📖 Biblical Definition
The four-week Christian season of preparation before Christmas, focusing on the dual coming of Christ: His first coming in humility at Bethlehem and His second coming in glory. The word advent (Latin adventus, coming, arrival) names both. Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before December 25 and concludes at Christmas Eve. The traditional readings rotate through four themes (often: hope, peace, joy, love) and four classes of forerunner figures: the OT prophets (especially Isaiah), John the Baptist, Mary, and the church-of-watchful-expectation. The Advent wreath with its four candles (and one central Christ candle) is a common observance. The season's theological depth is in its refusal to collapse Christmas into a one-day cultural observance; Christ's first coming is a four-week meditation, and His second coming hovers in the background as the consummation toward which the entire season points.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
The four-week preparation for Christmas.
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The four-Sunday season of preparation for Christmas, focused on Christ's two comings — His first in humility at Bethlehem and His second in glory at the consummation; traditional readings include Old Testament prophecies, John the Baptist's ministry, and Mary's Magnificat.
📖 Key Scripture
Isaiah 9:6 — "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given."
Matthew 24:42 — "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."
Revelation 22:20 — "Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Reduced to commercial Christmas-prep season, missing Advent's distinct second-coming emphasis.
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Advent gets compressed into commercial Christmas-prep — a three-week shopping countdown with sentimental music. The eschatological half (Christ's second coming in glory) is dropped almost entirely, leaving only the cozy first-coming half. The result is a sentimentalized season missing its hard edge of judgment-and-hope.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Latin adventus.
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['Latin', '—', 'adventus', 'coming']
['Greek', 'G3952', 'parousia', 'presence, coming']
Usage
"Advent looks two ways: first and second coming."
"O come, O come, Emmanuel."