Isaiah's Vision
In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah sees the Lord seated on His throne, surrounded by seraphim crying 'Holy, holy, holy.' Isaiah is cleansed and commissioned.
Isaiah 6:1-13
Take the Isaiah 6 Quiz
Test your knowledge of this chapter
Explore Isaiah Chapters
Study all chapters of Isaiah
The Story
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.'
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.'
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, 'See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.'
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?'
And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'
He said, 'Go and tell this people: "Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving." Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.'
Then I said, 'For how long, Lord?'
And he answered: 'Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.'
Isaiah's vision of God's transcendent holiness became the foundation for his prophetic ministry—a ministry that would span the reigns of four kings and produce the most extensive messianic prophecies in the Old Testament.
Isaiah Sees God
Kids Version
Isaiah was a prophet—someone who spoke messages from God. One day, he had the most AMAZING vision!
Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a high throne. God was so big and glorious that just the bottom of His robe filled the whole temple!
Flying above God were special angels called seraphim. They had six wings each! Two wings covered their faces, two covered their feet, and two were for flying.
The angels called to each other: 'HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the Lord! The whole earth is full of His glory!'
Their voices were so powerful that the building shook! Smoke filled the temple!
Isaiah was terrified. 'Oh no! I'm ruined! My words are not pure. The people around me are not pure. And now I've seen GOD, the King of everything!'
Isaiah felt so small and sinful next to the perfectly holy God.
But then one of the angels flew to Isaiah. The angel carried a burning coal from the altar. He touched Isaiah's lips with it and said, 'Look! This has touched your lips. Your guilt is gone. Your sin is forgiven!'
Then Isaiah heard God's voice: 'Who can I send? Who will go for us?'
Isaiah answered right away: 'Here I am! Send ME!'
God gave Isaiah his mission—to speak God's words to the people, even though many wouldn't listen.
Isaiah spent the rest of his life telling people about God. He wrote about how a special Savior would come—and hundreds of years later, Jesus fulfilled everything Isaiah said!
When we see how holy and amazing God is, we realize we need His forgiveness. And when He forgives us, we can say, 'Here I am—send me!'
Ready to test your knowledge?
See how well you know this story from Isaiah.
Characters in This Story
Scripture — Isaiah 6:1-13 (KJV)
1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. his: or, the skirts thereof
2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. one: Heb. this cried to this the whole: Heb. his glory is the fulness of the whole earth
4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. door: Heb. thresholds
5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. undone: Heb. cut off
6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: having: Heb. and in his hand a live coal
7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. laid: Heb. caused it to touch
8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Here: Heb. behold me
9And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. indeed, but understand: or, without ceasing, etc: Heb. in hearing, etc
10Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
11Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, utterly: Heb. desolate with desolation
12And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
13But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. and it: or, when it is returned, and hath been broused substance: or, stock, or, stem
Memory Verse
“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. his: or, the skirts thereof”
— Isaiah 6:1 (KJV)
Test Your Knowledge
How well do you know the story of “Isaiah's Vision”? Take the quiz to find out.
More from Prophets & Exile
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the story of “Isaiah's Vision” in the Bible?
In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah sees the Lord seated on His throne, surrounded by seraphim crying 'Holy, holy, holy.' Isaiah is cleansed and commissioned. This story is found in Isaiah 6:1-13.
Where is “Isaiah's Vision” found in the Bible?
“Isaiah's Vision” is found in Isaiah 6:1-13, in the book of Isaiah.
What can children learn from “Isaiah's Vision”?
This story teaches children about God's holiness, Human sinfulness, Cleansing, Calling. Isaiah had an amazing vision! He saw God sitting on a throne with angels flying around singing 'Holy, holy, holy!' Isaiah felt scared because of his sins, but God cleaned him and gave him an important job.