Note- text scriptures are in blue, whereas, supporting scriptures are in green-
There are many reasons that I refer to Isaiah 6 as a mystery. First of all, considering all the prophet had said in the chapters before chapter six and the chapters following, it seems to me that chapter six could have been just dropped in out of nowhere. Of course this is not the way God works. Things are located in the bible precisely where God wants them. He never just drops things in- at what we would call random. Secondly, and more important is the overwhelming effect that this chapter has on the entire book of Isaiah and indeed, the effect on the outcome of the entire nation of Israel.
Also, and most important, is that we will be getting a literal… spiritual- view of the Temple, especially the Holy of Holies. You realize that the physical structure of the temple and the Holy of Holies within it, speaks of the true temple and Holy of Holies which is spiritual in nature and exists today in the Heavenlies. We shall see it unfold as we go along. Starting in verse one:
1 IN THE year that King Uzziah died,
In the year King Uzziah died things changed dramatically for Isaiah. King Uzziah and Isaiah were friends who possessed great respect for each other. But all that died with the death of King Uzziah. Gone was the accustomed support and protection Isaiah was used to. For Isaiah, life took a turn for the worst. But it is often in such a condition that God can be heard. Isaiah not only heard but witnessed God in a vision which revealed God’s view and purpose for the nation of Israel.
Continuing in Isaiah Six then:
[in a vision] I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the skirts of His train filled the [most holy part of the] temple.
As we shall see as we go along, we are being shown the spiritual truth that underlies the physical reality of the temple. Especially the Holy of Holies and the ark of the covenant which existed within the Holy of Holies. Hopefully,we will be able to put this together in a way that can open your understanding. But let me put it another way: Israel was instructed to build a physical temple that would illustrate the true temple which existed in the heavenlies.
Here Isaiah sees the Lord, sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. To begin, let me make a point regarding the showing of the Lord, high and lifted up by taking you to Ephesians 4:9 9
[But He ascended?] Now what can this, He ascended [or we could say He was High Up because He had been Lifted Up] mean but that He had previously descended from [the heights of] heaven into [the depths], the lower parts of the earth? 10 He Who descended is the [very] same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things (the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest).
The same mental image of the Lord ascended given here to us in Ephesians is presented to us [written many thousands of years before Ephesians was written] here also in Isaiah Six- where we’re told that Isaiah saw Him on a throne, high and lifted up. In order to understand this a bit better, let’s look at Rev 13:8 8 And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him homage, everyone whose name has not been recorded in the Book of Life
of the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice] from the foundation of the world. This is very clear. He was already slain and sacrificed by the time the foundation of the worlds were formed. He was killed as a sacrifice to God before our Earth existed! Also, consider this- 1Pet 1:20 It is true that He was chosen and foreordained (destined and foreknown for it) before the foundation of the world, but He was brought out to public view (made manifest) in these last days (at the end of the times) for the sake of you.
It’s true then, that He was slain as a sacrifice for us to God from the foundation of the world but the visible manifestation of it came when it did some 2,000 years ago for our sakes. So that we could perceive it with our senses. God does many marvelous things that we struggle to understand. But here, you are looking at a risen Christ.
Continuing in Isaiah Six:
Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two [each] covered his [own] face, and with two [each] covered his feet, and with two [each] flew. 3 And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!
Here, as in the physical temple, the six winged seraphim are above the Christ. this is the only place in scripture that the seraphim are mentioned. But, let us see what God has to say
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone and 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! 6 Then flew one of the seraphim [heavenly beings] to me, having a live coal in his hand which he had taken with tongs from off the altar; 7 And with it he touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity and guilt are taken away, and your sin is completely atoned for and forgiven.
What a privilege Isaiah experiences!
At this point I need to give you an idea of the Arc of the Covenant which occupied the Holy of Holies in the Temple during King David’s reign and other following Kings.
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
The Ark was basically a rectangle shaped box. Inside it had the Ten commandments plus the olive branch that budded, indicating the choice of Levi’s family as ones who would perform as the Priesthood. The Arc was covered with beaten gold. It was carried (before it’s home was established as it’s permanent home in the Temple) by poles which were slipped through loops on each side of the Ark. If anyone touched the actual Ark, either on purpose or by accident, death was instant. In it’s center was the ‘Mercy Seat’. This is where the high Priest sprinkled the blood once a year on the Day of Atonement. There was always a chance the High Priest could mess up and touch something unlawfully and be instantly killed. A rope was tied around his leg or something so that those outside the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. This way enabled those outside could pull his body out.
Mounted on the ends of the Ark were the six winged reptile-like birds called the Seraphim spoken of here in Isaiah six, (the only place they are mentioned in scripture).but called Cherubim in every other scripture. I’ll explain the name difference in a moment. The job of the Cherubim, as well as the Seraphim is illustrated here in Genesis 3:24 amp
24 So [God] drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden the3 cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep and guard the. way to the tree of life
“To keep and guard the. way to the tree of life”. You’ll notice that concerning the Ark the Cherubim’s six wing overlapped each other. The end result was that the “Mercy Seat” could not be seen by the Priest or anybody else. The Cherubim were set up in such a way as to keep the Mercy Seat hidden.
So here we see the ministry unto God these beings have. To keep mankind out of the garden and the Tree of Life and here in Isaiah Six we see they keep mankind from realizing the meaning of the seat of Mercy.
So (in Isaiah six) we are getting a heavenly view of the true Arc with it’s mercy seat. To exist that high up into the Heavenlies means your relationship with God is so much closer. Hense the name change. As another example, Lucifer (who fell to earth) is now named Satan. He is no longer named Lucifer. He has become a different creature.
Here in Isaiah Six we see the real Mercy Seat JESUS!
Let’s look again at what Isaiah said in Isaiah 6:5
5 Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone and 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! 6 Then flew one of the seraphim [heavenly beings] to me, having a live coal in his hand which he had taken with tongs from off the altar; 7 And with it he touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity and guilt are taken away, and your sin is completely atoned for and forgiven.
So here is the mystery of Salvation: It is to realize with your heart a heavenly truth… the truth of Jesus and His blood and His body as Your hope. That He is the real Mercy Seat! When that happens the heavenly Seraphim apply His sacrifice and you are new and clean.
Isaiah not only sees the sacrifice of Jesus (which is the mercy seat) but when the sacrifice of Christ the Mercy Seat is applies to Isaiah- by the Seraphim He is forgiven and clean. He has experienced Salvation and is born again.
8 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 is very excited about the ability He found which saves. So when God asked who shall we send Isaiah is ready to go.
t they may [indee 11 And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the kingdom of God [that is,2 the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly]; but for those outside [3 of our circle] everything becomes a parable, 12 In order thad] look and look but not see and perceive, and may hear and hear but not grasp and comprehend,4 lest haply they should turn again, and it [5 their willful rejection of the truth] should be forgiven them.
and He said, Go and tell this people, Hear and hear continually, but understand not; and see and see continually, but do not apprehend with your mind.
He can go but Israel will hear and see and just not get it. Because God refuses to save them. look at was else God promised.
10 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 hearts and turn agai n and be healed.
11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And He answered, Until cities lie waste without inhabitant and houses without man, and the land is utterly desolate, 12 And the Lord removes [His] people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 And though a tenth [of the people] remain in the land, it will be for their destruction [eaten up and burned] like a terebinth tree or like an oak whose stump and substance remain when they are felled or have cast their leaves. The holy seed [the elect remnant] is the stump and substance [of Israel].
If you should think that this is no longer true- check this out out of Luke ‘4
10 And as soon as He was alone, those who were around Him, with the Twelve [apostles], began to ask Him about the parables.
11 And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the kingdom of God [that is,2 the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly]; but for those outside [3 of our circle] everything becomes a parable, 12 In order that they may [indeed] look and look but not see and perceive, and may hear and hear but not grasp and comprehend,4 lest haply they should turn again, and it [5 their willful rejection of the truth] should be forgiven them.
I will leave you at this point. This blew my mind I don’t mind telling you…
mcfalger 