In what ways does Isaiah 6:6 connect to Christ's atoning sacrifice? Isaiah 6:6–7 in Focus “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And with it he touched my mouth and said, ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.’” The Scene That Sets Up the Parallel • Isaiah stands shattered by God’s holiness (Isaiah 6:1–5). • The altar in the heavenly temple is the source of the live coal—an altar that mirrors the earthly sacrificial altar (cf. Exodus 25:40; Hebrews 8:5). • The seraph brings a single, decisive act of cleansing: one coal, one touch, immediate atonement. From Coal to Cross—Key Connections 1. Same Source of Atonement • The coal comes from the altar, the appointed place of substitutionary sacrifice (Leviticus 1:9). • Christ’s blood is offered on the “altar” of the cross—“an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). • Both acts originate in God’s provision, not human initiative (John 3:16). 2. Mediated Cleansing • A seraph carries the coal; Isaiah contributes nothing. • Christ Himself mediates His atonement—“There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). • Both scenes show grace delivered to a sinner unable to approach God unaided. 3. Substitution Under Holy Fire • The burning coal has endured the altar’s fire; judgment has already fallen on the sacrifice, sparing Isaiah. • At Calvary, God’s wrath falls on the sin-bearing Lamb—“He was pierced for our transgressions… the chastisement that brought us peace was upon Him” (Isaiah 53:5). • The sinner receives the benefit; the substitute bears the heat. 4. Perfect and Immediate Effect • “Your sin is atoned for” is announced the moment the coal touches Isaiah. • Christ’s single offering “has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). • No further ritual or additional payment is needed. 5. From Lips to Life-Mission • Cleansed lips ready Isaiah to speak for God (Isaiah 6:8). • Cleansed hearts in Christ are “created for good works” (Ephesians 2:10), proclaiming the gospel (1 Peter 2:9). • Atonement always propels mission. Parallel Passages That Echo the Theme • Leviticus 16:11–17 — Day of Atonement imagery behind the heavenly altar. • John 1:29 — “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” • Romans 3:25 — God presented Christ as “a propitiation by His blood.” • Hebrews 9:11–14 — Christ enters the heavenly sanctuary “by means of His own blood.” • 1 John 1:7 — “The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Take-Home Truths for Today • God initiates every true cleansing; we receive it freely. • Judgment satisfied at the altar or the cross means genuine, not symbolic, forgiveness. • The same holiness that exposes sin also provides the remedy. • Those purified by Christ are commissioned to speak and serve in His name, just as Isaiah was. |
    |