Scripture Verse

Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will return in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven. Acts 1:11

Introduction

Words: Tom L. Brown, in Church­man’s Trea­su­ry of Song (Lon­don: Me­thu­en, 1907), pag­es 373–74.

Music: Con­tem­pla­tion (Gore-Ou­se­ley) Fred­er­ick A. Gore-Ou­se­ley (1825–1889) (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Brown’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Frederick A. Gore-Ouseley (1825–1889)

Lyrics

Oh, bright and hap­py Olivet,
Where once the Mas­ter trod,
From whence He first went up on high—
True Man and ve­ry God.

Incarnate Christ in hu­man flesh,
We wait till Thou ap­pear,
With glo­ry crowned, and saints around
Caught up in joy and fear.

Oh, bright and hap­py Ol­iv­et,
Once more shalt thou be­hold
The bless­èd form of God’s own Son,
As by those an­gels told.

And then shall Da­vid’s throne be set,
And Is­ra­el too shall be
Amid the hap­py throng that shall
The true Mes­si­ah see.

Oh, bright and hap­py Ol­iv­et,
How glad that day and fair,
When Jew and Gen­tile in ac­cord
His love shall then de­clare.

For when He comes, they shall re­turn
With joy up­on their head,
For Is­ra­el shall ac­cept­ed be
As liv­ing from the dead!

Oh, bright and hap­py Ol­iv­et,
The time now draw­eth near
When Is­ra­el, God’s be­loved, shall know
Contrition’s sweet­est tear.

For Christ shall come to earth again,
His scat­tered flock to save;
And on the throne of Da­vid reign,
Victorious o’er the grave.