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I have been known to say, “We need another flood, but God won’t give us one.” Our world is so corrupt. Too often, the church is not much better than the world. It is all sometimes overwhelming. We deserve another flood, but God promised He would not destroy the earth and humankind with water again. God is, however, releasing another flood in the earth and it is covering the earth like the waters cover the sea with the knowledge and the glory of our God.

Shortly before the final phase of the recording process, I went back out to my friend’s house by the Wando River for the day. My main goal was to listen and finish some songs. I did finish Nothing Is Impossible there—thank You, Lord—and while I was looking for the final words to what I thought was the entirety of Around this Throne, I began playing another chord progression and the next thing I knew, I was singing what is now the first half of the song. It is quite simple really and did not take too long to finish it.

The idea for this came to me as a word that the Spirit gave me on my way to a conference in Recife, Brasil at The Church of the Holy Spirit. I was asked to speak at one of the worship sessions on the issue of diversity in the church. On the flight there, I was looking out the window, and I kept seeing all these little pieces of rainbows in the clouds. I could not figure it out. They were everywhere. Whatever they were, I sensed God was speaking to me and I began to write about rainbows, God’s promise and covenant, the nations and their ethnocentric tendencies, and the Flood.

One thought that really stood out for me was that in Revelation 4:2-3, we read about a rainbow around the throne of the Almighty. We also see throughout Revelation that the nations all gather around the throne and the nations of the earth bring their splendor into the new city to His throne. What an awesome thing. Could it be that the rainbow John saw around the throne was the prophetic promise of the multitudes that would come before Him and worship the Lamb? Every single person will be there. The people we’ve loved and hated, snubbed and learned from, sinned with and sinned against, the ones we wanted to be like and the ones we never noticed. Everyone you ever meet will stand there with you on that day. Will they stay there with you?

This song has ended up being one of the most meaningful and powerful things I’ve ever been a part of, thanks to the Lord and all the people He brought in to say their prayers and blessings in 14 other languages. I was frequently moved to tears as they were recording their parts or telling their stories, and it was hard to stop sobbing as Mannie was finishing up the mix on all those voices. What an unforgettable and indescribable blessing and privilege it has been. It pales in comparison though with how we will all feel when we are together at the Throne of the King toward which everything is moving and around which everything will bow down.

In the time of the flood, when violence ruled the earth,
The water rose, covering all the world's corruption.
And in our day, there is a flood, though violence rule the earth,
Covering all the earth with the knowledge of our God.

Everything is moving, everything is moving
Everything is moving to Your throne.
Everything will bow down, everything will bow down
Everything will bow down ... around this throne.

Every nation, every knee
Every wayward son, every king
Every angel, every saint
All the conquerors, and all the slain

Every poet, every priest
All the homeless, every thief
Every tribe and race, every tongue
Every neighbor I have known

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