Learning to Live by Faith

The hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” written by Reginald Heber in 1826, is a hymn of praise to God for His holiness. It references the scenes described in Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8, where a song of praise is sung to God in heaven. In his commentary of Isaiah 6, Matthew Henry notes that, “Praising God always was, and will be to eternity, the work of heaven, and the constant employment of blessed spirits above, Ps. lxxxiv. 4.” He also notes that the song in Isaiah 6:3 is the same as that in Revelation 4:8 because “the church above is the same in its praises; there is no change of times or notes there.” Matthew Henry: Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume IV (Isaiah to Malachi) – Christian Classics Ethereal Library

In Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4, God is being praised for His holiness. Before looking at these passages, let’s first look at some definitions of holiness.

“The holiness of God is a fundamental attribute of His nature. It signifies His absolute purity, moral perfection, and separation from sin.” Topical Bible: Holy

“Majestic Holiness is a term that encapsulates the awe-inspiring and transcendent nature of God’s purity and moral perfection. It is a concept deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, reflecting God’s absolute separation from sin and His exalted status above all creation. The term is often used to describe the divine nature and character of God, emphasizing His glory, righteousness, and the reverence due to Him.” Topical Bible: Majestic Holiness

In his sermon “The Holiness of God,” Charles Spurgeon says that “the most spiritual and sanctified minds, when they fully perceive the majesty and holiness of God, are so greatly conscious of the great disproportion between themselves and the Lord, that they are humbled and filled with holy awe, and even with dread and alarm.” THE HOLINESS OF GOD – Charles H. Spurgeon

Now, let’s look at the passages of Scripture. Isaiah 6 describes Isaiah’s commission when he saw a vision of God’s throne room in heaven:

¹In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
    the whole earth is full of his glory.”

⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

Isaiah 6:1-4 (NIV)

Revelation 4 contains another vision of God’s throne room in heaven and the same song of praise is being sung:

¹After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” ² At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. ³ And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. ⁴ Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits^[a] of God. ⁶ Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’^[b]

who was, and is, and is to come.”

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

¹¹ “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”

Revelation 4 (NIV)

It is important to know that when a word is repeated 3 times in the Scriptures, it is done for emphasis. The Berean Study Bible explains that “The repetition is a Hebrew literary device used for emphasis, indicating the completeness and superlative nature of God’s holiness.” (Note on Isa. 6:3) It says that triple repetition of the word “holy” underscores the absolute and perfect holiness of God. And the Zondervan NIV Study Bible says that the triple repetition underscores God’s infinite holiness (Isaiah 6:3). So instead of saying the word holy one time to describe God’s holiness, it says, “Holy, Holy, Holy!” to emphasize it’s perfection.

When I am singing the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy,” I think of it as saying, “Perfectly Holy God!” “Infinitely Holy God!” As you read through the verses of the hymn, remember those scenes from Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4.

The 1^st verse pictures us singing praise to God from earth. In the 2^nd verse the saints in heaven are praising Him from around His throne. The 3^rd verse praises God for His perfect holiness. His perfect holiness is shown in both His mercy and His might. This is what all of His saints are singing praise to Him for in this hymn. And in the 4^th verse, all God’s works are praising His name “in earth, and sky and sea.”

1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

2. Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea.
Cherubim and seraphim, falling down before thee,
Who was and is and evermore shall be.

3. Holy, Holy, Holy! though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.

Here is the link to the hymn on hymnary.org Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! | Hymnary.org. You can click on the FlexPresent tool at the top of the page and it will show you the lyrics while the music is playing. Or you can scroll down and look at sheet music. I hope to have a recording uploaded on here soon of me playing it on the keyboard.

When I was looking up definitions of holiness, I found an interesting note in Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6. It was his note about how the Lord’s Prayer begins with “Hallowed be Thy name.” He says, “In these words [Hallowed by Thy name], (1.) We give glory to God; it may be taken not as a petition, but as an adoration; as that, the Lord be magnified, or glorified, for God’s holiness is the greatness and glory of all his perfections. We must begin our prayers with praising God, and it is very fit he should be first served, and that we should give glory to God, before we expect to receive mercy and grace from him. Let him have praise of his perfections, and then let us have the benefit of them.”

So, the Lord’s Prayer teaches us to start prayer with adoration. And you might have heard of the ACTS method for prayer that I was taught at church: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Sometimes I have trouble knowing what to say in that first step. When I saw Matthew Henry’s note, it made me think that you could sing this hymn before starting your prayer time. You could also sing it at any other time throughout the day knowing that you are joining in that chorus with the voices in heaven that are continually praising Him from around His throne.