Angel With a Golden Censer Among Heavenly Hostsby KandD
6:3Isaiah 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 Isaiah's vision in the year King Uzziah died, the Lord sits high and lifted up upon a throne in the temple with His train filling the temple, while the seraphim with six wings veil their faces and cry unitedly to one another until the posts shake and the house is filled with praise and smoke. Their threefold cry proclaims the Lord of hosts as supremely and perfectly holy and exalted in matchless purity, and declares that the whole earth is full of His glory as revealed in created works and in His character of mercy, kindness and tender love. Beholding that holiness against human sinfulness brings overwhelming conviction of uncleanness and unworthiness, which sinks self-importance into nothingness and prepares the heart for cleansing when the live coal from the altar purges sin and fits the worker to answer Here am I, send me. The song also looks forward to the time when the whole earth shall be filled with His glory and the knowledge of the Lord through the gospel proclaimed among all nations, a certainty that gave Isaiah hope and courage for his mission to Judah. The glory Isaiah saw is the glory of Christ, the Lord of the temple veiled before by seraphim in humility, and it calls for profound reverence for God's name and presence, for workers to humble themselves, receive their orders from His throne, and bear the message of the cross and Christ's righteousness with lips touched by divine fire.
Vision in the Temple
The cry belongs to Isaiah's vision in the year King Uzziah died, when he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up in the temple, with the train of His glory filling the temple, even the holy of holies. It was the vision of the Lord enthroned in the temple where the seraphim proclaim His holiness and glory, revealing His greatness and majesty. Their cry accompanied the shaking of the doorposts and the temple filling with smoke.
Above the throne stood the seraphim, each with six wings, with two covering the face and two covering the feet and with two for flying, hovering on each side of the throne. They veil their faces in adoration as they minister before their Maker, and they cry unitedly to one another in solemn invocation. Their united praise shakes the posts and pillars and pillars of the door and the cedar gate, and the house is filled with praise and with smoke.
The glory Isaiah saw is the Shekinah, the visible pavilion of Jehovah, the same glory once visible in the holy of holies over the mercy seat. There the high priest entered only once a year on the great day of atonement with the blood of the slain victim, typical of the blood of the Son of God shed for the sins of the world, and sprinkled it upon the altar. The chapter reveals the glory of heaven in vivid language, presenting glorious things to be revealed to others.
The vision shows heaven closely connected with earth and not isolated, for God cares for those loyal to Him. The Lord is ruler over the world, with the course of coming events and the destiny of nations and the church in His hands. Vast numbers of holy beings stand ready to carry out His commands, while He attends to earthly affairs in every part of the universe, observing and judging every action. His work is ordered by infinite wisdom and perfect order even when intricate beyond human understanding, and the Lord alone is to receive the glory.
Holiness and Glory Declared
The seraphim before the throne proclaim the Lord of hosts as supremely and perfectly holy with a threefold cry, calling to one another in solemn invocation. Their reverent song answers to the glory surrounding God's throne, for they look away from themselves and direct all praise to God. This praise belongs to Isaiah's vision of the Lord enthroned in the temple, revealing His greatness and majesty.
They declare that the whole earth is full of His glory, meaning His glory is present throughout the whole earth. That fullness is revealed in His created works, which show His love toward mankind. It is the greatness of His glory spread throughout the earth.
The whole earth full of His glory also means that God's character will be revealed throughout the world to all people. That character is His mercy and kindness and tender love made known to mankind.
The scene reveals God as exalted, high and lifted up, great and majestic, and worthy of reverence. He dwells in light too holy for human approach, displaying matchless perfection and purity, with holiness as the crowning glory of His attributes. The train of His glory fills the temple, and a correct view of Him increases the fear of offending Him and prepares the heart to receive His instruction. This glory is withheld from those separated from God by iniquity.
Conviction Cleansing and Commission
Beholding the Lord's holiness, glory, majesty, perfection and matchless purity enthroned in the temple, in sharp contrast with human sinfulness, brings overwhelming conviction of uncleanness, imperfection, unworthiness and undone condition. In that vision of divine majesty Isaiah recognized himself as a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips, and recognized his own imperfection, the sinfulness of his people, and his inability to accomplish God's mission without cleansing. The sight of that throne and holiness gives every worker chosen of God the same experience, conviction of uncleanness and unworthiness before a holy Lord.
A true view of God's holiness makes people meek and lowly rather than exalting themselves as equal with God, bringing self low and sinking human self-importance into nothingness. Pride and self-righteousness give way to contrition and meekness, to a fear of offending Him and a heart prepared to receive His instruction. No worker is fit to be sent until cleansing comes, when the refining Spirit comes upon him as the live coal from the altar touched Isaiah's lips to take away iniquity and purge sin.
The vision joins cleansing to calling, for the cleansed one answers Whom shall I send with Here am I, send me, and is commissioned to go and speak for the Lord. This representation of seeing the King, the Lord of hosts, confessing uncleanness of lips, being cleansed by the live coal with iniquity taken away and sin purged, and answering the call, will be acted over and over again. Those going forth with publications are to read the sixth chapter of Isaiah and take it home to their hearts, and when they press close to the side of Christ, wear His yoke and daily learn of Him, Christ imbues them with His own Spirit and fits them to carry messages of peace and comfort to sorrowing, disappointed, sad and brokenhearted people, sounding the note of warning in the byways and highways to prepare a people for the great day of God.
Future Glory Filling Earth
The reverent song of the seraphim answers to the glory surrounding the throne, looking away from themselves and directing all praise to the Lord of hosts as holy in proclaiming that the whole earth is full of His glory. That proclamation looks forward to the time when the whole earth will be filled with His glory. It means that God's character — His mercy, kindness, tender love — will be revealed throughout the world to all people, until the earth is ultimately filled with the knowledge of the Lord and His purpose triumphs despite the darkness and ignorance among the nations.
The hearing of that angelic chorus in the vision of the enthroned King whose glory fills the whole earth strengthened Isaiah's faith and gave him confidence, hope, and courage for his long prophetic mission to Judah. Remembering the vision sustained him amid opposition and resistance. It assured him that the nations then covered by ignorance would come to know the Lord and that God's church would ultimately triumph.
That future filling of the earth with the revelation of His merciful kindness and tender love to all mankind is certain. Its fulfillment is advancing through the church's missionary work and the gospel being proclaimed among all nations.
Christ and Heavenly Sanctuary
The cry belongs to Isaiah's vision in the year King Uzziah died of the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up with His train filling the temple and the seraphim above it crying to one another of His holiness and of the earth filled with His glory. The glory Isaiah saw is the Shekinah, the visible pavilion of Jehovah, the same glory once visible in the holy of holies over the mercy seat where the high priest entered only once a year on the great day of atonement with the blood of the slain victim typical of the blood of the Son of God shed for the sins of the world. It is Christ's own glory, for Christ Himself was the Lord of the temple whose departure would remove its glory, and in seeing this glory Isaiah saw Christ's glory and spoke of Him. The seraphim stand in Jesus' presence and veil themselves in humility before Him, and this reveals the glory of Christ's divinity.
The verse portrays God's heavenly dwelling as the abiding-place of the King of kings, filled with divine glory and the glory of the eternal throne. Its seraphim are its shining guardians, who veil their faces in adoration before Him. Glory passes from the Father's throne to Jesus, overshadows the mercy seat, and fills the temple, overwhelming and beyond description. The vision is of God enthroned in the most holy place, above the ark containing His commandments and surrounded by cherubim and His appointed ministers, from which holy place His glory shines forth. No earthly structure could represent its vastness and its glory, yet important truths concerning that heavenly sanctuary and the great work carried forward there for man's redemption were to be taught by the earthly sanctuary and its services, which reflected that heavenly splendor only faintly.
The threefold cry of Holy is echoed in the ascent of the redeemed to the holy city and New Jerusalem and at Christ's return. The chariot's wheels, its wings, and the holy angels around the cloud cry Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. While they so cry, the saints cry Glory, Alleluia and sing for joy as they are carried toward the holy city.
Reverence and Present Service
Awareness of the exalted character of the Lord of hosts calls for awe and profound reverence, for even heavenly beings speak of Him with profound reverence and veil their faces when they speak His name from a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. His name is not to be treated as commonplace, and fallen sinful human beings should take His holy name upon their lips with even greater reverence than the angels show.
God is in His holy temple, so all the earth is to keep silence before Him. No one should dare to speak carelessly and without reverence about where God is or what He is, for on this point silence is eloquence. Careless, unsanctified speech puts unsanctified feet on holy ground, requiring them to take off the shoes, for the ground is holy. The hour and place of prayer are sacred because God is there, and reverence manifested in attitude and demeanor deepens the feeling that inspires it.
The chapter holds a deep lesson for workmen that the Lord alone is to receive glory and that His work is ordered by infinite wisdom and perfect order even when intricate beyond human understanding. Workers in institutions and those carrying on His work on earth should seek a living connection with Him and sanctification through the truth so they can distinguish sacred things from common things. They should look to His throne and receive their orders from Him, humble themselves and revere the Lord of hosts, recognize His holiness and glory, and trust Him as instructor rather than trying to control His work by their own power or plans. A correct view of God increases fear of offending Him and prepares the heart to receive His instruction.
Coming fresh from beholding the Lord high and lifted up with the train of His glory filling the temple, Isaiah carried truth from God to the people that was no greater or more precious than the doctrine of the cross and the imputed righteousness of Christ now to be borne to the people, which comes not in word only but in the power of God to everyone who believes. At a time when many appointed teachers depart from the faith under delusions and false theories, a plain, clear, earnest, powerful message of Bible truth must still be borne from hearts imbued with the Holy Spirit and lips touched with live coals from the divine altar. Those who go forth with publications are to read the sixth chapter of Isaiah and take it home to their hearts, for its pattern of seeing the King, confessing uncleanness of lips, being cleansed by a live coal with iniquity taken away and sin purged, and answering with willingness to be sent will be acted over and over again when workers press close to Christ, wear His yoke, and daily learn of Him. So fitted by Christ the great Teacher imbuing them with His own Spirit, they sound the note of warning in the byways and highways to prepare a people for the great day of God and carry messages of peace and comfort to sorrowing, disappointed, sad, and brokenhearted people.
By studying the character of God and beholding Christ in faith and prayer, people may become like Him, for the holiness of God is glorious and the holiness of Christ is the crowning glory of His attributes. God high and lifted up must be exalted, honored, and believed instead of belittled and almost explained away by false theories. Human beings are children of the heavenly King appointed to be members of His royal family, and holding this high view of God prepares for the judgment.
The vision of majesty with the train of glory filling the temple once made God seem so great and high that His compassion, tenderness, goodness, and love were unseen. Revelation of God and Christ brings faith and a lasting sense of the value of Christ, showing that glory is not a reason to know Him only as angry. This glory is withheld from people separated from God by iniquity.
The sixth chapter is to be read together with warnings against perpetual backsliding, refusing to return and repent, rejecting the word of the Lord, trusting in lying words, healing hurt slightly by saying peace when there is no peace, stealing, murder, adultery, and idolatry while claiming deliverance, and walking backward in the imagination of the evil heart. It is to be read together with the invitation to everyone who thirsts without money to come, hear, eat what is good, live, and receive an everlasting covenant. It belongs with the command to amend ways and doings, execute just judgment, oppress not the stranger, fatherless, and widow, shed no innocent blood, walk after no other gods, and obey the divine voice in order to dwell in the place given by God.
In Isaiah's vision in the year King Uzziah died, the Lord sits high and lifted up upon a throne in the temple with His train filling the temple, while the seraphim with six wings veil their faces and cry unitedly to one another until the posts shake and the house is filled with praise and smoke. Their threefold cry proclaims the Lord of hosts as supremely and perfectly holy and exalted in matchless purity, and declares that the whole earth is full of His glory as revealed in created works and in His character of mercy, kindness and tender love. Beholding that holiness against human sinfulness brings overwhelming conviction of uncleanness and unworthiness, which sinks self-importance into nothingness and prepares the heart for cleansing when the live coal from the altar purges sin and fits the worker to answer Here am I, send me. The song also looks forward to the time when the whole earth shall be filled with His glory and the knowledge of the Lord through the gospel proclaimed among all nations, a certainty that gave Isaiah hope and courage for his mission to Judah. The glory Isaiah saw is the glory of Christ, the Lord of the temple veiled before by seraphim in humility, and it calls for profound reverence for God's name and presence, for workers to humble themselves, receive their orders from His throne, and bear the message of the cross and Christ's righteousness with lips touched by divine fire.
Vision in the Temple
The cry belongs to Isaiah's vision in the year King Uzziah died, when he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up in the temple, with the train of His glory filling the temple, even the holy of holies. It was the vision of the Lord enthroned in the temple where the seraphim proclaim His holiness and glory, revealing His greatness and majesty. Their cry accompanied the shaking of the doorposts and the temple filling with smoke.
Above the throne stood the seraphim, each with six wings, with two covering the face and two covering the feet and with two for flying, hovering on each side of the throne. They veil their faces in adoration as they minister before their Maker, and they cry unitedly to one another in solemn invocation. Their united praise shakes the posts and pillars and pillars of the door and the cedar gate, and the house is filled with praise and with smoke.
The glory Isaiah saw is the Shekinah, the visible pavilion of Jehovah, the same glory once visible in the holy of holies over the mercy seat. There the high priest entered only once a year on the great day of atonement with the blood of the slain victim, typical of the blood of the Son of God shed for the sins of the world, and sprinkled it upon the altar. The chapter reveals the glory of heaven in vivid language, presenting glorious things to be revealed to others.
The vision shows heaven closely connected with earth and not isolated, for God cares for those loyal to Him. The Lord is ruler over the world, with the course of coming events and the destiny of nations and the church in His hands. Vast numbers of holy beings stand ready to carry out His commands, while He attends to earthly affairs in every part of the universe, observing and judging every action. His work is ordered by infinite wisdom and perfect order even when intricate beyond human understanding, and the Lord alone is to receive the glory.
Holiness and Glory Declared
The seraphim before the throne proclaim the Lord of hosts as supremely and perfectly holy with a threefold cry, calling to one another in solemn invocation. Their reverent song answers to the glory surrounding God's throne, for they look away from themselves and direct all praise to God. This praise belongs to Isaiah's vision of the Lord enthroned in the temple, revealing His greatness and majesty.
They declare that the whole earth is full of His glory, meaning His glory is present throughout the whole earth. That fullness is revealed in His created works, which show His love toward mankind. It is the greatness of His glory spread throughout the earth.
The whole earth full of His glory also means that God's character will be revealed throughout the world to all people. That character is His mercy and kindness and tender love made known to mankind.
The scene reveals God as exalted, high and lifted up, great and majestic, and worthy of reverence. He dwells in light too holy for human approach, displaying matchless perfection and purity, with holiness as the crowning glory of His attributes. The train of His glory fills the temple, and a correct view of Him increases the fear of offending Him and prepares the heart to receive His instruction. This glory is withheld from those separated from God by iniquity.
Conviction Cleansing and Commission
Beholding the Lord's holiness, glory, majesty, perfection and matchless purity enthroned in the temple, in sharp contrast with human sinfulness, brings overwhelming conviction of uncleanness, imperfection, unworthiness and undone condition. In that vision of divine majesty Isaiah recognized himself as a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips, and recognized his own imperfection, the sinfulness of his people, and his inability to accomplish God's mission without cleansing. The sight of that throne and holiness gives every worker chosen of God the same experience, conviction of uncleanness and unworthiness before a holy Lord.
A true view of God's holiness makes people meek and lowly rather than exalting themselves as equal with God, bringing self low and sinking human self-importance into nothingness. Pride and self-righteousness give way to contrition and meekness, to a fear of offending Him and a heart prepared to receive His instruction. No worker is fit to be sent until cleansing comes, when the refining Spirit comes upon him as the live coal from the altar touched Isaiah's lips to take away iniquity and purge sin.
The vision joins cleansing to calling, for the cleansed one answers Whom shall I send with Here am I, send me, and is commissioned to go and speak for the Lord. This representation of seeing the King, the Lord of hosts, confessing uncleanness of lips, being cleansed by the live coal with iniquity taken away and sin purged, and answering the call, will be acted over and over again. Those going forth with publications are to read the sixth chapter of Isaiah and take it home to their hearts, and when they press close to the side of Christ, wear His yoke and daily learn of Him, Christ imbues them with His own Spirit and fits them to carry messages of peace and comfort to sorrowing, disappointed, sad and brokenhearted people, sounding the note of warning in the byways and highways to prepare a people for the great day of God.
Future Glory Filling Earth
The reverent song of the seraphim answers to the glory surrounding the throne, looking away from themselves and directing all praise to the Lord of hosts as holy in proclaiming that the whole earth is full of His glory. That proclamation looks forward to the time when the whole earth will be filled with His glory. It means that God's character — His mercy, kindness, tender love — will be revealed throughout the world to all people, until the earth is ultimately filled with the knowledge of the Lord and His purpose triumphs despite the darkness and ignorance among the nations.
The hearing of that angelic chorus in the vision of the enthroned King whose glory fills the whole earth strengthened Isaiah's faith and gave him confidence, hope, and courage for his long prophetic mission to Judah. Remembering the vision sustained him amid opposition and resistance. It assured him that the nations then covered by ignorance would come to know the Lord and that God's church would ultimately triumph.
That future filling of the earth with the revelation of His merciful kindness and tender love to all mankind is certain. Its fulfillment is advancing through the church's missionary work and the gospel being proclaimed among all nations.
Christ and Heavenly Sanctuary
The cry belongs to Isaiah's vision in the year King Uzziah died of the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up with His train filling the temple and the seraphim above it crying to one another of His holiness and of the earth filled with His glory. The glory Isaiah saw is the Shekinah, the visible pavilion of Jehovah, the same glory once visible in the holy of holies over the mercy seat where the high priest entered only once a year on the great day of atonement with the blood of the slain victim typical of the blood of the Son of God shed for the sins of the world. It is Christ's own glory, for Christ Himself was the Lord of the temple whose departure would remove its glory, and in seeing this glory Isaiah saw Christ's glory and spoke of Him. The seraphim stand in Jesus' presence and veil themselves in humility before Him, and this reveals the glory of Christ's divinity.
The verse portrays God's heavenly dwelling as the abiding-place of the King of kings, filled with divine glory and the glory of the eternal throne. Its seraphim are its shining guardians, who veil their faces in adoration before Him. Glory passes from the Father's throne to Jesus, overshadows the mercy seat, and fills the temple, overwhelming and beyond description. The vision is of God enthroned in the most holy place, above the ark containing His commandments and surrounded by cherubim and His appointed ministers, from which holy place His glory shines forth. No earthly structure could represent its vastness and its glory, yet important truths concerning that heavenly sanctuary and the great work carried forward there for man's redemption were to be taught by the earthly sanctuary and its services, which reflected that heavenly splendor only faintly.
The threefold cry of Holy is echoed in the ascent of the redeemed to the holy city and New Jerusalem and at Christ's return. The chariot's wheels, its wings, and the holy angels around the cloud cry Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. While they so cry, the saints cry Glory, Alleluia and sing for joy as they are carried toward the holy city.
Reverence and Present Service
Awareness of the exalted character of the Lord of hosts calls for awe and profound reverence, for even heavenly beings speak of Him with profound reverence and veil their faces when they speak His name from a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. His name is not to be treated as commonplace, and fallen sinful human beings should take His holy name upon their lips with even greater reverence than the angels show.
God is in His holy temple, so all the earth is to keep silence before Him. No one should dare to speak carelessly and without reverence about where God is or what He is, for on this point silence is eloquence. Careless, unsanctified speech puts unsanctified feet on holy ground, requiring them to take off the shoes, for the ground is holy. The hour and place of prayer are sacred because God is there, and reverence manifested in attitude and demeanor deepens the feeling that inspires it.
The chapter holds a deep lesson for workmen that the Lord alone is to receive glory and that His work is ordered by infinite wisdom and perfect order even when intricate beyond human understanding. Workers in institutions and those carrying on His work on earth should seek a living connection with Him and sanctification through the truth so they can distinguish sacred things from common things. They should look to His throne and receive their orders from Him, humble themselves and revere the Lord of hosts, recognize His holiness and glory, and trust Him as instructor rather than trying to control His work by their own power or plans. A correct view of God increases fear of offending Him and prepares the heart to receive His instruction.
Coming fresh from beholding the Lord high and lifted up with the train of His glory filling the temple, Isaiah carried truth from God to the people that was no greater or more precious than the doctrine of the cross and the imputed righteousness of Christ now to be borne to the people, which comes not in word only but in the power of God to everyone who believes. At a time when many appointed teachers depart from the faith under delusions and false theories, a plain, clear, earnest, powerful message of Bible truth must still be borne from hearts imbued with the Holy Spirit and lips touched with live coals from the divine altar. Those who go forth with publications are to read the sixth chapter of Isaiah and take it home to their hearts, for its pattern of seeing the King, confessing uncleanness of lips, being cleansed by a live coal with iniquity taken away and sin purged, and answering with willingness to be sent will be acted over and over again when workers press close to Christ, wear His yoke, and daily learn of Him. So fitted by Christ the great Teacher imbuing them with His own Spirit, they sound the note of warning in the byways and highways to prepare a people for the great day of God and carry messages of peace and comfort to sorrowing, disappointed, sad, and brokenhearted people.
By studying the character of God and beholding Christ in faith and prayer, people may become like Him, for the holiness of God is glorious and the holiness of Christ is the crowning glory of His attributes. God high and lifted up must be exalted, honored, and believed instead of belittled and almost explained away by false theories. Human beings are children of the heavenly King appointed to be members of His royal family, and holding this high view of God prepares for the judgment.
The vision of majesty with the train of glory filling the temple once made God seem so great and high that His compassion, tenderness, goodness, and love were unseen. Revelation of God and Christ brings faith and a lasting sense of the value of Christ, showing that glory is not a reason to know Him only as angry. This glory is withheld from people separated from God by iniquity.
The sixth chapter is to be read together with warnings against perpetual backsliding, refusing to return and repent, rejecting the word of the Lord, trusting in lying words, healing hurt slightly by saying peace when there is no peace, stealing, murder, adultery, and idolatry while claiming deliverance, and walking backward in the imagination of the evil heart. It is to be read together with the invitation to everyone who thirsts without money to come, hear, eat what is good, live, and receive an everlasting covenant. It belongs with the command to amend ways and doings, execute just judgment, oppress not the stranger, fatherless, and widow, shed no innocent blood, walk after no other gods, and obey the divine voice in order to dwell in the place given by God.