Isaiah encountered them. And then centuries later, an exile named John saw and heard some creatures like the ones Isaiah met (see the image here of seraphim that Isaiah described, as imagined by artists in a 14th Century manuscript) in what seemed like a repeat of an apocalyptic vision. So, it was really these creatures who sang “Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord of Hosts” and caused Isaiah and John to feel awestruck, unworthy even to be in their presence. That’s what happens when mortals come that close to God or His representatives, as when Simon Peter had to acknowledge that he was in the presence of God Himself (Luke 5:8). Evidently, a 20th Century songwriter, Nolene Prince, also wanted some of this same sensation, so she musically translated the words that Isaiah and John recorded into something we can sing today. There’s not much more that we can surmise from what the creatures said. We can take from the behavior of Isaiah and John how we too might react when we see Him or His heavenly beings someday. Trepidation, astonishment, reverence…His presence will be like nothing we have ever seen or heard before.
We can be sure that Nolene was reading from Isaiah 6:1-5 and perhaps Revelation 4:8 also, and was struck by the imagery and even more so by what these beings had to say. God has other creatures that serve Him, like the cherubim (Genesis 3:24; and other places, especially in Ezekiel chapter 10) that, like the seraphim, inspire wonder when the human eye beholds them. But the seraphim actually speak and sing for the mortals they contact. All they had to say to each other was for Isaiah’s consumption, and also necessarily to make him aware of his poor state in God’s presence. But God didn’t want Isaiah to wilt. Instead, He had a mission for him. In Isaiah’s case, the seraphim helped usher in God’s message and commission for Isaiah – that he was to be a prophet to the people. So, the message the seraphim deliver can be a way to help assign someone a task. What John the beloved apostle saw and heard during his exile on Patmos was likewise a Divinely-inspired idea for a human to take up, something for John to broadcast (Revelation 4:8). The four living creatures that John saw had six wings each, so they were perhaps rather similar to the six-winged seraphim that sang for Isaiah. And, the song they sang was also very succinct and yet potent, with the ‘holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty’ phrase that is reserved for Him alone. John’s apparent takeaway was to recount this experience to other believers of his era, those who felt the weight of a Roman Caesar (Domitian) who decreed that his empire’s subjects call him Lord. ‘Hold on Caesar, let me tell you who is really Lord’, John said to gird the faith of his Christian brethren. ‘This Lord is not only Almighty, but also ‘who was, and is, and is to come’, so just keep listening to these four living creatures. Domitian can make believe what he wants, but we know the truth.’ In Isaiah’s experience, the seraphim followed up the introduction of the holy Lord, by saying ‘the whole earth is full of His glory’. What they said was literally an earthshaking revelation (Is. 6:4). He can rock earthly kings (like Caesar) through a Christian movement, while also physically shaking another’s foundations.
This ‘Lord of Hosts’ is not to be ignored. He evidently has beings that work for Him, communicating with humans who carry His messages to others. The things they say about Him aren’t very complicated. He’s holy, a declaration that’s important enough to say three times for effect. And, He shakes things up and is eternally existing. In short, He’s the one in control, then, now, and forever. If He were evil, we’d all be in trouble. But those who introduce Him say He’s holy. Webster’s says that means He’s exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness. Don’t believe Webster? But why would Webster say this? Have you met this God yet? People here on earth may not represent Him and His holiness perfectly at all times, as Webster’s describes holiness. And yet, that’s why we’re humans, and He’s God, and why each of us needs Him. We’re aiming to be with Him who will perfect us one day.
Read about the four living creatures and the Tetramorph here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetramorph or seraphim here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seraph
See more information on the image here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seraphim_-_Petites_Heures_de_Jean_de_Berry.jpg ... This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. {{PD-1996}} – public domain in its source country on January 1, 1996 and in the United States. …found inside this document -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seraph
