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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 In the year of the death of king Uzziah, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. |
In the year – When Isaiah was commissioned to announce the fall of Israel. R2379:2
I saw Isaiah, representing the living saints. R530:4*
The vision was given to Isaiah to encourage him and to lead him to volunteer to be the bearer of a new and difficult message. R2371:1
Present Truth, now provided by our present Lord, affords his faithful a waking vision of the Lord's glory never conceived of before through the eye of faith. R2372:4
The Lord – Adonai, Jesus, "The Messenger of the Covenant." (Mal. 3:1) E48
Upon a throne – Representing the majesty of God, his greatness and glory. R2371:1
The vision is a prophecy of the future establishment of the Kingdom of God during the Millennium. R2371:2
Instead of the Holy and Most Holy and their furnishings. R4787:2
High and lifted up – The representative of Jehovah might well be saluted with praise in the name of the Father whom he represented. E48
In the light of his glory, the majesty and tinsel grandeur of earthly kings will be veriest dross. R2371:2
His train – Of followers. R4787:2
The temple – The Christ. T70
The Temple at Jerusalem, otherwise called the house of Jehovah, was the scene of the vision. R4787:2
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| 2 Seraphim were standing above him: each had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he flew. |
The seraphims – Supporting, or carrying the throne or chariot of Jehovah, as in Ezek. 1:5-16 and Ezek. 10:1-21. R529:6*
On either side of him, as representing the divine attributes, stood the four seraphim. R4787:2
Always connected with the immediate presence or Throne of God. R529:6*
Fundamental attributes of God: Power, Wisdom, Justice and Love. R529:6*, R2372:4
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| 3 And one called to the other and said, Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! |
Cried unto another – Two of the seraphim. R4787:2
Holy, holy, holy – Repeating the word has an intensifying effect, signifying superlatively holy, most holy. R2371:2
Indicating that all of God's attributes are in perfect harmony. R530:4*, R2372:4
Is the LORD – Jehovah, represented by "The Messenger." E48
The whole earth – Had Israel accepted Jesus as the King of glory at his first advent, the Kingdom would have been established forthwith with them. R4787:2
Full of his glory – "The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord." (Hab. 2:14) B99
Only from the prophetic standpoint, for it has never yet been true. The earth is now full of sin, violence and every evil work. R2371:2
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| 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. |
The posts of the door – The Jewish nation, the doorway to this glory. R4787:3
Moved – The shaking of anything, in a typical sense, represents its instability, its removal. The Jewish nation was removed from its favored position. R4787:3
Indicating the unreadiness of the world to receive the message. R4787:3
Filled with smoke – An obscuring haze filled the Temple, dimming the glory indicating an unpreparedness for the glory of the Lord. R4787:2
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| 5 And I said, Woe unto me! for I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts. |
Woe is me! – Lamenting his own unholiness, imperfection and unworthiness. R2371:3
Those who see the divine glories, majesty and perfection most distinctly feel their own blemishes, shortcomings and unworthiness more than do others. R2371:3
Whoever has a deep humility of heart, knowing of his own demerits and of God's perfection, can be blessed in the divine service. R2371:3
I am undone – This was the effect of Jesus' teaching upon the holy ones of Israel who received his message. They humbled themselves before the Lord, acknowledging their unfitness to be teachers. R4787:5
Of unclean lips – The Jewish nation, and all others, were imperfect; and any message they would carry would be imperfect. R4787:5
Have seen the King – Jehovah, represented by the "Messenger." (Mal. 3:1) E48
Jehovah, the King above all kings, ultimately to be revealed to the whole world. R2371:1
Just such a view and message is now granted to the Lord's servants who see the divine character of wisdom, justice, love and power as never before. R2372:4
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| 6 And one of the seraphim flew unto me, and he had in his hand a glowing coal, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar; |
A live coal – Enkindling the Gospel age invitation, "Present your bodies living sacrifices." (Rom. 12:1) R4787:6
The altar – Of sacrifice. R4787:6
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| 7 and he made it touch my mouth, and said, Behold, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin expiated. |
Touched thy lips – You, Isaiah, shall be granted powers of speech and words beyond your natural ability, inspired by the Lord. R2371:4
Some today have the opportunity of being mouthpieces of God by being touched with an antitypical coal-the consecration of the great sacrifice. R2372:4
When the hot coal touches our lips, we are ready to answer, "Send me." R530:4*
The saintly ones during this Gospel age have had the required blessing upon their lips. R4787:5
Iniquity is taken away – The message of Rom. 12:1 has not only taught a cleansing from sin, but a service to God. R4787:6
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| 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? And I said, Here am I; send me. |
Voice of the Lord – Adonai, the "Messenger," Christ. (Mal. 3:1) E48
Whom shall I send – God has sent the invitation to sacrifice to all who have an ear to hear. R4787:6
Here am I – The sanctified, typical of God's holy people. R4787:6
Send me – All soldiers of the cross must be volunteers-none will be drafted. R2371:5
These pray that the Lord will grant them a privilege of doing all that their talents will fit them to do in his service. R2371:5
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| 9 And he said, Go; and thou shalt say unto this people, Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive. |
And he said – Quoted by the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul as further applicable to Israel at the first advent to the sending of salvation to the Gentiles. (Matt. 13:13-17; John 1:12; Acts 28:16-31; Rom 11:5-11) R2371:6, R1435:3*, R1742:1
Since natural Israel is a type of nominal spiritual Israel, we find a somewhat similar message due to the spiritual house now in the end of this age. R2371:6
Understand not – The message of this Isaiah class would be unpopular, resented, not favorably received. R2372:1, R4787:6
"That seeing they may see and not perceive; and hearing they may hear and not understand." (Mark 4:12) R1742:1
For delivering this message, tradition says Isaiah was sawn asunder. R2371:6
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| 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and healed. |
Make the heart – "Declare fat the heart of this people, its ears heavy, its eyes dazzled, etc." (Young's translation) R530:5*
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| 11 And I said, Lord, how long? And he said, Until the cities be wasted, without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land become an utter desolation, |
How long? – Israel's experiences are used as the measuring line to show when the completion of the Church will be accomplished. R4787:6
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| 12 and Jehovah have removed men far away, and the solitude be great in the midst of the land. |
Removed men – Not long after, the ten tribes were carried away into captivity; Judah's share in the captivity coming about 150 years later. R2371:6
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| 13 But a tenth part shall still be therein, and it shall return and be eaten; as the terebinth and as the oak whose trunk remaineth after the felling: the holy seed shall be the trunk thereof. |
Holy seed – The Ancient Worthies, the earthly representatives of Messiah's Kingdom. R4788:1[R4787]
To these princes will be gathered the faithful, loyal, holy of the Jews. R4788:1
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