Isaiah 6:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

NIV: Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.

NASB: Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.

CSB: Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs.

NLT: Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs.

KJV: Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

NKJV: Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.

The passage isn't there, yet, but the Lord is revealing Himself to Isaiah to establish him a prophet (Isaiah 6:8–9). This is to give Isaiah the mission of taking God's message to the people of Israel. Isaiah knows instantly upon seeing the Lord's glory that he is not worthy of being in God's presence (Isaiah 6:5). When the seraphim declare with boldness that the Lord is "holy, holy, holy," Isaiah becomes crushingly aware that he is completely unholy.

Isaiah's response to being in the presence of the Lord is exactly right. The Lord, though, has not revealed Himself to Isaiah to condemn him for his sinfulness. He wants Isaiah to call His people Israel to repentance in the face of the coming judgment of God.

The Lord, in His grace, does not leave Isaiah lost in his sinfulness. One of the seraphim flies from his place near the Lord to Isaiah. This seraph has a burning coal from the altar in his hand. Scholars wonder whether it was from the altar of sacrifice or the altar of incense. Due to the coal being used for Isaiah's sin, the argument could be made for it being from the altar used to make sacrifices of animals to atone for Israel's sin.

Isaiah 6:1–7 describes Isaiah's call to serve as God's prophet in response to a powerful vision. This vision takes place near the beginning of his ministry, which is also the same year that King Uzziah of Judah dies. In this vision, Isaiah sees the Lord on a throne in His temple. Angelic seraphim call out about God's holiness in voices that shake the building. The prophet is overwhelmed by his own uncleanness. One of the seraph touches his lips with a coal from the altar, pronouncing his sin paid for.

Isaiah 6 describes the vision of God, experienced by Isaiah, which began his work as a prophet. He sees the Lord in royal robes sitting on a throne in the temple. There are angelic seraphim calling out to each other about His holiness. Isaiah is overwhelmed by his own uncleanness until one seraph touches his lips with a burning coal from the altar. With his sin symbolically atoned for, Isaiah volunteers to go to his people on behalf of the Lord. The message he preaches will not penetrate their dull hearts. Yet Isaiah must preach until the judgment comes.

Isaiah 6 seems to answer the question of why Isaiah (Isaiah 1:1) was qualified to speak of Judah's sin and the Lord's coming judgment. The previous five chapters have already been on this topic. Isaiah describes seeing God in the temple on a throne, while hearing seraphim calling out about the Lord's holiness. After his lips are cleansed, Isaiah volunteers to take the Lord's message to his people Judah. The Lord shows Isaiah that message will not be received and that he will preach until the judgment comes. Chapters 7 and 8 detail Isaiah's early prophecies, including a famous prediction about the Messiah.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).