HOLY IS THE LORD OF HOSTS

The story behind "Holy is the Lord of Hosts" (No. 91) is unusual and worth relating. In Adelaide, South Australia, before a congregation of six of seven hundred people, evangelist Dick Mills called me down from the choir and gave me a prophecy that I was to write a song. I still have a tape of the meeting, and these were his words:

"When you were up there leading, the Lord spoke to me by a word of knowledge, indicating that He is going to give you an original song - a song that will be easily sung by masses of people. Also, it will be a song that will be easily translated into other languages. Have you ever written music? Yes? Okay... a song that will bless the church... You're going to get this song when you're in bed - isn't that something ? ... (At this point he included several scriptures, including Psalm 32:7; 149:5). A song in the night.. singable, from the Word of God.. restructure it and make it rhyme.. translated into other languages."

The following night I went to bed about 10.00 p.m. I began reading Isaiah 6, and pictured that scene Isaiah was describing, the throne, its glory and the worshipping seraphim. As I did I could hear in my mind something of a melody they were singing. I picked up some paper and wrote it down. A few minutes later Dennis (my husband) came in. As we shared the song together we were completely amazed to discover that by "pure coincidence" he had just been meditating on the same verses, impressed by their suitability for a chorus!

Initially we sang the chorus in several churches. Months later I sent it, along with several others, to David and Dale Garratt of "Scripture in Song", New Zealand, saying nothing of its origin.

A year or so later David Garratt telephoned regarding copyright details. He remarked that "Holy is the Lord of Hosts" had been popular in their music ministry around the world, and that it had been sung and recorded in French.

Excitedly I told him the story of its origin. David then described to me a situation of Montreal during the time of the Olympic Games when they had sung the chorus, which had been translated on the spot into the many languages of the athletes and visitors!

Since then a friend who had returned from Europe reported hearing it sung in German; similarly, missionaries we met in the USA reported hearing it sung in Spanish in South America. Isn't God wonderful. His ways are so far above our ways!

Nolene Prince