Hillsong UNITED – King of Majesty

It’s that special time again, where I add yet another entry to my ever-growing collection of Hillsong reviews!  In my apparent quest to review everything Hillsong, appointed to me by you, my loyal viewers, this review will add King of Majesty to the roster, marking my 14th Hillsong review.

Thus far, all of them have done extremely well, with the exception of Even When It Hurts, Touch the Sky, and Wake.  They continue to dominate the trending reviews, with So Will I accessed over 20,000 times and Who You Say I Am over 10,000.  They continue to receive votes in the polls, with two additional entries added to June.

You all must really love your Hillsong!

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.  I strongly encourage you to consider the potential blessings and dangers of this artist‘s theology by visiting Resources.

1. What message does the song communicate?

The message is simple but clear: God knows we love Him and that our desire is to be with Him, the savior of our souls, expressed in eternal praise.

It doesn’t quite pack the same punch as other songs Hillsongs have written, such as So Will I or What a Beautiful Name.  Verse 1 and 2 seem generic and canned.  Not that there’s anything wrong with it per se, but not nearly as creative as “You silenced the boast of sin and grave” or “I can see Your heart in everything You’ve made, every burning star, a signal fire of grace”.  However, it starts to pick up steam during the Pre-Chorus, signaling me to worship.

It seemed that Hillsong sings about themselves; However a closer inspection reveals God as the focus of their affection.

Score: 8/10

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

All lines agree with the Bible.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

Since the first few lines contain no designation, I took the liberty of adding “verse” labels for easier readability.

[Verse 1]

You know that
I love You

Possibly a reference to John 21:15-17, but more likely a declaration to God.

You know that
I want to know You so much more
More than I have before

That is, personally, deeply, relationally.  God wants us to know Him in this manner (Acts 17:27, Romans 8:15, John 15:1-11, and Romans 11:16-24).

[Verse 2]

These words are
From my heart
These words are
Not made up
I will live for You
I am devoted to You

The calling to follow Jesus is complete devotion, with everything else seeming like hatred by comparison (Luke 14:25-32).  This is the desire Hillsong genuinely expresses.

[Pre-Chorus]

King of Majesty

That is, the King of kings and Lord of lords (Deuteronomy 10:17, Psalm 136:3, Daniel 2:47, Matthew 28:18, 1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 1:5, and Revelation 19:16).

I have one desire
Just to be with You my Lord

Not that relationship with God is their one and only desire, but that it is the ultimate, consistent with the words of Jesus and earlier commentary in Verse 2.  Also, see Psalm 42:1-2, Psalm 63:1, Psalm 73:25, Psalm 119:20, Psalm 119:81, Psalm 143:6, Isaiah 26:9, Amos 8:11, John 4:13-14, John 6:35, John 7:37, Revelation 21:6, and Revelation 22:17.

Just to be with You my Lord

Repeats line 3.

[Chorus]

Jesus You are the Saviour of my soul

That is, you paid for all my lawbreaking (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, John 19:30, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).

And forever and ever I’ll give my praises to You

Eternal praise is an appropriate response to God’s salvation (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).

Jesus You are the Saviour of my soul
And forever and ever I’ll give my praises to You

Repeats lines 1 and 2.

[Bridge]

Jesus You are the Saviour of my soul(echo)
And forever and ever I’ll give my praises to You(echo)

Repeats Chorus, lines 1 and 2.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Those who do not yet know Jesus should find interpretation easy given the everyday language Hillsong employs, summarized nicely within the Pre-Chorus.  The Chorus explicitly states Jesus as the recipient of praise and adoration, ad the One whom Hillsong wants to know personally.  This should be obvious to anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of Christianity.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

Despite my earlier comments in section 1, this song glorifies Jesus through Hillsong’s expression to follow Him, entering into a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Hillsong United’s King of Majesty is yet another highly rated song on Hillsong’s ever-increasing belt.  Though I found some of its lyrics generic, all of it is Biblical, easy to understand, and glorifies Christ.

I have mixed feelings regarding its usage in corporate worship.  While it does focus on God at the end, the majority of it is about what they will do.  That doesn’t sound like worship to me.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: King of Majesty (live) (listen to the song)

Artist: Hillsong UNITED

Album: King of Majesty (live)

Genre: Rock

Release Year: 2001

Duration: 4:38

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

*Copyright © 2001 Hillsong Music Publishing (APRA) (adm. in the US and Canada at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Updates:

05/07/2021 – Per Artist Theology announcement, I expanded the red text to encourage others to study Hillsong’s theology.

03/24/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.  Also, rephrased the last sentence in section 1.