Глава 6

Isa.6:1. In the summer, before King Uzziah died. The prophet begins to describe the revelations that were to him, and this description begins from the time of the death of the king of Judah Uzziah, who dared “to burn incense and incense” (2 Chronicles 26:18), although he knew that this was not allowed to him, because by law the offering of sacrifices was granted to the sons of Aaron, and the performance of other various sacred services to the sons of Levi. The priest Azariah denounced the impudent king and did not allow him to the altar, saying: “This is none of your business, king.” So the priests were obliged to admonish kings so that they would remain within the limits set by the law, teach the people so that everyone would pay tithes, and teach those who bring gifts so that they would observe these statutes. They say that when King Uzziah entered the church to burn incense, this saddened Isaiah, and he put on sackcloth, which he wore until God said to him: “Take off the sackcloth from your loins.” Just as Isaiah's lamentation about Uzziah was a sign of his lamentation about the children of Israel, so the removal of sackcloth served as a certain prediction about the Ethiopians and Egyptians. From the time the king was stricken with leprosy, and the whole earth seemed to become leprous, prophetic visions ceased for all the days of Uzziah’s life. In the summer before King Uzziah died, he saw the Lord sitting on the throne on high. For thirty-eight years the prophetic visions were hidden because of Uzziah's insolence. Uzziah reigned piously for fourteen years, but when he became proud, dared to make a sacrifice and did not listen to the priest, who said that this was not allowed to him, he was stricken with leprosy. Isaiah lamented in sackcloth and ashes until Uzziah died. Now the priests, as a reward for exposing the wicked king and restraining him, while they themselves indulged in sorrow, the Lord rejoiced with the vision that Isaiah saw in the church. And fill the house of glory with His garments. So it was fitting that God should appear to the prophet in great glory, in splendor, when King Uzziah died, and with his death, after thirty-eight years, joy was restored to the people, and the true reverence of the saints arose. Isa.6:2. And Seraphim stood around Him, - surrounded Him and hovered above Him. And two... wings cover their faces, showing that they did not dare to look at the Lord and approach Him, while Uzziah was not afraid to approach His dwelling. Isa.6:3. The seraphim cried out: “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and thus they depicted to us the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Isa.6:4. And the house was filled with smoke. The voices of the Seraphim are heard, and the house is filled with the splendor of the glory of the Lord, as it was on the day of the consecration of the church, when a cloud overshadowed it. Isa.6:5. Oh, accursed az... like this man with unclean lips, - I am not defiled in heart, but only in my lips. I live in the midst of people who have unclean lips, - forced to live among people whose lips are as unclean as mine. And I saw the King of the Lord of Hosts before my eyes, - although he is unworthy of it. Isa.6:6. With iron tongs... an Angel approached and took the coal... Isa.6:7. and I will touch my mouth and say: Behold, I will touch this to your mouth, and your iniquity will take away. An angel approached the altar with iron tongs, denouncing Uzziah’s insolence and showing that there was no more purification anywhere except the altar. In a mysterious sense, the coal represents Immanuel, who, having united with the flesh received from us, will pluck at it like pincers. Touching the lips of the prophet, who represented all of us, the coal cleansed him of sin and impurity. Isa.6:8. And I heard the voice of the Lord saying: whom will I send? Since Isaiah was sent to denounce the king, but did not want to, then the second time it is left to his will whether to go with denunciation or not. And he said: Behold, I am, send me. He who did not want to expose one person turns out to be ready to become an accuser of an entire people. Isa.6:9. Go and speak to this people: you will hear by hearing, but will not understand; and by seeing, you will see, but will not see. The Prophet here arouses the Jews to repentance, either with sorrowful rumors and reports of imminent captivity and disasters, or with the misfortunes already weighing on them; therefore, there is no need for insight and wisdom of mind, but it is enough to see and hear announcements that are as reliable as what we see. For what was said by the prophet that exceeded their insight, and was it not enough to just hear about it? But when they saw with their own eyes the depletion of fruit in the fields, even though they saw, they did not see. Isa.6:10. It’s hard for your ears to hear, and your eyes are closed. The reason for both is they themselves, and not from anyone else this befell them. Isa.6:13. The seed is holy, standing there. The prophet calls the seed holy in relation either to Abraham, or to the righteous Jews, or to the Son, who was not revealed at that time, but had to come from the line of their righteous people. You might be interested in: