Lo He Comes with Clouds Descending
Lo he comes with clouds descending once for favored sinners slain
A majestic hymn of the Second Coming, drawing on Revelation 1:7 and Daniel 7. The four stanzas present the return of Christ in glory, the recognition of the crucified one by those who rejected him, the gathering of the redeemed, and the final doxology.
History & Background
A composite text by Charles Wesley and John Cennick (1758) based on an earlier text by Cennick. The tune HELMSLEY first appeared in the Ladies Magazine in 1765. One of the great Advent hymns of the second coming.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 435
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 27
Bulletin Note
Lo He Comes with Clouds Descending — Wesley/Cennick, 1758
Preaching Connection
Revelation 1:7 — every eye will see him; the Second Coming.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Of Christ’s Return to Judgment Augsburg Confession
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Cosmic proclamation of Christ's ascension and reign → Universal submission of all creation → Heavenly worship → Corporate invitation to join the eternal chorus
Themes
Second Coming Advent Eschatology Revelation