By the Sea of Crystal

By the sea of crystal, saints in glory stand,
Myriads in number, drawn from every land,
Robed in white apparel, washed in Jesus’ blood,
They now reign in heaven with the Lamb of God.

Out of tribulation, death and Satan’s hand,
They have been translated at the Lord’s command.
In their hands they’re holding palms of victory;
Hark! the jubilant chorus shouts triumphantly:

“Unto God Almighty, sitting on the throne,
And the Lamb, victorious, be the praise alone,
God has wrought salvation, He did wondrous things,
Who shall not extol Thee, holy King of Kings?”

Author: William G. T. Shedd

Year: 1894

The lyrics are a metrical paraphrase of Revelation 7:9-17 and 15:2-4. They were written by the American Presbyterian theologian and hymnologist William Greenough Thayer Shedd (1820-1894) and first published in his 1894 collection. No significant alternate attributions exist.