Isaiah 6:6, commentary and pictures

In Isaiah's vision within the most holy place, where shining guardians surround God's throne, one of the seraphim flies to the prophet carrying a burning coal lifted with tongs from God's altar of atonement. The angel lays the coal upon Isaiah's mouth, and by that touch his guilt is removed, his iniquity taken away and his sin purged. This cleansing comes after Isaiah confesses himself undone as a man of unclean lips, and it fits him to hear God's call, offer himself to be sent, and go as a heaven-aided messenger. The coal is a pledge of pardon through Jesus as sin-bearer and a purifying by the Holy Spirit that cleanses lips, heart and life with holy fire and transforms character into Christ's likeness. No worker is fit for sacred service until lips and soul are thus touched, for the touch sanctifies speech, makes words earnest and powerful to convert souls, and gives new courage and life for proclaiming Christ and the last message of mercy.

Vision Setting and Action

The vision belongs inside the sanctuary, in the holy of holies, where the Lord is seen high and lifted up with the train of His glory filling the temple. Around the throne stand the seraphim as guards of the great King, reflecting the glory that surrounds them. What is revealed there is the greatness of God and His holiness, and the prophet's response to that holiness teaches reverence for God and for holy things. The same vision shows heaven closely connected with events on earth and God's care for those loyal to Him.

In that setting one of the seraphim flies to Isaiah having a live coal in his hand, taken with tongs from off the altar. That altar is the divine altar, the altar of heaven, the altar of atonement, Christ's altar. The seraph brings the coal to Isaiah after Isaiah recognizes his uncleanness before God and confesses that he is undone as a man of unclean lips. He is a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips who has seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

The coal is laid upon his mouth and touches his lips. By that touch his iniquity is taken away, his guilt is removed, and his sin is purged and expiated. This cleansing answers his sense of unworthiness and unfitness before the holy God.

Once cleansed he is fitted to hear the voice of the Lord asking for someone to send, and to answer with voluntary offering of himself to be sent. He is then entrusted with God's message and goes to the people as a heaven-sent messenger whom angels can help, fresh from beholding the Lord as Moses descended glorified from the holy mount and as the high priest reappeared from within the holy of holies. The truth so borne is no greater or more precious than the doctrine of the cross and the imputed righteousness of Christ now to be borne, coming not in word only but in the power of God to everyone who believes.

Pardon and Purifying Power

The live coal is a symbol of purification and of power given to true servants, bringing the refining Spirit to cleanse lips and soul with sacred and holy fire, living fire from the altar. Every worker chosen must receive that cleansing before being sent, for after the sight of the throne and the confession of unclean lips the touch takes away iniquity and purges sin, and only when it has come does the unfit become fit to answer the call to go. When the coal touches the lips of those fully consecrated, they are prepared for service with the promise of divine cooperation, so that words and actions become pure, truthful, loving and helpful. The touch means being refined and purified by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the truth for the last days, and only after it can the solemn message be entrusted for the glory of the divine name, to teach transgressors the way so that sinners are converted. Lips touched by holy fire in the act of proclaiming the message carry divine confirmation of the genuineness of the truth spoken, and the image stands as a plea for strength and preparation for work and trial. When the Lord touches the lips of watchmen with cleansing fire, preaching is changed and the trumpet gives a certain sound wholly different from before, a living testimony instead of tame, lifeless sermonizing that meets the world's standard and speaks smooth, deceitful things.

The coal laid upon the lips is the pledge of forgiveness and pardon received through Jesus as sin-bearer and all-sufficient sacrifice. It comes after looking intently to Jesus Christ as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, with repentance and confession of sin, true remorse of soul, a sense of the all-sufficient sacrifice, and realization of the fulfillment of the promise in pardon. Earnest seekers who look to Him with undivided heart as Sin-bearer, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, are greatly blessed with the greatest and truest joys, hidden in the cleft of the rock, given more distinct views of Jesus and glimpses of the Invisible that make the suspension of all else count as no loss. The awareness of His sacrifice stirs praise, the touch brings gladness of heart, and lips once defiled with sin are cleansed to offer praise and express the loftiest themes. In this the Spirit's work draws souls to Christ, and those who earnestly seek God and see Jesus as their all-sufficient sacrifice receive pardon unto praise.

The cleansing is a deep, thorough transformation of heart in which holiness is perfected in the fear of God and all impurity of flesh and spirit is removed, the position in which the people of God should stand. God alone breaks the spell of sin and reveals the mass of rubbish gathered about the soul, and when one makes haste and gets ready and washes and is made clean, the angel is sent to touch the lips with the live coal and declare cleanness. That touch purifies speech from faultfinding and sarcasm, gives a clear-cut message burning with holy fire for sacred work to be done in redeemed time, and causes only pure words of love to be spoken. It requires despising and abhorring the wrong course and being cleansed from it, giving a pure heart and clean hands, purifying moral taste, washing the robe of character in the blood of the Lamb, and changing the beholder of Jesus into His likeness. Without that change no one can answer the last call to the supper clothed in the white robe of righteousness. The cleansing enlarges narrow piety and vitalizes laborers together with God to walk humbly, so that self-exaltation ends and words of self-exaltation are not spoken, self sinks out of sight and Christ is exalted, with decided effort not for rivalry nor to exalt self but to harmonize with others and reveal His yoke in meekness and lowliness of heart. Both soul and lips need the touching with live coals from the altar, refining uncleanness away and giving the cleansing needed for wise, discerning judgment in the work of God, making believers conscientious in every transaction and confident toward one another.

The touch is vital connection with God and sanctification through the truth, by which workers retain the ability to distinguish the sacred from the common. It is the soul touched with the living principles of Christ's being through vital union with Him who is Spirit and Life, the heart and spirit receiving the breath of life. It comes through humble prayer and private communion as the means of sanctification and power, through praying for the Holy Spirit and taking a burden for the salvation of others, and through consecration of powers already possessed with diligent application of given talents rather than a great increase of capabilities, which qualifies for service and brings partnership with God. As this is done, darkness gives way to light and hope, self-esteem vanishes, and stubbornness melts into a teachable spirit. It comes when, under the Spirit's power as living channels of light, believers approach the mercy seat seeing the bow of promise, kneel with contrite hearts, and seek the kingdom of heaven with earnest supplication from a sense of great need, with the spiritual violence that takes it by force as Jacob did, supplications that are not denied. The result is a message that is the power of God unto salvation, lifting believers out of cherished cheap selves, emptying hearts of corroding self, filling them with praise and gratitude, magnifying the Lord who has magnified Christ, and revealing His power by making them as sharp sickles in the harvest field.

Sanctified Lips and Speech

The live coal from the altar must touch the lips before anyone speaks for God, for the touch cleanses from impurity and sanctifies lips and the whole person for sacred service. So cleansed, the speaker is qualified as God's mouthpiece to speak through the Spirit's power and to teach God's people with words that are truthful, pure, wise and holy and of value. The touch gives discernment about what to say and what to leave unsaid. It imparts vital force from connection with heaven so that words reach hearts.

Cleansed lips are subdued from rebellious temper and brought into conformity to the divine will, with the mass of rubbish about the soul revealed and washed away and order brought out of confusion. Faultfinding, sarcasm, scandal, strife, rambling talk, and unkind, judgmental, self-assured, harsh and unadvised speech are taken away, and such speech is seen as sin and even as a crime against God. This cleansing is especially needed by those who teach others while their own spirit, word and influence remain unchristlike, and by parents whose daily communion refines ideas, removes earthliness, lifts home religion, and teaches children reverence. Instead only pure, Christlike, gracious, helpful, kind, tender, encouraging and hopeful words are spoken in the home and to the weary and distressed, with only pure words of love and only the good work done and good ideas presented, bringing comfort and revival and a clear-cut message burning with holy fire for sacred work in redeemed time.

Lips made willing to speak by the coal touching and purifying unclean lips are enabled to speak words of life that reach the soul and the hearts of even those who understand worldly wisdom but not the wisdom from God. Ministers whose lips are touched with that coal proclaim truth with heavenly light and inspiration rather than speaking from their own ideas or delivering mechanical sermons. The message is to be delivered earnestly and with power, not hesitantly or doubtfully, not from human persuasive skill, human theories, tame lifeless sermonizing, smooth deceitful things, or tame, lifeless, pointless words. When the Lord touches His watchmen with cleansing fire the trumpet gives a certain sound very different from before, for God has a living testimony through them.

The sanctified tongue speaks a message of Bible truth, present truth, and the testing truths for this time with earnestness and power from a heart filled with the Holy Spirit. Lips touched by the divine altar speak only truth, with wisdom and purity, and confess Christ in word and deed by life and character as well as by word. Such words are earnest and purified for service, prayer, and drawing sinners to Christ. They carry the fragrance of Christ's righteousness, offer praise, pour forth in song, and reveal God's love in giving Jesus for salvation.

Touched lips lift up Jesus as the sinner's only hope, with words becoming living realities to speaker and hearers. The touch means the heart is made holy through truth and touched by the Holy Spirit's heavenly fire, after drawing near to God in fervent, effectual prayer and learning meekness from Christ. Then the speaker compares spiritual things with spiritual, tears down Satan's strongholds, and moves hearts by God's love to seek salvation until many ask what they must do to be saved, making known that he has been with God.

Holy fire on the lips marks the proclamation as divinely sent, and the divine utterance confirms and sets God's seal to the genuineness of the truth proclaimed. Lips touched with holy fire proclaim present truth with divine power, and the truth must be proclaimed with spiritual power and urgency while holding fast the foundation God has laid. This empowers the last message of mercy and warning to a guilty world under impending judgment, to be given as spiritually alive, purposeful preaching fitting the urgent message of judgment and salvation before judgments soon fall.

Fitting Workers for Service

No worker chosen by God is sent until the cleansing of Isaiah has been received, for the flight of the seraph with the live coal taken with tongs from off the altar to lay upon the mouth takes away iniquity and purges sin after confession of unclean lips before the King, the Lord of hosts, and only then comes fitness to hear Whom shall I send and to answer Here am I, send me. The coal brings the refining Spirit and new life and power, giving new fitness for sacred work such as explaining Scripture and feeding God's people, making lips eloquent in praise and giving courage to testify even to the timid and faltering in speech. Lips and heart and soul must be cleansed and converted before undertaking that sacred work, for without that cleansing none are fit to serve, and when God touches the lips of those fully consecrated to Him He prepares them and promises to work with them so that words and actions become pure, truthful, loving and helpful for partnership with God. That touch converts tongue and character and mind and hands and feet.

Ministers and watchmen who humble themselves before God, lose sight of self, recognize unworthiness and God's greatness and readiness to help, and draw near in fervent prayer may receive the same cleansing and help and become more careful to honor Him in sacred work. They must meet with Christ in prayer before going forth and receive the Holy Spirit from God rather than bring their own spirit into the work, deriving all efficiency from God. The live coal from the altar touching the lips means being refined and purified by the Holy Spirit so human lips are purified to proclaim the truth for the last days and to teach transgressors the way of the Lord so sinners are converted, and only after that purifying touch can God entrust the solemn message and use workers to glorify His name. Close relationship with God and deep humility must purify ministers so they can give a clear, living, faithful testimony that warns against selfishness, pride and covetousness and stirs to repentance, with hearts sanctified through truth and with humble prayer giving spiritual grace and power to speak Bible truth.

Isaiah's experience is a lesson to take home to the heart and a representation to be acted over and over again by consecrated, humble workers willing to engage in any line of service in the grand work. The cleansing is repeated in men and women who press close to the side of Christ, wear His yoke, daily learn of Him and are imbued with His Spirit, so Christ as great Teacher and chief worker walks beside them and fits them to do the good and important work of the Lord. Thus fitted they minister to souls who know not present truth, sound the note of warning in the byways and highways, carry messages of peace and comfort to the sorrowing, disappointed, sad and brokenhearted, represent sacred truth in the books placed in homes, and prepare a people for the great day of God about to break upon the world. Canvassers and other workers are called to take this to heart in answering God's call to warn and serve others.

The touched coal with power from above is given to self-sacrificing men and women, young and old, who at the eleventh hour step into places made vacant by apostasy and death when the work grows harder and the people are more hardened. With converted characters, converted minds, converted hands, converted feet and converted tongues, and with the cooperation of heavenly intelligences, they go forth to proclaim sacred truth. They must learn to walk humbly before God, do what He has appointed without seeking to invent new plans, and then they are enabled to carry God's plan steadily onward and upward to completion without narrowing it.

Consecrated lips become faithful witnesses ready to answer God's call and point people to the Lamb of God, and then Christ speaks through their words. Those who preach truth to others must have the love of Jesus burning in their own souls, with lips touched with a live coal from the altar, so that touch cleanses the lips and only sanctified words that melt and subdue the soul pass from them. The touch belongs to those purified and sanctified who have faith that works by love and purifies the soul and who receive the principles of Christ's life by wearing His yoke and learning obedience from Him. Learning His meekness and lowliness gives rest to the soul, leaving no strife for supremacy, no envy and no evil surmising, with the soul resting in pure holy love and speech coming pure from that cleansing, and with hearts pure from sin and speech touched with holy fire.

Workers are taught to act with humility, prayer and dependence on God rather than seeking human control, trusting that God brings order and guides the work. Whether holy fire from the altar has kindled the heart is known by its fruits in greater zeal and devotion to God and His work. Past faith that glorified the land shone like that inextinguishable coal from God's altar, and empowered preaching speaks God's truth with unusual power when the Holy Spirit has touched and empowered the servant's lips.

All of God's people must have this experience, for a coal taken from the altar must be placed upon their lips and by it they are made clean. That cleansing ends self-exaltation and words of self-exaltation, sinks self out of sight, exalts Christ, enlarges narrow piety, vitalizes laborers together with God to walk humbly with God, and brings decided effort not for rivalry nor to exalt self but to harmonize with others and reveal wearing Christ's yoke in meekness and lowliness of heart. Lips touched from the altar must go forth with a different, living testimony in office, Sanitarium and churches, a message inspired by the Holy Ghost as by holy men moved by the Holy Ghost, not a divided heart or monotonous message but a living message to dying men that melts and subdues hearts, which requires awaking out of sleep and putting away selfishness, sin, dishonesty, unbelief, criticism, faultfinding and talk of selfishness and unbelief. Students who earnestly sought God and saw Jesus as sin-bearer and all-sufficient sacrifice received pardon placed upon the lips through the Holy Spirit, with awareness of Christ's sacrifice stirring praise.

Parents need this cleansing through daily communion with God, where the live coal touches the lips to refine and ennoble ideas, stops faultfinding about a speaker's blemish, leads to speaking only of the good work done and good ideas presented as coming through God's agent, lifts the standard of religion, removes earthliness and sensuality, brings refinement and fidelity at home, invests life with new solemnity, keeps nothing pertaining to God's service and worship common, and makes home habits a good impression on minds and characters of children that teaches reverence for the ministry of the word and the house of God. The divine altar is where the torch of truth is kindled in God's servants to be carried as light into sin-darkened fields to rescue the downtrodden and degraded who because of past slavery cannot help themselves, and failure to carry the light leaves neglect as a dark stain on the record needing to be wiped out. When those in office do appointed work, bind about supposed wants, practice enjoined self-denial, encourage economy in every line by example, and grasp Christ with one hand and sinners with the other as earnest intercessors and missionaries, hearts and lips are touched with holy fire to produce a solemn straightforward testimony that goes forth from the great center to influence smaller churches.