The Midnight Cry

Listen, my brethren, and you shall learn
Of the midnight cry of Christ's return.
To those who will listen the message is clear,
And the midnight cry will ever be dear.
On October twenty-two of forty-four
Hardly a man can now ignore
That famous day of prophetic turn.

God's own timetable of Daniel eight
Foretells the event, and proceeds to relate,
"Unto two thousand three hundred days and then
Shall the sanctuary be cleansed," but when?
From Artaxerxes' command in four fifty-seven
And a day for a year as the counting of Heaven,
Anyone could know that fateful date.

Yes, the counting was sure, the time was at hand;
But what was to happen? What had God planned?
They studied the sanctuary as never before,
Determined its structure, purpose, and more;
Found two apartments all furnished within,
And an outer court, a provision for sin,
So that man in the presence of God could stand.

Morning and evening, a daily routine,
The shedding of blood could ever be seen.
Sheep and goats and doves by the score
Gave up their lives an atonement in gore.
The blood was shed as a symbol of sin
And placed on the horns of the altar within,
That man though guilty would now be clean.

The Day of Atonement was a yearly event.
How important it is to know what it meant.
Lamb and priest and mercy seat.
Sinful man and God would meet.
Sins were confessed on the scapegoat's head,
And into the wilderness the goat was led;
Bearing the sins of God's people, he went.

It was commonly thought by students of mien
That the earth was the court of the heavenly scene;
And when God's final purge was done
The world would end and Christ would come
To take His chosen ones to Heaven.
The blessed hope by God's promise given
Would soon be fulfilled, a glorious dream.

And so through the land went the cry of alarm
To every middlesex, village, and farm;
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door;
A word that shall echo forevermore.
"Behold, the Bridegroom comes, prepare!
Go out to meet Him, and His kingdom share.
Blow the trumpets and sound the alarm."

And so they waited with hopes built high
To see the sign of a hand in the sky.
Gathered in groups to watch and to pray,
Knowing that this was their final day.
At midnight the time was surely at hand
When God would show His glory, and stand
And deliver His people. He could not lie.

But Christ did not come, to their great dismay,
For they had misjudged the events of that day.
How great was the sorrow and weeping at midnight;
Where was the promise of heavenly light?
Clinging to faith through great disappointment
Back to the Bible the faithful ones went,
Knowing that God would show them the way.

Listen, my brethren, of God's message to men,
The midnight cry will be heard again.
The three angels' messages soon will swell
As a loud cry of triumph, and warning as well;
Babylon is fallen, so come out my people,
And share not her plagues nor partake of her evil.
And the sign of His coming will appear in the sky,
A cloud of bright angels from Orion on high.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 
Amen.