Hill was a former salesman of shoes, but he had a background
in opera. He studied opera and auditioned with the Cincinnati Conservatory of
Music and the Metropolitan Opera Company. Yet his masterful ability at
interpreting a lyric, his background in church music, and God’s divine
intervention insured a longtime career in the gospel field.
In his early years he sang with the Campmeeting Boys, who
later became known as Jim Hill and The Golden Keys Quartet. Two years later,
the group added a fourth member and rebranded as The Golden Keys Quartet.
Hill’s time with the Golden Keys would be interrupted by service in the US Army
during the Korean War. After his honorable discharge in 1951, Hill
returned to The Golden Keys.
Jim Hill wrote “What a Day that Will Be” in 1955. The story
begins when Jim Hill’s mother-in-law suffered a stroke when she was only 50.
Hill was a new Christian and didn’t understand why God would allow such a good
woman to suffer so. One day while on his way home from work, He began thinking
about a verse in Revelation that describes the day when all our troubles will
be behind us. He exclaimed, “What a day that will be!” When he got home, he saw
some cardboard and began writing on it.
Jim had never written a song before, so he wasn’t sure how
good it was. But the next time he, his wife, and his wife’s sister went to
visit his mother-in-law, they sang it all the way to her home. And when they
got there, they sang it again. And, as they sang, for the first time in three
years, Jim’s mother-in-law smiled and showed signs of excitement.
To Jim, that was a sign that the song was going to be
blessed by God. And, since then, the song has been an anthem of encouragement
for many people. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any
more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)
Jim also remembered inspiration from an orphan girl who came
to sing at his Baptist church years earlier. She ended her song with the words:
“What a day that will be.”
Jim also wrote the music for his hymn.
Those words became the song many have loved over the years.
“What a Day that Will Be” has been encouraging believers for almost 70 years!
In his late years, he became part of Bill Gaither’s Homecoming
series. Bill said: “When we were writing our first songs, it was Jim Hill that
infused them with his unique magic that made audiences hear the messages and
made us believe that maybe there was a calling on our own lives to keep writing.
Jim was a salesman in the absolute best sense of that word. If he believed in
something, he could make you believe you should believe too.”
Verse One
“
There is coming a day when no heartaches shall come,
No more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye;
All is peace forevermore on the happy golden shore,
What a day, glorious day, that will be.”
Revelation 21:4
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no
more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has
passed away.”
Studylight.org, Bridgeway Bible Commentary: In describing
the state of things as it will be in eternity, John must use the language of
this world, for he has no other. He must liken what he sees in the vision to
things that his readers can see in the present world, for this is the only
world they know. He must use whatever language and illustrations he can find in
an attempt to describe the spiritual quality of life in the eternal state.
Studylight.org, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible: This will
be one of the characteristics of that blessed state, that not a tear shall ever
be shed there. How different will that be from the condition here – for who is
here who has not learned to weep? . . . In all that future world of glory, not
one shall ever die; not a grave shall ever be dug! What a view do we get of
heaven, when we are told there shall be no “death” there! Assuredly we have
here a view of heaven most glorious and animating to those who dwell in a world
like this, and to whom nothing is more common than death.
Verse Two“There’ll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear,
No more sickness, no pain, no more parting over there.
And forever I will be with the One who died for me,
What a day, glorious day, that will be.”
Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: It will be
some happiness that all the saints shall meet and remain together for ever; but
the principal happiness of heaven is to be with the Lord, to see Him, live with
Him, and enjoy Him forever.
Biblehub.com, Matthew Poole’s Commentary: Their first
meeting shall be in the air, and their continuance will be with Him while He is
in this lower world, and after that they shall ascend with Him into heaven, and
so be forever with Him.
Biblehub.com, Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible: but
then they shall be ever with Him; wherever He is; first in the air, where they
shall meet Him; then in the third heaven, where they shall go up with Him; then
on earth, where they shall descend and reign with Him a thousand years; and
then in the ultimate glory to all eternity.
Enduringword.com, David Guzik: And thus we shall always be
with the Lord: The manner in which Jesus will gather us to Himself is
impressive. But the main point is that whatever the state of the Christians
(dead or alive) at the Lord’s coming, they will always be with the Lord.
This is the great reward of heaven – to be with Jesus. Death can’t break our
unity with Jesus or with other Christians. We shall always be with the
Lord is an important truth with many implications. It implies continuation because
it assumes you are already with the Lord. It implies hope for the
dying because in death we shall still be with the Lord. It
implies future confidence because after death we are with the
Lord.
Chorus“
What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.”
Isaiah 35:10
“And those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee
away.”
Studylight.org, Smith’s Bible Commentary: Now chapter 35 is
out of the darkness into the light. Out of the tribulation into the kingdom.
The glorious day of the Lord to which we look forward to. In chapter 35, oh,
what a glorious chapter as it speaks of the earth and its conditions when Jesus
comes and establishes God's Kingdom, and He reigns upon the earth. For at that
time the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the
desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly and
rejoice even with joy and singing . . .
for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and there will be streams
in the desert . . . the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the
excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the
excellency of our God. For the earth will be restored to its Edenic glory; you'll
see the world that God intended, and it will be a world without suffering. It
will be a world without pain. It will be a world without physical weaknesses,
impairments of any sort. For the lame will be leaping as a deer. The blind will
see. The dumb will be singing the praises unto the Lord. And the ears of the
deaf will be unstopped.
Josie Siler, contributing writer at Christianity.com wrote:
“The lyrics speak of the eternity we will spend as Jesus leads us into the
Promised Land. That Promised Land is a brand-new earth. The new earth is where
we will spend eternity and experience peace forever—no more tears, sickness,
pain, or suffering. What a day that will be! “I have longed for heaven. Maybe you have too. Life on this
earth is filled with love, joy and beauty, but it’s also filled with trials,
hardships, and suffering. I long for a day when I will leave my broken body
behind and receive a new spiritual body. But mostly, I long for Jesus. To meet
Him face to face is something I can’t even begin to imagine. But oh, what a day
that will be!
Sing Chorus
“What a day that
will be when my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His
face,
The One who saved
me by His grace;
When He takes me by
the hand And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day,
glorious day that will be.”
I am indebted to the following resources:
Thescottspot.wordpress.com
Christianity.com, Josie Siler
Absolutelygospel.com, Alan Kendall
