Most commonly sung at Advent, the hymn derives its theological content from the Book of Revelation relating imagery of the Day of Judgment.

[2] The content of the text and particularly the title are derived from Revelation chapter 1, verse 7, which tells of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

King surveyed 52 hymnals from the member churches of the Anglican Communion around the world and found that 51 of them included this hymn (alongside 'All Praise to Thee, my God, this Night', 'Hark!

He comes with clouds descending" in Martin Madan's Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes sung at Lock Hospital of 1763.

[10] Brooke Foss Westcott, Bishop of Durham, recalled in 1901 that Queen Victoria was displeased after an organist played a different tune at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and requested only Helmsley in future.