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The Truth About Angels
Isaiah
In Isaiah’s day idolatry itself no longer provoked surprise. Iniq-
uitous practices had become so prevalent among all classes, that the
few who remained true to God were often tempted to lose heart, and
to give way to discouragement and despair....
Such thoughts as these were crowding through Isaiah’s mind as
he stood under the portico of the temple. Suddenly the gate and the
inner veil of the temple seemed to be uplifted or withdrawn, and he
was permitted to gaze within, upon the holy of holies, where even the
prophet’s feet might not enter. There rose up before him a vision of
Jehovah sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, while the train of
His glory filled the temple. On each side of the throne hovered the
seraphim, their faces veiled in adoration, as they ministered before
their Maker, and united in the solemn invocation, “Holy, holy, holy, is
the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.”—
Prophets and
Kings, 306, 307
.
An indescribable glory emanated from a personage on the throne,
and His train filled the temple.... Cherubim were on either side of
the mercy-seat, as guards round the great King, and they glowed with
the glory that enshrouded them from the presence of God. As their
songs of praise resounded in deep, earnest notes of adoration, the
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pillars of the gate trembled, as if shaken by an earthquake. These holy
beings sang forth the praise and glory of God with lips unpolluted
with sin. The contrast between the feeble praise which he [Isaiah] had
been accustomed to bestow upon the Creator and the fervid praises of
the seraphim, astonished and humiliated the prophet. He had for the
time being, the sublime privilege of appreciating the spotless purity of
Jehovah’s exalted character.
While he listened to the song of the angels, as they cried, “Holy,
holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory,”
the glory, the infinite power, and the unsurpassed majesty of the Lord
passed before his vision, and was impressed upon his soul. In the light
of this matchless radiance, that made manifest all he could bear in the
revelation of the divine character, his own inward defilement stood out
before him with startling clearness. His very words seemed vile to
him.—
The Review and Herald, October 16, 1888
.