Photo by Bryan Minear
As I mentioned in my previous review of Elohim, I am doing yet another Hillsong review!
Wait a minute, this title has a “hymn” aura to it. Is this a cover? Nope. It is not a 16th to 17th-century hymnal. O Praise The Name (Anástasis) is Hillsong Worship original content, drawing inspiration from Amazing Grace (see my review) and How Great Thou Art, among others.
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 majority of the song focuses on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. This is the bulk of the Gospel message Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. The last verse touches on Christ’s second coming and the final resurrection. It is a beautifully woven tapestry, crafted to impart the good news about Jesus to all willing to listen.
The word “Anástasis” (G386 in Strong’s) means “rising” or “resurrection” and appears 42 times in the New Testament. This fits the overall narrative of this song, given its christolic focus.
I was especially intrigued by the first line in Verse 2: “His body bound and drenched in tears“. Yes, we’re all well aware of Christ’s inescapable condition on the cross, yet, what was his emotional state? It started to make me think more about that.
Score: 10/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
O Praise The Name (Anástasis) is biblically sound. Lyrics posted with permission.*
[Verse 1]
I cast my mind to Calvary
The name “Calvary” or “Golgotha” means “The place of a skull”. It is where Jesus was crucified, as described in Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, and John 19:17.
Where Jesus bled and died for me
As a payment for our sins (see Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, 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).
I see His wounds His hands His feet
Not physically as Thomas did (John 20:24-27), but rather spiritually, though the love He and the Father has for us (see John 3:16, John 13:34, John 15:13, Romans 5:6-8, Romans 8:37-39, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 2:4-5, Ephesians 5:25, Titus 3:4, 1 John 4:8, and 1 John 4:16-19).
My Saviour on that cursed tree
Originally from Deuteronomy 21:23, Paul quotes from this passage in Galatians 3:13 in the context of Christ’s sacrifice, that Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse on our behalf.
[Verse 2]
His body bound and drenched in tears
Although not explicitly found in Scripture, it is reasonable to think that Jesus cried with tears, reminiscent of Psalm 6:6-7. As for his body bound, this seems obvious given the nature of crucifixion, securing Jesus in place until his eventual death by asphyxiation.
He also cries out “why have you forsaken me?” in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34, quoting from Psalm 22:1.
Another explanation is that this refers to Jesus’ body being wrapped (or bound) in linen. The second half, “drenched in tears”, references those close to Jesus who wept over His death.
They laid Him down in Joseph’s tomb
The entrance sealed by heavy stone
Not Jesus’ earthly father, but Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent and wealthy member of the Sanhedrin: the primary Jewish council, leadership, and judicial court. He asked for the body of Jesus and buried him in one of his tombs, a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9 (see Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-46, Luke 23:50-53, and John 19:38-42).
Messiah still and all alone
Given the context of Jesus’ burial, this seems obvious.
[Chorus]
O praise the Name of the Lord our God
O praise His Name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord oh Lord our God
There are plenty of Scriptural examples of Biblical individuals expressing their eternal praise, including 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.
[Verse 3]
Then on the third at break of dawn
The Son of heaven rose again
That is, on the third day Christ rose from the dead (see Matthew 12:38-40, Matthew 16:21, Matthew 20:17-19, Luke 9:22, Luke 24:7, Luke 24:21, Luke 24:46, John 2:13-21, Acts 10:40, and 1 Corinthians 15:4).
O trampled death where is your sting?
Based on 1 Corinthians 15:55-56.
The angels roar for Christ the King
Although there is no direct biblical support, It is not unbiblical to think that the Heavenly Hosts rejoiced when Christ rose from the dead as they did during His birth (Luke 2:13) and they will during the second coming of Christ (Revelation 19:1-6).
[Verse 4]
He shall return in robes of white
Although this is trivial, according to Revelation 19:13, his clothing is not in white but dipped with blood. His Heavenly army, however, wears white (Revelation 19:14).
The blazing sun shall pierce the night
This refers to the gaze of Jesus, His eyes as a flame of fire in Revelation 19:12, piercing through all that He sees.
And I will rise among the saints
That is, during the final resurrection (see Luke 20:34-38, Acts 24:15-16, Romans 6:1-5, Romans 8:11-13, 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 1 Corinthians 15:50-56, 2 Corinthians 4:13-14, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
My gaze transfixed on Jesus’ face
Not turning to the right or left, we focus and direct our lives to serve Jesus (see Hebrews 3:1 and Hebrews 12:2).
Score: 10/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
It is obvious to anyone with rudimentary knowledge of Christianity that this song is about Jesus Christ, even to those who do not yet believe. That fact remains true, even if you partition off any Verse or the Chorus from the rest of the song, an impressive feat.
I mentioned in section 1 that O Praise The Name (Anástasis) broadcasts the Gospel to all. That includes unbelievers! It would not surprise me if Hillsong Worship wrote this with outreach intent.
Score: 10/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It glorifies God with Hillsong’s praise and adoration directed towards Jesus.
Score: 10/10
Closing Comments
Hillsong Worship has done it yet again with O Praise The Name (Anástasis). It brings glory to the Almighty as it draws inspiration from other hymns, along with a boatload of Scriptural references. It contains a wonderful Gospel message, evangelistic in nature and focuses mostly on the Gospel.
With my seventh Hillsong review out of the way, I hope to take a break from them for a while!
Final Score: 10/10
Artist Info
Track: O Praise The Name (Anástasis) (listen to the song)
Artist: Hillsong Worship
Album: O Praise The Name (Anástasis)
Genre: Hymn
Release Year: 2015
Duration: 4:03
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright © 2015 Hillsong Music Publishing (APRA) (adm. in the US and Canada at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Updates:
07/27/2022 – Moved the first update to way down here and updated section 4 to include rationale and remove the “all Hillsong songs reviewed glorify God” reference that is no longer accurate.
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.
04/18/2019 – My original review contained a comment about a slight historical inaccuracy. Thanks to a commenter known simply as “T”, I tried to find it and alas, I could not find it. Therefore, I bumped up the score, resulting in a shift from 9.5/10 to a perfect score!
Comments
Ms Jones
Messiah and still alone is definitely wrong. “Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit”. He went to the Father, and scriptures tell us He also preached in Hades and “led captivity captive”. (Eph 4:8). When He arose He returned to the body. He did not lay there “alone” we was gone, and doing one of the most momentous works in all of the faith…leading captivity captive…freeing souls in Hades. Oh my gosh, do not miss this! When He arose He said to Mary “Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brethren and say unto them; I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.” This was with HIs physical body. He did not lie there alone. Its almost anti-scripture to say Jesus lay in the tomb alone: because Jesus said “It is finished” and He went to the Father.
J
Jesus wasn’t just spirit. He became flesh (John 1:14), and even though His spirit went to Paradise (Luke 23:43) and, as you mentioned, Hades, His flesh (His body) remained in the tomb.
It is very natural to refer to a dead person’s body as if it were the whole person, and in fact Mary does just that in John 20 verse 13 and 15. John 19:42 does something similar, referring to Jesus’ body as “Jesus”. So I can’t fault Hillsong for doing the same.
Joe
I have a question about the last line in Verse 2. “Messiah still and all alone”. This, especially given the context, must refer to Jesus in the tomb and is a powerful image. My question regards the word “Still”. I sing this song as a worship leader and want to know how to emphasize it. Is Jesus ‘still’ because He has died, or does this line mean that, despite His death, He is still the Messiah? His death did not detract from the prophecy as most of the Jews may have believed. This second interpretation has, potentially, a much deeper meaning than the first, but I’d like to know the author’s intent.
Larry
I interpret”still”as not having a physical life, without movement. The imagery of a dark and silent tomb waiting for the resurrection moment is powerful indeed.
Beth
When I sing, I think of it as He is messiah still. He is still, even in death, continuing to be the Messiah. Of course, I don’t know what the original writer meant. I think it can be read either way.
Chad
Is there a resource for investigating Hillsong’s theology? I’m hesitant to use Hillsong’s music in worship because I’m not certain of their theological stance and have heard some mixed opinions. I don’t want to be legalistic, but I do want to be careful when using music in worship. An authoritative resource would be helpful! Thank you!
Vince Wright
Chad,
Great question! You can start with this: https://www.gotquestions.org/Hillsong-Church.html.
-Vince Wright
Greg Layden
Probably should have read the previous comments before I posted! But at least we agree 🙂
Vince Wright
Greg,
No problem! 🙂
-Vince Wright
Greg Layden
I see verse 2: “His body bound and drenched in tears” as a reference to those who bound his body in strips of linen for burial. They being the ones who drenched his body with tears. “They laid him down in Joseph’s tomb” Just my interpretation. Thanks!
Brendan
“The blazing sun shall pierce the night”. When first hearing this song I had always made the connection as you did to Rev 19. That is until one of my church members came to me and said “was there a typo in the lyrics? Shouldn’t it be SON?” I had to look up the true original lyric and it is in fact “sun.”
Of course scripture mainly talks about the sun being darkened. (Isaiah 13, Joel 2&3, Matthew 24, Acts 2, Rev 6) Not piercing in the middle of the night. Is there any such reference they may be alluding to?
Is this just mere poetic language to describe Christ and His gaze or is it some overlooked writing that sounded apocalyptic?
Vince Wright
Brendan,
Thank you for your inquiry! I brought up Revelation 19:12 because it talks about Christ’s eyes compared to that with a blazing fire, which I thought represented the sun.
I’ll check to see if there is a “piercing of the night” later this week and update this comment if I find it.
-Vince Wright
Vince Wright
Brendan,
I examined the lyrics again. The antecedent of “sun” is “He”, which refers to God. “Sun”, then, would be a figurative statement in reference to God as it relates to “pierce through the night”. In what sense does God do that?
There is a host of verses that speak on God’s light conquering darkness, including Psalm 107:10-16, Luke 1:79, John 1:1-13, John 12:46, Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 1:13, and 1 Peter 2:9. It seems reasonable to me, then, that “The blazing sun shall pierce the night” references the light of God that conquers darkness.
Thoughts?
-Vince Wright
cathy howland
Hi Vince.This line got my attention too.I think we need to be careful…If God’s Word does not refer to God,the creator as the ‘sun’, then neither should we.The sun was created by God,the Creator,,and is His creation ,not His persona.
Steve Barhydt
In Malachi 4:1-3 (KJV)
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
I don’t see how that the “Sun of righteousness” with “Healing in HIS wings” (emphasis mine) could be anyone but Jesus.
See this article at Blue Letter Bible https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Mal/Mal-4.cfm?a=929001
In Luke 1:69 – 79 we have recorded the prophecy of Zacharias (John the Baptist’s father).
Luke 1:78 (KJV) Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
In the KJV, the word “dayspring” is used.
From Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words…
primarily “a rising,” as of the sun and stars, corresponds to anatello, “to make to rise,” or, intransitively, “to arise,” which is also used of the sunlight, as well as of other objects in nature. In Luk 1:78 it is used metaphorically of Christ as “the Dayspring,” the One through whom light came into the world, shining immediately into Israel, to dispel the darkness which was upon all nations. Cp. Mal 4:2.
In the NASB however, verse 78 is translated
“Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,”
At His transfiguration, Jesus’ face is described in Matthew 17:1-2
1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
So, Jesus, in His glorified state “did shine as the sun”.
Therefore, to refer to Jesus as the “SON” (literal) and the “SUN” (metaphorical) are both Biblical.
Since verse 4 of this song is obviously referring to the Second Coming (“He shall return in robes of white”) and according to I John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” I don’t see it as too much “poetic license” to refer to Jesus as “the blazing Sun”.
Vince Wright
Steve,
Thank you for your comment!
I think your comment was directed towards Brendan! I agree with you.
-Vince Wright
Steve Barhydt
You are correct 🙂
I was going to respond to either Brendan or Cathy and must have hit the wrong ‘Reply’ button.
That’s what I get for trying to multitask.
Dylan (DANIEL)
Steve —
thank you for the big explanation to us
lisa
This may seem trivial, but it bothers me that the word “transfixed” is not used correctly in this song. To be “transfixed” means to be motionless because of awe, fear, surprise, etc. You can be transfixed BY something, but not ON something. Perhaps the lyricist meant to say “fixed on Jesus’ face”…? As in, we “can’t take our eyes off” Jesus’ face? It is disappointing that no one seems to have caught this error. Otherwise I think it’s a wonderful song; unfortunately, as a word lover, I’m distracted by this.
tastywallet
Lisa,
Thanks for pointing this out! I agree that it does seem trivial and with your conclusion. I must also point out that only people and animals can be transfixed. Eyes cannot be transfixed on anything from a purely grammatical standpoint.
There is a second definition that doesn’t make sense given this context. We are not talking about impaling our eyes with a sharp object!
In this instance, I am willing to let it go for the simple fact that its meaning is not lost, despite the grammatical error. In other words, most people will understand this as “our eyes are fixed on Jesus” when reading/listening to/singing this line. My English teacher might deduct points for wrong word choice, but for the scope of this website, I see no reason to deduct points in terms of its message, biblical accuracy, outsider interpretation, or inherit glorification of God.
However, I understand why it bothers you and why you find it distracting.
-TastyWallet
Kris
I love this song. We sometimes use it at our church. I am just a bit bothered by the phrasing “the son of heaven rose *again*” What was the first rising? And what was the second rising? Because it sounds like the second ‘risen’ On the third”…but what was the first one? His birth? It’s subtle, but strange…I’d love to know.
Vince Wright
Kris,
Great question! “Rose again” means that He once was alive, then He died, then He resurrected, made alive again. I admit, it sounds strange and sounds like a second resurrection, but that is how I understand its meaning. The specific phrasing shows up in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 within several translations, including the NASB that I use for my website.
-Vince Wright
Kris
Thank you so much! I had discussed it with my worship director before I read your reply and she referenced the same verse in the Bible.
I will make an effort, God willing, to better acquaint myself with this passage.
T
So what is the minor historical error you mention? I don’t see any mention of a historical error. Is it the white robes vs what Revelation says?
tastywallet
T,
To be quite frank, neither did I. Not sure why I put that in there in the first place. I updated the review and changed the score.
-TastyWallet
Paul
I believe the line where it says, “His body bound and drenched in tears” refers to Jesus’ body being wrapped (bound) in linen. And being wept over by the people close to him (drenched in tears).
tastywallet
Paul,
I never considered that! I added it as an alternative explanation.
-TastyWallet