Two Good Songs

Here are two good songs that I have been thinking about over the past several weeks. The sad reality is that these two songs are not very popular nowadays. At one point in time, these songs were on the top 100 CCLI songs, but today (September 14, 2026) only one makes the list at Number 98. The reason I am looking at two songs today instead of just one is because both of these songs deal with the same theme and similar passages of Scripture. As we dive into these songs, I want to remind you, the reader, how I am defining a good song and a bad song. A “good song” is a song that agrees with the clear teaching of God’s Word, the Bible. A “bad song” is a song that goes against the clear teaching of God’s Word, the Bible. The two songs we will be looking at today are “Is He Worthy” and “The Hymn of Heaven.” Let first look at the song “Is He Worthy,” song number 98 on the CCLI top 100 songs.

Here are the lyrics of “Is He Worthy” for you to read through and begin to think about the message of this song.

“Is He Worthy”

Verse 1

Do you feel the world is broken

We do

Do you feel the shadows deepen

We do

But do you know that all the dark

Won't stop the light from getting through

We do

Do you wish that you could see it all made new

We do

Verse 2

Is all creation groaning

It is

Is a new creation coming

It is

Is the glory of the Lord

To be the light within our midst

It is

Is it good that we remind ourselves of this

It is

Chorus 1

Is anyone worthy

Is anyone whole

Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll

The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave

He is David's Root

And the Lamb who died to ransom the slave

Is He worthy

Is He worthy

Of all blessing and honor and glory

Is He worthy of this

He is

Verse 3

Does the Father truly love us

He does

Does the Spirit move among us

He does

And does Jesus our Messiah

Hold forever those He loves

He does

Does our God intend to dwell again with us

He does

Chorus 2

Is anyone worthy

Is anyone whole

Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll

The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave

He is David's Root

And the Lamb who died to ransom the slave

From ev'ry people and tribe every nation and tongue

He has made us a kingdom and priests

To God to reign with the Son

Is He worthy

Is He worthy

Of all blessing and honor and glory

Is He worthy

Is He worthy

Is He worthy of this

He is

He is

This song reminds us of that we live in a sinful, fallen world that is broken. We all can agree with this, even people who are not followers of Jesus can look around this world and see that this world is messed up. But where is our hope? The artist reminds us, from the words or Scripture of a scene in Revelation 4 and 5. The Apostle John is called up to heaven and in Revelation 4, he sees the throne of God along with the angels and the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures bowing down before God’s throne and praising Him. They are saying, “Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8). They are also saying, “Worthy is our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, because you created all things, and because of your will they were created” (Revelation 4:11). All of heaven is praising God because He is the creator, the Almighty, All-powerful God, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. When we read through Revelation 4, we should have a sense of awe and wonder about God.

Then we come to Revelation 5, where a scroll is seen in the right hand of God the Father, who is seated on the throne. In Revelation 5:2 we read about an angel who asks in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” We are told that no one is except for one person. Who is that person? Listen to how this person is described in Revelation 5:5. The elder tells John, “See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, is victorious. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” John then sees a Lamb that was slain, and this Lamb comes to the one sitting upon the throne and takes the scroll. And as this scene plays out, heaven again erupts in a song singing, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10).

There was only one person in all of heaven and earth that is worthy of opening that scroll and of breaking its seals. That person is Jesus the Messiah because of His death and resurrection. The only reason why we have hope in this world is because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. As we look around this sinful, fallen, broken world we realize as followers of Jesus that one day, and Lord willing one day soon, that God will recreate this physical world and sin, death, and the curse will be no more (Revelation 21 and 22).

Which brings us to the second good song, “The Hymn of Heaven.” Here are the lyrics for that song:

Hymn of Heaven

Verse 1

How I long to breathe the air of Heaven

Where pain is gone and mercy fills the streets

To look upon the one who bled to save me

And walk with Him for all eternity

Chorus 1

There will be a day

When all will bow before Him

There will be a day

When death will be no more

Standing face to face

With He who died and rose again

Holy holy is the Lord

Verse 2

And ev'ry prayer we prayed in desperation

The songs of faith

We sang through doubt and fear

In the end we’ll see that it was worth it

When He returns to wipe away our tears

Verse 3

And on that day we join the resurrection

And stand beside the heroes of the faith

With one voice a thousand generations

Sing worthy is the Lamb who was slain

Forever He shall reign

Chorus 2

So let it be today

We shout the hymn of Heaven

With angels and the Saints

We raise a mighty roar

Glory to our God

Who gave us life beyond the grave

Holy holy is the Lord

Holy holy is the Lord

Holy holy is the Lord

As followers of Jesus, there should be an ache in our hearts. As we live in this broken, fallen world, our hearts should yearn for our true home, which is heaven. We are foreigners or strangers in this world, because our true citizenship is heaven in the presence of God.

Are followers of Jesus living as citizens of heaven or citizens of earth? Maybe this is why these songs are not as popular as they once were. Are we living for the kingdom of God or are we trying to build our own “kingdoms” on this planet? Many of the popular praise songs on the list of the top 100 CCLI songs sung in public gatherings of believers all focus on how God will rescue us from our problems and if we sing loud enough, if we pray, if we do this or that, God will make a way for us to overcome our problems we face in life. But why do we treat God like a “genie” that just rescues us from our problems when we should fix our eyes upon the hope that God has given to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. That hope is the fact that Heaven is our home, and we are to live this life with eternity in mind.

That is why these two songs are so good because they remind me of what Jesus has done, paying the penalty of sin by His death and raising to new life. These songs also remind me of the hope I have in Jesus that this sinful, broken world is not what I should be living for every day. I should be living for eternity. Let us echo John’s words in Revelation 22:20. After John has seen all these events in the book of Revelation and after John saw the new heavens and the new earth, Jesus says, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’” The Apostle John then adds, “Amen,”  or "so be it." Then John says, “Come, Lord Jesus!” May that be our prayer. May Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, who is the only one to take the scroll and break its seals, may He come soon! May I live my daily life on this planet with eternity in view.