Articles

Looking at the world around us from so many different viewpoints separates and divides the human community, engendering hatreds, wars, and death. Jesus, speaking on the Mount of Olives one day, prophesied the degree to which the differences would explode in the time just before His return:

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (Matthew 24:7).

We’ve pointed out often that the word “nation” here is from the Greek word ethnos, translated “ethnic” in English. Jesus was warning that the Tribulation era will produce great hatreds that will be centered on racial and cultural differences of worldview. These unprecedented uprisings of this sort will eventuate in famines and pestilence—the inevitable result of all-out war.

Although this generation is not in the Tribulation era about which Jesus prophesied here, we have diametrically differing worldviews on the national and international scenes that are without question setting the stage for the times Jesus foresaw.

The US is mired in many ethnic problems and cultural differences within the various races themselves. Insistence on embracing multiculturalism by the PC crowd, motivated to their hyper level of championing the melting-pot worldview by mainstream media, throws fuel on the fires of racial divides. The multicultural Nazis want Americans to stay separate, because most of these PC types are socialist-leaning globalists who want us to be citizens of the world rather than citizens of a sovereign nation. Hyphenating, or mixing ethnic with national identities, into unique nomenclature seems designed to make America eventually forfeit national autonomy.

Worldview is being shaped in this nation to reflect the one-world builders’ blueprint for the global village, as one well-known failed presidential candidate put it. The worldview in question has never gone away. It is the perennial worldview that has been with humankind since Nimrod attempted to build the tower to Heaven not long after the Flood of Noah’s day (read Genesis chapter 11). We see that blueprint manifested in the current attempts to bring everyone together in the Middle East–at Israel’s expense, of course.

Jesus also prophesied that humans would get themselves deeper and deeper into trouble, so far as the nation state is concerned, the closer the Second Advent comes.

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring” (Luke 21:25).

There can be little argument against the obvious. Nations are indeed in great distress today, with much perplexity. We don’t have to look at the many nations of Earth to prove this. Our own nation is divided right down the middle on most issues of politics and morality. People are so distressed—even perplexed—that many promised to leave the country if they didn’t get their way in presidential election results. Others have written fictional books venting their anger in wishful accounts of the assassination of a president they hate—leading to actual assassination attempts by more than one would-be assassin hate-filled with what has become known as the “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

The problems involved all boil down to one issue—worldview.

Any view of life on this planet other than God’s view is—to put it bluntly, but truthfully—wrong, and destined to produce disaster. This is true no matter the area of life. Worldview is all-important in avoidance of trouble and achievement of success. There isn’t space here to go into the many areas in life today to which this truth applies. So, let’s briefly look at one key issue in considering worldview that gets to the crux of the most important prophetic indicator of this late hour. The issue is modern Israel.

The geopoliticians are in perplexity about Israel and its hate-filled enemies. The diplomats have no idea where the anger truly comes from; therefore, they can’t begin to understand how to solve the violence and hatred. The world’s diplomats have a worldview—or combination of worldviews—that completely leaves God out of the equation for peace-making. The result has been more than five thousand years of war throughout recorded history. God says, “Be governed by my rules, because I created all that is, and know what is best.” The earthly rulers say, “We can handle it. If there is a God, that God is existential at best. We don’t need or want Him to rule over us.” This doesn’t apply, of course, to Islamic fanatics who slavishly accept the bloody demands of their god to make war.

God says everything is His, including the land of the Middle East He chose to give to the Jews: Israel. The geopoliticians say they will decide who owns the land and who doesn’t. The result: a world that’s quickly moving toward all-out war: Armageddon.

The same error in worldview is within the Church today—i.e., those who have trusted Christ for salvation. The worldview of most mainline denominations today say God is through with Israel. The Church—that worldview proposes—is now the inheritor of all promises that the Lord covenanted with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God is through with Israel, and all about Israel that is in the Bible must be spiritualized, allegorized, or treated as history already accomplished.

Really?

They proclaim–through their worldview—that the Church is going to make the world better and better, until they’ve made it good enough through the political and diplomatic process—in conjunction with religious, do-good projects—for Jesus to come back and take over.

Really?

They aren’t reading the same headlines I am. If the Lord has given up on Israel, then it sure is some coincidence going on. We are expected to believe that Israel just happens to be on the front page headlines every day, in the center of a desperate cry for peace, just like God’s prophetic Word forecast. Worldview is all-important in God’s economy. God’s worldview is–as legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once put it in talking about winning—not everything. It is the ONLY thing!

O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

This opening plea rises from centuries of longing. O come, O come, Immanuel is not a gentle request—it is a desperate cry for deliverance. Israel’s exile was not only geographic but spiritual, a season marked by silence, sorrow, and separation. The people mourned under the weight of captivity, waiting for God to intervene once again.

Yet this cry reaches beyond ancient Israel. It echoes in every generation that groans under the curse of sin and the brokenness of this fallen world. To be in exile is to know that this world is not our home. The believer understands this ache well—a longing for redemption, restoration, and the appearing of the Son of God.

The name Immanuel—“God with us”—is the answer to the exile. God did not shout from heaven; He came down. He entered captivity Himself, taking on flesh, stepping into sorrow, and bearing the weight of sin in order to ransom His people. And just as Israel waited for His first appearing, the Church now waits for His return.

Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

The refrain breaks through the sorrow with a command: Rejoice! This joy is not rooted in circumstances, but in certainty. Immanuel shall come. The promise is sure, spoken in the language of hope anchored to God’s faithfulness, not human conditions.

For Israel, this was joy anticipated—the assurance that exile would not last forever. For the believer today, it is joy remembered and joy awaited. Christ has already come once, fulfilling the promise in humility. And yet, the refrain still looks forward, pointing to a future fulfillment when Immanuel will come again to restore, reign, and redeem completely.

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.

This stanza turns the cry for deliverance into a plea for direction. O come, O Wisdom from on high acknowledges that true wisdom does not rise from human intellect or experience—it descends from God Himself. The One who ordered all things at creation alone knows how life is meant to be lived.

In a world saturated with information but starved for truth, this prayer is more relevant than ever. Humanity has never been more educated, yet never more confused. The paths offered by culture promise freedom but lead to bondage. Scripture warns that in the last days many will call evil good and good evil, exchanging God’s wisdom for deception.

Here, Wisdom is not an abstract principle—it is a Person. Christ is the wisdom of God revealed (1 Corinthians 1:24). To ask for wisdom is to ask for Him to lead, to instruct, and to correct. It is a confession that without divine guidance, we will wander off course.

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.

Our attention is drawn back to Sinai, where God revealed His holiness in fire, cloud, and thunder. The giving of the law was not a quiet moment—it was a display of divine authority and unmatched power. Israel did not discover God on their own; He revealed Himself, making His will known with unmistakable clarity.

In recalling Sinai, the hymn reminds us that the God who came in humility at Bethlehem is the same God who descended in majesty on the mountain. Grace does not replace holiness—it fulfills it. The law revealed humanity’s need for a Savior, and Christ came as the only One who could perfectly fulfill it.

In the last days, the world increasingly rejects God’s authority, treating His commands as outdated or oppressive. Yet the Lord of Might has not changed. His standards remain, His Word endures, and His authority stands over every nation and generation. For Watchers, this stanza is a reminder that reverence for God is not optional—it is foundational.

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.

The Branch of Jesse recalls God’s promise that from what appeared cut down and lifeless, new life would spring forth (Isaiah 11:1). Israel’s royal line looked broken, the throne empty, hope seemingly extinguished—yet God was already at work beneath the surface. From the stump came the Savior.

The cry to “rescue them” is both personal and cosmic. Christ did not merely come to restore a kingdom; He came to conquer the deeper enemy—sin and death itself. The hymn boldly declares His mission: to save His people from the depths of hell and to secure victory over the grave. This is resurrection language. This is gospel truth.

In prophetic perspective, this stanza reminds us that the battle is already decided. Death does not get the final word. The grave does not hold dominion. Christ’s resurrection stands as the guarantee that all who belong to Him will share in His victory.

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.

This proclaims Christ as the One who holds absolute authority. The Key of David is a picture of sovereignty—the power to open what no one can shut, and to shut what no one can open. It is a reminder that access to the kingdom of heaven is not gained by human effort, religious systems, or earthly credentials, but by the authority of Christ alone.

The plea to “open wide our heavenly home” reflects a longing not just for destination, but for deliverance. The road heavenward is narrow and often difficult, yet it is made secure by the One who goes before us. Christ does not merely point the way—He is the way. At the same time, He bars the path to death’s dominion, having already broken its power through His resurrection.

In the last days, when false paths multiply and deception intensifies, this stanza anchors the believer’s confidence. Our future is not uncertain, and our salvation is not fragile. The Key is in His hands.

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.

Our eyes are lifted toward the dawn. The Bright and Morning Star is the promise that night will not last forever. Just as the morning star appears while darkness still lingers, Christ shines with the assurance that light is on the way. He does not merely wait for the darkness to pass—He pierces it.

The comfort this stanza speaks of is not sentiment; it is certainty. Christ entered a dark world and brought light that could not be extinguished. Where sin casts long shadows and deception clouds vision, He reveals truth with clarity and hope. His presence turns confusion into understanding, and despair into expectation.

The darker the night becomes, the more clearly the morning star can be seen. Each sign of growing darkness only magnifies the promise of His return. The same Christ who came as the Light of the world will soon rise again—this time not as a baby in a manger, but as the King who brings everlasting day.

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.

This final plea looks beyond Bethlehem and even beyond the present age. It anticipates the day when Christ will reign openly as King of kings and Lord of lords. Humanity has long sought unity, peace, and reconciliation—yet every attempt apart from Christ has failed. The divisions of nations, cultures, and hearts cannot be healed by diplomacy, policy, or human effort. Only the rightful King can bind what sin has torn apart.

This stanza is profoundly prophetic. It acknowledges that true peace will not come through human systems or global movements, but through the reign of Christ Himself. The world speaks often of peace, yet rejects the Prince of Peace. Scripture is clear: lasting unity and peace arrive only when Christ rules in righteousness and truth.

For Watchers and Warriors, this stanza serves as both hope and warning. Hope—because the King will come, and His reign will bring justice, restoration, and peace. Warning—because every counterfeit peace offered before His return will fall short. Until that day, believers live as ambassadors of His coming kingdom, longing not for temporary ceasefires, but for the everlasting peace that only Christ can establish.

When He comes again, the cry of “O come” will finally give way to “He has come.” And the King of nations will reign—not symbolically, but sovereignly—as the eternal King of Peace.

O Come, O Come Immanuel – J.M. Neale

Tremendous Importance of Worldview :: By Terry James

O Come, O Come, Immanuel! :: By Joe Hawkins