As we’ve turned the corner after Thanksgiving and are careening towards Christmas and the beginning of the new year, I wanted to take some time to think through the longing of Advent as specifically seen and expressed in “O Come O Come Emmanuel” (which is arguably the best traditional Christmas song that exists). In our current times, I see strong parallels to the 450-ish silent years of the intertestamental period. There was a period of comparative darkness when the Lord did not directly speak to His people as He had in the preceding centuries. There was access to His words previously spoken, as recorded in the books of the law, the books of the prophet, and the historical chronicles of the kings, etc, but there was no ongoing word spoken through the prophets. An apt description could be taken from the book of Amos, who foretold “a famine of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11). A period of comparative darkness, during which the people could look back on the historic faithfulness of the Lord and remember how He had previously cared for His people, and cling to the hope that He would continue that faithfulness in the future. A longing for the Lord to end the silence, shine a light into the darkness, and save His people.
In much the same manner, we are currently in a similar period of watchful waiting. We look throughout recorded history and remember how the Lord has cared for His people in times past. We read His words and call to mind how he has kept His promises, and cling to the hope that He will yet keep those promises which have not yet been fulfilled. We have more words and more history to consider than those in the intertestamental period, but similarly the Lord is not speaking additional words directly to us. There are no prophets bringing to us a message from the Lord; we are waiting and longing for what is to come.
There’s not a direct correlation, of course. At least a significant reason, if not THE reason, for the lack of prophets per se at this time is because the Holy Spirit is active and present in a manner different from that in those times before Pentecost. The Lord’s “normal” method of communication has changed, in that He doesn’t primarily communicate through a human spokesperson (a prophet). The details have changed, but the principle remains: it is not uncommon to feel as though the Lord is silent. We cannot or do not hear or detect the promoting of the Holy Spirit (a discussion on the possible reasons for why that may be is far too long, detailed, and nuanced for this day or this venue), and when we turn to the Bible, it seems dry and empty, wrung out perhaps. The answer too remains: Jesus. Emmanuel. God with us. That is, after all, how it ends: the Lord dwells once more in the midst of His people. (Revelation 21-22).
As it was for those looking to and waiting for the first appearance of the Messiah, so we too await His coming. We await the last and final defeat of darkness, of suffering, of death. His coming is assured, and though it seems that our eyes grow dim and fail waiting for His appearance, yet it is certain. Our hope remains, for He who promised is faithful.