Verse 1-4 Vision of the Lord and the celestial realms

A vision of the celestial sphere would be difficult if not impossible to describe. That was the dilemma of the prophet Isaiah. He endeavored in these verses to portray something of the power and glory of his experience, using images and terms with which his readers could identify. Even then he sensed how much he fell short of communicating the reality of the experience. Later in his writing, Isaiah described the inadequacy of words and even of the senses of mortal man to comprehend heavenly things. He wrote: “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him” (Isaiah 64:4). (Old Testament Institute Manual).

6.1

In the year King Uzziah died – about 740 BC.

The Lord = the premortal Jesus Christ.

The train = the hem of his garment or the skirts thereof

6.2

“Seraphs are angels who reside in the presence of God, giving continual glory, honor, and adoration to him. ‘Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.’ (Ps. 148:2.) It is clear that seraphs include the unembodied spirits of pre-existence, for our Lord ‘looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was made.’ (D. & C. 38:1.) Whether the name seraphs also applies to perfected and resurrected angels is not clear. While petitioning on behalf of the saints, the Prophet prayed that ‘we may mingle our voices with those bright, shining seraphs around thy throne, with acclamations of praise, singing Hosanna to God and the Lamb!’ (D. & C. 109:79.)

“In Hebrew the plural of seraph is seraphim or, as incorrectly recorded in the King James Version of the Bible, seraphims . Isaiah saw seraphim in vision and heard them cry one to another ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ ([JST], Isa. 6:1–8.) The fact that these holy beings were shown to him as having wings was simply to symbolize their ‘power, to move, to act, etc.’ as was the case also in visions others had received. (D. & C. 77:4.)” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 702–3.)

6.3

His glory not only appears in the heavens but through all the world, and therefore all creatures are bound to praise him.

6.4

The posts of the door moved = the foundations of the thresholds trembled.

Smoke is symbolic of the presence of God.

6.5

Isaiah was not expecting to have this experience in the temple and became aware of his unworthiness.

Undone = cut off ie he was overwhelmed by the consciousness of the sins of himself and his people.

6.6

Live coal = a symbol of his cleansing. The altar is the altar of burnt offerings.

6.7

In verse 5 Isaiah had complained that he was a man of unclean lips. The lips are now symbolically cleansed. Note that the cleansing was accomplished by a coal from an altar of sacrifice – symbol of the atonement of Christ.

6.8

Now that he is cleansed, for the first time, Isaiah hears the word of God. Whom shall I send and who will go for us indicates that Jehovah sits in a council of Gods.

Here am I; send me – previously Isaiah had felt unworthy; now he has the confidence to go and represent the Lord.

Verses 9-13 Prophecy of the rejection of spiritual things

6.9

Note ‘this people’ not ‘my people’. They may hear and see but they will not understand.

6.10

The effect of truth is often to harden people’s hearts and make them more wicked. The truth must, nevertheless, be proclaimed.

6.11

The prophet wonders how long men will be so, and the Lord answers until mortal man is no more.

6.12

The men shall be taken to a distant land.

6.13

This verse records the prophecy that the house of Israel would survive the coming devastation as does a tree that is stripped of its leaves in winter but still remains alive. (Old Testament Institute Manual)