Scrooge initially fears the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come because it is a visually fearsome image. Great details are provided about the eerie appearance of this ghost. When Scrooge first sees it, he calls it a "solemn Phantom." It has a draped garment with a hood and moves "like a mist along the ground." The spirit doesn't speak and doesn't answer Scrooge's questions verbally. The spirit appears in the dark of night, and Scrooge finds it impossible to determine the visual appearance of the spirit itself beyond one hand that juts out from the draped clothing but also blends in with the darkness.

As Scrooge looks upon this draped and silent ghost, he is filled with a fear that makes his legs tremble. He finds it even more horrifying that somewhere underneath the hood, there are ghostly eyes that watch him, yet all he can see is "a spectral hand and one great heap of black."

This sense of fear establishes the tone of Scrooge's encounter with this ghost. Immediately, the ghost takes Scrooge to overhear conversations about a man who has died, and Scrooge eventually comes to understand that the townspeople of the future are discussing Scrooge's death—and no one is particularly sad about that loss. He is also taken to the home of Bob Cratchit, where he learns that Tiny Tim has died. Seeing these events is instrumental in reshaping Scrooge's character, and after this ghost's visit, he becomes determined to live a more meaningful life.