“Until Jesus Comes”

TITLE: "Until Jesus Comes"
AUTHOR: Dean McIntyre
TUNE: PAROUSIA
COMPOSER: Dean McIntyre
SOURCE: Worship & Song, no. 3050
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 38:15; Isaiah 40:3-5; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:25-36; Ephesians 6:10; Philippians 4:4-5
TOPIC:Advent, Second Coming, watching and waiting


Background

This is one of three short songs I composed while on a long flight from Nashville to Seattle in 2001 (see also "God Is Good All the Time" and "In the Quiet of This Moment" in Worship & Song). I wanted to write a short song for Advent that was in a style different from the many quiet, meditative, deeply theological Advent songs and hymns such as "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."

Words

In the apocalyptic reading in Luke 21:25-36, foretelling the coming of the Son of Man, we are exhorted to be on guard and be alert, praying for the strength to stand before the Son of Man. Christ's Second Advent -- the Second Coming -- is one of the great doctrinal teachings and one of the great hopes of the church. The eight short words of this song, "Until Jesus comes I'll be watching and waiting," contain our response to the ancient apocalyptic biblical teaching and our commitment to its as-yet unfulfilled prophecy.

Music

The rather straight 4/4 accompaniment to the song is more effective if played in a gospel style with subdivided triplets and some dotted eighth/sixteenth figure alterations. It may be sung at a strong tempo and volume or in a quiet, reflective mood.

The tune name, PAROUSIA, is a Greek word meaning presence, arrival or visit. Of the twenty-four times it is used in the New Testament, seventeen refer to the Second Coming of Christ. (See 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13; 4:15-17; 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; and others.)

Guitar-Friendly Chords

Capo 3: || A7 | D | F#7 | Bm |Am7 D7 | G | D Bm7| E7 | A7 |

| D | F#7 | Bm |Am7 D7 | G | D Bm7| E7 A7| D ||

See more Hymn Studies.