The lyrics to “He the Pearly Gates Will Open” were penned by Frederick Arvid Blom. Blom was born on May 21, 1867, near Enköpking, Sweden. He immigrated to America in the 1890s and joined the Salvation Army in Chicago. He attended North Park College and Seminary, served as a minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church. But he strayed from the church and ended up in prison. After be released from prison, Blom underwent a spiritual revival, and became pastor at a Swedish Congregational Church in Pennsylvania. He returned to his native Sweden in 1921 and died there on May 24, 1927.

The lyrics were translated by Nathanial Carlson (1879-1957). Carlson was ed­u­cat­ed at the Free Church Bi­ble School, Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois, and North­west Bi­ble Coll­ege, Storm Lake, Io­wa. He served as a pas­tor in the Evan­gel­ic­al Free Church, and ed­it­ed the Chi­ca­go­blad­et. Carlson was au­thor of ma­ny orig­in­al hymns and trans­la­tions.

The melody is attributed to Alfred O. Duhlin. Duhlin was born in Trondheim, Norway in 1894 and died in New York City around 1960.

Frederick Blom

Chorus:
He the pearly gates will open,
So that I may enter in;
For He purchased my redemption
And forgave me all my sin.

Like a dove when hunted, frightened,
As a wounded fawn was I;
Brokenhearted, yet He healed me.
He will heed the sinner's cry.

Chorus

Chorus

In life's eventide, at twilight,
At His door I'll knock and wait;
By the precious love of Jesus,
I shall enter heaven's gate.

Chorus