Chapter LV. The Triumphant One
FORTY times had the sun risen and set upon the land of Israel. Forty times the watchful stars had spread their spangled canopy in the heavens; forty times had our sin-burdened planet turned her ponderous face toward the sun, since was enacted the horrible tragedy of Golgotha; and still, as tho loath to bid adieu to His favored but deluded and cruel nation, the Lion of the tribe of Judah—the Shiloh of Jacob—still lingered, their unhonored and rejected Guest. Unhonored rejected?—Yes, but not by all; thank God, there were a few who received Him into their hearts and homes, and whose lives He transformed. It was late in the evening of the fortieth day. The upper room in Jerusalem where the disciples met with their families, and where many other of the believers took up their abode, on this night was crowded with guests. For the news had been carried as on the wings of the wind, that the crucified and resurrected Master, He whom they had learned to love, had been taken from them and received into glory; and more wonderful still, that His bodily departure was not without witness; and that the eleven disciples who had followed Him so closely for the three years and more of His ministry, had been chosen to witness the sublime spectacle of His departure. Many disciples from adjoining and even from distant cities were in Jerusalem,—many of those whose thrilling histories we have been following, and whose names we have learned to love. These were gathered together that they might listen to an account of the wondrous happenings of this day, by those who witnessed them. Lazarus, the resurrected, sits by the open window. The faint rays of the moon fall upon the noble head, and the light from many glimmering candles bathes the upturned face as with celestial glory. Mary Magdalene sits at his feet, her soft tresses falling over her shoulders. Even Martha has left her serving, that she may listen to the story of the wonderful departure of her Lord. By her side is Adah, her cousin, the widow of Nain, who sits holding the hand of her son who was dead and lived again. About the room, we see the familiar forms of many friends. Cleopas the merchant, of Emmaus, at whose hospitable home in Bethlehem, three and thirty years before, had tarried the man Joseph and the woman of Nazareth with her infant Son, and whose withered hand had been healed upon that Sabbath day at Capernaum, sits close by the side of Matthias. Here also sits Sylvanus the shepherd, who, thirty and three years before, had listened to the music of the angel choir above the hills of Bethlehem. Here is Zilpha, the wife of Machbor, of Jericho. Tears are trembling in her dark eyes, for her thoughts are of her worldly-minded husband, and the words of the Master are ever ringing in her ears: "What shall it profit a man, tho he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Sitting in the shadow is the giant form of Varro; and Heber, his one-time companion among the tombs of Gadara, is by his side. Joseph of Arimathea is in close converse with Nicodemus, who no longer seeks to hide the truth that he is a disciple of the Master. The eleven disciples,—called apostles,—are all present. The sweet face of Huldah, the sister of Jazer, looks up at us sadly. She is thinking of her misguided brother, the scribe of the temple,—sitting indeed in the Sanhedrin, but in a seat purchased at the costly price of his soul; and we wonder not at her sadness. Peter Bar-jona, the impulsive, the warm of heart, the quick of speech, has been chosen to relate the events of the day—than which more wonderful have never been related by tongue of man or angel. The impetuous Galilean is already upon his feet, that he may be the better understood. The old-time fire is in his eye, but the aggressive, self-assertive manner to which we are so accustomed, has given place to deep earnestness and contrite humility. "Of a truth," he exclaims, "the Man of Nazareth, our Master, will be with us as aforetime no longer; for He hath gone into the heaven of heavens, and is now on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him. For we follow not cunningly devised fables, when we make known these things unto you. Even this day the Master led us out through the gates of Jerusalem, eastward, toward Bethany. We passed the Garden of Gethsemane, over the brook Kidron, and up the side of the Mount of Olives." "Ah," exclaimed the young man whom they called John, "ah, we knew not, then, that the heavens would so soon receive Him, nor our beloved Master! But this we do know," continued John, while a heavenly smile illuminated his countenance, "we do know that God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "But we passed slowly onward," continued Peter Bar-jona, "until we all stood upon the crest of Olivet. Continually the Master instructed us as He had been wont to do, until as I turned to look at Him, I beheld the light of the glory of Jehovah about His head; and I thought of the day when the two sons of Zebedee, James and John, stood with me beside the Man when He was transfigured before us. But now I saw that the eyes of my ten companions were fastened upon Him; and even as we gazed, He was parted from us, and arose heavenward." "I saw Him also, from the foot of Olivet!" exclaimed Matthias, unable longer to hold his peace, "for I followed the Man, our Master, and His company, even as I had been wont to do. And I also heard His voice, as He ascended to the heaven of heavens; and His tones were full of melody, and loving as those of a mother when she stills her child upon her breast; and He said, 'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.'" "And verily," continued Bar-jona, "the heavens were filled with voices, and we heard them singing: "'Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.'" "Then the hosts in heaven were joined by a multitude who rose from the earth; and I saw that they were those who had arisen from their graves with Him, on the day of His resurrection; and they also sang till the heavens rang with their voices. Then— "Asunder, 'mid a mighty shout,
The massive, glittering portals rolled,
And hallelujahs glad rang out
As opened wide each gate of gold;
Then heaven's celestial armies, tried and true,
Escort the conquering King of Glory through." "But while we stood straining our eyes to catch one last glimpse of our ascending Lord,—for behold, the cloud of seraphim had received Him,—there stood by our side two angels in shining garments, who also said: "'Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus whom ye have seen go away into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.'" "Yes," exclaimed one of the apostles whom they called Matthew—he who was the publican, "verily it is even the same as said our Lord unto us when we did ask Him, saying, 'What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?' For He answered us and said: 'As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, even thus shall the coming of the Son of Man be. For they shall see Him coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.' Rememberest thou not, O Peter, how He said this unto us?" "Ah, well I remember this," interrupted Matthias. "We all sat upon the Mount of Olives when He told us." "Of a truth," replied Bar-jona; "and we know He will come again. And knowing these things, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness!" Reader, my task is ended; and I have only to add that shortly thereafter, in choosing a man to fill the place of the traitor Judas Iscariot, it is said, "And the lot fell upon MATTHIAS; and he was numbered with the twelve apostles." In the fast hastening judgment-day, when those who have done evil shall rise in the second resurrection, and shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the city of God, and they themselves shut out, who can tell but the eyes of Judas of Kerioth will search eagerly among the names engraved upon the glittering foundations of the city of God? For "the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." And if so be that he search, he will find instead of the name "Judas Iscariot," another name engraved in letters of living light—a name which we have come to love—even the name of MATTHIAS,—the last chosen of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And instead of the thorn-crowned Man of Sorrows, betrayed, reviled, spit upon, will be seen the same Master—but glory-crowned forevermore, King of Kings and Lord of Lords; while the voices of all the shining choirs in the heaven of heavens and in all the infinite universe of God, will unite in ascribing honor and glory and majesty and power to Him who hath been slain, and hath redeemed us by His own blood. Then as the bridegroom rejoices over his bride, even so shall He rejoice with joy everlasting over His redeemed. "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever." AMEN.