Brooke Ligertwood - Ancient Gates Lyrics
Lyrics
There is singing at the ancient gates
There’s a melody of ceaseless praise
Age to age the sound is only growing stronger
There’s a throne beneath the Name of Names
There is seated on it One who reigns
And His Kingdom now is here and getting closer
Praise Him like we’re there in glory
Here and now He’s just as holy
Jesus He’s so worthy of it all
He exists in everlasting light
So on heaven’s streets there is no night
Every tear is wiped away
We’ll know no sorrow
Worship Him with joyful sound
Sing until your voice gives out
No matter where or who’s around
Release your worship
Praise Him like we’re there in glory
Here and now He’s just as holy
Jesus He’s so worthy of it all
Bring your song He loves to hear it
Bring Him every prayer soaked lyric
Jesus He’s so worthy of it all
The one who was
The one who is
The one who is to come
Video
Brooke Ligertwood - Ancient Gates (Live)
Meaning & Inspiration
Brooke Ligertwood's "Ancient Gates," released on March 23, 2022, is more than just a song; it’s an invitation to participate in an eternal worship experience. The narrative woven through its lyrics transports the listener to a celestial realm, a place where praise is not an optional act but the very atmosphere. Ligertwood paints a vivid picture of an ongoing, powerful chorus rising from "ancient gates," a sound that has only intensified through the ages. This imagery immediately evokes passages like Revelation 7:9-10, which describes a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne and the Lamb, crying out in loud voices, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" The song speaks of a throne occupied by an eternal King, an undeniable reference to God's sovereign rule as described throughout Scripture. The declaration that His Kingdom is "here and getting closer" resonates with the persistent theme in Jesus' teachings, such as in Mark 1:15 where He proclaims, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
The core message of "Ancient Gates" is a powerful call to worship God with an unreserved, anticipatory joy, as if we are already present in glory. Ligertwood encourages believers to recognize the immanent holiness of God, who is "just as holy" here and now as He is in the heavenly sanctuary. This profound truth finds its grounding in Hebrews 4:16, which exhorts us to "approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need." The description of everlasting light and the absence of night on heaven's streets directly calls to mind Revelation 21:23-25, where the New Jerusalem needs no light from lamp or sun, for the Lord God gives it its light, and its gates will never be shut by day. The promise that "every tear is wiped away" and "we'll know no sorrow" is a beautiful echo of Revelation 21:4, a testament to the ultimate redemption and peace found in God's presence.
Ligertwood's challenge to "worship Him with joyful sound" and "sing until your voice gives out" isn't mere exhortation; it's a reflection of the biblical imperative to offer praise with all our being. This is seen in Psalms such as Psalm 100:1-2: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." The repeated refrain, "Bring your song He loves to hear it, bring Him every prayer soaked lyric," highlights the personal and intimate nature of worship, emphasizing that God desires our authentic prayers and heartfelt expressions of faith, even the ones we have "prayer-soaked." The song culminates with a powerful affirmation of God's eternal nature: "The one who was, the one who is, the one who is to come." This is a direct and deliberate encapsulation of the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, a title used for Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:8 and 22:13, underscoring His divine permanence and sovereignty across all of time. "Ancient Gates" serves as a potent reminder that our earthly worship is a foretaste of the eternal symphony of praise, connecting us to a reality that is both present and eternally enduring.