Crown Him with Many Crowns

"The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created" (Revelation 4:10-11).

As Christians, we are promised crowns of various sorts.  Those we have ministered to are our "crown of rejoicing" (1 Thessalonians 2:19), our "joy and crown" (Philippians 4:1).  We have the "crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4: for service to the Lord.  If we endure, we will "receive the crown of life" (James 1:12) and the "crown of glory" (1 Peter 5:4).  These crowns are "incorruptible" (1 Corinthians 9:25), lasting for eternity. But of what use will crowns be in glory?

We will willingly cast our "crowns"--our accomplishments performed in service of Him--at His feet as an act of worship, for all we are and have done has been a gift from the almighty sovereign creator/Saviour. Even today we can crown Him King of every area of our lives.  The grand old hymn "Crown Him with Many Crowns" relates this and reminds us to look ahead.

Crown Him with many crowns, The lamb upon His throne
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns All music but its own!
Awake my soul and sing Of Him who died for thee
And hail Him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.

There will come that day when we form "a great multitude . . . Before the throne, and before the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9) singing "the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works" (Revelation 15:3).  The theme of our song will be that "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:. JDM

For more . . . .

"The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created" (Revelation 4:10-11).

Sounds like a common ritual; devotees falling down, prostrating themselves, worshipping a deity, and praising the deity no end for everything. The desire to feel good is a constant need of tribal gods.

Crown Him with many crowns, The lamb upon His throne
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns All music but its own!
Awake my soul and sing Of Him who died for thee
And hail Him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.

Many crowns; why? Isn't one enough? What's the sense in one wearing many crowns? Many heads, then?

Crown Him the Son of God

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20:31).

During the late 1800s, a time of rampant skepticism, vital Bible doctrines were abandoned by many, including the Creator’s kingship over creation and its inhabitants.  The need remains to crown Him King in all areas of life.  Note the hymn’s second verse:

Crown Him the Son of God Before the worlds began,
And ye, who tread where He hath trod, Crown Him the Son of man,
Who every grief hath known That wrings the human bosom,
And takes and bears them for His own, That all in Him may rest. 

Jesus Christ, God the Son, possessed great glory, given by God the Father "before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24).  Then, even though "all things were made by him" (John 1:3), "God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Galatians 4:4-5).

While in human form, Jesus preferred to call Himself the "Son of man" and chose to live a life of poverty and suffering.  "The Son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20).  He chose to suffer these things so that He could fully identify and empathise with our problems.  "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).

Thankfully, because "he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows . . . and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:4, 6), we can be forgiven and find rest in Him.  "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). JDM

For more . . . .

Crown Him the Lord of Life
January 11, 2012

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

Verse three of the majestic hymn "Crown Him with Many Crowns" speaks of life--eternal life--made possible by the death of the Creator of life.  This was followed by His retaking life and returning in victory from the grave.  The hymn expresses it well.

Crown Him the Lord of life, Who triumphed o'er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing Who died and rose on high,
Who died, eternal life to bring, And lives that death may die.   

As in our text, eternal life is a "gift of God," made possible "by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). The penalty for sin had to be paid, and so "Christ died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3).  But in order to fully vanquish death and offer forgiven sinners eternal life, He "rose again the third day" (v. 4) "wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

Then, "when he had by himself purged our sins, |he| sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3).  "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? . . . Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55, 57).

Although eternal death has been vanquished, we still face physical death.  Yet there will come a day when "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4). JDM

For more . . . .

Crown Him the Lord of Love
January 12, 2012

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

God’s great love for us was not a sentimental, feel-good "love," as the term is used today, but was sacrificial on our behalf.  "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).  The fourth verse of "Crown Him with Many Crowns," speaks of this.

Crown Him the Lord of love! Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For thou hast died for me;
Thy praise shall never, never fail throughout eternity.   

Soon after Christ rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples, who were "glad, when they saw the Lord" (John 20:20).  But doubting Thomas was not present, and demanded to see proof before he believed.  Several days later Jesus reappeared, and desired to remove all stumbling blocks to faith.  "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God" (John 20:27-28).  One day all the world will see those yet-visible wounds, for "they shall look upon |Christ| whom they have pierced" (Zechariah 12:10).

Our Redeemer deserves all praise from redeemed sinners: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24).  This praise will never end, "that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever" (1 Peter 4:11). JDM

For more . . . .

Crown Him the Lord of Peace
January 13, 2012

"Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all" (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

Isaiah's great prophecy of Christ's first advent identified "his name |as| Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). The peace He brings is personal, as we see in our text: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).  But it is also effective in society at large, a fact borne out in verse 5 of "Crown Him with Many Crowns." 

Crown Him the Lord of peace, Whose peace a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease, And all be prayer and praise!
His reign shall know no end, And round His pierced feet
Fair flowers of Paradise extend Their fragrance ever sweet. 

"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom" (Hebrews 1:.  The King of this kingdom is none other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  As the angel announced the birth of Christ, he prophesied: "And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:33).  "And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah 2:4).

Perhaps the best thing about His eternal, righteous, peaceful kingdom is that we will be there.  "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).  "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:5)! JDM

For more . . . .

Crown Him the Lord of Heaven
January 14, 2012

"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands" (Acts 17:24).

While all three persons of the Trinity participated in creation (for their person and purpose is unified), the primary agent was God the Son. "All things were created by him, and for him" (Colossians 1:16). The final verse of "Crown Him with Many Crowns" reflects this unity while focusing on the implementing work of Christ.

Crown Him the Lord of heav'n; One with the Father known,
One with the Spirit through Him giv'n From yonder glorious throne.
To thee be endless promise, For thou for us hast died;
Be thou, O Lord, through endless days Adored and magnified.

Jesus prayed, "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth" (Matthew 11:25), but then He ascended "up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God" (Mark 16:19). Throughout His earthly ministry He taught, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30).

He also promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit, "the Comforter |would| come, whom I will send unto you from the Father" (John 15:26). Paul added that the Spirit would take up residence in the Christian. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Our response to all that our Lord has done for us should be to worship Him--to adore and magnify Him--for all eternity. We will join the "four and twenty elders |and| fall down before him that |sits| on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast |our| crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord" (Revelation 4:10-11). JDM

For more . . . .

Crown Him with Many Crowns

Crown Him with many crowns, The lamb upon His throne
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns All music but its own!
Awake my soul and sing Of Him who died for thee
And hail Him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.

Crown Him the Son of God Before the worlds began,
And ye, who tread where He hath trod, Crown Him the Son of man,
Who every grief hath known That wrings the human bosom,
And takes and bears them for His own, That all in Him may rest.

Crown Him the Lord of life, Who triumphed o'er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing Who died and rose on high,
Who died, eternal life to bring, And lives that death may die.

Crown Him the Lord of love! Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For thou hast died for me;
Thy praise shall never, never fail throughout eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of peace, Whose peace a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease, And all be prayer and praise!
His reign shall know no end, And round His pierced feet
Fair flowers of Paradise extend Their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown Him the Lord of heav'n; One with the Father known,
One with the Spirit through Him giv'n From yonder glorious throne.
To thee be endless promise, For thou for us hast died;
Be thou, O Lord, through endless days Adored and magnified.

Crown Him with many crowns


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWCEFKsZqLY

Nimshi:

Sounds like a common ritual; devotees falling down, prostrating themselves, worshipping a deity, and praising the deity no end for everything. The desire to feel good is a constant need of tribal gods.

Worship belongs only to God. The devil and his cohorts covet this worship and this is why they make the idolaters emulate this pattern. God created us for His good will and pleasure, so there is nothing wrong if God takes pleasure in our worshipping Him, who do you worship? God, Satan or Self?

Nimshi:

Many crowns; why? Isn't one enough? What's the sense in one wearing many crowns? Many heads, then?

The crowns are rewards of what the redeemed have received by the grace of God. Here we see the pattern believers in Christ should follow as we can do nothing of ourselves if not for the grace of God, so He is worthty of our praise.