1
I have heard of a land
On the faraway strand,
’Tis a beautiful home of the soul;
Built by Jesus on high,
There we never shall die,
’Tis a land where we never grow old.
2
In that beautiful home
Where we’ll nevermore roam,
We shall be in the sweet by and by;
Happy praise to the King
Through eternity sing,
’Tis a land where we never shall die.
3
When our work here is done
And the life crown is won,
And our troubles and trials are o’er,
All our sorrows will end,
And our voices will blend
With the loved ones who’ve gone on before.
Refrain:
Never grow old,
Where we'll never grow old,
In a land where we’ll never grow old;
Never grow old,
Where we'll never grow old,
In a land where we’ll never grow old.
Author: James C. Moore
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. and he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. ~Revelation 21:4
* * *
The Bible gives a fascinating metaphoric description of the physical deterioration of old age...
Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them"; before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim; and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly. Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street. Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
~Ecclesiastes 12.1-7
light...darkened (eyesight)
clouds... (cataracts)
watchmen tremble...(tremor)
stoop... (kyphosis)
grinding ones stand idle because they are few ... (teeth)
sound of the grinding mill is low... (hearing)
arise at the sound of the bird... (insomnia)
daughters of song sing softly... (hearing)
afraid of high place and terrors on the road... (anxiety)
almond tree blossoms... (white hair)
grasshopper drags about... (shuffling walk)
I think the concept of the "silver cord" which attaches the soul to the body is kind of fascinating. I'm not familiar with the other metaphors - the golden bowl, pitcher by the well, wheel at the cistern crushed. Of course, we've all heard "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" at funerals.
The spirit will return to God. (What a beautiful thought.)
