Scripture Verse

These all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Hebrews 11:39–40

Introduction

Words: Asa Hill, in Cha­pel Me­lo­dies‎, ed­it­ed by Si­las Vail & Ro­bert Low­ry (New York: Big­low & Main, 1868), page 17.

Music: Bur­bank Si­las J. Vail, 1868 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Hill or Vail (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

On the oth­er shore they’re wait­ing,
’Till the last be­liev­er comes;
In ex­pect­an­cy they’re wait­ing,
In their bright ce­les­ti­al homes.
They are wait­ing—yes, they’re wait­ing,
In their bright ce­les­ti­al homes.
In ex­pect­an­cy they’re wait­ing,
In their bright ce­les­ti­al homes.

Waiting thro’ the dim long ag­es,
With in­creasing joy and love,
Holy pro­phets, Christ­ian sag­es,
In their bless­èd homes ab­ove.
They are wait­ing—yes, they’re wait­ing,
In their bright ce­les­ti­al homes.
Holy pro­phets, Christ­ian sag­es,
In their bless­èd homes ab­ove.

Waiting for the new cre­ation,
And the co­ro­na­tion day,
For the fi­nal con­sum­ma­tion,
And the uni­vers­al sway.
They are wait­ing—yes, they’re wait­ing,
In their bright ce­les­ti­al homes,
For the fi­nal con­sum­ma­tion,
And the uni­vers­al sway.

O, what rap­ture—O, what sing­ing!
When these bliss­ful spir­its meet,
As most ten­derly they’re cling­ing,
To the dear Re­deem­er’s feet.
They are wait­ing—yes, they’re wait­ing,
In their bright ce­les­tial homes,
As most ten­der­ly they’re cling­ing,
To the dear Re­deem­er’s feet.