“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to 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 were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: ‘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 my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.’ Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’” Isaiah 6:1-8.
Would that every Christian could have an experience like this, how much different we would be in our walk and the fervency of our message.
Still there have been very few men who have seen God in a vision like this.
Men like Isaiah, and Ezekiel had to bear a tremendous burden when they brought God’s messages to a people who would scoff, reject, imprison, and often kill God’s prophets.
Job too saw God in great power, though Job did not so much carry a message to the people, since his life was the message to all of us.
“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: ‘Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’” Job 38:1-3.
“Then Job answered the Lord and said: ‘I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, “Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?” Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, “I will question you, and you shall answer Me.” I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’” Job 42:1-6.
The Apostle Paul too carried a heavy burden by dedicating his life to spreading the gospel throughout the Roman Empire, and writing most of the New Testament.
In time he was rejected by his own people and nearly killed more than once.
It all began when he was knocked off his horse by a vision of the risen glorified Christ, recorded in Acts chapter 9, and later followed up with a vision of heaven.
“I know a man [Paul himself] in Christ who fourteen years ago – whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows – such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man – whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows – how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” 2 Corinthians 12:2-4.
Like the martyrdom of Isaiah, Paul was ultimately rejected, and beheaded by the Roman authorities.
As for the rest of us God wants us to walk by faith.
“So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:6-7.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.
King Uzziah also known as Azariah died circa 739 B.C. this man was a great godly king who expanded Judah’s territory so much so that it was nearly as large as it was before the kingdom of Israel split after King Solomon died in 931 B.C.
“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.” 2 Chronicles 26:16.
King Uzziah’s downfall came when he was strong and was lifted up in pride, so much so that he tried to offer incense in the temple. He insisted in doing this even though 81 priests tried to stop him.
What did stop him though was when leprosy began to break out on his forehead, and the priests rushed him out of the temple. The king spent the rest of his life living in a separate residence, and appointed his son Jotham as coregent (2 Chronicles 26, 2 Kings 15:1-7).
The nation of Judah began shortly afterward to slip into spiritual and moral bankruptcy, which causes inflation and real bankruptcy. It was concerning Judah’s apostasy that many of Isaiah’s prophecies were directed at.
Just as the United States, the nation of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel had become prosperous, fat and lazy, and that always produces apostasy and a complete moral breakdown.
Read Isaiah chapter five and notice the parallel between Judah’s apostasy and that of the United States.
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.” Isaiah 6:1.
This would have been an impressive sight. The location is the temple in Jerusalem and Isaiah would have been able to see the Lord God seated on a throne over the Ark of the Covenant in the holy of holies.
Isaiah may have been able to see through the curtain which separated the holy place where the priests ministered from the holy of holies where they could go only once a year.
“For a tabernacle was prepared; the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.” Hebrews 9:2-8.
The tabernacle described here is the tabernacle in the wilderness which is partially described. Solomon’s temple would have had the same layout and the same rites performed as described above. This is the location of Isaiah’s vision.
Since the curtain between the holy place and the Holy of Holies was not removed spiritually until Christ’s death on the cross we are assuming that Isaiah could either see through it or it was moved aside for him.
If you read the account of Jesus’ death (Matthew 27) you will see that when He died the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom. This curtain is said to have been about four inches thick and 60 feet high, no small miracle!
In Isaiah’s vision God is seen as seated on a throne, high and lifted up. High and lifted up is not a reference to the height or location of the throne on which God was seated; rather it has the idea of God being high and lifted up over all of His creatures. God’s majesty is seen here.
The train of His robe filled the temple. This train is like the one on a king’s robe which extends out behind him as he walks; even like that of a bridal gown with a long train, if that is easier for you to imagine.
The train on God’s robe would have flowed out of the Holy of holies where He was seated and out into the holy place where the priests would have attended. God is omnipresent; He is present in heaven and on earth.
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me.’ Even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from you, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.” Psalm 139:7-12.
Consider this awe inspiring sight; and think of it, men take God’s name in vain and blaspheme the name of Jesus, God the Son. Yet in contrast here the glory of God is framed by seraphim, angelic beings with six wings. How desperately wicked these blasphemies become when God is seen as He is.
“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord [YAHWEH] and against His Anointed [Jesus], saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.’” Psalm 2:1-6.
High and Lifted Up, Part 1, Faith taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 5-11-16, updated on 9-15-19.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.