Lo! He Comes, with Clouds Descending is one of the most triumphant hymns of the Advent season. The text, composed by the great hymn-writer Charles Wesley (d. 1788), takes its inspiration from various passages of sacred Scripture which speak of Christ's second coming: Matt. 24:30, Rev. 5:11-13 (stanza 1); and Rev. 1:7, Zech. 12:10, John 19:37 (stanza 2). The jubilant hymn tune used with this text is known as Helmsley. While musicologists debate the origins of this beautiful melody, it is probable that it was composed by Thomas Olivers (d. 1799), a Methodist preacher and hymn-writer. The repeated words and growing musical sequence in the fifth line of each stanza, full of desire, seem to transport us to the second great Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the world. A profound text and epic melody for the beginning of this season of Advent!

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