In dream I saw an open book
Whose pages long had lain unread;
I felt the urge to take a look-
The bookmark said, ‘Your daily bread’.
I picked it up with nervous hands
Maybe fearing what I’d find,
Little knowing then the bands
That bound me captive, heart and mind.
With reticence I read at first-
Could these depicted things be so?
Creation! Fall! The awful curse!-
Was so much there I didn’t know!
The flood! Babel! then Abraham!
My mind was boggled with the news,
God gave His written Law to man,
He pledged salvation through the Jews!
Much sacrifice and temple rite,
Shed blood of bulls and goats and rams-
From sin and evil no respite
‘Till there would come the Promised Lamb!
Up to this point I only saw
Men’s failings, falls and sinfulness,
While everywhere God’s written Law
Demanded final just redress.
But then He came—Immanuel,
Of virgin mother, manger-born,
Came to the land of Israel-
Almighty God in human form.
He trod the land from east to west-
Disease and darkness fled His sight,
He raised the dead, the children blessed,
Demon powers put to flight.
I saw Him as He climbed that hill,
Bleeding, battered, bent and scorned;
It broke my heart to see man kill
The greatest Person ever born.
The emptiness, the sheer despair-
A shroud of hopelessness descends-
Evil’s ruling everywhere-
We’ve murdered Him! Where will it end?
Who moved the stone? The tomb is bare!
No lifeless body to be found;
The empty garments lying there
Suggest a mystery profound.
For God has plans that far transcend
The feeble thoughts of worldly wise—
Through death the reign of death will end,
The death of Christ brings Hell’s demise!
His resurrection from the dead
Breaks the curse of Eden’s fall;
Wrath due to us He took instead—
Oh the wonder of it all!
My dream’s become reality,
On things above my vision’s set
‘Gainst backdrops of eternity
Anticipating wonders yet.
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