CHRISTIAN LIFE >> Watchfulness
SDAH 598
Watch, ye saints, with eyelids waking;
Lo! The powers of heaven are shaking;
Keep your lamps all trimmed an burning,
Ready for your Lord’s returning.
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For Worship Leaders
Make each hymn more meaningful with these helpful tools: Short, ready-to-use hymn introductions for church bulletins, multiple ways to introduce a hymn based on your worship theme and in-depth history and insights to enrich your song service.
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Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
Mrs. Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874; see SDAH 332) wrote this hymn under the title of “Jesus Comes.” It became very popular in early 1844 because of the anticipated coming of the Lord later that year. It is a composite hymn, uniting many verses of Scripture that tell of the Second Advent. Phoebe Palmer also wrote SDAH 332, “The Cleansing Wave.”
The tune was composed by William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921; see Biographies) and appeared first in his Songs of Redeeming Love. Among SDA hymnals, it was first seen in Hymns and Tunes, 1886.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
Watch, ye saints, with eyelids waking;
Lo! The powers of heaven are shaking;
Keep your lamps all trimmed an burning,
Ready for your Lord’s returning.
Refrain
Lo! He comes, lo! Jesus comes;
Lo! He come, He comes all glorious!
Jesus comes to reign victorious,
Lo! He comes, yes, Jesus comes.
2
Lo! the promise of your Savior,
Pardoned sin and purchased favor,
Blood-washed robes and crowns of glory;
Haste to tell redemption’s story.
3
Kingdoms at their base are crumbling,
Hark! His chariot wheels are rumbling;
Tell, O tell of grace abounding,
While the seventh trump is sounding.
4
Nations wane, though proud and stately;
Christ His kingdom hasteneth greatly;
Earth her latest pangs is summing;
Shout, ye saints, your Lord is coming.
5
Sinners, come, while Christ is pleading;
Now for you He’s interceding;
Haste, ere grace and time diminished
Shall proclaim the mystery finished.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Matt 24:29, 25:7 (b) Rev 7:14, 4:10 (c) Dan 2:44 (e) Heb 7:25 (r) Rev 22:12
Author
Mrs. Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874)
Year Published
1844
Metrical Number
L.M.Ref.
Composer
William J. Kirkpatrick (1838-1921)
