Shepherd of the Springs
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

This Fourth Sunday of Advent always falls somewhere in the last seven days leading up to Christmas Eve. These seven days, through the long history of both the Western and Eastern Churches, are marked by special times of prayer and/or liturgy in which certain "antiphons" are used.

An "Antiphon" is an introductory clause that focuses attention to the theme of a psalm, prayer, or liturgical reading. We use the antiphon approach each Sunday that includes a Psalm in the Divine Service. It is said at both the beginning and the end of the singing of the psalm.

During final seven days of Advent, the antiphon that introduces a litany in Matins or, more usually, Vespers begins with the word, in English, "O" followed by a Scriptural title for our Savior, followed by bidding His Advent, His Coming, on the basis of that antiphon.

A famous Advent hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, captures the themes of these sevens days leading up to the day we call "Christmas Eve." It has seven stanzas as you can see by turning to Hymn 357, which I ask you to do now. When you get to Hymn 357, you will notice on the opposite page, a listing of the seven "O Antiphons," with the date for using each. We will meditate on how Scripture presents the content of each antiphon, followed by chanting each antiphon by half-verse, followed by singing the appropriate verse.

Now, concerning the appropriate verse: What is listed in most English versions of the hymn start with the same first stanza as you see in #357. However, when you look for the antiphon which matches the verse, you find it is the last antiphon, not the first. All the other stanzas in are in correct order, beginning with the Second, and after these six, ending with what we have as stanza 1.

O WISDOM FROM ON HIGH -- Isaiah hath prophesied:

"The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord." Isaiah 11:2-3

"[...] he is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom." Isaiah 28:29

This prophecy is also relevant in that it describes the Messiah as "coming forth from the mouth of the Most High", which is very significant in light of the Christian doctrine, rooted in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, according to which Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the Incarnate Word of God the Father.

*Antiphon/stanza 2

O ADONI -- Isaiah hath prophesied:

"[...] but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins." Isaiah 11:4-5

"For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler, the Lord is our king; he will save us." Isaiah 33:22

Our Lord Jesus is indeed the one whom comes as our Leader, our Chief, our Protector, and thereby the possessor of our life.

*Antiphon/stanza 3

O ROOT OF JESUS -- Isaiah had prophesied:

"A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots." Isaiah 11:1

"On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious." Isaiah 11:10

Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem.

*Antiphon/stanza 4

O KEY OF DAVID -- Isaiah hath prophesied:

"I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open." Isaiah 22:22

"His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore." Is. 9:7

Authority involves keys. The key of David is the person with the authority of God’s anointed. By it, our Lord Jesus comes to set us from all that binds us to sin, to death, and to the power of the devil. By it, He opens our existence from sin, to forgiveness, from death, to newness of life, and from the power of the devil to salvation.

*Antiphon/stanza 5

O DAYSPRING FROM ON HIGH – Isaiah hath prophesied:

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined." Isaiah 9:2

Darkness is what there was before God created that which is good. And darkness is what the fall in to sin has covered us, our lives and our future. Christ comes to shine upon us His light to free us, to guide us, and to cover us.

*Antiphon/stanza 6

O KING OF THE NATIONS—Isaiah hath prophesied:

"For a child has been born for us, a son given us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

"He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." Isaiah 2:4

By ourselves, we don’t need a leader; but when we are in league with others, when we have to deal with others, we need a leader. God’s ancient people realized this, and demanded of God that He give them a king. Bad choice! As history has shown us! The truth is that they had a king. God is King. And after all the issues of sin, God in Christ is the new King we both need and have!

*Antiphon/stanza 7

O COME, EMMANUEL – Isaiah hath Isaiah had prophesied:

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

Emmanuel means God is with us! In Christ, God is with you! Thanks be to God!

*Antiphon/stanza 1

A Blessed Advent to you, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost!