UPPERROOM – Unto the Lamb

UPPERROOM is a church-based band, much with the same structure as Hillsong, Elevation Worship, and Bethel Music.  Their church of the same name is based in Dallas, Texas.

They released thirteen works, including:

• God You Are (2014)
• Live from Upper Room (2016)
• Made for More (2016)
• Center of Your Love (EP, 2017)
• Moments (2018)
• Moments II (2018)
• Moments: Color 003 (2019)
• Moments: Design 004 (EP, 2019)
• To The One (2019)
• Santo Espíritu (Te Amamos) (2020)
• Land of the Living (2020)
• Arbor (2021)
• Move Your Heart (EP, 2021)

Check out my other UPPERROOM reviews.

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1. What message does the song communicate?

This song says that creation worships God and provides a laundry list of statements about Jesus, and us:

Jesus

• Exists everywhere
• Recipient of worship
• Sovereign
• Worthy of praise
• Set apart
• The beaten Lamb who takes our sins
• Resurrected
• Jewish
• Ruler
• Seated at the Father’s right hand
• King of kings and Lord of lords

Us

• Surrenders
• Worships God
• Filled with the Holy Spirit

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

The whole song is Biblical.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

Our atmosphere
Bowing in reverence

That is, nature declares God’s glory (Psalm 19:1).

You’re in our midst
We cannot ignore it

God is omnipresent (1 Kings 8:27, Psalm 139:7-12, Proverbs 15:3, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Colossians 1:17, and Hebrews 4:13).

We hear Your steps
We feel Your Kingdom
Jesus, You’re taking over

UPPERROOM describes their felt and heard experience, that they relinquish control to Jesus (Psalm 43:5, Isaiah 64:8, Matthew 10:38, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34-38, Mark 10:28, Luke 9:23, Luke 14:27, John 15:1-11, Romans 6:13, Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 11:6, James 4:7-10, and 1 Peter 5:6).

[Verse 2]

Treasures and crowns
Down at Your feet

See commentary on Verse 1, lines 5-7.

Honor and fame
Only belong to You
You are before
Everything
Grasping it all together

This is so, because God is sovereign over all creation (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 4:39, Deuteronomy 10:14, Joshua 2:11, Nehemiah 9:6, Psalm 29:10, Psalm 45:6, Psalm 50:7-15, Psalm 93:1-2, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, Isaiah 43:13, Isaiah 45:9-10, Isaiah 46:10, Lamentations 5:19, Daniel 4:35, Romans 9:19-21, Ephesians 1:11, Hebrews 1:8, James 4:15, Revelation 4:11, and Revelation 20:11).

[Pre-Chorus]

One, just One, just One found worthy

That is, worthy of praise (1 Chronicles 16:25, 2 Samuel 22:4, Psalm 96:4-5, Psalm 145:3, and Revelation 4:11).

One, just One, just One

Essentially repeats line 1.

[Chorus]

Holy is the Lord on high

God is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45, Leviticus 19:2, Leviticus 20:7,1 Peter 1:15-16, and Revelation 4:8).

Your glory fills the temple

The temple is our body, filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  This is not referencing God’s glory filling the Old Testament temple/tabernacle (Exodus 40:34, 2 Chronicles 5:14, and Ezekiel 43:4).

Holy is the Lord on high
Holy is the Lord on high

Repeats line 1.

We join in with the elders

References Revelation 4:10, which contains 24 elders who worship God.  I’m not sure if we will join them, but it seems reasonable given that we’ll eternally praise God (Nehemiah 9:5, Psalm 30:12, Psalm 52:9, Psalm 86:12, Psalm 89:1, Psalm 115:18, Psalm 145:1-2, Psalm 145:21, and Revelation 5:9-13).

Holy is the Lord on high

Repeats line 1.

[Verse 3]

Unto the Lamb
Beaten and bruised
Killed for our sin
You were the sacrifice

That is, worship and praise to Jesus (Matthew 2:11, Matthew 14:33, Matthew 21:9, Matthew 28:8-9, Matthew 28:16-17, Luke 24:50-53, John 12:13, and John 20:28), who is the Lamb who takes away our sins (Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29, John 1:36, Acts 8:32, 1 Peter 1:19, Revelation 5:6-8, Revelation 5:12-13, Revelation 6:1, Revelation 7:9-17, Revelation 12:11, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 14:1-10, Revelation 15:3, Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:7-9, and Revelation 21:9).

Raised from the dead
Breathing again

He rose again (Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29, Acts 1:3, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:33, and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

Our Jewish King

Jesus is called the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2, Matthew 2:7-8, Matthew 27:11, Matthew 27:29–30 Mark 15:2, Mark 15:17–19, Luke 23:3, John 18:33, John 19:2–3, and John 19:21).

Seated in majesty

Specifically, at the right hand of the Father (Matthew 22:44, Acts 2:33, Acts 7:55–56, Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 8:1, Hebrews 10:12, Hebrews 12:2, 1 Peter 3:22, and Revelation 3:21).

[Spontaneous]

Lifted up
You’re lifted up high
High, high, high

That is, praised.  See Pre-Chorus, line 1 and Chorus, line 5.

All the earth is Your footstool, Lord

Quotes from part of Isaiah 66:1 and Acts 7:49, meaning that the earth is lawly, humble, and subservient to God.

Lifted up
So much higher
So much higher, yes

Essentially repeats lines 1 and 2.

Unto the Lamb, unto the Lamb

Repeats Verse 3, line 1.

[Bridge]

And unto the Lamb, unto the Lamb

Essentially repeats Verse 3, line 1.

This beautiful Man who reigns forever

Points to the hypostatic union, that is, Jesus both God and man.  His rulership is for all eternity (Exodus 15:18, Psalm 10:16, Psalm 29:10, Psalm 145:13, Psalm 146:10, Lamentations 5:19, Daniel 4:3, Daniel 6:26, Micah 4:7, 1 Timothy 6:16, 1 Peter 5:11, and Revelation 11:15).

Glory to God in the highest
We praise You

See Pre-Chorus, line 1, Chorus, line 5, and Spontaneous, lines 1-3.

Unto the Lamb, unto the Lamb
This beautiful Man who reigns forever
Glory to God in the highest
We praise You
Unto the Lamb, unto the Lamb
This beautiful Man who reigns forever
Glory to God in the highest
We praise You
Unto the Lamb, unto the Lamb
This beautiful Man who reigns forever
Glory to God in the highest
We praise You

Repeats lines 1-4.

[Tag]

We praise You, Lord of lords
We praise You, King of kings over everything

Describes two of Jesus’ titles: King of kings (1 Timothy 6:13-16, Revelation 17:14, and Revelation 19:11-16) and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15 and Revelation 19:16).

We praise You

More worship.

Whoa-oa

Filler.

[Outro]

Unto the Lamb, unto the Lamb
This beautiful Man who reigns forever
Glory to God in the highest
We praise You
Unto the Lamb, unto the Lamb
This beautiful Man who reigns…

Repeats Bridge, lines 1-5.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Christians worship Jesus as their Creator, Lord, King.  They will know it’s Jesus because UPPERROOM explicitly states it.  He died for their sins and rose again, though perhaps understanding sin as mistakes instead of violating God’s Laws.  I’m unsure if they will comprehend the temple imagery, which points to Christians being filled with the Holy Spirit; However, it’s not a big deal if they don’t.

Score: 8/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God in numerous ways, acknowledging about half of the statements in the Apostle’s Creed.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

UPPERROOM’s Unto the Lamb is great.  It calls us to worship Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords as the One who bore our sins and rose again, seated at the Father’s right hand.  This glorifies God.  Unbelievers will comprehend most of the song, even if they don’t know what sin is or the glory that fills the temple.

I highly recommend it for corporate worship.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Unto the Lamb (Live) (listen to the song)

Artist: UPPERROOM

Album: Land of the Living (Live)

Genre: Rock

Release Year: 2020

Duration: 7:41

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*Copyright © 2020 UR Creative (BMI) JoelFigMusic (BMI) Oscar Daniel Gamboa Publishing (BMI) Juan Sebastian Suarez (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.