ISAIAH'S VISION, - A POWERFUL REVELATION (Isaiah ch.6). By Rev. John Burston The Apostle Peter wrote, "No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1. 21.) And the Apostle Paul wrote, "All Scripture is inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3.16). We have famous writers, poets, musicians, artists, architects, that sometimes we say are inspired to write beautiful literature, compose great music, paint amazing pictures, design magnificent buildings. They possess a natural talent that is somehow stimulated and enlarged by an enlightening mysterious creative inspiration. But the Scriptures are more than that, more than talented imagination, they are prophetic, a product not of natural thinking or imagination, they are a Divine revelation. Human artistry, human creativity is a quickening of the emotions of the soul, whereas Biblical inspiration is a quickening and enlightening of the spirit. One is the fanning into blaze the natural fire of the soul, the other is fire from heaven. The Bible is prophetic, not the product of man's ideas, imagination, construction, it is God's revelation, so that the prophets who prophesied, themselves (as Peter said, 1 Peter 1.10-11.), carefully searched and enquired, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of God within them was indicating. Pagan religions and false religions are the result of human imagination and spiritual demonic influence. The Bible is not evolutionary. I am not referring to creation, but to the idea taught by some that man's understanding and knowledge of God was evolutionary. That teaching leads to the idea that the God of the N.T. is different from the God of the O.T. opens the way for "all ways lead to God" and we know God better today than the Bible, so such things as homosexuality are acceptable now. I believe the Bible is the authentic revelation of God. Isaiah's experience was not of human vivid imagination, but a personal and powerful revelation from God and of God. (Prophetic ministry today is an inspired revelatory proclamation of the Word of God). Uzziah died in 740 B.C. W.E.Vine says it was a Year of Jubilee, the 14th Jubilee since Israel entered the Promised Land. The Year of Jubilee was the year of release and restoration; it began on the Day of Atonement the 10th, day of the seventh month, (Lev.25). The ram's horn was blown through the land, and the Day of Atonement was the one day in the year when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies. It was a day of humility, "if there is any person who will not humble himself, he shall be cut off from his people", and it was a day of complete rest. Centuries later the Apostle John declared, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day and he saw a door open in heaven and heard a voice like a trumpet say "Come up here", and immediately being in the Spirit he saw a throne in heaven and One sitting on the throne. It was a vision that had similarities to what Isaiah saw. Isaiah beheld the Heavenly Temple, the Heavenly Throne, he was not in the earthly temple (a shadow of the heavenly) for he had no right to enter there, and certainly after King Uzziah's experience he would not dare. Perhaps it was as the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies with the Blood of Sacrifice and with a great cloud of incense (Lev.16) to cover the Mercy Seat, Isaiah saw the Lord on a throne high and exalted and the Temple was filled with smoke. John 12. 41., shows that the glory Isaiah saw was the glory of Christ, "these things Isaiah said (and the quotation is from Isaiah 6.10.), because he saw His glory and spoke of Him". Isaiah gives no description of the One on the throne, the throne is lofty and exalted, it is a throne lifted up for He is far above all, the Most High God. The train of His robe filled the temple, the skirts or hem of His garment. The hem of a garment is given importance, for example the hem of the High Priest's garment was of pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, interspersed with a golden bell, and the command was that the Israelite should make tassels with a blue thread on the corners of their garments to remind them of holiness and obedience. The Psalmist declared (Ps.93) the Lord is clothed with majesty, with strength, (Ps.104.), clothed with splendour and majesty, He is clothed with light. His robe speaks of dignity, majesty, holiness and excellency. Paganism delights in nakedness. Our God is clothed with majesty. To lose ones clothes, to be stripped is to be ashamed and lose dignity. Adam and Eve in the Garden when they had sinned, were possibly stripped of a garment of "light" the robe of righteousness, they were naked and ashamed and tried to clothe themselves first with fig leaves, and then tried to hide from God. ( Thanks be to God we through Christ Jesus have garments of salvation/ a robe of righteousness, white robes). What one wore was sign of position and authority .This magnificent train indicated great majesty. Remember that when the Tabernacle was completed the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle, (Ex.40.34.), and the same when the Temple was complete and the Ark of the Covenant was brought in, the glory of the Lord filled the House of the Lord. Isaiah witnesses the same of the Heavenly Temple; the glory of God, His train, filled the Temple. Why mark out the time of this vision as being the year that Uzziah died and why wait until he died for Isaiah to have this vision. Isaiah had apparently already prophesied during the reign of Uzziah, (Is.1.1, and "the vision which Isaiah saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah"). According to chronological tables it was ten years from the time Uzziah was smitten with leprosy to his death. Uzziah was 68 when he died, and his son Jotham became king, he was a good king, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. "But the people continued acting corruptly" (2 Chron.27.2). Isaiah was already aware of Israel's spiritual condition. Isaiah says "I live among a people of unclean lips", what happened to Uzziah was illustrative of the spiritual condition of Judah. Possibly Uzziah was some sort of "blockage", Isaiah needed to get his eyes off Uzziah, maybe Isaiah was still hoping for healing/revival, but whatever the reason, Uzziah needed to be removed. Uzziah was a "sign" and a warning that an unclean, proud rebellious nation would die. Ten years, ten is the number of the Law, (ten commandments) ten was the number of plagues on Egypt, it was on the tenth day of the month the Passover Lamb was chosen and separated in preparation for the 14th day of sacrifice, the 10th day of the 7th month was the Day of Atonement followed by the Feast of Tabernacles on the 15th. Ten often seems the number of Law, examination, separation for service, Isaiah was being separated for service, and of course the disciples waited 10 days in the Upper Room for the "fire" to come, the power of the Holy Spirit to equip them for service. (You might like to consider other references to 10 that have significance). You will remember the story of Uzziah's presumptuous entrance into the temple to offer incense. Uzziah had been a good king, he did what as right in he eyes of the Lord. In 2 Kings 15 he is called Azariah, Uzziah means "Jehovah is my strength", Azariah means, "Jehovah has helped", the difference in spelling in Hebrew is one letter, strength and help became synonymous. Uzziah extended Judah's borders, defeated the Philistines, Arabs, Ammonites, and extended the borders to Egypt. He built towers, fortresses; he was a great farmer/agriculturist, he had trained army, equipped ready for battle with anyone, he constructed engines of war for shooting arrows and catapulting great stones, but he (like his father Amaziah ), became proud. He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God, (2 Chronicles 26.5) and as long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him. We do not know anything about this Zechariah (Jehovah has remembered, or reminds) but he was a godly counsellor. (Interestingly there are a number of men [29?] called Zechariah and they all seem to be faithful witnesses). The inference is that while Zechariah was there, a godly counsellor, Uzziah followed the ways of the Lord, but when Zechariah was no longer there Uzziah grew proud and acted corruptly, becoming unfaithful. Thank God for men of vision, godly counsellors!! Sadly it so often happens when a godly leader/counsellor is removed there is a "falling away". Where are the leaders today? Uzziah took it upon himself to enter the Temple, into the Holy Place, for it was there the golden altar, the altar of incense was placed, to burn incense, a duty specially reserved for the priests. Some heathen kings took the office of king and priest, combining the position of absolute authority; this was against the law of God. In the N.T. the saints are described as a royal priesthood, a kingdom of priests, because we have access to enter the presence of God, the Holy Place and we shall reign with Christ. Azariah the priest and eighty brave men tried to arrest Uzziah and ordered him out of the temple. If we take Uzziah as Azariah, we have Azariah the priest standing up and rebuking Azariah the king, it is as if one, the king is proudly saying "God has helped ME" as against the other, the priest who says, "GOD has helped me" One is giving prominence to self, the other giving honour to God. It was a conflict of flesh, (pride) and the spirit. Azariah is courageous, knowing that right is on his side, God's command forbids the action of the king, and faithful men will rebuke even kings that do wrong. Uzziah is enraged against them, pride is the opposite of love in that it easily provoked, angered, but immediately while the words of anger burned on his lips and in his hand the censer of burning coals, God stuck him with leprosy and he fled from the temple a leper. Until his death he lived in a separate, isolated house, there was no cure, no healing. Two others in Scripture were smitten with leprosy, Miriam, Moses sister, temporarily, because she presumed to speak against Moses, God's appointed leader, (Numbers 12), but she was healed after Moses interceded for her. The other was Gehazi, Elisha's servant, who covetously ran after the healed Syrian, Naaman, telling lies to him and then to Elisha. (for Gehazi there was no healing, in fact the judgement also effected his descendants, let us never minimise the consequences of sin). In each case it seems to do with speaking and failing to honour God. Uzziah was struck in the forehead. This is significant, for it was there the Priest wore the golden plate inscribed "Holy to the Lord", (Lev.39. 30).It was on the forehead that the priest looked for the sign of leprosy, (Lev.14.41). The expression of the forehead can indicate opposition, defiance, rebellion. Isaiah described Israel's obstinacy as "your neck is an iron sinew, your forehead bronze", (Isaiah 48.4), and Ezekiel was warned of the obstinacy of Israel, but was told by the Lord, "I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads, like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead" (Ezek.3.8). It was in the forehead Goliath the Philistine giant was struck and killed, who boastfully had taunted and derided the army of the Living God. In Ezekiel's vision, (Ezekiel 9), he saw the man with the inkhorn, ink cup, mark on the forehead the sign, "tav", of those who sighed and groaned over the sins/abominations of the people of Jerusalem, who were protected from the destroyer, the destroyer beginning from the Sanctuary. The letter "tav" is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Psalm 119), interestingly its shape reminds us of the Blood sprinkled doorposts and lintels at the time of the Passover, protection. The original shape of the "Tav" was like a cross, and developed over the years into its current shape, the last letter, reminding us of the finished work of the Cross. It is of course on the forehead or right hand people receive the mark/number of the "Beast", the forehead being fully visible, the obvious place for a mark. (I.D. cards etc are part of the control but I believe it will be a literal mark, [like the Hindu mark]). The Harlot (Rev.17.) has on her forehead the name "Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth". It is on the forehead that the 144,000, and the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem, the City of God, have the Name of the Lamb. Uzziah was struck in the forehead with leprosy, there was no hiding the fact, and it was visible to all, a witness/sign to the nation. It is worth noticing that Zechariah had an understanding through the vision of God, and now here is another, Isaiah that has understanding through the vision of God. It is the "vision" of God, awareness or revelation of a Holy God that makes a godly counsellor, a true prophet, a righteous influence. The Book of Isaiah begins, "the vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem which he saw". This is God"s way of communication; perhaps today the meaning is understood better by the word "revelation". In Numbers 12, we read that Moses was different in that God spoke to him mouth to mouth, but the Lord said, "If he is a prophet among you, I the Lord shall make Myself known to him in a vision, I shall speak with him in dream". In Joel's prophecy of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, (Joel 2.), the word was, "your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions". Through the power of the Holy Spirit, each would have a personal revelation, a knowledge and experience of God. In Jeremiah 31 we read of the promise of the "New Covenant", about the law being written on the heart and it being no longer for neighbour to teach neighbour, for each would individually know the Lord. Commenting on this in 2 Corinthians 3, Paul says, it is written by the Spirit of the Living God. You can compare this with what Jesus said about the promise of the Holy Spirit, the Teacher in John, chapters 14, 15 and 16. Isaiah is greatly known for his prophetic ministry, Zechariah, unknown except for that short statement about him. God has His prominent "Isaiahs", and His unknown "Zechariahs", through the work of the Holy Spirit may we be people of vision, a vision of God. It is the vision of God that thrills, inspires, motivates, it sets the true values, the standards of life, knowing Him is the basic necessity, the guiding principle, without that vision we perish, we are lost in a trackless desert. The hymn writer wrote "Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart". Perhaps I should add this is not "visualisation" but vision. Visualisation is the product/construction of the human mind, vision is from God. Next we read about the seraphim, "stood above Him", not in superiority, but in service. They had some human features such as face, hands, and feet, and voices that Isaiah could hear and understand. They are very interesting creatures, seraphim is of course the plural of seraph. "Seraph" means "burning", fiery creatures, worshipping God. They had a moral quality in that they recognised God as Holy; they also spoke of cleansing, and of forgiveness of sin. They were aware of good and evil, holiness and sinfulness, and agents in cleansing, applying the burning coal to the unclean lips. They were holy creatures to dwell in the presence of God. (Contrast/compare Revelation 8. where an angel takes burning coals from the altar and casts them to the earth in judgement). In Numbers 21.8, when Israel in the wilderness rebelled and God sent serpents that bit the people so that many died, God said to Moses "Make a fiery serpent and set it upon a standard, everyone that is bitten when he looks at it shall live". The word there for "fiery serpent" is the same word, "seraph", and this is the incident that Jesus quotes in His conversation with Nicodemus, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness; even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life". Actually, Moses made a serpent of brass, the word is "nachash" pronounce nawkhawsh, the same word as that used for the serpents that were biting the people. "Seraph" the representative of God's holiness became a nachash. So also Jesus the Holy One became "sin", took the deadly bite of sin, gave His life for us. Seraphim, holy creatures in the presence of God, perhaps then it is not surprising that Satan, the fallen Lucifer, cast out of the presence of God took the form of a serpent when he entered Eden and deceived Eve, leading to the disobedience and fall of man. I love the fact that God said to the serpent, "on your belly you shall go and dust shall you eat" (no wings, no feet) symbolically limiting the movement and power of Satan, (Satan could not get through the hedge into "Job's Garden" without God's permission !!) and He spoke of the One who would bruise the head of the serpent Apparently the brazen serpent was preserved (2 Kings 18), and became an object of worship until the days of King Hezekiah when he smashed it and called it "Nehushtan" a piece of bronze, we remember that the work of the Cross of Christ was once for all. We break bread and drink the cup in remembrance of the cross, but we do not worship the bread and wine, as in R.C. mass, we worship the Living Lord. The seraphim had six wings, none were superfluous. With two he covered his face (they are referred to as masculine), even the seraphim could not gaze on the brightness, the awesome holiness of God. In reverence they covered their faces. (They were created beings). Their covered faces also speak of humility; God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble, Peter writes, "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God". The tax-gatherer who came to the Temple to pray, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven (Luke 18). We must worship in humility for humility is a quality of reverence. Humility is not self-deprecation; it is not saying "I am worthless, useless", for God values us and has redeemed us with the precious blood of the spotless Lamb, bought with a great price. It is seeing the value of others, above all the infinite glory of God. He who is not humble has not seen the glory of God. Humility is also a quality of obedience. There is probably insufficient teaching on humility. The seraphim covered their faces. With another two wings they covered their feet. When God revealed Himself to Moses at the Burning Bush and called him to go to deliver Israel from Egypt, Moses was told to take off his sandals because he stood on holy ground (Exodus 3.5). Joshua was told the same when the Lord, the Captain of Lord's hosts appeared and spoke to him, (Joshua 5.15). The priests ministered in the tabernacle barefooted, amongst all their garments there was no mention of shoes, they walked on holy ground. Shoes and feet are symbols of taking/claiming possession. The promise to Joshua and Israel was that "every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you" (Joshua 1.3.). They were taking possession of the Promised Land. In the Book of Ruth (ch4.) the unnamed relative of Boaz with the right to redeem Ruth and Naomi's land, to signify the giving up of that right to Boaz, took of his sandal and gave it to Boaz, "the custom in Israel concerning the redemption and exchange of land to confirm any matter; a man removed his sandal and gave it to another". This was the transfer of possession. In many cultures one takes off one's shoes when entering a home, perhaps this is more than taking off "dirty shoes" and maybe has an origin that one is not entering to take possession, but peacefully and humbly. Maybe when John the Baptist spoke of being unworthy to remove the sandals of Jesus, his was not only a reference to Jesus being far greater than him, but also that Jesus is the One with the right to redeem, and He is Lord of all. They had asked John "Are you the Messiah?" John, indeed no-one can walk in Jesus shoes. In Genesis 14 we have the account of Abraham meeting with Melchizedek after Abraham's victory in battle, Melchizedek describes God as the "Possessor of heaven and earth", and then Abraham says to the King of Sodom, using the same title of God, "I have sworn that I will not take a thread or sandal thong or anything of yours lest you should say I have made Abraham rich". God, in whom Abraham trusts, possesses all things, so he will not look to the king of Sodom for possessions. In Psalm 60, God speaks of tribes and nations as His possession, and says, "Over Edom I shall throw my shoe". The action of the seraphim covering their feet was symbolic of Holy ground, and the sovereignty of God, the Possessor of heaven and earth, creator of all things. Coming into God's presence, it is only by grace we approach, we "take off our shoes". With the third pair of wings the seraphim flew, they were hovering, and this would seem their readiness to serve, or there means of support in the presence of God, they were not seated. Wings speak of support, God said of Israel, "I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you unto myself" (Exodus 19.4), and you will remember that waiting on God we can mount up with wings like eagles. Interestingly, in Revelation 4, whereas the 24 elders were seated on thrones, the four living creatures with six wings were not. Wings also indicate being quick to serve. The seraphim also expressed their worship vocally, for they called one to another, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory". The Lord, Jehovah, of hosts, armies, signifies the infinite power and authority of God, but holiness is the basic, foundational principle and controlling power of all things. Maybe the thrice repeated "holy" refers to the Trinity, or is the perfection, completion of witness, absolute purity, and perfect perfection. The Holiness of God is the cause, the reason the essence of worship. Essence is the most important feature of a thing which determines its identity (Oxford Dictionary), vitally important, essential. The most important feature of God is that He is Holy. If He was not holy, there would be no true love, no true justice, no security, no light, no hope, it would be indescribable horror, and it would be universal hell. It is because He is Holy that He should be worshipped, loved, served, obeyed, praised , honoured, it is our greatest cause for being thankful, our greatest reason for joy. Every act of God is holy; the 'pillar" on which all things rest is that God is Holy. Be glad that God is Holy. The beauty and glory of God is holiness. We need to learn and meditate on His holiness, to preach, teach holiness. The Cross is an act of Holiness. Then surprisingly their mention of God swoops down to earth. "The whole earth is full of His glory" or, "The fullness of the whole earth is His glory", or again better still the translation as, "His glory is the fullness of the whole earth". ("Earth" is of course different from "world"). This planet earth somehow is a very special and important part of the universe, the most important. God has created and chosen this planet for a demonstration of His glory, on this planet He chose Israel, in Israel He chose Jerusalem. In and around Jerusalem He has chosen Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount), Golgotha and the Mount of Olives. To this planet the Son of God came and will come again. From this planet earth, He has redeemed a people, the Church, that the church may make known the manifold wisdom of God to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places, Paul's letter to the Ephesians says a lot about this. All the earth will be filled with the glory of God, (Numbers 14.21), the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God as the waters cover the sea, (Isaiah 11. 9.). Job 38, God speaking to Job about the amazing creation of the earth, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. It may seem amazing but this planet earth is a very special place. It indeed will be a new heaven and earth, but according to Revelation 21 it will be the situation of the New Jerusalem and the dwelling place of God. His glory is the fullness of the earth, the fullness of the earth is His glory, God has a plan a purpose for earth, He created all things, and for His will, His purpose all things were created. God is Holy and through all things, but especially the earth He will display His glory, the glory of holiness. Holiness is the character; glory is the outward manifestation of His character. Today men explore space, send instruments to other planets, the moon, recently to Titan a moon of Saturn, they say they hope to find about the origins of earth. Biblically, the Earth is unique, God's creation. "The foundations of the threshold (or the door sockets) trembled at the voice of him (them) that called out". According to Josephesus and tradition, when Uzziah was struck with leprosy there was an earthquake, Amos 1.1., and Zechariah 14.5., refer to an earthquake during the time of Uzziah. Now the very threshold of the heavenly temple shake, a frightening and vivid reminder to Isaiah, "Get out of the sanctuary". The Temple was filled with smoke, like on the Day of Atonement when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies a cloud of incense covered the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant, "lest he die". The smoke rose from the altar of incense, intercession was made for Isaiah, he did not die. We have a Great High Priest who is alive for ever to make intercession for us, we can only approach God through the intercessory work of Christ Jesus, and we have protection. The Temple is filled with smoke. When Jesus hung on the cross there was darkness over the face of the earth for three hours, almost like the darkness that hid the High priest as the cloud of incense filled the Temple, when he went into the Holy of Holies. Then also there was an earthquake as the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom, when atonement was made for us. Then we see the effect of this vision upon Isaiah was that he realised his own sinful condition, his natural state. I remember when I visited Arkansas in the States, the publicity stickers advertised the state as "The Natural State", I know what they meant, the state had much natural beauty, but the natural state of man is not beautiful!!! We are by nature children of wrath, sinners, condemned, unclean. We do not know what Isaiahıs thoughts of himself had been before this; he certainly had seen the sinfulness of others, and now he sees his own uncleanness. From the words of Jesus in John 16, we learn that the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict of sin, righteousness, judgement, but then that He will guide into all truth, and He will glorify Jesus, wonderful steps in our salvation. This was an amazing day for Isaiah. I remember a true story, it happened many years ago. A boy of about 12/13 was tired of short trousers, he so wanted long trousers, but his parents could not afford them at that time. One day his parents were out, and desperately he found a pair of his dad's trousers, and taking scissors he cut the bottoms of the legs off till they were about his length. He then proceeded proudly to walk up the road, thinking how good he looked, but then he came to a shop window and he saw the reflection of himself!!! He ran back home as fast as he could. When we see ourselves in the mirror of God's Word, see the holiness of God then we realise how sinful we are. This is the importance of preaching the Holiness of God, the true diagnosis of man, the conviction of sin, then the Gospel is good news And not only preaching it to others, but ourselves beholding daily the Holiness of God. In chapter 5 Isaiah had pronounced woe six times on others, but now he cries "Woe is me". I am undone, I am ruined. I am cut off. I have unclean lips. Uzziah had been struck with leprosy, and like a leper had to cover his lips and cry "Unclean". To cover the lip, the upper lip, or moustache, was a sign of mourning, of death. The beard was regarded by the Hebrews as a sign of manliness, strength, to cover it was a humiliation, loss of dignity, manliness. That is how Isaiah felt, he was no better than the rest of the people, on the same level, guilty, defiled, in fact, as good as dead. The prophet not only was convicted of sin, but he confessed his sin. Confession is so vitally important, to admit our wrong. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous (notice that, and righteous) to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". Isaiah declares, "For mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts". "Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts is the king of glory", (Psalm 24). We must declare the glory of the King, yes we preach a crucified Saviour, compassionate, merciful, but God has exalted Him, we preach the resurrection, a Saviour who is alive and therefore able to save to the uttermost all that come unto Him. We preach the glory of our King, this not only convicts but gives confidence He is able to save, He is the Lord triumphant, He declares, "I was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death", death does not destroy the Church!!!! Paul wrote, "We preach Christ crucified" but he did not finish there, he does a sort of aside about the stumbling block and foolishness, but went on to say, the power of God and the wisdom of God. Let us preach the glory of the King. "Living for me, Dying for me, Risen for me, Coming for me". He has the keys of death and of Hades. That is why the gates of Hades cannot prevail/ overpower the Church. He has the keys. Poor terrified Isaiah believed he would die, "no man can see God and live", Exodus 33.20., He dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, 1 Timothy 6.16. Then one of the seraphim flew, (there does not seem to have been an audible command), to Isaiah with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the Altar of Incense with tongs and touched Isaiah's mouth, lips, with it. Consider how painful this must have been, the lips are extremely sensitive, have you ever burnt your mouth with a hot drink, or food? This was painful, cauterising, scarring it was a purifying judgement. Again I remember, (we tend to use "catch phrases" in prayer), a frequent expression when praying for the speaker was, "touch his lips with a live coal off the altar", a prayer that he would be empowered, but this was not an empowering but a purging, a purifying, a cleansing. If we compare it with Revelation 8.5, where the angel fills the censer with coals off the altar and casts it to the earth in judgement. On the Day of Atonement (Lev.16), the High Priest would take a fire pan full of coals from the Altar, two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, bring it inside the veil (into Holy of Holies), put the incense on the fire that the cloud of incense may cover the Mercy Seat , lest he die. This action of the seraph was in some way related to that, and the seraph says, "Behold this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven". On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest laid his hands on the head of the scapegoat, confessed all the iniquities of Israel, and the goat bore on itself all their iniquities to a solitary place in the wilderness. "Your iniquity is taken away". The other goat was slain and sacrificed as a sin offering, "your sin is forgiven". The Gospel is a message of forgiveness and cleansing, the taking away of sin. This vision, this action was in preparation for service, for proclaiming God's message. Before any act of service, we need the vision of the King, a contrite spirit, and fresh application of the atoning work of Christ. "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has a clean hands, a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul in vain (margin translation), and has not sworn deceitfully", Psalm 24. The disciples had to see the Lord ascend to witness He had clean hands, a pure heart, the travail of His soul was not in vain, His message/promises are true. Now Isaiah was ready. Then he hears the voice of the Lord, (previous voices had been those of the seraphim), a question that seems personally directed to Isaiah, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us". I am sure we shall have considered the implications of "I" and "Us". But notice there are two things wrapped up in the question, they are, "sending" and "going". It is possible to send someone but for them not to go. The Lord has sent us, but are we going? Isaiah replies, "Here am I. Send me". He does not yet know what, where, or why, but he is willing, at that stage he asked no questions, although later (v.11) he does. (John 2. Mary says to the servants, whatever He say to you, do it).We can be guilty of asking needless questions of the Lord, when His Word already instructs us, He has aid "Go". If we ask questions the indication is that we are not trusting, we want to make terms and conditions, and we want to know rewards or results. The Lord never gives us too heavy a burden, too long a journey, He always provides the enabling. Matt.28.18. "All authority has been given Me in heaven and in earth. Therefore go and make disciples". Acts 1, you shall receive power, and you shall be My witnesses. Many reading the chapter seem to stop at the point of Isaiah's response, "Send me", but it is not the end of the story and it is important we go on. Isaiah is given his commission, Go", and his message. One might think that with such an amazing vision, experience and calling, Isaiah was going to have a successful and popular ministry, nationally acclaimed, honoured by kings and people. But the opposite is the reality. The people would be unwilling to listen, to understand and to receive the message, hearts like grease, fat, insensitive ears dull, and eyes dim. What a congregation!!!! It is always the same. Enoch (Gen.5) preached the judgement of God, (Jude v.14) but the people seem to have paid little if any attention, even with the sign of his "rapture", see the description of the days before the Flood. Noah was preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2.5), but only his family went with him into the Ark. Lot in Sodom was ignored and mocked. See the trouble Moses had although there were signs, wonders and great miracles, not only with the heathen Pharaoh but also with the "People of God". So it goes on through the O.T. the prophets and godly leaders and into the N.T. we have John the Baptist, beheaded for his courageous stand for God's law, Jesus Himself rejected even though He did many might works, healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, gave sight to the blind and even raised the dead. The Apostles were persecuted and died for their witness, and history ever since then tells of the suffering, and rejection of the Word of God and the servants of God. Is it any different today? Oh, yes you have the mega-churches with their false teaching. Is Truth ever popular? No wonder Isaiah asked, "How long?" Matthew, Mark and Luke all record Jesus saying "How long?" "O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?" (Matthew 17.17, when the disciples failed to cast out the demon from the boy). The martyred saints, of whom we read in Revelation 6. 10., cried, "How long O Lord, holy and true wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Do you sometimes feel like asking "How long?" The answer Isaiah got was not exactly "encouraging", until the cities are devastated, uninhabited, desolate, forsaken. Is that how it is for these "end times" the church persecuted, the prophesied disasters that Jesus spoke of, wars, earthquakes, plagues, famines, terrors, false Christ's, increasing violence sinfulness, apostasy? It is a fearful picture, different from the revival some are prophesying. Jesus spoke of things being "as in the days of Noah". Genesis 6 3, "My Spirit shall not strive with man for ever". The word "strive" has the meaning, control, restrain, and rule. My Spirit shall not always "restrain" and evil seemed to grow worse as the time of the Flood drew near. In Romans chapter one, Paul writes of man not wanting to know/honour God and of God giving them up to their sinful lusts, and idolatry. In 2 Thessalonians 2. 6 -7 Paul writes of the "Restrainer" being removed. When I look at the national and world situation today, (you know it, without me describing it) I wonder, "Is the restraint being removed?!!" What time is it? BUT/ YET,(thank God for "but"), verse 13, "Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, and it will be again be subjective to burning, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled, the holy seed is in its stump." There is a remnant, because they have the holy seed. There will be faith when the Lord returns, some who will hear the trumpet call, who will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, and be caught up to be with the Lord. So men of vision, of experience of the cleansing, of hearing the Voice of the Lord, sent and willing to go, continue to preach and teach the Living Word of the Living God. Do not lose heart. Maranatha, our Lord comes.