III. Setting of the Call

The call of the prophet Isaiah in chapter 6 takes place in a moment of personal, political, and liturgical gravity: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up” (Isa. 6:1). This reference situates Isaiah’s vision around 740 BC, marking a time of significant transition in Judah. King Uzziah’s reign, though largely prosperous and stable, ended in disgrace after he unlawfully entered the temple and was struck with leprosy (2 Chron. 26:16–21). His death thus symbolized both the end of a political era and a rupture in the sacred order a backdrop against which Isaiah’s divine encounter becomes even more charged. As Bergsma and Pitre explain, “The end of Uzziah’s reign represented more than just a dynastic change; it was the beginning of Judah’s decline in the face of rising Assyrian aggression.” [6]

Liturgically and symbolically, the setting of Isaiah’s call draws us into the heavenly temple, a realm at once transcendent and intimately connected with the earthly temple in Jerusalem. Isaiah sees “the Lord” (Hebrew Adonai, not the Tetragrammaton), enthroned and attended by seraphim, whose ceaseless cry of “Holy, holy, holy” fills the sanctuary with the glory of God (Isa. 6:2–4). This thrice-holy acclamation forms the basis of the Sanctus sung at every Mass, drawing a direct connection between Isaiah’s vision and Christian liturgical tradition.[7] Scholars have noted that Isaiah, possibly a priest or temple official, may have been offering sacrifice in the earthly temple when he was granted a vision of the divine reality behind it.[8] As Scott Hahn observes, this heavenly liturgy, with its smoke, altar, and burning coal, reveals that the true drama of history is not centered in earthly kings but in the throne room of God.[9]

This setting also functions pedagogically: Isaiah’s prophetic call is not merely auditory but sacramental. A seraph touches his lips with a burning coal from the altar, purifying his speech and symbolizing his readiness to proclaim God’s word. The temple, therefore, is not just a backdrop it is the medium through which the prophet is transformed. Divine holiness, human sinfulness, purification, and mission converge in a single scene.[10] The call narrative culminates in a dialogue: “Whom shall I send?” and Isaiah’s response, “Here I am. Send me!” (Isa. 6:8). This heavenly commission emerges not from abstract inspiration but from an encounter within the liturgical heart of Israel. Isaiah’s readiness is not a product of personal initiative, but the fruit of divine mercy received in worship. The setting of the call is thus a vision of the true order of reality, where God’s glory fills the temple, history bends toward holiness, and the prophet becomes the vessel of that vision.

 Isaiah’s readiness is not a product of personal initiative, but the fruit of divine mercy received in worship. Crucial to spend time in worship, presence of God to ready ourselves. Need intimacy with Christ. Tangible, worship & prayer.

Citations

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