Fr. Eduardo Emilio Aguero, SCJ
A Vision in a Time of Crisis
Isaiah chapter 6 marks a decisive moment in the prophet’s life and in Israel’s history. The vision occurs amid national upheaval: the death of King Uzziah, the Syro-Ephraimite war in 734 B.C., the fall of Samaria in 722, and the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem under Sennacherib in 701. In this desolate context, “the Lord of hosts” reveals Himself to Isaiah in overwhelming glory—“the hem of His robe filled the temple” (v.1).
The Temple Vision: Holiness and Terror
The temple, resembling the heavenly throne, cannot contain the fullness of divine majesty. Only God’s Glory—His “Name”—dwells there, in the Holy of Holies. The seraphim proclaim: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (v.3). The triple repetition of “holy” is the Hebrew superlative, expressing the utmost holiness. This theme of divine holiness is intimately connected to the people; God is “the Holy One of Israel” (Is 10:20), a title that appears 25 times in Isaiah as an antiphon. The Hebrew word kadosh denotes God’s otherness and transcendence. His glory (shekinah) is the visible manifestation of this holiness, and it abides in the temple of Jerusalem. This glory, intensified by the presence of the seraphim—fiery, winged beings—and the hosts of heaven, strikes terror into the heart of the “seer.” The contrast between God’s holiness and the people’s impurity is so stark that it marks a decisive turning point in the book of Isaiah. God takes the initiative; He reveals Himself to Isaiah. This overwhelming encounter with divine holiness and power leads the prophet to a profound awareness of his own misery and sinfulness. A faithful rendering of verse 5 reads: “Woe is me, I am silenced, for I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (v.5). The vision of God’s majesty is too much to bear, and Isaiah is left speechless. He experiences a deep breakthrough: a recognition of his own unworthiness and that of the people. He now feels unfit to proclaim God’s word. His ministry enters a profound crisis, for a prophet is, by definition, a man of the Word.
Listening with a Pure Heart
This passage, often presented as Isaiah’s vocation, is in fact a second calling—a recommissioning. What he had previously proclaimed in chapters 1 to 5 encapsulates the message of First Isaiah: Judah’s sinfulness and ingratitude towards the Lord, and the consequences thereof, which culminate in this vision. Here, the prophet identifies with the people; like them, he is a man of impure lips. “Humility is to walk in the truth,” says St Teresa of Jesus, and Isaiah stands honestly before God and the people. He acknowledges his inadequacy. His humility invites divine intervention: a seraphic (ardent) being touches his lips with a burning ember, and he is purified.
Until this moment, he had remained silent. Only after he is purified by fire does he hear the voice of the Lord: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (v.8). He listens to the heart of God, perceives His concern for the people, and shares in His love. This listening is not passive—it is a communion born of reverence and transformation. The prophet’s authority to speak arises from this intimacy. He responds, “Here am I; send me.”
The Prophetic Mission: Sent to a Hardened People
A prophet is a person who has been invited to dwell in the intimacy of the Lord and has learned to listen to His concerns. He stands before God’s holiness and majesty, and from a posture of humility, receives the purifying power that transforms him—often through pain and suffering. Enflamed with divine love, the prophet is sent into the world to confront a stubborn people—those unwilling to hear. Isaiah is commissioned to proclaim God’s Word to a people resistant to understanding: “Go and say to this people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand’” (v.9) Jesus echoes this in His explanation of parables: “Because they look, but do not see. And they listen, but they do not hear, neither do they understand” (Mt 13:13) Confronted with this difficult mission, Isaiah asks, “How long, O Lord?” (v.11)—a question echoed in Revelation as a cry for justice and redemption (Rev 6:10). The response is clear: the people must endure desolation. “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate” (v.11) Jerusalem will fall, the temple will be destroyed, and exile will follow. Yet hope endures: “The holy seed is its stump” (v.13) A remnant will survive—a new and holy shoot from whom the Messiah will come, the Savior of all mankind.
Availability
Isaiah’s calling reveals the heart of prophecy: standing before God, receiving purification, listening deeply, and responding with love. A prophet is not merely a messenger but a witness—one transformed by divine holiness. He dwells in God’s intimacy, hears His concerns, endures His majesty, and humbly accepts the purifying fire that prepares him for mission, even when it brings suffering. Isaiah’s response after his purification—“Here am I; send me”—reflects his full communion with God’s will. His readiness is not rooted in self-confidence, but in trust in the One who sends. He accepts the mission to speak to a people unclean in speech and distant in heart: “This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me…” (Isaiah 29:13) Though the task is difficult and the outcome uncertain, Isaiah goes forth. His zeal flows from communion, not success. He trusts that the God who purifies also sustains. Amid rejection and destruction, a remnant will remain—a holy seed from which the Messiah will come, the Savior of all.
Praying with the Word of God
Let us read and meditate on Isaiah 6:1–13. May the Lord grant us a profound experience of His holiness and a true awareness of who we are—our gifts, our limitations, and our need for grace. Like Isaiah, may we know ourselves as we really are before the Almighty and undergo a deeper conversion and purification. Let us grow ever deeper in intimacy with the Lord, allowing His love to penetrate our hearts and renew our mission. Pray to the Heart of Jesus, that He may make of us prophets of love, burning with zeal and ready to fulfill the mission He entrusts to us. Let us also pray for young people, that they may hear the Lord’s call and be courageous to respond, even if they are sent as sheep among wolves.
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