ISAIAH 6 YAHWEH ON THE THRONE

 

ISAIAH 6

YAHWEH on the throne

 

Isa 6:1  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. 

Isaiah’s prophetic ministry began during King Uzziah’s reign. This vision came at a time of personal distress, when Isaiah had delivered several messages from God but was troubled by their nature. The vision is precisely dated for certainty. He saw the LORD—manifested through the Lord Jesus Christ—enthroned above all rulers, His majestic robes filling the Most Holy Place of the temple in Jerusalem.

Isa 6:2  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. 

The seraphim hovered above the Lord’s throne, each possessing six wings. Two covered their faces, two covered their feet, and the remaining two enabled them to fly. Their posture reflected deep reverence and awe, teaching us to approach God with humility and thoughtful veneration rather than rushing carelessly into His presence.

Isa 6:3  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 

In the presence of the Lord, the seraphim cried out, declaring His holiness. Their unceasing praise acknowledged that the entire earth is filled with His glory. All creation reflects His wisdom, goodness, power, and holiness.

Isa 6:4  And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 

The very foundations trembled at the seraphim’s proclamation, and the temple was enveloped in smoke—a visible sign of God’s divine presence.

Isa 6:5  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. 

Isaiah was overwhelmed by the majesty of the Lord and the profound worship of the seraphim. Convicted of his own unworthiness and sinfulness, he immediately confessed his impurity and that of his people, recognizing their inability to truly praise such a holy and exalted God. He feared judgment, knowing he had seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Whenever we become aware of God’s presence, we also become deeply conscious of our own unworthiness.

Isa 6:6  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: 

One of the seraphim left the temple, entered the courtyard, and took a burning coal from the altar of burnt offering—its fire kindled by the Lord from heaven.

Isa 6:7  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. 

The seraphim pressed the burning coal to Isaiah’s lips, declaring that his iniquity was removed and his sins cleansed. This act confirmed Isaiah’s commission as God’s messenger to His people.

Isaiah's Commission from the Lord

Isa 6:8  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. 

Upon hearing the Lord’s call for someone to carry out His mission, Isaiah responded with readiness and willingness: “Here am I; send me.”

Isa 6:9  And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 

Isaiah’s prophetic ministry would paradoxically increase the people’s spiritual insensitivity. Their hearts were already hardened by sin, so they would hear his words yet fail to understand, and witness the fulfilment of prophecy yet remain blind to its meaning.

Isa 6:10  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. 

The prophet’s message was meant to stir the people, yet their hardened hearts would render them unresponsive. Their minds would become dull, their ears heavy, and their eyes shut, preventing them from receiving and understanding the truth. Because they refused to turn to God, they would not be healed from their sins.

Isa 6:11  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, 

The prophet asked how long such messages would be proclaimed and how long their effects would endure. The Lord responded that the truth must be declared until the land was completely devastated and left without inhabitants. His answer foretold a certain and widespread desolation upon the nation.

Isa 6:12  And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. 

The Lord would send the people into captivity in foreign lands, leaving the cities and dwellings abandoned. The destruction would be so severe that the land would be left deserted.

Isa 6:13  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. 

Though the land would be devastated, signs of life would remain—like the stump of an oak or terebinth tree after it has been cut down. A remnant, a tenth of the people, would return after seeking refuge in neighbouring lands such as Egypt, Moab, Ammon, and Edom. However, they would still endure God’s judgments for their purification. Ultimately, only those who possess the vitality of God within them—the pure and holy—would withstand and live.

 

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