Thomas Kelly titled this hymn “The Second Advent,” and published it in the third edition of his Hymns on Various Passages of Scripture, 1809. 

Over a period of fifty years, he wrote a total of 765 hymns. This one draws a striking contrast between the humiliation Christ suffered while on earth and the glory, adoration, shouting, and singing that will accompany His second coming and the beginning of His kingdom. It is based on Revelation 11:15. 

Some communions who treat the Second Coming as a sort of poetic drama created by the imagination of John, rather than as a real, coming event, still preserve this hymn and place it under such sections as “The Everlasting Christ,” “His Exaltation,” or “His Abiding Presence.” Certainly the hymn takes on more power and meaning when sung from the heart of those who look for the second coming of Christ as an imminent, historical event, in fulfillment of Christ’s own words, “I will come again” (John 14:1-3). 

Thomas Kelly was born July 13, 1769, in Dublin, the son of an Irish court judge. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, to be a lawyer, he later changed to the Anglican ministry and became a most earnest evangelist, preaching “righteousness by faith” in spite of the prohibitions placed upon him by the archbishop. Refused entry into Anglican churches, he preached in unconsecrated buildings and finally left that communion and built a number of his own churches-with his own money. Kelly died in Dublin on May 14, 1855. His other hymns in SDAH are No. 199, “The Head That Once Was Crowned,” and No. 222, “Hark! Ten Thousand Harps and Voices.”  BRYN CALFARIA means “Mount Calvary” in Welsh. It was written for an evangelistic meeting and was first published in Volume II of Owen’s Pearl of Music, 1886, a collection of anthems and hymn tunes. The English Hymnal, 1906, introduced it in churches outside of Wales. The minor-key grandeur of this tune is fully realized in a chorale prelude by Ralph Vaughan Williams, published in his Three Preludes Founded on Welsh Hymn Tunes. The unusual meter seems to be a “Welsh characteristic,” two lines of 8.7.8.7. followed by a 4. that is often repeated, rising to a climax and conclusion in a final line of 7. (see CWM RHONDDA, SDAH 201 and 538). William Owen(1813 or 1814-1893; the family name is “Prysgol” in Welsh) was born at Bangor, Caernarvonshire, Wales, and worked in the slate quarries, as did his father before him. He wrote his first hymn tune at age 18 and went on to compose many anthems and hymns. For most of his life his home was in Caeathro, Wales. He also wrote music to SDAH 180, “O Listen to Our Wondrous Story.” The arrangement is by Melvin West (1930- ; see Biographies).