Photo by Dean Cui
Christian artist and songwriter Meredith Andrews began her career in 2005. She recently became associated with Vertical Church Band in 2016.
Andrews released six studio albums, including:
- Mesmerized (2005)
- The Invitation (2008)
- As Long as It Takes (2010)
- Worth It All (2013)
- Deeper (2016)
- Receive Our King (2017)
She won two dove awards in 2011, including “Worship Song of the Year” for How Great Is the Love and “Praise and Worship Album of the Year” for As Long As It Takes.
This review is for her song Open Up the Heavens.
Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Meredith-andrews-open-up-the-heavens-lyrics.
Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site! Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.
1. What message does the song communicate?
There is a double meaning throughout these lyrics:
- We patiently wait for Christ’s second coming, requesting His physical Presence to appear before us. He is the focal point of our worship and the reason for our song.
- We experience the presence of Christ when we, as Christ-followers, gather in worship.
Side Note: To those who are sensitive to massive repetition, almost half of the entire song is Chorus, which appears five times.
Score: 10/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
I found all the lyrics to line up with Scripture.
[Verse 1]
Lines 1 and 2: What day is that? The Chorus answers this question: it is the day that Jesus returns, setting the context for “You”. The phrase “this day” suggests that the singers are future individuals, who waited patiently for Jesus’ second coming (Revelation 6:9-11).
Another interpretation is that “this day” refers to the day by which believers gather in worship until the Day that Christ returns (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Line 3a: As described in Exodus 24:17.
Line 3b and 4: That is, God gives those who trust in Him Godly desires (Psalm 37:4), which naturally includes following Jesus, who is the truth (John 14:6). After Jesus returns, God’s light fills the Great City filled with the nations whose names are written in the book of life (Revelation 21:23-27).
[Pre-Chorus]
Lines 1 and 2: We gather and worship because God is worthy (1 Chronicles 16:25, 2 Samuel 22:4, Psalm 96:4-5, Psalm 145:3, and Revelation 4:11).
[Chorus]
Line 1: That is, open up the clouds to see Christ’s second coming, which of course will be on a cloud (Matthew 24:43, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 11:26, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelation 16:15).
In terms of the present, this is a request for God to increase our sensitivity to His presence.
Lines 2 and 3: See commentary on Verse 1, lines 3b and 4.
[Verse 2]
Line 1: See commentary in Verse 1, line 3 and Chorus, lines 1 and 2.
Lines 2-4: See commentary in Verse 1, lines 1 and 2.
[Bridge]
Lines 1 and 2: Essentially repeats the same ideas as given in Chorus.
Line 3: Repeats line 1 with the added word “Lord” for emphasis as the subject of “You”.
Score: 10/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
This depends on how much knowledge unbelievers have on Christ’s second coming. On the one hand, those who have no understanding of it will likely understand that these individuals worship God. On the other hand, I can’t think of any other worldview aside from Christianity that fits these lyrics. So, there doesn’t seem to be any real criticism in terms of non-Christian interpretation.
Score: 10/10
4. What does this song glorify?
This song glorifies God through the worship of those who await Christ’s second coming. It is not impeded due to the lack of knowledge of unbelievers.
Score: 10/10
Closing Comments
Meredith Andrews’ Open Up the Heavens is a decent song. Though slightly repetitive and possibly confusing to unbelievers living under a rock, it glorifies God through its description of anticipation of Christ’s second coming and our collective worship through it.
While worship leaders may consider it, it’s not my cup of tea.
Final Score: 10/10
Artist Info
Track: Open Up the Heavens (listen to the song)
Artist: Meredith Andrews
Album: Worth It All
Genre: Rock
Release Year: 2013
Duration: 3:53
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
Updates:
03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement. I moved my commentary to a side note, increased section 1’s score, and updated my recommendation in Conclusion. This increased the overall rating, from 9.5/10 to 10/10.
03/27/2020 – Upon further reflection and prayer, I decided that repetition does not impact an unbeliever’s interpretation or the lyrics’ inherent glorification of God. Also, I didn’t find any actual criticism to section 3, updating the conclusion. Therefore, I changed my score in sections 3 and 4, raising this review from 8.5/10 to 9.5/10.
11/27/2019 – Commenter Steve Barhydt is correct: There is a double-meaning throughout these lyrics that include authentic worship here and now. I incorporated his thoughts throughout this review.
11/24/2019 – Upon Sue’s challenge, I found that Vertical Church Band’s version contains a Verse/Chorus/Bridge format. I incorporated it into this review.
Comments
Sue
Great review! We have actually sung this one at our church multiple times. Goes over well.
I would challenge though that there is a format to this song:
V1 – Pre chorus (“Your the reason…).
– Chorus – V2 – Pre chorus – Chorus 2x – Bridge repeated several times (“show us, show us your glory”…)
But just my two cents. Thanks for all your hard work on the reviews! Very helpful!
:- )
Vince Wright
Sure,
Thanks! I appreciate that.
Thanks for the challenge! I found it under Vertical Church Band’s version and incorporated it in this review.
-Vince Wright
Steve Barhydt
Although this song foreshadows the physical Second Coming of our Lord, I believe that the main thrust the song is that we can and will experience the presence of Jesus here in this life.
Each time we come together as a body of believers (“We’ve waited for this day, we’re gathered in Your Name”), we long for the presence of God to be with us.
As Jesus said
Matthew 18:20 King James Version (KJV) For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
If Jesus were here physically we would not the Lord to “unveil our eyes”. However, as flesh and blood creatures we are not always able to “see” the presence of God. Therefore, like Elijah praying for his servant in 2 Kings 6:17, we pray that God give us the spiritual insight to see Him.
Vince Wright
Steve,
Thank you for your challenge! I did not fully incorporate the present as I thought I had and clearly missed it in section 1. I added further commentary.
-Vince Wright
Armando Silva
Not your cup of Tea huh? Well, let us hear you writing and/or singing a song glorifying our Father, his Son or his holiest of spirits “THE HOLY SPIRIT”
I, do not see any problem with Ms. Andrew’s hymn to the Most High’s Son returning to take us home clean like snow.
Maybe I’m in Err but at timesci believe ppl find double meanings in the songs. We can find double meaning in everything in the English tongue if that’s what you are looking for. At that point I believe YOU the discoverer of the alternate meaning needs to sit back and ask yourself where did that other meaning come from…….I’m a retired police officer and what you expressed is WHAT YOU MEANT! The initial meaning is meant. The other, is what’s In your heart.
That, is how react to what I hear, see from us, The sinners.
Kevin Sorensen
There is something about this song I want to like, and yet there is biblical theology here that is troublesome to me as well. It’s a catchy little tune, easily singable, repetitive (which makes it one you might find yourself humming later during the day), with no octave jumps for a congregation to be troubled by. It’s some of the lyrics that trouble me: if this song is about Christ’s Second Coming only, then the sentimental notion of God opening up His heaven to us is welcoming, but nevertheless ought to be frightening enough to unbelievers that they want mountains and rocks to crush them, not stand there in delight beholding the beauty of a Savior they don’t love. If it’s about simply gathering for worship on the Lord’s Day, again, it’s an existential experience the song is longing for, a sentimental “pop evangelical” passion we try to drum up. Yet, most frequently, in Scripture, when the heavens are opened, when God’s glory shines upon men, they fall down on their faces and weep and wail…even those who are redeemed (think: Abraham, Moses, the disciples, John). Isaiah, when confronted with the refulgent glory and splendor of God’s holiness in the temple cried out: “I am undone!” He didn’t stand there with arms raised crying out, “Open up the heavens, we want to see You.” So, I want to kind of like this song, but am having a hard time with the power of glory versus the power of the cross theme we, as pre-heavenly saints, should look for.
JM
Kevin – agreed, well put. My church used to do this song a lot, and people really got into singing it. Looking back, I’m not sure we were thinking through the implications of the “heavens opening”, and seeing God right now…
Wayne Powell
You have it right brother. And I would add that the first stated meaning, about the return of Christ, is nowhere found in these lyrics. Jesus is not even mentioned. The second stated meaning is only loosely correct, but at the same time not supported in the New Testament.
Heath Achatz
Glad to read this comment. I play at church and do not sing this song. Mainly. I have seen the glory already in Christs redemption of man. Secondly, the heavens are open for believers already. I always try to sig it as the 2nd coming, but it seems to bring about double mindedness.
Charles J Busada
Our band was going to play this song on Sunday so I sent our band leader a note and he dumped the song. Below are my reasons why. First, Kevin is spot on that opening up the heavens is a terrifying event to the unbeliever, and even the believer. Why? It is the bridge that tells us what the author was thinking, and Meredith, unknowingly, is asking us to call down destruction upon ourselves in singing this song. So, where do we find the line “Show us your glory” in Scripture?
Moses in Exodus 33:18 asks Yahweh to show him His glory. You all know this story, and the old hymn “He Hideth My Soul” picks up on it. God CAN NOT show us His Glory without smoking us immediately.
That is NOT what we want. What we want to see is “the face of Jesus Christ.” You see, in Exodus, Moses asked god to “Show me your Glory.” The Lord responded by telling Moses that he, a sinful man, could not see His Glory and live. So, we get a great hymn out of that called “He Hideth My soul.” God put Moses in “the Cleft of the Rock” so that Moses would only get to see Yahweh’s “backside.”
Whatever this “backside” is, apparently it is a somewhat diminished glory that Moses could see and live. Even that diminished glory would make his face shine brightly and slowly fade away.
But, by the time we get to the New Testament we know what this “backside” of Yahweh is. It is the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ the incarnate Son of God.
So, you see that Exodus 33 is giving us an insight into a Trinitarian God, something that is common in the Old Testament. Moses will find the Glory of God only in this diminished backside.
Isaiah picks up the argument here when he tells us in his “Servant passages” that there is nothing of this Servant of God that would make us take note of Him. There is no pizzazz, just the mundane. It is not until the Mount of Transformation that this Servant, Jesus Christ, showed us that He is Yahweh Himself when he would glow bright white.
The Gospel of John tells us that the real glorification of Jesus is when He was “lifted up” on the Cross; this is the Glorification of Christ, and Hebrews concurs. So, the glory of Christ is the bloody cross that many could see if they dared to look. The Glory of God is the bloody cross and this song directs us away from this reality.
So, you may think that this is splitting hairs, but I think that sloppy lyrics that sound cool can flat out contradict Scripture. Authors, in trying to write uplifting songs, will often pull Scriptures out of context with out giving due diligence to learn what they are actually saying to us. And we get things confused and terribly wrong.
This song is making a dreadful mistake that is so bad that it is almost comical. It is asking us to make the same mistake that Moses made, but Moses gets a pass as there was much that was not revealed to him. We need God to ‘hide our souls in the cleft of the rock” to protect us.
So, to summarize, we need to teach our brethren that Christ is found in the mundane, in the ordinary things of life that God is redeeming through Christ in us. We cannot look on God just as Moses could not look on God. We need a mediator in Jesus Christ. So we look on Him whom we have pierced and see the glory of salvation through suffering.
The song, instead is telling us to get high on God and we completely disregard the Trinitarian basis of God, His revelation, and His Glory. I would only sing this song if I could tell the congregation in advance as what to look for in seeing God’s glory, and that is in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Vince Wright
Charles,
Thank you for your comment!
The very first line of this song contextualizes Andrews’ meaning of “show us Your glory”. In my commentary, I claimed that “We’ve waited for this day, we’re gathered in Your Name” is about Christ’s triumphant return. By the time Andrews asks “show us Your glory”, we would be in our spiritual, sinless bodies (1 Corinthians 15:53). Yes, had Andrews asked for God’s glory in her mortal, sinful body, she would be smoked. However, I don’t see why this same argument would apply to her resurrected, spiritual, sinless body received after the second coming of Christ.
-Vince Wright
Charles J Busada
Vince, I tried to reply to your comments in depth, but I found myself writing a tome. So, here is the quick and dirty version and even this is too long. It seems that you give Andrews a pass here. If God is to show us His glory “now” then it is nothing but fire and smoke. In your comments you basically put a eschatological presupposition behind the song. So now, in response, I must question Andrew’s theology, or at least her eschatological position (supposing that she has one).
Perhaps if Andrews is a pre trib, pre mill, sort, then I guess that the song is demanding an immediate rapture and glorification of our bodies? If she is an a-mill type, then she already believes that the millennium (a figurative period of time), is over and we can just skip the Great Tribulation. If she is the post-mill type then the song is nothing but a contradiction as she is just informing God that there is no need to continue life as we know it. And is the average believer in the congregation going to make those connections? A rhetorical question for sure. So, is this song about the “Blessed Hope” at all? It never makes that claim. It never makes any eschatological claim at all.
I do not know, nor care about Andrew’s theological background, but I do know and care about my congregation’s theology and theological background. I could not feed them such a cryptic message. But at face value, I must conclude that the song God to send His Son back “NOW” as we are singing it on Sunday morning. Yes, we are to “hasten the day of His coming” but this is through preaching the Gospel to all men of all generations. If God, in His mercy, has believers in future generations whom He
desires to save, then how would we interpret this song? Is she saying, God, not thy will, but my will be done? So, do we have the right to invoke God, with the imperative(!) command to “Show us Your glory now.”?
“Show us your glory ‘now'” means that we are not glorified “now” as we are singing but Andrews is asking for and expecting a “flash, and the twinkle of an eye” to glorify our carnal bodies on the spot. It poses such confusion to the people singing this song. Frankly, it seems to me that she is really saying “God, give us a super dose of your Glory now!” And, yes, this is smoke. The song is loose, confusing, and apparently it would be up to every individual singer to — on the fly — interpret the eschatological nuances. This does not happen in real life. The song is fun to sing, but really, do you think that people will come to any conclusion but to ask this question the way that Moses did. He wanted to see God’s Glory ‘now.’
God’s could respond to this song in two ways. He could either show us His Glory now and we would be annihilated by a blinding light shining in our darkness, or he can say to us what he told Moses. “I cannot show you my Glory unless I place you in the cleft of the rock and you can view my diminished glory. What could that be but to set our eyes upon the Son of God bearing the dreadful curse for our souls. So, when Isaac Watts wrote “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” he was in effect setting his eyes on His Glory NOW, and the result is his lamentation on his own pride. This is a far cry from Andrew’s clear, unmassaged message to simply “Show it to us NOW God.”
Scott P
Meredith Andrews has a video on Youtube about the “story behind the song”. Just search Youtube for “Meredith Andrews story behind the song”.
From her description, it seems clear that it has nothing to do with the Second Coming of Jesus. She is simply referring to gathering for worship on Sunday mornings. While we can try to interpret the lyrics as being about the Second Coming, we are then being dishonest as to the author’s true intent of their meaning.
In this case, I agree with Charles and Kevin’s concerns above. I am not going to be demanding from God “We wanna see You”, in the here-and-now.
Vince, I wonder if now knowing the meaning of the song, per the author’s own words, changes your feelings about it.
Vince Wright
Scott,
Thank you for your comments!
First, I think you meant for me to add the song title as part of the search!
Second, I’m a bit surprised that the author intended this song to mean corporate worship now, especially since much of the language has “second coming” written all over it. If that is what she meant, then Charles is correct. However, I do reviews based on what the lyrics say, not necessarily what the author intended. It’s not intellectual dishonesty to disagree with the artist on the meaning of their lyrics. Sometimes authorial intent doesn’t match the lyrics as they are presented. While that often results in penalties, in this case, she accidently tells the truth. My mind remains unchanged.
-Vince Wright