Hark! Ten thousand heav’nly voices

1
Hark! Ten thousand heav’nly voices
Sound the note of praise above;
Jesus reigns and heav’n rejoices,
Jesus reigns, the God of love.
See, He sits on yonder throne;
Jesus rules the world alone.
  Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
  Hallelujah, Amen.
2
Sing how Jesus came from heaven,
How He bore the cross below,
How all power to Him is given,
How He reigns in glory now.
’Tis a great and endless theme—
Oh, ’tis sweet to sing of Him.
3
Jesus, hail! Thy glory brightens
All above and gives it worth;
Lord of life, Thy smile enlightens,
Cheers, and charms Thy saints on earth.
When we think of love like Thine,
Lord, we own it love divine.
4
King of glory, reign forever!
Thine an everlasting crown.
Nothing from Thy love shall sever
Those whom Thou hast made Thine own:
Happy objects of Thy grace,
Destined to behold Thy face.
5
Savior, hasten Thine appearing:
Bring, oh, bring the glorious day,
When, the awful summons hearing,
Heav’n and earth shall pass away.
Then with raptured hearts we’ll sing,
“Glory, glory to our King!”
3
Steve Miller

Detroit, Michigan, United States

"Kelly, Thomas, B. A. , son of Thomas Kelly, a Judge of the Irish Court of Common Pleas, was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He was designed for the Bar, and entered the Temple, London, with that intention; but having undergone a very marked spiritual change he took Holy Orders in 1792.

His earnest evangelical preaching in Dublin led Archbishop Fowler to inhibit him and his companion preacher, Rowland Hill, from preaching in the city. For some time he preached in two unconsecrated buildings in Dublin, Plunket Street, and the Bethesda, and then, having seceded from the Established Church, he erected places of worship at Athy, Portarlington, Wexford, &c, in which he conducted divine worship and preached.

Mr. Kelly was a man of great and varied learning, skilled in the Oriental tongues, and an excellent Bible critic. He was possessed also of musical talent, and composed and published a work that was received with favor, consisting of music adapted to every form of meter in his hymn-book. Naturally of an amiable disposition and thorough in his Christian piety, Mr. Kelly became the friend of good men, and the advocate of every worthy, benevolent, and religious cause. He was admired alike for his zeal and his humility; and his liberality found ample scope in Ireland, especially during the year of famine.

Kelly's hymns, 765 in all, were composed and published over a period of 51 years. As a hymn-writer Kelly was most successful. As a rule his strength appears in hymns of Praise and in meters not generally adopted by the older hymn writers. His "Come, see the place where Jesus lay" (from "He's gone, see where His body lay"),"From Egypt lately come"; “Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious"; "On the mountain's top appearing"; "The Head that once was crowned with thorns"; "Through the day Thy love has spared us"; and “We sing the praise of Him Who died," rank with the first hymns in the English language. Several of his hymns of great merit still remain unknown through so many modern editors being apparently adverse to original investigation. - hymnary

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The original stanza 1, line 1 says:

Hark, ten thousand harps and voices

The original last stanza says "golden harps" instead of "raptured hearts".

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There is an additional stanza, usually left out, following stanza 3 above:

3a Come, ye saints, unite your praises

With the angels round His throne;

Soon, we hope, our God will raise us

To the place where He is gone.

Meet it is that we should sing,

Glory, glory, to our King!


Lester Oswald

Eastvale, CA, United States

Praise the Lion - Lamb! He has redeemed! He has overcome! Hail Him! He is reigning over everything and rules the universe so that everything works together for the Father's plan. Everything. His loving redemption produces churches who are His glorious Bride, consummating in the New Jerusalem!


Clyfton Khoo

Singapore, Singapore

This hymn will remind me that GOD is the REAL GOD and He reigns the world forever and ever.

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