O Come O Come Emmanuel, Part 3
We've gone through 4 verses of the beautiful hymn, O Come O Come Emmanuel (Part 1, Part 2). Let’s continue working through the next two verses.
5. “O Come, Thou Day Spiring, come and cheer,”
Our spirits by Thine Advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
The word “Oriens” means “rising” and often refers to the “morning star,” the bright star that appears just before the sun rises. After the darkness of a long night, the appearance of the morning star brings hope and light, driving away the darkness off night and heralds the new day. Jesus refers to Himself as the “bring and morning star” in Revelation 22:16. In a deeper sense, Jesus brings us hope and He is the “light of the world” (John 8:12), driving away the darkness and heralding the dawning of the new day. Zechariah, father of Jesus’ cousin John, prophesied that his son would “go before the Lord to prepare his ways” and, “the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79).
I’m reminded of Samwise in Two Towers:
“It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.”
May Christ shine out all the clearer for you this Advent.
6. “O come, Desire of Nations, bind”
In one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid every strife and quarrel cease
And fill the while world with heaven’s peace.
I find this stanza so interesting because the English is very different from the Latin. In Latin, the direct translation is “ Come, come, King of the peoples! Come, Redeemer of all, That you may save your servants Who are conscious of sin.” This very simple idea, that Christ is King of the Nations, Redeemer of all, is still quite controversial when taken less “spiritually,” and more radically true. Jesus is KING of the NATIONS. It reminds me of Psalm 2:
“Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
Not only is He King, He is REDEEMER. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (Colossians 1:13). He has rescued us from the curse of sin and death, taking its punishment upon Himself, paying the heavy price for all who believe. Praise God that our Redeemer came and is coming again!
The English version is certainly beautiful, but the Latin version hits on some themes we desperately need to hear in our day. This Advent, may you trust in the Redeemer King, Jesus, who came to set us free from sin and death, and rescues all His people from darkness into His glorious light!
5. “O Come, Thou Day Spiring, come and cheer,”
Our spirits by Thine Advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
The word “Oriens” means “rising” and often refers to the “morning star,” the bright star that appears just before the sun rises. After the darkness of a long night, the appearance of the morning star brings hope and light, driving away the darkness off night and heralds the new day. Jesus refers to Himself as the “bring and morning star” in Revelation 22:16. In a deeper sense, Jesus brings us hope and He is the “light of the world” (John 8:12), driving away the darkness and heralding the dawning of the new day. Zechariah, father of Jesus’ cousin John, prophesied that his son would “go before the Lord to prepare his ways” and, “the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79).
I’m reminded of Samwise in Two Towers:
“It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.”
May Christ shine out all the clearer for you this Advent.
6. “O come, Desire of Nations, bind”
In one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid every strife and quarrel cease
And fill the while world with heaven’s peace.
I find this stanza so interesting because the English is very different from the Latin. In Latin, the direct translation is “ Come, come, King of the peoples! Come, Redeemer of all, That you may save your servants Who are conscious of sin.” This very simple idea, that Christ is King of the Nations, Redeemer of all, is still quite controversial when taken less “spiritually,” and more radically true. Jesus is KING of the NATIONS. It reminds me of Psalm 2:
“Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
Not only is He King, He is REDEEMER. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (Colossians 1:13). He has rescued us from the curse of sin and death, taking its punishment upon Himself, paying the heavy price for all who believe. Praise God that our Redeemer came and is coming again!
The English version is certainly beautiful, but the Latin version hits on some themes we desperately need to hear in our day. This Advent, may you trust in the Redeemer King, Jesus, who came to set us free from sin and death, and rescues all His people from darkness into His glorious light!
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