[Biblemat] hymn study, "We Shall See the King Some Day"

[Wayne S Walker]

Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study.

"WE SHALL SEE THE KING SOME DAY"
"Then we...shall be caught up together...to meet the Lord in the air; and
so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thes. 4.17)

     INTRO.:  A song which looks forward to the time when we shall be
caught up to meet the Lord in the air is "We Shall See the King Some Day"
(#532 in Hymns for Worship Revised, #6 in Sacred Selections for the
Church).  The text was written and the tune (Jones) was composed both by
Lewis Edgar Jones (1865-1936).  The song was produced in 1906 when Jones
was general secretary for the YMCA in Ft. Worth, TX.  He sold the
manuscript to Charles H. Gabriel, who published it in his 1907 hymnbook
Praise and Service.  The copyright was originally owned by Edwin O.
Excell, but after it was renewed in 1934, it was owned by the Lillenas
Publishing Co.  Jones is perhaps best remembered as the author and
composer of "There's Power in the Blood."  Among hymnbooks published by
members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in
churches of Christ, "We Shall See the King Some Day" appeared in the 1921
Great Songs of the Church (No. 1) and the 1937 Great Songs of the Church
No. 2 both edited by E. L. Jorgenson; the 1935 Christian Hymns (No. 1),
the 1948 Christian Hymns No. 2, and the 1966 Christian Hymns No. 3 all
edited by L. O. Sanderson; the 1959 Majestic Hymnal No. 2 and the 1978
Hymns of Praise both edited by Reuel Lemmons; the 1963 Abiding Hymns
edited by Robert C. Welch; and the 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J.
Nelson Slater.  Today it may be found in the 1971 Songs of the Church
edited by Alton H. Howard; the 1978/1983 (Church) Gospel Songs and Hymns
edited by V. E. Howard; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John
P. Wiegand; in addition to Hymns for Worship and Sacred Selections.  

     The song is a joyful expression of our hope of seeing Christ and
being with Him forever.

I. The first stanza emphasizes the time when we receive our hope
"Though the way we journey may be often drear, We shall see the King some
day;
On that blessed morning clouds will disappear: We shall see the King some
day."
 A. Our physical lives on earth are often pictured as a journey in which
we travel a path that leads to a goal: Matt. 7.13-14
 B. Sometimes the way we journey may be drear because man who is born of
woman is of few days and full of sorrow: Job 14.1
 C. However, there will come a day when the clouds, representing all the
sorrows of this life, will disappear because Christ will return and raise
us up to be with Him: Jn. 5.28-29

II. The second stanza emphasizes the contrast of this life with our hope
"After pain and anguish, after toil and care, We shall see the King some
day;
Through the endless ages joy and blessing share: We shall see the King
some day."
 A. In this life, we often suffer pain and anguish: Rom. 8.22
 B. Also, in this life we must have our share of toil and care: 1 Pet.
5.7
 C. However, the Christian can look forward to sharing joy and blessing
through the endless ages because God gives us the promise of eternal
life: 1 Jn. 2.25

III. The third stanza emphasizes the victory involved in our hope
"After foes are conquered, after battles won, We shall see the King some
day;
After strife is over, after set of sun, We shall see the King some day."
 A. Our journey on this earth will be filled with strife as we seek to
fight the good fight of the faith: 1 Tim. 6.12
 B. However, we can have victory over the world through our faith: 1 Jn.
5.4
 C. Then, we can focus our minds upon the final victory that God will
give us when the Lord returns: 1 Cor. 15.50-57

IV.  The fourth stanza emphasizes the blessings that we shall receive
from our hope
"There with all the loved ones who have gone before, We shall see the
King some day;
Sorrow past forever, on that peaceful shore, We shall see the King some
day."
 A. This stanza, included in almost all of our books, was omitted by
Ellis J. Crum in Sacred Selections, probably because it contains a
reference to "all the loved ones who have gone before" being in heaven,
and Lillenas Publishing Co., which held the copyright at the time, would
not let him change it to "saved ones."  The fact is that I know that I
shall be reunited with the redeemed of all ages: Matt. 8.11.  Among those
will surely be some of my loved ones who were in Christ, and all the
saints will be my "loved ones" in the Lord
 B. Sorrow will be passed forever: Rev. 21.4
 C. And we shall dwell with the redeeemed of all ages on the peaceful
shore of the river of life: Rev. 22.1-5

     CONCL.:  The chorus reminds us that the center of our hope is that
of seeing Jesus Christ:
"We shall see the King some day, We will shout and sing some day;
Gathered round the throne When He shall call His own, We shall see the
King some day."
In our lives here on earth, we walk by faith and not by sight, so there
are many things which pertain God and our relationship to Him that we
cannot see with our physical eyes.  However, God has promised us that
when this life is over, if we have truly lived by faith, "We Shall See
the King Some Day."

     Brotherly,
Wayne S. Walker
9024 Amona Dr.
Affton, MO  63123
home phone: (314) 638-4710
office phone: (314) 544-1612
e-mail: wswalker310 at juno.com
website: www.defenderoftruth.com
     Notes: Other hymn studies are available at the Defender of Truth
website.  Also, some of my previous hymn studies are now included in book
that I have written entitled Songs of Zion.  It can be ordered from the
publisher by calling 1-800-423-2484 or going to www.faith-facts.com.  And
if you would like to receive a similar daily hymn study by e-mail, you
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