I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”—Revelation 1: 8.
WITHIN the temple I have been,
And by a light divine,
The secret sense have clearly seen
Of each mysterious sign.
I stopped before the mercy-seat,
Sparkling in burnished gold,
Above whose top the Seraphs meet,
And their six wings unfold.
A cloud of incense rolled around,
The cloud soon passed away,
And there the Savior Christ I found
In blaze of gospel day.
As priest upon His Father’s throne,
He sat in kingly state,
And all heaven’s host Him Lord did own,
Jehovah good and great.
“Thou art the Lamb,” I heard them cry,
“Before creation slain,
To take thy people’s guilt away,
To cleanse sin’s mortal stain.
“Thou art priest, altar, sacrifice,
Incense, atoning blood-
Through thee thy people’s prayers arise
To Israel’s holy God.
“Thou art the laver; from thee flow
Regenerating streams;
The vilest, guiltiest sinner now -
In thee all holy seems.
“The ancient veil is rent in twain,
‘Tis finished-all is done-
Thou art the Lamb for sinners slain,
Thou art God’s only Son,”
I heard, I saw, I owned my God;
I knew my sins forgiven,
And in the virtue of His blood,
Shall reign with Him in heaven.