The Story of Isaiah | The Prophet Who Saw God | Epic Bible Animation

He saw something no human being should be able to see and live, the throne of God, high and lifted up, filling the temple with glory. Mighty six-winged creatures crying out so powerfully that the foundations of the doorposts shook, and the King of the Universe In that moment, the prophet did not feel proud or privileged. He felt undone, ruined, destroyed, crushed by the weight of his own sinfulness before a holy God. And then a burning coal touched his lips, his guilt was taken away, and he heard the voice of the Lord asking, This is the story of Isaiah, the prophet who saw the Lord, the man who spoke more clearly about the coming Messiah than any prophet before him, who foretold a virgin birth, a suffering servant, and a Savior pierced for our transgressions 700 years before Jesus was born. His words would echo through the centuries and find their fulfillment at the foot of a cross. Isaiah lived and prophesied during a critical period in the history of Judah. It was the eighth century before Christ, a time of political turmoil and spiritual decline. The kingdom of Israel had split into two, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. The mighty Assyrian Empire was rising in the east, threatening to swallow up the nations. And within Judah, though there was outward religious activity, the hearts of the people had grown far from God. Isaiah was called to prophesy to this nation. His name means, The Lord is salvation, or salvation of the Lord. And that theme, salvation, would run through his entire prophetic ministry. He would warn of judgment, but he would also proclaim the hope of salvation, pointing forward to the ultimate Savior who would come. Isaiah served during the reigns of several kings of Judah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. He was a prophet of remarkable eloquence, whose words are among the most beautiful and profound in all of scripture. But his ministry began with a life-changing vision, an encounter with the living God that would define everything that followed. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple. In the year that King Uzziah died, this is significant, Uzziah had been a powerful and generally good king who reigned for 52 years. His death marked the end of an era, a time of uncertainty and transition. Earthly kings die and kingdoms shake. But in that moment of national instability, Isaiah saw the true king, the eternal king, seated on his throne, high and lifted up. The train of his robe filled the temple. The glory of God was overwhelming, majestic, filling the space entirely. This was no small vision. Isaiah was granted a glimpse into the throne room of heaven, into the very presence of the Almighty. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings. With two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet. And one called to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And how did Isaiah respond to this vision of God's holiness? Not with pride at being chosen for such a vision, not with excitement, but with utter devastation. And I said, Woe is me, for I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Woe is me, for I am lost. When Isaiah saw the holiness of God, he immediately saw his own sinfulness. The nearer we come to the light, the more clearly we see our own darkness. In the blazing purity of God's holiness, Isaiah recognized his own uncleanness. He was undone, ruined, crushed by the weight of his sin before a holy God. I am a man of unclean lips. Isaiah, one of the most righteous men of his age, a prophet called by God, confessed that he was unclean. He did not compare himself to other people and feel good about himself. He compared himself to God and saw his desperate need. This is the proper response to encountering the holiness of God. Not self-congratulation, but humble confession. By the way, if you find any of these videos interesting or enjoyable, please consider subscribing. These take a long time to make and it really helps out. But God did not leave Isaiah in his despair. He provided cleansing. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has touched your lips. Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. A burning coal from the altar touched Isaiah's lips. The altar was the place of sacrifice, where atonement was made for sin. And this coal, taken from that altar, purified Isaiah. His guilt was taken away. His sin was atoned for. He was cleansed, made fit to stand in the This is the pattern of grace. God does not merely show us our sin and leave us in despair. He provides the means of cleansing. He takes away our guilt and atones for our sin. And this cleansing, symbolized by the coal from the altar, points forward to the ultimate atonement that would come through the sacrifice of Christ. Once Isaiah was cleansed, he was ready to hear God's call. And notice that the call came only after the cleansing. God first purifies, then commissions. And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here I am, send me. Whom shall I send? God was looking for a messenger, someone to carry his word to the people. And Isaiah, now cleansed and forgiven, responded without hesitation. Here I am, send me. The man, who moments before had cried, Woe is me, now eagerly volunteered for God's service. Cleansing leads to commissioning. Forgiveness leads to willing service. This is the proper order of the spiritual life. We encounter God's holiness. We recognize our sin. We receive his cleansing. And then, transformed by grace, we offer ourselves for his service. Isaiah's, Here I am, send me, is the response of a heart that has been touched by grace and longs to serve the God who forgave him. But God's commission came with a difficult message. Isaiah's ministry would not be easy. He was called to speak to a people who would largely reject his message, whose hearts had grown hard, who would not listen. And he said, Go and say to this people, Keep on hearing, but do not understand. Keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed. This was a hard commission. Isaiah would preach, but the people would not respond. Their hearts were already hardened by persistent rebellion, and Isaiah's ministry would, in a sense, confirm that hardness. It is a sobering truth that persistent rejection of God's word leads to greater hardness of heart. Isaiah asked how long this would continue, and God answered that it would continue until the land was devastated and the people carried into exile. Judgment was coming. The nation would not repent, and they would face the consequences. Yet, even in this message of judgment, there was a seed of hope, a holy remnant that would survive, a stump from which new life would spring. And so, Isaiah began his ministry, a ministry that would span decades and produce some of the most profound prophecies in all of Scripture. He confronted the sin of the nation. He called them to repentance. He warned of the coming judgment through Assyria and later Babylon. But interwoven with these warnings were breathtaking prophecies of hope, prophecies of a coming king, a savior, a Messiah who would bring salvation not only to Judah, but to the whole world. It is these messianic prophecies that make Isaiah so extraordinary. 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah described his coming with stunning clarity and detail. First, Isaiah prophesied the miraculous birth of the Messiah. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. The virgin shall conceive and bear a son. This prophecy, given to King Ahaz, pointed forward to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. And the name given to this child, Immanuel, means God with us. Isaiah was foretelling that the Messiah would be God himself come to dwell among his people. Centuries later, the Gospel of Matthew would quote this very prophecy, declaring that it was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus to the virgin Mary. Isaiah went further, describing the divine nature and eternal reign of this coming child. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. A child is born, a son is given. The Messiah would come as a child, born into the world. Yet his names reveal his divine identity, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. This is no mere human king. This is God incarnate, the divine Savior, whose government and peace would have no end. Of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end. On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness, from this time forth and forevermore. An eternal kingdom, established on the throne of David, ruled with justice and righteousness forever. This is the kingdom of the Messiah, the kingdom that Jesus came to inaugurate and that he will one day fully establish when he returns. Isaiah also prophesied about the forerunner who would prepare the way for the Messiah. A voice cries, in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. This prophecy pointed to John the Baptist, who would come as a voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way for Jesus. All four gospels apply this prophecy to John the Baptist and his ministry of preparing hearts for the coming of the Lord. But the most astonishing of all Isaiah's prophecies concerned the suffering of the Messiah. In a passage of breathtaking clarity, written seven centuries before the crucifixion, Isaiah described the suffering servant who would bear the sins of the world. This passage, found in the 53rd chapter, is one of the most remarkable prophecies ever recorded. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. This describes Jesus with perfect accuracy. He was rejected by his own people, despised by the religious leaders, abandoned by his friends. He was acquainted with grief, sorrow, and suffering. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. Here is the heart of the gospel, prophesied centuries before it happened. The Messiah would not suffer for his own sins, for he had none. He would bear our griefs, carry our sorrows, suffer for us. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. This is a precise description of the crucifixion of Jesus, who was pierced by nails and a spear, crushed under the weight of our sin. And the purpose of his suffering is declared, upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. He suffered so that we could have peace with God. He was wounded so that we could be healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. This is the doctrine of substitution, the very heart of the gospel. We have all sinned, all gone astray, but God laid our sin upon the Messiah. He took our place, he bore our guilt, he suffered the punishment we deserved. Isaiah continued to describe the servant's suffering with astonishing detail. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth, like a lamb led to slaughter, silent before its shearers. This describes Jesus at his trial, when he remained silent before his accusers, when he did not defend himself but submitted to suffering and death. He was the Lamb of God, led to the slaughter for the sins of the world. And Isaiah even prophesied the details of the Messiah's death and burial. And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence and there was no deceit in his mouth. His grave with the wicked and with a rich man. Jesus was crucified between two criminals, counted among the wicked, yet he was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man. Even these specific details were foretold by Isaiah centuries in advance. And the purpose of it all, the great result of the servant's suffering, was salvation for many. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied. By his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Make many to be accounted righteous. This is justification, the great gift of the gospel. Through the suffering of the Messiah, many would be counted righteous before God. He would bear their iniquities so that they could be declared righteous. This is exactly what Jesus accomplished on the cross, bearing our sin so that we could receive his righteousness. How could Isaiah describe the death of Jesus with such precision 700 years before it happened? Only by the inspiration of God. These prophecies are among the strongest evidences of the divine origin of scripture and the truth of the gospel. Isaiah saw by the spirit of God, the suffering Savior who would come to redeem the world. Beyond his prophecies of the Messiah, Isaiah also proclaimed the greatness and majesty of God in some of the most beautiful language ever written. He declared God's incomparable power and sovereignty. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might, he increases strength. And Isaiah offered one of the most beloved promises of strength and renewal in all of scripture. But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. This promise has comforted and strengthened countless believers throughout the ages. Isaiah reminds us that our strength comes not from ourselves, but from waiting on the Lord, trusting in him, depending on his inexhaustible power. Isaiah also proclaimed God's gracious invitation to salvation, an invitation freely offered to all who would come. Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. And he who has no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. This is the free offer of grace. Salvation is not earned or purchased. It is offered freely to all who thirst, to all who come. Isaiah invited the people to seek the Lord while he may be found, to forsake their wicked ways and to return to God who would abundantly pardon. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord that he may have compassion on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. He will abundantly pardon. This is the heart of God revealed through Isaiah. God is not eager to condemn, but eager to pardon, to show compassion, to forgive abundantly all who turn to him. According to Jewish tradition, Isaiah's ministry ended in martyrdom. It is believed that during the reign of the wicked king Manasseh, Isaiah was persecuted for his faithful prophecy. Tradition holds that Manasseh had Isaiah placed inside a hollow log and sawn in two. The book of Hebrews may allude to this when it speaks of those who were sawn in two among the heroes of faith who suffered for their devotion to God. If this tradition is true, then Isaiah, who prophesied the suffering of the Messiah, himself suffered a martyr's death for his faithfulness to God's word. Whether or not this tradition is accurate, we know that Isaiah served God faithfully throughout his long ministry, proclaiming both judgment and hope, warning of coming destruction and promising a coming Savior. His words would outlive him by centuries, finding their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The story of Isaiah offers profound lessons for us today. First, a true encounter with God begins with seeing his holiness and our sinfulness. Isaiah's ministry began with a vision of God's holiness that left him crying, Before he could serve God, he had to see God as he truly is and himself as he truly was. The path to genuine faith begins with recognizing the holiness of God and our own unworthiness before him. Many people today have a casual, comfortable view of God. They do not tremble before his holiness. They do not feel the weight of their sin. But a true encounter with the living God, like Isaiah's, humbles us, breaks us, and drives us to confess our need for cleansing. We cannot truly appreciate grace until we have felt the weight of our sin before a holy God. Second, God provides cleansing for those who confess their sin. Isaiah did not remain in The burning coal touched his lips and his guilt was taken away. God does not show us our sin merely to condemn us, but to lead us to cleansing. When we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The coal from the altar points us to the ultimate cleansing available through the sacrifice of Christ. Just as Isaiah's guilt was atoned for by the coal from the altar of sacrifice, so our guilt is atoned for by the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God. We can be cleansed, forgiven, and made fit to serve God, not by our own efforts, but by his atoning grace. Third, cleansing leads to commissioning. Only after Isaiah was cleansed did he hear God's call and respond, here I am, send me. Grace transforms us and sends us. Those who have been forgiven much should serve willingly and gladly. Isaiah's eager response to God's call flowed from his experience of God's cleansing grace. Have you experienced God's cleansing? Then offer yourself for his service. Say with Isaiah, here I am, send me. God is still looking for willing messengers, still asking, whom shall I send? The proper response of a forgiven heart is glad and willing service. Fourth, God's word may be rejected, but it must still be proclaimed. Isaiah was called to preach to a people who would largely reject his message. His ministry would be difficult, marked by opposition and unbelief. Yet he was faithful to proclaim God's word regardless of the response. We too are called to be faithful, whether or not people respond. We do not measure success by how many people accept our message, but by our faithfulness in proclaiming it. Isaiah preached faithfully for decades to a hardened nation. His faithfulness, not the response of the people, was what pleased God. Fifth, and most importantly, Isaiah points us to Jesus Christ. More than any other prophet, Isaiah revealed the coming Messiah. He prophesied the virgin birth, the divine nature, the eternal kingdom, the forerunner, and most powerfully, the suffering and death of the Savior. 700 years before Jesus, Isaiah described him being pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, bearing the sin of the world. When Jesus began his ministry, he stood up in the synagogue at Nazareth and read from the scroll of Isaiah, declaring that the prophecy was fulfilled in him. When Philip found the Ethiopian eunuch reading Isaiah 53, he began with that very passage and told him the good news about Jesus. The New Testament quotes Isaiah more than almost any other book, applying his prophecies to Christ again and again. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up on his throne. And the Gospel of John tells us that Isaiah saw the glory of Jesus and spoke of him. The one Isaiah saw in the temple, the holy king before whom the seraphim covered their faces, was none other than the pre-incarnate Christ. Isaiah beheld the glory of the Son of God centuries before he came in the flesh. And here is the wonder of the Gospel. The holy God whom Isaiah saw, the God whose holiness left the prophet undone, is the same God who would come in the flesh to bear our sin. The king on the throne would become the lamb led to slaughter. The one before whom the angels cried, holy, holy, holy, would be pierced for our transgressions. The glory of God and the grace of God meet in Isaiah's vision began with the terror of God's holiness and the crushing weight of sin. But it moved to the coal from the altar, the cleansing, the atonement. And this is the movement of the entire Gospel. We come to God as sinners, undone by his holiness, crushed by our guilt. But through the sacrifice of Christ, our guilt is taken away. Our sin is atoned for and we are cleansed and commissioned for his service. Perhaps you have never truly seen the holiness of God. Perhaps you have never felt the weight of your sin, never cried, woe is me before the majesty of the If so, ask God to open your eyes, to show you who he truly is and who you truly are. For it is only when we see our need that we can appreciate his grace. And perhaps you have seen your sin and feel crushed by its weight, undone by your guilt, convinced you are lost. If so, then look to the altar, look to the cross, look to the lamb of God who was pierced for your transgressions. The same grace that cleansed Isaiah is available to you. Your guilt can be taken away. Your sin can be atoned for. You can be cleansed, forgiven and made new. The suffering servant that Isaiah described has come. His name is Jesus. He was despised and rejected. He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all and with his wounds, we are healed. Come to him. Come to the waters. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Return to the God who will abundantly pardon. Isaiah saw the Lord and was transformed. He was cleansed and commissioned and he spent his life proclaiming the Savior who would come to bear the sin of the world. That Savior has come and he calls you to see his holiness, to confess your sin, to receive his cleansing and to answer his call. When God asks, whom shall I send? Will you answer as Isaiah did? Here I am. Send me.