The Day Is Fast Approaching

The day is fast ap­proach­ing

By pro­phets long fore­told

When all shall dwell to­ge­ther

One Shep­herd

and one fold.

When ev­ery sense­less id­ol

Shall to the bats be thrown

And ev­ery pray­er be of­fered

To God in Christ alone.

When Jew and Gen­tile meet­ing

From ma­ny a dist­ant shore

Shall

round one al­tar kneel­ing

One com­mon Lord ad­ore.

When all that now di­vides us

Shall whol­ly pass away

Like sha­dows of the morn­ing

Before the blaze of day.

When war shall be no long­er

And strife and tu­mult cease

And earth be­come the king­dom

Of Christ

the Prince of Peace.

The long ex­pect­ed dawn­ing

Breaks with its cheer­ing ray;

Already morn­ing bright­ens

And sha­dows flee away.

O bless­èd day of tri­umph

That cheers the watch­ers on

To pray

and hope

and la­bor

Till the dark night be gone.