Isaiah 6:1-3
‘In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw…the LORD sitting on a throne high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it, stood the seraphims. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face; and with two he covered his feet; and with two he did fly. And one cried out to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy — is the Lord of hosts! The whole Earth is full of His glory!’ Isaiah 6:1-3.
Calvin comments: “‘King Uzziah died’…. But…Isaiah…ought not to be thought…that he was so completely overpowered by this extraordinary vision, as to forget that he was a Prophet! For there was no feeling in him, which was not overpowered by the presence of God — so that like one who had lost his senses, he willingly plunged himself in darkness…like one who despaired of life…(and) of his own accord chose to die…. Besides, it is probable that he had long performed the office of a Teacher under King Uzziah — who…was dead before this prediction was published….
“I…take death in its literal sense…. Isaiah uttered the former predictions during the reign of Uzziah even after he had been struck with leprosy…. When he had died…, this vision was presented to Isaiah….
“‘I saw the Lord’…. How could Isaiah see God, Who is a Spirit (John 4:24) — and therefore cannot be seen with bodily eyes?…. We ought to be aware that when God exhibited Himself to the view of the fathers, He never appeared such as He actually is — but such as the capacity of men could receive….
“There is no absurdity in supposing that God comes down to them in such a manner as to cause some kind of mirror to reflect the rays of His glory…. He does not amuse us by unmeaning shapes — as men wickedly disfigure Him by their contrivances! Since therefore that exhibition was no deceitful representation of the presence of God, Isaiah justly declares that he saw Him. In like manner…it is said that John saw the Holy Spirit in the shape of a dove (John 1:32)…, yet he did not see the essence of the Spirit….
“Who was that LORD? John tells us that it was Christ (John 12:41f)…. God never revealed Himself to the fathers but in His eternal Word and only-begotten Son…. It is correctly said that Isaiah saw the glory of Christ. For at that very time, He was the Image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15)….
“‘Holy, holy, holy — is Jehovah of hosts!’… There are three Persons in one essence in the Godhead…. I have no doubt that the angels (or seraphim with their thrice-mentioned wings) here describe One God in Three Persons…. It is impossible to praise God without also uttering the praises of the Father, of the Son, and of the Spirit.” Holy, holy, holy! Yes, thrice holy!
‘The whole Earth is full of His glory!’…. The fruits and animals and manifold riches…; the ornaments and great variety of furniture in the world! Thus was the thrice-holy Jehovah seen!
