Isaiah 6:2
Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
Above Him stood seraphim
The term "seraphim" is derived from the Hebrew root "saraph," which means "to burn." This suggests a fiery, radiant nature, symbolizing purity and the consuming holiness of God. The seraphim are celestial beings, often associated with the highest order of angels, who serve in the presence of God. Their position "above Him" indicates their role in the heavenly hierarchy, emphasizing their duty to glorify and serve the Almighty. Historically, the seraphim are seen as guardians of God's throne, reflecting His majesty and holiness.

each having six wings
The six wings of the seraphim are symbolic of their divine purpose and function. In ancient Near Eastern iconography, wings often denote swiftness and the ability to transcend earthly limitations. The number six, biblically, can represent completeness in the context of creation, as God created the world in six days. Thus, the six wings signify the seraphim's complete readiness and ability to serve God in His holy presence.

with two wings they covered their faces
Covering their faces is an act of reverence and humility before the holiness of God. Even these exalted beings, who dwell in the presence of the Almighty, shield themselves from His glory, acknowledging His supreme holiness. This gesture reflects the biblical theme that no one can see God and live (Exodus 33:20), underscoring the transcendence and awe-inspiring nature of God.

with two they covered their feet
Covering their feet signifies modesty and respect in the presence of God. In the ancient world, feet were often considered unclean or a symbol of one's earthly journey. By covering their feet, the seraphim demonstrate their awareness of their creatureliness and the need to honor God's holiness. This act parallels Moses removing his sandals before the burning bush (Exodus 3:5), recognizing the sacredness of God's presence.

and with two they were flying
The act of flying represents the seraphim's readiness and swiftness to carry out God's commands. It signifies their active service and perpetual motion in fulfilling God's will. Flying also symbolizes the transcendence of the heavenly realm over the earthly, illustrating the seraphim's role as messengers and ministers of God's divine purposes. This imagery inspires believers to be ever-ready and willing to serve God with zeal and dedication.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaiah
The prophet who receives the vision of the Lord seated on a high and exalted throne. Isaiah is a major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his messages of judgment and hope.

2. Seraphim
Angelic beings described in Isaiah's vision. The term "seraphim" comes from the Hebrew root "saraph," meaning "to burn," indicating their fiery nature and purity. They are depicted as having six wings and are positioned above the throne of God.

3. The Throne of God
The central place in Isaiah's vision, symbolizing God's sovereignty, holiness, and majesty. The throne is high and exalted, emphasizing God's supreme authority.

4. The Temple
The setting of Isaiah's vision, representing the place of God's presence and worship. The temple is filled with smoke, indicating the glory and holiness of God.

5. The Vision
A divine revelation given to Isaiah, showcasing the holiness and majesty of God, and the worship of the seraphim.
Teaching Points
The Holiness of God
The seraphim's actions of covering their faces and feet highlight the overwhelming holiness of God. We are reminded to approach God with reverence and awe.

Worship and Service
The seraphim's continuous worship and service to God serve as a model for believers. Our lives should be marked by worship and a willingness to serve God wholeheartedly.

God's Sovereignty
The vision of God on His throne underscores His ultimate authority and control over all creation. Trusting in God's sovereignty brings peace and assurance in uncertain times.

Purity and Humility
The seraphim's covering of their faces and feet can symbolize purity and humility. As believers, we are called to live pure lives and walk humbly before God.

Responding to God's Call
Isaiah's vision leads to his commissioning as a prophet. We should be open to God's call in our lives and ready to respond in obedience.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the description of the seraphim in Isaiah 6:2 enhance your understanding of God's holiness and majesty?

2. In what ways can the continuous worship of the seraphim inspire your personal worship practices?

3. How does the vision of God's throne in Isaiah 6:2 provide comfort and assurance in your current life circumstances?

4. What practical steps can you take to cultivate purity and humility in your daily walk with God, as exemplified by the seraphim?

5. Reflect on a time when you sensed God's call in your life. How did you respond, and what can you learn from Isaiah's response to God's call in the following verses?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Revelation 4:8
This passage describes the four living creatures around God's throne, each with six wings, similar to the seraphim in Isaiah's vision. Both passages emphasize the holiness of God and the continuous worship He receives.

Exodus 3:2
The burning bush encountered by Moses is another instance of God's presence being associated with fire, similar to the fiery nature of the seraphim.

Ezekiel 1:5-11
Ezekiel's vision of the cherubim shares similarities with Isaiah's vision, highlighting the majesty and mystery of God's heavenly attendants.
Symbolic Impressions of the Divine HolinessR. Tuck Isaiah 6:1-4
An Anticipation of the IncarnationT. Allen, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
Christian MissionsRichard Knill.Isaiah 6:1-13
Gain Through LossJ. H. Jowett, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
Government Human and DivineR. Winter, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah a Typical ProphetJ. G. Rogers, B. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's CallHomiletic MagazineIsaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's VisionT. Allen, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's VisionHomilistIsaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's VisionJ. Parsons.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's VisionR. S. Candlish, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's VisionR. Brodie, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's VisionG. Cron, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's VisionAbp. Trench.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's Vision in the TempleG. T. Perks, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's Vision of Christ's GloryJ. J. Bonar.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's Vision of GodF. D. Maurice, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's Vision of GodA. Maclaren, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
Isaiah's Vision of God's GloryJ. Summerfield, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
Preparation for the Lord's WorkJ. Sherwood.Isaiah 6:1-13
Realising GodT. Allen, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
Removing the VeilJ. H. Jowett, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
Seeing GodAmory H. Bradford, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Circumstances of the VisionW. Hay Aitken, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Command and Encouragement to Communicate the GospelW. Ellis.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Compensations of LifeJ. H. Jowett, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Dead King; the Living GodIsaiah 6:1-13
The Elevating Presence of GodF. B. Meyer, B. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Empty Throne FilledA. Maclaren, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Enthroned LordJ. Parker, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Idea of GodJames Stalker, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Inaugural Vision of IsaiahA. B. Davidson, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Making of a ProphetProf. W. G. Elmslie, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Material Fleeting: the Spiritual EnduringJ. H. Jowett, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Prophet's Call and ConsecrationE. Johnson Isaiah 6:1-13
The Rectal and Mediatorial Dominion of GodW. M. Bunting.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Story of the Prophet's Call -- Why Inserted HereProf . S. R. Driver, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Symbolism of Isaiah's VisionJ. Matthews.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Three-Fold VisionU. R. Thomas, B. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Trinity in UnityR. W. Forrest, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Triune Name a Call, a Message, a ChasteningB. F. Westcott, D. D.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Uzziahs of History and the LordJ. H. Jowett, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
The VisionSir E. Strachey, Bart.Isaiah 6:1-13
The Vision of GodW. Clarkson B. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
Uzziah and Isaiah: George Iii and John WesleyB. Hellier.Isaiah 6:1-13
Vision and ServiceJ. Matthews.Isaiah 6:1-13
Why Did Isaiah Publish This Account of His CallP. Thomson, M. A.Isaiah 6:1-13
A Seraph's WingsA. Maclaren, D. D.Isaiah 6:2-3
Commerce and Science Acknowledging GodBrooke Lambert, M. A.Isaiah 6:2-3
Reverence Should be UniversalPhillips Brooks, D. D.Isaiah 6:2-3
Reverence, an Element of PowerPhillips Brooks, D. D.Isaiah 6:2-3
The Cry of the SeraphimS. A. Tipple.Isaiah 6:2-3
The SeraphimJ. Thomas, M. A.Isaiah 6:2-3
The SeraphimPhillips Brooks, D. D.Isaiah 6:2-3
The Service of the Seraphim, Contemplative and ActiveDean Goulburn.Isaiah 6:2-3
The Six WingsT. De Witt Talmage, D. D.Isaiah 6:2-3
The Use of FacultyJ. Vaughan, M. A.Isaiah 6:2-3
The Vision of God the Essence of True WorshipBrooke Lambert, M. A.Isaiah 6:2-3
The Wings of the SeraphimPhillips Brooks, D. D.Isaiah 6:2-3
The Worship of the SeraphimC. F. Secretan.Isaiah 6:2-3
Who are the SeraphimF. Sessions.Isaiah 6:2-3
Why is an Angel So Very HumbleJ. Vaughan, M. A.Isaiah 6:2-3
A Sermon from the SeraphimW. Clarkson Isaiah 6:2-4
People
Isaiah, Uzziah
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Covered, Covereth, Covering, Face, Faces, Feed, Flew, Flieth, Flight, Fly, Flying, Ones, Seraphim, Seraphims, Seraphs, Six, Standing, Stood, Twain, Winged, Wings
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 6:2

     4690   wings
     5136   body
     5146   covering
     5150   face

Isaiah 6:1-2

     1454   theophany

Isaiah 6:1-3

     9105   last things

Isaiah 6:1-4

     1045   God, glory of
     1469   visions
     7775   prophets, lives
     8623   worship, of God

Isaiah 6:1-5

     1090   God, majesty of
     5395   lordship, human and divine
     6653   forgiveness, divine
     8470   respect, for God

Isaiah 6:1-7

     6174   guilt, human aspects
     6655   forgiveness, application

Isaiah 6:1-8

     6175   guilt, removal of
     7467   temple, Solomon's

Isaiah 6:1-10

     7755   preaching, importance

Isaiah 6:2-3

     4180   seraphim

Isaiah 6:2-4

     4114   angels, and praise

Library
The Empty Throne Filled
'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.'--ISAIAH vi. 1. Uzziah had reigned for fifty-two years, during the greater part of which he and his people had been brilliantly prosperous. Victorious in war, he was also successful in the arts of peaceful industry. The later years of his life were clouded, but on the whole the reign had been a time of great well-being. His son and successor was a young man of five-and-twenty;
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A Seraph's Wings
'With twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.'--ISAIAH vi. 2. This is the only mention in Scripture of the seraphim. I do not need to enter upon the much-debated, and in some respects interesting, question as to whether these are to be taken as identical with the cherubim, or as to whether they are altogether imaginary and symbolical beings, nor as to whether they are identical with the angels, or part of their hierarchy. All that may be left on
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Making of a Prophet
'Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.'--ISAIAH vi. 5. In previous pages we have seen how Isaiah's vision of Jehovah throned in the Temple, 'high and lifted up,' derived significance from the time of its occurrence. It was 'in the year that' the earthly King 'died' that the heavenly King was revealed. The passing of the transient prepared the way for the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Vision and SerVice
'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 twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain 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. 4. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Twelfth Day. The Thrice Holy One.
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. Above Him stood the seraphim. And one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.'--Isa. vi. 1-3. 'And the four living creatures, they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, which was, and which is, and which is to come.'--Rev. iv. 8. It is not only on earth, but in heaven too, that the Holiness of God is His chief and most glorious
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

May the Fourteenth Calamity as Revealer
"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord." --ISAIAH vi. 1-8. He lost a hero, and he found the Lord. He feared because a great pillar had fallen: and he found the Pillar of the universe. He thought everything would topple into disaster, and lo! he felt the strength of the everlasting arms. When Uzziah lived Isaiah had forgotten his Lord. He so depended on the earthly that he had overlooked the heavenly. Uzziah concealed his Lord as a thick veil can hide a face. And when Uzziah died, when
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

The Leafless Tree
The figure is taken, first of all, from the terebinth or turpentine tree--here translated the teil tree. That tree is an evergreen, with this exception, that in very severe and inclement weather it loses its leaves; but even then the terebinth tree is not dead. And so of the oak; it loses its leaves every year, of course, but even then it is not dead. "So," says God, "you have seen the tree in winter, standing naked and bare, without any sign of life, its roots buried in the hard and frozen soil,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

"And There is None that Calleth Upon Thy Name, that Stirreth up Himself to Take Hold on Thee,"
Isaiah lxiv. 7.--"And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee," &c. They go on in the confession of their sins. Many a man hath soon done with that a general notion of sin is the highest advancement in repentance that many attain to. You may see here sin and judgment mixed in thorough other(315) in their complaint. They do not so fix their eyes upon their desolate estate of captivity, as to forget their provocations. Many a man would spend more affection,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

An Appeal and a Response
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! And He said, Go.' (Isaiah vi. 8, 9.) The incident with which these words are connected was a real mosaic in sacred history. You have the record of a vision which was not a dream but a revelation--a panorama of actualities. The background of this vision might well absorb our attention. The temple and the glory which filled it; the throne and Him who sat thereon; the seraphim, with
T. H. Howard—Standards of Life and Service

His Holy Covenant
"To remember His Holy Covenant; to grant unto us that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, should serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all our days."-LUKE i. 68-75. WHEN Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, he spoke of God's visiting and redeeming His people, as a remembering of His Holy Covenant. He speaks of what the blessings of that Covenant would be, not in words that had been used before, but in what is manifestly a Divine revelation
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Holy, Holy, Holy! All
7.7.7.7 D James Montgomery "Thrice Holy!"--Isaiah vi. 3. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Hosts! when heaven and earth, Out of darkness at Thy word, Issued into glorious birth, All Thy works before Thee stood, And Thine eye beheld them good, While they sang with sweet accord, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord! Holy, Holy, Holy! Thee, One Jehovah evermore, Father, Son, and Spirit! we, Dust and ashes, would adore; Lightly by the world esteem'd, From that world by Thee redeem'd, Sing we here with glad accord, Holy,
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

The Trisagion Wrongly Explained by Arians. Its True Significance.
And how do the impious men venture to speak folly, as they ought not, being men and unable to find out how to describe even what is on the earth? But why do I say what is on the earth?' Let them tell us their own nature, if they can discover how to investigate their own nature? Rash they are indeed, and self-willed, not trembling to form opinions of things which angels desire to look into (1 Pet. i. 12), who are so far above them, both in nature and in rank. For what is nearer [God] than the Cherubim
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

That Sometimes Some Laudably Desire the Office of Preaching, While Others, as Laudably, are Drawn to it by Compulsion.
Although sometimes some laudably desire the office of preaching, yet others are as laudably drawn to it by compulsion; as we plainly perceive, if we consider the conduct of two prophets, one of whom offered himself of his own accord to be sent to preach, yet the other in fear refused to go. For Isaiah, when the Lord asked whom He should send, offered himself of his own accord, saying, Here I am; send me (Isai. vi. 8). But Jeremiah is sent, yet humbly pleads that he should not be sent, saying, Ah,
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

"Whereby we Cry, Abba, Father. "
Rom. viii. 15.--"Whereby we cry, Abba, Father." All that know any thing of religion, must needs know and confess that there is no exercise either more suitable to him that professeth it, or more needful for him, than to give himself to the exercise of prayer. But that which is confessed by all, and as to the outward performance gone about by many, I fear is yet a mystery sealed up from us, as the true and living nature of it. There is much of it expressed here in few words, "whereby we cry, Abba,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"But we are all as an Unclean Thing, and all Our Righteousnesses are as Filthy Rags,"
Isaiah lxiv 6, 7.--"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags," &c. This people's condition agreeth well with ours, though the Lord's dealing be very different. The confessory part of this prayer belongeth to us now; and strange it is, that there is such odds of the Lord's dispensations, when there is no difference in our conditions; always we know not how soon the complaint may be ours also. This prayer was prayed long before the judgment and captivity came
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The First Part
Of the Apocalyptical Commentaries, according to the Rule of the Apocalyptical Key, on the First Prophecy which is contained in the Seals and Trumpets; with an Introduction concerning the Scene of the Apocalypse. As it is my design to investigate the meaning of the Apocalyptical visions, it is requisite for me to treat, in the first place, of that celestial theatre to which John was called, in order to behold them, exhibited as on a stage, and afterwards of the prophecies in succession, examined by
Joseph Mede—A Key to the Apocalypse

One Thing is Needful;
or, SERIOUS MEDITATIONS UPON THE FOUR LAST THINGS: DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN, AND HELL UNTO WHICH IS ADDED EBAL AND GERIZZIM, OR THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE, by John Bunyan. London: Printed for Nath. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1688.[1] ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. According to Charles Doe, in that curious sheet called The Struggler for the Preservation of Mr. John Bunyan's Labours, these poems were published about the year 1664, while the author was suffering imprisonment for conscience
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Purpose in the Coming of Jesus.
God Spelling Himself out in Jesus: change in the original language--bother in spelling Jesus out--sticklers for the old forms--Jesus' new spelling of old words. Jesus is God following us up: God heart-broken--man's native air--bad choice affected man's will--the wrong lane--God following us up. The Early Eden Picture, Genesis 1:26-31. 2:7-25: unfallen man--like God--the breath of God in man--a spirit, infinite, eternal--love--holy--wise--sovereign over creation, Psalm 8:5-8--in his own will--summary--God's
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Sense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son.
For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. Rom. v. 14), the earth was cursed, Hades was opened, Paradise shut, Heaven offended, man, lastly, corrupted and brutalised (cf. Ps. xlix. 12), while the devil was exulting against us;--then God, in His loving-kindness, not willing man made in His own image to perish, said, Whom shall I send, and who will go?' (Isa. vi. 8). But while all held their peace, the Son [441] said,
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Sixth Day. Holiness and Glory.
Who is like unto Thee, O Lord! among the gods? Who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou in Thy mercy hast led Thy people which Thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in Thy strength to the habitation of Thy holiness ... The holy place, O Lord, which Thy hands have established.' --Ex. xv. 11-17. In these words we have another step in advance in the revelation of Holiness. We have here for the first time Holiness predicated of God Himself. He
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

The Birth of Jesus Proclaimed by Angels to the Shepherds.
(Near Bethlehem, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke II. 8-20. ^c 8 And there were shepherds in the same country [they were in the same fields from which David had been called to tend God's Israel, or flock] abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. [When the flock is too far from the village to lead it to the fold at night, these shepherds still so abide with it in the field, even in the dead of winter.] 9 And an angel of the Lord stood by them [He stood upon the earth at their side, and did
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Holiness of God
The next attribute is God's holiness. Exod 15:51. Glorious in holiness.' Holiness is the most sparkling jewel of his crown; it is the name by which God is known. Psa 111:1. Holy and reverend is his name.' He is the holy One.' Job 6:60. Seraphims cry, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.' Isa 6:6. His power makes him mighty, his holiness makes him glorious. God's holiness consists in his perfect love of righteousness, and abhorrence of evil. Of purer eyes than
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Refutation of the Calumnies by which this Doctrine is Always Unjustly Assailed.
1. Error of those who deny reprobation. 1. Election opposed to reprobation. 2. Those who deny reprobation presumptuously plead with God, whose counsels even angels adore. 3. They murmur against God when disclosing his counsels by the Apostle. Exception and answer. Passage of Augustine. 2. First objection--viz. that God is unjustly offended with those whom he dooms to destruction without their own desert. First answer, from the consideration of the divine will. The nature of this will, and how to
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

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