Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. - Revelation 1:7

So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. - Hebrews 9:28

Upon first listening to this hymn, it’s hard not to be awestruck by the poetry and depth of worship. It’s not often we encounter a hymn that so beautifully articulates the reality of the second coming of Christ. “With what rapture gaze we on those glorious scars!” 

In most contexts, this hymn is typically sung during the Advent season, a time in the Church calendar where we intentionally set our hearts towards longing – longing with Israel as they awaited the advent of their Messiah and longing as we, the Bride of Christ, wait for the second advent of Jesus. But what will that second advent be like? 

Throughout scripture, God has given us visions and prophecies of Christ’s second coming, but none so detailed and so awe-inspiring as in the book of Revelation. This hymn is largely based on this book. The very first line, “Lo, He comes with clouds descending” is a direct reference to Revelation 1:7 in which it is prophesied that “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.” 

Deeply Wailing, Shall We the True Messiah See

We are all “those who pierced him.” It was our sin that nailed Jesus to the cross, for no one on earth is righteous. We have all fallen short, and when we see Him coming with the clouds, in all His righteousness and holiness, His majesty on full display like no man has ever seen, how could we not weep? What a thought! To be so overcome by the glory of Christ, by the power of His might, by the utter goodness of Him who redeemed us that we cannot help but weep. And for those who did not repent and surrender to Him in this life, what sorrowful weeping at the revelation of their rejected Messiah. No one knows the hour that Christ will return. What urgency, then, is there for us to proclaim “Christ is Lord” to all who will hear? 

With What Rapture, Gaze We on those Glorious Scars

Remember Thomas, Jesus’ disciple who could not believe that Christ had been raised from the dead until he gazed on the scars on Jesus’ hands and feet? When he saw them, Thomas responded in a rapturous proclamation “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). This Lord, this God with scars upon His hands and feet, appearing to his beloved friends and showing them the evidence of His great love for them. Oh with what rapture we will gaze upon this loving Messiah when he returns! 

“Those dear to­kens of His pas­sion

Still His daz­zling bo­dy bears;

Cause of end­less ex­ul­ta­tion

To His ran­somed wor­ship­ers;

With what rap­ture, with what rap­ture,

With what rap­ture

Gaze we on those glo­ri­ous scars!”

Those scars gave us life. Those scars are the reason we, the ransomed worshipers, can sing with “endless exultation” when we see Jesus coming on the clouds. What rapture, indeed! 

Hallelujah! Thou Shalt Reign and Thou Alone!

As early as the book of Daniel, we find this prophecy of Christ’s coming:

And behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. - Daniel 7:13-14

The return of Jesus marks the fulfillment of this promise! The Kingdom of God, the glory and honor, dominion over all created things, will be given to Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer King; and He will claim it as His own to rule and reign over in perfect righteousness. “Thousands, thousands saints attending” will cry out as one: “Hallelujah! Christ the Lord returns to reign.” We will join with every nation and tongue, rejoicing in adoration of our King. 

This is the Advent that we eagerly await – the coming of our King Jesus, when He will finally rule and reign in perfect righteousness and goodness, wiping every tear from our eyes and healing every disease, both physical and spiritual. We, His ransomed ones, look to the day when we can say “Yea, Amen!” with the elders around the throne of God, pouring out our adoration and thanksgiving and praise. We will sing “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Thou shalt reign and thou alone!” Amen.