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“And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:7)

In the LORD’s personal and continual atonement from both the penalty of sin and the power of sin within the heart and soul of the believer in Christ, God not only forgives but also restores the individual in question to intimate fellowship between themselves and God.

This restoration is a personal restoration to intimate fellowship with the holy LORD. “And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips;” Why did the Seraphim angel touch Isaiah’s mouth with the hot coal from the Altar of Incense? It is because that was where the prophet was conscious of his unholiness. His speech had not been holy and separated from sinfulness.

This restoration was a painful for Isaiah unto intimate fellowship with the holy LORD. Repentance and restoration is not easy but it is necessary for intimate fellowship to be restored. It is seeing one’s sin, and the holy LORD, as it, and He, should be seen. No rationalization, no validation and no defensive explanation can replace the searing awareness of my sin and the gracious forgiveness and cleansing from God.

King David wrote, “¹ Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. ² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! ³ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. ⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.” (Psalm 51:1-4).

Though personal restoration with the LORD may be truly painful, it is also truly wonderful. “Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”  The prophet’s perversity, depravity and guilt for his sin was taken away. The LORD took it away. God forgave Isaiah of his sin. Cleansing had taken place because Isaiah’s sin had been covered by a substitutionary atonement, which is centered in Jesus Christ alone, and was prefigured for the Old Testament saint by the brazen altar of sacrifice.

John Calvin writes, “We see how God condescends to meet the weakness of human sense. He puts the tongs into the hand of a seraph, that by means of it he may take a coal from the altar and apply it to the Prophet’s mouth. By the aid of the outward sign God assisted the prophet’s understanding. There is no reason to believe that the coal possessed any virtue, as superstitious persons imagine that in the magical arts there is some hidden power. Nothing of this sort is to be found; for it is God alone who can cleanse our pollution in whatever part it exists.”

Calvin concludes by saying, “The angel administered the cleansing, but was not the author of it; so that we must not ascribe to another what belongs to God alone. This is expressly stated by the angel himself, who claims nothing as his own, but bringing forward the sacred pledge which he had received from God, laid it as a sacrament on the lips of the prophet. Not that he (Isaiah) could not be cleansed without the coal, but because the visible sign was useful for the confirmation and proof of the fact. And such is the use of sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper) to strengthen us in proportion to our ignorance; for we are not angels that can behold the mysteries of God without any assistance, and here He raises us to Himself by gradual advances.”

May the LORD so do to us what He did to the Prophet Isaiah.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

    

 

 

^“Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.” (Isaiah 6:6) 

A.W. Tozer, in his book The Knowledge of the Holy, writes, “The sudden realization of his personal depravity came a stroke from heaven upon the trembling heart of Isaiah at the moment when he had his revolutionary vision of the holiness of God. His pain-filled cry, ‘Woe is me! For I am undone’ because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts,’ expresses the feeling of every man who has discovered himself under his disguises and has been confronted with an inward sight of the holy whiteness that is God. Such an experience cannot but be emotionally violent.”

 In his 1923 book entitled “The Idea of the Holy,” Rudolf Otto calls the holiness of God the Incomprehensible Something and the Mysterium Tremendum, which means the awesome mystery. It is the permanent religious instinct, the sense within one’s mind, will, and especially one’s emotions for the unnamed Presence that is within all of creation. This Presence stuns the individual with a supernatural, supra-rational manifestation of the transcendent Other. When man is confronted with the holiness of God, he is brought low and overwhelmed. He can only tremble and be still.

Such was the case with the prophet. Such is the case with anyone who has truly  encountered the holiness of God. It may occur most frequently when reading and studying Scripture. This recently happened to me when I was reading and studying 2 Timothy 4:1-5 and Proverbs 4:1-19. The words, and their meaning, leaped off the page, so to speak, and I was confronted with holy truth while at the same time my unholy soul. God confronted me, convicted and convinced me of His Word’s sacredness and at the same time my un-sacredness and need for repentance and cleansing.

This repentance and cleansing is what we begin to witness in today’s text from Isaiah 6:6. The LORD did not leave Isaiah in a perpetual state of undoneness. He never does. He graciously provided cleansing, forgiveness and restoration once again for the prophet bringing him back into an intimate fellowship with Him. The LORD never compromises His holiness or presents His holiness to be thought of as less than it is. Rather, He restores the penitent sinner and raises them to an even greater awareness of the LORD’s awesome separateness from sin. Therefore, what God is, the redeemed and sanctified believer seeks to be (Leviticus 11:44; I Peter 1:13-16) which is holy.

God initiates the blessing. “Then one of the seraphim flew to me.” In the aftermath of the current scene, one of the Seraphim or burning ones who Isaiah had seen worshiping Yahweh. This one Seraphim flew, with the one set of wings given for that purpose, to Isaiah. God must have summoned the angel and dispatched him to the prophet.  

The Seraphim angel did not come empty handed. On the contrary, he had a burning coal in his hand. The word burning means glowing, live, and hot. The angel had removed the hot coal from the altar. Most likely, the altar in question here is the Golden Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1-10) which is located within the Holy Place of the Temple before the veil which separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. The Golden Altar of Incense represents the worship of Yahweh by the saints.

The golden altar was used for burning incense, which twice every day was offered by the priest after he had tended the wick and oil on the holy lamps. Its horns were also sprinkled with the blood of the sin offering. Poured out on burning coals the incense produced a delightful aroma in the Holy Place. It was the offering of the person whose sins had been forgiven by blood and who then went on to express the fragrance of love and worship, which was most pleasing to God.

The Golden Altar speaks to us of the worship of Jesus Christ and God’s people through him as our high priest and mediator. It was only on the basis of His one sacrifice on the altar of the cross that worship is made possible. The coals, which lit the incense, was carried from the altar of sacrifice to the Altar of Incense. The coal also represents that repentance and restoration can be painful but necessary.

Since we view Isaiah 6 not as the scene of Isaiah’s conversion but rather consecration to be God’s prophet, then it makes sense that the live coal would have come from the Altar of Incense indicating the Isaiah’s worship of Yahweh would be unhindered by his forgiven sin.

Take the opportunity today to thank the LORD for when He cleanses you from the guilt of your sin and purifies your heart and soul. While it may initially be painful, the blessing of repentance and restoration unto holiness is truly sweet.

Soli deo Gloria!

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5)

Upon experiencing the holy presence of the LORD, the Prophet Isaiah exclaimed, “Woe is me!” Was Isaiah being overly dramatic or was there a real weight of significance to what he said about, and to, himself? The fullness of his words must be examined within the historical context of the prophet’s main responsibility before God and before the people.

The prophet of God communicated a divine message. His sermons were not cleverly devised in his offices and in front of a computer. He did not wake up each morning wondering what he was going to say that would be creatively imaginative.

The prophet of God communicated a divine message from God. It was called an oracle. Oracles were announcements from God. God commanded the prophet to announce the oracle. He was not to change any word or dilute its full force.

Oracles could be in two forms. There were positive oracles, or oracles of good news. These were prefaced by the word blessed. However, there were also oracles of bad news or judgment. These oracles were prefaced by the word woe.”

Throughout the first five chapters of Isaiah, the oracle of woe is predominant in Isaiah’s messages from God to the people of Judah. However, in recalling God’s divine commission to the office of prophet, Isaiah does not announce an oracle of woe upon the nation but rather upon himself. The grammar in the Hebrew indicates that he did so repeatedly.

Isaiah’s continuous cry of woe is a passionate cry of grief or despair. He is in a condition of great sorrow. He not only feels this grief, but he is also aware of it in his mind and will. In other words, his soul is filled with remorse. He is lost or undone. He recognizes that he is in a ruinous condition. In the dazzling display of God’s holiness, Isaiah is ready to die.

Isaiah’s great sorrow is first and foremost not about the sins of the nation, but rather about his own personal sins. In particular, his speech. He is undone because of his polluted and impure words. He, who has the responsibility of communicating God’s holy Word, acknowledges that he is filled with his own sinful and polluted words. As one commentator explains, “His consciousness of having unclean lips, his tongue or speech, was in no doubt because “He had just heard holy lips sing perfect praise.”

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “If the lips are unclean, so is the heart. This vision of God’s holiness vividly reminded the prophet of his own unworthiness, which deserved judgment. Job (Job 42:6) and Peter (Luke 5:8) came to the same realization about themselves when confronted with the presence of the Lord (cf. Ezek. 1:28–2:7; Rev. 1:17).”    

Isaiah’s statement is most striking because he was probably the most righteous man within the nation of Judah. Much like the Prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:1-21) Isaiah does not dismiss the nation’s sins, but first and foremost acknowledges his own sin. He is not comparing himself to other people, but rather to God. Isaiah is a broken man because he has seen the holy, holy, holy LORD.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Isaiah’s call to ministry is well known, and it is remarkable for what it says about Isaiah and all other human beings. Without a doubt, the prophet was one of the most righteous and holy men in all of Judah, for the prophets were generally known for their piety and devotion to our Creator. Consequently, one might expect Isaiah to be confident in the presence of God and for the Lord to praise His servant for His goodness. Yet that is not what happened when Isaiah met Yahweh “in the year that King Uzziah died” (Isa. 6:1). Confronted with a vision of God on His throne, Isaiah could only proclaim an oracle of woe upon himself (v. 5). An oracle of woe was the worst prophecy that could be given of a nation or an individuals, and here Isaiah applies it to himself for his uncleanness (v. 5). As holy as Isaiah might have been in comparison to the other Judahites in his day, he was absolutely filthy in comparison to the Lord God Almighty.”

The only way unholy people can be in the presence of the thrice holy LORD is to possess His holiness. This the believer in Christ has by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. It is called justification (Romans 3:21-26). Take time today to thank the LORD for His gracious mercy in declaring sinners righteous in His sight on the basis of Jesus’ substitutionary atonement on the cross. This atonement will be vividly illustrated as the text of Isaiah 6 continues to unfold.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5)

When an individual comes to an understanding of the LORD’s holiness, they also come to an understanding of their sinfulness. What was true of Israel, the Apostle Peter (Luke 5:1-11) and the Apostle John (Revelation 1:9-20) was also true for Isaiah ben Amoz.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes that, “The prophet in the Old Testament was a lonely man. He was a rugged individualist singled out by God for a painful task. He served as a prosecuting attorney of sorts, the appointed spokesman of the Supreme Judge of heaven and earth to bring suit against those who had sinned against the bench. The prophet as not an earthly philosopher who wrote his opinions for scholars to discuss; he was not a playwright who composed dramas for public entertainment. He was a messenger, a herald of a cosmic king. His announcements were prefaced by the words, ‘Thus says the LORD’.”

Such a prophet was Isaiah ben Amoz. Isaiah was a prophet of prophets. What the New York Yankees are to professional baseball and the New England Patriots are to the National Football League, the example for which all other teams are compared, so was Isaiah. Along with Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, Isaiah is referred to as major prophet.

Isaiah ministered in and around Jerusalem as a prophet to the Kingdom of Judah during the reigns of four kings: Uzziah (called “Azariah” in 2 Kings), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Isa. 1:1), from 739–686 B.C. He evidently came from a family of some nobility because he had easy access to the king (7:3). He was married and had two sons who bore symbolic names: “Shear-jashub” (“a remnant shall return,” 7:3) and “Maher-shalal-hash-baz” (“the spoil speeds, the prey hastens,” 8:3). 

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “When called by God to prophesy, in the year of King Uzziah’s death (c. 739 B.C.), he responded with a cheerful readiness, though he knew from the beginning that his ministry would be one of fruitless warning and exhortation (6:9–13). Having been reared in Jerusalem, he was an appropriate choice as a political and religious counselor to the nation. Isaiah was a contemporary of Hosea and Micah. His writing style has no rival in its versatility of expression, brilliance of imagery, and richness of vocabulary. The early church father Jerome likened him to Demosthenes, the legendary Greek orator. His writing features a range of 2,186 different words, compared to 1,535 in Ezekiel, 1,653 in Jeremiah, and 2,170 in the Psalms. Second Chronicles 32:32 records that he wrote a biography of King Hezekiah also. The prophet lived until at least 681 B.C. when he penned the account of Sennacherib’s death (cf. 37:38).”

Tradition teaches that Isaiah met his death under King Manasseh (c. 695–642 B.C.) by being cut in two with a wooden saw (cf. Heb. 11:37).

A final note. What set the prophet of God apart from all other men and their occupations was the sacredness of God’s call. A prophet did not apply for the job. God sovereignly selected who would serve Him as a prophet. Because God’s call upon a man to be His prophet was a sovereign one, it was an offer an individual could not refuse. Additionally, the call and job of being a prophet was for life. There was not quitting or retiring. The prophet’s job ended the day he died.

What we witness in Isaiah 6 is not an account of Isaiah’s conversion but rather an account of God’s call. Upon witnessing the heavenly seraphim choir give praise to the thrice holy LORD of the universe, Isaiah was anything but ready to be a prophet. It is to this call, and Isaiah’s initial reaction, that we will examine when next we meet.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

“And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.” (Isaiah 6:4)

What was the result of the seraphim’s constant praise of the LORD as holy, holy, holy? There were two.

First, “the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called.” The foundations refers to a unit of measurement. Perhaps this pertains to the earthly temple Isaiah may have been near. It is the solid ground base on which a building rests. The threshold refers to a strip of wood or stone forming the bottom of a doorway and crossed in entering a house or room.

Isaiah had crossed the threshold from the common to the uncommon. He had crossed the threshold from the secular to the sacred. He had crossed the threshold from the profane to the holy. This is to be the believers’ perspective each and every time they enter into a place in order to worship the LORD. Places of worship are often called a sanctuary. The word sanctuary, in the context of worship, is the inmost recess or holiest part of a temple or church.

The foundations of the threshold shook. It vibrated, trembled and tottered. Why? It was because of the voice of each seraphim who called out and proclaimed the LORD to be holy, holy, holy.

The second result of the seraphim’s praise was that “the house was filled with smoke.” The temple, literally “the house,” was filling with smoke. This is a reference of God’s righteous and holy wrath. Psalm 18:6-12 David writes, “⁶ In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. ⁷ Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. ⁸ Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. ⁹ He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. ¹⁰ He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. ¹¹ He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. ¹² Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.”

On commentator explains that, “Most significantly, the Hebrew words āšān, for smoke, is used of Yahweh in two ways. First, smoke is a marked attendant to the theophany’s to Abram (Gen 15:17), Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex 19:18; 20:18; cf. Psalm 104:32; 144:5; II Sam 22:9; Psalm 18:8; Isaiah 4:5; Joel 2:30, and in Isaiah’s vision of God (Isaiah 6:4). The origin of the figure is obscure, but the portent is clear. Smoke (along with fire) proclaims the terror of Yahweh, the confrontation of his holiness with man’s sin. Secondly, the verb and noun may refer to the anger of Yahweh (Deuteronomy 29:20; Psalm 74:1; 80:4; Isaiah 65:5).”

What effect will this scene have upon the Prophet Isaiah? Discover the answer when next we meet.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!  

  

 

 

 

 

And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)

What do the seraphim angels of Isaiah 6:2 do before the throne of God above? They never cease giving Him praise. The statement “and one called to another and said,” indicates an active and continuous activity by the seraphim before the LORD. The verbs “called” and “said” respectively refer to not only a shout and a proclamation but also a command that is antiphonally and continuously exchanged between the seraphim.

What do the seraphim continuously shout, proclaim and command between each other and before the LORD? Two statements. These are two proclamations of biblical truth.

The first statement is, ““Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” The word “holy” (qados) means sacred, set apart from sin, commanding respect and awesomeness. It is the only attribute of God that is elevated by repetition to the third degree. The LORD is never said to be love, love, love, or just, just, just. He is, however, called holy, holy, holy. The seraphim’s song is called the Ttrisagion meaning “three times holy.” This is done for emphasis.

Notice also the state of being verb “is.” This means that the LORD not only behaves in a holy, holy, holy manner but is also holy, holy, and holy by nature and being. The repetition may also indicate an evidence of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The phrase “LORD of hosts” is also employed by the seraphim. As previously noted, the noun LORD in all capital letters refers the reader to the most personal name for God: the Hebrew name Yahweh. It identifies the LORD as the self-existent God of the universe. In other words “I Am that I Am” (Exodus 3; John 6; 8:58; 9; 10; 11; 14; 15).  It is He alone who is the LORD of hosts. The word “hosts” is a military term. It is the Prophet Isaiah’s frequent name for God; he used it at least sixty-five times. “Lord of the armies” is what it means.

The second statement is, “the whole earth is full of his glory!” The word “whole” means completely, total and all. The entire earth, or created universe, is abundantly filled with the LORD’s splendor, honor and the manifestation of His glorious presence (Psalm 19).

John Calvin writes, “Now, when we are informed that the angels are employed in uttering the glory of God, let us know that their example is set before us for imitation; for the most holy service that we can render to Him is to be employed in praising His name. When He associates us with angels, it is in order that while we sojourn on earth, we may resemble and be joined to the inhabitants of heaven. That the harmony between us and the angels may be in every respect complete. We must take care not only that the praises of God may be sounded by our tongues, but likewise that all the actions of our life may correspond to our professions. This will only be done if the chief aim of our actions be the glory of God.”

May we all today be in harmony with the seraphim angels in giving God all the praise and honor He deserves; not only in our speech but also in our thoughts and actions.

Soli deo Gloria!  

 

^“Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.” (Isaiah 6:2).

Who, or what, are the seraphim? Grammatically we know that there are more than one seraphim because the word is in the plural form. Beyond that we know that they are angelic beings mentioned only twice in the Bible, both occurring in the same chapter of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:2, 6). Even though the word seraphim is plural in number, it is impossible to say how many Isaiah seraphim actually saw.

The word seraphim can be translated as fiery serpent or burning ones. Today’s text describes each seraphim as having six wings: two shielded the face, two covered the feet, and the remaining pair enabled the seraphim to fly.

One commentary explains that, “the most that can be said from the available evidence is that they were exalted spiritual entities who were occupied constantly in the praise and worship of God. Most probably the seraphim were an order of celestial beings comparable in nature to the cherubim (Ezekiel 1; 10; Revelation 4) and engaged in a somewhat similar form of service around the divine throne.”

It is interesting to note that the seraphim actively and continuously stood respectfully before the Lord. As we will see later in the text, they do so in worship and praise by acknowledging the holiness of Yahweh. 

As another commentator explains, “When we consider the topic of angels, we face an interesting paradox. Clearly, angels have played an important role in the history of God’s people. Scripture, in fact, uses the Greek word for “angel” (angelos) more often than it uses the Greek word for “sin” (hamartia). At the same time, the Word of God tells us very little specifically about the angels. Evidently, the Lord wants us to know that His angels are key players in the outworking of His purposes, but He has also determined not to tell us all that we might want to know about the angels. We must therefore be content with what He has revealed, trusting that it gives us everything we need to know about the angels on this side of glory.”

 “One of the most extensive descriptions of angels in the Bible is found in Isaiah 6:1–7, which gives us information about the seraphim. These seraphim worship the Lord continually in heaven, shielding their faces with two of their six wings. Even the angels cannot bear to look directly on the glory of God, which frequently manifests itself as blinding rays of light (Matt. 17:1–3; Acts 9:1–9; Rev. 1:16). Angels are supernatural beings, but they remain creatures who are in a distinct class from their Creator. They cannot enjoy a direct view of God’s majesty. Isaiah 6:1–7 tells us that the seraphim focus their praise on the Lord in His holiness, naming Him as holy in threefold repetition. That is instructive for us. If the angels exalt the Lord God Almighty as holy, surely we cannot afford to do anything less.”

Four wings pertain to worship and two refer to service. Perhaps an illustration that prior to service, and more important than service as important as serving the Lord is, worship is more important. Worship must precede service.

 John Calvin writes that, “Having declared that God appeared to him (Isaiah) full of majesty and of glory, he adds that God was attended by angels whom the Prophet calls seraphim on account of their fervor. Though the etymology of this word is well known, yet various reasons are adduced. Some think that they are called seraphim because they burn with the love of God. Others, because they are swift like fire. Others, because they are bright. However they may be, this description holds out to us, as in sunbeams, the brightness of God’s infinite majesty that we may learn by it to behold and adore His wonderful and overwhelming glory.”

 Soli deo Gloria!   

 

 

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1)

Understanding the subject of holiness brings us to an understanding of who God is. As we begin studying Isaiah 6:1-7, we initially see that God is eternally sovereign. This is in contrast to Judah’s King Uzziah who ruled for 52 years, certainly a lengthy reign for any human monarch, but which pales in comparison to the Lord’s rule and reign.

The text begins by saying, “In the year that King Uzziah died.” The year was 739 B.C. Uzziah’s death was ultimately caused by leprosy. While leprosy was a common skin disease in the ancient world and which was perceived as highly contagious, Uzziah’s condition was a direct judgment from the Lord. 2 Chronicles 26:16 states, “But when he (Uzziah) became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.”

Dr. John MacArthur writes that, “Uzziah attempted to usurp the role of the priest, which is forbidden in the Leviticus code (law). See Numbers 13:10; 18:7. Proverbs 16:18 indicates that pride precipitates a fall, and it did in his case. Even the king could not live above God’s law”

 Following the death of a king who had such a lengthy and prosperous rule must have prompted the Prophet Isaiah perhaps to seek the Lord for guidance with respect to the then current, and future, well-being of the Nation of Judah. The prophet encountered much more than he could have anticipated.

“I saw the Lord.” Isaiah personally perceived, observed and was attentive to the Lord. The English rendering “Lord” is in reference to the Hebrew title Adonai, which means Master and sovereign One. It is a title for God’s sovereign deity focusing on His authority and majesty as ruler of the universe.

The question is asked, “How could Isaiah see God, who is Spirit (John 4:24)? How could God be seen in a visible shape? John Calvin comments that, “We ought to be aware that when God exhibited Himself to the view of the Fathers, He never appeared such as He actually is but such as the capacity of men could receive. God comes down to them in such a manner as to cause some kind of mirror to reflect the rays to His glory. There was, therefore, exhibited to Isaiah such a form as enabled him, according to his capacity, to perceive the inconceivable majesty of God; and thus he attributes to God a throne, a robe and a bodily appearance.”

 Who exactly was the Lord that Isaiah saw? The principle of Scripture interpreting Scripture is very applicable here because John 12:39-41 says, “³⁹ Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, ⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” ⁴¹ Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.” Isaiah saw the pre-incarnate glory of Jesus Christ, who as the second person of the Godhead is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).

Isaiah then mentions three things about the Lord who he saw. The Lord was “sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.”

First, what does “sitting upon a throne” mean? The word “sitting” is an active participle and it means dwelling and abiding. It figuratively refers to God’s royal dignity, authority, and power. He is sovereignly in control.

Second, what does “high and lifted up” mean? Other similar words include lofty and exalted. Judah’s King Uzziah may have occupied a lofty position as king, but there is no one more highly exalted than the Lord. In other words, the LORD is worthy of all praise.

Third, what does “and the train of his robe filled the temple” mean? Unlike King Uzziah who died an unhealthy and segregated death because of his diseased body, the Lord is eternally healthy, valued, satisfying and strong. The robe is an extension of His personhood. God’s person appears in the temple, which is where He said that He would meet His people (I Kings 8) so they would know that everything they have is from the Lord (James 1:17). There is no place within the temple which He is not present.

Dr. John Walvoord explains that, “Three things struck Isaiah about God: He was seated on a throne, He was high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple. In the most holy place of the temple in Jerusalem, God’s glory was evident between the cherubim on the atonement cover over the Ark of the Covenant. Therefore some Israelites may have erroneously thought that God was fairly small. However, Solomon, in his dedicatory prayer for the new temple, had stated that no temple could contain God and that in fact even the heavens could not contain Him (1 Kings 8:27). Therefore Isaiah did not see God on the Ark of the Covenant, but on a throne. Almost 150 years later Ezekiel had a similar experience. He envisioned God being borne along on a great chariot throne by living creatures called cherubim (Ezek. 1). To Isaiah, the throne emphasized that the Lord is indeed the true King of Israel.”

Not only would Isaiah would see the Lord, but also he could hear something about the Lord. That is what we will consider when next we meet.

Soli deo Gloria!

^26” He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come! ²⁷ None is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers or sleeps, not a waistband is loose, not a sandal strap broken; ²⁸ their arrows are sharp, all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs seem like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind. ²⁹ Their roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar; they growl and seize their prey; they carry it off, and none can rescue. ³⁰ They will growl over it on that day, like the growling of the sea. And if one looks to the land, behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened by its clouds.” (Isaiah 5:26-30)

The Prophet Isaiah ministered for the LORD, and on behalf of the LORD’s people, from 739-686 B.C. The LORD prepared His people for His eventual judgment upon them, which would come prophetically, and later historically, in 605 B.C. This judgment was because of Judah’s unrepentant sin against the LORD and against each other. God’s judgment would come through the secondary means of the 8^th century conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel by Assyria in 722 B.C. and the 7^th century B.C. conquest of the southern kingdom of Judah by the Babylonian Empire.

Dr. James N. Anderson, professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, N.C. writes, “The Reformed or Calvinistic doctrines of providence and predestination are often charged with being fatalistic. Yet this characterization trades on some deep confusions. Calvinism does indeed affirm that all events in creation are foreordained by God. As the Westminster Confession of Faith puts it, “God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass” (3.1). Nevertheless, the Confession immediately adds that this divine fore-ordination does not render meaningless the wills of God’s creatures. On the contrary, God normally works out His eternal purposes though secondary causes such as human agents and natural processes. Biblical examples of God directing human actions to His own ends include the story of Joseph (Gen. 45:5–8; 50:20), the Assyrian conquest of the kingdom of Israel (Isa. 10:5–11), and the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus (Acts 4:27–28).”

God’s use of the Babylonians against the Jewish people is another example of His use of secondary causes to accomplish His will. God not only determined the final outcome of events in Judah’s and Jerusalem’s destruction, but also the means to those ends.

The poetic description of the Babylonian invaders is striking and terrifying. They are a force with which to be reckoned. There will be no escape for God’s rebellious people from God’s righteous judgment.

Even as Isaiah prophesied this judgment, the Prophet Habakkuk recoiled against it. He could not fathom how a holy God could use an unholy nation, such as Babylon, to punish Judah (Habakkuk 1:1-2:1). Ultimately, Habakkuk submitted to the LORD’s righteous sovereignty and providence (Habakkuk 3:1-19).

Another theologian explains it this way: “The fallen world is a hard place to live. And yet, God’s sovereignty mitigates that world. Though the bad things that happen are in accord with His sovereign will, He continues to love His creation. The beauties, satisfactions, and pleasures of life are the deeper signs of God’s sovereignty.”

God would preserve a remnant from Judah who would obediently follow Him. The Book of Daniel is a testimony to this truth.

The LORD still retains a believing remnant in this fallen world. It is the church. May each of us who has received Jesus Christ as Savior and LORD be a fervent and vocal witness to those who are lost and who face a certain judgment from God.

Soli deo Gloria!