Isaiah 6 · The Lantern

Isaiah’s Commission

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

"It came to pass", he says, "in the year in which King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord of Sabaoth sitting upon a throne high and lifted up". The "vision" is recorded; why is the time of the king signified? Give heed to when the "vision" arose: when "King Uzziah died", Isaiah "saw the Lord of Sabaoth sitting upon a throne high and lifted up".

(Chapter 6, Verse 1) In the year when King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a high and lofty throne. Isaiah prophesied under the reign of four kings over Judah and Jerusalem, as indicated in the introduction to the first vision: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

204. In the year that king Ozias died. After he denounces the fault of the two tribes, adding the corrective punishment, here he threatens the punishment of final condemnation, namely, the punishment of hardness of heart; and therefore that punishment is foretold in the manner of a sentence and with the solemnity of a judgment.

Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly.

"And the Seraphim stood round about him, six wings to the one, and six wings to the other". I see two "Seraphim", each of them having in itself "six wings". Then the arrangement of the "wings". "And with two wings indeed they covered the face"—not their own, but God's—"and with two wings they covered the feet"—not their own, but God's—"and with two wings they were flying".

(Ver. 2.) The seraphim stood above him, six wings to one, and six wings to the other: with two they covered his face, and with two they covered his feet, and with two they flew. And they cried to one another, saying: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.

214. Stood the seraphim. Here he sets out the office of the ministers. And first, he describes the order of the ministers; second, their praise, and they cried one to another, and said: holy (Isa 6:3). Concerning the first, he sets out three things.

And one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

My Hebrew master used to say that the two seraphim, which are described in Isaiah as having six wings each and as crying one to another and saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts," were to be understood to mean the only-begotten Son of God and the Holy Spirit.

Because the seraphim use the title Lord singularly in this song, but repeat "holy" three times (in reference to the Trinity), we know they are referring to the one essence of Deity. The praise "holy, holy, holy" properly indicates the Trinity, and the appellation "Lord of Hosts" indicates the oneness of the divine essence.

218. And they cried one to another. Here he sets out their praise: and concerning this, he does three things. First, he sets out the manner of praising as to their devotion, for they cried from the greatness of their affection; as to their concord, for both cry out; and as to their order, for they cry out one to another: for one receives from the other, as Dionysius holds.

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

When therefore I have done all these things, "the lintel was lifted up by the voice with which they cried out". It is a blessed thing, then, for each one of us so to labor that he may become a partaker of the door and of the "lintel" of the door, which is according to the understanding of Christ God.

(Verse 4) And the doorposts of the cardinal's palace were shaken by the voice of the one who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. The seraphim cried out, and throughout the whole earth they proclaimed the mystery of the Trinity, when the entire earth learned of the passion of the Lord and Savior.

220. Third, where it says, and the lintels, he sets out the effect of their praise, namely, the punishment of sinners, below: behold my servants shall eat, and you shall be hungry: behold my servants shall drink, and you shall be thirsty . . .

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am ruined; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

"And I said: O wretched me, for I am pierced with remorse, since, although I am a man and have unclean lips". I cannot suppose that Isaiah humbled himself; rather, the Scripture says and gives testimony that his "lips are cleansed" by "one of the Seraphim", who "was sent" to "take away his sins".

We must especially follow the commandments, and signing our lips with the seal of the cross we must pray to the Lord that he may cleanse our mouths, which are disfigured with human foulness.

221. And I said. Here the announcer of the sentence is set out. And first, his humility is shown; second, his purity: and one of the seraphim flew to me (Isa 6:6); third, his authority: and I heard (Isa 6:8). His humility shown in confession of sin. And he confesses a threefold sin.

Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

"And I saw with my eyes the King, the Lord of Sabaoth". If ever we have thought about God while we are still sinners, we too say what the prophet now says: "and one of the Seraphim was sent to me". How good is God!

But Dionysius the Areopagite, that ancient and venerable Father, is said to declare that from the lesser hosts of angels some are sent forth to fulfill their ministry either visibly or invisibly, namely because angels or archangels come for human consolation.

222. And one of the seraphim flew to me. Here he shows his purity from the cleansing of his sins. And concerning this he sets out three things. The minister of the cleansing: one of the seraphim flew to me. The instrument of cleansing: and in his hand was a live coal . . . off the altar of holocausts.

And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Look, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.

Let the reproving word, therefore, touch the "lips" of our mind and soul, that we too may say: "and it touched my mouth". If I shall have cleansed "my mouth", so that I speak nothing idle, nothing foolish, nothing base, nothing scurrilous—to name them all at once—nothing of those things that are forbidden, then I can say: "it touched my mouth".

But let us at this time feel remorse with all the affection of our hearts. Let us admit that we are wretched in this misery of the flesh. Let us weep with holy groans because we, too, have unclean lips.

222 [cont.]. Third, the manner of cleansing: and he touched my mouth, and said, just as in the sacraments there is an action and a form of words; behold this has touched your lips, he expresses the act, and your iniquities, against men, shall be taken away, and your sin, against God.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Isaiah, "seeing the Lord of Sabaoth seated upon a lofty and lifted-up throne", and "seeing" also "the Seraphim standing about him", and receiving the remission of sins through that fire which, brought "from the altar", "cleansed" his "lips" by its touch, says that "he heard the voice of the Lord" — not commanding, but rousing and "saying": "whom shall I send, and who will go to…

When Isaiah had seen the Lord seated high upon a lofty throne, what does he say? "Woe is me, because I am in sorrow; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people that has unclean lips." Pay attention to his exact words: Woe is me because of my unclean lips. After that, what does he tell us?

224. And I heard the voice of the Lord. Here the authority of the minister is shown from his charge of office, and concerning this he does three things. First, the consent of the one to be sent is sought; hence he says, whom shall I send, in which the authority on the part of the sender is noted: and how shall they preach unless they be sent? (Rom 10:15). And who shall go?

And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear you indeed, but understand not; and see you indeed, but perceive not.

And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted…

Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

226. Third, the office is enjoined on him; as to the double act he foretells to discuss: and he said: go: behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves (Matt 10:16); and you shall say to this people: and you will separate the precious from the vile, you shall be as my mouth (Jer 15:19). 227. Hearing, hear. Here the sentence is set out.

Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Let us examine what this means, which is said: "for the heart of this people has been made fat". Everyone who is occupied in the cares of the present life has "a heart made fat"; for those who dwell among worldly things the "heart is made fat" no otherwise than as if they were being choked by thorns.

Behold mercy and judgment: mercy upon the elect, who have obtained the justice of God, but judgment upon the others who have been blinded. And yet the former have believed, because they have willed, while the latter have not believed, because they have not willed. Hence mercy and judgment were brought about in their own wills.

228. Second, the acceptance of the sentence is set out. And these are the words of prophet; hence he says: O Lord, from that by which the Gentiles shall come in, strike Israel with blindness (Rom 11:25): blind the heart, inwardly, and make their ears heavy, lest they perceive, and shut their eyes, lest they understand: for judgment I am come into this world: that they who see n…

Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

See here that the rest of the earth is desolate, and those who remain on the earth alone are said to multiply. These must be the disciples of the Savior, going forth from the Hebrews to all people. Like a seed left behind they have brought forth much fruit, which are the churches of the Gentiles in every dwelling place.

(Verse 11-13.) And I said, how long, Lord? And he answered, until the cities are desolate and without inhabitant, and the houses are without people, and the land is left empty. And the Lord will remove men far away, and what was abandoned in the midst of the land will be multiplied.

229. And I said. Here the length of the sentence is set out. And first, the question of the prophet is set out: how long will they be blinded? How long shall the vision . . . be trodden under foot? (Dan 8:13); second, the answer of the Lord: and he said.

And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be its substance.

Isaiah6

Isaiah’s Commission