Isaiah 6:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Who are referred to as seraphim? They are the spiritual beings of the heavenly realm, whose purity and blessedness are evident even in their name, as "seraphim" in Hebrew translates to "fiery ones." What can we deduce from this? It signifies their spotless essence—tireless, vigilant, dynamic, and unblemished. Thus, the prophet David, in his desire to convey the unimpeded service, rapid fulfillment, and immense activity of these heavenly powers, declared, "Thou makest Thy angels spirits; Thy ministers a flaming fire" (Psalms 103:4), which reveals their swiftness, effortless movements, and energetic nature. Such are the seraphim, who sing praises to the Lord with pure voices, constantly engaged in this divine service. Their esteemed status is further highlighted by their proximity to God's throne. Just as those of notable honor in earthly courts stand closest to the king, so do these celestial beings, radiating sheer joy and delight as they serve in this exalted capacity. Each of them possesses six wings: with two, they cover their faces; with two, they cover their feet; and with two, they fly. They call to one another, proclaiming, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" (Isaiah 6:2-3). What is the significance of these wings? The spiritual beings themselves do not have physical wings; rather, the prophet uses these images to speak of profound truths in a way that was accessible to his audience, revealing mysteries that surpass human comprehension. The wings symbolize the elevation and superiority of these powers, much like Gabriel is depicted as flying, illustrating both speed and the lightness of his descent from heaven. The Scriptures frequently adapt such imagery, even referring to God in ways our minds can grasp; for instance, David expresses God's omnipresence when he states, "Thou walkest on the wings of the wind" (Psalms 103:3). This depiction doesn’t imply that God literally walks on wings, since He is everywhere present. Instead, in accommodating the understanding of His listeners, God elevates their thoughts through such representations. Similarly, to convey divine protection, the psalmist writes, "in the shadow of Thy wings will I take refuge" (Psalms 16:8). The prophet shows us through the imagery of wings not only superiority and agility but also a striking aspect. He depicts these powerful beings, despite their grandeur, being unable to fully bear the divine radiance emanating from the throne, prompting them to cover their feet and faces. This illustrates their reverence and fear before the Almighty, akin to how we instinctively shield ourselves during a thunderstorm. If such magnificent beings, the seraphim, are unable to gaze upon the presence of God seated on the throne without apprehension, what folly is it to assert that anyone can fully comprehend the essence of God Himself? “And the two flew. And they cried out.” What does it mean to “fly”? It signifies their unwavering presence before God and their continuous ministry—this is their very existence, praising the Creator without ceasing.

The seraphim serve as guardians, while the cherubim symbolize divine wisdom. While an earthly throne bestows honor and rest upon its occupant, God's throne embodies wisdom itself. Hence, David proclaims, "He that sitteth upon the cherubim" (Psalm 98:1), signifying that God resides upon the very essence of wisdom. This is why the cherubim are filled with eyes—across their entire being, each facet is open to insight, illustrating that divine wisdom is ever-watchful. “Each of them had six wings”; eight wings maintain silence, while four wings declare praise. What does Scripture teach us through this? That not every thought about God should be vocalized; some should be upheld in reverent silence, while others can be expressed in faith and uplifted as theology. Why do the cherubim cover their feet and heads? Because in the presence of God, neither origin nor conclusion can be comprehended. When they cover their heads and feet with four wings, they are able to fly with the two remaining wings. Similarly, as we speak of God, we should focus on the essence that He is the Creator, Sovereign, and Benefactor—these are the truths we can comprehend. If you ask how God was begotten, you expose what the cherubim conceal. If you inquire about the end of God, you unveil what should remain veiled. They cover their head and feet not to hide but to teach us that such matters are beyond human understanding. The image they present is profound; there are six multiplied by two, totaling twelve wings; eight remain still while four take flight. This mirrors the twelve apostles, with four evangelists vocally proclaiming the message.

I appreciate your earnest efforts to implement previous teachings. In light of this, I share these doctrinal principles, fueled by hope. A farmer, despite the arduous task of sowing, finds joy and motivation upon witnessing a bountiful harvest, encouraging further cultivation. Yet how much more fruitful and beneficial is the spiritual harvest! The one yields physical sustenance for the body, while this one sows wisdom and reaps spiritual nourishment, eternal and imperishable, preserved through divine Providence, filled with spiritual delight. This is the outcome of my labor; this is the treasure kept for your souls. Witnessing its growth in you fills me with joy, akin to a sower who does not labor in vain, but instead sows into rich soil, yielding abundant fruit.

From where do I discern this effectiveness? From your very presence here, as evidenced by your attentive participation in the mother of all assemblies—the Church, your commitment to all-night vigils, and your angelic resemblance in your continuous praise to the Creator. O, the gifts of Christ! In heaven, the angelic hosts exalt Him; on earth, men, gathered in churches, reflect this celestial praise; the seraphim in heaven raise their Trinitarian song, while multitudes on earth echo the same. What a unified triumph of heavenly and earthly beings, marked by gratitude, delight, and joy! This harmony emerges through the Lord's astounding grace, composed by the Holy Spirit, resonating in the pleasure of the Father, as the orchestra of creation, guided by the Trinity, brings forth a harmonious, angelic melody, an unending celebration. This is the result of our diligence and the fruit of our gathering! Therefore, I rejoice in witnessing such brilliance; I revel in the spiritual joy that fills your souls, a delight in God. There is no greater joy in our lives than the joy found within the church—where the joy of the joyful is safeguarded, where comfort resides for the downcast, cheer for the grieving, solace for the weary. "Come unto Me," said the Lord, "all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). What could be more welcome than this invitation? The Lord, who calls you to this feast, leads you from toil to tranquility, providing rest after sorrow, alleviating the weight of sin, replacing despair with joy. O, the incomparable care and heavenly call! Let us hasten, beloved, to show earnest dedication and fulfill it with diligence and disposed hearts. I desire to share a word that may seem challenging yet is both useful and strengthening. This is what loving fathers do: they provide for their children not just pleasant joys but necessities even when they may seem burdensome, instilling values that might appear tough but ultimately yield salvation. We present this word so that our labors here may not be in vain, that upon assuming the demands of vigilance, our strive may yield truth, strengthening us rather than scattering sounds that may harm.

Let us approach this gathering with appropriate reverence, lest we offload our sins instead of receiving forgiveness. What do we seek? A spirit of great fear and deep reverence as we offer divine hymns. Some present here may be unaware that failing to honor God results in delivering disorderly sounds and behavior more akin to madness than to true worship. Wretched souls, indeed! We ought to offer celestial praise filled with awe, confess sinfulness before our Creator with trembling hearts. Yet, instead, some amongst us mimic the motions of distractions, extending arms, jumping feet, and swaying bodies as if partaking in frivolities. How can one lack the fear and trembling necessary when engaging in such sacred rites? Do you not recognize the Lord's invisible presence, measuring movements, testing hearts? Do you not discern that angels stand guard over this solemn banquet, filled with reverence? You may not understand this because the spectacles you witness dull your senses, leading you to integrate such behavior into your sacred endeavors, exposing the chaos within your souls through empty cries. How, then, can you petition for mercy? Can careless prayers convey genuine humility? You utter, “Have mercy on me, O God,” yet display a spirit contrary to repentance. You plead, “Save me,” while embodying postures disjointed from salvation. Can arms risen in chaos and aimless shouting contribute to sincere prayer? Such actions mirror those of jesters in the streets, not the reverence due to God.

What then does it mean to “serve the Lord with fear” as proclaimed in Scripture? It signifies the observance of His commandments with deep respect and brokenness, offering prayers from humble hearts and minds. Moreover, the prophet conveys: while obeying God gives joy, there exists a necessity to pursue it with reverence, lest we forget our devotion and offend the Almighty. How, you wonder, can we rejoice while trembling? How can these feelings coexist? Joy is the fulfillment of desire, a pleasure-filled experience, while fear often stems from expected hardship, mingling with despairing thoughts. Yet even the seraphim who are in constant joy alongside an incomprehensible God understand this duality, savoring the Creator's glory while resting in awe and reverence of His unapproachable essence. They serve around His exalted throne, filled with ecstatic delight, silently adoring. Standing in the radiance of divine glory is their happiness, their exaltation, their glory. Perhaps you too have sensed a flicker of that delight, an awakening yearning for His glorious presence.

If you yield to this encouragement and offer praise reverently, you shall partake in this joy as well; for it is the same Lord who received glory in heaven and on earth. “The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). How do the seraphim balance joy with awe? The prophet shares his vision: “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up.” And what else did he observe surrounding Him? “Around Him stood the seraphim.” How did they behave? No boldness accompanied them; rather, they were filled with awe and trepidation, their very presence indicating unspeakable reverence. “With two wings each covered his face,” shielding themselves from the divine luminosity of the throne that overwhelmed their senses, while also reflecting their deference to the Sovereign Lord. Despite their joy and jubilation, they shielded both their feet and faces. The covering of their feet signifies their height of respect towards the Creator, an expression of honor conveyed through their very appearances, movements, and postures. When earthly subjects approach their rulers, they demonstrate respect through all means—appearance, voice, demeanor, and motions. In similar fashion, the seraphim, cognizant of God’s greatness, endeavor to express profound reverence, concealing themselves from all sides. This imagery reveals that true service to God encompasses humble praise from the heart, for though they possess no physicality, their devotion and minimal being extend in reverence towards the Almighty.

Who is capable of encompassing God in His true essence? This is similarly reflected in the Seraphim, who are enveloped by the splendor of the Divine light.

The revered prophets did not receive divine revelations or visions all at once, nor were they granted these continuously, but rather in portions, as it pleased the Lord, at times when He who reveals the profound and concealed things chose to share. For He encompasses all light, as it is recorded: "He revealeth the deep and secret things" (Daniel 2:22). Thus, during the reign of Hosea, also known as Azariah, king of Jerusalem, the esteemed prophet Isaiah delivered prophetic messages concerning previously mentioned matters. Hosea was known for his deep devotion to God, as it is stated that he acted in righteousness before the Lord (2 Kings 15:3; cf. 2 Chronicles 26:4).

One who interprets these phrases from a Jewish perspective might assert that there exists a location in Jerusalem where the Lord is depicted as seated on a lofty and exalted throne, surrounded by Seraphim, and that these Seraphim offered a fiery coal from the altar of burnt offerings to touch the Prophet’s lips for his purification. However, we who recognize that the elements of the Law serve as symbols and barriers reflecting heavenly realities (cf. Heb. 8:5), view the exalted throne as a representation of God's sovereign authority over all creation, while the Seraphim embody the Divine Powers of Peace.

The seraphim encircled Him, surrounding and hovering above Him. They shielded their faces with two of their wings, indicating their own reverence and the fear of approaching the Lord, in contrast to Hosea, who was unafraid to draw near to His presence.

The seraphim surround the Lord, each possessing six wings—two for covering their faces, two for their feet, and two for flight. Various translations indicate that these beings do not stand upon the temple itself, but rather around God. When referring to their covering of faces and feet, it signifies the divine majesty, as the Hebrew term phanau reglau may imply both God’s and their own. In the seventy-ninth Psalm, it states, "He that sitteth upon the cherubim hath appeared" (Psalms 79:2), indicating that, resembling a charioteer, the Lord is openly visible on the cherubim.

This, as I understand, represents the highest order of celestial beings, surrounding God (cf. Ps. 75:12; Is. 6:2; Rev. 7:11) and standing in direct proximity to His divine presence, continuously enveloping His eternal majesty within the ever-dynamic sanctuary of the most exalted angels. They behold numerous joyful visions in purity, illuminated by immediate and unmediated bursts of divine light, and nourished by sanctified sustenance; some partake through a primary outpouring, while others receive from the unified essence of the divine source. They share in communion with God and become worthy by reflecting, to the extent possible, His eminent qualities and energies.

She is indeed His Throne, and wherever the King resides, there His Throne is established. This Throne, too, was witnessed by Isaiah among His cherubic choir, where he referred to it as ‘high and exalted’ (Isaiah 6:1), highlighting the supremacy of Our Lady above the celestial beings. While He places a secondary precedence immediately after Her among the angelic hierarchies, it does not imply that He possesses a lower status; in fact, such a comparison could suggest that they are lesser, and She is merely slightly greater. Truly, however, Her greatness far eclipses theirs. For instance, after the sun, we cannot think of another luminary that genuinely holds the position of ‘second’ in terms of brightness, save for the full moon, which shines with minimal intensity compared to the sun.

The beings closest to the Creator are the God-adoring seraphim, described by the prophet Isaiah, who states: "And the seraphim stood around him, each having six wings" (Isaiah 6:2). These celestial beings are radiant, embodying the divine presence of God, of whom it is declared that "our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29). In the presence of such splendor, the seraphim exhibit a fiery nature, as noted: "I watched till thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire" (Daniel 7:9). Additionally, "the appearance of the glory of the Lord on the mountaintop was like a consuming fire in the sight of the children of Israel" (Exodus 24:17).

The Seraphim, who are the highest celestial beings and servants of the Lord, also serve in His presence. When the proclamation of the Lord declared the rejection of the Jews to both heaven and earth, the Seraphim, each possessing six wings, demonstrated their humility by covering their faces with two wings, their feet with two wings, and flew with the remaining two. This action signifies their inability to grasp the profound and indescribable works of God, as no being can fully understand the divine decrees of the Almighty Creator.

The prophet Isaiah beheld a vision within the temple in Jerusalem, a place suffused with divine glory. The Lord manifested 'on a high and exalted throne,' surrounded by the Seraphim, who each had six wings. Two wings shielded their faces, two covered their feet, and with two they flew, as they proclaimed to one another (Isaiah 6:1-2). Do you perceive these celestial beings, the gracious sons of God? These pure spirits of the highest order, closest to the Throne of the Almighty, are illuminated vessels of divine light. Yet, they do not dare to gaze upon the uncreated radiance nor stand before Him unveiled; they reverently cover their eyes and lips, cloaked in awe.

There are those who believe that only two seraphim exist; however, my understanding, rooted in the insights found in Scripture, suggests that a multitude surrounds Him. Like a circlet, they encircle Him on all sides, resembling the spear-wielding bodyguards of a mighty monarch, encompassing His throne, illuminated and invigorated by His presence.