My family will tell you I’ve always been singing. When I was a kid, my two younger brothers would be continually annoyed by my constant singing. They even tease me to this day that I sing-talk. I participated in every youth choir opportunity at school and church, even giving up my recess at one point to attend choir practices. When I was a senior in high school, I started singing on worship teams. In college I had the opportunity to be part of a 300-voice choir at the mega-church connected to my school, as well as to travel to Germany on a choir tour. One of my bucket list items is to be a part of the choir for a performance of Handel’s Messiah. I love to sing, but I really love to sing with others.
In reading the book of Revelation, we see that not only is there plenty of singing at the end of all things, but that the singing is corporate singing. Saints, elders, mysterious creatures, all lifting their voices in praise to the One who is Creator and Lord of all.
“When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:
You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slaughtered,
and you purchased people
for God by your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
You made them a kingdom
and priests to our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
Revelation 5:8-10 (CSB)
“Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of cascading waters and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. They sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.”
Revelation 14:1-3a (CSB)
“I also saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, its image, and the number of its name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God. They sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the Lamb:
Great and awe-inspiring are your works,
Lord God, the Almighty;
just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.
Lord, who will not fear
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you
because your righteous acts
have been revealed.”
Revelation 15:2-4 (CSB)
Can you hear the harmonies? The beauty? The joy? Our Creator God receiving pure, unadulterated worship from His beloved creation. This description is a great encouragement to me, but I think there’s also an invitation here. The curtain has been pulled back on this vision for a reason. God has allowed us this peak into the events that are to come, I believe, to give us a sense of hope. That all wrongs will one day be made right and that everything will be as it should be – including God’s creation worshiping him together.
Our new song, “Ancient Gates”, paints a picture of joyful worship in heaven and invites us to worship NOW as if we’re already there. To stir in us an anticipation for when we will see Christ face to face. To take our cues from the saints and elders and mysterious creatures and openly, without restraint, pour out praise to the One who was and is and is to come. To worship Him together.
Ancient Gates
There is singing at the ancient gates
There's a melody of ceaseless praise
Age to age the sound is only growing stronger
There's a throne beneath the Name of Names
There is seated on it One who reigns
And His Kingdom now is here and getting closer
Praise Him like we're there in glory
Here and now He's just as holy
Jesus He's so worthy of it all
He exists in everlasting light
So on heaven's streets there is no night
Every tear is wiped away
We'll know no sorrow
Worship Him with joyful sound
Sing until your voice gives out
No matter where or who's around
Release your worship
Bring your song He loves to hear it
Bring Him every prayer soaked lyric
Jesus He's so worthy of it all
The One who was
The One who is
The One who is to come
Brooke Ligertwood, Jason Ingram, Scott Ligertwood
CCLI Song #7192505
© 2022 City and Vine Music Publishing International; Be Essential Songs; My Magnolia Music
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License #702888
Looking for some music to enrich your personal worship throughout the week? Check our Calvary Worship Favorites playlist on Spotify. It’s an assortment of songs that we sing on the regular during our Sunday worship services.
If you want to get a taste of what we’ll be singing on any upcoming Sunday, check out our This Sunday At Calvary playlist. This list is updated weekly with the songs we’re planning to lead at the upcoming Sunday service.