One day in morning worship I closed my eyes during a praise song (I think it was either “How Great Thou Art” or “Majesty”) and had a vision. I think there is an awesome worship and praise anthem in the vision. Here is what happened:
Sitting in the choir I closed my eyes as we were singing in a spirit of gratitude and love toward our Savior. Then I picture all of us in the sanctuary not facing the front of the church but standing around the throne, hand in hand facing the glowing glory of our Lord singing to Him. Suddenly our closest loved ones who have gone on to heaven come in from behind to join in our circle of praise – for me Mom, Dad, my late wife Radene, my grandparents, aunts, and uncles. So, our circle widens as they join, and I now sense that the scene is a combination of those in heaven and on earth together joining in worship and praise of our Lord. There is also the sense of a great multitude standing behind us. Then again suddenly from behind us all the saints of old since the time of Christ step into the circle – men like the Wesleys, John Newton, Billy Sunday, Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, etc. And then Peter, Paul, James and John, Luke, Mark and Matthew, Mary Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, and Martha, and the rest from the time of Christ.
We who are still living on earth join with them in one huge circle facing and worshiping our Lord. Again, the picture is of our Lord as a great light shining out toward us and into the darkness behind us. Then once more the circle expands as the patriarchs and prophets of old step in from behind to join us as we praise and worship our Lord – Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the rest. Now, we are all there – all the redeemed, those on earth and those in heaven – loving, thanking, and praising our Lord. As I see this my eyes water with tears of thanksgiving and joy, and I wish all with me there in the worship building could see what I see. As I open my eyes I found myself sitting while the rest of the congregation was standing.
If someone could make a song of this, it would both inspire the believers who sing it and cause the unbelievers to feel that this is something they don’t want to be left out of.
Dennis Christian