Isaiah’s Commission

In the year that King Uzziah(A) died,(B) I saw the Lord,(C) high and exalted,(D) seated on a throne;(E) and the train of his robe(F) filled the temple. Above him were seraphim,(G) each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,(H) and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy(I), holy is the Lord Almighty;(J)
    the whole earth(K) is full of his glory.”(L)

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.(M)

“Woe(N) to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!(O) For I am a man of unclean lips,(P) and I live among a people of unclean lips,(Q) and my eyes have seen(R) the King,(S) the Lord Almighty.”(T)

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal(U) 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;(V) your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.(W)

Then I heard the voice(X) of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?(Y) And who will go for us?(Z)

And I said, “Here am I.(AA) Send me!”

He said, “Go(AB) and tell this people:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
    be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’(AC)
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;(AD)
    make their ears dull
    and close their eyes.[a](AE)
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,(AF)
    understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”(AG)

11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”(AH)

And he answered:

“Until the cities lie ruined(AI)
    and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted(AJ)
    and the fields ruined and ravaged,(AK)
12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away(AL)
    and the land is utterly forsaken.(AM)
13 And though a tenth remains(AN) in the land,
    it will again be laid waste.(AO)
But as the terebinth and oak
    leave stumps(AP) when they are cut down,
    so the holy(AQ) seed will be the stump in the land.”(AR)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint ‘You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / 10 This people’s heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes

John’s Vision of Christ

I, John,(A) your brother and companion in the suffering(B) and kingdom(C) and patient endurance(D) that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God(E) and the testimony of Jesus.(F) 10 On the Lord’s Day(G) I was in the Spirit,(H) and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,(I) 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see(J) and send it to the seven churches:(K) to Ephesus,(L) Smyrna,(M) Pergamum,(N) Thyatira,(O) Sardis,(P) Philadelphia(Q) and Laodicea.”(R)

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,(S) 13 and among the lampstands(T) was someone like a son of man,[a](U) dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet(V) and with a golden sash around his chest.(W) 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.(X) 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,(Y) and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.(Z) 16 In his right hand he held seven stars,(AA) and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.(AB) His face was like the sun(AC) shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet(AD) as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me(AE) and said: “Do not be afraid.(AF) I am the First and the Last.(AG) 18 I am the Living One; I was dead,(AH) and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!(AI) And I hold the keys of death and Hades.(AJ)

19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen,(AK) what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand(AL) and of the seven golden lampstands(AM) is this: The seven stars are the angels[b] of the seven churches,(AN) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.(AO)

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 1:13 See Daniel 7:13.
  2. Revelation 1:20 Or messengers

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