O Come, O Come Emmanuel

John Mason Neale - Translated Lyrics to English
1818-1866
Born: 1816 London, England.
Died: 1866

Thomas Helmore - Music Arranged By
1811-1890
Born: May 7, 1811, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England.
Died: July 6, 1890, Westminster, England.

BIBLE REFERENCE:

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:23

And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. Exodus 19:16

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. Isaiah 11:1-4

Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:78-79

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. Isaiah 22:22

HYMN HISTORY:

During the nineteenth century there were a number of Anglican ministers and scholars, such as John M. Neale, who developed a keen interest in rediscovering and translating into English many of the ancient Greek and German hymns.

John Neale, born in London, England, on January 24, 1818, undoubtedly did more than any other person to make available the rich heritage of Greek and German hymns.

Today most hymnbooks use just five of the original statements addressed to the anticipated Messiah.

• Verse One- “Emmanuel”-Deliver. (Pronounced Em-manuel, not E-manuel.) God’s people now separated from heaven are here compared to Israel. during the Babylonian exile, being separated from God’s holy temple in Jerusalem.
• Verse Two- “Lord of Might” This is addressed to Almighty Jehovah, the One who first gave the Law at Mount Sinai. (Exodus 19:16).
• Verse Three- “Rod of Jesse.” This is a reference to Isaiah 11:1: “and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” This prophecy was perfectly fulfilled with the birth of Christ, who came from the kingly line of David, the son of Jesse.
• Verse Four- “Day Spring.” This prophetic reference was reechoed by the priest Zacharias in these words upon hearing of Christ’s birth: "Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:78-79).
• Verse Five- “Thou Key of David.” This expression is first recorded in Isaiah 22:22 “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder.” The well-known verse from Isaiah 9:6 also confirms this royal authority of Christ: “and the government shall be upon his shoulder...”

Truly our hearts can rejoice with God’s people of all ages when we realize that Christ the Messiah did come two thousand years ago and accomplished a perfect redemption for Adam’s hopeless race. Yet we wait with the same urgent expectancy, as did the Israelites of old, for the piercing of the clouds–His second coming, when victory over sin and death will be final.

O come, O come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.




O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.




O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.




O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.




O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

taken from Bible Study charts

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