Isaiah 6:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

2 Chronicles 26:4), yet he did not fully maintain the pure and righteous glory of faithfulness. Despite achieving notable victories over neighboring nations with God’s assistance, he became intoxicated by his success in warfare, which led to his arrogance. He succumbed to such pride that he usurped the authority of the priesthood, wrongfully offering sacrifices to God himself. When he entered the sacred temple, he aimed to present his offerings not through the Levites or priests, but directly at the divine altar, contrary to established customs and the law. He was rebuked by the priestly order for his sinful actions and his attempt to violate the divine statutes, but disregarding their counsel, he arrogantly claimed the right to act as a priest. This insolence did not go unpunished, for he was soon struck with leprosy, which manifested prominently on his forehead. To provide clarity on this narrative, we should refer to the sacred texts that describe him: “In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amessiah king of Judah began his reign. He was sixteen years old when he ascended to the throne and ruled for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Haliah of Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amessiah had done. However, the high places were not removed; the people continued to sacrifice and burn incense on them. And the Lord afflicted the king, and he was a leper until the day of his death” (2 Kings 15:1-5). The record in the Chronicles adds, “When he became strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, and he acted unfaithfully against the Lord his God, entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the Lord who were valiant men. They opposed King Uzziah and said to him, ‘It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed, and this will not be for your honor from the Lord God.’ When he became furious with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; they thrust him out of there. Indeed, he hurried to get out because the Lord had struck him” (2 Chronicles 26:16-20). The law given through Moses stipulated that a leper should be cast out of the camp as unclean, for a leper would defile both himself and those who associated with him. Thus, Hosea, who resided in Jerusalem, symbolically contaminated all of Jerusalem by his condition. Consequently, the Lord remained silent, not discrediting the holy prophets but rather demonstrating that the union of the unclean with the clean was contrary to the divine commands. For the Lord also spoke to the blessed Ezekiel, saying, “I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house” (Ezekiel 3:26). Therefore, the Lord was silent while expressing His displeasure, for Jerusalem and all of Judah were in turmoil. This was evident in the words of the prophet Amos: “The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake” (Amos 1:1). Once Uzziah had passed away, the divine silence was lifted. Again, the God of all began to bestow divine revelations upon His holy prophets. This is why the prophet Isaiah declared, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1). There is no doubt that the prophet witnessed the Son in the glory of God the Father, as confirmed by John: “Isaiah said this because he saw His glory and spoke of Him” (John 12:41). We are reminded of the majestic authority and power of God over all creation. He sits upon a lofty and exalted throne, adorned with the magnificent glory befitting royalty. The exalted beings surrounding Him, surpassing all created orders, exalt Him with praise. However, it is essential to understand that the Divine throne should not be construed as physically elevated in space, as such an idea would be illogical. Rather, it signifies the transcendent glory of God’s Kingdom, which surpasses all that is conceivable. To sit upon it symbolizes steadfastness, stability, and the enduring nature of His virtuous qualities.

The Prophet Isaiah declares, "I saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and exalted... Around Him stood the Seraphim; each of them had six wings" (Isaiah 6:2). Soon after, he proclaims, "And He said, 'Go and say to this people, 'You will hear with your ears and not understand, and you will look with your eyes and not see. For the heart of this people is hardened'" (Isa. 6:9, 10). From the arrangement and relationship within the prophetic scriptures, it can be inferred that the prophet who beheld and conversed with the divine is God the Father. However, the son of thunder, who articulated extraordinary truths and revealed ominous proclamations, uniquely stating, "It was not," but "was the Word" (John 1:1), identified the one who encountered the prophet and spoke with him as God the Son. He clarifies in his writings: "Therefore could not the Jews believe in Jesus, that, as Isaiah also said, This people have blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn that I should heal them. These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory" (John 12:39-41). Similarly, Paul indicated that this was a vision and prophecy inspired by the Spirit, asserting, "Well the Holy Spirit said to our fathers through Isaiah the prophet... by hearing you shall hear and not understand, and by looking you shall see and not see. For the heart of these men is hardened" (Acts 28:25-27). The prophet presents the visage of the Father, the evangelist portrays the Son, and Paul conveys the perspective of the Spirit, yet they all converge in recognizing Him who is observed as the one Lord of hosts. The expression of the Hypostasis is shared among them, but the essence of the one God remains indivisible.

The priest Azariah admonished the defiant king, prohibiting him from approaching the altar with the words, "It is none of your concern, O king." Consequently, the priests were compelled to remind the kings to adhere strictly to the law, ensuring that the people understood the importance of tithing and that those presenting offerings complied with the established commands.

It is noted that upon Uzziah's entrance into the temple to offer incense, a deep sorrow overcame Isaiah, prompting him to don a robe that he maintained until the Lord instructed him to "Remove the robe from your loins." Isaiah’s lamentation for Uzziah mirrored his mourning for the people of Israel, while the act of shedding the robe foreshadowed the impending fate of the Cushites and Egyptians. Following the moment Uzziah was afflicted with leprosy, the prophetic revelations ceased throughout his reign. When Uzziah, having ruled righteously for fourteen years, succumbed to pride and defied priestly authority, he was punished with leprosy. Before Uzziah's death, Isaiah expressed his grief in wax and ashes. The priests, having bravely confronted the wayward king despite their own trials, were blessed by the Lord with the vision that Isaiah witnessed within the temple. The house was filled with the overwhelming majesty of God's glory. Thus, it was fitting for the Lord to reveal Himself in magnificent splendor to the prophet at the death of King Uzziah, restoring joy to the people and rekindling the true reverence of the faithful after thirty-eight years of spiritual darkness.

I recall that about thirty years ago in Constantinople, while studying the holy Scriptures with the eloquent Gregory Nazianzen, then the bishop, I was encouraged by friends to quickly compose a brief treatise on this vision. I will direct readers to this work while providing a succinct interpretation here. Sacred scripture recounts that because Uzziah, inappropriately assuming the role of priest, was struck with leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:16-21); following his death, the Lord was perceived in the desecrated temple. This illustrates that while the leprous king reigns within us, we cannot behold the Lord in His majesty, nor can we comprehend the mysteries of the Holy Trinity. Similarly, after the death of Pharaoh, who had burdened Israel with labor, the people, unable to call upon the Lord during his lifetime, finally cried out to Him (Exodus 1:13-14; Exodus 2:23). When Ezekiel witnessed the demise of the wicked prince of Phaltia, Benaiah’s son, he fell prostrate and lamented loudly to the Lord (Ezekiel 11:13). Notably, the Hebrew text expresses that it was not the Lord Himself, who abides in heaven while having the earth as His footstool (Isaiah 66:1) and whose throne is described in another scripture as being in His holy temple (Psalm 10:3-4), that filled the temple, but rather what was under His feet. The identity of this visible Lord is clarified through the teachings of John the Evangelist and the Acts of the Apostles, with John stating, "This Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him" (John 12:41), clearly referencing Christ. Paul, in the Acts of the Apostles while addressing the Jews in Rome, proclaimed: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly by Isaiah the prophet to our forefathers, saying, 'Go to these people and say, “Hearing you will hear and shall not understand; and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them”'" (Acts 28:25-27). The Son was revealed in His regal splendor, and the Holy Spirit spoke in unity of divine majesty and essence. One might wonder how the prophet claims to have seen the Lord, specifically referring to the Lord of Hosts, especially as John the Evangelist asserts, "No one has seen God at any time" (John 1:18), and further, when God told Moses, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me and live" (Exodus 33:20). It is essential to clarify that both the Father and the Son, along with the Holy Spirit, can be perceived, not through physical sight, but through the understanding of the mind. The Savior Himself noted, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). There are accounts of the Lord appearing in human form to Abraham (Genesis 18) and engaging in battle with Jacob, who named the place Peniel, signifying 'the face of God,' saying "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (Genesis 32:30). Ezekiel also encountered the Lord in a human semblance upon the cherubim: from His waist down, He appeared as fire, and above His waist, He resembled gleaming metal (Ezekiel 1:26-27). God, though inherently invisible, reveals Himself to humanity as He chooses.

When God appears in a seated posture, there are two possible interpretations: as King or as Judge. In His regal manifestation, the witness is like Isaiah, who saw the Lord seated on a high and exalted throne, indicating His kingship.

Prior to discussing the vision, we must take note of who Uzziah was, the length of his reign, and his contemporaries in neighboring nations. As indicated in the books of Kings and Chronicles (2 Chronicles 26:18), he was a just ruler who acted favorably in the Lord's sight: he constructed the temple, organized aqueducts, amassed sacred vessels, defeated foes, and had many prophets in his domain as a testament to his piety. While Zechariah, the priest known as the Reasonable, was alive, Uzziah remained faithful and approached the altar with reverence. However, upon Zechariah’s death, he presumptuously sought to offer sacrifices, driven not by piety but by audacity. Ignoring the remonstrations of the Levites and priests, who questioned, "Are you not a king, Uzziah, rather than a priest?" leprosy immediately afflicted his forehead, fulfilling the prophet’s words, "Fill their faces with shame, O Lord" (Psalm 82:17). This affliction was evident, as the priest covered his forehead with a gold bandage; God instructed Ezekiel to mark him with the letter ‘tav’ (the last Hebrew letter, a sign) (Ezekiel 9); while David expresses, "The light of Your countenance, O Lord, is upon us" (Psalm 4:7). The impudent Philistine who faced David fell as well, struck by a stone from his sling. Uzziah ruled for fifty-two years when Amulius governed over the Latins and Agamemnon the Eleventh ruled Athens. Following Uzziah’s death, the prophet Isaiah received his vision, which we will elucidate, coinciding with the birth of Romulus, the founder of the Roman empire – a detail noted for those interested in the Book of Times (Chronicles), which has been translated from Greek to Latin. In the summer of Uzziah's death, I beheld the Lord seated on a high and exalted throne (Isaiah 6:1). As the narrative unfolds, a spiritual interpretation arises; during the reign of the leper king, who undermined the priesthood, Isaiah was unable to witness this vision. While Uzziah held dominion over Judah, the prophet’s gaze was not lifted to the heavens; he could not perceive God’s presence nor hear the sacred name invoked in faith. However, upon Uzziah’s passing, all was revealed in clear light. A similar situation is noted in Exodus (Ex. 2); while Pharaoh lived, the Israelites, laden with burdens of clay, bricks, and fieldwork, could not cry out to the Lord, but upon his demise, they lamented, as scripture recounts, their cries ascended to the Lord (Exodus 2:23). While Ezekiel prophesied, upon the death of the unworthy prince Phaltiah, the son of Benaiah, he fell and cried out in great anguish, saying, "Alas for me, O Lord God, will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?" (Ezekiel 11:13). Thus, understanding Uzziah as a representation of Pharaoh, Phaltiah, and other opposing forces clarifies why, in their presence, we may lack visions, lamentations, or repentance. The Apostle urges, "Let not sin reign in your mortal body" (Romans 6:12). While sin prevails, we build civilizations for Egypt; we dwell in decay and seek worthless sustenance in place of genuine nourishment.

Further, I beheld the Lord seated on a lofty throne. Daniel also beheld the Lord (Daniel 7), but he did not see Him seated on a high and exalted throne. In another passage, a divine declaration promises, "I will come and sit, and judge the nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat"—which signifies "the Lord’s judgment" (Joel 3:12). For the sinner, like myself, the vision is of the Lord seated in the valley of judgment, not on a mountain, but in a valley. Conversely, the righteous, like Isaiah, behold Him on a high and exalted throne. Alternatively, when I reflect on the Lord ruling over Thrones, Lordships, Angels, and other powers, I perceive His throne as exalted; but when I consider His governance over humanity and His descent for our salvation, as depicted frequently in Scripture, I understand His throne as closer to the earth, not elevated. Additionally, I see the Lord on a high and exalted throne, with His house filled with glory, and the Seraphim standing around it (Isaiah 6:1, according to the Septuagint). Previous interpreters, both Greek and Latin, proposed that the Lord described on the throne signifies God the Father, while the two Seraphim on either side represent our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Though these scholars possess commendable erudition, I do not align with their interpretations. It is preferable to explain simply yet truthfully rather than eloquently but inaccurately, especially when John the Evangelist notes that it was not God the Father who appeared to Isaiah, but Christ. In addressing the Jews’ unbelief, the Evangelist clarifies their inability to believe due to Isaiah’s prophecy: "By hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive" (Isaiah 6:9-10; John 12:40). Here, to command, "By hearing you shall hear, and not understand" is done by the one seated on the throne, identified by the Evangelist as Christ. Thus, it is evident that the Seraphim cannot be regarded as Christ when Christ Himself is recognized as seated. Although Paul, while contending with the disputing Jews in Acts, stated, "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to our ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘Go to this people and say, “Hear, hear, and you will not understand; see, see, and you shall not perceive"’" (Acts 28:25ff.); the difference expressed does not trouble me, as I recognize that both Christ and the Holy Spirit share one essence; the words of the Spirit align with those of the Son, revealing that the Son mandates through the Spirit. Moreover, the house filled with His glory signifies God’s abode on high, which is evident to be filled with glory; for the earthly realm, I cannot assert whether it mirrors the glory above, except in the way the Psalmist notes, "The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof" (Psalm 23:1). We may also affirm that the earth reflects glory for those who affirm, "From His fullness we all have received" (John 1:16). This house is built by the wise, yet the foolish tear it down with their own hands (Proverbs 14:1). Isaiah further proclaims: "And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established on top of the mountains and exalted above the hills" (Isaiah 2:2). This house, about which the Apostle Paul testifies with reverence, is said, "And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward; but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Hebrews 3:5-6). The Apostle Paul likewise communicates to Timothy regarding this house: "I write these things to you so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church" (1 Timothy 3:14-15).

The prophet disclosed that while the Father exists, the essence of His being remains unknown. God is communicated through various symbols and representations, emphasizing that His true nature is beyond human comprehension. Abraham perceived Him in one manner, Moses in another, while Micah had a different vision compared to that of Daniel. Ezekiel encountered Him in yet another way. Nevertheless, the divine nature does not exhibit multiple forms; it remains formless, invisible, and transcendent—pure and uncomplicated, beyond sight and unreachable.

Just as we have no other celestial body that could genuinely be deemed ‘second’ in brightness after the sun, except the full moon—which, comparatively, emits very little light—it appears the same applies to the Mother of God. Among the higher Angelic Powers, we cannot conceive of anyone as being second in rank except perhaps the Seraphim; yet, upon closer examination, the matter of comparing their dignity becomes almost nonsensical, much like comparing any simple lamp to a brightly burning flame.

Isaiah beheld the Lord seated upon a lofty and majestic throne. In this state of prophetic ecstasy, he perceived with spiritual insight the truths of the spiritual realm depicted through vivid imagery, while his physical senses were dormant. The Apostle Peter experienced a similar revelatory state when he was shown the inclusion of Gentiles in the Church (Acts 10:10, etc.), as did the Apostle John during his revelations concerning the Church's future (Rev. 1:9).

Before Isaiah's inner vision unfolded a glorious sight: he discerned the temple of God, either in heaven or perhaps reflected in Jerusalem's earthly temple. There, the Lord manifested to him in a human likeness, enthroned in the radiance befitting the King and Judge. His glory filled the sanctuary. The divine presence typically enveloped the holiest sections of the tabernacle and the Jerusalem temple—the Holy of Holies—through the manifestation of His glory. At the dedication of both the tabernacle and Solomon's temple, a cloud filled the entirety of the space, veiling God's presence. Similarly, Isaiah perceived the entire temple filled with the glory of God, making it, in essence, a Holy of Holies. The Lord's revelation in human form, along with other appearances in the Old Testament, indicated that He who appeared was the Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, who assumed human nature. St. John the Evangelist highlighted this connection, addressing the skepticism of the Jews with Isaiah's words, stating that Isaiah spoke of Him after witnessing His glory (John 12:40, 41).