ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF WHEN THE ROLL IS CALLED UP YONDER

Title: When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder

Author: James M. Black (1856-1938)

Year of publication: (1893)

Meter: 15.11.15.11 with refrain

Tune: Roll Call

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.

Refrain:

When the roll is called up yonder,

When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.

On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise,

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. [Refrain]

Let us labour 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]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THE HYMN!

James Milton Black was born on August 19, 1856 and he died in auto accident on 21st December 1938.

James Black was an American hymn composer, choir leader and Sunday school teacher.

He worked at the Pine Tree Methodist Episcopal Church. He married Lucy Love Levan.

"When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder," is an 1893 hymn with words and music by James Milton Black.

The song was inspired by the idea of The Book of Life mentioned in the Bible, (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) and by the absence of a child in Black's Sunday school class when the attendance was taken.

James Black, as a Sunday school teacher was calling roll and one girl did not show up, and he was disappointed at her failure to appear.

Black made a comment to the effect:

“Well, I trust when the roll is called up yonder, I hope she’ll be there."

The idea of someone not being in attendance in heaven haunted Black.

After Sunday school, he went to his pupil's home to find out why she had not showed up for class. He found her dangerously ill and sent for his own doctor. The doctor said that she had pneumonia. Since that was before the days of antibiotics, death was highly likely.

The thought, although not purely biblically sound, brought this prayer to the lips of Black:

"Oh, God, when my name is called up yonder, may I be there to respond!"

All of a sudden, the first stanza came in full to Black. He then went to the piano and played the music just as you will find it in the hymnals today — note for note. It has never been changed.

"When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound

And time shall be no more,

When 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."

Chorus:
"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."

A few days later, at the funeral of the fourteen year old girl,

Black had the sad opportunity of explaining in public how he came to write the song. He had to explain whose absence at roll call had inspired the song.

The message of the song is that we should all aim to be on the right side when God calls the roll of those to enter heaven.

Oh, yes, He does, He certainly does take attendance. He knows all about His creation, and not only where each person is, but where each molecule of each person is, dead or alive.

John said, "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books." (Revelation 20:12).

1 Thessalonians 4: 16, says: "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."

"When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder", will you be there?

Do you know that you know if you will be there?

Courtesy;- Ven. Daniel S. Nnaji.