This hymn is sung to accompany “The Great Entrance,” which is the presentation of the Holy Gifts of bread and wine that become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. By procession and music His entrance into the world is re-enacted: the Incarnation, His entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, His crucifixion "for us," His burial in the tomb, and His justifying Resurrection and Ascension.
By way of the astonishing first line of the hymn,
we who mystically represent the Cherubim,
the entire congregation of the faithful, led by the choir, is transformed to stand in the place of angels who honor and serve Jesus Christ the King.
The third phrase,
let us now lay aside all earthly care,
amplifies the priest's censing the altar and the people. The fullness of Orthodox practice blesses all the senses and symbolically purifies the entire church, reminding us urgently here to purge our hearts and souls of all but the spiritual and pure.
The triumphant crescendo,
that we may receive the King of All,
who comes invisibly up borne
by the angelic hosts,
declares our gratitude of heart, and the inexpressible joy of angels in Heaven serving the Holy Trinity. Its spirited tempo invokes Christ on High, likened to the ascension of an ancient king to his elevated throne.
