In Revelation 5 we find the new song being sung and then in verse 11, "... I looked, and I heard around the throne . . . the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!'" The result at the end of the passage . . . "they fell down and worshipped."
Charles Wesley wrote some 6000 hymns. Even though we Baptists sing many of them and consider them Baptist Hymns, however Charles was very much Methodist. Two of the texts we sing this Sunday are from Charles' pen . . . O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing and . . . Amazing Love, How Can it Be?
The first stanza of O For a Thousand Tongues as we know it, was actually the 7th stanza of an 18 stanza hymn. (And some get upset when we sing all five stanzas.) It was based on words from Peter Boehler, a Moravian Missionary who stated, "Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise Him with them all." And one would suppose Revelation 5 also is a part of the inspiration. The 5 stanzas in our hymnal are actually stanzas 7, 9, 10, 12, and 8 in that order. Charles wrote this hymn about the one year anniversary of his conversion in 1739. The other stanzas of this hymn reflect on just what Christ our Savior did for us all much as his other hymn, Amazing Love, How Can it Be? The love of our Lord Jesus always leads us to expressions of praise and adoration. I want you to see the text of the original first stanza of the hymn not seen in hymnals today which reflects the connection between the praises of earth and heaven:
Glory to God, and praise and love
Be ever, ever given;
By saints below, and saints above,
The Church in earth and Heaven.
