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What He’s Seeing Now
Craig Marvin Johnson
This song is in response to Anthem Edition’s post about Tim’s Dad passing away after a year of battling with cancer. Bill’s thought was, “What He’s Seeing Now” This lyric is in response to that.
- Released
- July 18, 2026
- Key
- F Major
- Feel
- 80 BPM
This song is in response to Anthem Edition’s post about Tim’s Dad passing away after a year of battling with cancer. Bill’s thought was, “What He’s Seeing Now”
This lyric is in response to that.
[Verse]
He fought through every hard day
Held on through every night
Now the pain has lost its power
And faith has turned to sight
[Verse]
No more fear inside his breathing
No more weakness in his frame
He has stepped beyond the sorrow
And heard Jesus call his name
[Chorus]
What he’s seeing now
The face of Christ before him
What he’s hearing now
The sound of heaven’s song
What he’s feeling now
No pain, no fear, no darkness
Only glory all around
Oh, what he’s seeing now
[Verse]
Here we grieve the space he’s leaving
Here we feel the heavy loss
But he’s standing in the promise
Purchased for him by the cross
[Verse]
Every tear has now been gathered
Every shadow has passed by
He is home with his Redeemer
Fully healed and fully alive
[Chorus]
What he’s seeing now
The face of Christ before him
What he’s hearing now
The sound of heaven’s song
What he’s feeling now
No pain, no fear, no darkness
Only glory all around
Oh, what he’s seeing now
[Bridge]
We can only see so dimly
We can only trust somehow
But the hope that carried him there
Is the hope that holds us now
[Bridge]
One day faith will become vision
One day we will understand
One day we will see our Savior
And be gathered where he stands
[Chorus]
What he’s seeing now
The face of Christ before him
What he’s hearing now
The sound of heaven’s song
What he’s feeling now
No pain, no fear, no darkness
Only glory all around
Oh, what he’s seeing now
[Outro]
He has finished all his fighting
He has laid his burden down
Safe at home with Christ forever
Oh, what he’s seeing now
“Faith has turned to sight”
2 Corinthians 5:7–8 — Believers presently walk by faith, but to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
1 Corinthians 13:12 — “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face.”
This directly supports:
“We can only see so dimly”
“One day faith will become vision”
1 John 3:2 — When Christ appears, believers will be like Him because they will see Him as He is.
Psalm 17:15 — The believer’s hope of beholding God’s face and being satisfied in His likeness.
“The face of Christ before him”
Philippians 1:21–23 — Paul says that to die is gain and that departing to be with Christ is “far better.”
Luke 23:42–43 — Jesus tells the repentant thief, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
John 14:1–3 — Jesus promises to prepare a place for His people and receive them unto Himself.
2 Corinthians 4:6 — The glory of God is revealed “in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Revelation 22:3–4 — God’s servants will serve Him and “they shall see his face.”
“No pain, no fear, no darkness”
Revelation 21:3–4 — God will dwell with His people; there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain.
Revelation 22:5 — There will be no night there, because the Lord gives them light.
Isaiah 25:8 — God will swallow up death in victory and wipe away tears from all faces.
Isaiah 35:10 — The redeemed will enter with everlasting joy; sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Romans 8:18 — Present suffering is not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed.
Psalm 16:11 — In God’s presence is fullness of joy.
“Every tear has now been gathered”
Psalm 56:8 — God knows our wanderings and gathers our tears.
Revelation 7:16–17 — The redeemed will hunger and thirst no more, and God will wipe away every tear.
Revelation 21:4 — God Himself wipes away every tear from their eyes.
“Fully healed and fully alive”
This line expresses biblical hope, though complete bodily healing awaits the resurrection.
John 11:25–26 — Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection, and the life.”
1 Corinthians 15:42–44 — The body is raised incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual.
1 Corinthians 15:52–57 — The dead in Christ will be raised incorruptible, and death will be swallowed up in victory.
Philippians 3:20–21 — Christ will transform the believer’s lowly body to be like His glorious body.
Romans 8:11 — The Spirit who raised Jesus will also give life to believers’ mortal bodies.
Revelation 21:5 — Christ declares, “Behold, I make all things new.”
“Purchased for him by the cross”
1 Peter 2:24 — Christ bore our sins in His own body on the tree.
1 Peter 1:18–19 — Believers are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.
Revelation 5:9 — Christ redeemed people to God by His blood.
Colossians 1:13–14, 20 — Redemption, forgiveness, and peace come through Christ’s blood shed on the cross.
Ephesians 1:7 — In Christ we have redemption through His blood and forgiveness of sins.
Romans 5:8–10 — While we were sinners, Christ died for us, reconciling us to God.
John 3:16 — Eternal life is given to those who believe in God’s Son.
“Heard Jesus call his name”
John 10:3–4, 27–28 — The Good Shepherd calls His own sheep by name; they hear His voice, follow Him, and receive eternal life.
Isaiah 43:1 — “I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”
Luke 16:22 — Lazarus dies and is carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.
The lyric should not imply that Scripture specifically describes every believer audibly hearing Jesus say their earthly name at death. The line works best as poetic imagery grounded in Christ knowing and receiving His own.
“He has finished all his fighting”
2 Timothy 4:7–8 — “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
Hebrews 12:1–2 — Believers run with endurance, looking unto Jesus.
Revelation 14:13 — Those who die in the Lord are blessed and rest from their labors.
Matthew 25:21 — The faithful servant enters into the joy of his lord.
“He has laid his burden down”
Matthew 11:28–30 — Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him for rest.
Hebrews 4:9–11 — A rest remains for the people of God.
Revelation 14:13 — The dead in Christ rest from their labors.
Psalm 55:22 — Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you.
“Safe at home with Christ forever”
2 Corinthians 5:1 — Believers have an eternal dwelling from God.
2 Corinthians 5:6–8 — To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
John 14:2–3 — Christ prepares a place and promises to receive His people.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 — The dead in Christ will rise, believers will be gathered to the Lord, and “so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Psalm 23:4–6 — God remains present through the valley of death, and the believer will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Hebrews 13:14 — Believers seek the enduring city that is to come.
“The sound of heaven’s song”
Revelation 5:9–13 — Heaven sings of the Lamb who was slain and redeemed His people.
Revelation 7:9–12 — A great multitude worships before the throne and before the Lamb.
Revelation 15:2–4 — The redeemed sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb.
Revelation 19:1–7 — Heaven resounds with praise and “Alleluia.”
“The hope that carried him there is the hope that holds us now”
1 Peter 1:3–5 — Through Christ’s resurrection, believers have a living hope and an incorruptible inheritance kept in heaven.
Romans 8:24–25 — Believers are saved in hope and wait patiently for what is not yet seen.
Hebrews 6:18–20 — Hope is an anchor for the soul, secure and steadfast, entering into God’s presence through Jesus.
Colossians 1:5, 27 — The hope laid up in heaven and “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Titus 2:13 — Believers look for the blessed hope and appearing of Jesus Christ.
“One day we will see our Savior”
Job 19:25–27 — Job declares that his Redeemer lives and that he will see God.
Matthew 5:8 — “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
1 John 3:2–3 — Believers will see Christ as He is.
Revelation 22:4 — God’s servants will see His face.
1 Corinthians 15:49 — Believers will bear the image of the heavenly Man.
“And be gathered where he stands”
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 — Believers should not grieve without hope; the dead in Christ will rise, and all believers will be gathered to the Lord.
John 11:25–26 — Those who believe in Christ will live even though they die.
John 14:3 — Christ will receive His people unto Himself, so they may be where He is.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 — Paul speaks of Christ’s coming and “our gathering together unto him.”
Scripture foundation most central to the song
The strongest core passages are:
2 Corinthians 5:7–8 — faith becoming presence with Christ
1 Corinthians 13:12 — seeing dimly now, then face to face
Philippians 1:21–23 — death as gain and being with Christ
Revelation 21:3–4 — no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain
Revelation 22:3–5 — seeing His face and no more night
John 11:25–26 — Christ as resurrection and life
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 — grieving with hope and final reunion
2 Timothy 4:7–8 — finishing the fight and keeping the faith
1 Peter 1:3–5 — living hope through Christ’s resurrection
Revelation 5:9–13 — heaven’s worship centered on the Lamb
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