3 Lessons from “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder”

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

On that bright and *cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, [*sabbath]And the glory of His resurrection share;When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun,Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done,And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.Refrain:When the roll is called up yonder, when the roll is called up yonder,When the roll is called up yonder, when the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

Date: 19-20^th century

Writer(s): James M. Black

Background for writing: When this hymn writer was a minister, he met a teenage girl – about his age – from a broken home. He invited her to church. They were given an opportunity to respond to the roll call, which was a call to recite Scripture. She chose not to participate. This hymn writer reflected on her decision and thought about sad it would be that ion the day that God calls His children home, and some people don’t respond because they aren’t saved. This teenage girl’s refusal to participate in the roll call led him to write the words to this hymn. She later died of pneumonia…without Christ.

3 Lessons:

1. Jesus will return for His children – to take them to their eternal home.

2. Until He returns, we have holy work to do for Him.

3. These truths should compel us to evaluate whether we will be called to heaven or not.