Isaiah 6:1-3 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.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with two
he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:
the whole earth is full of His glory.
Isaiah had a revelation of the Lord in His glory. Suddenly, he became aware of His splendor, majesty, and holiness. This revelation exposed Isaiah to the presence of the great “I Am.” And exposure to the Lord’s presence is what brings change to one’s life.
Isaiah’s revelation was the kind of revelation the apostle John was speaking of in his epistle. It does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. I John 3:2. Some interpret that to mean when Jesus appears in bodily form. I am not opposed to that idea, but I believe it is much more important for Him to appear to our hearts by revelation. The Lord appeared in many ways in the Scriptures. Sometimes He appeared as the Angel of the Lord, and sometimes in dreams and visions, or just revealed Himself to one’s heart. He also appeared as Jesus the Nazarene. However, when He appeared by revelation to one’s heart, whether it was by dream, vision, or some other manner there was usually tremendous changes that took place. In fact, that was how the prophets, apostles, and great men of God were created. But when He appeared in bodily form as Jesus the Nazarene, He was received only by a few.
Do you want change to come to your life? Do you want to be more dedicated, to walk in a greater faith, and to know the presence of the Lord? Then don’t put it off until He appears in bodily form. You would probably reject Him in that way anyhow. Lift Him up in your heart until He reveals Himself as Lord. If Isaiah could have a revelation of the Lord high and lifted up, so can you.
Each time we have a new revelation of the Lord we are changed a little more into His likeness. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. II Corinthians 3:18.
What we experience and become is determined by our revelation of the Lord. When He is revealed to your heart as Savior, then that is how you know Him. When He is revealed to you as your Rock and Fortress (Psalm 18:2), then you are not moved by circumstances or frightened by the enemy. And when He is revealed to you as Lord, your relationship with Him changes accordingly.
Isaiah 6:4-5 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and
the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips:
for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Becoming aware of our uncleanness is the first thing that happens when we receive a revelation of Jesus Christ as Lord. In other words, we receive a revelation of our human nature in the light of His glory. It is then that we realize how unworthy and unclean we really are.
This is the process of being changed from glory to glory (II Corinthians 3:18). It is the cycle of death and resurrection life. Each time another aspect of our human nature dies, a little more of His resurrection life is imparted to us. This is the only source to spiritual growth. That is why Jesus said, And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:27). Unless we decrease, His life will not be increased within us (John 3:30).
Since there is a deception that rests upon human nature, it is impossible to become really aware of its corruption and depravity without a revelation of the Lord. Isaiah knew that he was undone and a man of unclean lips because his eyes had seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Isaiah 6:6-7 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his
hand, which he had taken with the tongs from the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Each new level in the Lord is preceded by repentance. And it is not so much repentance for acts committed as it is repentance for what you are, or for what you have not become. We must realize that the will of God is not accomplished by what we do, but by what we become. The will of God is primarily a state of heart.
When the seventy returned from their ministry, they were very excited about the things they had accomplished. They felt they had done the will of the Lord. But Jesus told them not to rejoice over that, but to rejoice because their names were written in heaven (Luke 10:17-20). Their relationship with the Lord was more important than what they had accomplished.
One of the most common mistakes among Christians is thinking they have to do something to please the Lord. It is not what we do, but what we become that pleases Him. That is not to say we shouldn’t do good works; we should. But it is easier to do good works than to die out to self. Consequently, too many Christians choose the works route instead. But that is the broad way that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat (Matthew 7:13). The work of the cross is the route to life. Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14.
Isaiah chose the narrow way and entered the strait gate. Repentance gripped his heart, and the response from the heavens was a seraph flying unto him with a live coal in his hand. He touched Isaiah’s lips with the coal from the altar, and he was purged. The purging immediately came with the awareness of his state and his repentance.
Isaiah 6:8-9 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.
9 And He said, Go, and tell this people…
Several things happened because of Isaiah’s revelation of the Lord. First, he saw his great need. It also released the deliverance he needed. Then he began to hear the Lord speak, “Who will go for us?” Isaiah immediately responded, “Here am I, Lord! Send me!” And the Lord said, “Go, and tell this people.” Isaiah’s revelation led him to a commission.
Copyright © 1999 by Henry DuBose