“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of His robe filled the temple.” (Isa. 6:1 NRSV)
Isaiah was called to become God’s ambassador during the time of seismic political change. The death of King Uzziah, who had ruled over Judah for over fifty years, marked the end of an era. Though Uzziah, in the latter years of his reign, had shared power with his son Jotham, his death likely raised many expectations and fears. How will life look like now? Which direction would the country take, and how would it affect its people? Although Judah was a relatively small country, the change of a ruler nevertheless affected the politics in the entire region.
During the time of this societal destabilization, Isaiah visited the temple. What he perceived there was nothing short of extraordinary. Instead of witnessing the priests offering sacrifices or prayers, as it was customary, he saw something normally hidden from the eyes of the mortals: the Lord seated on a throne. Despite the political upheaval and the uncertainty it caused, Isaiah's vision reminded him that above all earthly rulers, there is another throne—high and lofty. On that throne sits the Lord, whose robe fills the temple, and whose presence fills the entire earth.
Despite the political upheaval and the uncertainty it caused, Isaiah's vision reminded him that above all earthly rulers, there is another throne—high and lofty. On that throne sits the Lord, whose robe fills the temple, and whose presence fills the entire earth.
We live in the time of a similarly momentous change. Elections typically adjust the nation’s course. But the present moment feels different, more fragile and open-ended. The arrival of the new US administration understandably raises both high expectations and deep-seated fears. The one entrusted with leading this nation has the power not only to alter the lives of its citizens but of the whole world.
And yet, as the world watches with bated breath, on the day the President was sworn in, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of His robe filled the temple.
And the voice of the one sitting on the throne continues to call.
About the author
Josef Sykora, PhD
Dr. Josef Sykora serves as the dean of the School of Theology & Northeastern Seminary. His earned degrees include a Ph.D. from Durham University in the United Kingdom; M.A. in biblical studies and M.A. in theological studies from Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky; and a Master in Law from Masaryk University in Brno, the Czech Republic.