Because Christmas is coming, I’ve decided to take a break from my daily review of modern worship songs and focus on Christmas hymns for a month. I’ve started with Advent.
Advent hymns emphasize waiting, longing, and preparation, while Christmas hymns celebrate fulfilment, joy, and Christ’s birth.
Today’s hymn is Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates.
Firstly, the title is a little confusing. I don’t generally think of gates having heads 😀. Perhaps examining the lyrics will make things clearer. Georg Weissel, a German pastor, wrote the hymn in 1642 during the turmoil of the Thirty Years’ War. Written in a time of famine, disease, and war, the hymn was intended to bring hope and spiritual preparation for Christ’s coming.
Perhaps the first line is addressing people and gates simultaneously, asking all to prepare for the arrival of the King of glory, the Saviour of the world. We know what’s meant in any case.
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!
Behold the King of glory waits;
the King of kings is drawing near,
the Savior of the world is here.
This second verse appears to speak of how Jesus comes to us on a daily basis. It’s often said that the Holy Spirit mediates his spiritual presence.
A helper just, he comes to thee,
his chariot is humility,
his kingly crown is holiness,
his scepter, pity in distress.
Perhaps the writer was thinking of his own land. All too often only some people in a country follow Jesus. Nazis despised Christianity, but thankfully that’s all over now. And Germany continues to be blest and a blessing to other nations.
O blest the land, the city blest,
where Christ the Ruler is confessed!
O happy hearts and happy homes
to whom this King in triumph comes!
This verses reminds me of Rev 3:20
Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Fling wide the portals of your heart;
make it a temple, set apart
from earthly use for heav’n’s employ,
adorned with prayer and love and joy.
Advent hymns speak of the first advent (prelude to Christmas), the second coming of Jesus, and his spiritual presence here and now. Seems that the main focus of this hymn is here and now.
Redeemer, come! I open wide
my heart to thee; here, Lord, abide!
Let me thy inner presence feel;
thy grace and love in me reveal.
So come, my Sov’reign, enter in!
Let new and nobler life begin!
Thy Holy Spirit, guide us on,
until the glorious crown be won.
Here are some other hymns on the theme of opening the gates or inviting Jesus into your life. The first one is more about us going through the gates to meet Jesus than Jesus coming to meet us. But it amounts to the same thing.
Psalm 24:7-9
Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Revelation 22:14
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
Hibernia Gospel 