
Isaiah found himself experiencing holiness in a God-given vision. Isaiah 6: 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” 4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. [1]
The seraphim were heavenly beings who perpetually sang God’s praises. Even these beings don’t look directly at God. They cover their faces because they recognize God’s overwhelming holiness and majesty. “The traditional interpretation of the seraphim links them to the Hebrew word for “burning,” so some think these creatures are called “seraphim” because they burn with the love of God.”[2]
Holy, Holy, Holy
The seraphim praise God for being holy. “The Hebrew word for holy is “qodesh,” which means “apartness, sacredness,” or “separateness,” showing that God is altogether holy, sacred, set apart, or separate from His creation.”[3] Isaiah has encountered God’s absolute otherness and purity. A genuine encounter with God’s glory can strip away our complacency and move us towards a more intentional and passionate pursuit of His purposes.
Any time Scripture repeats a word, it increases its importance. Here the seraphim repeated the word “holy” three times. This implies the ultimate holiness of God. God’s power shakes the Temple and fills it with smoke. God can remove the earthly things that can be shaken and replace them with His things that cannot be shaken. The smoke would also block Isaiah’s direct view of God and help protect him from God’s overwhelming power.
Awe of God
Many of us have lost our awe of God. We want to remake our picture of God into something we can understand. We think of the word holy just meaning to be moral or to follow the rules and have lost the idea that God is totally unlike us. Isaiah’s vision helps us grasp God’s separateness, glory, and unapproachable holiness. The vision leaves us in awe of God.
When we see God as holy and majestic, it transforms our understanding of His character. His holiness is in great contrast to our sinfulness. It is only through the work of Jesus on the cross that we are enabled to approach God’s holiness with confidence. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we want God’s holiness to permeate our lives to reshape our actions. The shaking of the Temple serves as a metaphor for how our lives should resonate with and be reshaped by God’s purposes.
Isaiah’s vision challenges us to live in constant awareness of God’s being and character. When we realize our need for Jesus because of God’s holiness, we are willing to carry out His mission to impact those around us. To learn more about experiencing holiness, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/sent-out
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Is 6:2–4). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Walker, L. L., Elmer A. Martens. (2005). Cornerstone biblical commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Lamentations (Vol. 8, p. 38). Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-is-the-biblical-definition-of-holy/








