van­ia: Hei­del­berg Press, 1902), num­ber 37 (🔊 pdf nwc)
  • Nuevo Le­ón How­ard Kings­bu­ry, in Echo to Hap­py Voic­es (New York: Am­er­ican Tract So­cie­ty, 1869), num­ber 88 (🔊 pdf nwc)

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Coe or Treat (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Hark! the sound of angel voices
Over Bethlehem’s starlit plain;
Hark! the heavenly host rejoices,
Jesus comes on earth to reign.
See celestial radiance beaming,
Lighting up the midnight sky;
’Tis the promised day star gleaming,
’Tis the day spring from on high.

Westward, all along the ages,
Trace its pathway clear and bright;
Star of hope to eastern sages,
Radiant now with Gos­pel light.
Angels from the realms of glo­ry,
Peace on earth delight to sing;
Christian, tell the wondrous story,
Go pro­claim the Sav­ior King.

Where the woodman’s axe is ringing,
Where the hunter roams alone,
Where the prairie flowers are springing,
Make the great Re­deem­er known.
While from California mountains
Pure and sweet the anthem swells,
Oregon’s dark wilds and fountains
Hail the sound of Sabbath bells.

Like an armèd host with banners,
Terrible in war array,
Zion comes with glad hosannas
To prepare her monarch’s way.
Unto Him all power is given,
All the world His sway shall own,
And on earth, as now in Hea­ven,
Shall His will be done alone.