American gospel artist and worship leader William McDowell has released ‘The Maranatha Song’, featuring Julia McMillan-Lamur, Ntokozo Mbambo and Nathaniel Bassey.

The song is centred on the second coming of Jesus Christ, calling believers to prepare their hearts and remain ready for the coming of the King.

“Maranatha” is an Aramaic expression meaning “Our Lord, come” or “Come, Lord Jesus.” That message runs through the song as the ministers express their longing and expectation for the return of Christ.

The song opens with a trumpet blast from Nathaniel Bassey, ushering in the backing vocals before the keyboard joins. The backing singers then begin with a call to prepare:

“Prepare the way, prepare your heart for the coming of the Lord. He’s coming soon. Any time, will you be ready for the coming of the King?”

The opening sets the direction of the song immediately. It is both an announcement that Jesus is coming and a question to every listener about whether they will be ready when He comes.

William McDowell, Julia McMillan-Lamur and Ntokozo Mbambo continue the worship, singing with a shared longing for the Lord to come.

Towards the end, McDowell recites Matthew 24:30–31, which speaks about the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and the angels being sent out with a loud trumpet call.

As McDowell recites the scripture, Nathaniel Bassey responds with the sound of the trumpet. The recitation and the trumpet work beautifully together to communicate the urgency and expectation at the heart of the song.

Although Nathaniel Bassey is featured on the track, he does not sing. He ministers entirely through the trumpet, opening the song with its sound and returning towards the end as the scripture is being recited.

‘The Maranatha Song’ is more than a song about the return of Christ. It is a call for believers to prepare their hearts, remain watchful and live ready for the coming of the Lord.

‘The Maranatha Song’ is available now on all major streaming platforms.