Advent is a season of preparation. Of longing. Yearning, for God to fulfill His promises to His people and to set right what we’ve gotten so terribly wrong.
My favorite hymn, and (in my humble opinion) the greatest of all Advent hymns, is permeated by this yearning. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is derived from a seven-verse poem that dates back to the 8th century. According to musician and author Greg Scheer, “It was used in a call and response fashion during the vespers, or evening, service. The original text created the reverse acrostic “ero cras,” which means “I shall be with you tomorrow,” and is particularly appropriate for the advent season. A metrical version of five of the verses appeared in the 13th century, which was translated into English by J.M. Neale in 1851. Each of the five verses expounds upon one of the names for the Messiah:
“Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, Mt 1:23) means “God with us”
“Adonai” (Exodus 19:16) is a name for God, the giver of the law
“Branch of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:1) refers to Jesus’ lineage
“Oriens” (Malachi 4:2, Luke 1:78-79) is the morning star or daystar
“Key of David” (Isaiah 22:22) again refers to Jesus’ lineage”
The full seven verses:
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go. Refrain
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to your tribes on Sinai's height
in ancient times did give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o'er the grave. Refrain
O come, O Key of David, come
and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe for us the heavenward road
and bar the way to death's abode. Refrain
O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light. Refrain
O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace. Refrain
Below is an acapella version that I’m particularly fond of (it’s right in my range):
And another favorite from the Franz Family:
As each verse invokes biblical titles for Christ – Emmanuel, Root of Jesse, Day Spring, etc. – we acknowledge Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. We remain joyful for His coming, grateful for His presence among us, and yearning for Him to come again. We’ve made a mess of this world, it’s true. We may feel helpless on many days. But, we have hope in the coming King, and we wait in eager anticipation for Him to make all things new again.
The King is coming. The King has come. The King has come for you. The King will come again. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanual shall come to you.
P.A. Tennant – Advent, 2025
Soli Deo Gloria
Photo: P.A. Tennant
Copyright 2025 Paul A. Tennant
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