Risen King of Glory: Death Has Lost Its Hold | Easter Worship Anthem by Malachi Ben-David

Risen King of Glory: Death Has Lost Its Hold | Easter Worship Anthem

About Risen King of Glory

Risen King of Glory is a gospel worship Easter anthem by Malachi Ben-David - a soaring resurrection worship song that walks straight through the empty-tomb morning and lands on the throne. It opens where the Gospels do: "Early in the morning while the darkness still remained, the women came with spices, hearts heavy with the pain." Then the light breaks, the angel speaks, and the whole song lifts into worship: "Risen King of Glory! Death has lost its hold! The tomb is empty, heaven sings." If you're searching gospel worship, Easter worship songs, worship music, or scripture songs about the resurrection, the empty tomb, and the risen Christ, this is scripture-rooted Christian music built to be sung on Resurrection Sunday.

Rooted in scripture songs from Matthew 28:6 ("he is not here: for he is risen, as he said") to 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (Christ "the firstfruits of them that slept") and John 20:16 (Mary hearing the Savior speak her name), Risen King of Glory moves from grief to glory in a single arc. It ends not at the tomb but at the throne: "Alive forever, seated on the throne, we worship You, O Risen Christ."

Lyrics for Risen King of Glory

RISEN KING OF GLORY Malachi Ben-David

[Verse 1] Early in the morning while the darkness still remained, The women came with spices, hearts heavy with the pain. But heaven's light was breaking, the stone had been removed, An angel stood in glory and declared the glorious truth.

[Pre-Chorus] "Do not be afraid, He is not here He has risen just as He said." The grave could not contain the One who conquered death.

[Chorus] Risen King of Glory! Risen King of Light! You have overcome the darkness, You have won the final fight! Risen King of Glory! Death has lost its hold! The tomb is empty, heaven sings let the story now be told!

[Verse 2] Mary heard her name spoken in a voice so kind and near, She turned and saw the Savior standing, risen, crystal clear. The disciples gathered, eyes wide with holy fear, The risen Christ stood in their midst and breathed His peace so clear.

[Pre-Chorus] He showed the scars of love that proved the price He paid, Then sent them out with power "Go and tell the world today!"

[Verse 3] No grave could ever hold You, no power could keep You down, You are the first fruits of the harvest, wearing heaven's crown. Because You live forever, we too shall rise one day, Our hope is not in vain the stone is rolled away!

[Final Chorus] Risen King of Glory! Risen King of Light! You have overcome the darkness, You have won the final fight! Risen King of Glory! Death has lost its hold! The tomb is empty, heaven sings let the story now be told! Risen King of Glory! We lift our voices high, Alive forever, seated on the throne we worship You, O Risen Christ!

Behind the Song

Risen King of Glory is a worship song that tells the resurrection story in order - and lets the story itself become the worship. It begins exactly where all four Gospels begin the Easter account: "Early in the morning while the darkness still remained, the women came with spices, hearts heavy with the pain." That's John 20:1 and Luke 24:1 - the women arriving at first light to anoint a body, expecting death, carrying grief. The song honors that grief before it announces the joy; the "hearts heavy with the pain" are real, and they make the reversal that follows land with full force.

Then the light breaks. "Heaven's light was breaking, the stone had been removed, an angel stood in glory" is Matthew 28:2-3, the angel whose "countenance was like lightning," and the pre-chorus quotes him almost word for word: "Do not be afraid, He is not here, He has risen just as He said." That's Matthew 28:5-6 - "Fear not ye... he is not here: for he is risen, as he said." The song anchors itself on the phrase "just as He said," because the resurrection wasn't a surprise to Jesus; it was a promise kept. "The grave could not contain the One who conquered death" is Acts 2:24, "it was not possible that he should be holden of it."

The chorus is pure coronation. "Risen King of Glory! Risen King of Light!" draws on Psalm 24:7-10, "who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty... he is the King of glory," and 1 John 1:5, "God is light." "You have won the final fight, death has lost its hold" is 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?" This isn't a chorus that explains the resurrection - it crowns the One who accomplished it. The repeated title, "Risen King of Glory," is a declaration of who Jesus is now: not merely raised, but reigning.

Verse two moves through the resurrection appearances, and it's tender before it's triumphant. "Mary heard her name spoken in a voice so kind and near" is one of the most intimate moments in all of Scripture - John 20:16, where the risen Christ says a single word, "Mary," and she knows Him. The song understands that the resurrection is both cosmic and personal: it shook the earth, and it also spoke one grieving woman's name. Then "the disciples gathered, eyes wide with holy fear, the risen Christ stood in their midst and breathed His peace" is John 20:19-22 - Jesus appearing behind locked doors, saying "Peace be unto you," and breathing on them. "He showed the scars of love that proved the price He paid" is John 20:20 and 20:27, the wounds He kept and showed to Thomas: the risen body still bears the marks of the cross. And "Go and tell the world today" is the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19, the resurrection becoming a mission.

Verse three lifts from history into hope, and this is the song's theological summit. "You are the first fruits of the harvest, wearing heaven's crown" is 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 - "now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." The word "firstfruits" carries the whole promise: His resurrection is not a one-time exception but the first of a harvest. "Because You live forever, we too shall rise one day" is 1 Corinthians 15:22, "in Christ shall all be made alive," and John 14:19, "because I live, ye shall live also." "Our hope is not in vain" answers 1 Corinthians 15:14 and 15:17 directly - "if Christ be not raised... your faith is also vain" - with the triumphant opposite: He is raised, so it isn't.

The final chorus does what worship always does with good news - it turns it into praise. "We lift our voices high, alive forever, seated on the throne, we worship You, O Risen Christ" moves the song from the empty tomb to the throne room of Revelation 5, the Lamb "as it had been slain" now reigning and worshiped by every creature. Gospel worship is the perfect home for a song like this, because it doesn't stop at reporting that the tomb is empty - it kneels before the One who walked out of it. Risen King of Glory tells the whole Easter story and then does the only fitting thing with it: it worships.

Biblical Background

Risen King of Glory is a scripture-rooted gospel worship Easter anthem built on the resurrection accounts of the four Gospels, anchored in Matthew 28:6 - "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said" - and 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, in which Christ is risen and "become the firstfruits of them that slept."

The song follows the empty-tomb morning through Luke 24:1-8 and John 20:1 (the women arriving with spices at dawn), Matthew 28:2-6 (the angel of the Lord and the announcement of the resurrection), and Acts 2:24 (death could not hold Him). The resurrection appearances are drawn from John 20:11-18 (Mary hearing her name), John 20:19-22 (Jesus appearing to the disciples and breathing peace), and John 20:20-27 (showing the scars of the crucifixion). The mission that follows is the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 (go and tell all nations). The theology of Christ as King and coming resurrection rests on Psalm 24:7-10 (the King of glory), 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 (death swallowed up in victory), 1 Corinthians 15:14-22 (if Christ be not raised our hope is vain; but in Christ all shall be made alive), John 14:19 (because I live, ye shall live also), and Revelation 5:12-13 (worthy is the Lamb, seated on the throne). Every reference is listed below in the order the song travels through it.

Scripture References

Luke 24:1-8 - the women came early with spices; He is risen (Verse 1) John 20:1 - early, while it was yet dark, to the sepulchre (Verse 1) Matthew 28:2-6 - the angel; fear not, he is risen as he said (Verse 1, Pre-Chorus) Acts 2:24 - it was not possible that death should hold him (Pre-Chorus) Psalm 24:7-10 - who is this King of glory? the Lord strong and mighty (Chorus) 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 - death is swallowed up in victory (Chorus) John 20:11-18 - Mary; Jesus speaks her name and she turns (Verse 2) John 20:19-22 - Jesus stood in their midst; peace be unto you (Verse 2) John 20:20-27 - he showed them his hands and side; the scars (Pre-Chorus 2) Matthew 28:18-20 - go ye therefore, and teach all nations (Pre-Chorus 2) 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 - Christ risen, the firstfruits of them that slept (Verse 3) John 14:19 - because I live, ye shall live also (Verse 3) 1 Corinthians 15:14-17 - if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain (Verse 3) Revelation 5:12-13 - worthy is the Lamb; seated on the throne, worshiped (Final Chorus)

FAQ

Q: What is the song Risen King of Glory about? A: Risen King of Glory is a gospel worship Easter anthem that tells the resurrection story in order - the women at the tomb, the angel's announcement, Mary hearing her name, Jesus appearing to the disciples - and turns it into worship. It builds from "hearts heavy with the pain" to a coronation shout: "Risen King of Glory! Death has lost its hold! The tomb is empty, heaven sings." It ends at the throne, worshiping the risen Christ.

Q: Is Risen King of Glory an Easter worship song? A: Yes - it's written as an Easter worship anthem for Resurrection Sunday and Holy Week. It walks the empty-tomb morning and the resurrection appearances from the Gospels and shapes them into a congregational worship song, ending on the line "Alive forever, seated on the throne, we worship You, O Risen Christ."

Q: What does "firstfruits of the harvest" mean in the song? A: It comes from 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, where Christ is called "the firstfruits of them that slept." The image means His resurrection isn't a one-time exception but the first of a coming harvest - the guarantee of ours. The song makes that explicit: "Because You live forever, we too shall rise one day." His empty tomb is the promise of ours.

Q: What scriptures inspired Risen King of Glory? A: The anchor is Matthew 28:6 (he is risen, as he said) with 1 Corinthians 15 (Christ the firstfruits; death swallowed up in victory). It also draws on John 20 (Mary at the tomb, Jesus appearing and showing His scars), Psalm 24 (the King of glory), Matthew 28:19 (the Great Commission), and Revelation 5 (the Lamb worshiped on the throne). All references are KJV and listed in song order above.

Q: What genre is Risen King of Glory? A: Risen King of Glory is a gospel worship song - a scripture-rooted Easter worship anthem in the gospel worship and praise and worship space, built as a soaring, congregational resurrection song of adoration to the risen Christ.

Q: Where can I listen to Risen King of Glory? A: You can listen to this Easter worship anthem on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and Audiomack. It's also available in the Facebook, Instagram & Threads Music Library and as a TikTok Sound.