There was a date, an appointed time, when an earthly king died and I saw another king – one unlike any other. One who is not subject to death for He holds the keys. One who is forever.
The physical world seemed to melt away and I found myself in The throne room. It was a room somehow familiar and yet, at the same time, other. Similar to the throne rooms and temples of this earth and yet so completely different that it made them seem like a two dimensional Biro sketch on the back of a napkin in comparison.
The one on the throne was high and far and beyond, and I was tiny on the floor as the golden, glory of His train flowed and filled every corner of the room. And flying above and around were vast, flaming creatures – covering their faces and feet with their wings in the presence of Him who is too beautiful, too glorious to behold. They cried out:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
The whole room shook violently and my knees buckled beneath me as I crumpled on the floor. The air filled with smoke and I covered my eyes not able to bear it. Every fibre of my being shaking, I whispered:
“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
When you stand before God, when you come face to face with His holiness, when you are knocked off your feet by His glory and suddenly see yourself in the light of His brilliance then you realise that you are so small, so dirty, so utterly inadequate. All of your failings, weaknesses and faults shout loud. Even your very best efforts on your very best day are like ice-cubes by the fire and all you have left is your trembling. How can you keep breathing? How can your heart keep beating? Surely you are finished?
But there was a lamb, slain before the foundation of the world. There was a system of atonement put in place by which all of my guilt and shame could be dealt with by another. By the death of a perfect, spotless sacrifice.
One of the flaming creatures comes to me with a burning coal from the altar and presses it to my mouth.
“Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
The fire touches the very place of my sin. My unclean lips. And the scorching, burning pain consumes my guilt. My sin is gone. Paid for by another and I am free. Atonement – paid for, made right, reconciled. But He is not finished yet.
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Isn’t it interesting that the place of my weakness, failing, faults has now become the place of my calling? My unclean lips now cleansed and given a new purpose – “Go and say…”
I love this passage from Isaiah 6 because we are given a glimpse of the unseen. We get to peek behind the curtain and see God, high and lifted up. And we walk in with Isaiah – a normal, sinful human brought face to face with a Holy God. He finds himself undone as the reality of who he is in the light of God’s glory is exposed but he is not destroyed but instead seared by God’s mercy and grace.
“Your guilt is taken away, your sin is atoned for.” Isaiah 6:7
Sometimes when reading scripture it can be a helpful tool to write it out in your own words to make sure you have really understood what you have read. You might like to try it. Today I wanted to put myself in Isaiah’s shoes and try to imagine what it was like to stand before God, to use this passage to help me picture myself in that throne room. I am so grateful for Jesus – the lamb who was slain for my sin. He has taken away my guilt and made a way for me to come to God.
We see this same scene described elsewhere in scripture. John, in the book of Revelation writes this:
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honour and glory and blessing!”
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever!”
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshipped.
Revelation 5:11-14
Thanks so much for reading. Lots of love Rach x
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