This glorious anthem of Advent
proclaims the great and final Advent of the Lord for His people! This Advent
anthem has undergone an evolutionary process in its journey to present-day
hymnals. It was originally written by John Cennick in 1752, modified by Charles
Wesley in 1758, and finalized by Martin Madan in 1760 who also composed
the lively and inspiring tune (Helmsley) to which it is most traditionally
sung. Other tunes to which this great hymn is played are ‘Bryn Calfaria’
(Wm Owen), ‘Regent Square’(Henry Smart), ‘Rouen’ (Gounod), and ‘St
Thomas’ (by Webbe). These are all quite reverent and moving musical
compositions, but they lack the vigor and awe that fits so perfectly with the
glorious and awe-inspiring event described in the hymn. Helmsley rises
to that expectation admirably by elevating the listener (as well as singer) to
the majestic summits of heights of faith.
Lo,
he comes with clouds descending
Lo! he comes,
with clouds descending,
once for our
salvation slain;
thousand
thousand saints attending
swell the
triumph of his train:
Alleluia!
alleluia! alleluia!
Christ the Lord
returns to reign.
Every eye shall
now behold him,
robed in
dreadful majesty;
those who set
at nought and sold him,
pierced, and
nailed him to the tree,
deeply wailing,
deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
shall the true
Messiah see.
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!
Now redemption,
long expected,
see in solemn
pomp appear;
all his saints,
by man rejected,
now shall meet
him in the air:
Alleluia!
alleluia! alleluia!
See the day of
God appear!
Yea, amen! let
all adore thee,
high on thine
eternal throne;
Savior, take
the power and glory;
claim the
kingdom for thine own:
Alleluia!
alleluia! alleluia!
Thou shalt
reign, and thou alone.
Though Christ holds all power in
heaven and earth, He has given man discretion in his plundering politics and
personal failures. But on this Second Advent, He returns to EXERCISE that
power. Every eye shall behold this Second Coming, and every knee shall bow. “Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
(Phil 2:9-11, see also Romans 14:11) What a contrast to His First Coming! Not
only will the living behold His Coming, but the ancient dead as well. A
precious treasure of love bundled in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger,
at His first coming; and riding a white charger leading the armies of Heaven at
His Second Coming.
As you listen to the resounding
notes of the trumpet, and the rich, deep echoes of the organ – coupled with
scriptural words of such immense power – how can one remain seated at the
presentation of the National Anthem of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Lo, He Comes with Clouds
Descending
Lo! he comes,
with clouds descending,
once for our
salvation slain;
thousand
thousand saints attending
swell the
triumph of his train:
Alleluia!
alleluia! alleluia!
Christ the Lord
returns to reign.
This first stanza begins with
the imperative exclamation “LO” which draws our immediate attention to some
great and magnificent event. The heavens, that are His handiwork, will part at
His coming. Nothing can hinder His promised return. The clouds will roll apart
as a scroll, and the King of Kings shall descend with the fanfare due such a
Majesty. 11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white
horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of
fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man
knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in
blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which
were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and
clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should
smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth
the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath
on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS. 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud
voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather
yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat
the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and
the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men,
both free and bond, both small and great.” (Rev 19:11-18) All of the
massed forces about the Camp of the Saints shall melt away as the morning fog
on a summer’s day – vanquished and relegated to their proper domain of eternal
fires. There can be no intermediate return of Christ as His return signals only
final and eternal triumph over Satan, sealed at Calvary.
Every eye shall
now behold him,
robed in
dreadful majesty;
those who set
at nought and sold him,
pierced, and
nailed him to the tree,
deeply wailing,
deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
shall the true
Messiah see.
The misery and betrayal of our Lord, which the world does as
a matter of their natural depravity, must be the worst forethought of Hell
imaginable. Can you comprehend the mortified grief and misery that drove Judas,
who literally LOVED money, to go out and hang himself in the long, dark night
after betraying our Lord? He finally had a bag full of money, yet the money did
not matter at the moment of his damnation. What deep, uncontrollable wailing
will emit from the same lips that ridiculed and vilified the Lord as He hung
upon the cross. The same blasphemy is committed by the lips of all generations
of men whose sin was responsible for the bloody sacrifice of the Lord of Lords
and King of Kings. The pounding of the nails still echo down the corridors of
Eternity. The eyes of the wicked shall behold the coming Christ just as the
eyes of the false prophet Balaam saw him: 15 “And he took up
his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose
eyes are open hath said: 16 He hath said, which heard the words of
God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the
Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: 17 I shall
see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall
come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall
smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.” (Num
24:15-17)
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!
What are the dear tokens of
Christ’s passion? Not just the cross He bore on the Via Dolorosa! Not just the
stripes He suffered for us! Not just the crown of thorns He wore! Not just the
nails that were mercilessly driven into His tender flesh! Not just the sword
that finally pierced His heart – and that of His dear Mother Mary! His entire
life of love and sacrifice are His tokens of passion and love. Yes, He will
return with a gleaming and glorified body, but that Body will still bear the
scars of Calvary. The Body of Christ may be the only scarred body in all of
Heaven when we join Him there. The famous old black preacher (a former slave),
John Jasper, was asked what he hoped to see first when he got to Heaven. He
responded, “Yes, it is true, I want to see them golden slippers the Lord has
for me, but not first. I do want to see that crown of righteousness that has
been reserved for me, but not first. I do want to wear that resplendent White
Robe with which my Father will adorn me, but not first. First, I want to see the
loving face of my dear Savior who died for me. I want to gaze upon the nail
prints that purchased my soul, and the wound in His side that released His last
drop of blood for John Jasper. That is what I want to see FIRST!
Now redemption,
long expected,
see in solemn
pomp appear;
all his saints,
by man rejected,
now shall meet
him in the air:
Alleluia!
alleluia! alleluia!
See the day of
God appear!
Most Americans of my age remember precisely where they were when President John
F. Kennedy was assassinated. They may even remember precisely where they were
when the radios across the nation announced the cessation of hostilities and
surrender of Germany and Japan. I remember clearly though I was only a toddler
at that time. Why do we remember those dates? Because they constitute
significant emotional events of profound meaning to us and everyone. We may
project that principle into the future and ask, “Where will your soul be on the
return of Jesus Christ? He is only coming ONCE, so it is of profound importance
that you soul be either in the bosom of Abraham, or standing in the Ark of
Salvation at the coming of Christ. If you have enjoyed a cordial friendship
with the world, it is unlikely that you will be considered one of those saints
that man has rejected. The Lord Jesus Christ will return as a
great and powerful magnet that recognizes only the metal of its own nature.
That metal will be lifted up and drawn to Christ in the air. The baser metals
of lead and sodium will be left in place to suffer the fervent fires of the
end.
Yea, amen! let
all adore thee,
high on thine
eternal throne;
Savior, take
the power and glory;
claim the
kingdom for thine own:
Alleluia!
alleluia! alleluia!
Thou shalt
reign, and thou alone.
There is vigor of confirming and vocalizing assent given in most black churches
at any time scripture, or a scriptural truth, is declared. The manner of
rendering that resounding assent is by a loud and common, “AMEN.” We may feel a
bit too sophisticated to participate in that way, but we should be ready to
render AMEN whenever AMEN is due. Sophistication will not gain us Heaven, but
fervor of passionate faith will. Yes, His is elevated above every throne, and
His Kingdom is without end. In fact, His will be the only Kingdom that prevails
the latter fires and end of all time and space. What possible response can we
make to this great and marvelous event destined to dawn on the world at the end
of her days? Alleluia is the only fitting verbalization we can make - “Praise
ye the Lord.” If we are unable to praise the Lord now and at His Coming, there
will not be a privilege to do so after His coming. When the last trump
(trumpet) sounds, and the Lord descends, it will be a “come as you are” Wedding
Feast. If you have no wedding garment at that moment, you shall not be
admitted. If you have no oil for your lamp, regardless of the merits of your
works, you will not be accepted at the door.
As we contemplate the First, and Second, coming of the Lord, let us examine our
hearts in that Greatest of all mirrors – the Word of God! Have we come to know
ourselves as the most despicable of sinners (as Paul claimed himself)? Have we
seen the wickedness of the adulterous murderer – David – in our own hearts?
Have we seen the cowardly denial of the Lord Jesus typified by Peter on the
night of His betrayal, in our own souls? Have we observed that the light and
frivolous view of God evinced by Esau has also been found deep in our own
hearts and minds? If not, we need to look more closely. In knowing what
depraved and wicked people we have been, we can more readily appreciate the
greatness of the forgiveness and redemption made available to us through the
sacrifice of this Great and Awesome Lord whom we have claimed as our Savior.
Christmas is coming yet again!
