What "All Things New" means
The phrase is a direct quote from the throne room. Revelation 21:5 records the voice of the One seated on the throne saying, "Behold, I am making all things new." Not some things. Not spiritual things only. All things. Hillsong Worship's "All Things New" builds its entire theological architecture on that declaration, placing the congregation inside an eschatological hope that refuses to shrink to the merely personal. In D for the men, G for the women, at a measured 70 bpm in 4/4, the song moves at the pace of a slow sunrise rather than a sprint. That is intentional. New creation does not rush. It unfolds. The scripture frame running beneath the song draws from Revelation 21:5, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:19-22, Isaiah 65:17, and Colossians 1:20. Together those texts establish that new creation is not a future event to be endured toward but a present reality breaking in wherever Christ is Lord, and a cosmic completion guaranteed by the reconciling work of the cross. The song sits in that tension well, holding the already and the not-yet without collapsing either. This is creation care grounded in resurrection confidence, worship that takes the whole world seriously because God takes the whole world seriously.
What this song does in a room
A room singing "All Things New" at 70 bpm does something that faster songs cannot. It creates space. The tempo slows breath, softens shoulders, and opens the congregation to receive rather than perform. That quality matters theologically: a person cannot hurry their way into new-creation thinking. The song functions like a pastoral invitation, pulling people out of the week they just survived and into the longer arc of what God is doing with the world. Rooms that have been carrying grief, loss, or the particular exhaustion of a culture that feels like it is coming apart tend to find traction here. The declaration that all things will be made new is not escapism. It is the deepest form of realism: the world is broken and Christ is fixing it. Congregations feel that distinction when the arrangement gives the lyric room to breathe. The song works especially well in moments of corporate lament that need a landing place, or in seasons when the sermon series is addressing creation care, environmental justice, or the comprehensive scope of redemption. It orients the room forward without bypassing the present.
What this song is saying about God
The song makes a claim about God's jurisdiction. The scope of the renewal declared in Revelation 21 is not limited to human souls. Isaiah 65:17 frames it as new heavens and a new earth. Colossians 1:20 anchors the reconciliation in the cross, extending its reach to "all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven." What the song is saying, at its deepest register, is that God's redemptive intent is as wide as his creative intent. He made everything and he is remaking everything. The God who spoke the cosmos into existence has not abandoned the project. He is renovating it from the inside out, beginning with the resurrection of his Son and moving outward through every willing human life toward the ultimate completion of all things. The song invites the congregation to worship a God whose love is not confined to individual salvation but extends to the healing of the whole created order.
Scriptural backbone
- Revelation 21:5 -- the throne-room declaration that frames the entire song's theological vision
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 -- new creation as present reality: "the old has gone, the new is here"
- Romans 8:19-22 -- creation's own eschatological longing, waiting for liberation alongside God's children
- Isaiah 65:17 -- the comprehensive scope: new heavens and new earth, former things forgotten
- Colossians 1:20 -- the cross as the ground of cosmic reconciliation, not only personal forgiveness
How to use it in a service
This song earns its place in services organized around creation care, the comprehensive nature of redemption, or eschatological hope. Easter is a natural home because the resurrection is itself a new creation event, the prototype of everything the song declares. It also works in services addressing grief or communal loss, where the congregation needs a horizon beyond the present moment. Place it after a scripture reading or brief teaching on Revelation 21 or Romans 8 rather than cold-opening a set with it. The theological content is substantive enough that context deepens engagement considerably. A moment of spoken prayer before the song drops in, naming what the congregation is bringing into the room and what God is doing with it, sets the song up to land with full weight.
Things to watch for as the worship leader
The 70 bpm tempo is a gift and a test. At that pace, the congregation will go exactly where the worship leader goes emotionally. If nervousness pushes the tempo up, the song loses its spaciousness and starts to feel rushed. Hold the groove and trust the pace. The lyrical content is also dense with theological implication, which means congregants processing the words may fall behind the melody on first encounter. Introduce the song before singing it when it is new to the room. One sentence of context, "this is the language of Revelation 21, the promise that God is making all things new, not discarding the world but renewing it," can do more to open the song than any amount of platform energy. Watch for the temptation to fill the quiet moments with extra musical activity. This song is designed to breathe. Let it.
A note for the team behind you (techs, vocalists, band)
For keys and band: the arrangement lives or dies by the warmth of the low-mid frequency range. Piano and acoustic guitar as the primary voices, supported by warm pad strings underneath, give the song the quality of early morning light that its theology requires. Avoid anything percussively aggressive in the intro and first verse. Let the build arrive gradually through added instrumentation rather than volume spikes. For vocalists: blend matters more than presence here. Backing vocals should support the lead rather than compete, especially on the "all things new" declaration in the climactic section. For techs: keep the room's reverb tail on the longer end during this song. A slightly wetter room gives the congregation's voices more courage on unfamiliar phrases and reinforces the sense of spaciousness the song depends on. Gain structure management is critical in the final section so the build opens up dynamically without clipping.