“When the Witness Rose”

By Zeres Vitto

Verse 1

In midnight’s reign when truth lay bound,

And sacred pages chained to crown,

A scholar knelt in Oxford’s light

And heard the Word reclaim its right.

No throne of man could take its place,

No priest could stand in saving grace;

“The Lamb alone,” his voice declared,

“No mortal hand salvation shares.”

Pre-Chorus

When power claimed the keys of heaven,

And conscience bowed to law misgiven,

A whisper rose against the throne:

“The Word of God stands firm alone.”

Chorus

When the witness rose from sackcloth torn,

When the sealed Book met the dawn,

Heaven’s light broke through the night —

Truth would not be gone.

Though beasts may roar and crowns may fall,

The Lamb still stands above them all;

From Wycliffe’s flame to angels’ cry,

The harvest draws us nigh.

Verse 2

A beast arose from storm and sea,

Clothed in borrowed majesty;

Authority by dragon given,

Claiming keys that belong to heaven.

Another beast with gentle horn,

Yet dragon’s breath at break of morn;

It spoke of worship, mark, decree,

And bound the will to loyalty.

Who holds the soul? Who writes the law?

Who shapes the fear that nations saw?

The ancient question wakes again —

Whose voice commands the heart of men?

Pre-Chorus

But heaven will not leave the earth

To trembling fear and forced rebirth;

Three voices sound across the sky —

A final gospel cry.

Chorus

When the witness rose from sackcloth torn,

When the sealed Book met the dawn,

Heaven’s light broke through the night —

Truth would not be gone.

Though beasts may roar and crowns may fall,

The Lamb still stands above them all;

From Wycliffe’s flame to angels’ cry,

The harvest draws us nigh.

Verse 3

“Fear God alone,” the first voice pleads,

“Worship the One who made the seas.”

Not throne of clay nor sword of might,

But Maker’s law restores what’s right.

“Babylon falls,” the second cries,

Her towers crack before all eyes;

Traditions melt like dust and flame,

No crown survives the Lamb’s true name.

“If any bow to beastly claim,”

The third declares in solemn flame,

Choose now the seal, choose now the Name —

No soul escapes the final claim.

Bridge — The Remnant and the Harvest

Here stand they in patient faith,

Through threat of loss and shadowed death;

Commandments kept, the faith of Christ,

Their hope not bought, their souls not priced.

The Son of Man with sickle bright

Moves across the crimson light;

Earth is ripe — the end begun —

The fields of time are done.

Final Chorus

When the witness rose from sackcloth torn,

When the sealed Book met the dawn,

From Oxford’s halls to Zion’s height,

The Lamb has led us on.

Beast and image fade away,

Babylon cannot delay;

The everlasting gospel cries —

The harvest fills the skies.

And every crown laid at His feet

Confirms the Word complete;

From Wycliffe’s stand to heaven’s throne,

The Kingdom stands alone.

“The Cry of the Little Ones” is a solemn prophetic song contrasting Christ the True Shepherd, who welcomes and protects children, with corrupt religious power that harms the innocent while claiming sacred authority. Drawing on biblical imagery of the millstone judgment and the fall of Babylon, it portrays heaven’s certainty that every hidden injustice will be answered. The song moves from lament to warning to hope, ending with a vision of redeemed children clothed in white with red markings—symbols of suffering transformed into honor—showing that Christ remembers every wounded life and will ultimately restore safety, truth, and peace in His kingdom.

“The Cry of the Little Ones”

By Zeres Vitto

Verse 1

In courts of stone and candlelight,

Where holy words were said,

The shepherd’s staff became a rod,

And lambs were filled with dread.

The robes were white, the prayers were long,

But heaven heard their plea,

For every silent midnight tear

Is kept eternally.

Pre-Chorus

The Judge of all remembers still

What power tried to hide,

No wall can keep the searching eye,

No altar veil the cry.

Chorus

Woe to the throne that wounds the small,

Woe to the hands that bind,

The millstone waits beside the sea

For those who crush the blind.

But Christ still walks among the lambs,

He calls them each by name,

And every stolen innocence

He comes at last to claim.

Verse 2

A kingdom rose in sacred guise,

With keys held to the sky,

It spoke as heaven’s voice on earth

Yet taught the truth to lie.

For when a crown outshines the cross

And power outshines grace,

The dragon’s breath begins to sound

Behind a gentle face.

Pre-Chorus

The wound appeared, the throne fell low,

Yet prophecy declared —

The world would marvel once again

At power long repaired.

Chorus

Woe to the throne that wounds the small,

Woe to the hands that bind,

The millstone waits beside the sea

For those who crush the blind.

But Christ still walks among the lambs,

He calls them each by name,

And every stolen innocence

He comes at last to claim.

Bridge

“Come out of her, My people now,”

The midnight message cries,

Not hate for souls still trapped within,

But truth that frees the eyes.

For many kneel with honest hearts

Not knowing chains they wear,

The Shepherd seeks His scattered sheep

And calls them into care.

Verse 3

I saw beyond the shadowed earth

Where morning never dies,

A host of children clothed in light

With wonder in their eyes.

Their garments white with crimson traced

Along the woven seam,

The marks of suffering borne below

Now shine in heaven’s gleam.

No scar of pain, no fearful night,

No memory left to harm,

For every tear was wiped away

Within the Savior’s arm.

Final Chorus

Hope for the lambs who wept alone,

Hope for the broken past,

The King returns with healing hands,

His mercy stands at last.

The sea will close on every throne

That fed upon the weak,

But in His fold the children safe

Will hear the Shepherd speak.

Outro

The red that once was grief and loss

Now crowns them robed in peace —

The blood of sorrow turned to song

Where all their weeping cease.

#zeresvitto #zeresvittooriginals #JesusSaves #thecryofthelittleones #justice #GodisVindicated

Under Emmanuel’s Banner tells the story of redemption from Eden to the New Earth, showing that humanity is saved not by power but by Christ’s self-sacrificing love. Through the symbols of the lamb, the covenant sacrifices, the cross of Calvary, and the witness of believers through the ages, the song gathers the redeemed of every generation beneath His banner. Before the watching universe God’s justice and mercy are vindicated, death is finally abolished, and all creation worships the Lamb who was slain and now reigns forever.

Under Emmanuel’s Banner By Zeres Vitto Verse 1 — Eden In Eden’s hush when silence cried, Creation shuddered as life died; Mercy appeared in crimson sign, An innocent life for guilty mine. A lamb was slain, the promise given, The gate was barred, yet hope was heaven; The soil drank blood yet spoke of grace: “The coming Seed shall take your place.” Verse 2 — The Patriarchs By altars raised on Moriah’s heights, Faith placed the knife in trembling hands; A ram appeared where death had stood, It fulfilled the work the Lord had planned. Through flood and fire the story ran, Salvation comes from God to man; A door marked red preserved from fright, A scarlet cord in judgment’s night. Chorus Lift high Emmanuel’s banner, Stained by the love that conquered death; No earthly sword, no warrior’s cry; The Lamb prevailed in yielding breath. The cross our refuge — earth and heaven proclaim: The King was crowned through grief and shame; Forever redeemed, forever we stand Beneath the blood-stained banner in His hand. Verse 3 — Calvary On Calvary’s hill the heavens saw The Judge bore sin and upheld the law; The thorns, the nails, the opened side; The universe beheld love crucified. The veil was torn, the shadows fled, The cup was drained, the ransom paid; The Lamb once slain, the dragon cast; The war of ages doomed at last. Verse 4 — The Witness Through prison chains and martyr flame, They held to Christ and bore His name; Their robes made white by crimson flood, They overcame through Jesus’ blood. The records kept, the books revealed, The faithful hearts forever sealed; All heaven saw, all worlds agreed: God’s law is love in word and deed. Bridge — Vindication Before unfallen worlds He stood, The throne upheld by sacred blood; No force compelled, no freedom forced; Love proved itself at infinite cost. Creation sings, rebellion ends, The Judge is righteous, Redeemer and Friend Chorus (Reprise) Lift high the banner of Emmanuel, Stained by the love that conquered death; The scars remain, the heavens confess: His wounds became our righteousness. Final Verse — Earth Made New No night remains, no graves to keep, No tears to sow, no curse to reap; The tree of life spreads endless shade, Where death itself has died and faded. And still the King will bear the marks— Redemption’s story shining there; Through endless years the saved will stand Beneath the blood-stained banner in His hand. Final Chorus (reprise) Lift high the banner of Emmanuel, Stained by the love that conquered death; The scars remain — all heaven confesses: His wounds became our righteousness. Tag From Eden lost to Eden restored, All creation crowns the Lamb as Lord.

#zeresvitto #zeresvittooriginal #JesusSaves #underEmmanuelsBanner #everyone

The Shifting Spotlight traces the Great Controversy from Eden to the last days, showing how the battle over authority and worship moves through history by changing methods rather than purpose. Beginning with the serpent questioning God’s word, it follows pagan Rome’s persecution, the church-state union of the medieval era, the Reformation’s restoration of Scripture, and the Counter-Reformation’s redirection of prophetic understanding so the true conflict would seem distant or unclear. As the world moves toward a final global unity, the same original question returns: who has the right to define truth — human authority or God’s Word — concluding that Christ alone ultimately vindicates truth at the end of history.

THE SHIFTING SPOTLIGHT

A Great Controversy Song — The Jesuit Chapter

Verse 1 — The First Question (Genesis)

In Eden’s calm beneath that tree,

No sword was drawn, no enemy—

Just one soft voice twisting God’s word:

“Did God mean all that you have heard?”

No throne was seized by open might,

No crown was won in sudden fight;

A seed was sown in human sight—

Authority reframed as right.

Pre-Chorus — The Pattern

From garden shade to empire hall,

The same old question ruled them all:

If truth can bend by human hand,

Then man, not God, defines command.

Chorus — The War Beneath History

History moves but not alone,

Hands unseen direct the throne;

Kingdoms rise, religions grow—

Yet deeper currents always flow.

Not sword nor crown the final plea,

But who defines reality:

The Word of God, forever true,

Or power dressed in sacred view?

Verse 2 — Rome’s Two Faces

The dragon ruled by iron sword,

Yet truth survived though blood was poured.

When violence failed to hide God’s grace,

The serpent wore a gentler face.

The altar joined the ruler’s chair,

A holy robe, a royal air—

The church now spoke with empire’s breath,

And conscience slowly bowed to death.

(Ellen White theme — compromise after persecution)

Verse 3 — The Book Returns (Reformation)

A hammer rang — the silence broke,

The sleeping nations slowly woke;

The Scriptures walked the world again,

Unchained from priest and guarded pen.

But light once raised will draw reply—

Darkness learns not how to die.

The wound was dealt, yet not the end;

The ancient war would shift again.

Verse 4 — The Countermove (Arrabito Theme)

Quiet halls, a vow, a plan,

To guide the kings, to shape the man;

Not armies marching in the street,

But minds persuaded from the seat.

The gaze of prophecy redirected,

Past or future — never detected;

So none would see the power near,

For antichrist was hidden here.

(Bohr — Futurism & Preterism shift)

Verse 5 — The Expanding Influence (Veith Theme)

Courts and councils, thrones advised,

Faith and policy synchronized;

Nations moved yet unaware

Which unseen logic guided there.

Not always force, not always blade,

But education’s quiet trade—

For once the mind accepts the frame,

The heart soon follows just the same.

Bridge — The Final Echo (Revelation)

Again the world seeks unity,

Again enforced conformity,

Again religion joins the state

To legislate what men create.

The Eden voice returns once more:

“Choose whose authority you adore.”

Final Chorus — The Spotlight Restored

History bends but truth remains,

God still breaks deceptive chains;

The Lamb stands where the kingdoms fall,

The Word outlives the rise of all.

From Genesis to judgment day,

The conflict never went away—

Not over land nor earthly throne,

But worship claimed by God alone.

Valentine's Day--the world’s standard of love and romance vs Covenant Love--God's standards of love.

The song "Covenant Over Roses" contrasts modern Valentine’s-style romance—based on feelings and tradition—with the enduring covenant love seen in Abraham and Sarah’s lifelong faithfulness. It shows that true love is proven not by emotion or excitement, but by commitment that survives waiting, hardship, and silence, ultimately reflecting God’s faithful relationship with His people.

#zeresvitto #valentines #valentines2026 #love #romance #CovenantoverRoses #thegreatcontroversy #everyone #followers

“Covenant Over Roses” A Great Controversy Song By Zeres Vitto Verse 1 Midwinter fires and scarlet wine, Old Rome danced at the pagan shrine; Names were drawn and hearts were paired, But none were vowed and none were spared. The altar changed, the date remained, A martyr’s memory re-named; Yet through the centuries dressed above, The world would call it holy love. Pre-Chorus When meaning fades but symbols stay, The truth grows soft along the way; A rose may bloom where roots once lied, But fragrance cannot sanctify. Chorus Not every heart that beats is true, Not every vow is born anew; For love is more than warmth or art — It is a promise kept when hearts depart. While candles burn and passions start, Heaven looks for a faithful heart; The cross reveals what feelings prove: Covenant love, not borrowed love. Verse 2 Beneath the desert’s endless dome, Two pilgrims walked away from home; No child’s cry, no future seen, Yet hope stood where none had been. The years grew old, their bodies weak, Still God’s own word was what they’d keep; Not bound by youth nor held by flame, They loved because the Promise came. Pre-Chorus No poets sang their fading days, No garlands crowned their patient ways; Yet heaven wrote in quiet breath: Faithful love outlives death. Chorus Not every heart that beats is true, Not every vow is born anew; For love is more than warmth or art — It is a promise kept when hearts depart. While roses fall and seasons move, God keeps time with covenant love; The cross declares what feelings prove: Forever stands enduring love. Bridge So earth adorns its fleeting fire, While heaven waits a pure desire; A bride prepared through trial and flame, Who trusts the word above the name. For Christ does not His promise bend, Nor leaves His own when joys must end; The wedding waits beyond the night, Where faith becomes eternal sight. Final Chorus Let petals fade and music cease, True love was never born of ease; Through silent years and trials severe, The faithful heart still perseveres. From tents of dust to courts above, God writes His law in covenant love — Not shaped by time nor passion’s art, But sealed forever… heart to heart. Outro So keep the rose if you desire, But build your hope on holier fire; For when all borrowed lights remove, Only the promise still is love.

“The Torch in the Wilderness”

The Great Controversy - Chapter 4 — The Waldenses

By Zeres Vitto

#zeresvitto #thegreatcontroversy #thetorxhinthewilderness #thewaldenses #everyone #followers

Verse 1 — Eden

In the garden light at dawn’s first breath,

God spoke life where there was no death;

One command, a sacred trust,

But doubt was born from the serpent’s dust.

The promise fell through sorrow’s night—

A coming Seed would make things right.

Pre-Chorus

Through every age the question stands:

Will hearts obey or shift to man?

Chorus

The torch was never lost to time,

It burned beyond the church and shrine;

When crowns replaced the humble Word,

A quieter faithful voice was heard.

From cave and mountain truth still cried —

God keeps His church though empires die.

Verse 2 — Apostolic Church

They walked with Christ through scorn and flame,

No throne to guard His holy name;

Their gospel crossed the earth abroad,

No sword but faith, no king but God.

Yet power rose in sacred dress,

And truth was veiled by holiness.

Chorus

The torch was never lost to time,

It burned beyond the church and shrine;

When crowns replaced the humble Word,

A quieter faithful voice was heard.

From cave and mountain truth still cried —

God keeps His church though empires die.

Verse 3 — The Waldenses (Chapter Theme)

In mountain valleys carved by fear,

A people kept the Scriptures near;

They wrote the Word by candle flame,

And carried it in Heaven’s name.

Through trader’s road and scholar’s art,

They placed the gospel in the heart.

Children learned the sacred lines,

Before they learned the fields and vines;

No golden halls, no royal seat—

But truth walked Europe’s dusty streets.

Bridge — Persecution

The armies came with cross and blade,

To silence faith that would not trade;

Yet every martyr, every scar,

Lit brighter still the Morning Star.

They could not kill what God had sown—

The seed survives beneath the stone.

Chorus (Expanded — Reformation Link)

The torch became a rising flame,

And history would not stay the same;

From hidden hands the light was passed,

Till open truth broke night at last.

What caves once guarded, earth would hear —

The Word of God again made clear.

Final Verse — Remnant

Again the world and faith unite,

Again the truth must leave the light;

Not lost, but carried hearts within,

The final witness will begin.

What few once kept in mountain air

Will sound to every nation there.

Final Chorus

The torch was never lost to time,

It walks beyond the age’s climb;

Not built on power, throne, or sword,

But faithful to the living Word.

From Eden’s dawn to earth restored —

God keeps a people for His Lord.

Outro

Not many…

Not mighty…

But always alive.

WHEN THE WORD GREW DIM A Great Controversy Song — Chapter 3 – An Era of Spiritual Darkness by Zeres Vitto

Verse 1 — The Shift The fires grew cold, the chains fell still, The prisons emptied, blood was spilled— No longer saints by lions torn, But crowns were placed on faith reborn. The world embraced the church’s name, And truth was dressed in robes of fame; The sword was sheathed, the cross adorned— But something pure was quietly mourned.

Pre-Chorus — The Exchange For when the world and altar blend, The gospel bends, though few contend. No iron grip, no open war— Just softer chains than used before.

Chorus — The Great Exchange When Scripture yields to sacred claims, And human words replace God’s name, The light grows faint, the path unclear— An age of darkness settles here. Not truth denied by force or flame, But truth exchanged for power’s gain— The church still stood, the bells still rang, Yet heaven heard a different song.

Verse 2 — The Word Withheld The Bible closed, the pages bound, In foreign tongue, unheard, unsound. The people knelt, but could not see The voice of God was locked away. Tradition spoke with holy tone, While Christ’s own Word stood overthrown; The keys of truth were tightly held, And conscience bowed where none compelled.

Verse 3 — A Changed Authority A priest now stood where Christ once plead, Forgiveness priced, salvation leased. The law of God grew strange and small, While custom rose and claimed it all. It dared to touch what God had signed, It changed God’s law of sacred time; Another day was raised above The sign that marked the God of love.

Chorus — The Great Exchange When Scripture yields to sacred claims, And human words replace God’s name, The light grows faint, the path unclear— An age of darkness settles here. Not truth denied by force or flame, But truth exchanged for power’s gain— The church still stood, the bells still rang, Yet heaven heard a different song.

Verse 4 — The Faithful Few Still through the hills, in shadowed flame, A whispered Word preserved His name. By candle dim and risk of death, They hid the truth with bated breath. They would not bow, they would not yield, Though hunted down and forced to kneel; For though the night was long and deep, God kept His truth with those who weep.

Bridge — The Prophetic Echo What once was done in cloistered halls Will rise again with global calls. The same old claim, the same decree— Obey for peace, submit for unity. No idols carved, no pagan cry, Just laws that test who will comply. The past returns in legal dress— A darker age in holiness.

Verse 5 — Heaven Responds But thrones are set above the dust, The Judge is fair, His ways are just. The books are opened, truth laid bare, No crown, no creed can enter there. Not forced belief, nor borrowed light, But hearts made true in darkest night— He weighs the soul, not voice or might, And calls His faithful into light.

Final Chorus — The Vindication When Scripture stands and systems fall, When truth outlives the darkest wall, The age of night will break and flee Before the dawn of liberty. Not by the sword, nor human law, But by the Word the world once saw— The truth preserved, the faithful known, The Lamb restores what man dethroned.

Outro

The Word once dim will rise and shine, No chain can bind what is divine.

#zeresvitto #thegreatcontroversy #whentheWordgrewdim #everyone

WHEN MERCY IS TESTED

A Great Controversy Song—Chapter 2 – Persecution in the First Centuries

by Zeres Vitto

Verse 1 — The First Persecution

They bowed to none but Christ alone,

No crown, no sword, no earthly throne.

The empire roared, “Your faith betray,”

But saints stood fast and would not sway.

The dragon spoke through Caesar’s breath,

With chains and fire and threat of death,

Yet seeds were sown where martyrs fell—

Truth rose where Rome’s cruel shadows dwelt.

Pre-Chorus — The Pattern

Force could not break what love had sealed,

The church grew strong, the lie revealed.

So violence failed, the tactic changed—

The sword grew soft, the mask arranged.

Chorus — The Great Controversy

When mercy’s voice is cast aside,

And power claims what God denied,

The test returns in law and name—

Same ancient war, new dress, same flame.

The beast may rule, the courts may bind,

But heaven weighs the heart and mind;

Two kingdoms clash—one truth, one lie:

Who do you serve, and who defines?

Verse 2 — Daniel’s Vision

The fourth beast rose in dreadful might,

Devouring all, exalting force as right.

Then from its ranks a horn appeared,

With sacred words the nations feared.

It spoke as God, it ruled as law,

It changed God’s holy law of sacred time,

And saints were worn beneath its claim—

Religion fused with power’s name.

Verse 3 — The Dragon’s Strategy

The woman fled, the dragon raged,

His open war could not be waged.

So faith was crowned with civil seal,

And worship bent to state appeal.

No idols carved, no pagan flame—

Just laws enforced in Jesus’ name.

Conscience bowed, or paid the cost:

The quiet test, the faithful lost.

Chorus — The Great Controversy

When mercy’s voice is cast aside,

And power claims what God denied,

The test returns in law and name—

Same ancient war, new dress, same flame.

The beast may rule, the courts may bind,

But heaven weighs the heart and mind;

Two kingdoms clash—one truth, one lie:

Who do you serve, and who defines?

Verse 4 — The Final Law

Sunday is raised above God’s sign,

By human word, not law divine.

“Submit,” they cry, “for peace and good,”

But peace is forced, not understood.

No sword is drawn, no fire is seen,

Yet bread is weighed, the lines grow mean.

And loyalty is proved at last

When worship’s choice is tightly cast.

Bridge — The Heavenly Court

But see—above the clash below,

The courts convene, the records show.

Mount Zion sings, the books unseal,

The Judge is just, the wounds still real.

A Mediator speaks our name,

His blood outcries the world’s false claim.

Not force, but faith the test will be—

Heaven judges loyalty.

Verse 5 — The Final Call

“Refuse not Him who speaks from high,

Though earth may shake and systems die.”

The dragon wars with remnant few

Who keep God’s law and trust Him true.

No mark can buy what grace has sealed,

No law undo what Christ revealed.

They stand unmoved, though worlds deride—

Their rest is Christ, their Judge their Guide.

Final Chorus — Victory

When mercy’s voice is lifted high,

And truth stands firm though powers cry,

The kingdom comes, the beast is gone,

The night dissolves before the dawn.

The war is won, the books are closed,

The faithful stand, the truth disclosed—

Not by the sword, not human might,

But by the Lamb who won the fight.

Outro

Same ancient war, same ancient foe—

But heaven reigns, and truth will show.

Same ancient war, same ancient foe—

But heaven reigns, and truth will show.