Isaiah�s Description of the seraphims has always aroused
awe, questions and inspiration. As yet, none of us knows very much about this
order of beings, for there is but one account given in the scriptures, but by
comparing scripture with scripture there are few things that come to light.
Therefore, first, let us read what Isaiah has to say:
"In the year that king Uzziah died I say also the Lord
sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple,
Above 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. And
one cried unto another, and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts: the
whole earth is full of His glory�Then flew one of the seraphims unto me having
a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the alter:
and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and
thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Isaiah 6:1-7
The big question is, "Who are these seraphims?" We have
been satisfied in years past to simply say they are an angelic order of
beings, but the time of knowledge is here, and our hearts long to understand
more fully the mysteries of the scriptures. There is no other account of
seraphims given elsewhere, but it is still true that "in the mouth of two or
three witnesses shall every word be established." Then where else in scripture
is there an allusion to them? In Ezekiel 28:14, 16 we are told that Lucifer,
the covering cherub, "walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire".
This is strange phraseology, but so pregnant with meaning. The Hebrew word for
STONE is EBEN which literally means A BUILDER, and the word for SON is BEN,
springing from the same root, a SON being a BUILDER of the family name. Thus,
STONES OF FIRE could just as easily, and without doing despite, be rendered
SONS OF FIRE. It is easier then to understand the meaning of Lucifer walking
up and down amid the SONS OF FIRE!
Quite a number of years ago the Lord spoke a very strange
word to me---BENESHAH. At the time I had no idea what it meant, but upon
searching to see if I could find the Hebrew meaning, I discovered it came from
BEN, meaning SON, and ESH, meaning FIRE. I then knew its meaning---SON OF
FIRE, but it was not until within recent days and months that a fuller meaning
of it was realized. In studying into the meaning of the seraphims the Spirit
of the Lord directed my attention to these STONES or SONS OF FIRE, and the
connection is understandable when we comprehend that the word SERAPHIMS means
BURNERS, those SET ON FIRE. Who is it that is burning except the sons of fire?
And, these sons of fire are sons of God, for "our God is a consuming fire".
Thus the seraphims are the sons of fire, the sons of God---GENERATED sons of
God--- not CREATED sons. Lucifer was a son, too, "the son of the morning", but
he was created according to Ezekiel 28:13, 15. CREATED sons can do what
Lucifer did, but GENERATED sons, or BORN sons, will have the nature of the
Father and desire only to do His will. Therefore, these sons of fire are
generated sons of God, brought forth before the foundation of the world as the
sons of fire among whom Lucifer, a created son, walked up and down.
Having established the fact of who the seraphims are, we
need to next understand what their position is. Note, they are located above
the throne. In Revelation 4 John gives a picture of the throne and describes
two companies in relation to the throne. One company, the ELDERS (mature
ones), is located ROUND ABOUT the throne, vs. 4. AS for the other company, the
BEASTS, or more accurately, the LIVING CREATURES, is located IN THE MIDST OF
and ROUND ABOUT (inner circle) the throne. This is in contradiction to the
seraphims who are ABOVE the throne. All of these are pictures of the sons of
God, but each group has a position and calling.
In studying the work of the ELDERS (mature) in Revelation
they are shown as giving light of understanding, but the LIVING CREATURES are
the instigators of the movings of God. For instance, the living creatures give
the seven vials to the seven angels that the vials might fully be poured out.
The fact that the elders are rulers in knowledge and the living creature�s
rulers in power shows that the elders and living creatures are granted power
and authority. Their relation to the throne indicates this also. In contrast,
the seraphims, or sons of fire, are lifted above the throne and it�s attending
power and privileges. They care not for any such power. They desire not to
accomplish great things and do great wonders. Rulership to them is not
something to be striven for. Do you wonder why you cannot be satisfied with
power, or with the knowledge, or with rulership? It is because you have been
GENERATED out of God as a son of fire, and such does not appeal to your inner
being.
To further explain this, consider the wings of the
seraphims. Each one has six wings, and six is the number of man, so these
seraphims surely depict men, not angels. With tow wings they cover the face.
The face is the identifying part of a person, and the seraphims cover their
faces---cover their identify. Identity (knowing who we are) is wonderful, and
how our hearts thrill to know we are of Israel, that we are the sons of God,
that we are generated out of God. But, above and beyond that, there is that
company which is willing to hide their identity that God might be fully
glorified. They care not to be known as "so-and-so", they care not to be seen
or recognized or praised. They only care for one thing God�s character and
purpose.
Then, with two more wings they cover their feet. The feet
speak of moving about and going various places, but these seraphims cover up
their tracks not wanting anyone to know where they have been nor where they
are going. Does not this fit beautifully with the scripture about those who
are born of God being like the wind, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and
thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh nor
whither it goeth?" These seraphims depict this in truth and reality.
Lastly, with two of their wings they fly. All six wings
have the ability of moving them about in spiritual realms, but they are more
interested in covering face and feet than in great spiritual experiences of
mounting upwards into celestial realms. Rather they reserve but two wings with
which to fly, and this flight is always spirit directed and with a specific
purpose.
The message of the seraphims is "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the
Lord of hosts." Their whole theme is the character of God which is holiness.
And, they can only be so interested because they have been born out of the
consuming fire where no impurity can abide. Plus this, they cry out that "the
whole earth is full of His glory," which indeed speaks of the purpose of God
wherein "the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth as the
waters cover the sea." They are not disturbed by momentary misunderstandings
of God�s plan, but having risen above power and authority, they see the over
all purpose of God in bringing all things back into Himself. They see the
whole earth full of His glory wherein all of creation is loosed from the
thralldom of sin and unrighteousness.
Let us again contrast the ones in the midst of the throne,
those around the throne, and those above the throne. The MATURE ones are
around the throne, mature in knowledge and understanding, and thus mature in
God. Those in the midst of the throne speak of LIFE, for they are LIVING
CREATURES who are the instigators of God�s movings in the earth. How wonderful
to be mature in knowledge! How wonderful to be filled with life! But there is
something better. Above the throne are the BURNERS which sing of his holiness,
and they represent PURITY. Let us never be satisfied with maturity or life,
but may we see above all the blessings of the Throne the place of PURITY in
God!
When Isaiah saw the throne and HIM who sat thereon with the
seraphims above it, he cried out because of his uncleanness. Isaiah is the
most major of the Major Prophets, but he realized something more was necessary
in his life. So it was that seraphim with a living coal came and touched his
lips and cleansed him. The only ministry the seraphim�s have is that of
cleansing, not condemnation, but cleansing. They did not condemn the prophet,
rather there was applied the fire for cleansing followed by the declaration
that his iniquity was taken away. This ministry of cleansing and remitting
sins is for the sons of fire who have been born in the fire, born through it,
and born out of it. Only such purified ones can purify others.
Such are the seraphims, the sons of fire, for they have
risen above power and authority and dwell in light even the light of God�s
character and purpose! N.C.N.
