Upper Room
Jump to: ISBEGreekHebrewLibrarySubtopicsTerms
Topical Encyclopedia
The term "Upper Room" refers to a significant location in the New Testament, primarily associated with pivotal events in the life of Jesus Christ and the early Christian community. This space is traditionally understood to be a large, furnished room on the upper floor of a house in Jerusalem, where several key events took place.

The Last Supper

The most notable event associated with the Upper Room is the Last Supper, which Jesus shared with His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. This event is recorded in all four Gospels, with the most detailed account found in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus instructed His disciples to prepare the Passover meal in this room. During the meal, He instituted the Lord's Supper, saying, "This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). The Upper Room thus became the setting for the establishment of the New Covenant through the symbols of bread and wine.

Post-Resurrection Appearances

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples in the Upper Room. In John 20:19, it is recorded that "on the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'" This appearance provided reassurance and confirmation of His victory over death, strengthening the faith of His followers.

The Day of Pentecost

The Upper Room is also traditionally associated with the events of Pentecost, as described in Acts 2. It is believed to be the place where the disciples were gathered when the Holy Spirit descended upon them, enabling them to speak in various tongues and empowering them for their mission. Acts 2:1-4 describes this transformative event: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting."

A Place of Prayer and Fellowship

The Upper Room served as a meeting place for the early Christian community. Acts 1:13-14 notes that after Jesus' ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem and "went upstairs to the room where they were staying." Here, they devoted themselves to prayer, along with the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers. This highlights the Upper Room as a center for communal prayer and fellowship, reflecting the unity and devotion of the early believers.

Symbolism and Legacy

The Upper Room holds deep symbolic significance in Christian tradition. It represents a place of intimate fellowship with Christ, the inauguration of the New Covenant, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It is a reminder of the foundational events that shaped the early Church and continues to inspire believers in their faith journey.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Upper Room

UPPER CHAMBER; UPPER ROOM

up'-er cham'-ber, (`aliyah (2 Kings 1:2), etc.; anogeon (Mark 14:15 Luke 22:12), huperoon (Acts 1:13; Acts 9:37, 39; 20:8)): In Judges 3:20 the English Revised Version renders "summer parlor" and in the margin "Hebrew: `Upper chamber of cooling.' " This was probably a roof-chamber. The "upper chamber" of Ahaziah in 2 Kings 1:2 was evidently in the 2nd story of the building. On the "upper chambers" of the temple (1 Chronicles 28:11 2 Chronicles 3:9), see TEMPLE. The "large upper room" which was the scene of the Last Supper, with that in Acts 1:13, was also plainly an upper-story chamber. That in Acts 20:8 was in the 3rd story (at Miletus, a Greek city).

See also HOUSE.

James Orr

Greek
508. anogeon -- upper room.
... 507, 508. anogeon. 509 . upper room. Part of Speech: Noun ... upper room. Word
Origin variant reading for anagaion, qv. upper room. From ano ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/508.htm - 6k

311b. anagaion -- above the ground, ie the second floor, hence, an ...
... 311a, 311b. anagaion. 312 . above the ground, ie the second floor, hence,
an upper room. Transliteration: anagaion Short Definition: room. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/311b.htm - 5k

5253. huperoon -- the upper story, the upper rooms
... story, the upper rooms. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: huperoon Phonetic
Spelling: (hoop-er-o'-on) Short Definition: an upper room Definition: an ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5253.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew
5944. aliyyah -- a roof chamber
... from alah Definition a roof chamber NASB Word Usage chamber over (1), roof chamber
(4), upper chamber (4), upper chambers (2), upper room (4), upper rooms (4). ...
/hebrew/5944.htm - 6k
Library

The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times
The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times. <. The Upper Room: Being
a Few Truths for the Times John Charles Ryle. Table of Contents. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/ryle/the upper room being a few truths for the times/

The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times
The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times. <. ... Title Page. THE UPPER
ROOM Being a Few Truths for the Times JOHN CHARLES RYLE. ...
/.../ryle/the upper room being a few truths for the times/title page.htm

The Traitor
... My disciples? And he will himself shew you a large upper room furnished
and ready: and there make ready for us. And the disciples ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 14 10-16 the traitor.htm

The Betrayal.
... Leaving the Upper Room, Jesus and his disciples went out into the moonlit night,
for there was full moon at the passover, and took their way through the ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the betrayal.htm

Dr. Beardsley's Address.
... through narrow, dirty lanes and unfrequented streets, and finally disappeared in
an old building several stories high, and ascended to an upper room where a ...
/.../the sermons and addresses at the seabury centenary/dr beardsleys address.htm

The Lord's Supper
... passover with My disciples? 12. And he shall shew you a large upper room
furnished: there make ready. 13. And they went, and found ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/the lords supper.htm

'The Whole Family'
... same. The domestic character of the rite shines clearly out in the precious
simplicity of the arrangements in the upper room. When ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/the whole family.htm

Preface
The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times. <. ... JC LIVERPOOL. Footnotes:
[1]. CHAPTER I Acts 1:13 "THEY WENT UP INTO AN UPPER ROOM.". ...
/.../ryle/the upper room being a few truths for the times/preface.htm

The Last Supper.
... of the fate of Jerusalem, which we gather from the other historians, and takes his
readers, at once to the little gathering in the Upper Room where the Master ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the last supper.htm

Note.
The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times. <. ...
/.../ryle/the upper room being a few truths for the times/note 2.htm

Resources
What was/is the importance of the gates of Jerusalem? | GotQuestions.org

Should all pronouns referring to God be capitalized? | GotQuestions.org

Is there any truth to the chemtrail conspiracy? | GotQuestions.org

Upper: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Upper Gate of the House of the LORD
Top of Page
Top of Page