Peter J. Leithart

The fullness of the earth is God’s glory: God clothes Himself with creation. Mike Bull writes to remind me that this also fits into Isaiah 6. The woman is the glory of man: Therefore, creation as God’s glory is also God’s bride. The triune God has freely determined that He will . . . . Continue Reading »

Mike Bull reminds me that the coals from the altar fire were used to ignite the fire that destroyed a rebellious city, turning it into an ascension offering (Deuteronomy 13; cf. Ezekiel 10). After being touched with a coal, Isaiah becomes a fiery coal, cast down to burn the rebellious harlot . . . . Continue Reading »

Isaiah enters the presence of King Yahweh, who is surrounded by burning ones. One burning one takes a coal and touches Isaiah’s lips. Toby Sumpter points out that this lights Isaiah on fire. He becomes a burning one. He becomes a fire-breather, whose words destroy and purge Judah. He is the . . . . Continue Reading »

Isaiah says that the “fullness of all the earth is [Yahweh’s] glory.” Or, Yahweh’s glory is the fullness of the earth. Or, the fullness of God’s glory is the earth. My colleague Toby Sumpter suggests glossing this as: “Yahweh’s glory-robe is the fullness of . . . . Continue Reading »

In an essay on Isaiah 6, R. W. L. Moberly notes that the cleansing of Isaiah’s lips and his commission as a prophet binds him with God in a way that is different from most of Israel. As a result, “his life takes a different course from that of Israel generally.” A purged man in an . . . . Continue Reading »

Isaiah enters a temple filled with smoke, and sees Yahweh enthroned. He must be in the Most Holy Place, the throne room of the temple. When the seraph cleanses his lips, he says that Isaiah’s sin is “covered,” using kaphar , as in Yom Kippur . Is Isaiah (in vision, if not reality) . . . . Continue Reading »

At the end of his prophecy against Babylon and Assyria (chs. 13-14), Isaiah gives a warning to Philistia “in the year that King Ahaz died” (14:28). Philistia should not rejoice at the death of Ahaz, because the “rod” that has struck Philistia is broken. Ahaz is the rod who . . . . Continue Reading »

In a long article on mouth-purification in the ANE and Isaiah, Victor Hurowitz says that Isaiah has presented three, even four, lawsuits in the first six chapters of his prophecy: “The first ‘lawsuit’ is found in Isaiah 1:2—20 . . . The second ‘lawsuit’ is found . . . . Continue Reading »

The phrase “I saw the Lord” is used only a handful of times in the Old Testament. Amos sees Adonai beside the altar (9:1), and in some translations Psalm 16:9 (cf. Acts 2:25) begins with “I saw Yahweh.” Two passages are nearly identical. Micaiah says that he saw Yahweh . . . . Continue Reading »

When Isaiah sees Yahweh enthroned in the temple, he also sees seraphim standing above the throne (6:2), one of which flies to him carrying the coal that will purify his unclean lips (v. 6). What are these creatures at the throne of God? The word seraph comes from the Hebrew verb “burn,” . . . . Continue Reading »