October 30
Song of Solomon 2: 10: My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise
up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11: For, lo, the winter is past, the
rain is over and gone; 12: The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the
singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 13:
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape
give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
The death-bed will be a terrifying place
for those resting their eternal acceptance with holy God upon the work of their
hands. But for those resting in Christ, when we close our eyes in death,
immediately, we shall be awakened by our Beloved, saying, “Rise up.” His voice will not be the voice of wrath but
the tender voice of everlasting, immutable love, saying, “Rise up, my love.” (SOS 8: 7) Having given his life for
us, having perfected us by his one offering, having washed his bride with the
word so that her beauty is perfect through his comeliness which he put upon
her, his call shall be with adoration, saying, “Rise up, my love, my fair one.”
(Heb 10: 14; Eph 5: 25-27; SOS 1: 8, 4: 7) He shall call us to “come away. For,
lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone”; no more of Satan’s arctic
winds; no more of persecution’s cold blasts; no more of affliction’s icy-sharp
sorrows. Our Beloved will deliver us into his new creation, everlasting
Springtime, life eternal, where “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of
the singing is come, and the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land;”
where “the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.” Then “God shall wipe away
all tears” from our eyes to see there “shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are
passed away.” When our Husband has made
all things new there will be perfect purity, perfect life, perfect healing and
no more curse. Upon his throne shall be God and the Lamb and we “shall see his
face” and serve him in the light of the Lord God forever and ever. (Rev 21:
1-5; 22: 1-5) Then arrayed in his
righteousnes “the time of singing” will have come. We will be glad and rejoice
and give honor to him, singing, “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth!” (Rev 19: 6-8) Oh, weep not for us. Our last day on this earth will
be the best day of our lives. For then we shall hear our Beloved, say, “Arise,
my love, my fair one, and come away!”