The Royal Banners Forward Go
The royal banners forward go
The Royal Banners Forward Go is a hymn text by Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus (569) in L.M. (8.8.8.8) meter. Translated by John Mason Neale. Found in ELH 273, elw 329, h82 162, lbw 125. Sung to DEUS TUORUM MILITUM.
This hymn presents Christ's cross as the instrument of cosmic redemption and victory, central to Lutheran understanding of substitutionary atonement. The text embodies the paradox of the cross as simultaneously sign of shame and supreme triumph, reflecting Lutheran emphasis on Christ's sacrificial work.
History & Background
Composed by Venantius Fortunatus in the 6th century as a processional hymn for the relic of the True Cross brought to the Church of the Holy Cross in Poitiers. The Latin hymn 'Vexilla Regis prodeunt' became one of the most important liturgical texts of the medieval church, particularly for Holy Week worship.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary — 273
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 329
- The Hymnal 1982 — 162
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 125
- Lutheran Service Book — 455
- Lutheran Worship — 104
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 168
Translation
Bulletin Note
Written by Venantius Fortunatus in 569, this processional hymn accompanied the relic of the True Cross during Holy Week observances. Its martial imagery transformed medieval piety, celebrating Christ's cross as cosmic victory.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies the paradox of the cross—the Law's ultimate condemnation suspended on wood, yet transformed by the Gospel into God's banner of grace and eternal victory.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- The Third Article (Concerning Sanctification) Small Catechism — The Apostles' Creed
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Christ's forty-day fast as pattern for believer's Lenten struggle against sin, culminating in Easter resurrection hope
Background Research
Venantius Fortunatus wrote 'Vexilla regis prodeunt' for one event. On 19 November 569 a relic of the True Cross, sent by the Byzantine Emperor Justin II at the request of Queen (St) Radegund, was carried in procession from Tours to her convent of Sainte-Croix at Poitiers. The 'royal banners' are the processional standards going out to meet the King's cross, and the hymn was literally the processional. Eight stanzas originally; from the 10th century stanzas 7–8 were replaced in many places. Later it became the Vespers hymn of Passiontide/Holy Week and of Holy Cross Day (14 Sept). From memory: st 4's 'God reigns from the tree' (regnavit a ligno Deus) cites an old Latin reading of Ps 96:10 that the early church claimed the Jews had cut out. Neale's English is from 1851, and some 40 English versions exist. Tunes: the plainsong, and GONFALON ROYAL (Percy Buck, 1913, for Harrow). Fortunatus also wrote 'Pange lingua gloriosi proelium'.
Sources: Wikipedia 'Vexilla regis'.
In the Church Year
Hymn of the Day (Lutheran Service Book) for: Holy Cross
Suggested in the one-year series
- Holy Cross (2×)
- Palm Sunday (3×)
Suggested in the three-year series
- Holy Cross (1×)
- Good Friday (1×)
- Palm Sunday (1×)
From LCMS Worship's published hymn suggestions, 2014–2026. The count is how many of those yearly lists suggested this hymn for that day.
Overview
Venantius Fortunatus wrote this processional hymn for 19 November 569, when a relic of the cross sent by the Byzantine emperor Justin II was carried into Queen Radegunde's convent at Poitiers. It became the Passiontide hymn of the Western Church. It hails the cross as the King's banner, where the Creator in our flesh bore our sentence and paid our ransom (st. 1); sees the blood and water from his side (st. 2); claims the fulfillment of 'God reigned from the tree' (st. 3); praises the cross as a royal, elect tree (st. 4) on which the world's ransom hung to despoil the devil (st. 5); addresses the cross as 'our one reliance' (st. 6); and closes with a Trinitarian doxology (st. 7). It is the classic Christus Victor hymn — the cross as a throne of triumph.
Central theme: The cross as the royal banner and throne where the incarnate Creator triumphs by paying our ransom
Structure
Seven long-meter quatrains. Procession and the incarnate Victim (1); blood and water (2); prophecy fulfilled (3); the tree praised (4-5); the cross saluted (6); doxology (7).
Law & Gospel Shape
Gospel throughout: 'our sentence bore, our ransom paid'; pardon to the penitent (6).
Confessional Connections
'He in flesh, our flesh who made' — the Creator incarnate (John 1:3, 14; AC III). Vicarious satisfaction ('our sentence bore') and ransom (Mark 10:45) together with the defeat of the devil — Lutheran theology holds these together (Small Catechism, Second Article). St. 6's address to the cross is a figure for Christ crucified, not veneration of an object (cf. AC XXI on images and saints; 1 Cor 1:18). Blood and water often read as the Sacraments.
Liturgical Use (Study Notes)
Passion Sunday (Lent 5) through Holy Week; Good Friday; Holy Cross Day (Sept. 14).
Historical Notes
Fortunatus (c. 530-609), Italian poet who settled in Poitiers and became its bishop. His other great Passion hymn is 'Pange lingua gloriosi proelium certaminis.' Neale's translation of 1851 is the standard English version.
About the Tune
VEXILLA REGIS (plainsong); TLH prints John Hampton's adaptation (1875).
Scripture References
John 1:3, 14 Col 1:16-20 Gal 3:13 1 Pet 2:24 Mark 10:45 John 19:34 1 John 5:6-8 Ps 96:10 Gal 6:14 Col 2:14-15 Isa 49:24-25 Luke 11:21-22 Heb 2:14 1 Cor 1:18 Matt 28:19
Stanza by Stanza
The King's banners go forward; the cross shines in mysterious glory, where he who made our flesh, in flesh bore our sentence and paid our ransom.
The image is a Roman imperial procession: the vexilla (standards) advance before the emperor. Here the banner is the cross — an instrument of shame turned into a royal standard (Gal 6:14). 'Mystic glow' — its glory is hidden, seen by faith (1 Cor 1:18). The central line is a dense Christology: 'He in flesh, our flesh who made' — the Creator (John 1:3) took our flesh (John 1:14). As man he 'our sentence bore' (Gal 3:13) and as God-man 'our ransom paid' (Mark 10:45; 1 Tim 2:6). Satisfaction and ransom are joined.
- Scripture
- Gal 6:14, 1 Cor 1:18, John 1:3, 14, Col 1:16, Gal 3:13, Mark 10:45, 1 Tim 2:6
- Imagery & language
- Military standards; glowing cross.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — sentence borne, ransom paid.
- Connection to previous
- Opening procession.
Where the spear was dyed deep for us, life's torrent rushing from his side to wash us in that precious flood, where water and blood flowed mingled.
John 19:34: 'one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.' The Fathers saw here the birth of the Church and the Sacraments — water for Baptism, blood for the Supper — as Eve came from Adam's side. 'Life's torrent' — from his death flows life. 'To wash us' (Rev 1:5; 1 John 1:7). 1 John 5:6-8 speaks of Christ coming 'by water and blood.' Lutherans read the side-wound as the source of the means of grace.
- Scripture
- John 19:34, 1 John 5:6-8, Rev 1:5, 1 John 1:7, Zech 13:1, Gen 2:21-22
- Imagery & language
- Spear; torrent; mingled flood.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — cleansing from Christ's side.
- Connection to previous
- From the cross to what flows from it.
All that David told in true prophetic song of old is fulfilled: among the nations, he says, God has reigned and triumphed from the tree.
Fortunatus cites Ps 96:10 in an early Latin form, 'Dominus regnavit a ligno' (the Lord has reigned from the tree). 'From the tree' is not in the Hebrew or the Vulgate; it was an early Christian reading, already cited by Justin Martyr. Even so, the thought is thoroughly biblical: the cross is Christ's throne (John 12:32; 19:19), where he triumphs over the powers (Col 2:15). So the proof-text is shaky, but the theology it carries stands.
- Scripture
- Ps 96:10, John 12:32, John 19:19, Col 2:15, Phil 2:8-11
- Imagery & language
- Prophecy; tree as throne.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — Christ reigns from the cross.
- Connection to previous
- Interprets the cross as royal throne.
Tree of beauty and light, adorned with royal purple, chosen to bear on your triumphant breast those holy limbs.
The cross is personified and praised — a poetic device (apostrophe) common in ancient hymns (compare the 'Dream of the Rood'). It is 'elect' — chosen in God's plan (Acts 2:23). 'Royal purple' is Christ's blood (and the mocking robe, John 19:2). The tree of the Fall (Gen 3) is answered by the tree of the cross; the medieval tradition loved this typology. The praise belongs to Christ, whose 'holy limbs' it bore.
- Scripture
- Acts 2:23, John 19:2, Gen 2:9, Gen 3:6, Rev 22:2, 1 Pet 2:24
- Imagery & language
- Tree adorned in purple; triumphal breast.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — the cross glorified by Christ.
- Connection to previous
- Turns to praise of the cross.
On whose outstretched arms hung the weight of the world's ransom, to pay the price of humankind and despoil the despoiler of his prey.
The cross's arms are 'widely flung' — an image of embrace of the whole world (John 12:32). 'The weight of this world's ransom' — Christ himself, the price (1 Pet 1:18-19). 'Spoil the spoiler of his prey' — Christ plunders the devil, who held humanity captive (Isa 49:24-25; Luke 11:21-22; Col 2:15; Heb 2:14). This is the Christus Victor motif: the strong man bound and his goods taken. The Small Catechism unites the two: Christ 'has redeemed me… from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.'
- Scripture
- John 12:32, 1 Pet 1:18-19, Isa 49:24-25, Luke 11:21-22, Col 2:15, Heb 2:14-15
- Imagery & language
- Outstretched arms; ransom weight; despoiler despoiled.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — ransom and victory over Satan.
- Connection to previous
- Continues the praise with the cross's work.
Hail, cross, our only hope! May your power avail for us, to give new strength to the saint and pardon to the penitent.
'O crux ave, spes unica' — a famous line. The address to the cross is metonymy: the cross stands for Christ crucified and his work (1 Cor 1:18; Gal 6:14), not a wooden object to be venerated. Read evangelically, 'our one reliance' is solus Christus. 'Pardon to the penitent' — the forgiveness of sins flowing from the cross; 'new virtue to the saint' — strengthening of the justified in sanctification. Both come from the same source, in that order.
- Scripture
- 1 Cor 1:18, Gal 6:14, 1 Cor 2:2, Acts 3:19, Eph 3:16
- Imagery & language
- Salutation; one hope.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — pardon and strength from the cross.
- Connection to previous
- From praising the cross to petition.
To you, eternal Three in One, let fitting homage be given by all whom you restore by the cross, preserve and govern forever.
The doxology names three works of God through the cross: restore (redemption), preserve (sustaining faith), and govern (Christ's reign). The Triune God is at work in the cross — the Father sending, the Son offering, the Spirit through whom he offered himself (Heb 9:14). A fitting close to a hymn sung in procession: all worship ends in the Trinity.
- Scripture
- Matt 28:19, Heb 9:14, 2 Cor 13:14, Rev 5:13
- Imagery & language
- Doxology.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — praise to the Triune God.
- Connection to previous
- Concludes.
Themes
Cross and Redemption Victory of Christ Atonement Sign of Salvation Suffering and Triumph