In chapter 6, we see an amazing vision of heaven. While reading through the entire Bible leading up to this, we have only come across cherubim (angels who guard the holiness of God). Now we see another type of angel described with some detail: the seraphim (a name which is derived from a verb "to burn" as in an agent to cleanse)....
(Isaiah 6:1-4) In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said,
“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
As Isaiah stood before the Lord, he felt his sinfulness and unworthiness. God took the initiative to have a seraphim proceed with a temple ritual. Isaiah's sins were not "cleansed and forgiven" as God would forgive our sins now (which include all sins: past, present and future). This would have been more familiar to the Israelites' sacrificial system and their cleansing rituals (a constant and temporary forgiveness of specific sins as it was before Christ's death and resurrection). Even in heaven, fire is used for cleansing.
And just like the Israelite priests back then, the seraphim was only acting as the agent to facilitate the cleansing of sins. It is always God who does the forgiving. Observe the angel's words carefully, he never said, "I" have forgiven...
(Isaiah 6:5-7) Then I said,
“Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
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. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”
From this we see:
- seraphim are a type of angels with 6 wings, 2 to cover their face, 2 to cover their feet, and 2 to fly
- seraphim are agents to cleanse, thus far, we know that they are in heaven near God's throne
- their voices are powerful and cause foundations to tremble
Personal experience: the television sitcom "Friends" is definitely NOT a Christian show by any stretch of the imagination, and none of the characters portray a Christian. But every so often, Hollywood unwittingly trips over a truth (like the unconditional love that all the friends seemed to have).
There was a particular episode where Joey insisted that selfless good deeds don't exist, so Phoebe was determined to prove that they do. She tried many things but failed at every attempt! To succeed, she finally donated some money to PBS - which was a station she really hated - therefore it was a good deed without any reward to her.
The problem is that most often people do something good in order to get something back in return, whether it is praise, or a gift, or to look good to other people, or to feel good about ourselves so we can pat ourselves on the back...
Today's takeaway: we can see that in this fallen world, it would be impossible to do a good deed while keeping one's motives pure. When all unbelievers stand before God at the White Throne Judgment, they will be judged for all sins committed. They will not be seen as holy and their "good deeds" will not be seen as worthy...
(Isaiah 64:6) For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
But as Christians, we will be judged and rewarded according to our good deeds done with pure motives. How is this possible? The answer is always - God!
The following scripture is a glimpse into what is waiting for all believers when we get to heaven. When we stand before Jesus, because of His work on the cross, we have been totally forgiven of all sin and God chooses to remember them no more. Therefore we will be seen as holy and worthy. There will be no need for further cleansing.
Below is a description of the Bema Seat (judgment), where all our good deeds will be tested by fire and we will be rewarded for those works done with pure motives...
(1 Corinthians 3:9-17) Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
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