CHRISTIAN LIFE >> Watchfulness
SDAH 595
Let every lamp be burning bright,
The darkest hour is nearing;
The darkest hour of earth’s long night,
Before the Lord’s appearing.
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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.
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
The parable of the 10 virgins is obviously the source of inspiration for this gospel song by Franklin Edson Belden (1858-1945; see Biographies). It appeared in Hymns and Tunes, 1886, and alludes to other scriptures apart from the parable.
The tune was also composed by Franklin Belden and is entitled DILIGENCE. It is a typical gospel song with an easy melody.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Let Every Lamp Be Burning: The Hymn of the Five Wise Virgins
‘The tarrying of the Bridegroom,’ ‘the midnight cry,’ ‘trim your lamps,’ are just a few of the common bywords among many Adventist circles that stemmed out from these very passages. In fact, these are some of the key phrases that symbolized the mighty leading of God as the early Adventists searched the answer for why Christ did not come in 1843 and 1844.
Though discouraged, love for the Savior kept the Advent people searching for light, and God answered their prayers. They were directed to Jesus in the sanctuary above. They realized that on October 22, 1844, Jesus entered into His wedding–not on earth, but in the most holy place in heaven.
This was what the midnight cry really meant!
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Text
1
Let every lamp be burning bright,
The darkest hour is nearing;
The darkest hour of earth’s long night,
Before the Lord’s appearing.
Refrain
Then trim your lamps, my brethren dear,
Then trim your lamps with godly fear;
The Master’s coming draweth near,
Let every lamp be burning.
2
Though thousands calmly slumber on,
The last great message spurring,
We’ll rest our living faith upon
His promise of returning.
3
His word our lamp, His truth our guide,
We cannot be mistaken;
Though dangers rise on every side,
We shall not be forsaken.
4
Then let good works with faith appear,
To help the world around us;
Obedience bring the blessing near
When faith has firmly bound us.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Matt 25:6 (b) Matt 25:5 (c) Ps 119:105; Heb 13:5 (d) Matt 5:16 (r) Matt 25:7
Author
Franklin E. Belden (1858-1945)
Year Published
1886
Hymn Tune
DILIGENCE
Metrical Number
8.7.8.7.Ref.
Composer
F.E. Belden
