The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
Words: H. L. Frisbie, in Hymns of the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ, edited by Bailie Brown & Peter Bilhorn (Chicago, Illinois: Bilhorn Brothers, 1911), number 201.
Music: Nanaimo Peter P. Bilhorn (🔊 pdf nwc).
If you know Frisbie’s full name, or where to get a good photo of him (head & shoulders, at least 200×300 pixels),
Soon there’ll be a glorious morning,
Breaking on the mountains high;
Hallelujah! He is coming!
Will resound along the sky;
All the saints asleep in Jesus,
To a meeting God will bring,
And the living will be caught up,
In the air to meet the King.
Refrain
When we meet our Lord and king,
Hallelujahs we will sing;
It will be a joyful meeting,
When we meet our Lord and king.
Then the Lord on clouds descending,
With a shout will rend the skies;
At the calling of the trumpet,
First the dead in Christ will rise;
With a shout of acclamation
That will make the arches ring,
Every living soul shall praise Him,
When we meet the Lord and King.
Refrain
All the faithful will be present
At this meeting in the air;
All the humble, all the holy,
Will rejoice together there;
Jubilant and wondrous music
Will the choir celestial sing;
Heav’n and earth be full of glory,
When we meet the Lord and King.
Refrain
God alone the set time knoweth
Of this day-dawn calm and bright;
Therefore be ye also ready,
All ye children of the light;
He is coming! Day is breaking!
Let the shout of welcome ring;
Let your songs be loud and joyful—
Soon we’ll meet our Lord and king.
Refrain