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The Reformation Herald Online Edition

At the Brink of Eternity

Poem
The Signs of the Times

“Ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?” (Luke 12:56).

 

The rustling leaves were falling

All around me where I sat;

The sunny days were passing by

And waning—what of that?

The summer, with its sunshine

And the fragrant flowers, is dead;

And the autumn, in her kindness,

Has now strewn the ground with red.

It needs no seer to tell us

 

When the summer passes by;

It needs no prophecy to say

That winter’s drawing nigh.

We know the signs of summer,

And of autumn, winter, spring;

But do we know the signs that tell

The coming of the King?

 

The signs are written plainly,

If we will only but look

Into the blessed pages

Of the grand, old-fashioned Book.

The day of His appearing

Now is surely drawing nigh—

The signs are all around us,

In the earth and sea and sky.

 

His bride is getting ready;

As she dons her robes of grace;

She waits to see the glory

And the smiling of His face.

Behold! He quickly cometh!

Lo, the Bridegroom draweth nigh!

The signs are all around us,

In the earth and sea and sky.

 

Are you ready for the supper,

For the marriage of the Lamb?

Or is it all to you a farce,

A theory, and a scam?

You say, “I’ve heard that story

Oh, so many times before.”

And so you do not realize

The Bridegroom’s at the door.

 

His day of preparation,

And His day of clouds and gloom,

His day of awful darkness,

And His day of awful doom,

The day of dread perdition hastes

Of all ungodly men,

Who’ll seek a shelter in the caves,

Or any refuge, then.

 

O, quickly come, Lord Jesus!

As we wait from day to day.

“Behold! He quickly cometh,”

Now I hear the Spirit say.

We have not long to tarry;

In the earth and sea and sky;

The signs are surely telling

That His kingdom draweth nigh.

 

—Adapted from an anonymous source