(Go here for lead sheets and chord charts.)

Lyrics

Lo! He comes with clouds descending
Once for favored sinners slain
Once for favored sinners slain
Thousand, thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train
Swell the triumph of His train
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
God appears on earth to reign

Every eye shall now behold Him
Robed in dreadful majesty
Robed in dreadful majesty
Those who set at naught and sold Him
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing
Shall the true Messiah see

(optional verse, not on recording)
Every island, sea, and mountain
Heav’n and earth shall flee away
Heav’n and earth shall flee away
All who hate Him must, confounded,
Hear the trump proclaim the day
Hear the trump proclaim the day
Come to judgment! Come to judgment!
Come to judgment, come away!

Now redemption, long expected
See in solemn pomp appear
See in solemn pomp appear
All His saints, by man rejected
Now shall meet Him in the air
Now shall meet Him in the air
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
See the day of God appear!  The day appear!
See the day of God appear!

Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come

Words: John Cennick, 1752; alt. Charles Wesley, 1758 & Martin Madan, 1760
Music: Zac Hicks, 2008
©2009 Unbudding Fig Music (ASCAP)

 

Video Tutorial: How to Play “Lo He Comes with Clouds Descending”

About

“Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending” is track five in our old hymns new music project.  It comes to us from Charles Wesley (1707-1788), one of the greatest hymn-writers of all time.  Many look at the ascension of Jesus into heaven as just another story of Scripture, but the act of ascending and sitting at the right hand of the Father is of great significance (the fact that it’s in the Apostles’ Creed is evidence enough).  Christ’s ascension tells us that Jesus reigns over the earth (He has ascended above creation) and that He rules with power and authority (He sits at God’s right hand).  “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending” rounds out this picture by reminding us that His ascension points to His return.  He will descend out of the clouds just as He ascended into them, but this time He will come in a way that everyone will know that He is the Ruler of all things.  “Crowns and empires” will fall before Him, and those who rejected Him will see Jesus with much “shame and grieving.” As the Apostles’ Creed says, He “will come to judge the quick and the dead.”  That day will be altogether amazing and dreadful!