Gospel Greats -- 'Holy, Holy, Holy' Quiz

Answer: Lord God

The two missing words are 'Lord God'.

'Holy, Holy, Holy!' was written by Reginald Heber. According to Hymnary.org, Heber was extremely intelligent "translating a Latin classic into English verse by the time he was seven." Heber was born into a "wealthy, educated family" in Malpas, Che­shire, Eng­land in 1783.

Answer: song

The missing word is 'song'.

Reginald Heber, writer of the classic hymn 'Holy, Holy, Holy!', entered Oxford at age seventeen and won two awards for his poetry. Hymnary.org reports that after graduation from Oxford, Heber became rector of his father's church in the village of Hodnet, near Shrewsbury, in the west of England, serving for sixteen years.

Answer: trinity

The missing word is 'Trinity'.

Hymnary.org reports Reginald Heber, writer of the classic hymn 'Holy, Holy, Holy!', was appointed Bishop of Calcutta in 1823. The Website reports he worked "tirelessly for three years until the weather and travel took its toll on his health and he died of a stroke."

Answer: saints

The missing word is 'saints'.

Hymnary.org reports Reginald Heber, writer of the classic hymn 'Holy, Holy, Holy!', wrote fifty-seven hymns, many of which are still in use today. 'Holy, Holy, Holy!' was written in India in 1826, the same year Heber died.

Answer: glassy

The missing word is 'glassy'.

Hymnary.org has this to say about the hymn 'Holy, Holy, Holy!' written by Reginald Heber: "Using reverent and apocalyptic language, 'Holy, Holy, Holy!' alludes to Revelation 4:6-11; 5:13; 15:2-4; and Isaiah 6:1-3 to sing the great majesty of the triune God."

For example Revelation 4:6-11, in the NKJV Bible, states:
"Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
'Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!'

"Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

'You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created'."

Answer: evermore

The missing word is 'evermore'.

According to Hymnary.org, Reginald Heber wrote 'Holy, Holy, Holy!' specifically for Trinity Sunday, which occurs eight weeks after Easter. In other words, one of the key points Heber wanted to make in his hymn is the Trinity of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Hymnary.org offers this commentary: "In 325 AD, Church leaders convened in the town of Nicaea in Bithynia to formulate a consensus of belief and practice amongst Christians. What resulted was the Nicene Creed, a document passed on through the ages as one of the pillars of church doctrine. The primary function of this creed was to establish a firm belief in the Trinity, countering the heresy of Arius, who believed that Jesus was not fully divine. It was this creed that inspired Reginald Heber to write this great hymn of praise to the Triune God, with the intent that the hymn be sung before or after the creed was recited in a service, and on Trinity Sunday -- eight weeks after Easter... The words evoke a sense of awe at the majesty of God, and call on all of creation -- humans, saints and angels, and all living things -- to praise the Godhead three-in-one."

Answer: darkness

The missing word is 'darkness'.

The classic hymn 'Holy, Holy, Holy!' was first published in the third edition (1826) of 'A Selection of Psalms and Hymns' for the Parish Church of Banbury, Hymnary.org reports. "The unusual single rhyme (all on the "ee" sound) and the uneven number of syllables in some lines have not detracted from the hymn's popularity," the Website reports.

Answer: purity

The missing word is 'purity'.

According to Hymnary.org, Reginald Heber began writing hymns "partly because of his dissatisfaction with the poor psalm singing in his congregation and partly because he was influenced by the vital hymn singing among Methodists and Baptists".

Without question, his most famous hymn is 'Holy, Holy, Holy!'. As stated in the answer section of Question No. 4, Heber is credited with writing fifty-seven hymns.

Answer: praise

The missing word is 'praise'

After Reginald Heber's death in 1826, his widow had his collection of fifty-seven hymns published in 1827. The publication was titled 'Hymns Written and Adapted to the Weekly Church Services of the Year (1827)'. According to Hymnary.org, the hymnbook "began a tradition of arranging the contents of hymn collections according to the church year."

Answer: merciful

The missing word is 'merciful'.

As pointed out in answers to previous questions, 'Holy, Holy, Holy!' became popular after Reginald Heber died in 1826 at the age of forty-three. While he was still living, his most famous hymn was 'From Greenland's Icy Mountains'. according to the Website Sharefaith.com. 'From Greenland's Icy Mountains' "exhorted missionary efforts to be made in the more difficult and remote cultures and climates," Sharefaith.com reports.

After Heber's death, 'Holy, Holy, Holy!' would soar in popularity, easily outstripping 'From Greenland's Icy Mountains' in appeal.

Here are the words to the classic hymn 'Holy, Holy, Holy'.

"Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
who wert and art and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!"