Lyrics
Chorus (x2)
If we keep our voices silent
All creation will rise and shout
If we fail to praise You, Father
Then will the very rocks cry out
Verse 1
From the corners of creation
Come the people of the living God
Every tongue and every nation
Gathered now to praise the Lord
Chorus (x2)
If we keep our voices silent
All creation will rise and shout
If we fail to praise You, Father
Then will the very rocks cry out
Verse 2
From a world of tribulation
Come and let your voice be raised
Join us now in congregation
Let the living God be praised
Chorus (x3)
If we keep our voices silent
All creation will rise and shout
If we fail to praise You, Father
Then will the very rocks cry out...
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Then Will the Very Rocks Cry Out is a praise chorus built on a single conditional image: if voices stay silent, creation itself will shout. The idea comes from Luke 19, where Jesus tells the Pharisees during the entry into Jerusalem that if the crowd were quiet, the stones would cry out. The lyrics turn that remark into a call for people to keep praising God the Father.
The two verses broaden the audience. The first describes people from the corners of creation, every tongue and every nation, gathering to praise the Lord. The second addresses a world of tribulation and invites a voice to be raised, with the congregation joining in so that the living God is praised.
Repetition is the main structure, and the refrain returns again and again, which suits congregational singing. The mention of every tongue and nation fits the vision of Revelation 7:9, though that link is drawn from the wording of the lyrics and is not stated in them.
Related Scripture
- Luke 19:40 Jesus says the stones would cry out if the crowd were silent.
- Revelation 7:9 People from every nation and tongue stand before the throne.