“In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1).
What a vision it was that Isaiah saw! What an honor to see the Lord in this way. It is no wonder that after seeing Him like this, he realizes his own sinful condition and unworthiness (v. 5). When we get a glimpse of the Almighty God, it drives us to our knees in confession of our low estate.
Three things Isaiah saw. The first was the Person. Isaiah caught a vision of the Lord. There is no one greater to fix our eyes on than the Lord Himself. (Yet how easily distracted we are.) When Peter, James, and John had seen the Lord transfigured before them, the narrative recounts, “And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus” (Matt. 17:8). Colossians 3:1 tells us to “…Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” Setting our eyes on Him and considering Him will put us in our proper place as sinners. But it will do more than that. It will draw us to our proper place as saints–into the intimacy of fellowship with Him.
The next thing Isaiah saw was the place where this Person was. He was sitting upon a throne. We must never forget that God is still on the throne. In days when it seems that everything is out of control, let us remember that He still holds all things in His power. The Psalmist writes, “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision” (Ps. 2:4). There is coming a day when the Lord will return to this earth as the true King to set up that kingdom which shall never have an end. Those who know Him as Saviour will have been caught up and will return with Him on that day. Until then, He sits on the heavenly throne of His Father’s glory, waiting until His enemies are made His footstool. From this point of vantage, He carries out the purposes of His heart.
Finally, Isaiah sees the position of this most blessed Person. He is high and lifted up. There would come a time–still future when Isaiah penned these words–when once again He would be seen high and lifted up. But it would not be in glory and majesty, as Isaiah saw Him. Rather, it would be in humiliation and shame. As the nails were driven into the feet and hands of the sinless Christ, they lifted Him up in mockery to die a sinner’s death. There was no bowing in worship, only in mockery. Matthew would describe the scene with these simple words: “And sitting down they watched Him there” (Matt. 27:36). There they watched the Saviour bleed and die.
But this was not the end, for Christ would be the victor! “…He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:4). Our Saviour has risen and is now seated at the Father’s right hand (Heb. 10:12). There will come another day when He will once again be high and lifted up. All of heaven, earth, and hell will be there, and all will bow the knee to the Lamb that was slain, and confess Him as Lord (Phil. 2:9-11). May we get a glimpse of the Person of Christ every day, give Him the rightful place in our hearts as on His throne, and lift Him up high by the testimony of our lives and witness so all can see our glorious Lord, and Saviour, Jesus Christ.