Eschaton
I heard a laugh within the dawn,
A cry against the night,
The voice of soaring choirs above,
Bathed in endless light.
And in that moment’s silent prayer
I heard an answer rise;
My breathless plea for Him to come
Was etched upon the skies.
In golden light the dawn broke free
And beyond it and above
I saw the opening of the world,
The return of Life and Love.
The Prince of Peace, the Lamb had come,
And a sword was in His hand.
Holy wrath blazed forth from Him
And cleansed the tortured land.
But all my fears were stilled in me
As I was caught up in the sky,
And everything within me changed
In the twinkling of an eye.
All my fears, my yearning cries
Vanished in His love,
And I became, at once, at last
Like Him enthroned above.
And in that radiant, joyous time,
As I soared upon the wind,
I felt a peace that filled my soul,
A peace that came from Him.
Death had failed, and sin was gone,
And life would never end,
And all things would at last be well
For the ransomed sons of men.
All around me, like angel host
Flew high the men of faith,
And on we rode, as victors true,
To the golden city’s gate.
And there again we saw Him smile,
Him we’d ever longed to see—
The One we’d followed and adored
Now reached out to me.
I took His hand, I felt His touch,
And trembled with delight,
For all the things I’d suffered through
Would now be set at right.
And as I gazed into His eyes
I saw a wonder there—
That He delighted in my love
And rejoiced to have me there.
And all the times I’d turned away,
They were over, they were done,
The former things had passed away,
And the new had just begun.