When We All Get To Heaven

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus
Sing His mercy and His grace
In the mansions bright and blessed
He’ll prepare for us a place

When we all get to heaven
What a day of rejoicing that will be
When we all see Jesus
We’ll sing and shout the victory

While we walk the pilgrim pathway
Clouds will overspread the sky
But when traveling days are over
Not a shadow not a sigh

Let us then be true and faithful
Trusting serving every day
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay

Onward to the prize before us
Soon His beauty we’ll behold
Soon the pearly gates will open
We shall tread the streets of gold

Eliza Hewitt
Emily Wlson

The Sound of Heaven’s Glory

“When We All Get to Heaven” is more than just a beloved hymn – it’s a declaration of hope that springs from the heart of a woman who knew suffering and joy in equal measure. Eliza Hewitt‘s lyrics paint a poignant picture of the pilgrim journey, the trials and tears of this life met with the promise of eternal rejoicing in the presence of Jesus.

The first verse sets the tone, inviting us to “sing the wondrous love of Jesus, sing His mercy and His grace.” This is the foundation of our faith, the reason we can endure hardship with hope. Eliza knew this well, having spent months in a body cast after a traumatic injury. Yet she chose to sing of a Savior who was preparing a place for her in “mansions bright and blessed” beyond her present pain.

The chorus swells with anticipation: “When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!” Can you imagine the sound of countless believers lifting their voices in triumph, every tear wiped away, every sorrow redeemed? Eliza’s words capture a foretaste of that jubilee, a day when all our “traveling days are over, not a shadow, not a sigh.”

But the journey until then isn’t easy. Eliza acknowledges that “clouds will overspread the sky” as “we walk the pilgrim pathway.” She knew the road of suffering, but she also knew the secret to perseverance: staying “true and faithful, trusting, serving every day.” How? By keeping our eyes on the prize, remembering that “just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay.”

The final verse is a vision of heaven’s splendor – pearly gates opening wide, streets of gold beneath our feet. But the greatest beauty is the One we’ll behold: Jesus Himself, the reason we sing through our tears and cling to His promises.

Friends, let this hymn be your anthem as you walk your own pilgrim pathway. Fix your eyes on Jesus, knowing that one day, we’ll all reach that bright and blessed place where the sound of our voices raised in eternal praise will be the sweetest song of all. May the hope of heaven put a melody in your heart today!

Call to Worship

Brief but meaningful reflections to help your congregation engage with the story, emotions, and spiritual truths behind beloved hymns before lifting their voices in worship together. Feel free to read as is or put into your own words!

Before we lift our voices to sing “When We All Get to Heaven,” I invite you to reflect on these words penned by Eliza Hewitt over a century ago. This hymn is more than just a catchy tune – it’s a declaration of unwavering hope in the midst of life’s trials.

As we walk this pilgrim pathway, we will face clouds that overspread the sky. But let us fix our eyes on the prize before us, the day when we’ll see Jesus face to face and join in the ultimate heavenly celebration.

Eliza knew the depths of suffering, but she also knew the secret to perseverance: trusting in the wondrous love of Jesus, singing of His mercy and grace that carry us through. May her words remind us that our present troubles are but a breath compared to the glory that awaits.

So as we sing this hymn of anticipation today, let it be a balm to the weary and a rallying cry to the downcast. Let the promises of God’s Word anchor our souls and the hope of heaven put a song in our hearts. And may we leave this place with renewed resolve to stay true and faithful until that day when we’ll trade our cross for a crown.