We had a splendid walk to the top of a mountain. It is said to be over six thousand feet high, and took us five hours to climb. But what a sight from the top! Rivers, lakes, forests, mountains stretching for hundreds of miles. We stayed at the top all night, in one of the hotels there.
Very early the following morning, we heard a loud blest as of a trumpet: it awoke all the sleepers on the mountain top. What do you think it was? Only a blast of the horn, awaking the people to see the sun rise. Hastily we all arose, dressed and got out just as the first faint streaks of light and color were reflected on the snowy mountains, causing them to glitter like diamonds. Then suddenly like a great ball of gold, the sun came in to view; the mists and shadows fled away, and the whole scene—rivers mountains, lakes, and valleys— were clothed with light and beauty as they basked in golden beams.
How that scene reminds me of another grander still, which my eyes shall see. At the blast of the Archangel’s trump, the sleeping saints of God shall awake out of their sleep of death; the graves shall yield their ancient charge, and all the living, who are Christ’s shall arise, clothed with imcorruptibility, beautiful in the freshness of resurrection. Just in time, too, to catch the first sight of the coming Christ, who will come down from the excellent glory bringing its first bright rays with Him to meet them.
O, how grand the sight of that rising Sun will be! Not yet visible to the world, but seen and adored by His saints.
Then gradually His glory-beams will spread, until as the Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings, its beams shall fall on all the world, and His glory shall cover the earth and all flesh shall see it.
But some will miss that sight. Those who have died in sin, and been buried without hope, their bodies shall be in their graves during that cloudless morning. They have no share in the millennial bliss. They will miss it all; the glory is not for them. They rejected the grace on earth; now, glory is denied them.
Reader, do not miss the lesson taught by this morning scene. It is simply this. If you are not a Christian, one of the Lord’s redeemed ones, saved by His grace, you will not be raised with the sound of the trump of God on the resurrection morning; you will not be among those who will awake to be glorfied.
ML 01/23/1944