Hymns by theme
Hymns about heaven
Christians sing about heaven because Christ has promised a home with him. Hymns of heaven look past the troubles of this life to the city of God, the river of life and the reunion of all God's people, and they have comforted believers at gravesides, in hospital rooms and in hard years for generations.
Many of these come from the gospel-song tradition and have a refrain the whole room can sing — “Shall We Gather at the River,” “In the Sweet By and By,” “When We All Get to Heaven.” Others are older and more stately. They are a natural choice for funerals and memorial services, for All Saints' Day, and for a congregation that needs hope. The most widely sung are listed first. All are in the public domain.
Many families ask for one of these hymns at a funeral; the funeral hymns page lists the ones chosen most often. For a hymn sing at a care home, print a few favorites in large type — older singers often know every verse by heart.
Print the top 40Build an order of service
The best-known hymns
The full list
- Come, we that love the Lord — Come, we that love the Lord,
- Jerusalem, My Happy Home — Jerusalem! my happy home!
- One Sweetly Solemn Thought — One sweetly solemn thought
- Hark, Hark, My Soul! — Hark! hark, my soul, angelic songs are swelling
- At Home In Heaven — "Forever with the Lord!"
- The Heavenly Jerusalem — O mother dear, Jerusalem,
- The Shining Shore — My days are gliding swiftly by,
- The Land of Rest — There is an hour of peaceful rest,
- The Home Over There — O think of a home over there,
- The Bright Forever — Shall we meet beyond the river,
- The Christian's Rest — In the Christian's home in glory,
- Around the Throne of God in Heaven — Around the throne of God in heav'n
- Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand — Ten thousand times ten thousand,
- The Hope of Heaven — How happy every child of grace,
- Home of the Soul — I will sing you a song of that beautiful land,
- The Enjoyment of Heaven — Thine earthly sabbaths, Lord, we love;
- Beulah Land — I've reach'd the land of corn and wine,
- Forward! be Our Watchword — Forward! be our watchword,
- The Way of the Cross Leads Home — I must needs go home by the way of the cross,
- Jesu, Still Lead On — Jesus, still lead on,
- We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight — 'Tis by the faith of joys to come
- My Savior First of All — When my lifework is ended, and I cross the swelling tide,
- For Thee, O Dear, Dear Country — For thee, O dear, dear country,
- Beautiful City — Beautiful Zion, built above,
- Homeward Bound — Out on an ocean all boundless we ride,
- Brief Life Is Here Our Portion — Brief life is here our portion,
- The Open Gate — There is a gate that stands ajar,
- Come Home — Brethren, while we sojourn here,
- Weary of Earth — Weary of earth, and laden with my sin,
- Beyond the Smiling and the Weeping — Beyond the smiling and the weeping,
- Death and Immediate Glory — There is a house not made with hands,
- Hope of Heaven by the Resurrection of Christ — Blest be the everlasting God,
- There Is a Blessed Home — There is a blessed home
- What a Gathering That Will Be — At the sounding of the trumpet, when the saints are gather'd home,
- Heavenly Home — We've no abiding city here;
- Anticipating the Heavenly Sabbath — Lord of the Sabbath, hear us pray,
- Heaven Invisible and Holy — Nor eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard,
- The Better Land — There is a land mine eye hath seen
- Come away to the skies, my beloved arise — Come away to the skies. My beloved, arise,
- The radiant morn hath passed away — The radiant morn hath passed away,
- The Joys of Heaven — Come, Lord, and warm each languid heart,
- To Jesus, the crown of my hope — To Jesus, the crown of my hope,
- The Farewell — Ye golden lamps of heav’n! farewell,
- Far from my heavenly home — Far from my heav'nly home,
- The Heavenly Jerusalem — Away with our sorrow and fear!
- Farther on, but how much farther — Dark and thorny is the desert,
- O What Their Joy and Their Glory Must Be — O what the joy and the glory must be,
- The roseate hues of early dawn — The roseate hues of early dawn,
- Upward where the stars are burning — Upward where the stars are burning,
- Little Travelers Zionward — Little travelers Zionward,
- The Golden Gates — The golden gates are lifted up,
- Where Jesus Is, 'Tis Heaven — Since Christ my soul from sin set free,
- Longing After Christ — I long to behold him arrayed
- The City of Light — A beautiful land by faith I see,
- Gathering Home — Up to the beautiful Giver of life,--
- The world is very evil — The world is very evil,
- Life's Railway to Heaven — Life is like a mountain railway,
- The Worship of Heaven — O for a sweet, inspiring ray,
- Thrice happy souls, who, born from heaven — THRICE happy souls, who, born of heaven,
Questions about hymns about heaven
What are some well-known hymns about heaven?
“Shall We Gather at the River,” “In the Sweet By and By,” “On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand,” “When We All Get to Heaven” and “Jerusalem the Golden” are all on this page.
Are hymns about heaven suitable for a funeral?
Yes — they are among the most chosen funeral hymns. See also the funeral hymns page.