THRONE OF GRACE
ISAIAH 6:1-7
#throneofGrace
INTRODUCTION/ILLUSTRATION… PART 1… screenrant.com/most-iconic-movie-tv-chairs-thrones/ [adapted]
Some heroes and villains from TV and movies stick with us and become iconic and are immediately known even with just a little bit of description. Most people can recognize these fictional characters because they become part of popular culture. The same can be true of furniture. Some furniture… if we saw it… we might automatically know what TV show it was from or what character sat in it or some lines from the movie the character said as they sat there. A piece of furniture can be just as memorable as a line of dialogue or an actor's performance!
#10 The Egg Chair, Men in Black (1997)
Since the 1960s, the decade's European art-deco furniture and decor have made a lasting impression on filmmakers. One of the most iconic pieces has to be the 'Egg Chair,' seen in many variations and styles in too many films and TV shows to count. Men in Black, 1997, showed off this unorthodox chair in the 'test scene.' The chair's unorthodox structure was made for laughs, but the odd throwback/retro attitude became such a trademark of the Men In Black so that when you see a chair like that, you think of that movie franchise. It speaks to uncomfortableness and being very impractical.
#9 Hover Chairs, Wall-E (2008)
It may have seemed difficult to believe that the future human beings of Pixar's WALL-E could actually allow Earth to be turned into one massive garbage dump, but once the humans were revealed, it was clear that littering was the least of their problems. Forced into lethargy and obesity by the auto-pilot entrusted to protect them, humans spend their lives drinking, eating, and moving without leaving the comfort of their many hover chairs. An early death is an admitted drawback, but there are benefits as well. These chairs speak to laziness and apathy.
#8 Chairy, Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-1991)
I was never allowed to watch this TV show as a kid, but this entry on the list actively creeps me out even today. Viewers who grew up with Pee-wee's Playhouse saw a chair that could offer hugs as well as a soft seat was a good thing. The show's creators may not have given Chairy the most inspired name or backstory, but that doesn't lessen the treasured place it holds in some people’s weird demented hearts. You see that chair… you think about Pee Wee Herman and his laugh. This chair speaks to weirdness and strange imagination.
#7 Xerxes' Throne, 300 (2006)
There was certainly no more surprising character in Zack Snyder's 300 than the larger than life Xerxes, king of the Persians. As impressive as the man's size was, it was overshadowed by the throne he sat upon. It might actually be inaccurate to call it a throne, since it contains two massive sculptures, a set of stairs, and is carried around by a small army of servants. He even had to step on people to come down from the throne. This fictional Xerxes used his throne to intimidate and inspire awe in all who saw it.
#6 Throne of Gondor, Lord of the Rings (2003)
In television, film, or literature of any kind, few images convey as universal a meaning as an empty throne. In bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy to life, director Peter Jackson took the image from literature and ran with it, bringing Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor to life. Nothing captured the glory and sadness of the old world of men like Gondor's throne room. Seated well below the king's massive empty throne sat the chair reserved for the Steward of Gondor which was a small, black, hunched seat. This large empty throne communicated the loss of a king and the hopelessness of the people.
#5 Odin's Throne, Thor (2011)
Marvel movies made it clear early on that the residents of Asgard - specifically, its ruling class - tended to take themselves seriously. The first Thor movie began with Thor marching in to accept the throne from his father. The ceremony was interrupted by invading Frost Giants, but even in the action, the star of the room was the huge golden throne with many stairs and huge horns on either side. Odin's throne was meant to communicate authority and power.
TRANSITION
Xerxes throne from the movie 300 and Odin’s throne from Thor and the empty throne of Gondor from the Lord of the Rings makes me think about thrones and kings and those that sit on them. Really though, I’m only interested in one throne.
BIBLICAL THRONE OF SOLOMON
One of the thrones in the Bible that is described with any detail is the throne that King Solomon had made after he took over ruling Israel from his father King David. It was quite a throne. READ 1 KINGS 10:18-20 (ESV)
The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and the throne had a round top, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, 20 while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom.
Solomon sat his royal heinie on an elevated ivory throne overlaid with pure gold and was surrounded by carved lions. It must have been quite a sight to behold when walking into the throne room of Solomon and seeing him upon it. I am sure his authority and power was assumed as was the amount of wealth. His throne was meant to communicate authority and wealth and did so perfectly. In fact, the second picture on the Wikipedia page for thrones has an artist’s rendering of what Solomon’s throne would gave looked like because his throne is a great reference for what a throne should be and how it functioned.
Really though, I’m only interested in one throne and it isn’t Solomon’s.
TRANSITION
Some heroes and villains from TV and movies stick with us and become iconic and are immediately known even with just a little bit of description. The same can be true of furniture. A piece of furniture can be just as memorable as a line of dialogue or an actor's performance!
ILLUSTRATION… PART 2… screenrant.com/most-iconic-movie-tv-chairs-thrones/ [adapted]
#4 The Iron Throne, Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin swung for the fences when he concocted the seat of power in his political fantasy which on TV is called ‘Game of Thrones.’ The throne on that show was meant to symbolize the challenge of uniting the Seven Kingdoms. The Iron Throne is forged from over 1,000 swords which were surrendered by the defeated enemies of the first king, Aegon the Conqueror. The symbolism of the throne is more apparent than most thrones in general, but its meaning goes far deeper showing power and unity and submission to all who see it.
#3 Red Leather Wingback, The Matrix (1999)
Science fiction or fantasy films are obviously more likely to be distilled down to a single object, weapon, piece of clothing, or furniture that reminds fans of the show. The Matrix deserves credit for making a symbol out of a common chair. The first time the character and Neo sit down in a pair of red leather wingback armchairs to ask the age-old question… what is The Matrix?... their choice of furniture seemed irrelevant. But the leather armchair would go on to become not just Morpheus' trademark, but embody the film's fiction and became a symbol for those movies. This chair communicates seeking the truth.
#2 Captain's Chair, Star Trek (1966-1969)
With a following going strong for nearly sixty years, Star Trek remains one of the most legendary science fiction franchises of all time. The star of the franchise might arguably be the USS Enterprise as much as any cast member and the best place to sit on the USS Enterprise is the captain’s chair. While most starships in the Trek universe sport a command chair in one way or another, it's that of the Enterprise which has earned the most fame. The chair itself has become powerful in its implications, using the term 'the chair' has come to mean not just the acting authority, but all the responsibilities that come with commanding a Starfleet vessel. The chair itself has seen several changes over the years, but it's the version seen in The Original Series that might be the most beloved. This chair communicates confidence and command.
#1 Emperor's Throne, Star Wars (1980-1983)
The Imperial Throne held by Emperor Palpatine in the original Star Wars trilogy found in the Emperor's Throne Room on the second Death Star is the one shown most clearly in the actual films. Even with his Force powers, intimidation was a key part of Palpatine's strategy. His throne room sat atop a 100-story tower in order to see out of the massive viewports. The throne was meant to intimidate and cause fear because fear leads to anger and anger leads to hate and hate leads to suffering and suffering leads to the dark side of the force.
SUMMARY
That's just a small sample of the chairs and thrones and props that have become far more than just a seating apparatus for the men and women who sat upon them. The chairs and thrones and their construction and how they are presented communicate about the one sitting in it.
These chairs and thrones communicate…
… uncomfortableness and being impractical.
… laziness and apathy.
… weirdness and strange imagination.
… intimidation and awe inspiring.
… hopelessness.
… authority and power.
… authority and wealth.
… power and unity and the need for submission.
… seeking truth.
… confidence and command.
… intimidation and fear.
TRANSITION
Really though, I’m only interested in one throne and it isn’t King Solomon’s ivory and golden one from the Bible or a chair from a science fiction movie or a throne of a fictional character in a Hollywood fantasy world. I’m not even interested in talking about the porcelain throne invented in 1596. I am interested in one throne and the One Who sits upon it. We find the throne I’m interested in talking about in Isaiah chapter 6. We also happen to find it described in 1 Kings 22 and several Psalms and Ezekiel 1 and Daniel 7 and Revelation 4, 20-22. We are going to stick with Isaiah 6 this morning.
READ ISAIAH 6:1-7 (ESV)
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. 2 Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of Him Who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
TRANSITION
Isaiah was given a special look at God as He was on His throne. What do we find in this vision of Isaiah? What did he see? What was communicated? What do these symbols communicate about God?
THE VISION OF THE THRONE
We find in Isaiah’s vision that the throne of God, as any good throne, is higher than the floor and is “lifted up” in verse 1. This communicates the One sitting on the throne is greater than any beings there. God Almighty is in a class all by Himself and has no equal so He sits far above all other beings.
We also see in verse 1 that “the train of His robe filled the temple.” We freedom loving Americans don’t know this, but the length of a king’s robe is directly proportional to the number of enemies conquered and was a symbol of the safety of the kingdom. God’s robe filled the temple and covered the entire floor and was without end and so we have before us the Conqueror of Conquerors and the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is Unconquerable and is all-powerful and there is no enemy that can stand before God.
Verses 2-3 share with us that the One sitting on the throne of heaven has attendants. These spiritual beings are called “seraphim” which means “burning ones” or “fiery serpents.” They cover and hide their faces from the even brighter glory and power of the Lord and they cover their feet showing their humility before the God of the Universe. These seraphim are part of the vast heavenly host that is diverse and created by God to glorify Him. These seraphim fly around and do just that… they share about God’s holiness and give Him glory and honor and praise.
These seraphim call out appropriately: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” God is not one time holy or two times holy, but the holiest of the holy. This phrase stresses the holiness and perfection and righteousness and goodness of the One on the throne. The Heavenly King is holy and there is no other like Him.
Verse 4 shares with us that when God speaks the foundations and doorframes and everything in Heaven shakes. That is power! In the Bible in passages like Exodus 19:18 and Acts 4:31, God’s voice or God’s activity is sometimes accompanied by tremors and shaking. In the Bible in passages like Exodus 33:9 and Isaiah 4:5, God’s presence is symbolized by smoke. God makes Himself known by tremors. God makes Himself known by smoke. He is so powerful and magnificent that we can only take hints of His presence.
SUMMARY
This throne room vision is meant to communicate to Isaiah and to us some specific truths about God. First, the God of the Bible (YHWH) is all-powerful. There is no king or power or spirit above Him in authority or power. He is the Uncreated Unconquerable Creator that sits alone as God. He is it. He is in a category all by Himself. This is a basic normal belief you and I must hold about God. Second, the God of the Bible (YHWH) is holy. In God there is no evil or unrighteousness or weakness or sin, but only holiness. He is perfect in all His commands and in all His thoughts and in all His actions. His love and purpose and will is all holy. The throne of God is mean to communicate ultimate power and holiness.
TRANSITION
In between verses 4 and 5, the prophet Isaiah pees his pants out of fear and awe. He sees this vision of God and it is not like anything he has ever seen. He responds and reacts to this vision of God.
THE RESPONSE OF THE PROPHET
RE-READ ISAIAH 6:5 (ESV)
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!”
Isaiah describes his insides as “woe.” This is a significant word. As I mentioned last week, in the Bible, “woe” is a word of holy sorrow. In Proverbs 23:29 “woe” is associated with “sorrow” and “strife” and “wounds” and “tears.” In Ecclesiastes, “woe” is associated with “helplessness” (4:10). For Isaiah, he sees this vision of a holy God and immediately feels his unworthiness and his sin. He knows that the hand of God will be against him in judgment because he is full of sin and God is not (3:11, 5:20-22)! Isaiah expects judgment because of sin. This is a significant word that frames all of Isaiah’s other words.
Isaiah does not stay in his “woe.” Please notice this. Isaiah does not stay in his “woe,” but moves to truth and confession. Isaiah says several specific things in his confession:
Isaiah first says: “I am ‘lost’ and ‘undone’ from God because of my sinfulness.” He is saying that his life is cut off from God because God is holy and Isaiah is not. Isaiah knows that the holiness and light from God shows in his heart how terrible a person he is. He confesses this. He does not hide his sinfulness, but comes to God in truthfulness about his spiritual condition.
Isaiah secondly says: “I am ‘unclean’ and ‘impure’ when it comes to my life.” Isaiah expresses this by saying that his lips are unclean, but I personally have always thought that this was a confession that Isaiah’s whole life is sinful and that one need only look at his words to confirm that this is true. His lips are an example of the rest of his life. The power and holiness of God was sinking into Isaiah and impacting his conscience.
Isaiah thirdly says: “I live among a culture that is ‘unclean’ and ‘impure’ when it comes to our lives. The prophet knows his family, his people, and his nation and he knows that all the people to which he would connect himself are also sinful. He knows after seeing God (YHWH) that He is the standard and not what his culture dictates. He again confesses that the lips of his culture and what they say reflects the heart that is far from God.
TRANSITION
The response of the prophet to the vision of God’s throne is confession. Confession is the first stage of repentance. Isaiah truthfully stated that his heart was impure and sinful and that he had no hope before the Holy God. This is not a bad place to be. It is not a bad place to be, not because of us, but because of God and His character. The passage quickly moves from the response of the prophet in confession to an action from the throne.
THE ACTION FROM THE THRONE
RE-READ ISAIAH 6:6-7 (ESV)
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
One of the seraphs flies to Isaiah and places a burning coal on his lips and purifies him. It is the God of burning purifying holiness Himself Who provides the cleansing from the sacrificial altar. The word used here is specific and means “a burning coal” or “a hot stone.” The coal is a symbol of the forgiveness and grace of God fueled by His holiness and love. It is the holiness of God that burns away sin. It is the love of God that motivates Him.
Isaiah is cleansed. Isaiah is made right before God. Isaiah is cleaned spiritually in order that he can be used by God. Isaiah receives forgiveness and a clean slate with God not because of anything that Isaiah had done, but because of the character of God.
* Isaiah sees the ultimate power and holiness of God.
* Isaiah confesses that he is a sinner.
* Isaiah sees the grace of God because his sins are forgiven.
It occurs to me that the throne of God does not just communicate ultimate power and holiness. It absolutely does, but that is not all it communicates. We are treated to a vision that expresses the ultimate power and holiness of God, but also a glimpse into God’s character. God is also love and grace and justice and mercy and forgiveness at the same time being righteous and holy and all-powerful.
APPLICATION
Please do not miss that God provides healing and forgiveness for uncleanness. God’s holiness is the source of our forgiveness. This is why we celebrate so much, like in passages such as Hebrews 4:15, that Jesus was “without sin.” Jesus’ holy nature enabled Him to forgive us. Jesus’ holy nature is God’s holy nature and is our only source of forgiveness.
If you need to, think of the cross of Jesus Christ as Him stepping up to the flaming altar of holiness and scooping hot coals into His nail scarred hands. He turns to us and offers us these hot coals in the Gospel. If you need to, think of confession of faith and baptism as that time when Jesus steps up and places the coal on us and burns away all that is sinful and impure.
From then on, our state of being is the same as Isaiah. We are people whose guilt has been taken away and whose sin is atoned. God burns it off of us. Jesus burns it off of us. We are able to become children of God because the One on the throne made a way for us.
READ REVELATION 3:21 (ESV)
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also conquered and sat down with My Father on His throne.
PRAYER
INVITATION
