"The Last Enemy to be Destroyed is Death"

The Last Enemy to be Destroyed is Death

From Leah Libresco's quote of this "very old Holy Saturday sermon":

What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.

Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and Adam’s son. 

The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: ‘My Lord be with you all.’ And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.

‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.

‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.’

Though the Earth cried out for blood

Satisfied her hunger was
Her billows calmed on raging seas
for the souls on men she craved

Sun and moon from balcony
Turned their head in disbelief
Their precious Love would taste the sting
disfigured and disdained

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke with keys
Of Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

So three days in darkness slept
The Morning Sun of righteousness
But rose to shame the throes of death
And over turn his rule

Now daughters and the sons of men
Would pay not their dues again
The debt of blood they owed was rent
When the day rolled a new

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke holding keys
To Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke with keys
Of Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

He has cheated
Hell and seated
Us above the fall
In desperate places
He paid our wages
One time once and for all

"So let the paradigm be shifted/ As the Son of Man is lifted"

We were born already bitten
by the tempter we were smitten
got the curse of Adam written
 on our bones. 

We are creatures dead and graceless
with desires low and faceless
and a longing to be crushed
 beneath the stones.

He has watched us all undressing
First debauching then confessing
Weeds and thistles woven softly
through our hair. 

But He bids us come and follow
from our chamber dark and hollow
and our lips cannot contain this
troubled prayer: 

"Oh, let´s go down far as far as we can
Oh, let´s go down far as far as we can
Yeah, let´s go down far as far as we can
To the pool of blood on the ground." 

There´s a lovely contradiction
at the moment of conviction
when the dead awakened dance
upon their graves.

Every sin becomes a chorus
To the Lamb who suffers for us
A reminder that we are
no longer slaves. 

So let the paradigm be shifted
As the Son of Man is lifted
And the sacred wine comes pouring
from His side. 

Let these thistles turn to roses
As the Son of Man proposes
Giving all Creation´s beauty
to His bride. 

"Oh, let´s wash our face, our hands, and our feet
Let´s wash our face, our hands, and our feet
Let´s wash our face, our hands, and our feet
In the pool of blood on the ground."

I am quite sure He is coming.
I can hear the seraphs strumming,
and the blast of Gabriel´s trumpet
is at hand.

And all the earth begins to rumble
As the sky begins to crumble
And the stars descend
To form a wedding band. 

Every tattered garment mended,
every battered heart defended
by His mighty arms extended
through the clear. 

And we stagger into glory
in this great, eternal story,
as we witness the perfection
of our fear. 

Now the lovers are all broken
by the word not lightly spoken
And the movers are all shaken
by the path not likely taken. 

For His promise comes in thunder
through the curtain torn asunder
That the hour of our deliverance
is here. 

Let´s move on up
Up to the white throne.
Let´s move on up
Up to the white throne.
Let´s move on up
Up to the white throne
From the pool of blood on the ground. 

Yeah, let´s wash our face, our hands, and our feet
Let´s wash our face, our hands, and our feet
Yeah, let´s wash our face, our hands, and our feet
In the pool of blood on the ground. 

Let´s go down far as far as we can.
Let´s go down far as far as we can.
Let´s go down far just as far as we can
To the pool of blood on the ground.
Yeah, the pool of blood on the ground.

- "The Pool of Blood", A Horse and His Boy