Bible Verses for Joy To The World

Isaac Watts is a hymn writer, well-known as the author of 750 hymns like “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross,”  “Alas And Did My Savior Bleed,” and “O God Our Help In Ages Past."  His “Joy To The World” was first published in 1719. Later, Lowell Mason took lines of music from Handel's Messiah to compose the tune, Antioch, that is now so familiar. Did you recognize the first notes of “Lift Up Your Heads” or possibly “Glory to God” as the beginning notes? “And heaven and nature sing” reflects the orchestra in the opening notes of “Comfort Ye.”

The interesting thing about “Joy To The World” is that the song is really more about the Second Advent (Jesus' return to reign) than the First Advent (Jesus birth so He could die for our sins). The biblical prophecies in verses 3 and 4 are not fulfilled yet, but they will be when Jesus Christ returns to set all things right. Even the first verse doesn't accurately reflect the birth of Jesus, as the earth didn't “receive her King” and instead rejected Jesus and both the leaders of the nation of Israel and the local leaders of Roman Empire all condemned Him to die.

So is it inappropriate to sing this song at Christmas time? Not at all! It is a beautiful reminder to us of the reason that Jesus was born and encourages us to look forward to His return, not as a baby, but as the reigning King. The Second Coming is really just the final fulfillment of God's plan already begun through Jesus' First Coming. So sing with hope this holiday season as we look forward with hope, not for the birth of the Messiah, but of His return "to prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love” with His final judgment upon those who reject Him and bestowal of grace upon all those who believe on His name.

Joy To The World

by Isaac Watts, 1719

Verse 1:
Joy to the world; The Lord is come;

The angel told the shepherd in Luke 2:10-11 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Let earth receive her King:

Psalm 98:4-6 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.

Let every heart prepare him room,

Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Ephesians 3:17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

And heaven and nature sing.

Psalm 96:11-12 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 

Verse 2:
Joy to the earth, The Saviour reigns;

The angel told the shepherd in Luke 2:10-11 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Let men their songs employ;

Psalm 96:2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

While fields and floods, rocks, hills & plains
Repeat the sounding joy.

Psalm 98:7-8 Let the sea roar and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy

Psalm 96:11-12 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

Verse 3:
No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Romans 5:20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

Nor thorns infest the ground:
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

After Adam and Eve sinned in Genesis 3:17-21 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Romans 8:19-23 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 

Verse 4:
He rules the world with truth and grace,

Speaking of Jesus in John 1:14, 17 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.... For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,

Psalm 96:13 Before the Lord, for He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.

The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 36:23 “I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.”

And wonders of his love.

Psalm 17:7 (NIV) Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.