Isaiah 6

Vision Of God On His Throne

Isaiah (1. What Isaiah Saw (1–2)

In the year that King Uzziah died: King Uzziah of Judah had a long and distinguished reign, described in 2 Chronicles 26 and in 2 Kings 15:1–7 (Uzziah is called Azariah in 2 Kings 15).i. Uzziah began his reign when he was only 16 years old, and he reigned 52 years.

Overall, he was a good king, and 2 Kings 15:3 says, he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 2 Chronicles 28:5 says, He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper

Uzziah also led Israel in military victories over the Philistines and other neighboring nations, and he was a strong king. Uzziah was a energetic builder, planner, and general. 2 Chronicles 26:8 says, His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he strengthened himself exceedingly

But Uzziah’s life ended tragically. 2 Chronicles 26:16 says, But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. In response, God struck Uzziah with leprosy, and he was an isolated leper until his death.

So, to say in the year King Uzziah died is to say a lot. It is to say, “In the year a great and wise king died.” But it is also to say, “In the year a great and wise king who had a tragic end died.” Isaiah had great reason to be discouraged and disillusioned at the death of King Uzziah, because a great king had passed away, and because his life ended tragically. Where was the LORD in all this?

I saw the LORD sitting on a throne: Where was the LORD in all this? The LORD was sitting on a throne! God was still enthroned in heaven, and was still in charge of all creation.

High and lifted up: The throne was exalted and majestic. The throne set its Occupant in a superior position.

The train of His robe filled the temple: Kings of that time would wear robes with long trains, because they were difficult to maneuver and work in. Wearing a long train meant, “I am important enough that I don’t have to work. I am a person of honor and dignity. Others must serve me and wait upon me.” Essentially, the same is said when a bride wears a dress with a long train today.

God is so honored, so important, so dignified, that the train of His robe filled the temple. That’s a long train!

Above it stood seraphim: Surrounding the throne of God are angels known here as seraphim. In many other passages, these angels are known as cherubim (Psalm 80:1; Isaiah 37:16; Ezekiel 10:3) or as the living creatures of Revelation 4:6–11. This is the only chapter in the Bible where these creatures are named seraphim.

Some deny that cherubim and seraphim refer to the same beings. But the name seraphim means, “burning ones.” Ezekiel 1:13 describes cherubim (see also Ezekiel 10:15) this way: their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. That certainly seems to describe burning ones

Each one had six wings: In Revelation 4:8, the Apostle John also mentions their six wings. They need the six wings, so each can cover his face (to show they are too lowly to look upon the LORD), so each can cover his feet (to hide this “humble” area of the body, so nothing even possibly deficient is seen in the LORD’s presence), and so each can fly.

The LORD said to Moses, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live” (Exodus 33:20). Apparently the same is true even for angels, so the seraphim cover their faces.

They also covered their feet, commentators & scholars disagree on why? One preacher said that God told Moses in Exodus 3:5 “And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.”

“Thus they have four wings for adoration and two for active energy; four to conceal themselves, and two with which to occupy themselves in service; and we may learn from them that we shall serve God best when we are most deeply reverend and humbled in his presence. Veneration must be in larger proportion than vigor, adoration must exceed activity. As Mary at Jesus’ feet was preferred to Martha and her much serving, so must sacred reverence take the first place, and energetic service follow in due course.” (Spurgeon)

One cried to another and said: The seraphim are not even directly addressing the LORD God here. They are proclaiming His glorious nature and character to one another, in the presence of the LORD.

Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts: Why do they repeat “holy” three times? Wasn’t it enough to simply say that the LORD was “holy” once? It wasn’t enough. They say it three times because there are Three Persons in the One God.

Calvin didn’t think that this was the best verse to prove the Trinity, but he still saw the truth of the Trinity here. “The ancients quoted this passage when the wished to prove that there are three persons in one essence of the Godhead … I have no doubt that the angels here describe One God in Three Persons.”

Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts: Why do they repeat “holy” three times? Wasn’t it enough to simply say that the LORD was “holy” once? It wasn’t enough. In the Hebrew language, intensity is communicated by repetition. To say the LORD is holy says something. To say the LORD is holy, holy, says far more. To say, holy, holy, holy is the LORD is to declare His holiness in the highest possible degree.

What does it mean that God is holy, and holy in the highest possible sense? Holiness, at its root, has the idea of apartness. It describes someone, or something, which is set apart from other people or things. An object can be holy if it is set apart for sacred service. A person is holy if they are set apart for God’s will and purpose.

What is the LORD set apart from? He is set apart from creation, in that the Lord GOD is not a creature, and He exists outside of all creation. If all creation were to dissolve, the Lord GOD would remain. He is set apart from humanity, in that His “nature” or “essence” is Divine, not human. God is not a super-man or the ultimate man. God is not merely smarter than any man, stronger than any man, older than any man, or better than any man. You can’t measure God on man’s chart at all. He is Divine, and we are human.

David Pawson wrote about God’s Holiness: “If somebody asks me what was the most fundamental, basic thing about God’s character that I knew, I would not say God is Love. I would say God is Light. I would say holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. Why would I say that? Because that is the basic Bible teaching. God’s holiness is His basic character. When you come up against a holy God your first reaction will not be to run to Him, but to run from Him.........you never realize how filthy you are until you meet someone Who is purely clean.”

The whole earth is full of His Glory: Of course, He is the Creator......

The posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out: The seraphim are majestic beings, and their voice carries weight. When they speak, the door posts of God’s throne room shake! The idea may be that Isaiah was watching from the door way, and when the seraphim cried out, he could feel the door posts shake.

The house was filled with smoke: This smoke reminds us of the pillar of cloud that represented the presence of God (Exodus 13:21–22), the smoke on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18), and the cloud of God’s Shekinah glory that filled the temple (1 Kings 8:10–12). A cloud of glory often marks the presence of the LORD.

This sight was so overwhelming that Isaiah’s only response was to declare himself, finished! He uses what he used to describe the Jews that were bore bad fruit in chapter 5...... “WOE”

“Woe is me, for I am undone” .........Isaiah’s sense of deep sinfulness is not uncommon in Scripture......In Job 42:5-6 “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: But now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent In dust and ashes.”...........Daniel declared this in Daniel 10:15-17 “And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb............. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.” .......Peter after Jesus had shown him His power int he catching of so many fish: Luke 5:8 “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”..........John in Revelation 1:17 “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:”

These declare that these are not isolated events and most definitely by their equal reactions, tells us that everyone will feel this way in the presence of God!

Actually, we should feel this way when we come to the knowledge of God! David Pawson again wrote: “Logically you cannot love God until you have been forgiven by God and logically you cannot be forgiven by God until you have realized that you are a sinner------and you cannot realize you are a sinner until you have realized that God is holy..........You cannot love God until you have seen that He is Holy. We only experience God’s love through forgiveness.”

What a powerful scene this is........what an eye opening scene, if we take Scripture seriously and truthfully......Isaiah not only saw his doom in his own sinfulness in his vision if God, he saw that even if he was right that he is associated with people that are just as unclean!

Isaiah considered himself doomed......

I look at this scene and I see a realization from Isaiah, that seems to convey what we (I) am missing........Not realizing the seriousness and gravity of God!

A thought comes to my mind when I read this.........I has a guy I used to work with say that his father-in-law would ride him around and point out churches and say “they just playing church”, he pointed out our church as well. However, when I think about this event in Isaiah’s life, I get the sense that up until this vision, that maybe Isaiah was playing church.......when he seen God in His rightful state and place, it was a whole new life at this point.

If we could only believe the truth of this scene and others in Scripture, we would see the weight of the spiritual life!

For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts: Isaiah was a righteous, godly man by all outward appearance. Yet when he saw the enthroned King, the LORD of hosts, he saw how sinful he was in comparison.

One of the seraphims flew to me: The seraphim went to the altar to get a hot burning coal with tongs..........this shows us that all purity flows from God,it is from His altar that we are purged not be any other means!

The altar: This must be heaven’s version of the altar of incense that was set before the holy of holies in the tabernacle of God (Exodus 30:1–10). We know that the earthly tabernacle God instructed Moses to build was made after the pattern of a heavenly reality (Exodus 25:9).

This was obviously a spiritual transaction. If one has a sinful mouth, it will do nothing to place a burning hot coal on their lips. That will not take away or purge their sin.

Yet, the same principle works on our behalf in regard to Jesus’ work on Calvary. Our sin was placed upon Him, and He was burned with the fire of God’s judgment. Yet because He was holy and righteous Himself, the fire of God’s judgment did not harm Him; it only burned away the sin, our sin.

I like Hebrews 9:13-14 “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Purge is the word, this is a mighty purging through Christ, a cleansing to make us clean before God and then serve Him!

Purged to Service, Isaiah was......verses 8-10............

Much has been made of verse 8 and rightly so......who will go for Us?

This is a reference to the Godhead, the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.......

God was speaking to the Son and The Spirit.......Isaiah , when he had been forgiven and cleansed said: “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah’s guilt was also removed and he was ready for service.......God always has a “GO” for His redeemed....

Go and tell these people, “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing but do not perceive.” God told Isaiah to go and preach to a people who wouldn’t respond, so that their guilt would be certain. As Trapp wrote, Isaiah would “Preach them to hell.”

What preacher could be satisfied with a ministry that made the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes? Isaiah might not be satisfied with it. The people might not be satisfied with it. But God would be satisfied with it.

And understand with their heart, and return and be healed: This shows what the word of God can accomplish when it is received with open eyes, ears, and heart. It brings understanding to our heart, it makes us return, and it brings healing to our lives. If you are under the word of God and these things aren’t happening to you, ask God to work with your eyes, ears, and heart!

Lord, how long? This is a logical question from anyone who is given such a difficult commission. “I have to preach to those who won’t hear, and their rejection of my message will ultimately seal their doom? How long will I have to serve in that kind of ministry?”

The answer: Preach until destruction comes (Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant). Preach in hope of the restoration of a remnant (yet a tenth will be in it, and will return). Even though Isaiah’s ministry was difficult, it was not without hope.

Only 10% of the people will be the stump

And be for consuming: The remnant will indeed return, but even the remnant will eventually be judged. Israel was not done being disobedient when the returned from the Babylonian captivity, and God was not done bringing His judgment on a disobedient Israel.

“The devastation, great as it was to be, would not be total; but even its survivors would have to submit to further judgment. The illustration from nature, however, introduces an element of hope.” (Grogan)

We would expect this dramatic call of Isaiah to open the book. But the Bible clearly states that the message is more important that the messenger. Isaiah’s message was more important than Isaiah the messenger.

When Isaiah saw the LORD, who did he see? He saw God in the Second Person of the Trinity, he saw Jesus before He added humanity to His deity. We know this because the Apostle John quotes Isaiah 6:10, and under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, adds: These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him (John 12:40-41 “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.”