Rev. Cwirla's Blogosphere


"For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Cor. 1:25)

May 17th, 2007

See, the Lord Ascends in Triumph

Posted At: 5:56pm by Rev. William M. Cwirla
Lutheran Service Book restored this marvelous Ascension Day hymn, which was in TLH.  The third and fourth stanzas highlight some wonderful Christ-typologies in Enoch, Aaron, Joshua, and Elijah.  The fifth stanza excellently expresses the theology of the ascension of Christ as the glorification of our humanity.  In Christ we ourselves sit in heavenly places and stand with Him in glory (Ephesians 2:5-7).

See, the Lord ascends in triumph;
Conqu'ring King in royal state,
Riding on the clouds, His chariot,
To His heav'nly palace gate.
Hark! The choirs of angel voices
Joyful alleluias sing,
And the portals high are lifted
To receive their heav'nly King.

Who is this that comes in glory
With the trump of jubilee?
Lord of battles, God of armies,
He has gained the victory.
He who on the cross did suffer,
He who from the grave arose,
He has vanquished sin and Satan;
He by death has crushed His foes.

While He lifts His hands in blessing,
He is parted from His friends;
While their eager eyes behold Him,
He upon the clouds ascends.
He who walked with God and pleased Him,
Preaching truth and doom to come,
He, our Enoch, is translated
To His everlasting home.

Now our heav'nly Aaron enters
With His blood within the veil;
Joshua now is come to Canaan,
And the kings before Him quail.
Now He plants the tribes of Israel
In their promised resting place;
Now our great Elijah offers
Double portion of His grace.

He has raised our human nature
On the clouds to God's right hand;
There we sit in heav'nly places,
There with Him in glory stand.
Jesus reigns, adored by angels;
Man with God is on the throne.
By our mighty Lord's ascension
We by fiath behold our own.

(Lutheran Service Book #494)
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