Connect Isaiah 6:3 with Revelation 4:8; how do both passages describe God's holiness? Holy Echoes in the Throne Room • Isaiah 6:3 – “And they were calling out to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.’” • Revelation 4:8 – “Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” Threefold Cry: Why “Holy” Is Repeated • Emphasis of perfection: Repeating a word three times in Hebrew thought signals absolute completeness (cf. Jeremiah 7:4; Ezekiel 21:27). • Father, Son, Spirit hinted: The triune nature of God finds subtle reinforcement in the triple declaration (Matthew 28:19). • Unending refrain: Holiness is not one attribute among many; it undergirds all God is (1 John 1:5; Psalm 99:3–5, 9). Shared Imagery: Seraphim and Living Creatures • Six-winged beings in both scenes (Isaiah 6:2; Revelation 4:8) emphasize reverence—two wings cover faces, two cover feet, two for flight. • Continual worship: In Isaiah the cry shakes the temple; in Revelation it never ceases, showing God’s holiness is timeless, not bound to earth’s calendar. Holiness in Space and Time • Isaiah—earthly temple shakes; smoke fills the house (Isaiah 6:4). God’s holiness penetrates creation: “all the earth is full of His glory.” • Revelation—heavenly throne glows with emerald rainbow, crystal sea (Revelation 4:3-6). God’s holiness saturates eternity: “who was, and is, and is to come.” Glory Flowing Outward • Holiness and glory are inseparable (Exodus 15:11; Habakkuk 2:14). Holiness is God’s moral brilliance; glory is its visible radiance. • Isaiah sees glory filling earth now; John sees holiness celebrated forever, guaranteeing glory will one day flood new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:3). Human Response Modeled by Isaiah • Conviction: “Woe to me… for I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). • Cleansing: Live coal touches his lips (Isaiah 6:6-7); in Christ the cross purges sin (Hebrews 9:14). • Commission: “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). True sight of holiness propels mission (1 Peter 1:15-16; Matthew 28:19-20). Summary Connections • Same triple proclamation—same God. • Same other-worldly beings—same posture of awe. • Same call to worship, repentance, and obedience for every era. “Holy, holy, holy” thundered in Isaiah’s vision and echoed in John’s reminds us that God’s holiness is unchanging, all-encompassing, and eternally celebrated. |
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