Inevitable Apprehension

God bless Julia Ward Howe, author of The Battle Hymn of the Republic:

"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat:
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me.
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is Wisdom to the mighty, He is Succour to the brave,
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of Time His slave,
Our God is marching on."

Ms. Howe looked beyond the bloody Civil War and saw the coming of Christ as promised by the Bible--with "fateful lightning".  She saw His triumph--His reign characterized by justice and peace.  She recognized that there is no such thing as holiness without the freedom to choose it--a freedom He expects us to uphold and defend for ourselves and others.

When compared to this Shepherd, Jesus Christ, all other shepherds seem contemptible--mere man pleasers and demagogic self-promoters. As anciently, those who love unjust authority will deny Him or seek to disgrace Him or displace Him or delay Him--they will consider His coming to be disruptive to their dominion over others. His coming will be characterized by apprehension: some will see--apprehend--His glory and truth and purpose; and some will experience terror and horror. When He comes, He will exalt the poor and the meek and the afflicted: they will inherit the earth.  Those who await Him--those who trust Him--are His people.  He has promised "they shall not be ashamed that wait for me" (Isaiah 49:23).