Lyrics
1 MESSIAH, Prince of peace!
Where men each other tear,
Where war is learned, they must confess,
Thy kingdom is not there.
Who, prompted by thy foe,
Delight in human blood,
Apollyon is their king, we know,
And Satan is their god.
2 But shall he still devour
The souls redeemed by thee?
Jesus, stir up thy glorious power
And end the apostasy!
Come, Saviour, from above,
O'er all our hearts to reign;
And plant the kingdom of thy love
In every heart of man.
3 Then shall we exercise
The hellish art no more,
While thou our long-lost paradise
Dost with thyself restore.
Fightings and wars shall cease,
And, in thy Spirit given,
Pure joy and everlasting, peace
Shall turn our earth to heaven.
Meaning & Inspiration
Messiah, Prince of Peace presents Christ’s reign as the answer to violence, hatred, and the spiritual powers that sustain them. The hymn contrasts warfare with the kingdom of Jesus, insisting that delight in bloodshed cannot represent his rule. Its prayer asks the Savior to exercise his authority, end rebellion, and establish divine love within human hearts. The title and central appeal recall the promised Prince of Peace, while the closing vision anticipates a world in which conflict gives way to joy and peace.
The hymn moves from moral diagnosis to prayer and then to hope. Peace is not treated merely as a political arrangement; it begins with the inward reign of Christ and the gift of the Spirit. The final stanza imagines restored fellowship with God transforming earthly life. Its language closely echoes biblical visions of weapons and war disappearing under divine rule, making the song both a protest against violence and a prayer for Christ’s kingdom.
Related Scripture
- Isaiah 9:6 The promised ruler is called the Prince of Peace.
- John 18:36 Jesus states that his kingdom does not operate through worldly violence.
- Isaiah 2:4 The prophetic vision describes nations ceasing to learn war.