Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Title: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep SilenceSpeaker: Rev. Jason Van BemmelSeries: Advent Devotionals 2025Date: December 9, 2025Bible: Habakkuk 2:20; Zechariah 2:13Our 7th Advent devotional is focused on the call to reverent worship in "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence."SummaryIn this devotional, Jason Van Bemmel explores the ancient hymn Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, noting its potential rivalry with Of the Father’s Love Begotten as the oldest Christian hymn still in use. Originating from the Liturgy of St. James—which dates back to the 4th or 5th century and is still used by Syriac and Indian Orthodox churches—the text began as a Eucharistic prayer intended to inspire awe during the Lord's Supper. The devotional highlights the hymn's scriptural roots in Habakkuk 2:20 and Zechariah 2:13, which call for silence before God's holy presence. This silence represents humility, reverence, and the fear of the Lord, mirroring the posture of angels who cover their faces before God. The lyrics, translated from Greek by Gerard Moultrie in 1864 and later set to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams in the early 1900s, emphasize the Incarnation and the spiritual feeding of believers through Christ's body and blood.