In That Great Gettin’ Up Mornin’

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” —1 Thessalonians 4:16

One December during the Civil War, when the Union troops were about to stomp out Vicksburg, there was a heavy snowstorm.  The rebel soldiers were caught out in the field.  The men lay flat on the ground and covered themselves up with their trench coats.  The next morning, General Robert E. Lee stood on what is now called Lee’s Hill.  When he looked out across that battlefield, all he saw was six inches of snow.  He said to his subordinate general, “Where is the army of Northern Virginia that is supposed to be the bravest brigade in this whole conflict?” He thought those soldiers had deserted in the midst of the battle. The bugle boy said, “General, let me blow Reveille.” When he started to play Reveille on that bugle, one by one here and over there, the soldiers began to pop up and shake the snow from their garments.  They rose like a mighty army, stood in line, and saluted the general.  These were the troops aroused from sleep.

Someday soon Gabriel will blow his trumpet and those who sleep in Jesus will arise from their graves and salute the Captain of their salvation in the air!

As the old song goes, “Ain’t no grave that can hold my body down!”