Despite extensive musicological writings on J. S. Bach's sacred cantatas, limited space is dedicated to their musical portrayal of the Christian doctrine of parousia (pi alpha rho omicron upsilon sigma iota alpha)-Christ's return, or second coming. This study considers the parousia concept within the biblical New Testament and its particular significance for eighteenth-century German Lutheranism, contemplating its dichotomous fearful, and hopeful interpretations. It also explores its implications for the doctrinal notions of death, judgement, and salvation, among other correlated themes as they appear in Bach's cantatas BWV 70, 90, and 140. When analyzed in conjunction, these three cantatas collectively reflect Lutheranism's volatile and intricate sentiment toward Christ's second advent, along with its impact on the Christian's individual experience and spiritual life. This paper analyzes various renditions of these themes in the cantatas along with their rhetorical and musical rendering, thus distilling Bach's perspectives of Christ's second coming. The musical and literary emphases found in the combined product of libretto and musical clothing are revealed in situating the parousia in Bach's larger sacred oeuvre.
