The Vision of God: Isaiah, “I’m Undone!”
“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” (Isaiah 6:1, 8).
These verses surely have and ought to impress many a man. It is here, whence, as it were, man is brought closer to that glory that cannot be seen by man but God Himself. Let us note by way of particulars what the prophet is describing:
But first, let the writer give a general comment on the whole. Many scholars have thought that this part of Scripture was Isaiah’s call to prophetical office. But to mine eyes, I see these claims as less satisfactory. Reason being, the placing and manner of this vision goest against such conjectures. A prophet, when called, would normally (or at least indicate) their call in the office in the first openings. That is, Jeremiah 1:10; Ezekiel 1:1, etc., Note, as one Lowth would comment:
“This was a new designation, to introduce more solemnly a general declaration of the whole course of God’s dispensations in regard to his people, and the fates of the nations.”
Very well, then. Having said that, let us note the particulars, yea briefly.
“In the year that King Uzziah died.” A conjecture is made to be in the year 759. We are not certain whether the vision happened before or after King Uzziah’s reign.
“I saw also.” Rendered, ‘then it was that I was that I saw.’ What did he see? The Lord. Here it does not mean “Jehovah” or “Yahweh” or as it is rendered in our English Bibles, “the LORD.” It is ‘Lord’ which shows a greater reverence. That is, “Adonai (y).”
“Sitting upon a throne, and high and lifted up.” The LORD is always portrayed to have seated. It is a sense of being in control. He is sovereign. Nothing moves Him but the prayers of his beloved saints. But notice the imagery here from Isaiah. It is the way earthly kings carry themsleves. They are always in their palace, seated at their throne. Like in Egypt and Assyria, thrones were elevated high and lifted up.
“His train.” This is the skirts of his robe, not attendants. “Flowing robes were commonly worn by great monarchs.”
“Filled the temple.” The robes, Isaiah still being in the vision, might have seen the royal robe filling the temple or the heavenly palace. “It is the heavenly palace of the King of kings into which the prophet’s gaze is allowed to penetrate.”
“Above it stood the seraphims.” The seraphim are given not as well known, “with the article”, but without it, as unknown. The word is rendered meaning, “the fiery ones.” Fiery doth signify a loving burn, or zeal in the heavenly places. They are said to have been “standing” a sign of readiness to minister. They are ever ready to minister.
They appear to have been human, but marked differently with the inclusion of the wings.
“With twain he covered his face.” This shows a sense of rapid flight. I say this, given the presence of the “six wings.” Or more generally, a flight more swiftly, marked with speed. The wings had different roles: (1) It covered their face from that glory that is so bright to behold with a naked eye, yea, even they, what we call heavenly bodies, that is, angels. (2) The wings covered or concealed their feet, that is, “soiled in their various ministrations, and unmeet for the all-pure presence.” And (3) The wings would serve the very purpose of its duty, as it were, to fly. A ready stature to be sent.
“One cried.” That is, kept crying. And what do they cry? “Holy, Holy, Holy!” This is that attirbute that makes God be God. It is His higher attribute. All others are majestic, but this, lo, is the epitome that sets him farther apart from all that is contary to Him. I say, Holiness is the mother to all God’s attributes. Never will God divorce this so “holy” an attribute. He is Holy! God is Holy (emphasis added!). It is seen and heard from His own handwriting, the Holy Scriptures, that he loves to be associated with the word, holy.
“The whole earth is full of his glory.” Notes ones scholar: “Even in heaven the seraphic thoughts are turned to earth, and its relation to its Divine Creator is made the subject of angelic utterances.” God is in charge of this world. It is his! The earth, not only the earth, but the “whole earth is full of his glory!”
“The posts of the door moved.” His voice shook the foundations on “which the threshold of the gates of heaven rested: a testimony to the energy with which it was uttered. At the voice of him that cried; i.e., “at the voice of earth and all.”
“The house was filled with smoke.” We see the mention of “smoke” in many places. This is sometimes related with the mere presence of God, “but more often it indicates his presnece in anger or judgment. Here there had been no smoke at first, and we must suppose it, therefore, a sign of the anger which finds vent in.”
We now enter to the sequel of the vision:
When Isaiah is brought in the presnece of God’s glory, he feels his burden. A sense of unworthiness. Here is a called prophet, yet, very unworthy. Let us note some particular happenings.
“Woe is me.” Never will that which is unholy survive in front of that which is holy. Here we have, as it were, a sinful man before a holy God. What tongue can boast of its worthiness in the presence of the infinite Perfect? It is worthy and just he cries, “woe is me!”
“I am undone!” Literally this means, cut off, or destroyed. God said whilst Moses was requesting to behold Him as He is. He says: “There shall no man see me and live.” Plainly, God is saying: those who want to see Me in Person, as in their finite and unholy state, lo, they will die. To see God is to die. But hereafter, after the saints perfect glorification (in Christ), I say, to see God is to live, yea, from everlasting to everlasting.
It is noteworthy one records thus:
“Men expected to die even when they had seen angels of God.”
“I am a man of unclean lips.” Isaiah’s lips were not clean in God’s sight. Him who carried oracles for God, and seen maybe in the society as man clean, here confesses, “I’m unclean.” It is the manner of God’s holiness to humble many a man who flatter to have their perfect holiness below-here.
“I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” That is, all men, even they that were of his nation, are all alike unclean. Not one is worthy.
“A live coal.” Or rendered, a glowing stone. “The tongs…the altar.” “The presence of an altar in the heavenly dwelling, with the usual appuretenances, is assumed. The altar is, no doubt, an altar of incense, and of gold, not of stone; but the incence is burnt upon stones which the angel takes with the golden tongs of the sanctuary.”
“He laid it upon my mouth.” Literally rendered, he caused it to touch my mouth. Or, “touched my mouth with it.”
“Thine iniquity is taken away.” Now the Holy God, whom his eyes cannot endure evil, here now, as to his compassionate and merciful character, he purges the prophets sin. He comforts Isaiah. Isaiah would have been still in a sense of despair, having seen the glory of God. The Divine Love of God is seen here, that indeed sin can be purged and atoned for. Not by angels, or relics, but God alone through Christ alone, His beloved Son ( John 3:16; Rom. 5:8).
We now come to our last part: Isaiah’s entrusted mission.
God asks, “Whom shall I send?” Now here, some think that God consults his creatures. But he does not “really” consult, “nor do his messengers do his errands for them. The plural form is best explained by the light which verse 3 throws on it, as indicative of the doctrine of the Trinity (comp. 1:26).”
To this question, Isaiah responds, “Hear ye indeed.” Note, it does not say, “I am Here,” but, “Here I am” (ESV). God is not interested with his geographical location. He knows where Isaiah is. Isaiah heeds to go on a mission for God. Let him take God’s Word to his people.
Dear beloved, ye Christian, O man! Observe here. Many a man thinkest to themselves that they are clean. But in reality, God’s holiness renders us as liars. Here was a prophet brought face to face with that glory that is too high to be exhausted or fully grasped. A John the disciple, and an Isaiah the prophet teach us that the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, is a God who is to be worshipped and obeyed in awe.
A Christian is not led in tyranny by God, but His love. Let us pray that God would reveal to us who He is, our eyes are often blinded by the spectacles of this world, and all of them have one word: VANITY! Let us open the Holy Scriptures and there learn to behold God as He has revealed Himself. Let us fall with Isaiah, when he came to see his true self. And there in humility (on our knees); let us wait for God’s touch with a coal.
As for you, O sinner, unrepenting Christian, ye who hides in forms morality, but no godliness. Come off from these conditions of hypocrisy. Let us confess with our dear prophet, “We are unclean. Men of unclean lips. Woe is us! Come and save us, O LORD!” If thou doest thus, God’s assurance of pardon and the merits of Christ, will be clothed unto thee. And therefore, “thine iniquity will be taken away, and thine sin will be purged.”
Let our response be, “Here I am, LORD. Send thee!”
