Blood of a King

I was inquiring of the Lord, when from heaven above,
there came a sound of violent winds, and passing by, a dove,
And there appeared, among the clouds, the Lord, the Holy King.
For he gave me a vision, a message He had to bring.

The clouds had left, the sun had dimmed, and heaven opened up,
The angels, crying praises, that no one would dare disrupt:
“Holy, Holy, Holy, is our Lord, our God, our King,
by whom we were created, and to whom we owe all things.

He is holy, just and righteous, whom nothing can surpass,
Our Mighty God, our Strength and Shield, is first and also last.”
Ne’er had I been so deeply touched by such beautiful verse,
This song was indescribable, which man could not disperse.

The angels circled round the throne, for there He sat, the Lord,
And there the angels prostrate fell, with no thought of reward.
The only thought in heav’n above, the only reason pondered:
The glory of the living God, which mortal man had squandered.

I could not see Him in glory, for He had stayed my sight,
But a glimpse of his garment could ruin the darkest night.
The streets of gold, the gates of pearl, were worldly items here,
Like piles of mud in comparison, for there the Lord appeared.

In all this clamor, there resounded a great and mighty knock,
All the angels stopped their praises, asking in utter shock:
“Who would dare knock on this door, much less a mortal man?
Of all inhabitants of the earth, what being thinks it can?”

That man walked up with pride, his mouth prepared to implore,
“Lift up your heads, you gates: be lifted up, you ancient doors,
That the king of glory may come in.” The angels perceived it a story,
And so they asked him in reply, “Who is this king of glory?”

‘Twas then that they had learned the truth, and thus the ground embraced,
For when He loudly answered them, the angels saw His face:
“I am The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.”
The gates opened without delay, the latch broke with a rattle.

For there He was, the Son of God, the ransom for all men,
He went to earth, He paid the price, and conquered death and sin.
He took our burden on Himself, became a worm for us.
He shed His blood because He chose to, not because He must.

The vision closed with a clap, and Christ, departing, said,
“You owe me your entire life, and soon you will be dead;
Know who I am and who you are and why I died for sin,
Know that I gave the gift of grace; now trust in Christ, repent.”