Hark! ten thousand voices crying

We should break the bread and pass the cup when the spirit of the meeting has reached the highest point. Half an hour should be sufficient to bring the meeting to this point. I have participated in the Lord's table meeting for about eighteen years, and the strongest meeting I have ever seen was one in Chefoo in 1943. At that time the Lord's table meeting was after the perfecting meeting. When the Lord's table meeting began, everyone was already before the Lord, and one brother called Hymns, #127 at the beginning. Everyone spontaneously stood up, but no one dared to pray because the atmosphere of the meeting was so high. One brother started blessing the bread. Ordinarily, we would wait for twenty or thirty minutes before we blessed the bread, but the spirit was high that day, and we started blessing and breaking the bread right away. Sometimes the brother and sisters wait for an hour before breaking the bread. This is for too long. Waiting kills the meeting, bringing it down from the heaven to the earth. We must learn and be careful that we do not fall into a routine. Once the meeting reaches the highest point, we should immediately bless and break the bread. We all must learn according to this word. We must be clear concerning the sections of the Lord's table meeting. We must touch the spirit of the meeting, and we must climb higher and higher with the spirit of the meeting. Eventually, when we reach the highest point, someone should bless and break the bread. In this way the meeting will not become dead.

We may illustrate the way to begin a meeting with playing basketball. All basketball players know that they need a good start. If they start wrongly, they will lose the game; it is very hard to adjust a wrong start. At the start of a meeting, someone may call Hymn #127 in Hymns, that starts, "Hark! ten thousand voices crying." This hymn may be too high, so to adjust the meeting to a lower level, another brother may call Hymn #510, that begins, "I've found the One of peerless worth." These two hymns are two different "balls." One hymn is about the "air force," and the other is about the "marines"; after being "in the air," we immediately dive "under the sea." This is disgusting.

Hymn #127, written by J. N. Darby, is the highest of all hymns. We cannot find another hymn with such a high standard. Therefore, unless a meeting immediately starts in the third heaven, we should not use this hymn. Only once in my life, in 1943, have I been in a meeting that began in such a high way. I can never forget it. When the meeting started, it was very high. All of a sudden we began to sing, "Hark! ten thousand voices crying." Usually, however, we need to learn not to choose such a high hymn to start the meeting. If we start the meeting with such a high hymn, we will be frustrated; we will not know what to do next. This hymn is good for when the meeting has been going on and on. When the meeting comes to a climax, we can use this hymn; at that time it fits.

Hymns, #127 was written by Darby; the first stanza says, "Hark! ten thousand voices crying, / 'Lamb of God!' with one accord; / Thousand thousand saints replying,/ Wake at once the echo'ng chord," When he wrote this hymn, he was only in his thirties. This hymn is very high, and we can see that he truly knew the Son of God. In our hymnal there are also some hymns of praise written by the Brethren. Their hymns convey much spiritual feeling, and the truths within them are very clear. The period from 1828 to around 1860 was truly a glorious period for the Brethren. They were full of God's presence, and truths were being released continually.

One Lord's Day afternoon we were breaking the bread; we began by singing Hymns, #127. Once this hymn was sung, no one dared to follow with prayer, because the spirit was too high. This experience was indescribable. That was the real outpouring of the Holy Spirit. No one was stirring up anything; no one was speaking in tongues; and no one was jumping, crying, or laughing. There was none of that. When the church has been built up to the point of having the reality of the oneness and having the genuine church life and the condition of one Body, the Spirit will be there. We can see this in church history. Over two hundred years ago, in the 1720s, the Moravian Brethren began to meet together in Bohemia. At first, they had different opinions and criticized and opposed one another, but the Holy Spirit worked among them until they were completely one. One Lord's Day as they were breaking bread, the Holy Spirit was outpoured upon them. From that day on, the Moravian Brethren became the strongest group. Countless brothers and sisters among them went abroad to preach the gospel, and they were very powerful. They received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which made them one in practicing the Body life.

Every meeting has an opening, and there are hymns for this purpose. Selecting a hymn for opening the meeting requires careful consideration. We not only need to know the hymns according to their categories, but we also must learn to touch the feeling of the hymns. Hymns are refined utterances, and they convey a feeling. They are expressions of human sentiments. It is hard for a person who is unrefined to sing with much feeling. We must learn to taste the different hymns, because each one has its particular feeling and taste. Hymns, #127, "Hark! Ten thousand voices crying," is majestic and powerful. Hymns, #95, "O Head once full of bruises" and Hymns, #101, "When we survey the wondrous cross," are both on the Lord's suffering, and their feeling is fine. The chorus of Hymns, #513, "All in all forever," written by A. B. Simpson, expresses the feeling in the brothers and sisters in exalting Christ. Hymns, #33, "Father, long before creation"; Hymns, #47, "Father, Thy name our souls would bless"; and Hymns, #52, "Father, to Thee a joyful song we raise," are all superb hymns of praise to the Father from His many sons. After singing these hymns, it is difficult to follow with another one. The best thing to do is turn the hymns into prayer as a conclusion to the meeting. Only by identifying the feeling and flavor of the hymns can we use them at the suitable time.

If the spirit of the meeting is still not high enough after strengthening, there is a need to uplift the spirit. Although we may use a hymn to uplift the spirit, we cannot always depend on singing hymns. In particular, it is not appropriate to sing a long hymn a second time. Rather, we may uplift the spirit through prayer. Our prayers for strengthening should not "preach" doctrines; we must avoid praying preaching prayers. Sometimes the spirit of the meeting reaches a point that is very high and cannot be lifted any higher. After singing a hymn such as Hymns, #127, "Hark! Ten thousand voices crying," the meeting will reach a climax. At this point we must learn to be calm. When a meeting reaches a high point, being calm and silent is sometimes best. Prayers for uplifting the spirit are very particular, but when we cannot offer such a prayer, it is best for us to be silent.

In order to have a good opening, we must accurately touch the feeling of the meeting. Once we touch the feeling, it is easier to begin the meeting. We can begin by selecting an appropriate hymn, offering a prayer, or speaking a few words. Some people are very good at opening a meeting, and the meeting is lively from the beginning. Other people, on the contrary, seem to have the "capability" of deadening any meeting they begin. This is like selecting Hymns, #183, "Come, let us join our cheerful songs," or Hymns, #127, "Hark! ten thousand voices crying," in a funeral meeting. The meeting will be ruined if it is opened in this way. This is the same as singing Hymns, #974, "He looked for a city and lived in a tent," at the beginning of a wedding meeting; this is basically a wrong opening. A wrong opening deadens the entire meeting. The opening of a meeting is very important and requires much practice.

Turning is to turn the subject of the meeting. For example, although the feeling of a meeting may obviously be the Lord's suffering on the cross, a brother calls Hymns, #127, which is on the Lord's exaltation. Singing this hymn cannot uplift people's spirit. A brother follows with a prayer, but the spirit is still not uplifted. Another brother may select a hymn on the Lord's love, but this still cannot move the spirit of the saints. However, when the subject is returned to the Lord's suffering, the spirit of the brothers and sisters is released through singing a hymn and prayers. This is because the feeling of the meeting was on the Lord's suffering. There was thus the need for turning.

An opening hymn should be long enough for the spirit of the saints to be fanned into flame. If a hymn is not long enough, the saints will not be sufficiently "pumped up" in their spirit; they will be like those who are out of breath when they run home from the street and go directly to the dining table. In order for the opening hymn to stir up and uplift the spirit of the saints, the tune must be powerful, and it must be easy to sing; moreover, the lyrics should be of adequate length. For instance, Hymns, #213 is a good hymn for beginning the table meeting. If all the brothers and sisters sense that the Lord is full of glory and honor, then they can sing Hymns, #127, and continue with Hymns, #183. To do this, however, we must have some spiritual skill, and the spirit of the meeting must also be able to keep pace. Otherwise, as a rule, after singing Hymns, #127, we will not be able to find another hymn as a continuation because the singing has already reached the peak. For this reason we might need to reserve Hymns, #127 for later and sing Hymns, #183 first. However, if we are experienced in spirit and realize that even though Hymns, #127 is high, it cannot fully express our inner feeling; then perhaps we can continue with Hymns, #141. In such an uplifted spirit we can break the bread to remember the Lord, singing, "Jesus, Thy head, once crown'd with thorns, / Is crown'd with glory now; / Heaven's royal diadem adorns / The mighty Victor's brow" (stanza 1). If we all remember the Lord in this way, the brothers and sisters will receive an unimaginable supply.

I hope that the responsible brothers in the various localities will bring this matter to the Lord and learn to put it into practice. Otherwise, although we may give people food in our meetings, we may cause them to have indigestion. Meetings are for the edification of the saints, but if we do not know how to meet in a proper way, we will not only fail to edify the saints but also ruin their spiritual appetite. If we begin a meeting with Hymns, #183, continue with Hymns, #127, follow with an uplifted blessing, and then go on to Hymns, #141, the saints will surely feel comfortable and receive nourishment.

Brother Watchman Nee: This hymn was written by Brother J. N. Darby. Originally, it had thirteen stanzas. Here it is shrunk to seven stanzas. The whole hymn is a praise, and it is also a poem. The first stanza and the last stanza seem to stand apart from the rest of the hymn.

Our hymnal, which was compiled in 1963 and 1964, illustrates this allotment. I would ask you to compare John Nelson Darby's hymn on the exaltation of Christ (Hymns, #127) with Charles Wesley's hymn on the incarnation of Christ (#84). Here is the text of Darby's hymn:

1. Hark! ten thousand voices crying,
"Lamb of God!" with one accord;
Thousand thousand saints replying,
Wake at once the echo'ng chord.

2. "Praise the Lamb!" the chorus waking,

All in heav'n together throng;

It is rare for us to come across a hymn as great as this one. This hymn was written by J. N. Darby. Originally there were thirteen stanzas. In 1881, when he worked on this hymn with Mr. Wigram, he deleted several stanzas. Now there are only seven stanzas.

Apparently this hymn is speaking to man. Actually it is directed toward God. In singing it, we feel as if we are being lifted up to the universal stage in Revelation 4 and 5, the scene after the Lord's ascension. Here we find Golgotha, resurrection, and ascension. The heaven is filled with glory, and at the name of Jesus, ten thousand voices begin their praise, and ten thousand knees bow to worship. In the heavens, on earth, and under the earth, praises ring from all directions. The whole universe is singing praises to Him. Such grandeur and majesty are unmatched by any other song! A person with lesser capacity would not have been able to write such a hymn.

"Hark! ten thousand voices crying." These ten thousand voices came out of nowhere! It is as if a trifling believer, a little worm, a small man, is shouting at the top of his voice, "Hark! ten thousand voices are crying, 'Lamb of God!' with one accord. Listen, thousands and thousands of saints are replying." Once the Lamb of God is lifted up, there is the universal response. On the one side is the sound of praise, and on the other side is the sound of response. Ten thousand voices shout, "Worthy is the Lamb who has been slain to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing" (Rev. 5:12). Even before this sound dies out, thousands and thousands of voices join in. "And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea and all things in them" (Rev. 5:13) respond together. What is the result? "Wake at once the echo'ng chord." This sound blasts forth in unparalleled magnificence. Anyone who touches this stanza will immediately be struck by his own smallness. The very first stanza raptures him to a grand and majestic scene where ten thousand voices are crying and thousands and thousands of saints are echoing. The sound rolls majestically and endlessly to an exaltation of the Lamb of God in one accord. The very opening gives a sense of awe, of the greatness of the universal praise.

Every subsequent stanza closely follows the preceding one. "Praise the Lamb! the chorus waking." We hear the cry, "Praise the Lamb," from all directions. All of them resound, "Praise the Lamb!" It is "praise the Lamb" here and "praise the Lamb" there and everywhere. These voices come from all directions. "All in heav'n together throng." All in heaven means the whole heaven. All things there throng together to sing praises. "Loud and far each tongue partaking"—every mouth is confessing. Spontaneously this brings out Philippians 2:11: "And every tongue should openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." Every mouth is confessing; this is why it is "loud and far." Such endless song rolls around the whole universe. The whole universe is overflowing with this "endless song."

There are not only voices but also "grateful incense...ascending." This grateful incense is ascending "ever to the Father's throne." Not only are mouths crying, but also grateful hearts are ever ascending toward God. Not only are we crying to the Lamb with our mouths, but also our hearts are ascending to God. It is as if God's plan and the Lord's redemption have become one inseparable entity. We praise the Lamb, and we also thank God the Father. Such gratitude in praise and thanksgiving ascends to God like incense.

This praise does not stop here. The mouths are crying and shouting, but this is not all, because every knee has to bow and worship. Every knee must bow and worship the Lord. First there is "each tongue," and then there is "every knee." Spontaneously every knee bends to Jesus. On the one hand, we have thanksgiving to the Father. On the other hand, we have prostrating before the Lord. The next line is very poetic: "All the mind in heav'n is one." This is not preaching. Those with less sensitive feelings cannot touch anything here. But when a person is brought to the stage where he sees the object of every tongue's praise and every knee's worship, spontaneously he will proclaim, "How one is all the mind in heaven!" The words all...is one are very poetic.

Once the writer of the hymn touches the Father and the Son, he brings out the doctrine of the Son and the doctrine of the Father. Everything is now revealed. "All the Son's effulgence beaming,/Makes the Father's glory known." Glory is inward while effulgence is outward. What the Father has is glory. This glory of the Father becomes the effulgence in the Son. The Son's effulgence is the expression of the Father's glory. With the Father there is the glory; with the Son there is the expression of this glory. The expression is not with the Father but with the Son. "All the Father's counsels." Counsel is inward, and these counsels are "claiming equal honors to the Son." This is not the Father's act, but the Father's counsels; it is not the Father's work, but the Father's plan. He wants to reveal to man that the Son is of equal honor. The third stanza turns from the Father to the Son. The fourth stanza turns from the Son to the Father and then from the Father back to the Son; it begins with the Son and ends with the Son. In the third stanza the writer begins to touch the Son, and in the fourth stanza the Son is touched again. Here we see the doctrine concerning the Father and the Son.

Anyone who touches the Father and the Son cannot stop with the Father and the Son only. And so it continues, "By the Spirit all pervading..." The Spirit comes into play. Once the Spirit appears, the scene is turned from the Son and the Father. The Spirit is all-pervading, all-permeating, and all-inclusive. The universe is filled with the Holy Spirit.

"Hosts unnumbered...hail Him." Hosts here is a poetic expression. The heavenly angels, heavenly creatures, and unnumbered heavenly beings all hail Him. "Hail Him as the great 'I AM.'" The great 'I AM' is Jehovah (cf. Exo. 3:14; 6:2). This is truly a hymn of praise, a grand hymn of praise!

Now we have to turn to the things around us: "Joyful now the new creation/Rests in undisturbed repose." The surrounding scene is full of joy, rest, peace, and repose. Everyone is joyful, restful, undisturbed, and in repose. This is because everyone is "blest in Jesus' full salvation" and "sorrow now nor thraldom knows." All the problems have passed away.

Unconsciously, we might have tarried for too long, and so "Hark! the heavenly notes again!" Can you hear it? "Loudly swells the song of praise." The sound of praise resounds from all directions again. There is still more to hear: "Through creation's vault, Amen!" The whole universe is full of praises and amens. Every corner is crying, "Amen." Why? "Amen! responsive joy doth raise." The last amen is most poetic. It is not the amen one says after a song, but an amen that is raised in "responsive joy."

This hymn shows us a redeemed universe, the scene depicted in Revelation 4 and 5, and Philippians 2. This is the praise in eternity.