Project 119: Heaven and Nature Sing | Revelation 3:7-13
| Project 119 | Mary Splawn
Reading for Thursday, December 3: Revelation 3:7-13
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.
-"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” has been called a “rather uncheerful song” when it is compared to the more jolly variety of Christmas tunes, but in reality it is chock-full of hopeful news and should be sung with longing and great expectation.
In the fifth verse of this Christmas hymn, we read of Jesus’ great redemptive task of giving us safe passage to heaven and of His closing the path to misery for those who await His coming.
When I think of a closed path, my mind takes me back to high school when my friend Milisa and I went with her older cousin to Chimney Rock Park in North Carolina. This park was the location where much of the movie The Last of the Mohicans was filmed. We wanted to see where one particular scene was shot, but there was a tall gate that had the words “Do Not Enter” on it.
We decided to jump the fence and find the scene for some breathtaking views. Now I want to tell you that as an adult, I am mortified at the younger me. I should have known better!!! But, on that day, we made the wrong choice. After scaling the wall, we quickly realized why this path was off limits and a path that leads to misery. It was a super narrow walkway overlooking a very steep edge with no railing. One misstep could have been tragic.
When we were five minutes into our exploration, we heard footsteps. A park ranger arrived to tell us we couldn’t be exploring where we were. He could’ve had us arrested, I think, but some quick talking by my friend’s cousin got us a strong reprimand instead.
Why do I tell this story? It is a reminder that sin is always beckoning us to its path. Even though there is a “Do Not Enter” sign throughout Scripture, we jump the fence often to commit sins against people and against God. And, the only thing that our sins get us is misery as the song suggests. They promise great views, epic adventure, and something in return, but sinful desire only leads to death as one misstep makes way to the next. Yet, as this song reminds us, and as the passage of Revelation reveals, those who keep the word of Jesus, even though they are weak, will have safe passage in the kingdom of heaven and “an open door that no one can shut” (Revelation 3:7 NIV). Instead of focusing on the path we should not take, we should turn our gaze to the open gate that leads to pure joy and peace.
Safe passage is depicted in one of the stained glass windows in our Chapel. In the image, the traveler is headed to the beautiful city, but his leg is covered with creeping vines. This is a picture of our fallen state. But, the image on the window is nonetheless hopeful as the man continues walking, peering at the new home he desires.
That traveler is us and the beautiful city is our dwelling with the Lord, the one “who is holy and true, who holds the key of David” (Revelation 3:7 NIV). My prayer is that this Christmas season and always, we will keep our eyes on the heavenly city and the kingdom to come, and as we obey God’s word, we will find hope that He is returning to take us to our true home. “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”
