Tanak Foundations-Concepts in Isaiah-Chapter 6

Isa 6.1-13 is another eschatological chapter, but in the Peshat (literal, historical) it deals with the death of King Uzziah and the commission of Isaiah and the judgment on the Jewish people. However, in the Sowd or “secret, hidden” level the days of Uzziah is a picture of the days we are in today leading up to Rosh Ha Shanah, year 6001 from creation. The following ten kings of Judah is a picture of the seven year birth-pains. Isaiah will be a picture of the resurrection and the calling of the 144,000 right at the beginning of the Day of the Lord (Mic 4.10; Jer 51.10; John 12.41; Rev 7.1, 14.4). This vison was seen immediately upon the death of Uzziah, and the timing of this is eschatologically significant.

There is a concept in the Scriptures that point to the last ten kings of Judah being a picture of the birth-pains (tribulation) as we have said. For example, King Uzziah dies in Isa 6.1, and his reign is a picture of the days leading up to the beginning of the birth-pains. So, that would mean that when you look at what happened during his reign it will mirror the days we are living in, and what was happening in Israel in particular. Upon his death, his son Yotham took over and he will be a picture of the first year of the birth-pains. King Ahaz is the second year, Hezekiah is the third year, Manasseh is the fourth, Amon is the fifth year, Josiah is the sixth year and the last four kings (Yehoahaz, Yehoikim, Yehoichin and Zedekiah) are a composite picture of the seventh year (1 Kings 15-25; 2 Chr 26-30).

Isa 6.1-13 is what we call a “Maaseh Merkavah” vision, or the “Work of the Chariot” or throne of God. A “merkavah” means a chariot and so it alludes to movement. The throne of God is “moving” to bring about God’s plan in the universe. Other examples of a Maaseh Merkavah vison and the throne of God is Gen 3.8; Exo 20 and Ezek 1 and 10. So, eschatologically, Isa 6 is about the death of Uzziah and the days leading up to the birth-pains, and the commission of the 144,000 and the resurrection of the believers in the person of Isaiah on Rosh Ha Shanah, year 6001 from creation.

v 1…In the year of King Uzziah’s death (Uzziah means “my strength is Yehovah”) I saw (and then in Hebrew we have the “et” or aleph/tav which alludes to the Messiah in particular, but the Father, Son and Ruach were all there. The aleph/tav means “head of the covenant”) the Lord (Adonai) sitting on a throne, high and lifted up (above all else), with the train (the splendor of his glory) filling the Temple (notice that Uzziah has just died and his son Yotham has not even been crowned yet. This is sudden and seen immediately after Uzziah dies. This alludes to right at the end of the Olam Ha Zeh meaning “this present age” and right before the day of the Lord really begins. This also alludes to Rosh Ha Shanah, year 6001 from creation and just as it begins).

v 2…Seraphim (Hebrew “burning ones” or a type of angel-Num 21.8; Gen 15.17; Ezek 1.1-28, 10.1, 11.22) above him (as guardians of the throne), each having six wings (like in Ezek 1.4 and Rev 4.8); with two he covered his face (out of humility and reverence, like Moses in Exo 3.6 and Elijah in 1 Kings 19.12), and with two he covered his feet (or body because they were conscious of their form and their walk before Yehovah), and with two he flew (spiritual movement in obedience to Yehovah’s commands).

v 3…And one called out to another (not to God but publicly proclaiming his nature to one another) and said “Holy, Holy, Holy” (or “Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh” three times because of the unity of the Father, Son and Ruach) is the Lord of Hosts (Yehovah Tzavaot or “armies”), the whole earth is full of his glory (“kivod” or God’s consuming righteousness, his kedusha sets him apart from all else).

v 4…And the foundations (“amot” or posts) of the thresholds trembled (shook) at the voice of them who called out (the collective voice of the Seraphim choir as one) while the Temple was filling with smoke (from the altar of incenses in Isa 6.6 and the result of the Seraphim choir, but let’s go back to the word “thresholds” or “sipim” for a major concept called the “Threshold Covenant.” The threshold was a spot with a special sanctity, and there were specific taboos as in 1 Sam 5.4 and Zeph 1.9. There were special keepers of the threshold, like in 2 Kings 22.4; 1 Chr 9.22; 2 Chr 23.4 and Jer 35.4. At the Passover in Egypt, the blood of the lamb was to be placed there in Exo 12.22. The word “passover” in Hebrew is “pesach” and it means to “leap over” the threshold after it has been given a kedusha or set apart with the blood of the threshold covenant. The threshold of the Philistine god Dagon was held sacred in 1 Sam 5.4-5 and Yehovah and the Ark had something to say about that. In 1 Kings 18.20-21 it says, “How long will you leap over both thresholds?” meaning Yehovah’s and Baal’s. The word “hesitate” is “pasach” and has the same root as “pesach” or pass over and it means to leap over. The blood at Passover was seen as a boundary line of God’s portion in the earth. The blood “protects” the boundary or house and anyone in it. If anyone enters they must submit themselves to the authority of the person of the house. In Egypt, the first born belonged to Yehovah in Exo 13.2. We can see references to the sacredness, meaning a kedusha, of the threshold in Lev 17.2-9. The Kohanim or “priests” were consecrated there, and the altar was there in the Temple, the kivod came there in the Mishkan. Yeshua will not violate the “threshold” in Rev 3.20, but he stands there and knocks. He wants to be invited over the threshold and not force his way in. You don’t tread upon the threshold otherwise it was seen as inviting a curse from the family “god” who was guarding the house, as seen in Heb 10.29. There are many “doors” in this life, and they are not all of God. Remember the concept of crossing over the threshold because there are “false doors” in Matt 7.13. The threshold covenant marks the boundary and the limitation of man’s access to God. The blood at the threshold line is the line drawn by Yehovah and what he has established. We must “pass through the blood line” and Yeshua is the “door.” This “way” was once guarded by the Keruvim and a sacrifice was needed, and that is why the altar was at the door, or threshold, of the Mishkan and Temple. We will see in Ezek 10.18 that the Shekinah will leave the threshold in the Temple, too).

v 5…Then I said, Woe is me, for I am ruined (beaten, lost) because I am a man of unclean (tamai) lips (compared to Yehovah, confession with the mouth), and I live among a people of unclean (tamai) lips, (compared to God, their confession), for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts (Yehovah Tzavaot or armies and a man cannot see God and live-Exo 33.20; Job 42.5-6).

v 6…Then one of the Seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the altar with tongs (altar of incense),

v 7…And he touched my mouth and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips (his confession-Rom 10.9) and your iniquity is taken away, and your sins are forgiven (here the angel is a mediator of forgiveness. In Ezek 10.6-7 an angel takes fire of wrath from the Merkavah throne/chariot against the unrighteous).

v 8…Then I heard the voice of Yehovah saying, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us (this is not directed towards Isaiah because he overheard God speaking, and these words are not directed to the Seraphim because God does not take counsel from his creatures. This directed towards the Son and the Ruach)?” Then I said, “Here I am, send me (this is a picture of the commissioning of the 144,000 immediately after the Olam Ha Zeh ends, and right at the beginning of the day of the Lord-Mic 5.7; Rev 14.4)?”

v 9…And he said, “Go tell this (he does not refer to them as “his”) people: keep on listening (the prophet’s word), but do not perceive (have no understanding); keep on looking (at the prophet’s preaching) but do not understand (a hardening is going to take place).”

v 10…Render the hearts of this people insensitive (“fat” or stupid, senseless, and this will be the result of his ministry), their ears dull, and their eyes dim, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and repent and be healed (from their sin and preserved from disaster; this means the healing will never take place now, they crossed the line. This condition will be seen again before Babylon and Rome destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, and later with the False Messiah).

v 11…Then I said, “Lord, how long (will this blindness and stupidity last)?” And he answered, “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, houses are without people, and the land is utterly desolate (Jer 4.25-26),

v 12…The Lord has removed men far away (in exile), and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

v 13….Yet there will be a tenth (a small remnant) portion in it, and it will again be subject to burning (more judgment exposing this remnant and subject to burning), like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains when it is felled (a root stump remains in these trees). The holy seed (that remains after the judgment) is its stump (and yet after all this it will sprout new shoots and is a picture of the eschatological kahal of Israel, made up of believing Jews and non-Jews with a kedusha to Yehovah. This will be at the end of the birth-pains and at the end of the day of the Lord).”

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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