Every Tear

The 10th and last song of the God Bent Down Series Verse 1 The trumpet split the silence and it woke the holy dead, The names He'd kept through every age came back from dust and grave — The sky broke wide, He came the way He promised that He would, And love had kept its word at last — the long, long night was done. 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; Revelation 1:7; John 14:3; 1 Corinthians 15:52–55 Verse 2 A thousand years we dwelt with Him while earth was cold and bare — And watched the moments each one turned and every mercy forsook — We sat with every gift spurned by faces that we loved — Knowing love had held the door but would not make them look — Revelation 20:4–6; EGW, The Great Controversy, pp. 660–661 Verse 3 The city came to rest upon a scarred and broken ground, The ones who chose the darkness met with silence at the door — They saw the wounds, the record — every mercy, every plea — And even they declared He could have done no more — Revelation 21:2; EGW, The Great Controversy, pp. 666–668; Philippians 2:10–11 Pre-Chorus We saw the faces we had prayed for marching with the horde, We saw the moment that they knew — that God did all and more — We heard them speak the words too late that could have set them free, Too late — and then the silence. And then the grief. EGW, The Great Controversy, pp. 665–668; Luke 13:28; Revelation 20:11–15 Chorus You knelt before us with our faces in Your hands, And wiped from our eyes all grief and loss — And every sorrow swallowed up in grace — just by looking at Your face. We are home. We are finally home. Revelation 21:4; Isaiah 25:8; 1 Corinthians 13:12; Revelation 21:3 Bridge All that was broken, breathing whole again — The tree of life, the river running clear — The grief still alive in all three of You — And the yes that looked upon us — Revelation 22:1–2; EGW, The Great Controversy, p. 678; God Bent Down Outro And what remains is You Revelation 21:3; 1 Corinthians 15:28; Psalm 73:25 THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS Scripture • Psalm 73:25 — 'Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You' — what remains is You • Isaiah 25:8 — 'He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces' — the promise behind the chorus • Luke 13:28 — 'There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out' • Philippians 2:10–11 — 'Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord' — even the lost, at the executive judgment • 1 Corinthians 13:12 — 'Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face' — just by looking at Your face • 1 Corinthians 15:52–55 — The trumpet sounds; the dead are raised; death is swallowed up in victory • 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 — The Lord will descend with a trumpet call; the dead in Christ rise first • Revelation 1:7 — 'Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him' • Revelation 20:4–6 — The millennium: the saints reign with Christ a thousand years; earth desolate • Revelation 20:11–15 — The great white throne judgment; the books opened; the dead judged • Revelation 21:2 — The New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God • Revelation 21:3 — 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man; He will dwell with them' • Revelation 21:4 — 'He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; death shall be no more' • Revelation 22:1–2 — The river of life, the tree of life — all that was broken, breathing whole • John 14:3 — 'I will come again and take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also' Ellen G. White • The Great Controversy, pp. 660–661 — The millennium: the saints examine the records of the lost during the thousand years; sitting with every mercy, every gift spurned, every moment of turning away • The Great Controversy, pp. 665–668 — The executive judgment: the lost surrounding the city, seeing the wounds, seeing the record; every knee bowing; even the lost declaring that God is just and could have done no more • The Great Controversy, p. 671 — The destruction of sin and sinners; the universe cleansed • The Great Controversy, p. 678 — Eternity: all that was broken made whole; the redeemed at home; 'God is love' inscribed on every atom of creation