4th Day of Christmas: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Today's Christmas carol is one written by Charles Wesley in 1739. Charles Wesley was the younger brother of John Wesley who is the founder of the Methodist church.

The most interesting thing about this carol is that the words we are so familiar with are not the words that Charles Wesley originally wrote. This hymn has undergone significant changes by at least three other persons. For instance, the first two lines originally were "Hark, how all the welkin rings, 'Glory to the King of kings'."

The other change has occurred in the number of lines per verse. The original hymn only had four lines where the hymn we sing today has eight lines.

Now before I go any further, you are probably asking, "What the heck is a 'welkin'?" Well welkin is the Old English word for the sky or heavens. Now since it originates from the time when people thought the world was flat and the sky was like a bell shape dome that sat over it, there is an old phrase "to make the welkin ring" which means to make such a loud noise that it will case the welkin, the sky dome, to ring like a bell.

So when Charles Wesley wrote "Hark, how all the welkin rings" he was saying listen to how all of heaven is shouting "Glory to the King of kings."

So now maybe your second question is who and why did these lines get changed. The who is easy. George Whitefield changed the first two lines to the familiar, "Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn king." They why is only speculation, but I think it is because no one knew what a welkin was!

The irony is that Whitefield's lyrics are less scriptural than Charles Wesley and have contributed to a modern romantic misconception that angels sang at Jesus' birth. In fact, Luke 2:13-14 clearly says the angles were "praising God saying" and not singing. And also notice that their praises were directed to God in heaven (the King of kings) and not to the newborn Jesus.

There is a goggle amount of good theology in the other verses originally written that I don't have the time to go into right now. But let me conclude by giving you the original words of Charles Wesley.

"Hark, How all the Welkin Rings"

Hark, how all the welkin rings,
"Glory to the King of kings;
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
universal nature say,
"Christ the Lord is born today!"

Christ, by highest Heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord:
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a Virgin's womb!

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,
hail the incarnate Deity!
pleased as man with men to appear,
Jesus, our Emmanuel here!

Hail, the heavenly Prince of Peace,
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.

Mild he lays his glory by,
born that man no more may die;
born to raise the sons of earth;
born to give them second birth.

Come, Desire of nations, come,
fix in us thy humble home;
rise, the woman's conquering Seed,
bruise in us the serpent's head.

Now display thy saving power,
ruined nature now restore;
now in mystic union join
thine to ours, and ours to thine.

Adam's likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp thy image in its place.
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.

Let us thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the life, the inner man:
O, to all thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.