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Scripture Reading: Isa. 6:1-13; Matt. 13:14-15; John 12:40-41; Matt. 23:37-38; 24:2; Acts 28:25-27
Chapters six through eight plus chapters nine and eleven are a cluster of chapters in Isaiah's prophecy which unveil Christ to the uttermost. In this message we will consider the unveiling of Christ in chapter six.
In 6:1-7 we have a vision of Christ in glory.
In spite of the rebellion, iniquities, and corruptions of Israel, His chosen and beloved people, Christ is still sitting on a high and lofty throne in glory (vv. 1-4). These verses indicate that no matter what the situation might be on earth and regardless of the corruption and degradation among God's people, Christ is still on the throne in His glory.
When Isaiah looked at the situation among the children of Israel, he became very disappointed. For this reason, in the first five chapters of his prophecy, he had very little to say that was good about the children of Israel. It was at this point that the Lord brought him into a vision so that he could see the Lord of glory sitting on the throne (v. 1). The Lord seemed to say to Isaiah, "Don't look down at the situation. If you look down, you will be disappointed. Look up at Me. I am still here. There may be nothing good there, but everything is good here. I am the unique good thing in the universe. Look at Me."
At the beginning of your church life, you might have experienced a church "honeymoon." But after a period of time, what was so sweet to you might have become bitter like vinegar. Then instead of a honeymoon you have a "vinegarmoon." In your disappointment with the church life, you may think that it would be better if you moved to another locality. However, I can assure you that you cannot find a church that experiences a continual honeymoon. In every church there is some vinegar. Therefore, in the church life, we need to learn not to look down at the situation but to look up to Christ. We should not look at anything or anyone other than Christ. The Christ whom we look up to is no longer on the cross; today Christ is on the throne.
The people had become fallen, but Christ and His throne remained the same in His glory (v. 1a). On this earth, everything changes and fluctuates, but Christ remains the same today and forever (Heb. 13:8).
The train of Christ's robe still filled the temple (Isa. 6:1b). Christ's long robe signifies Christ's splendor in His virtues. Whereas glory refers mainly to God, splendor refers mainly to man. The splendor of Christ in His virtues is expressed mainly in and through His humanity.
We may desire to go to heaven to see Christ's glory in His divinity, but in Isaiah's vision this Christ in glory is full of splendor in His human virtues. When we see Christ in His glory, we will see Him mainly in His humanity, which is full of virtues. All Christ's virtues are bright and shining, and this shining is His splendor. Christ's glory is in His divinity, and His splendor is in His humanity.
Seraphim were calling one to the other, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Jehovah of hosts" (vv. 2-3a). This was a praise rendered to Christ in His holiness.
Whereas Isaiah saw the long robe signifying Christ's splendor in His virtues, the seraphim were declaring that the whole earth is filled with Christ's glory.
In verse 4 we see that the foundations of the threshold shook at the voice of him who called. This shaking signifies solemnity. In this verse we also see that the house was filled with smoke. This signifies glory burning in awe.
John, in his account of Christ's living and working on earth, referred to Isaiah's vision here, saying that Isaiah saw Christ's glory (John 12:41).
In Isaiah 6:5 we have the response of Isaiah.
Isaiah responded to the vision of Christ in glory by saying, "Woe is me, for I am finished!" (v. 5a). As a result of seeing this vision, Isaiah was terminated, finished.
Isaiah went on to say, "For I am a man of unclean lips, and in the midst of a people of unclean lips I dwell" (v. 5b). By this we can see that we must pay attention to our lips, to our speaking. Every day we talk too much. A great percentage of the words we speak are evil, because most of our words are words of criticism. Nearly every word that we speak concerning any matter or any person is a word of criticism. This is the reason that our lips are unclean. Unclean things such as gossip, murmuring, and reasoning make the church life taste like vinegar. If we eliminate gossip, murmuring, and reasoning, we may find that we have very little to talk about. Like Isaiah, we need to realize that our lips are unclean.
Everyone who truly sees a vision of the Lord is enlightened. The vision he sees immediately exposes him and brings him into light. When Peter saw the Lord in Luke 5, he immediately said to the Lord, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord!" (v. 8).
How much we realize concerning ourselves depends on how much we see the Lord. For this reason, we need a revival every morning. The morning revival is the time for us to see the Lord again. The more we see the Lord, the more we see what we are. We realize that there is nothing good within us and that everything within us is without splendor or virtue.
Although Isaiah knew that he was finished and that he was a man of unclean lips, he nevertheless knew that he had seen the King, Jehovah of hosts, with his eyes (Isa. 6:5c).
Isaiah 6:6-7 speaks concerning the purging of Isaiah.
After Isaiah realized that he was unclean, he was purged by one of the seraphim, signifying the holiness of God (v. 6a).
Isaiah was purged with an ember from the altar (vv. 6b-7a). This ember signifies the effectiveness of Christ's redemption accomplished on the cross.
This purging by the seraphim with an ember from the altar took away Isaiah's iniquity and purged his sin (v. 7b).
Had Isaiah not been washed by God before his experience in chapter six? Yes, Isaiah had been cleansed, but he realized that he was still unclean. This indicates that we all need to realize that we are a totality of uncleanness. No matter how many times we may be washed, we are still unclean. We all must come to know ourselves to this extent.
In our experience, whether we are clean or unclean depends on the feeling of our conscience; and the feeling of our conscience depends on our seeing the Lord. How much we see the Lord determines how much we will be cleansed. The more we see the Lord and are exposed, the more we are cleansed. When our conscience is cleansed and is void of offense, we are able to contact God. According to our enlightened conscience, we are clean, but according to the actual facts of our situation in the old creation, we are not clean. How could the old creation be clean? As long as we remain in the old creation, we can never be completely clean, for the old creation is unclean. We need the redemption of our body. Once our body is redeemed, we will get out of the old creation. At that time, we will be completely clean.
In verses 8 through 13 we have Christ's warning commission to Isaiah. After Isaiah was purged, he received a commission from the Lord.
Regarding the Lord's need, we first have His calling. The Lord said, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?" (v. 8a). The words I and Us indicate that the One speaking here is triune, that this One is not merely Christ but Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God.
Isaiah's answer was very good. He said, "Here am I; send me" (v. 8b).
In verses 9 and 10 the Lord gave His charge to Isaiah. The Lord said to him, "Go and say to this people,/Hear indeed, but do not perceive;/And see indeed, but do not understand./Make the heart of this people numb;/Dull their ears,/And seal their eyes;/Lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears,/And their heart perceives and returns, and they are healed." This indicates that there would be no way for the people to be healed and recovered.
In response to the Lord's charge, Isaiah asked a question. He said, "For how long, Lord?" (v. 11a). He was asking how long this situation would remain.
In verses 11b through 13 we have the Lord's answer to Isaiah's question. The Lord said to him, "Until cities lay devastated,/Without inhabitants,/And houses are without people,/And the land is devastated and a waste;/And Jehovah has sent men far away from it,/ And desolate places abound in the midst of the land./But there will still be a tenth part in it; / And it in turn is to be burned/Like a terebinth or an oak, /Whose stump remains after its felling; /Its stump will be a holy seed." Except for the word concerning the holy seed, this prophecy has been fulfilled.
The foregoing prophetic warning was given in approximately 758 B.C., and it was fulfilled in approximately 606 B.C. by the Babylonian invasion and captivity (2 Kings 24—25). The Babylonians devastated Jerusalem and carried away the important people.
This warning was quoted by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 13:14-15, while the Lord was on earth, to remind the rebellious and stubborn Jews under His ministry. This warning was also quoted by John in John 12:40. The Lord's reminding was fulfilled in A.D. 70 by the Roman army under Titus (Matt. 23:37-38; 24:2).
This warning was also quoted by the apostle Paul in Acts 28:25-27 to remind the unbelieving Jews under his preaching of the gospel; and his reminding was also fulfilled in A.D. 70 by Titus with his army. Furthermore, after A.D. 70, this warning has been fulfilled throughout the centuries.
