The Celestial Army

Representative Text

1 Whence came the armies of the sky,
John saw in vision bright?
Whence came their crowns, their robes, their palms,
Too pure for mortal sight?

Chorus:
They looked like men in uniform,
They looked like men of war;
They all were clad in armor bright,
And conquering palms they bore.

2 Were these tried soldiers of the cross
Victorious in the fight?
Were these the trophies they had won,
Reserved in worlds of light? [Chorus]

3 Once they were mourners here below,
And poured out cries and tears;
They wrestled hard, as we do now,
With sins, and doubts, and fears. [Chorus]

4 They saw the star of Bethlehem
Arise in splendor bright;
They followed long its guiding ray,
Till beamed a clearer light. [Chorus]

5 From desert waste, and cities full,
From dungeons dark, they've come,
And now they claim their mansion fair,
They've found their long-sought home. [Chorus]

Source: The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book: for use in divine worship #995

Author: Asa Hull

Asa Hull USA 1828-1907. Born in Keene, NY, he became a music publisher in New York City. He married Emma F Atherton, and they had a daughter, Harriett. He wrote many tunes and authored temperance rallying songs. He published 33 works, of which 21 were songbooks, between 1863-1895. He died in Philadelphia, PA. John Perry  Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Whence came the armies of the sky
Title: The Celestial Army
Author: Asa Hull
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Help me, dear Savior, thee to own
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

[Alas! and did my Savior bleed] (Hull)


MARTYRDOM (Wilson)

MARTYRDOM was originally an eighteenth-century Scottish folk melody used for the ballad "Helen of Kirkconnel." Hugh Wilson (b. Fenwick, Ayrshire, Scotland, c. 1766; d. Duntocher, Scotland, 1824) adapted MARTYRDOM into a hymn tune in duple meter around 1800. A triple-meter version of the tune was fir…

Go to tune page >


Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 16 of 16)

Gospel Praise Book, enlarged ed. #d145

TextPage Scan

Gospel Praise Book. #229b

Hymns for Use in Divine Worship ... Seventh-Day Adventists #d1303

Palm Leaves of Sacred Melody #d42

Page Scan

Songs of Joy and Gladness #239

Page Scan

Songs of Joy and Gladness with Supplement #239

Page Scan

The Church Hymnal #378

Page Scan

The Devotional Chimes #132b

Page Scan

The New Song #142a

The Pilgrim's Harp #d285

Page Scan

The Revivalist #352

TextPage Scan

The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book #995

Warrior Songs for the White Cavalry. 2nd ed. #d279

Warrior Songs for the White Cavalry. 3rd ed. #d371

Suggestions or corrections? Contact us