The Throne_ the Altar and Council of Yahweh of Hosts
The Throne, the Altar and Council of Yahweh of Hosts
The Flow of Isaiah 6
1. (vss. 1-4) The Hall of the Lord, Heavenly King
2. (vss. 5-7) The Purging of the Prophet
3. (vss.8-10) The Task (for “This People”)
4. (vs. 11) The Time Frame (“How long?”)
5. (vss. 12-13) The Remnant (“If some survive and return –what of them?”)
“In the year that King Uzziah died…”
This is not a “call narrative”. Its position in the book marks the end of the Uzziah section. The time clause “in the year of Uzziah’s death” points backward, making this a closing scene. Its purpose is to show that the nature of God’s actions toward Israel and Judah which had emerged during Uzziah’s reign would remain the same until complete destruction would come (i.e. Samaria in 721 B.C.) leading to the captivity of both Israel and Judah. Isaiah 6 is the culmination scene for what was decided in the Hall of the Heavenly King and decreed in chapters 1-5.
(The Hebrew word for “send” is never used for a “call”, but rather denotes one sent to fulfill a particular task and bring a certain message.)
The nearest parallel account would be Micaiah’s prophecy in I Kings 22 which also involves kings of Israel and Judah and specifically with the fate of the king of Israel. This passage deals with prophecy which is intended to manipulate what God intends to execute.
Isaiah’s Authenticating Vision
There are basically two types of narratives that relate to the call of God. One is found in the stories of Moses, Gideon, Saul and Jeremiah. Reluctance and excuses must be overcome and, “Do not be afraid!” is a reoccurring theme.
In the second type, the vision plays a greater role. We hear Micaiah exclaim, “I saw Yahweh” and Isaiah, “I saw the Lord”. The person is drawn into the midst of the Divine Council and observes the glory of the King. The prophet, like the serving spirits about the King, is prepared to do the King’s will. He becomes a part of God’s plan and His work. The telling of the vision authenticates him as a genuine messenger for God. (For a parallel, see Paul’s vision in Acts 9:3-6; 22:6-11; 26:12-18.)
“In all these cases in which the prophet is allowed to be present through visionary experience during discussions or decisions in the throne room of God, and thus know the ‘knowledge of God,’ and thus know the ‘knowledge of the Almighty’…he is empowered to make an unusual and overwhelming proclamation-unusual in its shocking harshness as in its great expectation” (Horst). The purpose of this vision then is clear-it authenticates the prophet Isaiah, who “stood before the Lord,” who saw God and lived, to speak and act with divine authority to complete the task at hand.
The Heavenly Council
The setting here in Isaiah 6 is similar to other passages such as I Kings 22:17-23; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6 and Zechariah 3:1-5. Also consider the vision of John in the book of Revelation (Rev. 4-5).
- The frame of Isaiah 6 is composed of a Heavenly Throne Room Scene (vss. 1-2) and is rich in detail and description as in the passages noted above. The names and descriptions of the King’s servants vary, but they are always there. No description of the heavenly throne room is found in Isaiah, but the King is central in every scene while speakers move around His room as they do in chapter 6. So then, the throne room, the place of God’s heavenly council, must be considered to be in the background for all the rest of the scenes where God is the center of discussion and drama, (such as chapters 1-5 and 40-59).
God is clearly the Heavenly King, exalted upon His throne. His glorious presence dominates the scene as His robes fill the hall.
The seraphs minister to God’s every need. Other throne room scenes describe the heavenly host but use different words. In Gen. 3:24, they are called “cherubs”. Often they are referred to as “messengers”. 2 Kings 22:21 calls them “spirits”. Job 1:6, refers to them as “sons of God” even identifying one as “the adversary”. Ezekiel’s vision sees them as integrated into God’s portable throne. In the Bible they are more generally called “angels”. Here in Isaiah, only two wings are used to fly. Two more cover their eyes in deference to God’s glory. The remaining two cover their feet. This could refer to covering of the lower extremities or to the ancient oriental custom that forbids showing the soles of the feet in public.
2. The next element (vss. 3-4) describes the Seraph’s Proclamation of Praise in the throne room. Notice that there is no discussion leading to a decision – the discussion and this decision have already been made and have already been described in chapter 1. The seraphim support the decision with a chorus of praises for the holiness and glory of God. Praise like this is fitting any time, but the dating of the passage suggests a timely meaning here as does the shaking of the threshold and the smoke of incense. It suggests the approval of God’s decision to destroy Israel and to purge Jerusalem that was reached in chapters 1-5.
The seraphs loudly proclaim a three-fold praise of Yahweh for the revelation of His essential being. God is by definition “holy”. The praise is directed to Him as “Yahweh of Hosts,” the name used in the Jerusalem Temple. “Yahweh” had been used for worship around the ark from the beginning of Israel’s existence. Exodus records the revelation of that name to Moses (3:14; 6:2). Yet the seraphs proclaim His glory to be the fullness of the earth. Holiness is God’s innermost nature, while His glory describes the appearance of His being, the display of His work through His decisions and acts.
3. This brings us to the third element which reflects Isaiah’s Three Cries of Response. First the cry of woe in vs. 5 - could it be that Isaiah recognizes that his very existence is threatened? Isaiah’s cry may very well have been for his own funeral. Isaiah exclaimed as he was overwhelmed by all he saw, “I am ruined!” This could be translated, “I am lost,’ but even better is “I am silent.” The prophet’s heart compelled him to join the praise, but he dares not. His own nature (unclean lips) as well as that of his own people does not allow him to speak in the heavenly assembly. Isaiah’s cry is taken as a deep confession of sin which is promptly purged (vs. 7) that gives him the right to speak! (This act of cleansing parallels the sacrifices that were needed to enter the temple.)
Isaiah’s Commission and Task
Heaven had decided and the decree given. The Lord calls for a messenger to put it into effect. Isaiah then cries, “Send me!” The Lord said, “Go! And you shall say to this people…” Here the call for a messenger and a commission are similar in the OT passages noted before. The usual messenger would be one of the heavenly host, a “spirit”, or in one case, even the adversary himself. Yet, only in Isaiah 6 is any other than the heavenly court sent on such a mission!
The commission itself is not directed so much toward the message, but a task to fulfill. What was Isaiah’s task?
He said, "Go and tell this people: `Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." Isaiah 6:9-10
Hearing – Understanding; Seeing - Knowing
This is a theme that runs from Isaiah 1:3 - 42:16-20 in which Israel is called “blind” and “deaf”. The LXX picks this up as well: “You shall indeed hear, but not understand…the heart of this people became dull.” So Isaiah’s commission was to testify to an existing condition/tradition which prevents repentance.
Yet the prophet seems to play an active part in hardening and dulling the hearts of the people of Israel so that repentance does not take place, now that the decision to destroy and send the covenant people into captivity has been made. Compare this to the task of the spirit in 1 Kings 22:20-23 and see an even greater parallel in the “hardening of Pharaoh’s heart” in Exodus 8:11, 15, 28, 32; 9:7, 34. This is not a one-sided action – Israel’s heart is hard and the Lord has made it so must be given equality. We can say then that Isaiah received a commission, but not to bring in a harvest! This was not his task. Isaiah testified to an existing condition and yet played a role in the hardening and dulling of Israel’s hearts. Eighth century and even seventh century prophets were totally unsuccessful in bringing Israel to repentance and yet can be considered successful in fulfilling their commission and task given to them by the Lord.
In the last line, verse 10, the Lord lays out the pattern and description of repentance:
1. Seeing with eyes (the vision)
2. Hearing with ears (the word of God)
3. Leads to Understanding with the heart (the nature and character of God as well as understanding their own perverted and evil ways)
4. Which causes people to Change (or “turn” which is the usual word for “repentance”)
5. And be Healed.
“How Long?”
Isaiah intervenes for the third time – after his “Woe is me” cry in vs. 5 and his “Send me” cry in vs. 8b. But this is different in that this cry contains a tone of protest like that of Abraham’s questions (Genesis 18:23-25) or of Moses (Exodus 32:11-19) or of Amos (Amos 7:2, 5). The question desires a confirmation of the decision to bring judgment. The Prophet persists with his questioning probing the fate of the surviving and returning remnant in the land. The parallel here is very close to Genesis 18:23-25. What will be the continuing effect of judgment on future generations?
(See also: God’s appearance to Noah in Gen. 6:11-21
God’s appearance to Abraham in Gen. 18
Moses’ meeting with God on Sinai in Exodus 32:5-14
Samuel’s meeting with God in I Samuel 2:27-36; 3:1-14)
Some Principles to Learn from Isaiah 6
1. The heavenly throne of God and “He who sits on the throne” must be the center of one’s gaze.
It is the place of distinct clarity.
It is the place of. consecration
It is the place for deep cleansing.
2. There is a work of sanctification necessary beyond salvation in order to fulfill one’s God-given task.
3. God alone gives one the right to speak before Him and for Him.
4. Intercession is two-dimensional
a. Apostolic (Prophetic) – representing heaven’s mandates…“thy kingdom come…”
b. Priestly (Pastoral) – representing humanity with full compassion
5. God isn’t looking for “Yes Men”.
6. Success in ministry is more than numerical growth; it is defined by the fulfillment of the task given.
7. Does Yahweh have a specific decree/edict/will/commission for some or all of his servants within the scope of the advance of the kingdom to the ends of the earth?
Let us see the first object in view, the throne of glory, the place of Isaiah’s ruin.
The light of the throne revealed the true condition of the heart of Isaiah. What was the light? It was the glory of Christ Jesus (John 12:41). Let us today look into the window of the Word of God and walk through its door to see what Isaiah saw and experience what he experienced in order to receive what the prophet received.
Before His throne, it doesn’t matter what I think of myself. Neither does it matter what others think of me. The law tells me what I should be; my conscience tells me that I am not what I should be. It is only when I see His glory, the glory of Christ Jesus – or when His glory sees me – that I am able to know who I really am and ask the question: “What am I in view of the presence of God?” Isaiah saw his true condition when his heart was laid open by the all consuming penetrating glory of God shining brightly from the throne before which the prophet stood gazing.
It is impossible for anyone to stand before the throne and escape the light’s penetration and detection of all that is hidden. Isaiah cried, “I saw the Lord and He saw me!” The light of his glory is filled with all that God is-His holiness, divinity, love, power, grace and mercy. And this glorious light detected all that was in the prophet.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it…The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
John 1:3-5, 9
Isaiah had never before seen himself according to this light. He saw himself helpless and ruined. He heard the cry of the seraphim flying above him calling out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty!” All the broken prophet could utter was, “Unclean, unclean, unclean.”
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews 4:12-13
He who uncovers all, the One who sits upon the throne saw Isaiah, the prophet. And Isaiah cried, “Woe is me; I am undone.” Now Isaiah was no better or worse than you or I or anyone for that matter. The prophet does not say, “Woe is me; I am not what I ought to be.” No, Isaiah saw deeper than this. The power of God’s glory revealed the very depths of his soul and judged the thoughts and attitudes of his heart. The prophet cried, “Woe is me,” – not, “Woe to me.” The light reveals more than what you have done or have left undone. Religion deals with outward acts; Isaiah for the first time is overwhelmed with his condition, the very roots of the heart. Religion goes from leaf to leaf and branch to branch, but the gospel of Christ deals with the trunk and the very root of man’s nature to cause us to see that in our flesh there is no good thing, that our flesh cannot please God. This is the true conviction of the Holy Spirit.
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
John 3:19-21
Here before the throne, there are no excuses and no blaming of others. There are no justifications and no small print. There before the throne Isaiah stood and before the throne, you and I must also stand – as will all who will come into the kingdom of God. All who come into the kingdom must pass through the light! All who will ever stand before the throne will, with Isaiah, cry, “Woe is me; I am undone!”
Why is this so? Because to the proportion of our experience with the light of the throne will be our experience of the grace of the altar. In order to experience the grace of the altar, we must first come under the light of His glorious and holy throne. In this day of grace, the throne and the altar are connected and cannot be separated. In the day of judgment, the “Great White Throne” will be seen without any altar. At that time the ruin of all who stand before the Judge of all men will receive no remedy and the result will be eternal separation from God.
How many have bypassed the throne and yet claim an altar experience? I remember eating at the Cracker Barrel and I ordered a Chicken Pot Pie. As I began to eat it, I realized it wasn’t cooked all the way. It was awful! So I sent it back and ordered something different. God is sending back half-baked Christians, sending them back to the fiery throne. I like full cream in my coffee, not half and half! Multitudes in Christianity are incomplete. To the proportion of our experience to His light of His throne will be our experience of His grace from His altar.
On the other hand, there are multitudes who ever stay in the condition of ruin, which continually live under a constant state of condemnation because they have not received grace from His altar. Some Christians cannot get passed their guilt and cannot seem to live without their misery. They blame others – they are victims. They have excuses and reasons and spend all their time and energy trying to explain why they are who they are and why they have done what they have done. But let me declare to you today that it doesn’t matter anymore what happened in your past how bad you have been for we all stand equally guilty before the throne.
Like Isaiah, your confession there before the throne must also be, “Woe is me; I am undone!” But it doesn’t end there in woe…
This brings us to the next object in view, the altar of grace, the place of Isaiah’s remedy.
At the very moment that Isaiah, before God’s throne, cried out, “Woe is me; I am undone,” God responded with grace and mercy.
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
Isaiah 6:6-7
How beautiful now to receive God’s full provision of mercy from His altar, His altar which is directly attached to His throne. The two are intimately connected in the history and experience of all who come to Him. The guilt which the throne detects, the altar removes. What the light of the throne revealed as broken and ruined, the light of the altar reveals a fully sufficient Christ! Paul said, “It is no longer I that lives, but Christ that lives in me!” The apostle goes on to exclaim, “I am crucified with Christ, but nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in this body, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.”
The very moment Isaiah cried out from his condition of ruin, a seraphim flew with a live coal in his hand, taken with tongs from the altar, and laid upon his mouth, his iniquity removed and his sin cleansed. The prophet was brought into direct contact with the sacrifice of the altar and the immediate result was the perfect removal of all his iniquity!
Not a single spot remained. He could now stand in the light of that throne which had detected and exposed the ruin of his heart and know assuredly by that same glorious light that not a spot remained of his uncleanness.
The fast movement of the seraphim at the precise moment of Isaiah’s need tells us of heaven’s intense desire to bind up the broken heart and heal the wounded spirit. The great and majestic love of God gave swiftness to the angelic messenger as he flew gracefully down from Jehovah’s throne to where a convicted prophet stood confessing he was undone.
It all changes in a moment. In one moment the blackness of his guilt revealed at His throne is removed by the abundant outpouring of God’s great love and mercy from His altar! We declare with the Apostle John, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us!”
Have you yet stood where Isaiah stood when he cried, “Woe is me; I am undone”? Can you say with John the Beloved Apostle, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). See His throne. See the glory of Him who sits upon that throne. Come into His light. Let the light of His glory reveal and expose what is in your heart. Yes, it is painful to know the reality of the condition of ruin of your heart. From the altar there is a promise that Jehovah makes in Ezekiel 36, “A new heart I will give you! I will remove the old hard heart and give you a heart that is tender toward me and I will cleanse you from all your iniquity and remove all your idols from you.”
See that His throne and altar are inseparable. In Revelation, it is the Lamb who sits on the throne! John the Baptist said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The Lamb of God will take away your sins. There is mercy. There is grace.
This brings us now to God’s call for he who saw he was fully ruined in sin, received full remedy of salvation that resulted in full consecration for service. It is not enough to know your ruined condition. It is not enough to know you are forgiven, repaired and restored. You have been restored to serve Him. He desires to set you apart for Himself for God has a purpose for you in His kingdom.
This is why Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, “The one who loves little is forgiven little. The one who is forgiven much, loves much.” If everyone is equally ruined before the throne, yet some are forgiven of little or much, then some have a better throne experience than others. The one who has a full throne experience, who sees the glory of God and the glory of God sees and reveals him, will have a full altar experience and be fully cleansed. And that same one will “love much because he is forgiven of much”.
God is choosing people who “love much” for special assignments in the kingdom of God. It is for those who “love much” who will have a fresh throne experience, and a fresh altar experience, so that they may hear the voice of the Lord say, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Only then can we answer. “Here am I. Send me!”