In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, 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.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.
Isaiah 6 is a pivotal chapter in the Book of Isaiah, serving as both a powerful conclusion to the introductory chapters (Isaiah 1-5) and a dramatic launch into the prophet's ministry. It reveals the transformative encounter Isaiah had with the Lord, a vision that instilled in him a profound awareness of God's holiness and a sense of his own unworthiness. This experience ultimately led to his commissioning as a prophet to the nation of Judah, a call that came with both the privilege of service and the burden of delivering a difficult message. This chapter answers the question of what qualified Isaiah (Isaiah 1:1) to speak of Judah's sin and the Lord's coming judgment.
The Throne Room Vision (Isaiah 6:1-4)
Isaiah 6:1 states, "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple." This verse sets the scene with a specific historical marker: the death of King Uzziah around 740 BC. Uzziah's reign had been one of relative prosperity and strength for Judah (2 Chronicles 26:3-5). His death, therefore, likely created a sense of uncertainty and vulnerability. It was in this context of national transition that Isaiah received his extraordinary vision.
The vision itself is breathtaking. Isaiah sees the Lord, not as a mere earthly king, but as the sovereign ruler of the universe, seated on a "high and exalted" throne. The sheer magnitude of God's presence is emphasized by the "train of his robe" filling the entire temple. This imagery conveys God's immensity, majesty, and glory. Even amidst the potential turmoil following Uzziah's death, God remained firmly on His throne, a picture of sovereign control. Isaiah thus learned that the kingdom of God operates according to his will, not according to outward circumstances.
Above the Lord stood the seraphim, angelic beings described as having six wings (Isaiah 6:2). With two wings they covered their faces, symbolizing reverence and humility in the presence of divine holiness. With two wings they covered their feet, indicating a sense of unworthiness. And with two wings they used to fly, ready to execute God's commands. The seraphim continually cried out to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3). This threefold repetition of "holy" emphasizes the absolute perfection, purity, and separateness of God. It is a holiness that permeates all aspects of His being – His wrath, His sovereignty, and His love.
The power of their voices shook the temple foundations, and the temple was filled with smoke (Isaiah 6:4), representing the overwhelming glory of God.
Isaiah's Cleansing (Isaiah 6:5-7)
Overwhelmed by the vision of God's holiness, Isaiah cries out, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty" (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah is acutely aware of his own sinfulness and the sinfulness of the people around him. His "unclean lips" represent the imperfection and impurity of his speech. In the presence of God's perfect holiness, Isaiah recognizes his utter unworthiness. He felt like he was falling apart, unraveling before a holy God.
This recognition of sin is a crucial step in experiencing God's grace. One of the seraphim flies to Isaiah with a live coal taken from the altar (Isaiah 6:6). He touches Isaiah's mouth with it, saying, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for" (Isaiah 6:7). The altar represents sacrifice and atonement. The burning coal symbolizes purification. This act signifies that Isaiah's sin is cleansed through God's grace and mercy. Before Isaiah could speak for God, he needed to be cleansed by God.
The burning coal touching Isaiah's lips suggests that, in order for Isaiah to experience cleansing, he had to embrace the pain of the past that had gotten him there.
The Call to Serve (Isaiah 6:8-13)
Having been cleansed, Isaiah is now ready to respond to God's call. He hears the voice of the Lord asking, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8). The use of "us" may refer to the divine council or to the Trinity. Without hesitation, Isaiah answers, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8).
God then commissions Isaiah to deliver a message to the people of Judah, a message that is both sobering and challenging. The Lord tells Isaiah that the people will hear but not understand, and see but not perceive (Isaiah 6:9). Their hearts are hardened, their ears are dull, and their eyes are closed (Isaiah 6:10). This indicates that the people of Judah were already resistant to God's message.
Isaiah understandably asks, "For how long, Lord?" (Isaiah 6:11). The Lord responds that this spiritual blindness will continue until the cities lie in ruins and the land is desolate (Isaiah 6:11-12). However, even in the midst of this bleak pronouncement, there is a glimmer of hope. The Lord promises that a tenth will remain in the land, and this remnant will be like a "holy seed" (Isaiah 6:13). This seed points to the future Messiah, who will bring salvation and restoration.
The Lord ended Isaiah’s commissioning with a promise that a holy seed would remain as a remnant (Isaiah 6:13). In spite of the coming judgment, God was not finished with his people.
Implications for Today
Isaiah 6 offers several important lessons for us today. First, it reminds us of the importance of recognizing God's holiness. When we encounter God's holiness, we become aware of our own sinfulness and need for cleansing. Second, it demonstrates God's willingness to forgive and cleanse us from our sins. Through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, we can be made clean and acceptable to God. Third, it highlights the importance of responding to God's call to serve. Like Isaiah, we should be willing to say, "Here am I. Send me!" Finally, it reminds us that even in the midst of difficult circumstances, God's promises remain true. Even when we face rejection and opposition, we can trust that God is working out His purposes and that a remnant will be saved.
Isaiah needed this powerful revelation, because the people to whom Isaiah was being sent were a rebellious and sinful crowd who had already signaled their lack of interest in what God had to tell them. But Isaiah was ready for service after his cleansing, and he knew that Judah needed the same purging of sin and forgiveness that he had experienced.
Sometimes it takes a tragedy in our lives, or other negative circumstances, for us to truly see God. God is not merely interested in getting us to heaven. He wants us to see and experience him here. Sometimes God is most clearly seen in the midst of painful situations.
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, 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.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.
Isaiah 6 is a pivotal chapter in the Book of Isaiah, serving as both a powerful conclusion to the introductory chapters (Isaiah 1-5) and a dramatic launch into the prophet's ministry. It reveals the transformative encounter Isaiah had with the Lord, a vision that instilled in him a profound awareness of God's holiness and a sense of his own unworthiness. This experience ultimately led to his commissioning as a prophet to the nation of Judah, a call that came with both the privilege of service and the burden of delivering a difficult message. This chapter answers the question of what qualified Isaiah (Isaiah 1:1) to speak of Judah's sin and the Lord's coming judgment.
The Throne Room Vision (Isaiah 6:1-4)
Isaiah 6:1 states, "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple." This verse sets the scene with a specific historical marker: the death of King Uzziah around 740 BC. Uzziah's reign had been one of relative prosperity and strength for Judah (2 Chronicles 26:3-5). His death, therefore, likely created a sense of uncertainty and vulnerability. It was in this context of national transition that Isaiah received his extraordinary vision.
The vision itself is breathtaking. Isaiah sees the Lord, not as a mere earthly king, but as the sovereign ruler of the universe, seated on a "high and exalted" throne. The sheer magnitude of God's presence is emphasized by the "train of his robe" filling the entire temple. This imagery conveys God's immensity, majesty, and glory. Even amidst the potential turmoil following Uzziah's death, God remained firmly on His throne, a picture of sovereign control. Isaiah thus learned that the kingdom of God operates according to his will, not according to outward circumstances.
Above the Lord stood the seraphim, angelic beings described as having six wings (Isaiah 6:2). With two wings they covered their faces, symbolizing reverence and humility in the presence of divine holiness. With two wings they covered their feet, indicating a sense of unworthiness. And with two wings they used to fly, ready to execute God's commands. The seraphim continually cried out to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3). This threefold repetition of "holy" emphasizes the absolute perfection, purity, and separateness of God. It is a holiness that permeates all aspects of His being – His wrath, His sovereignty, and His love.
The power of their voices shook the temple foundations, and the temple was filled with smoke (Isaiah 6:4), representing the overwhelming glory of God.
Isaiah's Cleansing (Isaiah 6:5-7)
Overwhelmed by the vision of God's holiness, Isaiah cries out, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty" (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah is acutely aware of his own sinfulness and the sinfulness of the people around him. His "unclean lips" represent the imperfection and impurity of his speech. In the presence of God's perfect holiness, Isaiah recognizes his utter unworthiness. He felt like he was falling apart, unraveling before a holy God.
This recognition of sin is a crucial step in experiencing God's grace. One of the seraphim flies to Isaiah with a live coal taken from the altar (Isaiah 6:6). He touches Isaiah's mouth with it, saying, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for" (Isaiah 6:7). The altar represents sacrifice and atonement. The burning coal symbolizes purification. This act signifies that Isaiah's sin is cleansed through God's grace and mercy. Before Isaiah could speak for God, he needed to be cleansed by God.
The burning coal touching Isaiah's lips suggests that, in order for Isaiah to experience cleansing, he had to embrace the pain of the past that had gotten him there.
The Call to Serve (Isaiah 6:8-13)
Having been cleansed, Isaiah is now ready to respond to God's call. He hears the voice of the Lord asking, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8). The use of "us" may refer to the divine council or to the Trinity. Without hesitation, Isaiah answers, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8).
God then commissions Isaiah to deliver a message to the people of Judah, a message that is both sobering and challenging. The Lord tells Isaiah that the people will hear but not understand, and see but not perceive (Isaiah 6:9). Their hearts are hardened, their ears are dull, and their eyes are closed (Isaiah 6:10). This indicates that the people of Judah were already resistant to God's message.
Isaiah understandably asks, "For how long, Lord?" (Isaiah 6:11). The Lord responds that this spiritual blindness will continue until the cities lie in ruins and the land is desolate (Isaiah 6:11-12). However, even in the midst of this bleak pronouncement, there is a glimmer of hope. The Lord promises that a tenth will remain in the land, and this remnant will be like a "holy seed" (Isaiah 6:13). This seed points to the future Messiah, who will bring salvation and restoration.
The Lord ended Isaiah’s commissioning with a promise that a holy seed would remain as a remnant (Isaiah 6:13). In spite of the coming judgment, God was not finished with his people.
Implications for Today
Isaiah 6 offers several important lessons for us today. First, it reminds us of the importance of recognizing God's holiness. When we encounter God's holiness, we become aware of our own sinfulness and need for cleansing. Second, it demonstrates God's willingness to forgive and cleanse us from our sins. Through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, we can be made clean and acceptable to God. Third, it highlights the importance of responding to God's call to serve. Like Isaiah, we should be willing to say, "Here am I. Send me!" Finally, it reminds us that even in the midst of difficult circumstances, God's promises remain true. Even when we face rejection and opposition, we can trust that God is working out His purposes and that a remnant will be saved.
Isaiah needed this powerful revelation, because the people to whom Isaiah was being sent were a rebellious and sinful crowd who had already signaled their lack of interest in what God had to tell them. But Isaiah was ready for service after his cleansing, and he knew that Judah needed the same purging of sin and forgiveness that he had experienced.
Sometimes it takes a tragedy in our lives, or other negative circumstances, for us to truly see God. God is not merely interested in getting us to heaven. He wants us to see and experience him here. Sometimes God is most clearly seen in the midst of painful situations.