1 Rejoice, the Lord is King:
Your Lord and King adore:
Mortals, give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice,
Rejoice; again I say, rejoice.

2 Jesus, the Savior, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains,
He took His seat above.
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice,
Rejoice; again I say, rejoice.

3 He sits at God's right hand
Till all His foes submit,
And bow to His command,
And fall beneath His feet.
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice,
Rejoice; again I say, rejoice.

4 Rejoice in glorious hope:
Jesus, the Judge, shall come,
And take His servants up
To their eternal home.
We soon shall hear the archangel's voice:
The trump of God shall sound - Rejoice.

Amen.

The Hymnal: Published by the authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., 1895

Scripture References:
st. 2 = Rev. 1:18
st. 3 = Acts 5:31, Heb. 1:3
st. 4 = 1 Cor. 15:52, 1 Thess. 4:16, Rev. 20:11-15
ref. = Phil. 4:4

Charles Wesley (PHH 267) wrote this text for Easter and Ascension in six stanzas. First published in John Wesley's Moral and Sacred Poems (1744), the text was also published in Charles Wesley's Hymns for our Lord's Resurrection (1746). The original stanzas 2 and 5 are not included.

The text rejoices in the kingship of Christ (st. 1) whose rule extends "o'er earth and heaven" (st. 2). All will bow the knee to Christ (st. 3) when he returns in glory to judge "the living and dead" (st. 4). The refrain line based on Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice,” is the keynote of the entire text.

Liturgical Use:
Ascension; Easter; a great hymn of praise suitable for any worship service (fits well with the royal psalms in the Old Testament); funeral or memorial service.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook