EXPLORING THE THEOLOGY OF HEAVEN IN HYMN 696 OF CELESTIAL CHURCH OF CHRIST (CCC) AS A LITURGY FOR CONSECRATION AND CONSOLATION AMONG TRAUMATIZED CHRISTIANS

Abstract

The quest for consolation and hope, particularly in chaotic periods, is a recurring concern in Christian theology and worship. This paper examines the theology of heaven through cultural study of Hymn 696 of Celestial Church of Christ (CCC). The promise of eternal salvation, peace and rest in biblical Prophecies of heaven is placed in dialogue with Hymn 696, a liturgical song that is uniquely inspired within the Yoruba religious-cultural hermeneutical milieu of the CCC. Hymn 696 of CCC provides the primary data. Exegetical and historical-critical method was used in the interpretation of the Hymn. Using cultural hermeneutical framework, the paper reveals how the biblical imagery of God's eschatological triumph resonates with the consolatory function of Hymn 696, which assures believers of divines presence and ultimate rest beyond earthly affliction. It shows that Hymn 696 offers a universal message of eschatological hope, reinterpreting this hope in African Christian context as an immediate source of solace in personal and communal crisis. Bridging biblical eschatology with African liturgical expression, the paper suggests a contextual theology of heaven that is not only a distant eschatological promise but also a lived spiritual resource for resilience, consecration and consolation amid present day social, political and existential crisis.